akjason
Active member
Hello everyone (wait, I live in KY, that should read "Hey y'all!")
I've been lurking on this website for a little while now soaking in all the cool ideas for when I set up my garage, but this is my first real post. I'm a first-time homeowner, been in my house for a little over a year now, and it's about time I fix my garage up the way it's supposed to be. I've got a detached 22x24 behind my house, and its main purpose will be for working on my Jeep. I've also got a 1-car attached garage that will house all the normal garage stuff (mower, trimmer, paint cans, etc), so the detached garage will function more like a shop.
These were all taken prior to moving in -
The house itself is about 26 years old, but the garage was built in 2005. All the walls are insulated, but the ceiling is not (it's on my to do list, one of these days...). The trusses are 104" from the floor, and all walls have peg board on the upper half (the previous owner was nice enough to leave all the various hooks). There is storage in half of the attic space, the other half is open. Lighting is pretty good, much better than any garage I've used in the past to work on the Jeep. Plenty of electrical outlets, 4-5 on each wall, with a 220V outlet next to the breaker panel by the man door.
When I moved in I just threw stuff in there and that's pretty much the way it's been for the last year while I took care of other aspects of the house (interior paint, fence for the dog, new roof). This is at the start of the fence project, funny how full a garage can get when it's not organized
So I've been researching and planning for how I want everything set up, and after many iterations this is what I've come up with using my fancy shmancy CAD program -
Starting at the back wall and going from left to right, we have:
- Shelving unit made from 2x4 and 3/4" plywood. Each section is 2ftx4ft, for a total length of 12ft. The back and left sides are mounted to the studs, leaving only the three legs in front.
- Tire storage is large enough to fit (5) 38" tires (I run aggressive tires on the trail, and an all terrain style on the street).
- The lower shelf is for taller items like jack stands.
- Room under the lower shelf to slide in my hydraulic lift cart and floor jack.
- L-shaped workbench, basically two sections 38"x8ft. 2x4 frame, 2x10 planks for the top, with a 1/2" plywood working surface. 38" working height. Like the shelves, the wall sides will be mounted to the studs. You can barely make it out in the picture, but the orange shapes on either end of the bench under the top surface are receiver tubes for hitch-mounted items like a vice, bench grinder, etc. The beige colored outlet in the picture is the light switch for the overhead flourescent unit. There's only one now, but I want to install a second one for the second leg of the bench.
- In the corner are shelves for the stereo and shop computer. My buddy uses that setup and it works great.
- Tool chest that I don't have yet. I've been working out of a few cheap hard sided and soft sided tool boxes/bags, and that got old a while ago. I'm saving up for a 40" Craftsman getup.
- 25gal upright air compressor that I picked up at a yard sale for $25, woohoo!
- 20 ton shop press
- Hobart Handler 210. I haven't made the cart for it yet, but that's my idea of how I want it to be set up.
I'm playing with the idea of putting the air compressor in a "closet" to cut down on the noise. It'll be a simple structure made from 2x4 sandwiched with 1/2" plywood. The orange squares on the inside and outside are standard home HVAC vents so the compressor can breath with the door shut. I'll install a hose reel somewhere on the outside of the closet, I've got some ideas floating around in my brain to make it out of Jeep parts (old wheel, wheel bearing, and winch fairlead). The closet will also serve as a great shelf for a mini fridge (which I'll have to custom paint in some way, of course). I want to leave the closet portable for now, because I'm not sure where it'll work out best in the layout of the garage. Eventually I'd like to plumb in hard line and have air drops at the workbench and near the door.
So you've probably noticed the paint scheme by now. I've always like orange and black, although it's not because of Harley-Davidson. I'm going to leave the peg board unpainted because it's already white, conveniently enough. The 6" black stripe will start at the top of the plywood sheathing, followed by the orange below. All the framework for the bench and shelves will be black, and the plywood tops will be a glossy light gray with the edges of the plywood painted orange. I think it's an interesting way to spice up a boring lumber workbench and shelf.
All comments and questions are welcome
And since I'm still in the planning stage, I am completely open to suggestions and constructive criticism. In fact, I encourage it 
I've been lurking on this website for a little while now soaking in all the cool ideas for when I set up my garage, but this is my first real post. I'm a first-time homeowner, been in my house for a little over a year now, and it's about time I fix my garage up the way it's supposed to be. I've got a detached 22x24 behind my house, and its main purpose will be for working on my Jeep. I've also got a 1-car attached garage that will house all the normal garage stuff (mower, trimmer, paint cans, etc), so the detached garage will function more like a shop.
These were all taken prior to moving in -
The house itself is about 26 years old, but the garage was built in 2005. All the walls are insulated, but the ceiling is not (it's on my to do list, one of these days...). The trusses are 104" from the floor, and all walls have peg board on the upper half (the previous owner was nice enough to leave all the various hooks). There is storage in half of the attic space, the other half is open. Lighting is pretty good, much better than any garage I've used in the past to work on the Jeep. Plenty of electrical outlets, 4-5 on each wall, with a 220V outlet next to the breaker panel by the man door.
When I moved in I just threw stuff in there and that's pretty much the way it's been for the last year while I took care of other aspects of the house (interior paint, fence for the dog, new roof). This is at the start of the fence project, funny how full a garage can get when it's not organized
So I've been researching and planning for how I want everything set up, and after many iterations this is what I've come up with using my fancy shmancy CAD program -
Starting at the back wall and going from left to right, we have:
- Shelving unit made from 2x4 and 3/4" plywood. Each section is 2ftx4ft, for a total length of 12ft. The back and left sides are mounted to the studs, leaving only the three legs in front.
- Tire storage is large enough to fit (5) 38" tires (I run aggressive tires on the trail, and an all terrain style on the street).
- The lower shelf is for taller items like jack stands.
- Room under the lower shelf to slide in my hydraulic lift cart and floor jack.
- L-shaped workbench, basically two sections 38"x8ft. 2x4 frame, 2x10 planks for the top, with a 1/2" plywood working surface. 38" working height. Like the shelves, the wall sides will be mounted to the studs. You can barely make it out in the picture, but the orange shapes on either end of the bench under the top surface are receiver tubes for hitch-mounted items like a vice, bench grinder, etc. The beige colored outlet in the picture is the light switch for the overhead flourescent unit. There's only one now, but I want to install a second one for the second leg of the bench.
- In the corner are shelves for the stereo and shop computer. My buddy uses that setup and it works great.
- Tool chest that I don't have yet. I've been working out of a few cheap hard sided and soft sided tool boxes/bags, and that got old a while ago. I'm saving up for a 40" Craftsman getup.
- 25gal upright air compressor that I picked up at a yard sale for $25, woohoo!
- 20 ton shop press
- Hobart Handler 210. I haven't made the cart for it yet, but that's my idea of how I want it to be set up.
I'm playing with the idea of putting the air compressor in a "closet" to cut down on the noise. It'll be a simple structure made from 2x4 sandwiched with 1/2" plywood. The orange squares on the inside and outside are standard home HVAC vents so the compressor can breath with the door shut. I'll install a hose reel somewhere on the outside of the closet, I've got some ideas floating around in my brain to make it out of Jeep parts (old wheel, wheel bearing, and winch fairlead). The closet will also serve as a great shelf for a mini fridge (which I'll have to custom paint in some way, of course). I want to leave the closet portable for now, because I'm not sure where it'll work out best in the layout of the garage. Eventually I'd like to plumb in hard line and have air drops at the workbench and near the door.
So you've probably noticed the paint scheme by now. I've always like orange and black, although it's not because of Harley-Davidson. I'm going to leave the peg board unpainted because it's already white, conveniently enough. The 6" black stripe will start at the top of the plywood sheathing, followed by the orange below. All the framework for the bench and shelves will be black, and the plywood tops will be a glossy light gray with the edges of the plywood painted orange. I think it's an interesting way to spice up a boring lumber workbench and shelf.
All comments and questions are welcome
And since I'm still in the planning stage, I am completely open to suggestions and constructive criticism. In fact, I encourage it 
