Between 265 & 485 SQ/FT 1950s Craftsman Garage retro remodel

[Red Leader]

Bob,

It looks like those little wheels are doing a good job. It is a little hard to tell the up close details on the table top, but still good results. The EXL wheel is more of a 'finishing' wheel - it will get rid of rust, but it goes a little slower and doesn't have the 'bite' that other, rougher abrasives have.

I'm hoping that those small pads are a comparable product to the EXL grinder type wheels because it would be great to have the same capabilities on the angle grinder. Would make cleaning off those saw tables a little easier than holding a bench grinder up to it

 

[Red Leader]

OK
Hi my name is Mick
I'm new here.
I own one of these saws...
I picked it up from a buddy who was trashing all of his dads old shop stuff.
I got it and tucked it away for later.
I saw your picture and the mention of OWWM, so I went and double checked, The saw is in good condition.
I think I just caught OWWM disease. See what these fourms so to ya.

Nice shop build.
Now back to the regularly scheduled programming.

Mick

Thanks Mick, I appreciate you stopping by I always tell folks that it didn't start this way, but just kind of 'morphed' into it. Having the vintage Craftsman theme keeps things interesting, otherwise I wouldn't be as excited to do things out there.

 

[Red Leader]

Very nice, I've just blitzed the thread in a few hours. 101 pages! Next is to finish the '12 gauge'.

I shall soon be purchasing some EXL wheels, assuming I can source them in the UK.

Thanks for the good reading,

Will.

Wow Will, that is quite the accomplishment - I don't think I'd have your patience! I will agree that there are some fabulous threads to read through, Jack's (12 Gauge) garage being one of them.

I promise this thread didn't start out to be an advertisement for the 3M EXL wheels...but sometimes I wish it was so they'd send me a few free ones for all the publicity Alas, nothing from 3M (yet! hee hee) but that wheel has saved me so much time and effort and wear and tear on my hands that I can't help but talk about it.

Thanks for stopping by!

 

[Red Leader]

Alright guys!


Progress!!!


Such a simple word...yet sometimes such a difficult implementation.

So, I finally got that stripe on the wall done! Turned out nicely other than some globy looking paintwork from trying to blend in the old paint lines. Oh well, not too noticeable. Will keep that in mind for the future.

So then, once the paint mostly dried, I decided it was time to put up that tool board!

Here is getting everything ready:

And here it is up on the wall!

Fortunately, the tool board broke up the splotchy paint work so it isn't as noticeable.

Since the night was still young, I thought, hey why don't I start working on something I had been putting off for a long time - the polished trim work for the shelves!

Here is what I started with:

Since I am using Weldwood bonding cement to hold the trim up, it needs a firm bond to something other than paint, so I taped a line and used it as a reference for the belt sander.

Sanded:

Here is the 1/16" thick aluminum trim. It was preformed to conform to the curve of the shelves after being cut to length:

Here it is being installed:

I'll have to do some minor touch up work to the paint where the sander touched the paint above the trim line. No big deal. Once it is solid and up there for good, I am going to polish the trim pieces so they really shine! I'm thinking a polishing wheel on my angle grinder will be the fastest/easiest way to do that.

To those of you 'in the know' (aka have visited the 12 Gauge Garage), this trim may look familiar. I might as well say it - it is a blatant 'steal' from Jack's garage But that is what makes this forum great...so many great ideas going around and their further implementation is only encouraged! Jack, I gotta hand it to you with this one and give credit where credit is due. Thanks for the great idea

So at the end of the night I decided to test the new stripe I had painted. I lowered the garage and this was the result:

Perfect line up! We're in business!

I am going to let the trim strip glue up for at least a day - I'm operating in sub-optimal temperatures and don't really have a way to apply 25lbs of force evenly over the whole thing while it is drying so I'm hoping it holds. Keep your fingers crossed!

 

[98TJ]

Looking great, Dave.

I'm trimming the hutch I built with aluminum. I think I'm going to give it a once-over with a 3M pad for a brushed look. I figure if I polish it I'll need to clear it as well.

 

[ckadams00]

Love it! I had a similar idea for trim only I was thinking about using thin 4" flashing that comes in a roll. The 1/16" seems really thick? I think I'll probably need to experiement a bit - anyway that is further down the road.

Really looks good!

 

[smschriefer]

Looks great Dave. Have you thought about building a small cubby to put your garage door paperwork in? That orange bag really stands out.

 

[Wingnut65]

Progress looks super.

But, I'm not sure how a polishing wheel on the strip that is mounted will do. If it were me, I'd be having to fix a lot of wood where I went off the strip. Maybe tape it up well before polishing. Can the rest of the strips be polished before installing? And then add a pad below the clamps?

Glad the lines aligned with the other lines...

 

[tinbender 66]

Hey hey! It's good to see things rolling again in the CGrr!!

 

[Omphaloskeptic]

Red Leader, your shop is looking great!

I don't recall if you (or Jack) mentioned where you obtained the 1/16" aluminum trim, could you tell us who has it and how much/foot?

 

[ugly kustom]

Looks good Dave, but are every going to finish? LOL. I got my barn wood down
trailed unload and put up in two weeks. As soon as I learn how to post lol I'll post. just joking with ya .. I do like your garage. perry

 

[GirlnAgarage]

Dave, looking good.

I use Weldwood for my products. If you laid the cement on both parts to be joined that'll help make the bond stronger. Also, for clamping longer pieces like the long side of the shelf, use a 2x2 or some long piece of lumber over the trim. Use those Cclamps at each end and one or two in the middle. That will help apply pressure. Also, take your palm or heel and go tamp down along the entire length of the trim on the shelf. Using in cooler temps does make the cure time longer. But I only let Weldwood set for 20min or so on fibrous materials. Sometimes not even that long. I often treat it like elmer's school glue.

Anyway, nice job.

 

[Alpthusiast]

RED LEADER,First I must say that my mouse hand is crippled to my shoulder from viewing your fantastic garage over the last few weeks.I noticed a while back how much better the old tools are compared to the new ones. I really like all your old power tools as well as your so- cool shop.Your garage is outstanding! Hey ,I bet you haven't thought about finishing your aluminum trim with a " engine turned aluminum finish"such as is found on the"engine turned aluminum faceplates of your old Craftsman power tools! (o: Alpthusiast

 

[Red Leader]

Thanks for the feedback everyone.

The family (including me) has been sick so we are just trying to get back on our feet, hence the lack of any progress for several days.

You all have great ideas and I am tracking right along with you. Jeff, I'm planning to polish up that trim by using more tape around the paint, but just in case, I'm going to be doing the touch up paint last after I polish the trim, so even if I make a mistake, I'll be able to touch it up at the end.

Girl, great ideas as well. I did coat both the shelf face and the back of the trim. At first I only did the shelf, but saw it was obviously not going to cut it.

I actually tried to do the 'clamp a piece of wood onto the facing' idea, but the problem was that I only had about a 1/2" of clamping space at the absolute very bottom of the shelf face and it was applying uneven pressure. I found a different way to apply the pressure (no you don't want to see it) and hopefully it worked out okay.

It has been clamping out there for several days non-stop so I'm probably safe to move on to the next piece. I'm hoping it will look real snazzy once it is done.

Thanks for all your thoughts and encouragement!

 

[Red Leader]

RED LEADER,First I must say that my mouse hand is crippled to my shoulder from viewing your fantastic garage over the last few weeks.I noticed a while back how much better the old tools are compared to the new ones. I really like all your old power tools as well as your so- cool shop.Your garage is outstanding! Hey ,I bet you haven't thought about finishing your aluminum trim with a " engine turned aluminum finish"such as is found on the"engine turned aluminum faceplates of your old Craftsman power tools! (o: Alpthusiast

I thought about it. The very next thought would be how long it would take to do that. That would be killer. Maybe one day if I am still living in the same house and have eons of time that could make a fun project

Glad you have been enjoying my haphazard mess of a project out there. Thanks for your kind words

 

[smschriefer]

I thought about it. The very next thought would be how long it would take to do that. That would be killer. Maybe one day if I am still living in the same house and have eons of time that could make a fun project

Silly Dave, use the engine turned vinyl film and save yourself the work! http://www.rvinyl.com/Engine-Turn-Vinyl-Film-Wraps.htm

 

[carbons4]

The vinyl would take away from the hand applied trim. Also being 1/16" adds a bit of depth too. I put galvinized tin up behind my grinder and mill in the shop. Could have gone cheaper but I liked the rivets and look and do not have to worry about errant sparks and oily clean up is easy.

 

[DIYKiah]

Wow that is a really neat looking garage project you have there! How long has it taken you to complete?

 

[Zeke]

Stuart, at the time of publication of that manual, pulling the blade toward you was indeed the accepted practise.
There was never any real personal danger if you just used a bit of common sense, but if the blade did indeed climb up over the top of the board you were cutting it threw all the adjustments out.
Every apprentice (Including myself) learnt the hard way not to let that happen as it meant you were in for an afternoons work re-adjusting everything.

Its only in recent times....remember, "Recent" is a relative term dependant upon your age....that the practise of pushing the blade into the work became the norm. Around the same time that O.H.& S. became so rampant throughout the workplace I think.

Cheers
Jim

I guess you should take Norm Abrams to school on this.

I no longer have a RAS and don't plan on one. However, when I owned and operated (yes, on the floor every day) a door frame shop, we used a RAS for the dado on the side jambs. Pulling has always worked for me and countless others.

Interesting that when 12" radial chop saws became popular that it was very awkward to pull that kind of saw into the work. The comment about pulling work toward you on a table saw is as stupid as it gets. That is unless a comparison is made between a table saw and a RAS that is mounted upside down.

 

[Alpthusiast]

Red Leader, sorry to hear that you and your family aren't feeling well.I know that's no fun.I hope that you are feeling better soon.I would have to agree that the engine turning finish would be much too arduous,but it was one of those 1:30 in the morning thoughts that I had. (o: I think that your aluminum trim idea will look great!Keep up the great work.I am really impressed with both your design and the fact that you actually do make some good progress on this big project.(o: Alpthusiast By the way,I saw your neat motorcycle way back there.I ride and own vintage Bultaco motorcycles.

 

[Red Leader]

Red Leader, sorry to hear that you and your family aren't feeling well.I know that's no fun.I hope that you are feeling better soon.I would have to agree that the engine turning finish would be much too arduous,but it was one of those 1:30 in the morning thoughts that I had. (o: I think that your aluminum trim idea will look great!Keep up the great work.I am really impressed with both your design and the fact that you actually do make some good progress on this big project.(o: Alpthusiast By the way,I saw your neat motorcycle way back there.I ride and own vintage Bultaco motorcycles.

Thanks again for your thoughts. I am starting to feel better, and the family is doing a lot better.

I dunno if it helps, but I grew up around a Sherpa T 350 Lots of other fun things too...Cota 250, Husky WR/CR 250...LOVE vintage dirt bikes.

 

[Red Leader]

Wow that is a really neat looking garage project you have there! How long has it taken you to complete?

The real question is...how long has it taken me to chip away at the top of the iceberg

I've been working out there since around winter of 2010. I really got in the swing of things around April/May of 2011. When will I be done? Probably not for a LONG time

By the way, nice blog/website.

 

[Red Leader]

Silly Dave, use the engine turned vinyl film and save yourself the work! http://www.rvinyl.com/Engine-Turn-Vinyl-Film-Wraps.htm

The vinyl would take away from the hand applied trim. Also being 1/16" adds a bit of depth too. I put galvinized tin up behind my grinder and mill in the shop. Could have gone cheaper but I liked the rivets and look and do not have to worry about errant sparks and oily clean up is easy.

The engine turning/jeweling would look SO cool but as it stands it would take so so long. Once I get the trim pieces up and polished, I'm betting it will look pretty good. I'll have a few more fun things to add to the shelves (more trim, speaker covers, lighting, drop down storage, decals, etc) and then it will really be cookin'.

 

[abstamaria]

I am learning so much from this thread, Red Leader. Thank you for the detailed photos and explanations.

Andy

 

[Firefyter-Emt]

OH man, Dave... that engine turning would of looked awesome in your shop too! You are kind of stuck at this point, because it needs to be done while the metal is flat, and then bent. I have done it in the past, and if you made a jig that would index the metal stock on, say a strip of wood. Then you would be set to create a killer looking trim for your shop, but like I said, it has to be perfectly flat when you start. Here is a great article on it... and one more reason I want a Bridgeport!

 

[Red Leader]

Still trying to kick the end of this cold off....



but...I have some great news.





That workbench top???

Done!

Actually, not really Who am I kidding, nothing is ever 'done' around here! However, it is to the point of being able to install it on top of the cabinets once I get them done. I have casters to add, then some additional support inside, then some shelves, and BOOM, we'll get that sucker attached. From there, I will be adding the vertical supports for the future bench header cabinet, which I know will be incredible. This cabinet top has been agonizingly slow and it is by no means a 'flat' top at the moment, but it will sure look good

In other garage news -

Got the trim up around the second tool board.


I made a sad discovery today...the aluminum flashing is having some issues being attached to the first tool board:

Any ideas, fellas? I'd like to still use it but if I need to tear it off and try something new I can. I suspect with the heat/cold/humidity changes, problems are created.



And this was the star of the garage today:

It helped me re-square up the work I had previously done to the bench top, helped fabricate a piece I needed to get the baby gate installed, and then cut the trim.

By the way, you can pick up one of these fabulous saws or one just like it if you keep your eyes open long enough and you'll pay about the same Home Depot's cheapest saw:

Okay okay...mine cost $20 more

Next update should be getting the workbench cabinets solidified and more trim up on the shelves!

Stay tuned!

 

[Grandad]

Got the trim up around the second tool board.

I made a sad discovery today...the aluminum flashing is having some issues being attached to the first tool board:

Any ideas, fellas? I'd like to still use it but if I need to tear it off and try something new I can. I suspect with the heat/cold/humidity changes, problems are created.

Not looking good, is it?
Refresh my memory please?
What is the material the slats themselves are made of. (Under your new flashing)
How did you fasten the flashing?
How thick is the flashing.
Let's see is we can figure a solution.

Cheers
Jim

 

[shopnut]

Got the trim up around the second tool board.


I made a sad discovery today...the aluminum flashing is having some issues being attached to the first tool board:

Any ideas, fellas? I'd like to still use it but if I need to tear it off and try something new I can. I suspect with the heat/cold/humidity changes, problems are created.

That's a bummer. It definitely looks like a case of different thermal expansion rates causing that problem.

The way the aluminum is separating is kind of odd though. Was there as much black overspray on the finished board as the second one? Did you clean off the paint on the white before glueing down the aluminum? Comparing the two pictures, it almost looks like the aluminum released where there was paint underneath. Like maybe the aluminum stuck to the paint, but then the bond between the paint and board failed.

The solution? Just fill the board up with tools to hide it

 

[machine_punk]

It is great to see you out working on the garage again.

SHOPNUT beat me to it...once you fill that with tools, nobody will notice. As a fellow PA (Perfectionists Anonymous) member, I know how you feel. I want to rebuild every project I finish and I am frustrated when the first thing I do does not work out. Really, though, once you get your brackets and tools on their, it won't be that noticeable.

You have plenty of other projects to work on...if you still don't like it when the garage is 'finished,' you will have a lot more experience and can go back and redo this project.

Keep up the good work! I always enjoy seeing what you are working on.

M_P

 

[Red Leader]

Okay, one more quick update - got the second trim piece goin' on:

Fortunately on this section I was able to use a piece of wood as a backing piece as GirlinAgarage had mentioned.


Regarding the slatboard 'facing' coming off - it is thin aluminum flashing sheets glued on with Weldwood. A good observation about the paint on the slatboard, but I did sand the entire white front surface of the slatboard facing before gluing and attaching the flashing. Directions were to rough up the surface and make sure there were no oils, etc on the surfaces. Maybe I needed to rough up the back of the flashing, as thin as it was?

Now I'm hoping my shelving trim stays on!!!

I did wipe them down with alcohol, so hopefully that carries me a little ways!


Alright I'm beat, and I have to be up for church band tomorrow morning

Have a good night y'all

 

[Alpthusiast]

Red Leader,I,m wondering if it's an issue with the glue. Did you ever see the episode of Giligans Island where they invented some glue and they glued the minnow back together with it and then just as they were preparing to get off the island...( I don't want to spoil the ending if you haven't seen it)I was hanging around a bodyshop once where they were building a
very large enclosed aluminum trailer.They glued 4x 8' aluminum sheets onto a steel framework.They used a two part adhesive in large tubes ,it mixed together right in the nozzle .It was made specially for that.The glue is all that holds it together. Just a thought.You are making great progress as usual! (o: Alpthusiast

 

[fredlangva]

I never tried using contact cement to attach metal to another surface. I know that stuff holds like the clappers on mica to particle board. I always rough up the MDF first then apply the glue to both parts. Once tacky, stick together and use a pressure roller to ensure good contact.

 

[jeepnut24]

Where did you find the beetle kill lumber? I would like some myself. Ide also like to find a workable saw like that for that cheap. I haven't seen one that worked or was complete for anything close to that cheap. As for the aluminum, got with something thicker.

 

[kngkong]

Hey RedLeader

Wow, the trim is starting to look really cool. Gonna be pretty amazing when it's all done.

 

[Red Leader]

Where did you find the beetle kill lumber? I would like some myself. Ide also like to find a workable saw like that for that cheap. I haven't seen one that worked or was complete for anything close to that cheap. As for the aluminum, got with something thicker.

Found it at Home Depot - a big shipment of the 1x2 furring strips came in and they were all beetle kill. I went back several months later and none of it was beetle kill.

When you have time to kill, just stop by your local HD and go to where they keep their furring strips. You can usually tell by looking at a few pieces what kind of load it is. It is also worth looking through other type of lumber to see if any is beetle kill.

I prioritized the look over everything else, so I'm paying for it on the other end with rough, twisted and crooked boards. But ya know, no pain no gain

 

[Red Leader]

Hey RedLeader

Wow, the trim is starting to look really cool. Gonna be pretty amazing when it's all done.

Thanks kngkong, I appreciate it! It is getting closer, although sometimes I feel like it is a mere few steps in a 1000 mile journey. But getting out there the other day, breathing in the air, looking around...I realized that the journey is what makes it fun. I wouldn't have the same satisfaction if I could just snap my fingers and have it all be done.

Of course, that would still be pretty cool

 

[Red Leader]

It is great to see you out working on the garage again.

SHOPNUT beat me to it...once you fill that with tools, nobody will notice. As a fellow PA (Perfectionists Anonymous) member, I know how you feel. I want to rebuild every project I finish and I am frustrated when the first thing I do does not work out. Really, though, once you get your brackets and tools on their, it won't be that noticeable.

You have plenty of other projects to work on...if you still don't like it when the garage is 'finished,' you will have a lot more experience and can go back and redo this project.

Keep up the good work! I always enjoy seeing what you are working on.

M_P

You and shopnut have a good idea Although I know it will bother me. I was thinking that maybe I could try a different glue and see if that helps. I can't put on the final trim piece to cover the seam until I figure it out, although I'm glad I saw it when I did so that I don't just go covering the other one up using the same method.

Thanks for your kind words as well. It feels good getting out there again

 

[Red Leader]

Red Leader,I,m wondering if it's an issue with the glue. Did you ever see the episode of Giligans Island where they invented some glue and they glued the minnow back together with it and then just as they were preparing to get off the island...( I don't want to spoil the ending if you haven't seen it)I was hanging around a bodyshop once where they were building a
very large enclosed aluminum trailer.They glued 4x 8' aluminum sheets onto a steel framework.They used a two part adhesive in large tubes ,it mixed together right in the nozzle .It was made specially for that.The glue is all that holds it together. Just a thought.You are making great progress as usual! (o: Alpthusiast

I never tried using contact cement to attach metal to another surface. I know that stuff holds like the clappers on mica to particle board. I always rough up the MDF first then apply the glue to both parts. Once tacky, stick together and use a pressure roller to ensure good contact.

Thanks to you guys I'll do a little research to see if there is a better glue that I can be using for those particular materials. Perhaps some type of bonding cement would work better in its place.

Thanks for your encouragement as well - it is always needed!

 

[kngkong]

Regarding the aluminum sheet coming off the tool board. I wonder if I spray contact adhesive or even some high quality double sided tape would work well.

 

[Guster]

I've had reasonable success making vacuum table molds out of sheets of aluminium on MDF using thickened WestSystems marine epoxy or 3M contact adhesive after sanding the aluminium with something like 40-80grit.

Can you glue the whole aluminium sheet in one go and use the existing grooves in the toolboard as guides for a router. Alternatively clamp a fence/guide and router/skillsaw the grooves open. May just have to sand/debur the edges after.