The Derelict Garage rides again!!!

[fergus]

So I have finally decided to start in building some doors. I've thought about it for a long time and I believe I've found the best compromise between functionality, budget and aesthetics.

They will look like carriage doors, but they will be sliders using the existing sliding door track/rollers. Instead of the usual 2 piece slider doors, I will have 3 sliders. Two will slide clear open to their respective sides on the outside, while one door will be on the inside and will slide to the left, so that the right can be used as a work space at the end of the workbench.

I've seen the following two builds which have given me inspiration, and which I think have built some very nice looking doors:

44 Bikes Frame Shop: http://garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1732535&postcount=68

And then Thruxtons thread: http://garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1479110&postcount=14



The materials plan so far:

Lowes has some nice 23/32 cabinet grade ply on sale for $28/sheet right now, which I had planned on using for the carcass. I had planned to used 1x6 pine like these other two builds had used for trim on the outside. An inner perimeter frame of 1x4s with 3/4 polysterene insulation board, then a 1/4 skin on the backside. Oh, and don't forget whatever used windows I can score from the Habitat Restore or Craigslist or whatever.

 

[hobbitss]

Okay, here's some pics

First, all the lights

Just the bowl lights

Just the 4-footers

The 4-footers really do a better job of flooding the light - I don't know if the pictures show that, but I guess its no real surprise. But without the bowl lights on, the bench area was sooooo dark. I was shocked - I wonder how I ever did anything out there at night before.

Here's some pics of the top of the lights for you Dan:

So I guess you would need about three rows of bowl lights for a full 2-car. Maybe going to a higher wattage (output) bulb in the middle row would do you well? Maybe painting the insides white or polishing? Or bigger bowls? At any rate I'm happy with the setup for now. I'll probably move on to some other projects. Its just the light from those 4ft fixtures is just so...unfriendly compared to my new lights...

Nice job resurrecting the garage... I really like the Bowl Lights...

Florescent Light fixtures distribute light perpendicular to the length of the tube... To get better distribution of light in your garage you would need to turn the existing 4 foot fixtures 90 degrees and place them in two rows a bit more than a third of the garage width apart... This would throw more light on the work bench and you would have more even light in the center from the over lap of the two rows... You might need to move them around a bit to get the best coverage where you want it...

 

[fergus]

Hobbitss...Thanks for the info. The light dispersement of flourescent tubes was something I was unaware of. I might try that if I get the chance.

 

[cdg132]

The lights look great. Just wondering how you liked the angled shelves where you have your spray cans stored?

 

[santagary]

Your light idea *****....I can't wait to get back to Ikea in Denver.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

fergus - Thanks for all the info on the lights. I lost track of this thread and only found it again tonight. If I may, a couple more questions?

Looks like the cable just loops through the two holes in the bowls, but how is it terminated at the bowl?

Up above, the photo makes it look like the cable is hanging from the lamp cord but is that correct or is it hanging from a hook that I can't see? I'm gonna go looking for some cheap bowls like that at Big Lots or Walmart or somewhere. I've GOTTA try this out. Oh, and P.S. Are the lights ganged together and plugged into a switch outlet? Cause that's what I've got now and it would be easiest as long as I CAN gang a row of three or four CFL's together and they'll "start"?

 

[fergus]

The lights look great. Just wondering how you liked the angled shelves where you have your spray cans stored?

I like them a lot. It makes it easy to see and grab just what I want...without knocking 3 or 4 other cans over. I will have another go at it some time and change the spacing, as well as making a few smaller shelves for all the little bottles I have. Didn't anticipate all the little guys being stacked on top of each other like they are.

fergus - Thanks for all the info on the lights. I lost track of this thread and only found it again tonight. If I may, a couple more questions?

Looks like the cable just loops through the two holes in the bowls, but how is it terminated at the bowl?

Up above, the photo makes it look like the cable is hanging from the lamp cord but is that correct or is it hanging from a hook that I can't see? I'm gonna go looking for some cheap bowls like that at Big Lots or Walmart or somewhere. I've GOTTA try this out. Oh, and P.S. Are the lights ganged together and plugged into a switch outlet? Cause that's what I've got now and it would be easiest as long as I CAN gang a row of three or four CFL's together and they'll "start"?

The wire loops have ends on them called cable stops, I believe. I'll post a pic later tomorrow in this space.

The lights all hang from a length of cable that is attached to the front and back walls with eye hooks and turn buckles. The lamp cord runs along the cable and is held on to the cable by a wrap of tape every 18" or so.

The lights are all ganged together. I think they are equivalent of 13W incandescent each, so I figured 75W wouldn't be a problem, especially since I used heavier wire (its heavier than lamp wire...16-2 I think). They fire right up, no problem.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

fergus,
Thanks for the fast answer. I happen to have a box full of CFL's (sorta egg shaped bulb w/ a porcelin base) and I think they'e called mini fluorescents - they look like a curly cue. The City of Pasadena gave them to us a couple years ago as a trial and I never really liked them because it takes a few moments for them to fully light up. BUT....they're free, I already have them, AND they use little power - all points in their favor for this trial project.

 

[ckadams00]

Happy New Year everybody!

Minor update here.

Got some Christmas cash, so off to Home Depot I went. I bought four sets of 20" full extension slides for the drawers I'm planning to build. Then I started thinking about working out there at night...and how it ***** for lack of light. So I went ahead and got some bare ceramic light sockets while I was there.

Didn't see anything in the way of reflectors or shades that would work, so I had to think about it for a few days. Then, we were down in the city and I remember Jack Olsen's cake pan lights, and so we stopped at Ikea. I found something that would work even better - stainless mixing bowls. On sale for $4.99, so I picked up five of em.

Drilled some holes

Put in the fixtures

And bam...

I hung them all on one length of aircraft cable, and each one has a short loop (through the other two holes on top of the bowls) of cable that hangs of the main line.

You'll notice that's during the afternoon. It is super bright out there at night...almost as good as daylight. I know I said I hate them, but I used CFLs in the lamps...and I actually like them. I saw that the bulbs were listed as 2700k...and since my other thread on hating fluorescents I learned that was around the range of light that I like to work in... and that is close to regular incandescents.

Hi Fergus - came over at the suggestion of someone that I check out how you have the RAS installed in your bench - great ideas and great space savings. Then I saw the lights and am working on something similar for my shop. I am not much of an electrician . . can you share how you wired these into a line or point me to a resource? Thanks - love the look of your place!

 

[fergus]

CK-

The wiring for the lights is pretty dang simple. I just bought some 14/2 cord and wired them all in parallel. At the end of the cord, I installed a plug, then plugged it in. Check this link out if you need a visual.

http://www.berkeleypoint.com/learning/parallel_circuit.html

 

[Vettman]

Nice work!!

 

[fergus]

Thanks Vetteman. I dig that bridge in your avatar. Is that your place?

 

[fergus]

The silly season at work is over now. I'm still recovering a week later. I did manage to get a few things done. Kinda OT, but I thought I'd show you guys what I've been up to anyway.

First off, some garden stuff. My wife (Crazy Garden Lady) was given a whole flat of strawberry plants by her best friend (Insane-o Garden Lady). She planted them, and within ten minutes, the dogs were out there and had cleaned off every last berry...from two dozen plants. This is why we don't plant strawberries. Happened the first time we tried it two years ago.

Anywho, I sprang into action. A quick trip to my side yard (aka junkyard) inidicated I still had a decent amount of rebar laying around. This rebar I had scrounged from the field next door - it was part of construction debris - and had been pre-bent into 2.5' x 4' rectangles. I bent up some legs and welded it altogether. I cut some short lengths of pipe for hinges and welded them to the frame for the top hinge. Then wrapped it with chicken wire. BOOM!

 

[fergus]

A couple weeks back, I was hanging out with my sister. Knowing my proclivities for reclaiming others garbage, she showed me some headboards made of recycled lumber...and fence boards. I asked her if she was serious when I found some free used wood fence on CL the next day. She said yes and away we went.

Started with this:

Tried laying some stuff out:

Ended up with this:

 

[fergus]

I guess you gotta see my garage home away from home. Its my parents place. My dad has this big ol' barn he doesn't really do anything with, so I invent little things to do when I'm down there.

Had to move this out of the way so I could work...

Kinda fun to play with right? Brand new Boss 302 with a built AOD/9" behind it. Sounds beautiful. Drives pretty good...got some rust in the tank so that needs to be handled.

 

[Hotrod1959]

Really like what you have done with limited budget. This is a real world garage.

 

[tinbender 66]

Nice work fergus. I especially like that head board.

I put some chicken coop pictures in my thread for you. It was another scrounged material project.

I really like that Fairlane. I had a friend that had one waaay back with a built 289/4 speed. He did some work on my Chevelle so I got to drive his for couple days. Fun!!!

 

[fergus]

Thanks TB! That car would be REAL fun with a 4 speed in it. Or maybe a 6 speed. But maybe that's not keeping it real enough for a '64. Anyway...gonna go check out them yard bird houses on your thread!

 

[draider]

Good job on the strawberry protection and with the headboard!

 

[HOTFR8]

Those lights are fantastic.

 

[LoRollinLS]

Love the cake bowl idea! I might just have to copy that

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Hey Fergus!
Whatever happened to the garage doors idea? Your usual Lotto check didn't arrive? Mine didn't either! Lol.

Just checking in. Everything still looks great in your garage.

 

[fergus]

Uhhh yeah Dan, apparently you can't win if you don't play?

Well, the doors will be coming at some point this summer I hope. Tax season really kicked my **** this year, then I spent the last month gettting all the weeds, landscape and garden under control. I'll have to post a few pics of all that when I get around to it. Then I spent a week doing some major maintenance on the VW:

It got a new timing belt kit (TB, rollers, idlers, tensioner, water pump cam seal, etc) new motor mounts and new alternator pulley (the clutch wears out) I also attempted a new cam install (it had some wear, they are an occasional problem on this model year), though the cam I received had a manufacturing flaw - the last journal was too big and it didn't fit in the head. Weird. I've got a new one on its way and I'll have to put it in when I get back in town. Creates a lot of extra work for me (have to re-do the timing), but at least I won't have to worry about it for another 100,000 miles.

$800 worth of parts and that sucker runs like brand new...Its like scary quiet. It was running so rough before I was sure that the whole car was just gonna vibrate apart. So, the timing had come out of spec due to timing belt stretch and the busted motor mounts amplified everything. I mean, it was such a big change in performance, I thought that I might have done something wrong...it ran TOO good. I tripled checked everything...and timing was spot on.

Another $400 in parts awaits my return - new front and rear suspension bushings, shock mounts, strut mounts, tie rods and sway bar bushings. That should be fun. Ugh. But hey, its paid for. $1200 in major stuff to go another 100k? I guess its a pretty decent trade off.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

...Another $400 in parts awaits my return...

Ugh, the $800 (not to mention the additional $400) would really have gone far on the garage door project, but I get it. Gotta keep the cars running! You ARE a mechanic, huh? I do a lot but I don't know if I'd have taken all that on....I'm too lazy - a bad combo when you're NOT rich

Yeah, please post the lanscaping work. Is this the grade changes necessary near the garage or other landscaping work?

 

[HOTFR8]

Love the cake bowl idea! I might just have to copy that

I intend to copy the idea but with my own spin on how it is done.

 

[fergus]

Yeah Dan, I'm not a mechanic, just mechanical. I wondered for a while if I had bitten off too much...but I had done it once five years ago. I probably saved $800 in labor or so. And plus, if you do it yourself, you will know if any corners were cut or not. In this case, everything was by the book. And feeling the change in performance, I think it was worth the sense of accomplishment.

I hope to finish the garage door project for way less than $800...hopefully about half that. I've priced out material, but I'm kinda unsure how I want it to look. I had planned on building carriage doors like others had done, but now I'm kinda thinking that might be too "pretty" for a garage this ratty. Maybe some used corrugated tin? Hmmm...decisions.

HOTFR8,
Do your worst! Lets see who comes up with a new spin first. I'm going to need some more lights out there and have been thinking about what to do...

 

[HOTFR8]

HOTFR8,
Do your worst! Lets see who comes up with a new spin first. I'm going to need some more lights out there and have been thinking about what to do...

Thanks for a great idea. Will show you when I have them made in the thread Sheddwellers.

 

[fergus]

I'll be watching HOTFR8! The gauntlet has been thrown down!

 

[HOTFR8]

I'll be watching HOTFR8! The gauntlet has been thrown down!

ok.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Hey Fergus,
I saw this ad locally and thought of you. I assume the prices will be stupid expensive since he didn't list them AND he makes a point of saying they're from the 1800's. But maybe you can blow up the photos and get some ideas for your upcoming door build:

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac/for/2959444108.html

Just an idea and I think they (or a copy) would look killer good on your garage!

 

[fergus]

Dan,

Thanks for that link. That's pretty cool...the "X" design on that barn door looks neat. One of those just looked like an old barn door made of redwood siding...did I mention that there is an old dilapidated barn on the back of the property that I could salvage siding from? I've thought of it, the problem is that the wood is so old and fragile that just cutting it usually makes it crack and splinter.

That's a cool place though. I am in Southern California right now...as I am about once a month. I might have to stop by that place on my way home.

Back to the door design though, I would like some windows in there for natural light, since we have so much rain up there, it would be nice not to feel like I'm in a cave when I have the doors shut during wet/windy weather.

 

[tinbender 66]

Heh heh, that VW pic brings back fond memories of this. Head gaskets on a '03 Impala 3.4 V-6. Oh what fun

 

[fergus]

Uh, no thanks. All right...you win Paul..you can keep your V-6! I'll stop griping bout working on the V dub now...just looking at your pic makes me angry, and then want to start crying, alternately. If it was me in your shoes, I might have driven it to the rough side of town, left the car running with the keys in the ignition and the door open and looked the other way!

 

[fergus]

So there's a few other small developments around here...

...and then...

...Wait! They're...they're...MULTIPLYING!

I said they were "small" developments right?

My old high school buddy wanted a project car. So he bought the basket case Honda N600 you see in the first picture. (Boy did he ever get a project or what?) We spent FOUR hours loading that car and all the extra parts that went with it starting at 7:30 in the evening one night a few weeks back.

By the time we went through everything, we found we had one complete rebuilt (new) motor, one blown motor, parts enough for an entire third motor, enough for four transmissions, 9 sets of pistons, gaskets and trim and badges galore (unobtanium) plus tons and tons of other extras. So thats when we decided since there was enough parts for three cars, so why not fix up two more cars while we were at it - he found a good deal on a pair of cars both with blown motors.

If you don't know, the N600 is the first car Honda brought stateside back in '69 or '70. Its powered by earth shaking two cylinder motorcycle that makes a whopping...wait for it...36 HORSE POWER! I guess it was meant to compete with the Mini...but when 0-60 takes 19 seconds, its not really much of a competition. They weigh 1100 pounds and have 10-inch tires.

Why such a weird project car? Heck if I know. The dude likes weird stuff. Should be fun anyway.

I'm never gonna get garage doors built.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

....If you don't know, the N600 is the first car Honda brought stateside back in '69 or '70. Its powered by earth shaking ...wait for it...36 HORSE POWER!

Well, at least it has something in common with the original VW!

Not sure I'd want the N600 but I once owned a '78 Civic CVCC 5 Speed - which was the "up" model from the base four speed back then. It was silver, mildly pinstriped and I remember it very fondly. Trouble is, they're actually hard to find these days and probably would'nt be worth what I'd put into it to redo it But part of me wouldn't mind doing one as a project. Bigger than the N600 but I could probably rotisserie it on my patio, lol.

 

[n2ocamaro]

I read your other thread about getting the structure upright again. My hat is off to you for saving the garage. Like what you have done so far with cabinets and such.

Heh heh, that VW pic brings back fond memories of this. Head gaskets on a '03 Impala 3.4 V-6. Oh what fun:sad

I did a complete rebuild on the 3.1L version of that motor about 6 years ago. It is in a 95 Beretta that my daughter now drives. Has 70,00+ miles on the rebuild!

 

[64 lane]

Love the project(s). That ist the way of the VW bugs. I bought 1, and then I had 4. Now I'm back to just Herbie. My dad always said he didn't have the money to go fast, so he would get a light car and build the best motor he could. You have a light car, maybe a late model crotch rocket that has been crashed?

Keep us informed

 

[HOTFR8]

I'll be watching HOTFR8! The gauntlet has been thrown down!

Have you been watching Sheddwellers ?

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Fergus, Been awhile since we heard from you. What's up in your neat garage?

 

[fergus]

My place looks like this right now:

Its like somebody went in there and started three different things without finishing any of them. Oh yeah, me. That particular day I was doing this:

New rear bushings on the Beetle. They had never been done. They were hammered. Put in Euro spec sport bushings out of a Seat Ibiza. Rides better already...helping those Koni yellows do their thing.

This morning I started on rebuilding the front suspension on the VW. Not too bad, since I vaguely remember the first time I did it. Well, that and TDiclub.com and VWVortex.com have a wealth of info. Ended up using my vise as a makeshift press to drive in the new bushings. I'll take some pics tomorrow.

Also, rebuilding the carb on my 1964 Evinrude Sportwin 9.5:

Its pretty fun when the only thing I have to go on is the scan of a fiche from 1964...complete with all the wrinkles and scratches:

I know. I should buy the manual...but I'm stubborn and cheap. Had a stroke of genius when I realized that the jet I was trying to remove wasn't stuck...the screwdriver tip just wasn't the right shape to fit the head. So I made it fit. C-man screwdrivers are no match for C-man files it turns out. What? That driver had a broken tip already.

I've got to get the carb finished up (its soaking in Chemtool carb cleaner), then pull out and clean/seal the old rusty Evinrude tank. I could go buy a new plastic one and be on the water tomorrow, but what fun would that be? 'sides, metal is cooler anyway.

While I'm at it, I'll probably do the Jeep tank too. I figure a kit from POR-15 should be enough to do both since they total 16 gallons. See...I didn't forget about the Jeep.

Got one of the little Hondas fired up on Thursday. Lets just say it sounded like a washing machine full of end wrenches. Likely a thrown rod. The guy we bought it from said it had a knock. It sounded like a pissed off one cylinder Detroit diesel okay? Hows that for a knock.

Working on getting the "rebuilt" motor going for the little Honda you can see that in the first pic. No spark yet. Will likely just swap the distributor over from the one with the knock.

Gardening is still in full effect. Here's an heirloom Atomic Red carrot (no its not a turnip or a beet):

The artichokes are doing well this year, though something is starting to make them wilt:

That and weeds galore. That's it for tonight. I need to get up early so I can work on the car before I do some "real" work tomorrow.