Building my garage / workshop (56K death)

[PAToyota]

Ended up cutting all the drawer liners for all my tool chests:

Was looking at the pictures first (imagine that) and thought it was carbon fiber facing of some sort...

 

[Captain]

Excellent job, you are keeping me enthralled.

You need to add to your long-term list;
(After buy a compressor . . . )
"Buy an elevating motorcycle work-bench."

With the amount of time you'll spend enjoying tinkering on bikes, it will be an absolute necessity.

 

[RPayne]

Most excellent job dude! I'm exhausted just reading this thread. Oh! To be young again and full of piss and vinegar. I have a pretty big big shop and spend and awful lot of time there piddling with projects, boats not bikes. These giant showplaces some people have on here are crazy! You little place rocks! I would love to see what you could do with a big place. You have inspired me to post some pics of my shop on here. Keep moving! Always remember two things.... the devil is in the details and if you are going to do it......do it right.

 

[Iconel]

Excellent job. Thanks for posting all the pics of your progress. Good inspirational stuff to get me off my *** and get my garage built up.

 

[Ken P]

I don't get over to this site much but have enjoyed reading this garage project thread. You have done a great job in transforming that nasty old hole in the wall into a really functional and good looking work space.

Congrats on all your dedication and hard work. It is an inspiration.

 

[ceo012384]

Was looking at the pictures first (imagine that) and thought it was carbon fiber facing of some sort...

Nope, just straight-up drawer liners. Bought them from harbor freight for only 3-ish bucks a roll... whereas the craftsman ones are EXACTLY the same for like 20 bucks a roll...

Excellent job, you are keeping me enthralled.

You need to add to your long-term list;
(After buy a compressor . . . )
"Buy an elevating motorcycle work-bench."

With the amount of time you'll spend enjoying tinkering on bikes, it will be an absolute necessity.

Thanks!

Yeah that is something I want eventually. Harbor Freight has one that is quite nice for only 400 dollars... that's the one I plan to get

Most excellent job dude! I'm exhausted just reading this thread. Oh! To be young again and full of piss and vinegar. I have a pretty big big shop and spend and awful lot of time there piddling with projects, boats not bikes. These giant showplaces some people have on here are crazy! You little place rocks! I would love to see what you could do with a big place. You have inspired me to post some pics of my shop on here. Keep moving! Always remember two things.... the devil is in the details and if you are going to do it......do it right.

Thanks very much!!! Yes... the space is small... but as long as I keep it organized, it is large enough for me.

And those two things you say to remember... those are pretty much my life's mantra

Excellent job. Thanks for posting all the pics of your progress. Good inspirational stuff to get me off my *** and get my garage built up.

Thank you Now get off your *** and go build yours!

I don't get over to this site much but have enjoyed reading this garage project thread. You have done a great job in transforming that nasty old hole in the wall into a really functional and good looking work space.

Congrats on all your dedication and hard work. It is an inspiration.

I appreciate the kind words, friend! It's still pretty shocking to me every time I walk in there, knowing what it used to be like in there, and knowing I'm the one who made it into what it is. Great feeling.





The garage is getting a workout right now, bike is in 1000 pieces, and I've been wrenching away. I'm on schedule pretty well with the bike work so I think I might be able to do the workbench task fairly soon

here's the bike's current state, devoid of all fluids, fairings, lights, gas tank, exhaust, etc etc...

 

[allmywebsite1]

Is it scrap house or ur garage i m quite surprised about this photos so if u need any assistance for constructing just contact us

 

[GDA]

Outstanding job from day 1. I'm sure its a very rewarding feeling using the space knowing it was all due to your can do attitude and hard work.

DIY rocks

 

[nkachur]

Very cool. I can not wait to get a chance to start building my shop. As everyone has said... I am inspired.

 

[ceo012384]

Outstanding job from day 1. I'm sure its a very rewarding feeling using the space knowing it was all due to your can do attitude and hard work.

DIY rocks

Thanks man... YOU rock for the compliments

Very cool. I can not wait to get a chance to start building my shop. As everyone has said... I am inspired.

Thanks man... now go git er done!!






Just a couple little updates...

I'm not sure if it was really due to weight or just because it was so humid recently, but this set of shelves had a couple shelves that were looking a bit saggy, so I decided to throw an extra support on there:

Mounted a whiteboard above my toolchests... should be very helpful for making lists of supplies that have run out and whatnot:

Lastly... I know some of you guys are as ****/OCD as I am... and if so, your detailing products need to come from Zaino. This is hands down the best **** I've ever worked with, and their long detailed instructions on how to care for your finish using their products is very thorough. If you follow their steps, you'll have a mile-deep shine on any vehicle you own:

It's not cheap, but you need to use so little of the product that it's actually a pretty good buy. The full kit with wax, polish, detail spray, car wash, polish activator with mixing bottles, and a couple of their VERY soft applicator pads is about 80 bucks. Check out www.zainostore.com


I think this saturday I might have a bit of spare time and if so I'll head to Ikea to get the workbench top and drawers

 

[ceo012384]

Couple more little things.

My good buddy Ebbs, who is in Korea with the military, got a red sox flag from someone. Since he isn't a huge fan, and he's a nice guy, he thought of me and my garage and shipped it to me. When he told me it was a red sox flag, I assumed something relatively cheap and screenprinted, which would have been fine and still generous.... but this thing is high quality! The material appears to be satin or something like it, and the whole logo is all stitched!!! Friggin' sweet!! THANKS BUDDY!!!!

Picked up a couple little things... some cleaning brushes, 1/4 T-handle since I didn't have one yet, spring puller, cable luber, 3/8 T-handle with spin bearing

Got a sweet deal on a set of ratcheting wrenches... metric, 8-19mm, and have the X-Beam handles for comfort, 112 bucks shipped

 

[MyDomain]

Was looking at the pictures first (imagine that) and thought it was carbon fiber facing of some sort...

You can use the shelf liner as a mask, spray some black and graphite paint and voila...carbon fiber look.

Due to anticipated high amperage, I used 4 gauge wire (for this particular wire I used aluminum because copper is so damn expensive right now) and ran a line from the takeoff lugs on the building's main panel back to my garage, and mounted a subpanel.

Great job on the garage! Lots of talent shows through in your work. One question from the above snippet. Did you use a breaker in the main building panel before going to your subpanel? If not there is no protection for all that Al wire in case of a short. I would think that would be a real issue. Maybe I am missing something though.

I think I used to be that tenacious before having a wife and four kids

 

[ceo012384]

Great job on the garage! Lots of talent shows through in your work. One question from the above snippet. Did you use a breaker in the main building panel before going to your subpanel? If not there is no protection for all that Al wire in case of a short. I would think that would be a real issue. Maybe I am missing something though.

Good eye!

I never updated that progress... I fixed that after talking to a buddy of mine. I had the main breaker at the wrong end of the wire

Learning via error...

 

[MyDomain]

Good to hear...as long as you're safe to enjoy the place ;-)

I had to laugh at all the guys making a fuss about the Al over Cu but missing the bigger issue.

 

[WSMC633]

Great Work on your shop! I'm building out my new shop, so eventually I'll post some pics also. Though, it's a commercial shop, so I'm not sure if that kind of stuff is cool around here?

Beautiful Bike as well. I've been thinking about building up an 08 R6 as a shop showpiece. A No compromise trackday weapon. I have a couple of Racebikes myself. PM me sometime, we'll chat about or bikes without boring all these nice people to death

 

[ceo012384]

Great Work on your shop! I'm building out my new shop, so eventually I'll post some pics also. Though, it's a commercial shop, so I'm not sure if that kind of stuff is cool around here?

Beautiful Bike as well. I've been thinking about building up an 08 R6 as a shop showpiece. A No compromise trackday weapon. I have a couple of Racebikes myself. PM me sometime, we'll chat about or bikes without boring all these nice people to death

I'm sure we'd all like to see the pics

And yes, I haven't been posting much bike progress because I figure people wouldn't be interested...

but the bike is all back together and I had her up at the track this past week. She (and I) felt awesome. All I'm waiting on is the painter... she was still in primer at the track. Here's a few shots:

And 08 R6 you say? My buddy had a new one up at the track... he had an 06 before and said the midrange improvement is muy bueno

 

[ceo012384]

Couple little things...

Mounted a hook for my suit

Purchased and organized all the parts I'll need to make my workbench.

I've got a thick, solid oak kitchen countertop for the top, along with sandpaper and polyurethane coating to finish it nicely.

Kitchen base 4-drawer cabinet that will support one side of the workbench and act as storage.

4x4's for the legs on the other side of the workbench, with lag bolts and washers.

1x4's for cross-bracing of legs/etc.

Since I've bought so many damn bike parts and they all came with stickers, I think I'm goign to seal a bunch of stickers under the polyurethane on the workbench top, I think it will look really nice.

 

[WSMC633]

I'm sure we'd all like to see the pics

And yes, I haven't been posting much bike progress because I figure people wouldn't be interested...

but the bike is all back together and I had her up at the track this past week. She (and I) felt awesome. All I'm waiting on is the painter... she was still in primer at the track. Here's a few shots:

And 08 R6 you say? My buddy had a new one up at the track... he had an 06 before and said the midrange improvement is muy bueno

Nice Pics. I'll take a few of the shop when it's a bit cleaner Not to impressive at the moment. Been kind of busy. We just moved in so we're still building the joint out.

I'll give you this one though. This was at the first shakedown test after the frame up build.

Good idea on laminating the decals on your workbench.
So, are you diggin' your new workspace or what?

 

[ceo012384]

I'll give you this one though. This was at the first shakedown test after the frame up build.

So, are you diggin' your new workspace or what?

That looks like an R1, not an R6...? Looks nice though

Yes... loving the workspace!!!! Slowly adding my own little personal touches and such.










This weekend I got a bunch done on the workbench, in addition to a bunch of Hooplah with selling and shipping some of the spare R6 parts I'm trying to get rid of.

First things first, I assembled the Ikea kitchen base cabinet and cut drawer liners for all the drawers. This thing is really nice for the money. Really solid drawer slides. There's even a built-in mechanism allowing you to adjust the drawer front alignment up/down and left/right with a screwdriver. Not bad for 100 bucks:

Next, it was time to get to work on the countertop. It's a solid oak kitchen countertop from ikea... what a deal... 2.5" thick solid oak butcherblock, over 2 feet in depth and over 6 feet long for around 120 bucks (I think that's what it was). I took it outside and cut it to length. Then, I used some 220 grit sandpaper to give a light sand to the top and sides. Then I cleaned up all the dust with some tack cloth:

I bought a couple packages of Parks' Super Glaze surface treatment. It's a VERY thick/viscous epoxy. Instead of using polyurethane and having to do 100 coats, I'll just do a few coats of this stuff, it says it's equivalent to 60 coats of poly, I htink I used it a bit thicker than that.

Since wood is so porous I mixed up a small batch and poured it on and spread it on really thin, just to seal up the surface and get it ready:

The next day, I decided where I wanted to put all the stickers and how to orient them and such. I stuck them all on on top of the now-dry skim coat:

Happy with the setup, I mixed up the rest of the two packages, saving a little bit for later since I will need to sand down edge drips and then recoat the edges. All in all it was about 1 3/4 quarts of the stuff... poured it on and spread it around carefully.

It started to set/cure and I am pretty happy with the result... it's amazingly clear and shiny. I will explain the gap on the right side in a second. Here's the benchtop, I tried to align the fluorescent light with a portion of the benchtop without any stickers when taking photos:

The space on the right is for this bad boy I picked up... full 360 degree swivel both on the base and the throat... anvil on top, 5" jaws on one side, pipe jaws on the otherside. Thing's a beast:

The Parks' Super Glaze is pretty resilient... if you slam a wrench on it or something it will deflect, but over time it will recover. Even still, this is a workbench, so I'm considering picking up another package and adding several more /32"s to the coating. Also, I forgot a couple of the Akrapovic stickers I meant to put on so I could add those too haha.

This bench looks like it will turn out really nice. I ordered a couple swivel leveling feet that will thread into the bottom of the 4x4's for leveling the bench, those will show up before next weekend.

Basically I'm spending as much money on the bench as it would cost to buy the one I was looking at from Sears... except this thing will be a hell of a lot nicer.

 

[raffaelli]

I'm sure we'd all like to see the pics

And yes, I haven't been posting much bike progress because I figure people wouldn't be interested...

but the bike is all back together and I had her up at the track this past week. She (and I) felt awesome. All I'm waiting on is the painter... she was still in primer at the track. Here's a few shots:

And 08 R6 you say? My buddy had a new one up at the track... he had an 06 before and said the midrange improvement is muy bueno

Nice photos. Looks like the bowl?

 

[WSMC633]

That looks like an R1, not an R6...? Looks nice though

Yes... loving the workspace!!!! Slowly adding my own little personal touches and such.

Bench looks Great!

Yes, that is my R1 Racebike. Makes over 210hp @ the crank these days

The R6 is a future build for the shop for promo etc. So it's still in the planning/find the money to build it stage!

I'm digging your bench. I may have to steal that idea from you!

 

[locomike]

WHOA! Simply amazing transformation. I can't believe I ever missed this post. Do you work construction or just a DIY guy like myself? I am not into bikes but am cars and do some detailing. You're right about Zaino, nice to see another OCD guy lol. GREAT work man.

 

[ceo012384]

Nice photos. Looks like the bowl?

Yes sir, that's the bowl in the first pic, and 7 in the second.

I actually received in the mail the real photog's pics a couple days ago... these are from 2, 1a, 4, 2, 2 in that order:

Bench looks Great!

Yes, that is my R1 Racebike. Makes over 210hp @ the crank these days

The R6 is a future build for the shop for promo etc. So it's still in the planning/find the money to build it stage!

I'm digging your bench. I may have to steal that idea from you!

Thanks dude! Feel free to steal the bench Idea.

And holy **** 210? That's preposterous!

WHOA! Simply amazing transformation. I can't believe I ever missed this post. Do you work construction or just a DIY guy like myself? I am not into bikes but am cars and do some detailing. You're right about Zaino, nice to see another OCD guy lol. GREAT work man.

I'm a mechanical engineer... not a construction guy or anything. Finishing up my master's research and thesis right now and then I'll be getting a job. I am just a weekend warrior with a couple tools and enough knowledge to get myself in trouble

Thanks very much for the kind words

 

[ceo012384]

I had some other obligations this weekend and some bike work so I only did a few garage things.


I Threw a couple more stickers on the workbench and then laid another coat of Super Glaze down. I figure since this is a workbench it's going to get beat up pretty badly... the extra thickness of glaze should help.

Last time I didn't cover it during curing which I didn't think was a big deal, but when little bits of dust touch down in the first few hours after application the dust itself isn't visible but it makes a very visible indentation due to the high surface tension of the liquid. So pouring and spreading the new coat filled all those imperfections, and then I hung a sheet over it to prevent it from happening again (hopefully).

I ordered some swivel leveling feet from Grainger that will go in the bottom of the 4x4s that will serve as two of the legs for the workbench.

A couple photos I picked up arrived. I'm going to get some frames for them and hang them up. One is Valentino Rossi leading Jorge Lorenzo and Nicky Hayden from the 2008 MotoGP race in Laguna Seca CA. The other is a print of an autographed photo of the king of smooth himself, Kenny Roberts.

 

[e-tek]

LOVE It, LOVE it, LOVE it!!! Especially the Bench - nicer than my flloors (in my house) - but now you won't want to do any heavy-work on it!
Killer ride pics too!

 

[ledfoot]

Just wanted to join the masses & say, great job & way to stick with it! Looks like a great space to work on the bike or just hang out...

-Jeff

 

[jhn9840]

CEO012384,

Great job start to finish. It's good to see a young guy take on and conquer this kinda project. You have something to be proud of there.
I really like the work bench and Ikea cabinet idea. I am also envious of the Wilton vise, very nice.

Keep us updated on the bike and garage as things progress

jhn9840
John

 

[BlackMZ3]

Just wow!! Awesome job!

 

[ceo012384]

LOVE It, LOVE it, LOVE it!!! Especially the Bench - nicer than my flloors (in my house) - but now you won't want to do any heavy-work on it!
Killer ride pics too!

Thanks very much! I really am happy with the way the bench is turning out. I have a couple pictures of it after that last coat dried but I figured I would wait until I had some more substance to post before I put them up.

I am prepping for the track this weekend but if I get some spare time I'm going to hang those pictures, do some more work on the benchtop, and maybe start assembling the bench

Just wanted to join the masses & say, great job & way to stick with it! Looks like a great space to work on the bike or just hang out...

-Jeff

Thanks Jeff, I really appreciate it!

CEO012384,

Great job start to finish. It's good to see a young guy take on and conquer this kinda project. You have something to be proud of there.
I really like the work bench and Ikea cabinet idea. I am also envious of the Wilton vise, very nice.

Keep us updated on the bike and garage as things progress

jhn9840
John

John,

Thanks very much for the encouragement.

I think I'm going to be even more pleased with the bench once it's all assembled and I have a fridge full of beers and sodas underneath it!

And yes, I am fairly young... but have loved doing this sort of stuff since I was a kid. I was banging nails at 4 years old with my dad, so it's always been a hobby of mine to make things.... docks on our lake, decks and porches on our house, treehouses, basement apartments, basement garages, you name it

Just wow!! Awesome job!

Thanks buddy

 

[Jaguar Fan]

I continue to be amazed... great job!

 

[ceo012384]

Keep us updated on the bike and garage as things progress

jhn9840
John

Well I have no garage progress because I spent saturday working on the bike, went up to watch the races sunday, and had track days monday and tuesday...

But I have bike progress. The rebuild is officially DONE and the track bodywork came out AWESOME:

 

[Stärke]

And it's not COMPLETELY done yet, but I can't help look back at this picture and compare:

I still can't get over what a difference a little hard work makes.

Looks real nice.

 

[raffaelli]

Yes sir, that's the bowl in the first pic, and 7 in the second.

That track is lots of fun. I play there with the SCCA.
Good work.

 

[kbs2244]

I don’t ride anymore.
Reflexes aren’t what they used to be.
But I still like a good looking machine.
And that counts.
Good work.

 

[LoanRebel]

Keep up the good work... Time, patience payoff in the end

 

[ceo012384]

I still can't get over what a difference a little hard work makes.

Looks real nice.

Thanks very much, buddy

That track is lots of fun. I play there with the SCCA.
Good work.

I really like Loudon. Once you start to 'sort of' ride it well it's a friggin' blast. So tight and technical... I think it's going to make riding anywhere else very easy. I still need to experience more tracks.

I don’t ride anymore.
Reflexes aren’t what they used to be.
But I still like a good looking machine.
And that counts.
Good work.

Thanks very much for the kind words... although since I'm going to start racing next season, it's probably not going to stay a 'good looking machine' for very long... hahaha

Keep up the good work... Time, patience payoff in the end

Thanks!! I'm very happy with how it's turned out.
















So this weekend I was going to do some work on the bike but decided to backburner it in favor of getting my workbench built. I want to get the garage more organized and get my tools all where I want them, and the workbench is a big step in getting there.

I mounted the workbench top to two 4x4's with 4 lag bolts each, countersunk into the benchtop and then I used the little bit of superglaze I had left to coat those holes.

I mounted the Ikea kitchen base cabinet to the workbench and then used some 1x3 strapping to add some stability to the legs. The adjustable swivel feet I showed before went into the bottoms of the legs and work great.

Next time I go out there I'll grab some bolts and mount my vice to the table since the superglaze will be dry by then.

Here she is, all done except for the vice.

I swept the garage up and now I just need to get all my tools in order and utilize all my chest/drawer space more efficiently.

I also keep forgetting to install the network cable outlet I bought... that way I can have a laptop at the workbench. Need a bench stool too.

Regardless, the garage is now in a state that will allow for lots of work to be done on the bike this winter in preparation for getting it ready for me to race it

 

[ceo012384]

Bump

Grabbed a fridge for under the workbench for 'beverages'

Had some home depot credit so I picked up this sweet drill press, should be great for safety wiring:

Buddy's new race tard will be chilling in here for the winter, and we'll be doing plenty of work to it to pass the winter months:

My best bud just got married and I was the best man... as a best man gift he had this sweet sign made up... pretty cool gift!

Now it's flanked by two of the greatest riders ever:

 

[JohnK007]

Hey Chris that is a really cool sign! If you get a chance can you ask your Bud where he got it? It looks perfect on your wall. Great finishing touch!!! Nice job on the whole project. I'm impressed with your ingenuity and perseverance. Not many would tackle trying to build their own garage doors!

 

[ceo012384]

Hey Chris that is a really cool sign! If you get a chance can you ask your Bud where he got it? It looks perfect on your wall. Great finishing touch!!! Nice job on the whole project. I'm impressed with your ingenuity and perseverance. Not many would tackle trying to build their own garage doors!

Thanks very much for the kind words, buddy!

He got the sign from brookstone I think. http://www.brookstone.com/sl/product/4985-personalized-garage-sign.html

Let me say this isn't a cheap stamped piece of sheet metal... it's thick and cast. Very nice!

 

[72Tunaboat]

Bump

Grabbed a fridge for under the workbench for 'beverages'

Had some home depot credit so I picked up this sweet drill press, should be great for safety wiring:

Buddy's new race tard will be chilling in here for the winter, and we'll be doing plenty of work to it to pass the winter months:

My best bud just got married and I was the best man... as a best man gift he had this sweet sign made up... pretty cool gift!

Now it's flanked by two of the greatest riders ever:

Sorry to derail the thread.
Who is on the left?..i think thats Kenny Roberts on the right?
I would vote Eddie Lawson up there as well. Nice display!