25' x 25' blank canvas

[Scott V]

Thanks guys. Build is coming along well. Have more photos to download soon.

As for the Akurum cabinets; Yepper, I was there in January and the kitchen area was closed off. Now they finally got the new line in. The previous page links I had for Akurum are gone, but I started using the Kitchen planner webpage to put together ideas with the Sektion cabinets. Having fun trying to plan out something in between getting the walls done.

 

[Scott V]

Finally getting around to some updates. Have lots of photos...but this IS the gallery so....


Have 3 walls completed with the exception of a few top panels that I'm wrapping up tonight. I'm really pleased with the look and function of the plywood panels.

Last I left off I had the South wall completed. Next was moving the entire work bench area and everything from the back to this wall for a temp work area. It was a bit of a task...

Adding electrical-

Had to add a couple more studs since the back wall stud spacing isn't on 16" centers everywhere....

Back wall mounting blocks complete and fully insulated;

Cutting and fitting panels;

Tight quarters back here...

Get staining...

The recent batch of sanded 1/2" plywood from Home Depot was ****. Lots of fills and hard to find clean sheets. Spent a lot of time with a grinder bringing down the glue blobs. Kind of adds some craziness to the grain I guess...

Getting there. LOTS of cuts for this group of panels;

Was spending way too much on connector bolts from Home Depot and they weren't restocking as often as I liked so I found something close through a UK distributor. Better quality and MUCH cheaper;

 

[Scott V]

Getting the new electrical in...



FINALLY got the back wall complete! And the nice little break in the weather was welcome. Was nice to work with the garage door open.











Had a few tricky cuts along the way...



Had a 74° day March 16th so took the day off and cleaned out the piles of saw dust and moved all of the work bench area back to the back wall. Also dragged out the hot rod for a dust off and moved it to the other side.





Still a cluttered mess but slowly getting better organized...





Started getting some signs and pictures up on the South wall. Encouraging...

 

[Terranova]

Man that looks great! A nice break from drywall with a mid stripe paint job!

 

[Sunbimmer]

Wow man that is great what you are doing there. The wood panels look awesome

 

[Scott V]

Temporary organization utilizing my old entertainment center cabinets. These will be tossed eventually.

Been making good use of the attic ladder. Have been packing the attic to the gills with storage. It's a pretty good space though the max head room is only 5 foot...

Put together a nice little lounge area in the meantime. This corner will eventually have wall and corner cabinets with a stainless counter top...

Also dragged out the weights and set up a small workout area in the hopes that it will motivate my *** for the warmer weather coming...

That's it for now. Overall I'm pretty stoked about the look. Finally coming together after months of work. Next phase is planning out lighting, getting the wall cabinets figured out and getting the ceiling finished.

 

[Scott V]

Some renderings of ideas for the future corner lounge area;

Brought this in from the Ikea Kitchen planner and played with it in Photoshop; their kitchen planner breaks down a material list that allows you to order just the parts you want- it's great.

Some other prelim designs from Solidworks. I'm still thinking of going with the new Ikea Sektion cabinet bases and doing all the doors and drawer fronts with nice Baltic Birch and aluminum extruded pulls. Craftsman has 6 and 8 foot stainless work tops for a fairly decent price. Planning on about 16 feet of cabinets here...

This wall will have tons of shelves for displaying die-cast stuff and so on. I want the shelves to be somewhat floating so I'm working on a clean support system that will lock the shelves in with dado cuts.

 

[HSpencer]

Just a fantastic finish out. Everything looks great. You have done a super job!!

Best Regards
Herb Spencer

 

[mnasholm]

Great Garage!!!

 

[Scott V]

Ha thanks guys. It's been fun and challenging getting this far but it's unique and functional. And does look pretty cool. And so far a lot cheaper than doing it all drywall when you figure in taping, mudding, sanding, primer and paint. So far with 3 full walls complete I'm into it for @ $ 900.00 in materials, did it myself and the walls are complete. I don't believe a drywall crew would come in under that just for the labor. Still have to do some small areas on the front wall with the big overhead door and entry door, but I'm guessing it will still be substantially cheaper than drywall and will be far more durable.

Got my Maxline 3/4" airline kit delivered so will be installing it with the new hose reel and some quick connects around the shop soon.

 

[Scott V]

Back for some updates. Been keeping busy trying to get some areas finished in the man cave so I can get working on cars. The weather is finally turning in Chicago, slowly but surely. Gotta a few little bugs to work out in both old Chevy's before I can get them on the road so soon I will have to halt progress on the man cave garage.

Picked up a nice little 200 watt Yamaha receiver a couple of weeks ago at Best Buy for $150 for some long needed tunes in the garage after my old Kenwood finally bit the dust. I'm outputting to some vintage MCS speakers but they are still holding up, for now.

This was the configuration of the corner lounge area, cobbled together with a mix-mox of old cabinets until recently-

Pulled everything out and finished up the last few plywood panels that were waiting to get at this corner-

Finally broke down and went to Ikea for the storage cabinets, drawer units and counter tops. Packed the wife's Escape with all I could jam into it. Amazing how much I could pack into that thing, lol. The 2 counter top pieces are 74" each and just made it to the back of the passenger seat.

I love building Ikea cabinets. The precision they achieve is awesome and they rarely make a mistake. Gluing the dowel pins adds more strength. For general use in this area they should work out well.

While I was there putting together the combination on their kitchen builder interface I looked around at door options and discovered how affordable it would be to just get basic doors and drawer fronts through them and be done. So in the interest of time and effort I scrapped my idea of the making my own plywood fronts and extruded pulls. (see post #108) Went with a black walnut look with chrome hardware. It will coordinate well with the darker grey colors I plan on doing for the window frames and also the black Husky shop cabinets that will go in the work area.

I still need to add an end panel but overall I'm digging the look! I can't pronounce half the stuff they make but whatever... Went with the HÄLLESTAD counter top with the grey top and aluminum edging. At $90 each it's pretty darn durable and looks great.

Corner carousel should hold plenty of booze and other stuff for the lounge area...

It's coming together well. Still adding 2 more cabinets and another counter top to the South wall and need to make a door to conceal the mini-fridge. Discovered a roof leak at the vent flashing during a heavy downpour recently, hence the bucket. A little roofing tar this weekend should patch it up.

 

[GDPossehl]

Stylin'--very nice.

 

[dubber]

Nice addition, turned out really well.

 

[Scott V]

Who says Ikea cabinets are only for the kitchen? My 12" chop saw fits perfectly in the 30" base cabinet.

 

[Morio]

Ha thanks guys. It's been fun and challenging getting this far but it's unique and functional. And does look pretty cool. And so far a lot cheaper than doing it all drywall when you figure in taping, mudding, sanding, primer and paint. So far with 3 full walls complete I'm into it for @ $ 900.00 in materials, did it myself and the walls are complete. I don't believe a drywall crew would come in under that just for the labor. Still have to do some small areas on the front wall with the big overhead door and entry door, but I'm guessing it will still be substantially cheaper than drywall and will be far more durable.

Got my Maxline 3/4" airline kit delivered so will be installing it with the new hose reel and some quick connects around the shop soon.

How do you like the Maxline 3/4 kit? Mine arrives today and I am curious what you think of it...


And of course, I love your setup!! Looks like a great place to tinker and have some beer!

 

[Scott V]

Picked up some shelving over the weekend and started building display shelves for the lounge area. Been juggling priorities and decided to get on this project to free up some space in my office where I still have a large majority of collectibles still packed away since moving last June. After much debate over what kind of shelving to go with I again decided to go with some Ikea products. The EKBY shelves are popular and I've seen them add some nice design qualities in some GJ members garages here.

For this wall went with a group of the 32" versions...

Put up a couple of the 48" versions in the corner;

 

[Scott V]

How do you like the Maxline 3/4 kit? Mine arrives today and I am curious what you think of it...

I still haven't installed the line kit but I read a lot of reviews about it before buying it. I'll be running lengths across the ceiling so I'm waiting to install something on the ceiling before putting it up. I've got a lot of air hose to get around for the time being.

And of course, I love your setup!! Looks like a great place to tinker and have some beer!

And thanks- yes turning out to be just that. The wife and I are both starting to enjoy the new hangout.

 

[Scott V]

Also Morio must say I've enjoyed watching your build come along. Incredible vision and effort you've put together for a very unique set up.

 

[Scott V]

Also wanted to add that the nature of the plywood walls allows me to screw anything to the wall anywhere I want and have secure anchoring. No need to mess around with finding studs or fussing with wall anchors. The shelf brackets are rated at 22lbs but I expect I can get more with them being screwed to plywood.

 

[1/2 Cup]

Awesome work, your garage looks a treat.

 

[55cadillacking]

Loving it! I really dig the retro meets a bit of modern vibe you have going on. Looks like the consummate 70's garage where people just congregated to tip a few and watch the game. Very impressive.

 

[ajohno]

Great work.

 

[Scott V]

Loving it! I really dig the retro meets a bit of modern vibe you have going on. Looks like the consummate 70's garage where people just congregated to tip a few and watch the game. Very impressive.

Thanks Rick- funny, after I got the 3 walls completed I also felt it has a bit of a 70's vibe. Get out the bell bottoms...

 

[Scott V]

More progress to post; unpacked a bunch of collectible stuff and bar ware. It was like Christmas all over after being packed away for a year....

I wanted a way to set nails for the blister cards without all the pounding, so I set my trim nailer at the lowest setting with some 3/4" brads and used a shim to get a perfect hanging nail. Super easy to repeat.

After getting most of the stuff up on the shelves I felt the blister cards just made it look too cluttered...

...so I decided to run them along the top of the wall. I think it looks much cleaner;

Managed to get the first window frame finished. Went with an Onyx color. Has a nice clean look...

More shots of lounge area and collectible stuff:

Found a cool magazine rack with square holes that matches the bar stools...

 

[Scott V]

A few more random shots:

The business end of the garage so far-

A good overall shot of the back wall;

From the driveway;

A fun shot through the car port;

 

[dubber]

Displays are on point. And that Gulf machine is perfect.

 

[polexican23]

No need to hit the Bringer with a nice little lounge area like tht.

 

[Scott V]

Displays are on point. And that Gulf machine is perfect.

Thanks Dubber. It's getting there. The Gulf pump is a high octane pump from 1967. I wanted a gas pump that you would have pulled up to when my '67 Camaro was new.

No need to hit the Bringer with a nice little lounge area like tht.

Ha at first I thought you said "binger".

My last basement mancave had a nice bar, but since the new house lower level was already finished, had to build in some kind of lounge into the new garage mancave.

Dug this relic out of a box from my late grandmother's things. Late 40's Oster blender- still works! Debating whether to use it or make it into a lamp;

 

[Scott V]

Oh ya- new addition to the front yard Monday night; just in time for the Stanley Cup Finals. Pole mount was already in the ground so I nabbed a 20ft pole from Home Depot and hung my tattered 2013 flag on it in honor of clinching the Western Conference. -Go Hawks!

 

[GDPossehl]

I really like what you did with the trim around the windows. It's a nice contrast to the wood grain with a modern touch.

What are your plans for the floor, if any?

Have you considered just spraying the ceiling a matte black?

 

[Scott V]

Thanks on the window frames. Spent some thought on how to approach those and I'm pretty happy with the result on the one. They float off the wall about a 1/2". At first I was going to use stained Baltic Birch with the ends showing but the onyx color really works as a contrast with the other black features.

As for the floor; really not planning much. It is already polished though it has stains from the PO. Don't want epoxy since it sweats with humidity and would be slippery when wet. Have considered staining it but the thought of emptying the garage to strip, stain and seal is a bit overwhelming. Been considering calling for an estimate though.

Ceiling....yes, much debate over what to do. I'm afraid a black would really make it "cavish", though the contrast effect might be cool. Right now thoughts are to go with a neutral gray metal roof installation. I was considering soffit material but hard to figure out mounting over such a broad area as the gaps are pretty small and hard to get screws in without distorting the panels. My next idea is to go with ribbed metal roofing material. Still working on it...

 

[Sunbimmer]

I so like these hanging lights, I think they are IKEA's. Gave me another great idea

 

[bonecrrusher]

Nice rides, garage, and go Hawks!

 

[Scott V]

I so like these hanging lights, I think they are IKEA's. Gave me another great idea

Yup- they have 3 sizes;
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/00128188/#/90128184

 

[Crazy68Dart]

Very cool. I'd like to call it "rustic modern", lol. Really something that I would like to do with mine. Being realistic, do you think you saved a lot of time/money compared to drywall?

I think the plywood is nicer looking that OSB, but more cost too. Did you choose it due to aesthetics I assume?

Nice toys as well!

 

[Scott V]

Rustic/Modern...ha I like that. My decision was to do something different yet functional and not too overbearing in looks. I've done 2 garages in drywall already. I wanted to try plywood but a more tasteful approach since this garage would also be my man cave to hang out in and also display a lot of collectible stuff.

Overall I'd say it was a little more work than drywall since you are sawing and drilling wood. And the additional mounting for the offset fasteners was a lot of extra work. If I had a guesstimate of what drywall finishing would be I could give a better comparison. Here are some numbers...so far. I have to finish the wall with the doors and still do the ceiling, but I'm leaning towards metal roofing for that. It's kind of apples to oranges but here are some numbers:

• Sanded Plywood 4 x 8 sheets: $25.00 8 per wall x 3 walls = $600.00
  Stain $10.00 2 per wall x 3 walls = $60.00
  Bolts (from Home Depot) $1.00 100 per wall x 2 walls = $200.00
  Bolts (from UK) $0.50 100 x 1 wall = $50.00
  Stain pad $10.00 X 4 = $40
  ----------------------------------------------------------
  $950.00
  
  

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

Everything is great minus the Blackhawk logo!!
They did't have a lightning imoji.

 

[jbmatth]

First of all I like the design you are using, different and more modern than most garages on here. I can appreciate the effort to pull off what you want and understand the disgust for drywall work and pain for hiring it out. Keep it up!

When I was reading over your thread I noticed you were interested in the load capacity of the beam in your garage, well here is your answer. Warning I'm a nerd and even have a spreadsheet set up to figure this quickly, but I am only moderately considered an engineer and if you drop a car on your head I'll delete this post. LOL

For a W12 26 beam 25.5 feet long supported on both ends with a load of 2,500 pounds in the center you will get a deflection of about .252". Depending on how concerned you are with actual deflection (IE is there anything attached to the beam that could become damaged when it deflects?) you can get away with a maximum deflection of the length of the beam divided by 360. (360 is a common number used, but can go anywhere from 200 to 400 with the higher the number being the most conservative, the greatest safety factor, and the least deflection per given load.)

Saying that you could easily load it up with 7,500 pounds in the center and it would deflect ~.75" which is below the .85" allowed by the L/360 number. So you can load it up with any engine you want and you will be fine, but before you start lifting cars with it I'm not licensed to do anything but drive however I did stay at a Holiday Inn a few years ago.

JB

 

[Scott V]

Thanks for the compliments and thanks for the beam load info. I don't plan on using the beam for lifting heavy loads- I'd rather use a conventional hoist since it rolls. In the many engine removals/installations I've done over the years I prefer to put the front of the car on jack stands in a fixed position.

The beam is doing it's job as floor support and for all my junk in the attic.

 

[Mickm]

It's looking great Scott!
I am right behind you. It is a lot like Christmas finding stuff you think is cool you didn't remember having. It's even better when your over 60 lol.
Love the wall treatment!!!

Cheers!
Mickm