Between 265 & 485 SQ/FT The 12-Gauge Garage

[Jack Olsen]

Been lurking on your thread, and can't hold back. Your garage is not for me, but yet it is mesmerizing on several levels. But what got me out in the light was the screen printing. Been wanting to do that for many years, your vinyl cutter solves a lot of issues. Great family activity, pancake restaurants with custom family pancake eating shirts. (or if the shirts don't eat pancakes at least they do hold them for a while)

Generally, when I hear young people over use a certain word, I like to say "Do you regularly engage in the excessive use of unnecessary superlatives?", to which the answer is "Aww, some".

That being said, AWSOME.

Thank you! I've seen your clean-up thread, and you and I are wired very similarly. We both enjoy keeping our hands busy. The difference is the amount of space we have to work with. I'm boxed in, and that dictates a lot of how I put this place together. But given room to store more stuff, I would have a LOT more stuff on hand and waiting for a day it could be useful. As a guy stuck in a city, I'm very jealous of that kind of room to work.

 

[firebird 97]

Jack I remember when you began this thread way back when. I lived in an apartment and thought the fold down work bench was a great idea. I forgot about this place and followed a pintrest topic here great to see all the stuff you have done.

 

[Koje]

Fantastic idea with the T Shirts. I may have to steal it! Although not the first idea i have stolen from your thread.....

 

[bdbecker]

How long does it now take to read through the infamous 12-Gauge Garage thread? About a month... but I'm so glad that I did. Thank you for sharing all of this with us. I genuinely appreciate you letting us all into your life like you have over the years.

-----

I just happened to be reading through the part of the thread where you mention "When the Bough Breaks" and saw that the premier was the just the other night - congratulations! I hope you were able to treat Mrs. Olsen to a trip down the red carpet.

Finally, a quick side note about how small the world can be... Other than passing through LAX, I've only been to Los Angeles one time in my life. The hotel I was put up at was the SLS, which as it turns out, is just down the road from where you live. This was several years ago, before I'd ever even heard of GJ or The 12-Gauge Garage, but serendipitous none the less.

 

[Jack Olsen]

As always, thank you (and congratulations) for getting through this sprawling thread. It's got lots of great ideas from a lot of smart people. But it's also huge.

Yes, my wife and I went to the premiere last Sunday. It was a lot of fun. Here I am on the red carpet, clearly not having taken that class actors must take where they learn what to do with their hands when a bunch of people are photographing them.

I'd bought that necktie just hours before the picture was taken. I don't often dress up.

And here's a picture of both of us at the party afterward -- with the film's director in between us.

 

[Bob Heine]

Jack, wonderful news! I hope it's a big success (I removed the word blockbuster because of it's less than positive association). My local movie theaters think a visit is the equivalent of a gourmet dining experience so I'll be waiting for the Blu-ray release. About the same price as going to the theater but I can pause it when I need to answer the phone.

 

[Jack Olsen]

Thanks. With the Blu-Ray, you'll get to click over to the commentary track -- which the director, me, and one of the actors did a few weeks ago.

 

[slimpickins]

Damn Jack! You've just got such a .... pretty .... face!!!!

Move over Clint Eastwood and Tom Selleck!

Cheers!

 

[Jack Olsen]

Here's a garage project for my kids' school. They wanted a small performance stage for the K-3rd graders. So I made a kind of kid-sized stage. I built at home and then brought pieces over, perched on the poor old Jeep.

First the base:

Then the steel structure to hold the walls and ceiling, which will be made with shade fabric.

Then some welding, hauling, and painting.

And finally, it comes together.

This evening, my daughter tested it with a rendition of 'Let It Go.' And here's also a shot with a full-grown adult, to show scale.

 

[Conor]

Flippin awesome!

 

[sselander]

That's great news & and a fantastic project Jack. That Jeep has been through a lot.

 

[1Garageman]

That's awesome!
Great job on building it, and getting it there!

 

[slik560]

Wonderful fabrication for a VERY worthy project - but the shade fabric....did you sew all of that yourself and how is it attached to the frame? I've re-built engines, but projects like this always fascinate me.

 

[TwoBytes]

That stage looks great Jack, good work.

I was going to ask the same question as Kevin, how did you attach the fabric to the frame?

 

[Bob Heine]

Someday in the not-too-distant future your daughter will be telling her children about her performance at grandpa's Hollywood Bowl!

You are creating the memories that will live on beyond your generation -- well done.

 

[shortykorte]

Congratulations on the movie. Instead of the tie, a nice gold chain with a small scale Porsche hubcap with GJ in the middle would have been appropriate.

 

[Jack Olsen]

Thanks, guys.

I haven't seen shade fabric attached the way I do it. But it's been working for years at my house, so I'm going to say it works.

The first time I used the stuff, I put a cover over my front patio. I had no idea what I was doing, but my thinking was that the more points of attachment, the less stress would be placed on each one. So, here's a picture of the whole thing:

And here is what I came up with to hold the fabric to the frame. I bought a box of report binders -- metal clips you'd hold a stack of paper together with. The idea was that if the wind got too strong, they'd give way without tearing the paper. As it's happened (over 6 years, now), the wind has never been strong enough to move the stuff.

I've got one clip about every six inches.

But when I did another cover for my rear deck, I wanted something more permanent.

So my solution was this. The frame of the cover for my deck (just like the stage I just built) is 1-1/4" square tubing. I use hand clamps to position the fabric, and then put a length of 1/2" square tubing over it, drilling holes for little stainless-steel screws to sandwich the fabric between the thick and thin steel tubing. Then (and I think this is the key), I run a bead of adhesive, so that the edge of the fabric (which I've trimmed off) is 'globbed up' with enough adhesive that it would be just about impossible to pull the fabric through the gap. This picture is from my deck, not the stage, but the implementation is the same.

The smaller tubing is always on the non-visible side. The deck shade structure has endured the weather and the wind for almost four years now.

I hope the stage fabric does as well.

 

[great white tj]

As all of your projects are Jack... another outstanding work. And your Jeep will keep on working for ya...

 

[aggierailroad]

That stage is deceptively large. Looks great!

 

[oldironfarmer]

Marvelous stage! Astounding craftsmanship! I'm very impressed, and good luck with the film.

 

[Grizz1963]

These are great solutions to simple and common problems Jack.

Thank you for sharing, as I know for myself, they are often not the solutions that springs to mind first. So you have now armed me for future projects.

As far as the stage is concerned.......

That is just lovely.

Well done.

 

[Joe-R]

Am I the only one who was skateboarding in 1978? Today, I remembered a logo and made myself a t-shirt. I'm going to wear it to a car show tomorrow.

Hi Jack,

I took me six weeks or so, but I made it through your thread! Now what??? I love your your t-shirt. I am about the same age as you and was also heavily into skateboarding as a kid. A neighbor kid built a quarter pipe, then replaced that with a half pipe. I grew up around that half pipe!!!

I love what you have done with your garage and I especially admire the way you didn't spend a lot of money on it!!! The 911 is also uber cool. I like your never ending quest to cut down your lap times at Willow.

But what I like the most about you is how involved you are with your kids!!! That for sure, is the gift that keeps on giving. Keep up the great work on all fronts!!!!!!

Joe

 

[oldironfarmer]

I was skateboarding in Lancaster (up past Palmdale) in 1960

But we had to make our own, with boards and skates

 

[Fastowl]

As always, thank you (and congratulations) for getting through this sprawling thread. It's got lots of great ideas from a lot of smart people. But it's also huge.

Yes, my wife and I went to the premiere last Sunday. It was a lot of fun. Here I am on the red carpet, clearly not having taken that class actors must take where they learn what to do with their hands when a bunch of people are photographing them.

I'd bought that necktie just hours before the picture was taken. I don't often dress up.

And here's a picture of both of us at the party afterward -- with the film's director in between us.

I saw the comments this past weekend on the movie and noticed that the screenplay was by 'Jack Olsen'. I said to myself I wonder if that is our Jack Olsen and sure enough it is. Wow. And you are still posting stuff here amongst us mere mortals?....Congrats!!!

 

[1Garageman]

I just watch the preview for the movie on YouTube, and my heart was racing!

 

[bdbecker]

Wife and I were going to go see it last weekend but the showtimes didn't line up with our babysitter's schedule. I heard on the radio the other day that it was #2 at the box office last weekend!

 

[jriltex]

Jack, you and that green paint! It s never ending! LOL Nice job!

 

[APEowner]

Congratulations Jack!

 

[Jack Olsen]

Thanks. Pictures like this help me keep everything in perspective.

 

[HOTFR8]

They sure do help keep things in perspective.

 

[larry_g]

Thanks. Pictures like this help me keep everything in perspective.

I find it odd the old guy has two different shoes.

Congratulations Jack on your success.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[Outlawmws]

Thanks. Pictures like this help me keep everything in perspective.

- SWMBO (Photographer) loved it, and the caption!

I find it odd the old guy has two different shoes.

Congratulations Jack on your success.

lg
no neat sig line

One may be a special shoe for a foot injury/issue, or maybe he just grabbed two different when he was dressing...

 

[uke73]

Congratulations on the film Jack! I don't think it is out in the UK yet but the trailer looks amazing!

Neil


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Stevelj]

Congratulations Jack!
Were you able to sneak the Porsche into a scene? LOL

 

[TK LP]

- SWMBO (Photographer) loved it, and the caption!



One may be a special shoe for a foot injury/issue, or maybe he just grabbed two different when he was dressing...

He's got another pair at home just like them.

 

[Bob Heine]

As a war baby I may have more sympathy for the gentleman in the picture. Health problems can mean you no longer have a pair of feet so a comfortable left shoe might not match a comfortable right shoe.

On the other hand, many decades ago I had two pair of boots (zipper better than laces) that were identical except for color. One pair was black and the other brown. Got up real early for an important meeting and didn't want to wake my wife. Didn't bother to check in the light so I went to the meeting with one black and one brown shoe on. I expect I will be that elderly gentleman soon enough.

 

[Outlawmws]

I did that with two pair of stable/harness boots. I went back home and changed...

 

[Denwood]

Here's a garage project for my kids' school. They wanted a small performance stage for the K-3rd graders. So I made a kind of kid-sized stage. I built at home and then brought pieces over, perched on the poor old Jeep.

First the base:

Then the steel structure to hold the walls and ceiling, which will be made with shade fabric.

Then some welding, hauling, and painting.

And finally, it comes together.

This evening, my daughter tested it with a rendition of 'Let It Go.' And here's also a shot with a full-grown adult, to show scale.

Jack, this project hits all the right places in a Dad's heart It's right up there with the crazy play house. Fabric structures in the snow belt mandate yearly removal. Have you encountered a system that would allow quick removal?

Getting a film to release is a monstrous achievement in my world. Congrats!

 

[BBChevro]

Hey Jack, I realized that I haven't commented for a while, so I thought that it was high time that I did.

The mini-stage is really great, your kids should be really proud of you.

And congratulations on your trip down the red carpet - that must surely be a first for a GJ member.
I'll have to keep an eye out for the movie's release here.

 

[shortykorte]

Priceless photo. I'd have that on the wall next to movie poster. Again congrats on the movie.