Between 705 & 1200 SQ/FT The Vintage Garage - Bucharest, Romania.

[HCNDM]

Re: The Blue Garage - Bucharest, Romania

Hi Bogdan,

I caught onto your thread thanks to bulletpruff. I'm following his Alfa build [emoji3]

Glad I have found it. It's nice to see someone get there on their own laurels and produce great work.

I will tag along on your thread too if you don't mind [emoji1303]

Regards,

Niels


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[Bogdan M.]

Re: The Blue Garage - Bucharest, Romania

Shop is looking great. It shows that a skilled and careful craftsman runs the business.

Hi Bogdan,

I caught onto your thread thanks to bulletpruff. I'm following his Alfa build [emoji3]

Glad I have found it. It's nice to see someone get there on their own laurels and produce great work.

I will tag along on your thread too if you don't mind [emoji1303]

Regards,

Niels

Thank you both for your kind words!

These are the lamps that I was talking about:

The yellow lamp is Romanian made, cast iron, explosion proof, industrial type.
I bought eight of them and I will hang them in the garage. Sounds easy, but I must clean , prepare them for painting and then paint them.
Another lesson that I got after I began working is that when you have a high ceiling, it's better to have hanging lights.
I will buy led bulbs for all the lamps and I will eliminate all fluoroscent lamps. I hate it.

The small lamps are for the inspection pit. Nothing fancy about them.

The best thing is that everything will have the industrial look that I like.

 

[bulletpruf]

Re: The Blue Garage - Bucharest, Romania

The inspection pit definitely needs a lot of light. Will you aim some of the lights upwards so you can see the undercarriage of the cars? If so, how will you mount these?

 

[Bogdan M.]

Re: The Blue Garage - Bucharest, Romania

I rely mostly on inspection lamps. I have several and all get the job done.
The lights in the inspection pit are more for not staying in total dark and relying just on the inspection lamps. That would be a stress on the eyes because you look at the well lit area where you are pointing the lamp, but the rest is almost total darkness.
I experience this right now because I removed the fluorescent lights that I had in the pit and it's not nice at all, but they had to go. They took too much space in the inspection pit. When you are in a 1 meter wide space, things like that count.

Having a very good inspection lamp is crucial in any shop. I had all types from cheap ones to expensive ones. You can't work properly when you don't see what you are doing.

 

[infinate719]

Re: The Blue Garage - Bucharest, Romania

You've made great progress in your shop. I'm new to the forum and some how stumbled across your thread. I'm very lucky I did and I managed to read every post. Great job on the bike as well. I look forward to future updates.

 

[Bogdan M.]

Re: The Blue Garage - Bucharest, Romania

Thank you!

 

[Bogdan M.]

Re: The Blue Garage - Bucharest, Romania

A few days ago I have found some nice vintage industrial chairs on our local Craigslist type website.
Today I met the seller and brought them to the workshop.
They need some elbow greese, but all in all they're not in bad shape.

I wanted to buy four, but the forth that the seller brought was too damaged to repair.

 

[Bib Overalls]

Re: The Blue Garage - Bucharest, Romania

Neat adjustable seat back chairs. I like the older stuff because it was built for long service. Sometimes it takes a little elbow grease to bring it back but I have never been disappointed with the outcome.

 

[Bogdan M.]

Re: The Blue Garage - Bucharest, Romania

I planned a renovation for a very long time and I kept buying stuff for the garage and not using it until after the renovation.
I still don't have enough time for it and the garage was full of clutter so I was forced to compromise. So I changed the garage layout and threw some stuff away.
I worked at it from tuesday and I just finished today, but I think it was all worth it.
I still plan to renovate, but not this year.

 

[HCNDM]

Re: The Blue Garage - Bucharest, Romania

Looking good!


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[cosmo52]

Re: The Blue Garage - Bucharest, Romania

Great work on the renovation. Good work and good craftsmanship will always be rewarded.

 

[Bogdan M.]

Re: The Blue Garage - Bucharest, Romania

Thank you!

 

[drivesitfar]

Re: The Blue Garage - Bucharest, Romania

Bogdon: i love the pit in your shop cause it reminds me of the old time shops we had when i was growing up. also love the old cabinets, metal bins and of course the vidmar cabinets.

looks like you are getting ORGANIZED and keep up the good work

 

[Bogdan M.]

Re: The Blue Garage - Bucharest, Romania

Thank you!
I liked the ideea of a vintage industrial style garage and it's starting to look like one.
I love old things because of the way they were built. For example, the yellow bins are both welded and riveted. Nowadays everything is made out of plastic.
Things like that usually end up as scrap metal, so I am very happy that I had the chance of salvaging some of this stuff.
Almost everything in the garage is an internet find.
You can still find great stuff for cheap, things that you can use and outlast your lifetime.

 

[Wedge]

Re: The Blue Garage - Bucharest, Romania

Bogdan, great thread mate, I love the industrial lights and chairs and the work you've tackled on your own.
I think it was wise to keep the workbenches in front of the car area, if you paint the pit walls a glossy white they'd reflect light better and not so hard to keep clean.
I like the thread and looking forward to more updates and pictures of your flea market treasures.
Cheers mate


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[Grumblebum]

Re: The Blue Garage - Bucharest, Romania

Great shop Bogdan. Plenty of character in the use of the old materials. That old grey bench will be great once you get to fix it up.

Thanks for sharing.

Cheers GB

 

[Bogdan M.]

Re: The Blue Garage - Bucharest, Romania

Bogdan, great thread mate, I love the industrial lights and chairs and the work you've tackled on your own.
I think it was wise to keep the workbenches in front of the car area, if you paint the pit walls a glossy white they'd reflect light better and not so hard to keep clean.
I like the thread and looking forward to more updates and pictures of your flea market treasures.
Cheers mate

Thank you!
The lights were a great find, but I have to paint them before installing them, so there's a lot more work ahead.
Chairs look nice, but aren't too comfortable, so I will probably upgrade them even if I love the industrial look they give to the garage.
Yes, I have to do something about the pit. I have some lights to install and I have to repaint the walls.
That's the problem with a garage - it's always a work in progress.
Cheers!

 

[Bogdan M.]

Re: The Blue Garage - Bucharest, Romania

Great shop Bogdan. Plenty of character in the use of the old materials. That old grey bench will be great once you get to fix it up.

Thanks for sharing.

Cheers GB

Thank you!
I plan to clean it up and paint it. It will never reach the Garage Journal standard, but at least it's very sturdy. It was very hard to move because it weighs ~ 150 kg.
I think it was made in a Romanian factory. Kind of a sloppy piece of kit, but it gets the job done.

 

[Bib Overalls]

Re: The Blue Garage - Bucharest, Romania

It will never reach the Garage Journal standard,

We have standards? I thought being innovative and self reliant carried more weight here than how much money you have. With over 200 posts on this thread it is obvious we like what you are doing.

 

[HCNDM]

The Blue Garage - Bucharest, Romania

We have standards? I thought being innovative and self reliant carried more weight here than how much money you have. With over 200 posts on this thread it is obvious we like what you are doing.

Add keeping history and old tools alive and doing what they were intended to, to that list!

I for one prefer an old Romanian bench cleaned up and being put through its paces over any pretty but made in China big box store piece of cr@$!

I think what you do is exactly the garage Journal standard.




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[Bogdan M.]

Re: The Blue Garage - Bucharest, Romania

We have standards? I thought being innovative and self reliant carried more weight here than how much money you have. With over 200 posts on this thread it is obvious we like what you are doing.

Thank you!

GJ is simply jaw dropping for me. I have spent countless hours watching pictures from all over the board.
It helped me a lot to be more organized.

 

[eikimart]

Re: The Blue Garage - Bucharest, Romania

Love the chairs Bogdan! I have two like those myself, but the backs are metal on mine. I'll have to clean up them up. Thanks for reminding me!

 

[sean Buick 76]

Re: The Blue Garage - Bucharest, Romania

Good work with all your projects! The "Garage Journal Standard" is all about hard working and doing the best you can it is not about the amount of money you can spend. We appropriate what you are doing, it is inspirational.

I have a question about the exterior walls. You put what looks like Styrofoam insulation panels on the building and then is that a sort of stucco tor plaster that you are putting ontop? It looks good and must be a good idea for insulation and durability. I am just curious to learn about different building techniques from other places in the world.

Here we rely on wood, wood, and more wood.

 

[Bogdan M.]

Re: The Blue Garage - Bucharest, Romania

Love the chairs Bogdan! I have two like those myself, but the backs are metal on mine. I'll have to clean up them up. Thanks for reminding me!

Thank you!

Good work with all your projects! The "Garage Journal Standard" is all about hard working and doing the best you can it is not about the amount of money you can spend. We appropriate what you are doing, it is inspirational.

I have a question about the exterior walls. You put what looks like Styrofoam insulation panels on the building and then is that a sort of stucco tor plaster that you are putting ontop? It looks good and must be a good idea for insulation and durability. I am just curious to learn about different building techniques from other places in the world.

Here we rely on wood, wood, and more wood.

Thank you!

Yes, that's the way insulation is done around here.
Styrofoam panels are glued on the wall with a special plaster like adhesive, then you use the same adhesive to plaster the panels. After obtaining a smooth finish, you use a sort of stucco that here it's called decorative exterior plaster. That way you have a color coat over the stucco.
I still haven't finished the garage exterior. Maybe next year.

Today I installed another metal rack for storage. I bought it two years ago, but I didn't have the room for it.

 

[drivesitfar]

Re: The Blue Garage - Bucharest, Romania

Bogdan: i totally agree with the vintage storage and tools so keep up with that theme and you'll have stuff that will last your lifetime until you want to change them. here's a picture of my old Army steel desk with some of those metal bins in the cubby hole that i'm going to load up soon.

cheers and don't be afraid to post small changes and new stuff as you find them with lots of pictures cause some of us really like waking up and checking out the threads and seeing what other members are up to.

 

[Bogdan M.]

Re: The Blue Garage - Bucharest, Romania

Thank you!
I will post new stuff, unfortunately progress is slow.
Love your metal desk and the bins.
I believe I will steal your idea and put some bins beneath one of my workbenches.
The workbench looks extremely heavy and sturdy.

 

[Bogdan M.]

Re: The Blue Garage - Bucharest, Romania

I strongly believe that having a plan counts. It's a lesson I learned the hard way.
I made a to do list for the garage improvement.
It will surely take a long time, but I'm not giving up.

• buy a larger stove heat exchanger
  
• refurbish & install lamps
  
• install lamps in the inspection pit
  
• rebar ladder for the inspection pit
  
• refurbish the grey workbench
  
• repaint the two Lista cabinets
  
• repaint the blue workbench and eliminate drawer supports
  
• paint the drill press
  
• paint the blue cabinet
  
• paint fridge with Plasti Dip
  
• lighting for the two workbenches
  
• sockets for workbenches
  
• replace tiles from the sink corner
  
• replace sink & piping
  
• drywall behind stove and sink corner
  
• repair floor
  
• repaint walls
  
• repaint floor

It's prioritised, so this is more or less the order in which I will proceed.

 

[drivesitfar]

Re: The Blue Garage - Bucharest, Romania

Bogdan: great to have a plan and a To Do list that continually changes too. i'd work on some of the inside projects like lighting and organizing while your weather is maybe cold or wet which I'm guessing it is during the winter like it is her in Seattle. then when the weather is warmer you can work on the painting and other building type projects that can be done outside.

at all times be on the lookout for COOL stuff to use in your shop or buy and use to trade to get what you want.

best of luck and feel free to read and maybe post your thoughts on other threads if you have some time cause we'd always want to hear what you guys think from your side of the world.

also if i hadn't said it already i'd love a grease pit or a lift or both. if any of my ideas might have helped you that's great and ask if you have any questions and maybe i or another member can help you if you need some.

cheers

 

[bulletpruf]

Re: The Blue Garage - Bucharest, Romania

I strongly believe that having a plan counts. It's a lesson I learned the hard way.
I made a to do list for the garage improvement.
It will surely take a long time, but I'm not giving up.

• buy a larger stove heat exchanger
  
• refurbish & install lamps
  
• install lamps in the inspection pit
  
• rebar ladder for the inspection pit
  
• refurbish the grey workbench
  
• repaint the two Lista cabinets
  
• repaint the blue workbench and eliminate drawer supports
  
• paint the drill press
  
• paint the blue cabinet
  
• paint fridge with Plasti Dip
  
• lighting for the two workbenches
  
• sockets for workbenches
  
• replace tiles from the sink corner
  
• replace sink & piping
  
• drywall behind stove and sink corner
  
• repair floor
  
• repaint walls
  
• repaint floor

It's prioritised, so this is more or less the order in which I will proceed.

That's the order I would do things in. Start off with fixing anything that's not safe. And then work on things allow you to work comfortably and effectively in the garage - like heat and light. And then work on being more efficient and organized. From there, work on appearance.

Somewhere in there, I would fix anything that would deteriorate and be a more difficult fix later and/or cause other problems.

Keep up the good work.

Scott

 

[Bogdan M.]

Re: The Blue Garage - Bucharest, Romania

@drivesitfar: That's what I'm trying to do.
Thank you!
I always read GJ, especially the Gallery.

The best thing is to have both, but if you can only have one - a lift is better.

@bulletpruf: Thank you! It's seems to be a never ending project but I hope I will finish it.

--------

Winter is coming so today I bought some firewood.
Another thing that I must do is build something nice to store firewood.
I had something temporary built in the summer, but it wasn't what I wanted, so today I modified it. It's still not something that I like so it's only temporary, but it will get the job done. Here winters are very harsh. I still have to add some canvas. It took all day to build it, unload the firewood and move it inside.

 

[drivesitfar]

Re: The Blue Garage - Bucharest, Romania

Bogdan: great idea for wood storage. simple, cheap (i can pick up free pallets easily here so hopefully you can too), and looks like it's going to be covered and very handy when you need it.

if you look at the number of posts i have you'll see i do tend to read and comment a lot and i'm getting to know a lot of members. since you've been a member longer than i have might i suggest you make a post on threads you read even if it's to say you like what the poster has posted. some of us that post a lot think we are talking to ourselves at time and it's good to get a little comment from the members so we will keep posting. i started and participate in a few threads for the first year or so and now i move around to see what other members are up to and look at their cool ideas and shops. your vintage shop is not too far different from some of the stuff i'm putting in my garage so keep at it and i'm sure one day you'll have it like you want it.

also a good way to meet a few members by posting on their threads instead of just reading what they post. i cant say i actually know many members in your area, but i know there are a ton of guys posting and viewing on Tools of the old World so you might take a look at that thread if you haven't already and check out where the members are living that are posting on that thread and you might find a few in you country. i know i like vintage tools too, but some of those new tools they post are worth saving up for. i can't tell you how handy my 10 year old FEIN is and would highly recommend trying to find one or try a friend's out if you know anybody that owns one.

 

[Bogdan M.]

Re: The Blue Garage - Bucharest, Romania

Bogdan: great idea for wood storage. simple, cheap (i can pick up free pallets easily here so hopefully you can too), and looks like it's going to be covered and very handy when you need it.

Thank you!
I didn't get the pallets for free, but very, very cheap, so it's worth it.
Now it is covered.

if you look at the number of posts i have you'll see i do tend to read and comment a lot and i'm getting to know a lot of members. since you've been a member longer than i have might i suggest you make a post on threads you read even if it's to say you like what the poster has posted. some of us that post a lot think we are talking to ourselves at time and it's good to get a little comment from the members so we will keep posting. i started and participate in a few threads for the first year or so and now i move around to see what other members are up to and look at their cool ideas and shops. your vintage shop is not too far different from some of the stuff i'm putting in my garage so keep at it and i'm sure one day you'll have it like you want it.

also a good way to meet a few members by posting on their threads instead of just reading what they post. i cant say i actually know many members in your area, but i know there are a ton of guys posting and viewing on Tools of the old World so you might take a look at that thread if you haven't already and check out where the members are living that are posting on that thread and you might find a few in you country. i know i like vintage tools too, but some of those new tools they post are worth saving up for. i can't tell you how handy my 10 year old FEIN is and would highly recommend trying to find one or try a friend's out if you know anybody that owns one.

I will try to post more. I sometimes read GJ on the way to work or during a break at work, so I have very little spare time during the week.
I really enjoy reading other garage threads even this means spending a lot more time than intended.
There aren't too many members in my area.
I do read the Tools of the Old World thread - I have read all the pages to be exact. It's absolutely incredible and it has educated me a lot on tools.
You are spot on about the Fein. Metabo and Fein powertools are on my wishlist.
I have some powertools, but not premium brands, so I haven't posted them.

 

[Bogdan M.]

Re: The Blue Garage - Bucharest, Romania

Yesterday I ordered some led bulbs, so today I started to disassemble the lamps.
I am very much impressed by their quality.
A few months ago I bought a vintage firewood rack. I began using it today.

I haven't decided if I will repaint them with the same color or not. I am thinking about a metallic grey but I am open to any suggestions.
Anyway, there's a lot of work ahead. Cleaning, sanding, taping, painting, rewiring...

 

[drivesitfar]

Re: The Blue Garage - Bucharest, Romania

Bogdan: another option to painting those cool looking lights is to take off all the paint down to bare metal and rub on a few coats of BLO (boiled linseed oil). not sure how they sell it in your part of the world, but pretty sure they do and I usually pick up half empty cans at sales to use on my old tools.

wood pile and stove at the ready looks like a great solution to heat your shop.

cheers

 

[-Brent-]

Re: The Blue Garage - Bucharest, Romania

I like those lamps. Industrial fixtures always catch my eye. The European industrial items have a quality about them that the American items miss. They look tougher, they often have unique colors, and there a visual quality I really like.

I've always been curious about Romania. Everything I see from movies or reading about it, it looks like a place I would enjoy. When my wife and I talk about where we want to go in Europe (once our children are a bit older and will remember the trip), Romania is always one I mention. Someday I will get out there.

Keep up the good work, Bogdan.

 

[Bogdan M.]

Re: The Blue Garage - Bucharest, Romania

Bogdan: another option to painting those cool looking lights is to take off all the paint down to bare metal and rub on a few coats of BLO (boiled linseed oil). not sure how they sell it in your part of the world, but pretty sure they do and I usually pick up half empty cans at sales to use on my old tools.

wood pile and stove at the ready looks like a great solution to heat your shop.

cheers

Thanks for the advice!
Lindseed oil is easily available around here.
I have also found this: http://www.skinflintdesign.co.uk/store/ceiling_lights/eastern_bloc_factory_pendants.html

That color looks way cool. It seems to be bare metal with some lacquer on.

I like those lamps. Industrial fixtures always catch my eye. The European industrial items have a quality about them that the American items miss. They look tougher, they often have unique colors, and there a visual quality I really like.

I've always been curious about Romania. Everything I see from movies or reading about it, it looks like a place I would enjoy. When my wife and I talk about where we want to go in Europe (once our children are a bit older and will remember the trip), Romania is always one I mention. Someday I will get out there.

Keep up the good work, Bogdan.

I like them too. Vintage industrial design fascinates me. Vintage stuff is always top notch, especially when compared to most the stuff that's made now.
The nice thing is that the company that made my lamps still exists and still manufactures the same exact lamps. The company name is Elba.

Things you see in most movies don't have any connection with the real Romania. In my opinion it's a country worth visiting and it has nothing to do with all those Dracula references that are present in most movies.
From a tourist POV, it's hard to know what to visit, where to go and where to stay. Romanians don't know how to promote and sell their services or products. Almost every Romanian product I can think about doesn't have a good enough name or wrapper. They don't understand that every small detail counts. If you ever come to Romania, give me a message and I will gladly recommend some places to visit.

 

[drivesitfar]

Re: The Blue Garage - Bucharest, Romania

Bogdon: yes BLO does make the naked steel and cast iron look great. if you have a little smoker or shop oven or maybe it will bake on nicely in front of your stove (be careful of fire cause it is oil). anyway a few guys put the steel with BLO on it in their smoker or shop oven at about 200 degrees for about an hour give or take and it really has a brownish glow sort of like the old days when products were sold with a Japanning type finish.

also using different grits of sandpaper can almost get your lamps to a mirror like finish like the link you posted.

good luck

 

[Bogdan M.]

Re: The Blue Garage - Bucharest, Romania

But doesn't BLO give a brownish tint? I searched for some photos and all had this brownish tint.

 

[drivesitfar]

Re: The Blue Garage - Bucharest, Romania

Bogdan: depending on what you are putting it on. more than likely if you heat it yes brownish. sometimes on darker metal it just makes it darker and somethings it's sorta yellow. it's not for everything, but you'll learn to like it if you use it cause i'm pretty sure you will like NAKED metal look. i use it on some of my tools that still have some original paint and just put it over the top of it after cleaning off the crud and old dirt and grease.

here's a color Snap On paints some of their tool that i'm kinda wanting to paint a few vises this color. there is also a wrinkled paint that looks pretty good if you can buy that paint in your part of the world. take a look at that two big vise threads for some ideas on painting cast iron and steel or just shining it up and putting wax on it if you like that look. WARNING to you that looking at all those vises and old steel can be addictive so have fun with that.


http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=44782

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=252830

even though the last two pictures don't look exactly the same maybe cause of camera angle it's a before and after pictures of the same Rock Island vise and this is the black wrinkled paint that you might see on tool boxes.

 

[Bogdan M.]

Re: The Blue Garage - Bucharest, Romania

Both vises look great!
I like the Snap On green, but the wrinkled paint looks even nicer. Or, better said, the green is more modern while the wrinkled paint is better for vintage stuff.
Thanks for the pics!