Between 485 & 705 SQ/FT Lyndon's Western Sydney Garage (amongst life's other stories).

[Coolabah]

Ah, seems I either misunderstood or misremembered the details of your house. Sounds like you've got it all covered.

Yes but you still have a great point ! I tend to have my toolbag ( has many hand tools but no power tools) always loaded and ready to take to jobs away from home ( think adult children ),
and in my "workshop" i tend to have tool stations at each workbench 'cos I couldn't be *rsed walking too far for a Pozidrive #2 or a hammer etc. ( my workshop is 22 m/ 72 feet long) .
Over the years , I've bought "better" tools on sale etc but have kept the old tool.
So , I do have multiple copies of the commonly used tools, works great for me , others : YMMV !!
Lyndon: Great news on the house build starting soon !!

 

[hewey]

Lyndon, Irene looks pretty stoked with her new red step through. That's going to look great as the feature piece in the new loungeroom Looking forward to seeing plans and construction on the new place!

 

[Lyndon]

Yes but you still have a great point ! I tend to have my toolbag ( has many hand tools but no power tools) always loaded and ready to take to jobs away from home ( think adult children ),
and in my "workshop" i tend to have tool stations at each workbench 'cos I couldn't be *rsed walking too far for a Pozidrive #2 or a hammer etc. ( my workshop is 22 m/ 72 feet long) .
Over the years , I've bought "better" tools on sale etc but have kept the old tool.
So , I do have multiple copies of the commonly used tools, works great for me , others : YMMV !!
Lyndon: Great news on the house build starting soon !!

Greg

Thanks for commenting - and you have a 22m long shed - Sheesh! I thought I was being extravagant and lucky to get away with a 15m one....

And - the process of shedding some of these tools that I have received from friends either by themselves or in old toolboxes (like the most recent one) has had calming effect on my poor old, overworked, OCD brain. I like thinning things out, reducing clutter, and minimising. While the new garage is 15m long, only the back section, at 3m deep by 6m wide, will be the "workshop", so I am carefully planning out the usage of the space, and how tools will be either displayed (french cleat section of wall) or stored (wooden and metal toolboxes).

Lyndon, Irene looks pretty stoked with her new red step through. That's going to look great as the feature piece in the new loungeroom Looking forward to seeing plans and construction on the new place!

Hewey

I can tell you - she is stoked! But we need to go shopping soon to get her a lid (helmet).... Red of course!

OK All (or both of you). I said there was going to be a part 3, roughly a week ago. So here it is as it's going to be 41 degrees C (nearly 106 F) here today, so we are hiding inside, after an early morning walk, and a few hours of running the sprinklers over the front and back yards....

I have for many years had these small parts boxes on the shelf above the workbench:



Black edged, double sided things in the photo ("Tactix" brand from the big green box store that I've had for quite a few years). But there was also 2 other, small parts containers on/or above the bench (pointed to in red in this very old photo):



Well - I have firstly sorted out all the small cr$%p that was hiding in them, purchased 2 more Tactix containers:



And put these 2 on E-Bay for not much:



(Pointed to with the red arrow as they now sit in the items for sale pile).

Next problem - the shelf that the existing boxes sit on is starting to complain in writing about the weight that these things have:



So - in my tired old head I decided to build a rack for these, now 8, containers:



Excuse the mess, but that's a plan, of sorts..... And when it's built it is going to go here:



Now, of course, you can see the other 3 problems I caused myself.... Firstly - where it's going to go - has my fathers old toolbox in it's way (that I have been threatening to do up since I started on here 10 years ago). So that needs to be thunk through (I think I know the answer, but will see...). Secondly - once I've completed the rack build - I'll have to fix that shelf. And lastly something else that escapes my feeble mind ATM.....

In other workshop goings on - the little white set of shelves that I saved from the kerb some months ago is now in it's new resting place, under the drill press:



Now I just need to cut the PVC tubes in half and fill them with drill bits....

And - to finish this post off. I was working in the backyard the other day, and when looking behind the garage my 3rd water tank (1200 litre) was looking like a pregnant guppy, about to burst.... So I dashed out to the trailer and grabbed my spare 2500 kg ratchet strap and with some supporting wood pieces, started to fix that:



I had by this time used one of my small pumps to transfer all the water, via underground Plumbing, into the bigger tank under the back deck. After doing that I was able to pull the strap very tight and reduce the bulge. If it had burst I don't think the neighbours behind would have been too happy. I now monitor the levels and re-do the transfer after some rains. I don't know what I'll ultimately do to fix it - it might get bypassed and the water can run straight into the big transpiration pit under the back lawn....

Anyway - there's part 3. Now you know! It's nearly lunch time and I have some delicious spag bol left over that I made the other night!

Lyndon

 

[hardtop5000]

G'day Lyndon. I haven't posted in your thread before but it's one I've always enjoyed visiting.

I recently left Sydney after 20+ years and moved to the Yass Valley area. I recommend you don't give Sydney any more of your precious time, get down here to this beautiful countryside, the great town of Yass and the cool climate wine and food culture. I just love it here, and I reckon you and Irene are going to have a great lifestyle when you make the move.

 

[Lyndon]

G'day Lyndon. I haven't posted in your thread before but it's one I've always enjoyed visiting.

I recently left Sydney after 20+ years and moved to the Yass Valley area. I recommend you don't give Sydney any more of your precious time, get down here to this beautiful countryside, the great town of Yass and the cool climate wine and food culture. I just love it here, and I reckon you and Irene are going to have a great lifestyle when you make the move.

Justin

Thanks for visiting, and the recent comment.

Yes - we are very much looking forward to the build starting, and finishing, and us moving to Yass. I have had a very long term relationship with Yass, the town having been where my mother's parents moved to (from Burrinjuck) somewhere around 1935 - 40. My grandmother was the cook at the Australian Hotel from 1946 - 1952, and they originally lived in a house at 74 Meehan St during the war (when Mum remembers coming home to servicemen sleeping on the front verandah in the middle of their trip home from Sydney to country families), before moving to Dutton St at some stage. Grandpa was considered a worker in a valued industry (power generation over in Wee Jasper) and was not allowed to sign up for the war. The Meehan St house was still there when Irene and I started the process of land hunting in the town, but burned to the ground some years ago (Google street view images are from 2023, and the new house is seen on site, but going back to the 2009 images, the old house can be seen). I used to come down from Sydney during school holidays from when I was about 6 or 7 and stayed with Grandma and Grandpa. If I remember correctly I was one of those escorted kids in a plane, going from Sydney to Canberra, and being ferried from Canberra to Yass by one of Mum's sisters. Mum and Dad were quite well off then (relatively), and both worked. I also used to drive the train that ran from Yass depot to Yass Junction, every day...... I think I detailed that story some pages ago.

And we do love our wine, though our particular most loved tipples come from the Marlborough region of NZ. But we have visited quite a few of the wineries around Murrumbateman a few years ago. I am also looking very much forward to exerciing the big cats on some of the glorious country back roads in the region around Yass. And to joining the Yass Men's Shed, which has 2 of every kind of woodworking tool a man could ever need.

Thanks for dropping by.

Lyndon

 

[Lyndon]

OK - I've gone and done it now....:



I blew my father's old toolbox apart to start to sand and re-stain it. Another angle:



All the hardware is separated:



And this is the drawer that was done as a test some years ago, and which will be the look I'm hoping for the whole exterior of the box:



I discovered a small error that my grandfather made (70 years ago when he built this), that I had never noticed before:



On both sides of the lid the first screw penetrates the wood..... It doesn't seem to affect the closing position of the lid (much), and I tried to see if I could back the screw out of here to shorten it:



But neither side was going to play ball with that idea, and I didn't want to destroy the old wood, so I think I'll break out the Dremel and a grinding disk and grind it far enough back that I can fill the hole with wood putty.

It's possible to see the paint under the fittings, hinges and handles that I removed showing at one stage the paint was quite glossy:



And:



Now I've got a few choices to make. When I sand the thing do I fill in the holes over the exposed black painted screw heads (they are mostly recessed slightly)? Or do I leave them? And - do I paint the hardware (handles hinges etc) black, or polish them up and wax them? And - do I do the inside as well?

Questions, questions. Now all I need are answers, answers!

I'm thinking that the big top handle won't be going back on as I'm going to build a frame to sit both wooden toolboxes in, one above the other (that may be a job in the new workshop once Yass is finished...). This is the other that I restored some years ago (detailed in here somewhere) that will be the lower box in the frame:



I'm also due to run to the big box store to get the wood for the parts storage containers and a few other bits and bobs, so will decide in the next few days.

Catch ya soon. (oh - and the building contracts should get signed tomorrow - I'm hoping).

Lyndon

 

[Geoff289]

Nice work L

 

[Lyndon]

Part 1.

Well - it's been a bit.......

Update time, as 26 is rapidly passing.

In March this year I had to attend the annual conference for the Association that I sit on the executive of. The conference was going to be in Coffs Harbour, so SWMBO'd decided it would fit in nicely with a road trip...:



The car was full as a goog!:



We set off for our first stay at an AirBnb outside Nabiac, north coast. Gorgeous stand alone cottage on a very large property on the edge of the Wallamba River:



Irene got to use the kayaks here for a leisurely paddle along the river (I don't like kayaks), but she loves them:





After 3 nights here we headed a short drive up the coast to my conference, being held at the Opal Cove resort Coffs Harbour. Along the way we called into the National Motorbike Museum (1300 bikes and 31 cars):



3 nights in Coffs and we departed for Yamba, further up the coast.

Then we ventured inland, via Glen Innes, to the Bolt Inn at Uralla (and a very fun night of Trivia in the restaurant at the pub), before going onto the new Wilderluxe Resort on the shores of Lake Keepit, north west of Tamworth, where we celebrated our 37th Wedding Anniversary:



And watched the moon rising over the lake from the bath on the deck:



After 3 magnificent nights we broke the trip home at Kurri Kurri, the home after nearly 2 weeks away and 1800 kms travelled.

Oh - and we played pickleball in both Tuncurry (outdoors) and Yamba (indoors).

Onto part 2.

 

[Lyndon]

Part 2.

A house update..... A long time in the making!

Our house plans were finalised in early February, and came out of Council with an approved DA last week.

Now that they are approved, I'll show you what we've gone with:







We await the arrival of the construction certificate any day now, and within 3 weeks the first of the earth turning starts. Occupation before Christmas if we are lucky and the weather gods smile on us.....

Now I'm happy. I'm thinking of making the long internal wall of the workshop, separating the garage (labelled "store" in the plans), with plywood, as this will be the number plate wall.

I dream nightly of layout arrangements.

Other things are going on including the slow restoration of the toolbox.....

Lyndon

 

[Lyndon]

Part 3.

As I mentioned in an earlier post - over the last few months I have been selling excess items from the garage.

One of the items was this:



But it didn't sell. I didn't like the heat that came from the halogen globes, but a google search revealed that LED replacements are available, so I went down the path of seeking some out:



LED on the left, halogen on the right. And this is the difference in light:



Halogen on the left, and super hot, LED on the right and no heat whatsoever..... I'm keeping this now, and may repaint it to my preferred blue colour. It could be useful now in the new shop.

Also, while we were away I came across the saw on the left in an Antiques and Old Wares shop in Uralla:



It's quite large and heavy, especially when compared with the other one (from Lindesay - on here) that I restored some years back (on the right). But the really interesting thing is what's printed on the blade on one side - just barely visible:

Made in USA
Made expressly for
Stanley Rule & Level Plant
By
Henry Disston & Sons
Philadelphia PA USA
​

I am going to, very gently, clean it up to add to the Old Tool Wall in Yass, alongside it's smaller brother.

Other goings on. Well, Irene has given her notice of retirement for mid June, much to the dismay of the CFO.... And at the end of June we are leaving for a trip through Paris - 7 days - (via 2 days in Dubai - shiver) and onto the UK. I will be at all 4 days of the Goodwood Festival of Speed, then heading via Beaullie, the Williams F1 Museum, and The Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust Museum and onto Edinburgh before 2 more days in Dubai and home. A total of nearly 6 weeks away. Looking forward to all that as Goodwood has been on my bucket list for 40 years!

That'll do for today me thinks.

Lyndon

 

[ajohno]

Good that you are doing well Lyndon.
The house plans look great. Are you going to sell your house your in now?

 

[Geoff289]

Looks like a very nice trip. Lyndon.

Your house plans also look great and I bet you're excited it's all about to start. I think the plywood wall is a top idea. I wish I'd done that on the two plaster walls I have in my garage. If that's a stud wall between the garage and the house I'd be doing that in plywood too.

 

[Coolabah]

Finally !
I REALLY get it , this drafting/council etc stuff all takes time and money and headaches , bet you and the missus are pleased as punch to be at this stage.
Let the games begin !
Serious offer - I still have mates from school in Canberra that I irregularly visit , let me know if you want any help I can detour to Yass no problem !!

 

[Terrick down Under]

Well that is fantastic news for the house and the work light, I have been replacing halogen lights around here since 5 years ago, when our area got to $0.52c per kilowatt hour. power bills went to $1200 per quarter, now back down to $800, even the 13 driveway lights are led barrels ( they can be seen from the plane as you land in Canberra). Yass Cars and Coffee is good, Canberra C&C gets up to 2000 cars and bike at times, it has a really huge range and type of vehicles. Next Canberra is 17 may.

 

[hewey]

Hi Lyndon, congrats on the green light for the new house. That's hugely exciting. Plan (and garage space) looks great, and really love the north facing living space and master bedroom.

As far as garage layouts, I've played online with 'sweet home 3D', I was able to draw up the garden shed and then play with shelving sizes, layouts etc before purchasing - super helpful (and might have spent too many hours playing with options )





Goodwood trip sounds epic! Looking forward to seeing those pics.

On a side note, got a link for those LED replacement globes? I've got the same light unit and hate the heat the halogen globes give out.

 

[PugetDude]

Congratulations on the council approval and permits for the new place.
I just completed a ~85 square meter shop addition; it actually took longer to get the plans approved than it did to build it!

 

[Lyndon]

Good that you are doing well Lyndon.
The house plans look great. Are you going to sell your house your in now?

Aaron

Thanks for commenting. While our financial advisor is suggesting we keep this place - we think this is the wrong house to rent out. It has 400sqm of immaculate but temperamental lawns and gardens that require constant maintenance. Also the idea of staying so much in debt after retiring is worrisome. And this place is/will be worth nearly twice what we will owe on Yass when completed, and that is a nice superannuation nest egg..... And possibly the source of funds for a big 4x4 and caravan in the future.....

Looks like a very nice trip. Lyndon.

Your house plans also look great and I bet you're excited it's all about to start. I think the plywood wall is a top idea. I wish I'd done that on the two plaster walls I have in my garage. If that's a stud wall between the garage and the house I'd be doing that in plywood too.

Geoff

I am beyond excited and can't wait for the thing to be finished. And no - I don't think SWMBO'd would go for the whole wall being plywood.... That wall will be fully sound insulated though.

Finally !
I REALLY get it , this drafting/council etc stuff all takes time and money and headaches , bet you and the missus are pleased as punch to be at this stage.
Let the games begin !
Serious offer - I still have mates from school in Canberra that I irregularly visit , let me know if you want any help I can detour to Yass no problem !!

Greg

See comment above. And I'm sure that you, me, Rick and some of the other GJ Canberrans can work out a hook up somewhere in the future (Murrumbateman?).

Well that is fantastic news for the house and the work light, I have been replacing halogen lights around here since 5 years ago, when our area got to $0.52c per kilowatt hour. power bills went to $1200 per quarter, now back down to $800, even the 13 driveway lights are led barrels ( they can be seen from the plane as you land in Canberra). Yass Cars and Coffee is good, Canberra C&C gets up to 2000 cars and bike at times, it has a really huge range and type of vehicles. Next Canberra is 17 may.

Rick

Yes we replaced all the halogen down lights in this house years ago, and saved a fortune. Our power bills now run to about $200 every 2 months.

And I am going to be joining the Yass Classic and Antique Car Club (and the Men's shed - the best equipped one in the country I'd say) when we get there.

Hi Lyndon, congrats on the green light for the new house. That's hugely exciting. Plan (and garage space) looks great, and really love the north facing living space and master bedroom.

As far as garage layouts, I've played online with 'sweet home 3D', I was able to draw up the garden shed and then play with shelving sizes, layouts etc before purchasing - super helpful (and might have spent too many hours playing with options )





Goodwood trip sounds epic! Looking forward to seeing those pics.

On a side note, got a link for those LED replacement globes? I've got the same light unit and hate the heat the halogen globes give out.

Hewey

The aspect of the new place is one of the things we were happiest about when buying the land. And as a fully 7+ Basix rated house it will be much more comfortable than this west facing old place we are now in....

I looked for that software, but it is covered in bad reviews about it being a rip off, and definitely not free. I'd like to find a user friendly design package, but am allergic to paying for it....

And for the globes - it turns out I got them off Amazon.com.au, (Here). They are currently listed at $36.66 for a 2 pack.

Congratulations on the council approval and permits for the new place.
I just completed a ~85 square meter shop addition; it actually took longer to get the plans approved than it did to build it!

Scott

Yes - the speed through Council surprised us..... Not withstanding that it took us 6 years to get to that point (in design, keeping "her" happy, looking at countless Display homes etc)... And 85m sq - that's just a bit less than my new garage.....

OK all - have a good Monday - if it's just beginning for you, or a good Monday night if it's ending, like it is here.

Lyndon

 

[hewey]

I looked for that software, but it is covered in bad reviews about it being a rip off, and definitely not free. I'd like to find a user friendly design package, but am allergic to paying for it....

Ah, just had a look and looks like it's changed since I last used it last year. There used to be a free online option, where you could save multiple projects. The online version was far more limited in terms of options like furniture you could put in, pallets of building materials etc. - but for free it was great. I agree, I wouldn't want to actually design a house using that product (which I reckon is where most of those negative reviews are coming from), but for mucking around with shed layouts it worked great. What a shame.

Thanks for the globe link!

 

[Lyndon]

Ah, just had a look and looks like it's changed since I last used it last year. There used to be a free online option, where you could save multiple projects. The online version was far more limited in terms of options like furniture you could put in, pallets of building materials etc. - but for free it was great. I agree, I wouldn't want to actually design a house using that product (which I reckon is where most of those negative reviews are coming from), but for mucking around with shed layouts it worked great. What a shame.

Thanks for the globe link!

Hewey

I've got some good news - I just found this guy on YT: Here

He promises it is now and always will be free.....

And he is setup for Metric and American.

I'm going to start playing with it now.....

Lyndon

 

[Coolabah]

Hewey

I've got some good news - I just found this guy on YT: Here

He promises it is now and always will be free.....

And he is setup for Metric and American.

I'm going to start playing with it now.....

Lyndon

Wow Lyndon , looks like a good find !

 

[thomfr]

Goodwood Festival of Speed. For the first time since my last visit in 1999 I will be there again with a long time car friend with my Alfa Giulia (just as spectator). Maybe able to meet.
Thom

 

[Lyndon]

Goodwood Festival of Speed. For the first time since my last visit in 1999 I will be there again with a long time car friend with my Alfa Giulia (just as spectator). Maybe able to meet.
Thom

Thom

Would love that. DM me. We are coming in each day by train from Brighton.

Lyndon

 

[Lyndon]

Wow Lyndon , looks like a good find !

It's not quite as nice as I hoped....

We will see where it goes.

Me