Salt Life Hideout

shopnut said:

OK Wingnut, it's been two weeks or so since a REAL update on the progress. Surely you have done SOMETHING out there!

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Thanks for asking, shopnut. The beginning of the month is usually filled with several evening meetings at Church or the dreaded HOA. Last weekend was spent taking the youth group (with daughters and Mrs W.) to Disney World for Night of Joy, and yesterday was the our leadership's yearly planning session, followed by house related stuff. But, some spare time in the evenings have been spent cleaning up the shop and cleaning and putting all the tools aways from recent projects and getting ready for the next.

Everything was fine until Tuesday when rickairmedic posted his cool hand turned brass flashlights and Red Leader's comments about getting into metalwork before I remembered that I have my Dad's old Unimat-SL, Model No DB 200 mini-lathe from the 1950's. But it was out in the shop and buried on the bottom shelf of the band saw. So I promptly had to go find the bandsaw (behind the 13-drawer tool box), and then dig down to find and dust off the vintage wooden box from Austria to reveal a vintage mini-lathe (4-5" bed) ...



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My dad also had a benchtop small lathe (larger than this one) that is still in the garage in Miami that I will aim to pick up next trip down.

But, rest assured that I have been diligently typing up the next post for the floor tile installation. I'd like to post it all at once when I get all the photos and narration in sync. Don't you just hate it when the action and sound are out of sync?? Well, progress in the Salt Life Hideout is being made...

Jeff, that lathe is just so darn cute! Did the Seven Dwarfs originally own it? That little gem needs its own little display shelf in the shop - complete with a plexiglass cover and a spotlight.

Hey, since you live near the land of Disney, why don't you build a little diorama with the dwarfs all clustered around the Unimat busily making something for Sleeping Beauty?

That's a cool little lathe. I see the tool bit holder in the cardboard box, but where it normally mounts on the carriage, there is a vise in it's place. Perhaps it can be used as a two-axis mini mill too by clamping an end mill bit in the headstock? That could be pretty handy!

Shopnut I am pretty sure thats what that is is a vise for milling on the lathe . I am planning to make one for my lathe that will have 3 axis ability.

Rick

Omphaloskeptic The Seven Dwarfs in The Salt Life Hideout? I had never thought of that display arrangement. Since this is a little more hi-tech than the caves the Dwarfs work in, this may be better fit for "Honey I Shrunk The Workshop", with Rick Moranis trying to get the vise to close by swinging on the handle! Display areas will be tight, but anything is possible.

shopnut and rickairmedic I haven't had it out of the box in years to figure out what goes where. The original advertisements show that the Unimat could stand on end as a drill press as well. Not sure if this model could or not. I will be doing more research to find the manuals for this. I may actually have the originals in my dad's old file cabinet. As for the vise where the tool rest goes, that would explain why the vise handle has popped a hole in the side of the box after all the years stored like that. The whole thing would fit better in the box if the vise was not there. Thanks for the insight and I will probably be asking more questions as I get deeper into this.

Unimat and Sherline are the two most popular lathe/milling machines for hobbyists. When I was involved in the model car stuff I bought a lot of aftermarket stuff that was made with those. Don't know about Unimat but Sherline offers a CNC version. Now that'd be fun!!!

A little digging and I hit pay dirt. Through exhaustive research, OK, it may have been the second page of Google results, I found the "Operating Instructions for the Emco Unimat SL" and then another page has the "Unimat Miniature Machining Techniques", which is a 1971 general handbook and operator's manual. So, now I've got some reading to do.

And by the looks of the drill press assembly instructions, I don't have the motor mount or vertical stand. I'll have to play with it to see what I really have. Thanks Rick for pushing me.

Jeff good to see you doing a little digging . Imagine al the cool dash knobs and shifter knob and stuff you can make for the bus now and when asked where you got them you can smile and say " My garage " .


Rick

Ohh..great!! Now you guys got him tinkin' with this mini-lathe and he'll never finish the rest of the garage....ROFL!!

I think Jeff is like me and he will find something to sidetrack him . I have been " doing my garage since 2007 " and I have found plenty over the years to distract me from the job at hand . Look at it this way if we get him messing with metal machining tools we know he will keep the floors clean . I know my SWMBO goes bonkers when I walk in the house with metal shavings on my feet. I just tell them all wear shoes ya buncha rednecks and the metal wont hurt ya .


I love it when one of the girls 16 & 20 walks out in the garage barefoot . I tell them to walk over to the lathe for me and make sure I swept up ok .


Rick

rickairmedic said:

I love it when one of the girls 16 & 20 walks out in the garage barefoot . I tell them to walk over to the lathe for me and make sure I swept up ok .

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I hadn't thought of that. My twins will be glad to help me keep the floor clean .

And have no fear, I am disciplined enough to work on the shop and the SQUIRREL!!!!!!!!! (as he looks out the window...) I'm sorry, where was I??

Thanks wolflrv, in due time, all shop plans will be completed or improved upon.

Exactly!

But I do enjoy watching the deer wander our neighborhood. And the squirrels!

I am looking your way for inspiration. I am fighting the battle of not enough time in the day. What is new with you? Couchmechanic

Couch, You will be floored with the progress in the next progress post.

There's been too much 'work' work lately for me to spend much time on 'shop' work. I figured out several years ago that I could really get most everything I needed to be done in a day if it were 30 hours long. I think the only down side would be that I need a new clock. But I would have plenty of time to get one then

Hang in there, The Great Wall of China was't built in a day! (fortune cookie saying from last night)

I'm sure we will all be floored - good one.

If you find that 30 hour clock, let me know where it came from. I need a few.

Wingnut65 said:

Couch, You will be floored with the progress in the next progress post.

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Do I detect a pun?

Let's see it!

We appologize for the disruption in service and any inconvenience this has caused.

This adventure will continue shortly...

Bring it on!!! I'm in need of more organizational inspiration!!!

How's this for progress...

I do want to show one picture that I found in the floor installation process shots I have. It's really a side affect of installing the floor...

A CLEAN WORKBENCH!!!!!!

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Well looky there you have enough room there for 3 or 4 of those little lathes . Now before you set up that little lathe and start playing with it . Either go to wally world and get an oil drip pan ( in the automotive department about $12.00 oor find a resturant supply house in town and get a bake sheet thats big enough for the little lathe plus some extra room. Both of these options have sides that roll up . These will help keep some of the metal shavings off of the floor .



Rick

Wingnut65, that is NOT a clean workbench - It's now a display shelf for the lathe (and Rick Moranis). heh-heh

rickairmedic said:

Either go to wally world and get an oil drip pan ( in the automotive department about $12.00 oor find a resturant supply house in town and get a bake sheet thats big enough for the little lathe plus some extra room. Both of these options have sides that roll up . These will help keep some of the metal shavings off of the floor .

Rick

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To add to what Rick is saying here... If you need a larger number of these sheet pans (maybe for a leaking bus or something ) you might take a look on ebay. It's been several years now, but I picked up a fantastic deal for 24x36" aluminum pans - got 6 of them for $18 with decent shipping because the box was fairly lighty. They are really nice pans with 1" lips and a reinforced rolled edge. Although they were used and had some dings and such, they had been cleaned and coated with some type of nonstick clear coating - makes oil/grease cleanup a breeze. I like them because I don't have to worry about them rusting in our humid environment and leaving spots on the floor. Anyway, just adding to the ideas.

That clean bench looks great, doesn't it?

Very nice! A clean bench is always a nice 'whew!'

Good job on that...and the floor!

MORE PICTURES!!!!!

Thanks for the ideas guys. For the workbench design, I haven't spent any time working on finalizing that side of the shop yet. I thought I was going to keep the steel workbench on the right and just modify this kitchen re-use one to fit my needs, but after seeing a few other workbenches here, I have more planning to do. I still need to get my 13-drawer tool box on that wall as well. It will be a work in progress, but space will need room for the lathe.

For the trays, I do have a big stainless tray and several old cookie sheets that I use in the shop. It is amazing how useful they are. I had not thought about using them under the lathe, but it makes sense. I was just thinking of Rick's idea to have the girls help me clean the floor with their bare feet.

Thanks for the ideas, and please stand by for an upcoming update...

Once all the metal particles are picked up and feet are healed you can have kids wear socks to buff and polish the floor. Add a little wax for that extra shine. Socks are cheaper than a polishing bonnet at Wallyworld. I have two boys that polish a path across my garage floor. Wife doesn't agree with my Superior logic however, as this might increase laundy bill.

Great idea, Couch. Speaking of floors...

And now for our Featured Presentation... Actually this may be more of a Documentary of how I got to where I am now. Feel free to skip all this and just look at the photos. The next post is the installation process.

Salt Life Hideout Gets A Floor

To be perfectly honest, the reason I am here on GJ is because of my floor!

In 2001, my family had a house built with a 3-car garage. Shortly after we moved in and before I parked any car in the new garage, I pushed all the boxes of stuff that still hadn’t been unpacked into the third bay and I painted the two open parking bays with H&C concrete sealer in ‘Bombay’ color. The intent was to unpack the boxes and then paint the third bay. That didn’t happen!

Several years ago, my mother offered me our family’s 1965 VW Bus that was stored outdoors in Central Florida. By the time I brought the bus home, I still had not finished painting the rest of the floor. I didn’t want to do any work on the bus in the third bay with the chance of oil and grease staining the bare concrete. So, it came into the garage and took root in the middle bay.

The easiest flooring would have been to purchase more H&C and re-do the whole floor, but I haven’t been totally satisfied with the durability of the finish. This is how it looked after 9 years of abuse.

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It was also hard to clean the floor. A mop or sponge would not work. It would take a scotch-brite pad to get the marks off. Then they would mysteriously reappear. Also notice my hi-tech PLS (Parking Limitation System) implemented in this photo.

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Now I must admit that I did not follow the installation procedures on the can completely. Since this was a brand new concrete slab in a new house AND there were plenty of cardboard boxes piled in the garage, I did not acid wash the floor and hose it down before I started. That would have given more bite to the slab for the stain to hold. But my real problem has been efflorescence coming from below and making the paint peel. Mostly near the control joint that I did caulk.

That is about the time that I first found Garage Journal – while researching garage flooring options. I read many threads and considered epoxy floor as being my product of choice. But 9 years of working in the garage has accumulated more stuff than I can easily handle to move out to be able to epoxy coat the floor in one shot. (remember all the stuff from Page 1 of this post?) I know I could have done the floor in pieces, but I’ve heard of other’s experience with trying to match the sections just right. Then the idea of VCT in the Black and White checkerboard was planned. But, with the slip n fall concerns for our frequent rains and dripping cars and puddles, the Finance Minister said ‘No VCT’. Also, my VCT rep said their company did not recommend VCT in an un-air conditioned garage in Florida.

So, further reading in the GJ ‘Flooring’ Section introduced me to RaceDeck. I curiously monitored the posts for a while and was thoroughly impressed with how RaceDeck1 (Jorgen, RD’s CEO) would jump in to answer questions and offer advice. But what may have done it for me was his response to one GJ member who had a grass stain on a couple tiles that he could not get out. Of course RaceDeck sent replacement tiles, but they also wanted those tiles back so they could dissect them to determine how they got stained, why they could not be cleaned and how RD could improve their product to prevent this. (They said they tried but could not replicate the stain themselves) Then beyond the fact that the floor is slip resistant and the interlocking tiles can be moved to my next house, they offer a GJ member discount. I called RaceDeck and ‘Kia’ took care of me. She was a great help with sending multiple samples for me to help make a decision. I first called for ‘A’ sample. Got a ‘Silver’ tile in Diamond Tread. Then I asked for samples of the ’Beige’ and ‘Black’. Also got those in Diamond Tread. Then a GJ thread started asking about the ease of sweeping RD tiles. So, I called Kia back and asked for samples of their coin top (CircleTrac) tiles in ’Beige’ and ‘Black’. Got them and sampled the sweeping ability of fine sawdust. The circles have flat areas between the rows of circles that a dust pan can sit flush and the diamond plate did not. So, Circles it is!

With having a few samples to create a square big enough to test, the Finance Minister gave her blessing on RD tiles for the Hideout. Then came the decision on the pattern. The colors were pretty much approved as ‘Beige’ and ‘Black’ to match the rest of our house. The Black and White that I still think looks pretty cool, was out-voted by others in this house. So, after about 25 sample patterns – border, no border, 12x12 vs 24x24 squares, add another accent color or not, solid lines dividing the parking bays, patterns just under the 3 parking spots – everything was considered. Finally, one pattern was finally approved by the rest of the family. Then the order was placed!

The pattern is centered with full tiles centered on the double wide door. In order to get this pattern to work correctly (meaning no guessing and hoping it works) the installation needs to start with full tiles along the right wall. The tiles along the left wall will need to be cut as will the ones in front of the single door.

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I received my boxes of tiles in August of 2010. Since the anxious procrastinator in me could not wait to get my whole shop cleaned up to start the pattern from the right wall - beyond the bus and under my fully loaded workbench - I opened the boxes and put the tiles down on the one open parking bay in the garage. (Tiles are shipped snapped together in 2x2 pattern) The result was that we had a temporary checkerboard floor for almost 11 months.

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That is the preface to the story. The rest of the story will be to explain how it has taken over a year to install a snap-together floor when others have done it in 3-4 hours.

Up next is where the action scene starts…

Salt Life Hideout’s Floor Gets Started

In March of 2011, I had made enough progress around the shop and got my round-tuit to start to install the floor. Now the third bay still had not been painted. I do not want any oils, grease or anything else to stain the concrete in the remote chance I flood the floor and it leaks down. So I decided to paint the floor with some extra latex paint that I had. (I can hear the Uuugggghhhh’s from here.) I know it is not a floor that will last, but #1) it is better than nothing, #2) it will keep stuff from easily getting into the bare concrete, and #3) it was free since I already had it and it didn’t match anything at the house. Here goes the action…

I scrubbed and hosed down the floor to kill the dust and remove as much dirt as I could. (I know mowers go outside, but for now, this must stay)

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When it dried a couple days, I painted the floor. Cutting in the edges…

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Then rolling the rest. Man, I really need to add something to that door…maybe RL’s accent paint?

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I rolled around the workbench base cabinets and had to hit that area later. (This is my typical storage counter. I’m surprised my OCD lets it go like this)

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To get one full tile in front of the double wide door, this single door will have to have cut tiles along the door. In order to know where to start, I had to measure the joint line across from tiles in the first bay over to the third bay (to the right wall) and draw a straight line to align the tiles. This is just working out the exact location to get the pattern to align.

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Then I started the pattern. I used some of the left over Blue Iso foam that I used on the garage doors as an expansion joint material along the wall. I painted it black to match the tiles. (Little did I realize that this was the beginning of the black accents to my garage that Red Leader got me doing. ) The rubber mallet was essential in the assembly of the floor.

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A few 2x2 Beige tiles could be installed straight from the box. But all the rest had to be split into 1x1, 1x2 and 2x1 patterns. The Black tiles had to be in 2 piles – left/right connected and top/bottom connected. Once this pile system was down, progress went fast.

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Well as fast as I could with moving stuff around. I installed the yellow beveled edge pieces to be able to roll my steel workbench up onto the tiles.

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I used my brand new HF low profile jack to get the bench against the wall.

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I also used it to lift the workbench so I could put spacers under it for a little lift. I store a stainless steel tray that just barely fits under it, but with a little extra clearance, it makes it easier to get it out.

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Workbench in place and now to move the RD boxes and continue…

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More flooring down. Also notice that the workbench and base cabinet sticks out 12” from the rest. This is the way my kitchen cabinet is where this countertop came from. It has been helpful for mounting the grinder or miter saw there and long pieces being worked on can extend past the workbench. But, with the bus being moved to this bay to work on, the peninsula had to be cut flush before it was put back in place.

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So far, so good…

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Then I had to move all the stuff in Photo 13 to the new floor so I could continue. Notice the peninsula part of the counter top still installed. I kept it incase I can use it again in the future…

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The bare floor was painted and the tile pattern continued.

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I do want to note that will all this heavy stuff in the garage, these tiles don’t move around at all. I really envy those that have an empty garage to do their floor.

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Everything went back in place. This also shows the counter has been cut flush. And as I noted before, this is one of the few times the workbench has ever been clean!

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And this is as far as I got in March 2010. The

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Up next will be the remainder of the floor installation, including moving the bus… Don’t go anywhere, I’ll be back!

Lookin' good. I like that pattern. Maybe someday!

Very nice mate! really like the floor pattern!

Alright! More pictures!

I'm good now

Jeff the floor is looking great . I have to add here it is refreshing to see a 3 car garage that looks like my 2 car ( more stuff than places to put it ) .


Rick

Thanks tinbender 66 and simontudor! Much appreciated. I started with a checkerboard and ended up here. It is not your normal floor patter, but I have never really been called 'normal' before.

simontudor, welcome to the Hideout. We have part of our clan in Perth and keep threatening to get down sometime. Thanks for popping in to Florida!

Red Leader Glad I could add a little stimulation. More is on its way.

rickairmedic said:

Jeff the floor is looking great . I have to add here it is refreshing to see a 3 car garage that looks like my 2 car ( more stuff than places to put it ) .


Rick

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Rick, I sure wish I could start with a clean slate and get my shop done before I bring in all my stuff, but having garages of my own for 17 years, and being somewhat of a pack rat, that just wasn't going to happen here. When I moved in, the garage was just extra space. Now and even more so since I found GJ, the garage is a priority. When we had the place built, I did add cable TV and a phone jack, which the builder had never done before, but my next garage will be planned out well in advance of moving anything in.

I thought this floor installation would put a new light on the process since most of the others don't have to work around stuff like I/we do.

Wingnut65 said:

Rick, I sure wish I could start with a clean slate and get my shop done before I bring in all my stuff, but having garages of my own for 17 years, and being somewhat of a pack rat, that just wasn't going to happen here. When I moved in, the garage was just extra space. Now and even more so since I found GJ, the garage is a priority. When we had the place built, I did add cable TV and a phone jack, which the builder had never done before, but my next garage will be planned out well in advance of moving anything in.

I thought this floor installation would put a new light on the process since most of the others don't have to work around stuff like I/we do.

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I hear ya - although I did start with an empty space at first, the space quickly got eaten up. Now, when I do a project it is 1 hour working: 1 hour cleaning/moving stuff.

The 3-4 hour long cleaning sessions are both depressing and refreshing at the same time.

Wingnut65 said:

Thanks tinbender 66 and simontudor! Much appreciated. I started with a checkerboard and ended up here. It is not your normal floor patter, but I have never really been called 'normal' before.

simontudor, welcome to the Hideout. We have part of our clan in Perth and keep threatening to get down sometime. Thanks for popping in to Florida!

Red Leader Glad I could add a little stimulation. More is on its way.



Rick, I sure wish I could start with a clean slate and get my shop done before I bring in all my stuff, but having garages of my own for 17 years, and being somewhat of a pack rat, that just wasn't going to happen here. When I moved in, the garage was just extra space. Now and even more so since I found GJ, the garage is a priority. When we had the place built, I did add cable TV and a phone jack, which the builder had never done before, but my next garage will be planned out well in advance of moving anything in.

I thought this floor installation would put a new light on the process since most of the others don't have to work around stuff like I/we do.

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Oh, I think you're wrong. I think I've already posted that last winter/fall my 20X21 two car garage was a disaster. I had a path to the house from the front door and another to my toolbox. We had just finished a remodel of the bathroom/utility room and I had found GJ. I decided that it was time to take it back. I'm not totally there but I had to take a "project break" and work on my Jeep this week and I have it TOTALLY in the garage. It's nice to have a place that I can just close the door and not have to collect tools to go inside. ...and YES I've been shuffling stuff to get to other things. ...but not as much as I used to.

How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time! Keep organizing.

Wingnut65 said:

Rick, I sure wish I could start with a clean slate and get my shop done before I bring in all my stuff, but having garages of my own for 17 years, and being somewhat of a pack rat, that just wasn't going to happen here. When I moved in, the garage was just extra space. Now and even more so since I found GJ, the garage is a priority. When we had the place built, I did add cable TV and a phone jack, which the builder had never done before, but my next garage will be planned out well in advance of moving anything in.

I thought this floor installation would put a new light on the process since most of the others don't have to work around stuff like I/we do.

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Jeff I.m 44 this isnt my first garage either and hopefully not my last . I am selling doubles on craigslist as fast as I can go . Got new floor model 1959 Craftsman Drill press that night the little HF benchtop went on craigslist and have someone on their way right now to get it . Now to get rid of the Ryobi 8" bench grinder that I have replaced with the late 50's early 60's Craftsman .


Rick

Nice pattern Jeff - something different than the norm. I bet it's taking a little planning and a lot more work to do this in stages and move everything around as you go. This is what a lot of people have to deal with so it is good you are showing it. At least with the Bus sitting on caster trays, it shouldn't be too hard to move - just don't let it get away from you and end up in the street

And I like the simple installation tool - a hammer!

The floor looks great, design is cool..can't wait to see the rest of it!! And of course I love the VW bus on skates...LOL!! But what I can't figure out is the paint chips that are lined up on the kick plate at the bottom of the workbench?? What the heck?? LOL!

wolflrv: I expected someone to notice the cabinet toe kick. It is the poor results of an experiment to take 2" samples of vinyl wall base that we had in the office and put a vinyl wall base on my cabinet, one piece at a time. Every manufacturer sends out chains with their color samples on a bead chain. It doesn't look that good and so now no one else needs to think that it may work. At least the samples were Free! Thanks for noticing. And the bus on skates can actually roll. That's coming up soon.

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Red Leader: I guess if we get our shops done faster, then we wouldn't have all the time to clean up all the time. Of course, we would have them perfect ALL THE TIME.

mdbeck1: It is the old 'Space Creates Vacuum' theorem. Clean out a big enough space and you will find something just that big to fill it. That is the reason why I can't see my workbench all the time. But I agree, one bite at a time and it will get done.

Rick: You are a disciplined man! That is a great process you have. And I've seen you doing it right, the outgoing can often pay for the incoming. I do have some stuff for CL, so I will have to learn that process soon. I need my space back.

shopnut: Thanks! It definitely has taken more time than it should, but other projects, Honey-Do's and life still seem to always get in the way. But I'm still working on the next post that shows the bus getting up on the tiles...

why are some of the pics showing up and some just red x

but it looks good so far what i can see