A Man's Garage is What He Makes It

ckadams00 · Feb 21, 2012

Hello All! I have been so inspired by the postings in this forum that I thought it was time to get some photos up myself and share ideas.

I will start right off by saying that my "shop" isn't technically a garage. There are several reasons I say this, followed closely by my excuses. First, I can't actually park a car in my shop, since it is in a 26' x 6'5" basement space accessible from outside. My 'actual' garage' isn't anything special; a 1930's timber shed with no heat/insulation that keeps the cars free of Chicago winter snow. I would love to have the time and funds to actually "Swisstrax" that baby up, but I need to be realistic. Still, I have learned so much in this forum that I wanted to jump in and see what could be done with the space I do have available. (For the record, I couldn't find anything in the forum rules that said said 'garages' actually needed to shelter autos. In fact, I found many perfectly acceptable spaces which specifically DID NOT house said vehicles!).

I also want to share that the two greatest influences for taking on this project were Jack Olsen's 12 Gauge Garage and Red Leader's 50's Craftsman Garage. If you haven't checked out their threads (is there anyone who HASN'T?!) please go (NOW!) and see what creativity and elbow grease have over big budgets. Thanks guys, you've given me lots of inspiration.

Jack Olsen's 12 Gauge Garage:
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=55006&page=1

Red Leader's 50's Craftsman Garage:
http://garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=103099

Time to dig in and get started! Photos soon! :3gears:

Bib Overalls · Feb 21, 2012

I think that we use the terms "garage" and "shop" interchangeably here. Some member have garages in their shops and other have shops in their garages. A few lucky souls have both. Show us what ya got.

ckadams00 · Feb 21, 2012

Thanks Overalls - that's the kind of line I should have on my signature! LOL

ckadams00 · Feb 21, 2012

OK Here we go. The mess you see is a full weekend into standing scratching me head, measuring, sketching things on pieces of paper and looking at Jack's 12 Gauge Garage photos. One of the things I always hated about this space is that because it is so small I am forced to design some interesting storage solutions or else never find anything when needed. There are countless examples on GJ of "everything in it's place" - and that's something I wanted to bring to my shop. There were a few guidelines right from the start I wanted to incorporate:

1. Follow the rule: when you use something put it back. This also assumes I have a designated place for everything (I'm pretty good about this).
2. It is a small space. Never stop looking for ways to maximize space & efficiency.
3. Incorporate (read:steal) as many good ideas from the forums as you can. Give credit where due.
4. Get rid of any "storage" **** possible - put it in the garage or in the rafters of the shed. This turned out to be one of the best rules I could come up with.
5. As much as I liked Jack's rule of "no TV, No beer signs, no gas pumps" I already had a sa-weet beer neon so that is stayin!

Ready to go to work:

ckadams00 · Feb 21, 2012

This space is actually the basement clear out of the 2nd floor kitchen addition the PO put on the house about two years before we bought it. It was built as a shop but was sparse. One of the first things I did when we moved in was have my kids help me paint the concrete white, and build a small bench. It is not the greatest - I think I got the plan out of a "Wood" magazine, but it has worked out ok. As the clean up progresses I have some plans for adding to it or replacing it with a better bench . . .but that is further off.

One of the good things about this space is the PO put electrical in for the shop - there are three outlets for the florescent lights running along the rafters and three outlets with a GFI switch running along the top of the bench you can see. At least at the onset I don't have to do any wiring.

What I don't like: 1. It's cold in the winter (Chicago). Notice the heater installed above the bench in the rafters. 2. The rafters are not insulated which adds to the cold (in the kitchen above as well) and to the noise when I am using power tools. 3. the 6'+ width really makes things challenging - I have to choose my battles: projects that require more space in the summer out on the driveway and things I can actually do in the winter in the shop. For that reason I am splitting some of my tools between the shop and the garage . . .no use having a table saw down here when I can't fit a 4x8.

So: my first order of business is clearing out some space to work and making the space more efficient. You can see the original foundation wall, which now I use as a shelf. It's not very functional, and gathers dust constantly. You can also see the drywall soffit above that hides an HVAC run. My plan is to tear all that out and enclose with some cabinets.

The first photo also shows a 4' steel metro shelf (most of you guys use steel cabinets, etc . . .I am a restaurant guy . . .I use steel Metro shelves!) These are great shelves, but in this space it doesn't work well. I need something more shop friendly: CList here I come.

WISH LIST - No Particular Order
1. Organized storage for power and hand tools
2. Workbench space
3. Dedicated space for SOME power tools that make sense in this space . . .bandsaw, drill press, etc.
4. Ceiling insulation and covering.
5. Better lighting
6. Better Music System

Lunker · Feb 22, 2012

Where you at in Chicago? I'm in Edison Park

Drew_flux · Feb 22, 2012

That space looks like a challange. I would look at puting the lights in the joist recess when upgrading. I would also start thinking about bright colour paint, to make use of the lights you do have.

Daniel Dudley · Feb 22, 2012

I'm thinking reroute the sump pump pipe, and move the bench down to the end, put the cabinets over the bench, and use one wall for tool hanging and put shallow shelves up above that.

That would free up some floor space.

novaboy009 · Feb 22, 2012

I would kill for that C-man drill press. I've been scouring the internet for a local vintage drill press and haven't come up with anything useable in the last 4-5 months. Kind of frustrating.

ckadams00 · Feb 22, 2012

Wow great ideas are coming in after one day. Just what I was hoping for from this group!

Lunker - I am in Crystal Lake in NW Suburbs

Drew_Flux - I agree, I was thinking along the same lines. The joists are standard 16" on center with about 9" of clearance. I haven't decided what to do with ceiling cover yet - it is a small space as it is and I don't want to box it in any more than necessary. Then I will determine what to do with lighting. I have some ideas percolating!

Daniel - I hadn't even considered moving the sump pipes - they are a real PITA. Don't know much about this - how easy is it to do? I'm handy with PVC - can I just re-route or does the drain line need to be direct? Hmmm now you got me thinkin man. . . .

ckadams00 · Feb 22, 2012

novaboy009 - it is a great press. I have apologetically been bitten by the Craftsman 1950-1960 bug, especially the ones with the silver machined trim. This is the first "vintage" machine I've restored. I didn't even know they existed until I saw this photo on the OWWM site:

http://vintagemachinery.org/photoindex/detail.aspx?id=8531

. . .then I was so hooked. I remember looking at it for 10 minutes. Dave Lopez did such an amazing job on the restore I was blown away. I spent some time searching CList and eventually found a "150" close by. About a month later, I found another and picked that one up too. One was missing the depth stop so I parted the two and build a "perfect" machine, then built the second up for a buddy. I think I put about $200 all in into both drills. I originally followed Dave's paint scheme, but the gold never really grew on me . . .here is a photo of the two almost ready for work last summer:

For me (hobbyist) this is about as much of a drill press as I could want. Original CMan motor, no "arc of shame" and has only 0.003 runout.

mikerice60 · Feb 22, 2012

Google "simon watts pantry workshop" You will find a photo on p 28 of the Taunton book "The Workshop Book" by Scott Landis.

That is a small work shop, but it is as neatly kept as the 12 Gauge Garage.

Small is all about having a place for everything and putting it back when you are through.

reddog289 · Feb 23, 2012

When I shared the garage with my Uncle it was better organized then mine is now. Needless to say I learned alot from him and he don't know much about organizing. But after a few years of not working outta that garage and having to start clearing it out, I remembered what I did when I got tired of tripping over stuff and not being able to find stuff.
You get motovated, get a plan and get to it. And hopefully before you know it your shop will look like the ones you admired on here.

Jack Olsen · Feb 23, 2012

Crystal Lake? I grew up about 20 minutes from there, due east down Rockland.

There's good space in that ceiling. Instead of running lights perpendicular, you could basically box some lights in (like every second or third joist) with a diffusing piece of plastic or frosted glass to spread the light out. I'd paint all of that upper section white, and consider putting in hinged storage cabinets (horizontal, but they'd swing down and function like vertical shelves) to store less-frequently-used stuff up and out of the way.

It might clean things up visually to run one long bench the length of the room. You could have drawers underneath and some cabinet type storage above. You could do a cutaway of some sort for the drill press. Those big wood cabinets are cool, but the space above and below them is kind of wasted. You could build matching storage above and below (or move them up and put something the same width and similar color below).

Paint -- especially in light shades -- will go a long way to making the whole place look a little less random.

Basement shops have a cool feel to them. We don't have basements where I live, which I've always thought was kind of dumb.

ckadams00 · Feb 24, 2012

Thanks for the replies everyone. The biggest pain in getting the project started is moving things, working a bit, moving them to a different place . . . if I had started this when there wasn't snow on the ground I could just throw stuff out on the drive. Oh well, I am taking my time and learning.

Jack, that's funny, I moved here from LA. Needless to say I miss it this time of year; let me know if you ever want to trade houses.

I hadn't thought about one long bench - you got me thinking now. Could be sleek and obviously lots of opportunity for cool storage. Paint is definitely in order, and i like your idea about the ceiling storage. Probably going to do what you did and experiment and refine as I go rather than try to "get it right".

By the way, one of the key components of this project is to "reuse, recycle, repurpose" and I drew a lot of inspiration from your thread. I am going to be using a lot of spare wood I have laying around, and started to gather up some 'deals' this past fall:

First:

These are "Whirl-A-Tool" cabinets. A couple of them have steel lazy-susans on the bottom. Couldn't find anything online about them. They are light but actually stronger than they look. I found 8 of them out on the curb two blocks from my house. They're 24" high x 12" wide.

Two:

These are 30" high Case steel cabinets from the 60's - 27 drawers that are 13" deep and about 3" high. Purchased four of these from a fellow GJ'er for $100 and sold off two for $75.

They're not Lista but for $25 for the lot . . . .

onething · Feb 24, 2012

I am going to subscribe, but looking at the last two cabinet scores make me want to say, "You ****" and I'm jealous. You have a cool space and a lot of potential plus you started asking for input immediately. Good for you.

I agree with other posters about putting the lights between the joists. Am I seeing 3 of those cool wooden cabinets with the neat detail on the doors? I'd try to incorporate them some way, but I agree with Jack on the wasted space above and below as they stand. If you build a bench and storage on the long wall, will they all fit on one short wall?

ckadams00 · Feb 24, 2012

Thanks for the reply Onething, I am already really appreciating the ideas bubbling up - so much more effective than standing in my shop scratching my head!

Yes I have three of the cabinets - they were included in an estate sale purchase I made last summer; I'll post photos and measurements shortly and see what ideas everyone has about maximizing the space.

I've learned my "you ****" skills through this forum as well as OWWM. . .it is amazing the deals that do come up with patience and persistence. I haven't been able to find any of the amazing SteelCase cabinets like in Jack's shop, but I'd never be able to get them down the stairs anyway!

dezigninmotion · Feb 24, 2012

ckadams00 said:
Two:

These are 30" high Case steel cabinets from the 60's - 27 drawers that are 13" deep and about 3" high. Purchased four of these from a fellow GJ'er for $100 and sold off two for $75.

They're not Lista but for $25 for the lot . . . .

I have one of these! Mine is gray though. Nice find!

Mat Mobile · Feb 24, 2012

dezigninmotion said:
I have one of these! Mine is gray though. Nice find!

Me too! Looking forward to see what you do with it. (I already have plan for mine

)

ckadams00 · Feb 24, 2012

Be interested in hearing what you guys have planned . . .I was thinking of maybe repainting in the spring and just putting it on the floor of my shop. There is a lot of room in all those drawers!

Red Leader · Feb 25, 2012

I see you already have a great start to your garage/shop! Sometimes I feel that I am not caught up on the newer threads on here like I should be, and this is a perfect example.

If there is any way to move storage higher, that will give you maximum room to work with. Also, what were your thoughts on the different tools to have down there? A drill press is great. A table saw is another nice addition, but managing to cut something in that limited space might prove to be a challenge. A good miter saw tucked up under a bench would be a handy and compact tool. Another thing you can do is grab a 1950s Craftsman bench saw and incorporate it into one of your benches and make it a rolling bench so when you need to cut something you can just move the bench to where you need it based on the size of the wood piece.

Oh, and there is no reason to limit yourself to just 1950-1960 Craftsman tools...just wait till you get into the 1940s ones as well

-Dave

ckadams00 · Feb 26, 2012

I wanted to back up and share the CMan haul from late last summer since I hadn't posted any of these photos yet. I picked up a full set (basically a full shop) of 1950-1960's CMan power tools from an estate sale. The son of the PO said his father had purchased all of these new, but had probably not used any of them in 20+ years. All of them are in remarkably good condition, so when I say my plan is to "retore" them, really all they need is a good cleaning and new bearings/belts. I am probably going to paint as well, but I am not building a showroom - I intend to use them.

Until this point the only power tool I had was a Ryobi BT3100 table saw a Skilsaw, and a Rigid 14v cordless drill. Now I have my hands full!

So without delay:

1950's Craftsman 6" Jointer Model No. 103.20660 with original CMan 3/4 hp motor, pedestal stand and belt cover.

1950's Craftsman 18" Scroll Saw Model No. 103.2315 with 1/3hp Dunlap motor, pedestal stand, belt cover, retirement lamp

1950's Craftsman 13" Floor Drill Press, Model No. 103.2177 with 1/2 hp CMan motor. Not a mark on the table.

1948-1952 Atlas 12x36" Lathe Model 7122 - did not include motor. Included stand, and a whole box of shapers, collets, a 9" sanding wheel, and a set of CMan carving tools. Look at that stand!

1954-1956 Craftsman 10" Table Saw Model No. 113.29920 with stand, CMan 3/4 hp motor. Included a box of jigs and faceplates, miter, fence and table wings.

1950's Craftsman 12" Bandsaw Model no. 103.24280with CMan 1/4hp motor, pedestal stand, blade guard and retirement light. Also included fence and miter which I normally do not see with these machines.

Late 1950's Craftsman Belt/Disk Sander Model No. 103.2250 with 1/2 HP CMan motor, belt guard and pedestal stand. 6"x48" belt/9" disk

1970's CMan Radial Arm Saw Model No. 113.199250. Came with a whole box of blades.
This was the odd one of the lot and I don't know how much use (space?) I have for a RAS. I found out this one qualified for the Emerson Electric recall, sent in the S/N and received a new blade guard and table top:

I've been slowly tearing into these machines and cleaning them up. Winter slows things down a bit but I will post some "after" photos soon.

ckadams00 · Feb 26, 2012

I really like Red Leader's "Pay it forward" approach and giving away things he doesn't need - I'm going to follow suit as I rebuild my shop and come across things I don't need/can't use.

Up for grabs are the following - please just pay postage:

1. Harbor Freight polishing bonnet 9-10 inch *NEW*
2. Vermont American 1/4" x 52 3/4" (6TPI) Bandsaw Blade *NEW*

Red Leader · Feb 26, 2012

Wow. That is an extremely impressive lot of Craftsman tools. Not only the tools, but the stands. You have some very rare and desirable accessories to go with those tools. The band saw is a real treasure, as it has the accessory light, the pedestal base, the pulley guard, and even the table fence. You see the pedestals every now and then, but the belt guards are very, very rare and are usually only found on undisturbed machines that were bought complete with all the accessories. The table saw has the stand and the Powr Panl, another desirable item.

Even though some of the colors are mixed, it might have been originally bought that way. The power bronze color was just starting to come into play in 1957 and it is quite possible that when ordered, the tools were in the machinery gray but some of the accessories were in the power bronze only, but still bought together.

That belt/disc sander is on my quest list for sure...especially since it has the rare stand and belt guard. Wow!

It is definitely an incredible find. By the way, one of the tools on the bottom rack of the lathe stand is a Craftsman mortising hold down for a drill press table. In the box might be the mortising brace. That is a fine looking '80' series floor press as well.

Did you post these tools a while back on the OWWM forums? If so, I remember seeing them then and it is good to have you over here on the GJ forum as well. If not, then there are two guys that got an equally impressive catch.

Beautiful tools and I'm glad they are in good hands.

-Dave

PS- If you ever decide to sell your sander, PM me

ckadams00 · Feb 27, 2012

Red Leader - I did post them on the OWWM last fall, so there are not two of us. It took me most of the fall to dig in and really get a good look at what I have in the haul. I have had the opportunity to clean up the scroll saw and the band saw - I'll post photos.

I do have both pieces for the drill press mortising attachment and three drill bits that came with the lot.

dieselmike · Feb 27, 2012

holy 50's wood working shop!!! what you accquired is exactly what i want to get back into wood working. made some really nice stuff back in high school days. all solid wood! mom still uses the furniture

ckadams00 · Feb 28, 2012

Thanks dieselmike - yes I was really lucky. It took some work though, believe me, to wrangle all the stuff out of an old basement - I only weigh 165 and that jointer without the stand is about 200#. It was a Looooooong day believe me. I also learned not to try to move an old Atlas lathe by yourself (or if you do, don't let the end stock slide down the table and completely mash your finger). Oh well, that was last summer, and the fingernail is almost grown back!

Here are some "after" photos of the scroll saw and the band saw. I have just about completed the sander but don't have photos yet.

Jack Olsen · Feb 28, 2012

Awesome.

novaboy009 · Feb 28, 2012

I am so jealous it hurts.

Toolfool · Feb 28, 2012

Great collection of tools. Good to see the old guy's stuff went to the right person.

ckadams00 · Feb 28, 2012

Thanks for the kind words, I hope to do the old guy, his son, and myself proud. I fell in love with the machined fronts on these machines when I saw my first one, but to have a "set" is pretty great - even after a few months I pinch myself when I see them together. I know there are members who love CMan and members who do not, but it seems like everyone is in agreement that any of these older machines generally outshine the cheap plastic stuff available today . . .unless you have some real money to invest, which I certainly do not! Anyway, for a hobbist this is more than I will ever need.

Hey toolfool, I used to live on Queen Anne and took the ferry from Keystone almost every weekend in the summers to Port Townsend and back - small world.

jeffmoss26 · Feb 28, 2012

WOW. Some beautiful vintage tools. Subscribing to this one!

Omphaloskeptic · Feb 28, 2012

ckadams00, Chicago basement in winter has got to be like a walk-in refer; not fun!

"What I don't like: 1. It's cold in the winter (Chicago). Notice the heater installed above the bench in the rafters. 2. The rafters are not insulated which adds to the cold (in the kitchen above as well) and to the noise when I am using power tools."

Considering the above statement, I would give top priority to that complaint. I couldn't quite orient the two pictures above, do you have two old basement windows on a common wall? I would update those windows if they are old single pane or at least add a 'storm window' treatment. I like the idea of the recessed lighting fixtures between the joists. Insulate the ceiling and install a finish of sound-deadening panels to the joist bottoms. Because of your cold/noise complaint above, I would avoid trying to use the between-joist volume for storage; your wife will appreciate the effort in the kitchen above. lol

Have you considered adding strapping, thin insulation panels, and finish panels to the exterior walls? Granted, you lose some marginal foundation top 'storage space', but wall insulation would go a long way towards making your shop space comfortable during those long, cold Chicago winters. (My daughter attended S.A.I.C. and discovered what winter cold can be.) Once you take care in creating a warm, dry shell in that space, you can design a comfortable, compact cocoon for your man-space. Good luck and keep us posted.

novaboy009 · Feb 28, 2012

Completely agree. Now that I've got a heated and insulated garage, I'm never going back (Pittsburgh is cold too!). I would worry about the basics first, then turn to completing the ideal lighting/cabinets/tool placement solutions from that blank canvass.

ckadams00 · Feb 29, 2012

Omphaloskeptic and novoboy: I am definately looking at the insulation situation. The space is under a kitchen addition - so it is a 6'5" wide space (wish they had built out more!). The windows you see in the photo are actually on the inside - original to the old exterior. So, they're between the shop space and the (finished) basement. Opposite that are two new windows to the outside and they are really nice double pane with crank openings. The PO put all new Pella windows in the whole house the year before we bought it.

The shop space gets cold, but not "outside" cold - just unheated. Nothing freezes in the shop. I shut off the heat vent to the shop because I am usually not in there much during the week and don't want to pay to heat the space in the winter.

The ceiling insulation suggestions have been really helpful. I still haven't decided what I will cover the ceiling with that is economical and will look good. I REALLY do not want to do drywall. Still deciding on lighting as well - I am going to get started on the cabinets and tackle the ceiling last.

ckadams00 · Feb 29, 2012

Started tear our of the drywall trim around the heating vents. These fun the length of the shop and cross the ceiling in two places to run to upstairs wall vents on the outside wall. I am leaving the framing in place but will cover in mdf that will blend in with the cabinets below once painted. When I tackle the reroute of the sump line all I need to do is pull off a face panel.

I am probably going about some of this back assward, but I've decided that a big motivator is getting everything in cabinets so it has a cleaner, more organized look and *most importantly* stays clean. In this little shop even a small amount of work creates tons of sawdust.

(I know, I know, get a vacuum system...)

Next I cleared out the old shelving along the inside wall. The shelves here worked OK but really made the space look cluttered. Boxing it in with cabinets will be much sleeker. From the inside wall across the foundation wall is 12" wide. My cabinets will be 14" extending out 2" so that they sit flush with the framing on top.

I think I have enough scrap plywood to build most of the cabinets.

bluebolt · Feb 29, 2012

Cools stuff! between me, you, and Red Leader I thingk we have the vintage Craftsman stuff covered!

ckadams00 · Feb 29, 2012

bluebolt said:
Cools stuff! between me, you, and Red Leader I thingk we have the vintage Craftsman stuff covered!

Wow you have great stuff! Just starting through your thread . . .too many threads on this damn forum to keep up with I could waste a whole week just drooling. :drool:

Red Leader · Feb 29, 2012

Craftsman brothers unite

You are welcome to hang out at my shop anytime - that is, as long as you are ready to work :lol:

j/k

CreteCoater · Mar 1, 2012

Subscribed. Who doesn't love a basement shop?

A Man's Garage is What He Makes It

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Attachments

Member

Well-known member

Super Moderator

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Banned

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Super Moderator

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member