Motorcycle Garage Build

Talus · Jun 1, 2012

After living in Boston for the past few years in the apartment, and having to keep my bike outside, I'm glad to be back in CT where I have a garage. I'm moving out of the country in two months to teach English in Honduras for year, so I'm residing at my parent's house for the interim.

I've been allotted one bay of the 2 car garage to make a workshop for our bikes (mine and my father's). Even though I'm moving, I've been wanting to get the garage into better shape, so here it is.

About 20 years ago, my father had a wood finishing shop in there, complete with spray booth. There is still the exhaust vent in the back wall, the lighting, piping and plumbing for heat and electrical box with outlets. Lucked out there.

I've moved a lot around since this picture, but you get the idea...

I bought a HF lift a few weeks ago, which got the ball rolling for my dad. He likes having his bike up on the lift to clean it.

I don't mind it either...

This is the space I have to work with. I painted the fuse box and outlets green yesterday, but I'm going to do something different with them. I painted the ceiling and walls white also yesterday.

Next up is to paint the cement lower section of the wall and do some kind of finish on the floor. It's supposed to rain tomorrow, so I can't pull everything out on the driveway to do the floor. ******.

Everything that was stored on "my" half of the garage is now temporarily on the other side.

And getting ready to paint:

Thruxton · Jun 1, 2012

Good start! Keep us posted...

Talus · Jun 4, 2012

Put two coats of paint on last weekend and got to Drylocking the cement block foundation last night. Finished up a second coat today and it's looking pretty good in my opinion!

Wasn't feeling the green on the fuse box/conduit/outlets, so I primed them last night and then followed up with some candy apple red today. Decided to tape off a pattern on the wall around the boxes to make it easier to paint. Will peel the tape tomorrow and see how it came out. :headscrat

After I finished the painting I pulled out the old countertop that I saved when we put granite in the kitchen and laid it out to see how much space it'll take. I want to have room to walk around the lift. Looks like like it'll be fine. Also moved the tool chest over to find out where it'll go. You can see a gap behind the top box. It's because the cement foundation sticks out around the floor. I'm going to build the work bench to house the lower part of the chest under the bench, and then put the top two boxes on top, so they can go flush against the wall.

Next up is to prep an paint some cabinets I got today from my grandmother's garage. They're old retro steel kitchen cabinets that made it to her garage back in the 60s. I'll sand the lead paint off this week and paint them this week. I also need to get the floor finished. I just bought some of this:

More pics to come.

Talus · Jun 5, 2012

A little more progress today. My friend came by and we worked out the details for the workbench. I pulled apart the ceiling in the porch at the house a few months ago and I have about 20 2x8s to work with. This is going to be one sturdy bench.

Awesome sketch done with the highest degree of professional accuracy.

My friend's trimmed up version:

Pulled the tape on my candy apple red experiment and got the back plate up for the bench:

Looking into the mess:

Talus · Jun 7, 2012

Cut the wood for the bench framing yesterday. Those 2x8s are massive. Brought the legs to my father's wood finishing shop to have a protective clear coat put on them. This is before we cut some 2x4s down for the back leg.

Also took a better look at the cabinets I got from my grandmother's garage. Not too bad. They're going to look nice once they're re-finished.

Got home and decided to try to get the floor under control. Moved everything into the other bay and washed the floor last night.

Daniel Dudley · Jun 8, 2012

Sweet !

Get 'er done.

Talus · Jun 8, 2012

Daniel Dudley said:
Sweet !

Get 'er done.

I've been going at it everyday. Yesterday I sanded down those cabinets and will be priming them today or tomorrow. Also did some research on the epoxy floor coating and I realize now that I need to put some kind of anti-slip in it.

This forum saves the day, and I'm going to go with SharkGrip. Hopefully I can get that done today, as the weather is cooperating.

mysta2 · Jun 8, 2012

I dig the electrical box solution. I'm partial to big graphical stuff like that, nice work.

Talus · Jun 8, 2012

mysta2 said:
I dig the electrical box solution. I'm partial to big graphical stuff like that, nice work.

Thanks. Initially I wanted to just do the actual conduit & boxes, but I thought it would be easier to do it that way. I'm happy with the results.

And for the progress today, I got the epoxy down on the floor. Added SharkGrip to the epoxy as it came up as a popular non-slip additive in a few threads here on the forum. Took a little over an hour to do with my moms doing the sprinkling of the flake chips.

Now, 3 days to fully cure. I'll be installing the bench Monday if all goes according to plan. :rocker:

smsteve · Jun 8, 2012

Great progress so far. Is there a reason why you didn't put some type of filler into those cracks on the floor? Or were you going for a SoCal earthquake look? :lol_hitti

I'd know, I've covered my cracks on the floor...

fastbroshi · Jun 8, 2012

+1, they almost look like they may be too big to fill, but I'm not an expert. The cracks in my old floor were teeny and filled easily.

Talus · Jun 9, 2012

I probably should have. It would have came out looking better. They didn't look that bad before I put the epoxy down. :dunno:

I might get around to doing the other half of the garage this summer, so I'll buy the bigger 2-car epoxy kit and put another coat on this half. Maybe Ill fill those cracks. As for now, I'm not too concerned with them. Adds character.. :lol_hitti

Talus · Jun 12, 2012

Realized that I might be able to park my car on top of my bench. Ran out of time today. Going to put the top on this week.

Talus · Jun 14, 2012

Made some major progress on the bench today. Need to put drawer boxes in next to the toolbox and put shelves in the 4 right hand openings. Paint is still drying on the wall cabinets, so the supplies under it will be tucked away soon. Need to strap down the vise, and put the pegboard up too. Kind of hard to see it all with the bikes in the way. Will take some more pics this weekend.

Almost there!

kngkong · Jun 14, 2012

Wow, nice progress so far. That last photo looks like a completely different garage.

Talus · Jun 14, 2012

kngkong said:
Wow, nice progress so far. That last photo looks like a completely different garage.

Thanks. It does doesn't it?! I'm really happy with the results.

Found a few more pictures from before. And this was after I had cleaned some of the **** out already...

HotRodChef · Jun 14, 2012

looks great!

Red Leader · Jun 15, 2012

Those cabinets look spiffy - any idea on the year? They look vintage to me. Very nice.

All in all you're off to a great start!

andyaus · Jun 15, 2012

My kind of garage build man, great work!

Thruxton · Jun 15, 2012

Red Leader said:
Those cabinets look spiffy - any idea on the year? They look vintage to me. Very nice.

All in all you're off to a great start!

They do indeed, I have on like the cab on the left in my shop- rusty mess before but painted up well, and I have to say the are very nicely built.

Nice job so far!

Talus · Jun 15, 2012

Red Leader said:
Those cabinets look spiffy - any idea on the year? They look vintage to me. Very nice.

All in all you're off to a great start!

Thanks. I know they came from the kitchen in my grandparents' house in Bridgeport. They moved into the house in 1950 and the cabinets were already there...so maybe the 1940s? A few years later they put these cabinets in the garage. I do know that they're Geneva brand, which I guess was a pretty good brand back then. The doors still swing open as smooth as silk and they line up and close perfectly. I have doors for the center cabinet, but one of the hinges straight snapped yesterday while I was hanging doors. I need to cut a piece of steel and rivet it, as the hinges were built into the cabinets and the outside hinge was riveted afterward, so they're non-removable.

-Brent- · Jun 15, 2012

Where'd all the stuff from the walls go?

Talus · Jun 15, 2012

-Brent- said:
Where'd all the stuff from the walls go?

Cleaning supplies, paint, etc will go in the cabinets. The rest in clear storage bins under the bench. I'm planning on adding some more pics tomorrow. Got the plate for under the vise cut today, and installed new chrome handles on the cabinet doors. Putting a pegboard up tomorrow...and then I have to start sorting tools... :rocker:

Talus · Jun 19, 2012

Made some headway this weekend and today. Still sorting out the drawers next to the tool chest. Shelves are hung. Vise mounted. Tools are sorted but I need to get some liners for the drawers so I can put them away.

widerberg · Jun 19, 2012

Wow. Looking very, very nice. Huge difference from the "before" to now. It's motivating me to get off my duff and start finishing up my own garage

mysta2 · Jun 20, 2012

Looks killer, you need some more pegboard though

That tire on the Triumph looks interesting. What is that?

Talus · Jun 20, 2012

mysta2 said:
Looks killer, you need some more pegboard though

That tire on the Triumph looks interesting. What is that?

Thanks!

I was going to get a larger pegboard, but all my tools fit in the chest and on that smaller pegboard, so right now it'll do. I have some space to expand when the time comes.

The tire is a Michelin Road Pilot 3. Just got it on there about 1k miles ago. Love it. Was running Dunlop's Q2 before, which was a little more noisy and didn't last that long. Maybe 4k miles. Would definitely recommend the Michelins. :thumbup:

mysta2 · Jun 20, 2012

I see an electric drill, a couple of tape measures, some rolls of tape, and three saws that don't fit on that pegboard

sorry ...I've got a thing for pegboard.

Talus · Jun 20, 2012

mysta2 said:
I see an electric drill, a couple of tape measures, some rolls of tape, and three saws that don't fit on that pegboard

sorry ...I've got a thing for pegboard.

Good eye. I have drawer space en route for the bigger stuff. Tape measures need to find a home on the pegboard though. Saws have some wall space.

K2sno311 · Jul 12, 2012

Hey, this thread needs updated pics.... what's goin on slacker? I know more has been done since this last shot!!

Talus · Jul 12, 2012

The shop is a mess right now. Will take some pics when I get my bike back together. Clean bike, clean shop.

Derrickwade · Jul 13, 2012

Looks great!

Talus · Mar 5, 2014

Haven't updated the thread in a long time. Got the mc stands hanging in the corner.

The garage has been turned into storage for the winter months. Plants came in, along with other things.

Also sold the Triumph 675 and bought a Speed Triple since then. :pimpflash

mistervelocity · Mar 8, 2014

Just found your thread thanks to your update. The whole space looks great but I really like the uprights on your bench. They have a very finished look. I also like the use of the lateral file cabinet. I've been thinking about picking a couple up for storing some of my bulkier power tools.

Talus · Mar 9, 2014

Thanks. It all came together as I wanted. I had plans to take it a few steps further. I wanted an air compressor, a sandblasting cabinet and a few other goodies, but time ran out before I left the country. When I get back in July I plan to start back up with it.

The lateral file cabinet has been a great addition. They were renovating the library at the local high school and there were a ton of cabinets up for grabs. I really lucked out.

Just found this pic showing off one of my favorite parts of the garage, my vise. What a fantastic piece of equipment to have. Makes life so much easier.

Sunbimmer · Mar 9, 2014

Question, what is this item....

Talus · Mar 9, 2014

It's for working in the garden. "Step2 Garden Hopper" Also fantastic for rolling around when cleaning cars and bikes.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004W430/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Hopalong604 · Mar 9, 2014

Awesome setup. Wish I had room for a mc lift.

Bobaloo22 · Mar 9, 2014

Very Nice Job! I just got the HF lift and love it.

Bob

STANIMAL · Mar 9, 2014

Nice to see another Triumph lover . Nice build and congrats on the S3 .

Motorcycle Garage Build

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

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

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

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member