My 2 x 2 car garage/shop

AdamZ82 · Jan 5, 2009

Hi guys,

I've been lurking here for a few months to get some ideas for re-doing my garage, and it's finally time to post pictures of how it turned out!

I bought the garage (and house) a little over 3 months ago. The garage consists of (2) 2-car garages side by side attached to the house. The plan all along was for the daily drivers to be parked in the garage closest to the house, with a shop setup in the far garage. I haven't really done anything with the close side yet, but that will be something to make another post about down the road :thumbup:

Here are some pictures from shortly after I moved in:

Daily driver side / closest to house

Shop side / farthest from house- all following pictures will be of this side

Not shown is the pegboard that the previous owner had across the top of all the walls

Another angle. The car is an 84 Mustang hatchback that I'm building as a drag car. It's not pretty but it's only 2700lbs and goes pretty good. I'm eventually going to build a nice stroked 351 for it.

Progress pictures:

Black pipe for the heater

Galvanized pipe for the compressed air

More pipe pictures

Drywall up on the walls, wiring complete.

Insulation complete on the ceiling. R19 (good enough for what I need it for)

First row of lights is in.

Heater installed.

Trim around the windows. These windows were already in when I moved in.

Tape, mud & sanding.

More tape, mud & sanding.

even more tape, mud & sanding. Will it ever end?

Yes! Finally time to paint!

More paint.

Decided on a white/grey paint scheme (I know I know, but it's classic!)

Stole the idea to paint the foundation blocks black from someone on here. Thanks for the idea!

More paint.

Built a workbench while we were at it. A buddy of mine (TRDon on the forum) and I knocked this out in a couple of hours. He helped with everything along the way- couldn't have done it without him!

Side view.

AdamZ82 · Jan 5, 2009

Was originally going to seperate the white/grey with a red or blue stripe, but decided on diamond plate for something different. A friend of mine works at a metal supply shop, so I had him shear me 130 feet of 3.5" wide strips for just over $150. It turned out pretty nice.

More diamond plate

Front corners with the diamond plate

Getting closer!

Fire extinguishers mounted, more diamond plate

And here is where it is today:

22T · Jan 5, 2009

Nice job! Where is your air compressor gonna go, The other garage?

brad d · Jan 5, 2009

Looks good, the white/grey paint scheme is done in alot of shops.. but it works well IMO white to give the best light, and grey to hide the dirt that can easily get to the lower part.

ssleepingbeauty · Jan 5, 2009

Nice job

What did you use for the top of your work bench 1/2", 5/8"?

Bib Overalls · Jan 5, 2009

Good looking set up. Some more ideas to file away. Thanks!

67pete300 · Jan 5, 2009

That is some nice work!

Great stuff!

AdamZ82 · Jan 5, 2009

22T said:
Nice job! Where is your air compressor gonna go, The other garage?

Oh yeah, forgot to mention that.

The compressor is under the workbench on the other side of the adjoining wall. I've been following the air compressor noise reduction thread because that thing is pretty noisy when it's running (hardly any noise in the shop side, but in the other side and in the back yard it's pretty loud). I know I wont make it quiet, but I'm planning on hanging a couple thick drop cloths around the compressor to hopefully absorb some of the sound and rig up some rubber mounts for the bottom to handle some of the vibration.

Here are some pictures of the setup so far:

The pipe goes through the wall where it connects to the pipes on the other side.

1- is where the pipe connects on the shop side. 2- is another 240v outlet so if I ever wanted to plug in the compressor on the shop side I could easily do so.

AdamZ82 · Jan 5, 2009

ssleepingbeauty said:
Nice job What did you use for the top of your work bench 1/2", 5/8"?

I think it's actually 3/4". It's the melonite shelving from Menards. The top is just sitting on some cross-brace 2x4s so it can lift right out for easy replacement if it gets worn out. The bottom shelf is the same stuff only it's attached with countersunk screws.

Torque1st · Jan 5, 2009

Nice looking setup. Welcome to GJ!

tim096 · Jan 5, 2009

Nice you will enjoy and welcome to GJ

Iroc-Z · Jan 5, 2009

Dang Tcstanger........

MisterCMK · Jan 5, 2009

Iroc-Z said:
Dang Tcstanger........

Another TCSer? lol

Iroc-Z · Jan 5, 2009

There goes another forum.

TRDon · Jan 5, 2009

This thread delivers :lol:

AdamZ82 · Jan 5, 2009

:uhoh:

Iroc-Z · Jan 5, 2009

Its like an infection.

TRDon · Jan 5, 2009

Iroc-Z said:
Its like an infestation.

Fixed. Of topic guys, come one now this isnt TCS, lets keep it real here. Real people who care come here :lol:

Thomarann · Jan 5, 2009

Shop looks great. Any plans for the floor?

Marc

AdamZ82 · Jan 5, 2009

Marc Shaw said:
Shop looks great. Any plans for the floor?

Marc

The floor is something that I'm currently undecided on. The current floor on the shop side has a pretty good sealer on it, and I don't know if I want to do anything else to it just yet. The other side has either a floor paint or epoxy finish, and when it's wet it's extremely slippery. If I were to do some kind of coating on the other side, it would have to have decent traction (I'd like to stay away from the stuff with the grit in it), it would need good chemical resistance (gasoline, brake cleaner, brake fluid, etc.), and it would have to have decent durability. I'm still researching all the options, but from what I've seen so far I would have to sacrifice something no matter what I choose.

For now, I'm planning on keeping it as is until the sealer starts wearing out or I come across something that meets all my criteria.

Kevin54 · Jan 6, 2009

I really like the diamond plate border. How is it fastened up. And if it is with screws, what keeps it from buckling. I am going to take a guess though and say that you have it glued on?

AdamZ82 · Jan 6, 2009

Kevin54 said:
I really like the diamond plate border. How is it fastened up. And if it is with screws, what keeps it from buckling. I am going to take a guess though and say that you have it glued on?

All of the longer pieces are screwed/countersunk into the studs. I did a screw in every stud, with every other stud getting 2 screws (top/bottom). There wasn't much buckling, but where there was I glued it with Loctite Powergrab for paneling/drywall. It worked pretty well. Some of the shorter pieces at the front of the garage weren't long enough to span any studs, so they are just glued with no screws.

Thanks for all the complements everybody! If anyone else wants to do a trim or border like that, here's some info- I used .063" thick aluminum diamond plate (sometimes called tread plate). I had it sheared into 3.5" wide strips x 10' long. 3.5" wide is nice because it can also be used to dress standard 2x4s (I was thinking of using some of the leftovers along the top of the workbench). The guys at the metal supply place I went to said that it will eventually oxidize, but it can be polished/cleaned just like any aluminum wheel- just buff/polish occasionally and it will keep a nice shine. To cut the pieces to length, I used a metal cutting wheel on a standard miter saw. For mounting, I took a piece of 1x4 pine that I had laying around and made a jig to mark the holes. We layed the strips along a 2x6 board with a tape measure stretched across it, and as Don would call out the measurements on the wall, I would mark the diamond plate with a sharpie. Then we drilled/countersunk the holes, filed any rough edges, and put the pieces on the wall.

Here are some more in progress pictures:

Hope that helps answer some questions! If anyone has any more questions or would like to see additional pictures, just let me know!

Cobra4B · Jan 6, 2009

Nice build up... that's a heck of a garage setup. Any pictures of the workbench on the unfinished side? I'm thinking about building one like that so it's up off the floor.

AdamZ82 · Jan 6, 2009

Cobra4B said:
Nice build up... that's a heck of a garage setup. Any pictures of the workbench on the unfinished side? I'm thinking about building one like that so it's up off the floor.

I wish I could show you how it is tied into the wall more clearly, but it was like this when I bought it and I don't want to start ripping anything apart on this half until I'm ready to finish it. Hopefully this helps some though.

And while I was at it, I figured I would take a couple more pictures of the workbench in the new shop.

Scotto · Jan 6, 2009

How sturdy is that bench with the diagonal braces holding it up? I was thinking of making one like that, but was concerned about how strong it would be. Can you really beat on stuff on it?

AdamZ82 · Jan 6, 2009

Scotto said:
How sturdy is that bench with the diagonal braces holding it up? I was thinking of making one like that, but was concerned about how strong it would be. Can you really beat on stuff on it?

Edit- original post was referring to the new workbench. Disregard.

The bench on the unfinished side seems pretty sturdy- I don't know exactly how it is tied into the wall though, so I'm not sure what you can/can't get away with as far as mounting goes. I would imagine though that if you brace the diagonal leg against the ground/foundation block, that it should hold a pretty good load. On the top side, I would use the longest lag bolts you can get away with, and use them on every stud if you are planning to jump on the thing :bounce:

More edit... The more I think about it, the more I want to emphasize that I don't necessarily endorse the diagonal brace design. I chose 4 legs for the new one because I know it will support anything I will throw at it. I'm not saying a diagonal brace design won't work, but it's a lot harder to screw up a 4-legger

toadjammer · Jan 6, 2009

Nice place. As far as floor ing in a work area I don't believe exopy flooring will hold up to grinding and wleding, but you probably know that.

Cobra4B · Jan 7, 2009

Thanks for the pictures.

Kevin54 · Jan 7, 2009

AdamZ82 said:
Edit- original post was referring to the new workbench. Disregard.

The bench on the unfinished side seems pretty sturdy- I don't know exactly how it is tied into the wall though, so I'm not sure what you can/can't get away with as far as mounting goes. I would imagine though that if you brace the diagonal leg against the ground/foundation block, that it should hold a pretty good load. On the top side, I would use the longest lag bolts you can get away with, and use them on every stud if you are planning to jump on the thing

More edit... The more I think about it, the more I want to emphasize that I don't necessarily endorse the diagonal brace design. I chose 4 legs for the new one because I know it will support anything I will throw at it. I'm not saying a diagonal brace design won't work, but it's a lot harder to screw up a 4-legger

I've built a few benches like that in the past and the design makes them strong. I have stood on mine (235lbs) and not have it give. But you want to make sure the bottom of the angles legs are into a stud and lagged securely. Better if they rest on a foundation block. I've also made shelving like that in my shed and you can put quite a bit of weight on it. Also the more diagonal legs you have the stronger it will be. Most of mine I made the legs at 4' spacing. What is nice about that design is that it gives access to clean the floor and not have debris underneath like you do with a conventional bench with front vertical legs. The drawback though is no underneath storage.

03TorchedMach1 · Jan 7, 2009

are you planning on painting the work bench?

Cobra4B · Jan 7, 2009

03TorchedMach1 said:
are you planning on painting the work bench?

+1 throw some paint on it... the raw wood looks out of place in a done up shop.

AdamZ82 · Jan 7, 2009

I probably will at some point, not sure if I want to do the same grey or another color yet though. Maybe black legs with diamond plate trim around the top? Or would that be too much :headscrat

I'll get back to you on that one!

nickwrx · Jan 8, 2009

Do you have any plans you could let us see for that new bench? From your pics I can pretty much figure it out, but its always nice having something in writing!

And awesome shop. Great idea with the diamond plating. Very original which is hard to do when looking at this forum!

jhn9840 · Jan 9, 2009

Great looking garage. Diamond plating adds a very unique touch. If you have more pics please post them.

jhn9840
John

AdamZ82 · Jan 9, 2009

Thanks for all the compliments guys!

I do have some more pictures, but none that show any more than what is already posted- if anyone has specific requests feel free to ask and I'll snap some more.

As for the workbench plans, we were pretty much winging it when we put it together, there was a quick sketch drawn up on a piece of paper, but the only thing on there was measurements to keep the top surface just below the diamond plate and the overall width in between the air lines.

We made the top frame piece first, then cut the legs to be the height we wanted minus 3/4" (to allow for the shelf insert), then added some reinforcing pieces, and finally the lower shelf. For the lower shelf, there is a 2x4 going across the full length on the back, there's another across the whole front, and then there are 2 going down the sides. The shelf sits on top of these, with countersunk screws holding it in place. I used 2-1/2" long screws for it. The best part of building your own bench is that you can customize it to be exactly what you need/want! Then call a buddy, pick up a case of beer, and go to town :beer:

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