Between 485 & 705 SQ/FT A Garage Rehabbed
- Thread starter -Brent-
- Start date
Workspaces between 485 and 705 squarefeet.
I spent a good bit of time putting insulation up. Long sleeves in summer temps made for a few fun days. There's only a gable vent in this building. No ridge or soffit vents for lots of building out here in the mountain west means you can insulate without baffles. It was weird for me to do it this way never having done it before but my neighbor and life-long roofer even gave me the nod of approval. Still… felt weird.
On the gable ends I used a radiant barrier. The ends face east and west and the radiant barrier made an instant, noticeable difference. I'm pretty sure I used ArmaFoil but I will check to make sure. It's awesome stuff. I didn't do the ceiling because I am going to resheath the roof when it's time for a new one. When that time comes I'll use sheathing with a radiant barrier. The price difference is not all that much and it's easier to work with that the rolls.
Here's an example of how I used it on the back side of the OSB.
The window sat like this for a while. When the wall area was clean enough to work and I wasn't taking on a larger project, I decided to get after it.
I wanted to keep it simple with the trim around the window (and man door). I picked up some pine 1x3s.
Not sure if I paint the trim and the window wood or stain it like the shutter doors and a couple other little areas in the shop.
I hit it with the sander and knocked down the edges and joints. It's not perfect and although I get a twinge from wanting everything to be so, there's a rough-around-the-edges vibe that old, cracked and stained floors and block walls give. Truthfully, the trim around the previous windows was rough, farmer cut stuff and I liked that, actually. It's just different when you're in control and have the ability to leave it perfect.
That said, maybe the next guy will look at this shop with all its imperfections and think it's perfect. Haha.
Being a visual person, I had to place a door in front of the window. That trolley you see on the floor near the door is what I am going to use for the doors. I couldn't justify the couple hundred dollars for a kit. Plus, they looked chintzy. I looked around and stumbled on meat hook trolleys. They're heavy duty, they roll well and they were really inexpensive. I think once people see how they look, there'll be folks looking for them online for the same purpose. I haven't see it done before but I wouldn't be surprised if others have already done it.
I wanted to keep it simple with the trim around the window (and man door). I picked up some pine 1x3s.
Not sure if I paint the trim and the window wood or stain it like the shutter doors and a couple other little areas in the shop.
I hit it with the sander and knocked down the edges and joints. It's not perfect and although I get a twinge from wanting everything to be so, there's a rough-around-the-edges vibe that old, cracked and stained floors and block walls give. Truthfully, the trim around the previous windows was rough, farmer cut stuff and I liked that, actually. It's just different when you're in control and have the ability to leave it perfect.
That said, maybe the next guy will look at this shop with all its imperfections and think it's perfect. Haha.
Being a visual person, I had to place a door in front of the window. That trolley you see on the floor near the door is what I am going to use for the doors. I couldn't justify the couple hundred dollars for a kit. Plus, they looked chintzy. I looked around and stumbled on meat hook trolleys. They're heavy duty, they roll well and they were really inexpensive. I think once people see how they look, there'll be folks looking for them online for the same purpose. I haven't see it done before but I wouldn't be surprised if others have already done it.
There was this one last window in the shop. It wasn't possible to fill it with block because there's a lean-to shed on the other side of it. And, due to the rush of prepping the site for the shed (and how much I had paid for the darn thing), I just boarded it up.
So, I wanted to deal with it in a way that looked good or at least didn't look like a boarded-up window. I had a bunch of scrap materials so I put them to use.
First, I pulled the window and trim out, leaving the frame. I put some ice and water barrier in. Really it was likely not necessary but it gives me peace of mind. Then, I put in some leftover insulation. For $2 I grabbed a piece of poly-iso insulation board with a radiant barrier. I had some really nice scraps of plywood that I gotten from my neighbor (the previous owner) and trimmed them up to fit. I'm going to stain this to match the shutter doors.
Since it's going to be right by the drill press, it seemed fitting to hang the vintage drill conversion table there.
littleviking
Well-known member
- Joined
- Sep 22, 2009
- Messages
- 81
Typical Pirate.
Buy someones used junk and turn it into something that looks 10 times better then when it was new.
Good job man. Love this.
So everyone keeps asking about the Hot Rod
lets hear about that Zuk
oh and Go Yankees!
Buy someones used junk and turn it into something that looks 10 times better then when it was new.
Good job man. Love this.
So everyone keeps asking about the Hot Rod
lets hear about that Zuk
oh and Go Yankees!
Thanks, Bret. I think your suggestion is spot on. That's what I am going to do.
The Sami has been off the road for far too long. It's one of the reasons why I needed a shop space to get things done.
It's got a stock motor (soon to get a Harly carb swapped) with a 6.4:1 case with a twin stick. The axles have been swapped to Toyotas and have been completely gone through and upgraded. There's about as much money into axles as the cost of the rig, haha. FJ60/80 power steering. YJ spring over and lots more.
I have a detailed thread over at https://www.rme4x4.com/showthread.php?110323-1988-Samurai-Build .
I hate that it's been sitting, so close to being done. But, I am on this garage project until it's done. Then onto the Sami until it's done and then onto the roadster and so on.
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littleviking
Well-known member
- Joined
- Sep 22, 2009
- Messages
- 81
There's about as much money into axles as the cost of the rig, haha. FJ60/80 power steering. YJ spring over and lots more.
I hate that it's been sitting, so close to being done. But, I am on this garage project until it's done. Then onto the Sami until it's done and then onto the roadster and so on.
Any offroad project always has good money thrown into the axles.
Ya need something to bring you home right.
And my project list is the same way.
Had someone total my offroad Xterra in 09 and haven't had a 4x4 truck since.
I sorely need something. But we just bought a new house. Project list is house then garage then jeep then whatever else shows up.
:-D
For a minute I want to talk about this space before this work and how much of square footage was wasted. A lot of times we get a space and we load it up, willy-nilly. It’s the primary reason why anyone with a garage says they’d like a bigger garage.
My shop’s interior square footage is roughly 462sq ft. The stored stuff and my too large workbench accounted for around 108sq ft. in a small building that still had tools, equipment and a vehicle occupying it. I was absolutely driven to reduce the number of used space even after removing the wasted space items.
Think about it, 108sq feet of space I couldn’t use in the shop because stuff was stored. The number would’ve been much higher if had the idea to count before I moved some stuff out, especially during times when it was tough to navigate from one side to the other. Ever since the notion came to mind it’s been an absolute driving factor.
There are still items that can be potentially removed; my press, for one. I’ve only used it a few times in the last couple years. I could move it to storage, where it could sit and wait another year before being used or I could sell it and figure out how to get the need met when it arises. Or, I could keep it in the shop, outfit it to be able to bend steel and use it. It’s a tough choice, which is why it’s still in the shop. Still, I’m eyeing that space.
After I gave away the bench, moved all the shelving and racks, the place felt much larger. Obviously, right?
I knew that there would be items coming back into the space (a new bench, a larger compressor, a welder, etc.) but I still wanted to keep that number of used space down. Because aside from that 108sq ft I had wasted, I still used a lot of space.
The wall to the right of the garage door, where my toolboxes and workbench were previously is a terrible location for anything. You can’t park normally and then walk from front to back of the garage. Leaving that wall clean restricts me to two walls to put anything against. Having that limitation has been great. It’s been no problem relocating items, either, because in all the storage stuff I removed I gained about 30 linear feet of wall space. That’s a lot in a building that has about 66 linear feet of wall space.
The bench, which I have just finished, has an 8sq ft footprint. That is 9 square feet less of a footprint than my old bench and this one if far more usable than the other.
And, now, I should probably stop boring you, that is if you’re still with me. I’d love to hear your thoughts. Hell, I’d love for you walk around your own shop and calculate how much space you have that’s wasted. Hopefully you’re not above 20% like I was.
My shop’s interior square footage is roughly 462sq ft. The stored stuff and my too large workbench accounted for around 108sq ft. in a small building that still had tools, equipment and a vehicle occupying it. I was absolutely driven to reduce the number of used space even after removing the wasted space items.
Think about it, 108sq feet of space I couldn’t use in the shop because stuff was stored. The number would’ve been much higher if had the idea to count before I moved some stuff out, especially during times when it was tough to navigate from one side to the other. Ever since the notion came to mind it’s been an absolute driving factor.
There are still items that can be potentially removed; my press, for one. I’ve only used it a few times in the last couple years. I could move it to storage, where it could sit and wait another year before being used or I could sell it and figure out how to get the need met when it arises. Or, I could keep it in the shop, outfit it to be able to bend steel and use it. It’s a tough choice, which is why it’s still in the shop. Still, I’m eyeing that space.
After I gave away the bench, moved all the shelving and racks, the place felt much larger. Obviously, right?
I knew that there would be items coming back into the space (a new bench, a larger compressor, a welder, etc.) but I still wanted to keep that number of used space down. Because aside from that 108sq ft I had wasted, I still used a lot of space. The wall to the right of the garage door, where my toolboxes and workbench were previously is a terrible location for anything. You can’t park normally and then walk from front to back of the garage. Leaving that wall clean restricts me to two walls to put anything against. Having that limitation has been great. It’s been no problem relocating items, either, because in all the storage stuff I removed I gained about 30 linear feet of wall space. That’s a lot in a building that has about 66 linear feet of wall space.
The bench, which I have just finished, has an 8sq ft footprint. That is 9 square feet less of a footprint than my old bench and this one if far more usable than the other.
And, now, I should probably stop boring you, that is if you’re still with me. I’d love to hear your thoughts. Hell, I’d love for you walk around your own shop and calculate how much space you have that’s wasted. Hopefully you’re not above 20% like I was.
You're right to keep the house on the top of that list. Having all that done was my priority, too.
Growlertdi
Well-known member
i need to do some organizing in my garage. thanks for the inspiration.
my first garage was about this size, didnt have the attic rafters though..
i need to figure out what I want to do with my current 28x32 pole barn. its always in disarray.
my first garage was about this size, didnt have the attic rafters though..
i need to figure out what I want to do with my current 28x32 pole barn. its always in disarray.
Glad my madness can be of some assistance.
Let me know when you start to attack it, I would love to see what you come up with.
Life is a series of jockeying things around so you can do the next task. This is what I see in this pic. In order to finish the insulation, I needed to get some flooring down. I know this isn't true sub flooring. I figured at 12" on center and the fact that this was an attic that won't see heavy traffic, 1/2" stuff would be fine. That floor is rock solid.
One the flooring was down in one area, I needed to put the sheets in the place I just worked (or so it seemed). I tell my doctor I don't work out but that's only because telling him this story would cost me like $150 by the time I'm done.
What as sight I must have been hanging the OSB. There I was propping up a sheet, then maneuvering myself under it while keeping a screw gun close by. Eventually that turned into shooting nails into it because propping up a sheet with your feet, attempting to keep it square, and dropping one damned screw after another is frustrating. And, man-oh-man it was hot up there. I’d like to say that I got the whole thing done but there’s one last narrow sheet that needs to be done.
At first I put a sheet up, temporarily, that ran all the way to the floor. Since I was going to put a knee wall in, that made little sense. Plus, the knee wall made it a little easier to square up the sheets, alone.
I did insulate and hang some OSB on each end wall before the knee wall was installed.
I built the knee wall in three sections and slid them into place. This is the shortest (in height) that I’ve ever made. A buddy had a good idea of fabricating some lock boxes that we could insert into the wall. In researching it there are actually some shallow fire safe boxes that would fit between the “studs” that could fit the bill also. It’s not all that high of a matter of importance to me. If I were to put a safe in, it would likely be a floor safe, that seems more feasible. Still, not sure on that, either. There are more important things to get to. At this point, I was still running the shop off two extension cords. Haha.
I should note, I left a sheet out of the floor for access. There is a hay loft door above the garage door but this was easier.
This was most of the wood stored up above the old ceiling. The loft as it was called. Some of it was for flooring (which I reused for the shelves and was THE heaviest plywood I’ve ever carried) and other was just a collection of big lumber. There were a couple 2x14ish boards (probably 50+ years old) that I had no use for and gave away. You should have seen the hungry look in the guy’s eyes when he saw them.
I'll snap a pic of the attic, tonight. I can't believe I don't have a pic already.
Workbench build:
For reference, my previous bench.
A common, embarrassing sight.
Early on, I had this bolt bin. It wasn’t bad because it was shallow.
My first attempt at using strut to hold some commonly used tools. I tore a few belt loops and sweatshirts bumping/hitting that corner. I stuffed a rebar cap in the end, that helped, for a while.
Then, my first index card file drawer set-up.
Which quickly grew.
At this point, the bench was really ineffective. The work space was too shallow.
The plan was to reconfigure the shelves but the bench was so deep that I would have wasted a lot of space putting the drawers there.
Plus, the bench wasn’t really a bench. It was a table from a nursery. The top was too thin and would oilcan every time you put some gumption into using the vise.
I dealt with it being the way it was [for years] out of sheer laziness, which is not a good way to go about things.
Let’s take a look at the horror, one more time. Hahaha!
For reference, my previous bench.
A common, embarrassing sight.
Early on, I had this bolt bin. It wasn’t bad because it was shallow.
My first attempt at using strut to hold some commonly used tools. I tore a few belt loops and sweatshirts bumping/hitting that corner. I stuffed a rebar cap in the end, that helped, for a while.
Then, my first index card file drawer set-up.
Which quickly grew.
At this point, the bench was really ineffective. The work space was too shallow.
The plan was to reconfigure the shelves but the bench was so deep that I would have wasted a lot of space putting the drawers there.
Plus, the bench wasn’t really a bench. It was a table from a nursery. The top was too thin and would oilcan every time you put some gumption into using the vise.
I dealt with it being the way it was [for years] out of sheer laziness, which is not a good way to go about things.
Let’s take a look at the horror, one more time. Hahaha!
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The goal, as I’ve rambled on about before, was to decrease the footprint, increase the usability, make it heavy duty, include index file storage for hardware, and do it all relatively inexpensively. Simple enough.
I looked around my horde and figured I could break down this 24” deep shelving and make a bench out of it. I had modified pallet racking, before, to make a wheel and tire rack (see below) and felt like I had good results. Plus, using racking gives it the look that it hasn’t been fabricated, that it could’ve been manufactured/purchased. I don’t know why I like that but I do.
With all the stuff flying out of my shop and either being put properly into storage or sold the shelving was free to use. I figured I deal with making attic shelving, which I was going to repurpose this as, later.
Then, out of sheer coincidence a guy I knew had some 24” Interlake uprights that held a lesser capacity but worked with beams and such for $20. I couldn’t pass that up and I could leave these uprights for later use.
24” deep Interlake racking seems less common, so grabbing it made sense.
The only thing I needed to order was a bench top because I wanted to bends in it. The local steel place hooked me up. I wanted as thick as possible and they could bend some seriously thick stuff but due to the price, I settled on ¼”. Much heavier than I have ever owned, for sure.
After getting that home, I chopped up the uprights and beams. The wood was to keep everything square.
I cleaned it up and had a buddy burn them together. No welder at my place, yet. We made good time with everything ready and prepped.
I wiped the uprights with acetone and hoped for the best. The beams I had sent out to be blasted because there were stickers on them from the warehouse they lived in before me. I should have sent the uprights, too, but that’s life.
Here they are with some etching primer. It was one of our last 70 degree days of the year. Between running errands and working on the shop, I got them painted.
By that afternoon, I had something that resembled a bench.
Turns out my first mistake was measuring the height. With the top on it ended up being 7/8” higher than I wanted. I actually like the height, a lot, so it was a good mistake to make. It fit perfectly under the outlets. I love when that stuff works out.
More mocking up, still lots to go. It’s crazy how little jobs like this can drag out. I ended up with one more index card file from the guy I got the other two from, years back. Since it was missing two drawers, it never sold. We traded some items and I took this with me. Drawers were easy enough to fab.
I modified that uni-strut from my last bench. And as you see, I added a diagonal flat bar. That was my second oversight. This one was more major. Not having triangulation allowed the bench to move a lot when pushed back and forth. There wasn’t a lot of force needed, either. You could lay your hand flat on the top and wiggle it, with ease. The triangular piece stiffened it up really well.
If you look at the back of the bench, in the center, you can see what looks like a rivet head. That mounts the back of the bench top to the legs via two 1” wide 1/8” pieces of metal.
I wanted to add a hammer loop, so I looked in my scrap bin and found an exhaust clamp U-bolt. It worked perfectly. I trimmed it down just beyond the second nut so there’d be no interference.
Then, I bolted the whole dang thing together, everywhere.
The top, again, I used 2 more carriage bolts. One on each side mounting the top to the legs.
The top/center bolt. I figured it gave a smooth, riveted look and blended in better than a bolt.
I liked having the vise on the right side of the bench leaving the left as a work space. I had read a few threads with people’s opinions one way or the other. I didn’t leave those threads convinced of either view. It felt correct on the right side, to me. So, that’s where it went. Hopefully for good.
I lined the jaw up with the end of the bench. I pushed it against the front just enough the mixing stick didn’t bend.
I marked the holes and popped them in.
Having a mag drill rules. It probably took all of five minutes including set-up and cleanup. As well, having outlets where everything can be plugged in is quite the luxury that I am still growing used to. Haha.
After that, I wiped down the top, removing the oily film from it and I sprayed some wax onto it.
The last thing I needed to do before I could call it done was shim one of feet. These plastic shims are great. They break off easily and straight and there’s no trimming needing to be done. Now it sits solid as a rock.
I looked around my horde and figured I could break down this 24” deep shelving and make a bench out of it. I had modified pallet racking, before, to make a wheel and tire rack (see below) and felt like I had good results. Plus, using racking gives it the look that it hasn’t been fabricated, that it could’ve been manufactured/purchased. I don’t know why I like that but I do.
With all the stuff flying out of my shop and either being put properly into storage or sold the shelving was free to use. I figured I deal with making attic shelving, which I was going to repurpose this as, later.
Then, out of sheer coincidence a guy I knew had some 24” Interlake uprights that held a lesser capacity but worked with beams and such for $20. I couldn’t pass that up and I could leave these uprights for later use.
24” deep Interlake racking seems less common, so grabbing it made sense.
The only thing I needed to order was a bench top because I wanted to bends in it. The local steel place hooked me up. I wanted as thick as possible and they could bend some seriously thick stuff but due to the price, I settled on ¼”. Much heavier than I have ever owned, for sure.
After getting that home, I chopped up the uprights and beams. The wood was to keep everything square.
I cleaned it up and had a buddy burn them together. No welder at my place, yet. We made good time with everything ready and prepped.
I wiped the uprights with acetone and hoped for the best. The beams I had sent out to be blasted because there were stickers on them from the warehouse they lived in before me. I should have sent the uprights, too, but that’s life.
Here they are with some etching primer. It was one of our last 70 degree days of the year. Between running errands and working on the shop, I got them painted.
By that afternoon, I had something that resembled a bench.
Turns out my first mistake was measuring the height. With the top on it ended up being 7/8” higher than I wanted. I actually like the height, a lot, so it was a good mistake to make. It fit perfectly under the outlets. I love when that stuff works out.
More mocking up, still lots to go. It’s crazy how little jobs like this can drag out. I ended up with one more index card file from the guy I got the other two from, years back. Since it was missing two drawers, it never sold. We traded some items and I took this with me. Drawers were easy enough to fab.
I modified that uni-strut from my last bench. And as you see, I added a diagonal flat bar. That was my second oversight. This one was more major. Not having triangulation allowed the bench to move a lot when pushed back and forth. There wasn’t a lot of force needed, either. You could lay your hand flat on the top and wiggle it, with ease. The triangular piece stiffened it up really well.
If you look at the back of the bench, in the center, you can see what looks like a rivet head. That mounts the back of the bench top to the legs via two 1” wide 1/8” pieces of metal.
I wanted to add a hammer loop, so I looked in my scrap bin and found an exhaust clamp U-bolt. It worked perfectly. I trimmed it down just beyond the second nut so there’d be no interference.
Then, I bolted the whole dang thing together, everywhere.
The top, again, I used 2 more carriage bolts. One on each side mounting the top to the legs.
The top/center bolt. I figured it gave a smooth, riveted look and blended in better than a bolt.
I liked having the vise on the right side of the bench leaving the left as a work space. I had read a few threads with people’s opinions one way or the other. I didn’t leave those threads convinced of either view. It felt correct on the right side, to me. So, that’s where it went. Hopefully for good.
I lined the jaw up with the end of the bench. I pushed it against the front just enough the mixing stick didn’t bend.
I marked the holes and popped them in.
Having a mag drill rules. It probably took all of five minutes including set-up and cleanup. As well, having outlets where everything can be plugged in is quite the luxury that I am still growing used to. Haha.
After that, I wiped down the top, removing the oily film from it and I sprayed some wax onto it.
The last thing I needed to do before I could call it done was shim one of feet. These plastic shims are great. They break off easily and straight and there’s no trimming needing to be done. Now it sits solid as a rock.
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Here's what the attic looks like, currently.
This is the cut-offs from the workbench build and the leftover beams from the shelving. This is where some of the lesser-used tools will sit. The plan for that vent is to get a filter installed over it to keep the dust down.
The rest of the attic.
When working on your own, as some of you know, you bounce around from one thing to the next. That's what happened here. I needed to get stuff done in the main area and this was left undone. It was partly for the need of access and partly because it can be done later.
Well, it's feeling like "now" is getting to be that time. As the organization continues, I'm to the point where having this attic complete would really help
This is the cut-offs from the workbench build and the leftover beams from the shelving. This is where some of the lesser-used tools will sit. The plan for that vent is to get a filter installed over it to keep the dust down.
The rest of the attic.
When working on your own, as some of you know, you bounce around from one thing to the next. That's what happened here. I needed to get stuff done in the main area and this was left undone. It was partly for the need of access and partly because it can be done later.
Well, it's feeling like "now" is getting to be that time. As the organization continues, I'm to the point where having this attic complete would really help
Thanks! I've been following yours, as well. You're really coming along.
As far as the wax, I didn't use anything special, just some inexpensive auto paste wax that I had. If I didn't find that I would have sprayed it with the Turtle Wax spray I also have sitting on the shelf. I think anything is fine but I assume the paste will probably hold up longer.
Thanks, Thax! I appreciate it.
drivesitfar
Well-known member
Brent: i've been a bit busy lately and the new Woodworking 101 thread has my licking my chops as i learn about tools and methods so i haven't had a chance to read every word.
from what i've read though it sounds like you can't find a guy to come help for under $20 per hour even if to just mow the lawn so good luck with that. i usually work by myself and it's sort of sad how the younger generation doesn't have an urge to pick up a few bucks and learn a few skills like kids in my generation and especially the generation from the early 1900's.
in any case it looks like you are getting a lot of things done so keep up the good work.
i wanted to add that you can put BLO (boiled linseed oil) on your metal to keep it from rusting and it should work great in your part of the country unless maybe it gets TOO HOT in your garage and it might melt. just put on a coat let it dry so it's not tacky and repeat as necessary. stuff works great for me up here in the PNW and as soon as i quit finding half empty cans at sales i'll go buy some at the store.
also if you maybe want your organizer to not fall forward inside your new bench you can maybe add more 2 bys or a couple thick pieces of plywood to get the top up so it can't. that gap has my OCD going crazy, but totally up to you if you want to address that.
keep up the good work and looks like you are not only making lots of progress, but lots of members are following so if you have any questions don't be afraid to ask and maybe one of us might see the question and have a better solution than the one you were thinking of.
cheers
from what i've read though it sounds like you can't find a guy to come help for under $20 per hour even if to just mow the lawn so good luck with that. i usually work by myself and it's sort of sad how the younger generation doesn't have an urge to pick up a few bucks and learn a few skills like kids in my generation and especially the generation from the early 1900's.
in any case it looks like you are getting a lot of things done so keep up the good work.
i wanted to add that you can put BLO (boiled linseed oil) on your metal to keep it from rusting and it should work great in your part of the country unless maybe it gets TOO HOT in your garage and it might melt. just put on a coat let it dry so it's not tacky and repeat as necessary. stuff works great for me up here in the PNW and as soon as i quit finding half empty cans at sales i'll go buy some at the store.
also if you maybe want your organizer to not fall forward inside your new bench you can maybe add more 2 bys or a couple thick pieces of plywood to get the top up so it can't. that gap has my OCD going crazy, but totally up to you if you want to address that.
keep up the good work and looks like you are not only making lots of progress, but lots of members are following so if you have any questions don't be afraid to ask and maybe one of us might see the question and have a better solution than the one you were thinking of.
cheers
Redboy
Well-known member
Great thread here! I love your honest and practical approach to a "problem garage". It's inspiring!
Keep it up - we'll be following along and cheering you on!
Keep it up - we'll be following along and cheering you on!
Drives, thanks man. I just read the boiled linseed thing in another thread, this morning, and now you mention it. I always thought it would leave a film on there. But, truthfully, I've never messed with it before so I had no real clue.
The only think I've ever used on raw steel, in the past, is Gibbs. The wax seems to have done the trick so far. But, I am curious about BLO because I've heard guys used to use it on their concrete floors back in the day, too. Ever see that done? Obviously there's lots of more modern materials for that, nowadays.
As far as that gap and your OCD, I had to chuckle. I'd say I'm OCD about lots of things, especially symmetry, but this didn't even register to me. The files are 18" deep and 30ish wide so there's not going to be any tipping. Plus there's probably two hundred pounds of drawers and hardware combined, or more.
That little gap made the perfect place for a couple items that are too long for my toolboxes. I put my level and torque wrench in that space. That was kind-of a plan that showed itself to me during the build.
As well, I don't want to move those things again. Man, there's a lot of weight there. But if it ever tips, I will eat my words and let you know first. I'm putting a dollar on it being pretty sturdy, though.
The only think I've ever used on raw steel, in the past, is Gibbs. The wax seems to have done the trick so far. But, I am curious about BLO because I've heard guys used to use it on their concrete floors back in the day, too. Ever see that done? Obviously there's lots of more modern materials for that, nowadays.
As far as that gap and your OCD, I had to chuckle. I'd say I'm OCD about lots of things, especially symmetry, but this didn't even register to me. The files are 18" deep and 30ish wide so there's not going to be any tipping. Plus there's probably two hundred pounds of drawers and hardware combined, or more.
That little gap made the perfect place for a couple items that are too long for my toolboxes. I put my level and torque wrench in that space. That was kind-of a plan that showed itself to me during the build.
As well, I don't want to move those things again. Man, there's a lot of weight there. But if it ever tips, I will eat my words and let you know first. I'm putting a dollar on it being pretty sturdy, though.
Thank you! I think I'm going to need the future encouragement, haha. I've got a couple projects on the list that I've been putting off because there's something more fun or easier to do.
Oh, and Drives, I just looked at one of the early build pics of the bench and I saw something that really bothered me but I'm pretty sure I hadn't addressed here. That top file had a little bend on the right side, which I banged out. It looks more even, now.
ALSO, a one of the things that would have alleviated some OCD for you would have been if I cut the height correctly. It sits 7/8 higher. With the top lower by 7/8" it would have left a small gap so there'd be hand space to open the top files and but a far smaller gap.
ALSO, a one of the things that would have alleviated some OCD for you would have been if I cut the height correctly. It sits 7/8 higher. With the top lower by 7/8" it would have left a small gap so there'd be hand space to open the top files and but a far smaller gap.
drivesitfar
Well-known member
BRENT: I had to smile at your post and i know just how heavy those cabinets can be especially when you fill them up. i know your bench isn't going to move so you are probably right unless you get another big earthquake your cabinet is safe.
just a suggestion since it looks like you have plenty of wood and saws handy and of course if you haven't already filled up your cabinet. how about putting 4 1x2's or 1x4's on their sides and screwing the bottom piece of plywood on to them. then you'd have gaps under the plywood for your longer tools and they wouldn't roll around and your gap at the top of the cabinet wouldn't bother me (us).
it's your bench and organizer and not trying to tell you what to do, but just saying what i might do.
BTW i'm not hoping for an earthquake for you anytime soon cause i bet that talk for the last 30 or 40 years gets old in your part of the world when they say a BIG ONE is about to happen.
enjoy your day and i need to get off the computer and get some ORGANIZING done myself.
cheers
just a suggestion since it looks like you have plenty of wood and saws handy and of course if you haven't already filled up your cabinet. how about putting 4 1x2's or 1x4's on their sides and screwing the bottom piece of plywood on to them. then you'd have gaps under the plywood for your longer tools and they wouldn't roll around and your gap at the top of the cabinet wouldn't bother me (us).
it's your bench and organizer and not trying to tell you what to do, but just saying what i might do.
BTW i'm not hoping for an earthquake for you anytime soon cause i bet that talk for the last 30 or 40 years gets old in your part of the world when they say a BIG ONE is about to happen.
enjoy your day and i need to get off the computer and get some ORGANIZING done myself.
cheers
Weatherman was calling for snow, last night, so the race was on to get more organization and cleaning done to get the roadster (which has a raw steel decklid) into the shop. For the first time in a long while I ran into a big mechanical hurdle. That stuff generally doesn't happen to me, fortunately. But, last night the cable popped off the drum as I was lifting the door and it cause the door to come up crooked which pinched and snagged the opposite cable. It was too heavy (as well as only being under tension on one side) to get straight so I cut the cable.
Man-oh-man... I was finishing late anyway it was after midnight when this happened. The snow was already covering the ground (and the roadster). By the time I got the car in and the shop locked up it was a little after one. It sucked.
Now I need to have the cables redone on the door. It's something I don't want to mess with, at the moment. I'd rather have a pro come in and knock it out quick. But, a question, is there anything else I should do or have done at this time, maintenance wise?
Man-oh-man... I was finishing late anyway it was after midnight when this happened. The snow was already covering the ground (and the roadster). By the time I got the car in and the shop locked up it was a little after one. It sucked.
Now I need to have the cables redone on the door. It's something I don't want to mess with, at the moment. I'd rather have a pro come in and knock it out quick. But, a question, is there anything else I should do or have done at this time, maintenance wise?
drivesitfar
Well-known member
Brent: if you had a spare cable you might have tried to jack up the side that broke and fix it and you would have needed some 4x4's to jack it up slowly, put in a support. change the support you are jacking up door with and so on until door gets even. i've had maybe 6 springs break in the almost 30 years i've been here on my 2 single car garage doors and maybe one or two cables. i finally just bought new doors and 2 new garage door openers and it's been AWESOME the past 2 years.
if you have the room i'd highly recommend the side mounted garage door opener and i think it's a liftmaster. so much more quiet than the old 1/2 Hp Craftsman garage openers and several nice options. not sure if you'd need a new door or tracks, but i know you like your garage and you use it a LOT so might be a good investment. i'll get my model # and a few pictures if you ask.
for some reason i thought you lived in Southern California so sorry about the Earthquake post.
good luck
if you have the room i'd highly recommend the side mounted garage door opener and i think it's a liftmaster. so much more quiet than the old 1/2 Hp Craftsman garage openers and several nice options. not sure if you'd need a new door or tracks, but i know you like your garage and you use it a LOT so might be a good investment. i'll get my model # and a few pictures if you ask.
for some reason i thought you lived in Southern California so sorry about the Earthquake post.
good luck
drivesitfar
Well-known member
BRENT: maybe GOD is saying it's time to install it?
I've wanted a task light like this for years. The prices on the old one are usually ridiculous thanks to the fine, "hip" folks that love vintage industrial decor. I get it, they look cool. I just am not one to pay to play, like that.
When I saw this light and it was non-operational it was like a decade's long dream come true. I was lucky with this light for a few reasons. First it had a weighted base allowing it to be used anywhere. Second, and probably more importantly, the manufacturer's label was gone and that kept the seller from knowing what it was or researching its worth. And third, it didn't work and the seller wasn't interested nor skilled to fix it.
Truthfully, I don't care who made it and I haven't even bothered to look into it but, man, it's a cool light.
I disassembled it, cleaned the ball joints and put a cord from a work light I had broken over the summer. I messed with the switch a little bit to get it cleaner and made a couple paper washers.
I ran the shade over the buffer for a minute and installed an LED bulb. It's good to go again.
Anyone know the make?
When I saw this light and it was non-operational it was like a decade's long dream come true. I was lucky with this light for a few reasons. First it had a weighted base allowing it to be used anywhere. Second, and probably more importantly, the manufacturer's label was gone and that kept the seller from knowing what it was or researching its worth. And third, it didn't work and the seller wasn't interested nor skilled to fix it.
Truthfully, I don't care who made it and I haven't even bothered to look into it but, man, it's a cool light.
I disassembled it, cleaned the ball joints and put a cord from a work light I had broken over the summer. I messed with the switch a little bit to get it cleaner and made a couple paper washers.
I ran the shade over the buffer for a minute and installed an LED bulb. It's good to go again.
Anyone know the make?
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Finallygotit
ALLIANCE MEMBER
That would be a Dazor model 1100, made in St. Louis, MO.
HTH
HTH
That would be a Dazor model 1100, made in St. Louis, MO.
HTH
Get out of here! Wow, thanks, that was lightning fast. Did you know that off the top of your head? If so, that's pretty cool.
Jango
Active member
Nice garage build up! I like the filing cabinets.
Finallygotit
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Nah, not off the top of my head. I ran downstairs to the machine shop for a look see. We have a few of 'em.
Thanks! I love them, too. I always admired shops that had them. For the first time, in my shop, they're set up in a way that I like.
So cool, thanks, Finallygotit!
Finallygotit
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Feels good to be able to give back when possible. I'm learning so much from this site.
Redboy
Well-known member
Awesome lamp, Brent!
And Finallygotit, thanks to your post I just figured out that my lamp is a Dazor 1102!
And Finallygotit, thanks to your post I just figured out that my lamp is a Dazor 1102!
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Awesome lamp, Brent!
And Finallygotit, thanks to your post I just figured out that my lamp is a Dazor 1102!
Thanks! But, whoa, look at that set-up! I need to get a label maker. That looks so sharp.
littleviking
Well-known member
- Joined
- Sep 22, 2009
- Messages
- 81
Much progress Very Good .
:-D
:-D