After the cleanup

[tornadocaster]

Hi Guys.
These pictures are after a major cleanup of my 2 car garage. As you can see I am fond of filing cabinets. I love tools and am fully set up for renos, cabinet making and engine building.
I have also painted a car in here.
I realized that the expensive tool boxes were built like filing cabinets with heavy slides etc and so I couldn't give up the great deals around town.

I have a plan....
-paint all cabinets one color maybe a silver hammered paint.
-New steel countertops
-get rid of the pegboard and hide most of the tools in custom cabinets something like a big medicine cabinet
-cleanup electrical and air lines
-hide compressor
-organize and label all the drawers
-make a woodworking bench with more filing cabinets underneath
-redo the lighting
-close off suspended shelves with sliding doors

Anyways until the snow starts falling I will only tackle the small jobs and then this winter I will have what I always wanted.

 

[Pate]

Looks like you have a nice start. Looking forward to seeing your progress.

 

[don long]

I believe you need a few more screw drivers and you will be set lol.

Your project looks like what I am involved in right now
Good luck with the reoriginization
Don

 

[tornadocaster]

I found more screwdrivers!

 

[Richard Cranium]

I liked the center cabinet, what is it? Rich.....

 

[tornadocaster]

I started with my new rapidair kits and I just got the barebones lines done.
I made sure to have air on either side of garage and at the big door the large reel for air outside when I need it.
I will have 4 hook ups around the garage and since there is an extra hole on each manifold for the valve, I will have a coil line with blow gun hard-lined in.
I did this at work in our machine shop and none of the blow-guns "walked away" for the past two years.
Hopefully this weekend I will get my galvalume countertops bent up and installed.
Also I will be using some kind of metal on the walls.
I have access to a thin decorative checkerplate but its non-magnetic so I am leaning towards 26 gauge brite red steel sheets with accents of checker plate to hide electrical wiring and air lines.
keep you posted.
Gio

 

[tornadocaster]

I liked the center cabinet, what is it? Rich.....

if you're referring to the center filing cabinet, it is my $40 worth of awesomeness.
Found it on kijiji locally.
It must have been a card file since each drawer must have had 6-8 dividers in each one. It has the same slides per drawer like the larger cabinets. Also you can open 2 or three drawers at once unlike the ones next to it where you have to open the top drawer to open any other drawer.
This mechanism is sticky so I may disable it.
I might have to add large warning stickers not to open more than one drawer at a time but I love the organization I have now.
Cheers!
Gio

 

[zip95864]

love the wall of lateral filing cabinets ---- especially how they all match. I kind of wish I had done something like that on one of my walls instead of building a bench there.

 

[NewShockerGuy]

I started with my new rapidair kits and I just got the barebones lines done.
I made sure to have air on either side of garage and at the big door the large reel for air outside when I need it.
I will have 4 hook ups around the garage and since there is an extra hole on each manifold for the valve, I will have a coil line with blow gun hard-lined in.
I did this at work in our machine shop and none of the blow-guns "walked away" for the past two years.
Hopefully this weekend I will get my galvalume countertops bent up and installed.
Also I will be using some kind of metal on the walls.
I have access to a thin decorative checkerplate but its non-magnetic so I am leaning towards 26 gauge brite red steel sheets with accents of checker plate to hide electrical wiring and air lines.
keep you posted.
Gio

Any leaks or anything like that with this setup?

Got a link on where you got everything?

Seems like a good solution!

-Nigel

 

[tornadocaster]

on the first install at my shop (about 200' and 6-7 manifolds) I found a couple.
what I realized is that i didnt push the lines far enough past the barbs in the couplers.
I went back and pushed them all in and found a few that I had missed but still held air.
As to where to find the setup check the above links. Where I got mine is here in Canada and they don't mail-order to the US. You have great suppliers there that we don't have access to.
Sears had great pricing when I was shopping around.
Cheers!
Gio

 

[tornadocaster]

Back in the garage last night I tried out something new.
I had a piece of thin gauge aluminum sheet which I cladded a plywood with, and hung my wrenches. I am designing a modular system to replace my pegboard.
My goal is to make some thin cabinets over part of my bench (aprox 6" deep x 36" wide by 40"tall) and hang these boards in them. I know the forum is divided on tool boards vs drawer storage but even when I bought the hooks for the pegboard to hold only the wrenches, I tend to put them away.
So these new cabinets will hide the tools and keep them clean but I will have all my tools right where I need them.....
In theory!

 

[tornadocaster]

I also moved my screwdrivers onto these strong magnet bars ($16 at Princess Auto) and so far so good. My garage will be alarmed soon to the house system so I will get rid of the "security bars/screwdriver holder"

 

[tornadocaster]

Okay,
So remember the magnets I bought?
Not bad but tools still fall off. So I was planning some kind of guide to hold the screwdrivers but the problem was the longer screwdrivers need clearance above to pull out. also the design of some of them doesnt allow them to sit flat in a simple hole either from being top heavy or oddly shaped like the nut drivers.
So last week I started building the prototype cabinet in that mill finish aluminum I have kicking around and right when I was about to start laying out my screwdrivers and drilling holes I realized all my screwdrivers have hanging holes.
As you can see in the pictures, I am getting rid of the visible tools that were hanging on the window bar but also the pegboard.
I don't want to hide all my tools, but I do enjoy going in the garage and knowing where everything is.
Gio

 

[tornadocaster]

So I realized I haven't updated this thread at all but I have been putting pictures everywhere else in other threads that might be more relevant to the project.

I have finished filling the wall cabinet.
I have built the drawers for the gap over the filing cabinets.
I cladded the countertops.
I did a test paint job of the bottom cabinets.

 

[GregsRetroGarage]

Nice work! I like that prototype cabinet! I have been reogranizing my garage over the past 3 months and things are starting to come together...just takes time! Keep after it!

 

[tornadocaster]

Last night I painted the first section of drawers with the Hammerite paint. I haven't made up my mind if I like it or not until I give it another coat.

 

[akdiesel]

The cabinets turned out great.

 

[jeffmoss26]

Great looking shop!!

 

[bullnerd]

Nice!

Why do the top drawers on the horizontal filing cabinets stay open?

 

[tornadocaster]

Nice!

Why do the top drawers on the horizontal filing cabinets stay open?

Thanks for the support.
These 4 drawer cabinets came from a lawyers office.
They would lock them with a padlock at the top. If the top drawer isnt slightly open like you see you cant open the bottom 3.
I leave them open for now until I reorganize them, as the heavy duty locking bars inside need to be lubed so they work seamlessly.
Off to paint right now. I will post more pics tomorrow
Cheers
Gio

 

[24X26]

Nice looking shop. Also, good to see a fellow Edmontonian here.
What part of the city? I'm near the U of A.

I'll be posting pics of my shop soon hopefully... still being built and we are living in a rental until it is.

At least the rental has a double heated garage.

 

[tornadocaster]

Good to hear.
If you need anything to do with cladding, sheet metal or exterior finishing let me know. And if you need a hand let me know.
I am in the northside by the municipal airport.
Cheers
Gio

 

[tornadocaster]

I will explain these after dinner
off to barbecue.

Cheers
Gio

 

[tornadocaster]

So first of all i got my cabinets painted, sanded then painted again.
Saturday on kijiji there was an ad from a mechanic shop shutting down.
Sunday afternoon he calls me
On the wall is the blue streak box which i wasn't really after but it was mint!
He asks $100 I offer $30 and we have a deal
On the floor was a box with a brand new vice with a $30 sticker on it,
I just went for it. Its $89 at Princess Auto here so I did ok.
Also $2 for a pair of welding gloves.
So now I have the blue streak box on the wall over my compressor and welder and I already filled it with automotive liquids and coeaning products, rags etc.
This allowed me to empty 3 bins from around the garage.
Have a great night.
Gio

 

[tornadocaster]

I'm liking the color more and more and since the snow my wife has been parking inside so I don't have a wider picture (also I have been accumulating all the garbage in front of the truck)
One of the HD black friday specials was all the bins on top of the back cabinets.
Last night I started organizing all the nuts and bolts and small pieces that I had squirreled away in all these cabinets.
Gio

 

[tornadocaster]

These bins were part of the black Friday specials at HD. I had a couple already and liked how they locked, carried and stacked.







I got this idea from a youtube video of Mythbuster's shop and Jamie showed off his SORTIMO system and tower.
I loved the idea but not the price.
The bins I bought were roughly $5 each and I have around 20 of them.
I was hoping I could use a couple of the big drawers from my cabinets but the one drawer under the workbench I tried the bins wouldn't fit (too tall).
I just tried one of these bins at work and it fit, so I will re-try tonight in the cabinet at the back wall.
I like the idea that I could take 2 drawers and fit all 20 of the bins standing up with the label up.

What seemed like a huge task actually didn't take that long as sorting thru what I have went much faster than I thought. What was great was how much room I was freeing up in the cabinets and also taking most of GJ's advice on purging. I was keeping things over 2-3 years I never touched so it felt good to toss.
Have a great day
Gio

 

[SoL from Sweden]

looks great! what kind of car is that? a chevy yes, but more.

 

[tornadocaster]

Its a 1988 Chevy Blazer.
It was a long term project. Built the engine for it last year then this past spring I installed it in the truck which had just been painted John Deere Blitz Black.
The engine (350 small block bored .60 over) was built following a recipe from Hot Rod Magazine which produces around 400-425 horsepower and torque.,
It was my first and only engine build which makes it even more satisfying to me (Thanks Youtube)
Planning to turn it into an auto crosser with a 4 link and roll cage.
It is my therapy. I have 3 children and when my wife is away on business, when she gets back I usually go out for a "testosterone" drive. Even my 3 year old enjoys the loud exhaust and torque.
My work is in a large industrial area and so I head there at night and leave rubber everywhere. All my coworkers know when I've been there.
Since it is full winter here now, I miss driving it so it might be time to invest in a snowmobile.
Cheers
Gio

 

[SoL from Sweden]

cool i have never seen a grille and headlights like that on a blazer before. it looks badass

 

[tornadocaster]

Thank you.
If you notice I won't put any closeups of the grille and lights as I love it from afar but I will need someone with experience to actually make it into one. I took the lights from a 70's truck and adapted them to the 88 grille.
So it is the look I want but just not finished well. I'm not too worried because most only see the tailights

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=2709615&postcount=400
This link has a picture of the engine when I finished it.

 

[tornadocaster]

Anyone see the youtube video of Jamie from Mythbusters when he showed off his workshop and the centerpiece to him was his Sortimo system http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/mythbusters/tips/4327161
Which he organized all his small parts and fasteners. Loved the idea but hated the price. Those bins are $40-$60 each nevermind the rack. So i built this rack, added some casters and found a home for 14 of these bins which I have already started sorting and labelling. I will probably finish it in the same aluminum and rivets like the wall cabinet.
Cheers
Gio

 

[tornadocaster]

Got the cladding done on back and sides.
I will finish the top this weekend.

Cheers
Gio

 

[marty_p]

Pure genius, sir!!!

 

[tornadocaster]

Thanks.
The best is my boy helped me on the top and i started to show him how to use the metal brake. Unfortunately the iphone is on the dock playing tunes so I don't get enough pictures.
Have a great night
Gio

 

[tornadocaster]

Just to clarify, when i finish these cabinets with aluminum and rivets it is cosmetic but the way i look at it is i would rather this than paint and it is quite cheap. Also all my corners are at least triple .020 aluminum which is easily maintained. I missed out on some great filing cabinets on kijiji so thats when i decided to go this route
Cheers
Gio

 

[Shea]

Wow, what a project! Great ideas too.... It has me thinking about a few things in my garage. Beware though, when you think you are done, you will think of something else you could do to make it even better.

 

[er3456df]

Really great, I like the cladding. Sharp edges a problem? Do you deburr or anything?

Also, I need a rack for my plastic trays too. Sheetmetal dividers seem like they would be too flexy, but yours looks good. What thickness is that?

 

[tornadocaster]

Like Shea said you can't stop. I already have the next wall cabinet metal and wood cut and ready to assemble.
As for deburring, since the aluminum is only .020 and it is meant to be bent and folded, i take a smooth hammer and tap the sharp corners which kind of fold into themselves and the wood behind "gives" a bit. If its still sharp i take a small file and round it off.
As for the sheet metal shelves i use 18 gauge steel which is slid into saw blade thin dadoes in the cabinet. Also when i cut the pieces, since the sheets come off a master roll, some of the pieces have a natural arc to them so i put the heavier nut and bolt bins on those. Usually at the bottom to keep the center of gravity down.
Cheers
Gio

 

[Chadwilliam1]

I also moved my screwdrivers onto these strong magnet bars ($16 at Princess Auto) and so far so good. My garage will be alarmed soon to the house system so I will get rid of the "security bars/screwdriver holder"

More info on how you made the wrench holder please. That seems like it would work very well is my basement.

 

[dodge610]

Can i get some dimensions on that sortimo system rack that you built I would like to build the twin to yours. Redoing my garage also slow tedious work but I am keeping at it Thank You for the dimensions in advance.