Argh!!! TOO MUCH STUFF!!

[e-tek]

When I bought this:

It put my shop into the "too crowded" zone. I built it as large as I could (24x40), thinking at the time it was HUGE, but with 3 projects, 5 engines, a lift and all the assorted equipment, I now find myself not having enough room to move around!

What have you done to arrange/re-arrange in situations like this?

 

[dirttracker18]

Pallet racks opened up tons of space in my shop. You can still have a workbench under them so you really have not lots any floor space.

 

[rbonitz]

That thing is so cool..... I never saw a ragtop before.

Kid on my wrestling team got a new Trans Am for his 16th birthday and wrecked it before his 17th.

I just sold my double-wide storage lift...should have shipped it up to you!/

 

[GeorgiaHybrid]

What have you done to arrange/re-arrange in situations like this?

Easy, build another garage.

 

[JCQuick]

Ed you need to buy a rental with a garage. store you extra cars in there and tell the tenant its off limits to them. thats what a friend of mine does he's got 3 elcaminos stored at rentals he owns

 

[zmotorsports]

I was in the same boat as you when I wanted to install my 2-post lift two years ago. First I went through and had to be 100% honest with myself about a few of the larger items, if I hadn't used it or thought I would in the next several years, it went up for sale. I then built an overhead storage shelf that is 24' long and 4' deep suspended from the ceiling and one wall. Things that don't get used very often but I didn't want to sell went up there.

My shop is only 34'x34' so space is definately at a premium but it works and it's paid for. My wife tossed around the idea of moving last year to get a little more property in order to build a larger shop so I could also store our 40' coach in and keep it out of the elements but after putting a pencil to the cost of a house and shop the size to accomplish that, we decided to just be happy with our little paid for home.

P.S. nice TransAm by the way.

Mike.

 

[Notch1988]

The answer is easy but getting there is another story...

1. Build/find more storage
or option 2
2. Get rid of stuff

 

[larry_g]

I find that shipping stuff to select people on the internet helps to clear out my shop.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[GarageWarrior]

Pallet racks opened up tons of space in my shop. You can still have a workbench under them so you really have not lots any floor space.

Yeah, + 1 on pallet racking and a forklift!

It's cheap and really helps with getting stuff out of the way. I posted a few pics of my pallet rack setup here:

http://garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=183578

 

[71Datsun510Wagon]

Would a second lift be workable? Get one car off the ground for storage and clear up floor space?

Rob

 

[ezzzzzzz]

The problem with pallet racks and other shelving is more stuff gets acquired but rarely if ever gets used. I have eliminated virtually all shelving except for a rolling unit 6 shelf with parts being used within a few weeks. The rest is divided, placed into shipping crates (15x18x24) and stored on a slim catwalk that surrounds the lift bay on three sides. When the limited space fills up something has to go away...period. Everything else is getting sold, scrapped or thrown away. It is amazing to me how quickly 'stuff' piles up for prospective future projects because it has some 'worth'. It feels even better when much of it goes away and you can actually see the 'hoarding' syndrome we all possess lose some of it's grip.

 

[Kev442]

Sheetmetal up into the rafters and engines I'm not working with under the shelving units/workbenches. Larin makes a cradle (not a stand) that has 4 wheels and gets the engine right down at floor level. That was huge for me.
Putting cars on dollies and pushing them with in 3-4" of each other is how I used to do winter storage. As long as a space is cleared all around the current project car, do whatever it takes.

 

[LutzTD]

Ed you need to buy a rental with a garage. store you extra cars in there and tell the tenant its off limits to them. thats what a friend of mine does he's got 3 elcaminos stored at rentals he owns

wow he must have better renters than I have seen. My experience has been something akin to the parking attendants in Ferris Buellers Day Off, anything there over time becomes theirs........

agree on the pallet racks, you can get them cheap and load them heavy. but youll now also need space for the forklift

 

[rbonitz]

And when someone ask if you can drive a forklift, you can tell them "I can drive any forking thing made."

 

[NHBandit]

There is no such thing as too much stuff. There are only garages that are too small. That said I agree with the pallet racks and if you only store light stuff near the top there is no need for a forklift. Of course forklifts serve many purposes and are a great addition to any shop.. So yeah.. you need a bigger garage.

 

[csp]

Pallet racking and/or a shipping container if you have room for one.

 

[P Dubya]

24 x 40? You do all that in 24 x 40? I'm not worthy....

 

[e-tek]

Ed you need to buy a rental with a garage.

We actually have 3 rentals with garages! The Galaxie in one, the 46 MErc in another and a trailer in the third...We are going to buy a forth place - and a double garage is definitely on the list!

First I went through and had to be 100% honest with myself about a few of the larger items, if I hadn't used it or thought I would in the next several years, it went up for sale. I then built an overhead storage shelf that is 24' long and 4' deep suspended from the ceiling and one wall.......... we decided to just be happy with our little paid for home.

Mike.

The only things I don't use much are the 2 Sun machines. I bought them on a whim after seeing Goodfellows and others with them. They looked so cool and work on my vintage cars, but get used like once a year at most......As for a bigger garage, we are also happy with our lot in life and just aren't the type to get a $700,000 mortgage like many of our friends.

I find that shipping stuff to select people on the internet helps to clear out my shop.
lg
no neat sig line

HaHa - being the beneficiary of your generosity....do you want a couple Sun machines?!

Sheetmetal up into the rafters and engines I'm not working with under the shelving units/workbenches. That was huge for me.
Putting cars on dollies and pushing them with in 3-4" of each other is how I used to do winter storage. As long as a space is cleared all around the current project car, do whatever it takes.

That's a good idea - I could re-do some shelves under my main bench and cradle a couple engines. Problem with projects is that I work on several at once!

I then built an overhead storage shelf that is 24' long and 4' deep suspended from the ceiling and one wall. Things that don't get used very often but I didn't want to sell went up there.

Those were the FIRST things I built (suspended shelving). Maybe I just need to build more.

Thanks guys - with the ideas here I thing I can make it work. If I got the engines that are done or waiting under the bench and added a couple more shelves, it could open up a bay. Maybe I can move the Sun Equipment into the 2 car, or to one of our rentals, then move equipment I use more often into those spaces.

24 x 40? You do all that in 24 x 40? I'm not worthy....

When you're poor, ya just gotta make do....


I love this place.

 

[Big-Foot]

Welcome to the SS Brotherhood. SS? short for $h!t shuffle... I have a 30x30 as my shop out in the back yard (as well as a 3 car attached). I am already in the planning stages of an addition that will probably be on the order of 20x48 and will be two stories tall.

I use skates under the cars, motorcycles can be a bit of a challenge too.
I am looking into Pallet Racks for the back of the shop which will give me some good strong overhead storage space. I may cut them down to only be 2 or 3 feet deep.

Good luck in your quest of working space..

 

[e-tek]

Here's an idea. Sized to my shop it would be enough to winch engines and parts up there.

 

[deuces2]

No winch you just need one of these tools, very handy

 

[AMCguy]

I have gotten to a point in my life where I find I can only get work done, start a small project, or even enjoy hanging out in my garage it there is no clutter. I can't stand moving things I'm not using from one place to another just to get to something I need.

Over the last couple of years I have started getting rid if things I once wouldn't have. It has been quite liberating. I find that space or lack of clutter, allows me to be more productive in my work and in my thinking. I will often look at something. If I value the space it occupies more than the object its self, I have a hard time justifying holding on to it.

 

[AndyA]

No winch you just need one of these tools, very handy

+1. I bought an Ag tractor with a front end loader. I have pair of pallet forks that match the quick-attach. How did I ever get work done before!?!?!?!

 

[e-tek]

+1. I bought an Ag tractor with a front end loader. I have pair of pallet forks that match the quick-attach. How did I ever get work done before!?!?!?!

That settles it - I'll buy a big FEL and move stuff onto the roof, dig huge holes for people, install culverts around the neighborhood....

 

[Mr. D]

I had that problem one time, ordered a dumpster problem solved.

 

[Omphaloskeptic]

E-Tek, your shop is 24' x 40', but how tall are the walls? I went to your website and saw the nighttime pic (with the Challenger out front), and it looks like you have a good amount of vertical height to work with. Maybe its time to reclaim some of that display space and install/build some elevated heavy duty shelving. After the latest project car goes out for paint, you might have enough 'dancing room' to do some serious reconfiguration in the shop. I keep thinking that pallet racking would be ideal for my needs, but I don't know if they would work in your situation. The thing about pallet racking that appeals to me is that they are stout as hell, can be reconfigured as needed, use the vertical space well, are deep enough to use a portion(s) as a work/assembly table, can have light fixtures strung from them, and can be adjusted to have big/heavy/bulky items stored on the floor beneath them. A FEL would be nice to load up the top shelf, but a winch/hoist might do in a pinch. An engine hoist would probably suffice for loading a 'work bench' height shelf with engine blocks & wood cradles. Maybe it's time for some serious application of the 'when in doubt, pitch it out' work ethic; I know for sure that I need to be brutal in this regard! lol

Maybe you've already posted them in the past, but how about doing a series of interior wall pics and giving the wall height so us GJ 'armchair quarterbacks' can critique (but not berate) , suggest, and perhaps inspire ideas that would work for YOUR shop/work practices. That way we'll be able to see the 'before' and 'after' pics and applaud your shop renovation efforts as we do your impressive automotive restoration projects!

 

[e-tek]

Always appreciate your input O. The walls are 11'3"

 

[Too_Many_Tools]

Remember that all that "valuable "stuff you have will be sold at auction where the auctioneer will get a third of its value for flapping his lips. Better that you cull the herd on a regular basis and enjoy 100% of what it is worth.

And if you move...well let us know where the garage sale is at firesale pricing.

 

[NASTYZEN]

Easy, build another garage.

I did that but now the second one is full too! So is my shed and tempo.
Argh!

 

[welder4956]

That settles it - I'll buy a big FEL and move stuff onto the roof, dig huge holes for people, install culverts around the neighborhood....

Hey! Get one with a backhoe and you can dig holes in the yard to bury parts until you need them. Much like a squirrel burying nuts for the winter.

Just a thought...

 

[MoparTrucks]

Here's an idea. Sized to my shop it would be enough to winch engines and parts up there.

I only have a 24'x32' with a lean-to on one side and I am going to either build a machine shed or go the shipping container route but this picture you posted sure gives me some ideas. Here I have been only thinking about how to do something with the trusses for storage but I like this a lot and am going to be rethinking my plans.

Thanks for the idea!

 

[e-tek]

I finally took a photo of my '46 Mercury truck that unceremoniously got 'left out in the cold' last fall.....I feel horrible. But now the snow is too deep that it'd be difficult to move - even if I wanted to!

 

[78C-10]

I have gotten to a point in my life where I find I can only get work done, start a small project, or even enjoy hanging out in my garage it there is no clutter. I can't stand moving things I'm not using from one place to another just to get to something I need.

Over the last couple of years I have started getting rid if things I once wouldn't have. It has been quite liberating. I find that space or lack of clutter, allows me to be more productive in my work and in my thinking. I will often look at something. If I value the space it occupies more than the object its self, I have a hard time justifying holding on to it.

Amen to that! My pole barn is 30x40 and it looks good without a bunch of projects in it versus just having what I really want and focus on that. I have one old truck to restore and two old garden tractors to tinker with. I'm happy with that and is more than enough to keep me busy.

 

[Shadowdog500]

+1 on pallate racks.
+1 on figuring out what you really need and getting the rest out of your working space.

I had a rack before I cluttered my space but it sure helped to get stuff up off the floor.

I had a good fall tripping over **** in my shop about a year ago. one of the guys at work did the same thing a week or so later and sliced the top of his head wide open from front to back when he landed on another project on his shop. That opened my eyes And I got on a cleaning kick and got rid of everything I didn't need in there. I even gave a tire machine back to a friend after I realized that I never used it.

Why so many projects in your shop? Only have the one or two you are actively working on in there. If you insist on keeping multiple projects store them outside of your working space. I know you do a lot of restorations, but most people I know with multiple projects in their shop spend so much time moving stuff around to get anything done that it seriously slows down their progress.

Just my 2cents

Chris

 

[bullnerd]

Man ! I miss my Nova !

 

[tcianci]

Ed, I hear ya. Years ago, I coined a saying "The most valuable thing you have is the space that you're storing it in." The more stuff I try to do, the more this seems to be true. Since the 40 is just about done, I'm already starting to divest myself of stuff I accumulated for the build but for one reason or another, didn't need.

In my remodel business, it's really tempting to take stuff home from a job because I "might need it". In reality, If and when it does get used, more often than not it's to my detriment. I hung onto something for years just so I could use it on a job and "save" the cost of of a new one. So I end up moving it, keeping it from freezing in some cases, out of the weather and working around it till it gets used. NOT WORTH IT. I have more $hit around here now when what I really need is a nice clean space to finalize this project and get on to the next. I don't know how things are up in Canada but it's actually getting harder and harder to dispose of stuff down here, residential trash collection has it's own set of "trash police" so I have to pay to get rid of lots of stuff that you used to be able to just toss and that means even more stuff hanging around till it's financially worth it to have it hauled.

The guys have posted a lot of great storage ideas but there's a finite limit as to how much stuff we all can have, and in the long run it will be cheaper to just buy what you need when you need it rather than spending coin on space to keep it all.

Right now I've got the proverbial 10 pounds in the 5 pound bag and I'm looking forward to spring cleaning!

 

[e-tek]

Why so many projects in your shop? Only have the one or two you are actively working on in there. If you insist on keeping multiple projects store them outside of your working space.
Chris

It's not that there are TOO MANY projects, but the logistics of having things apart - and stored - cuase most of my problems. With 2+ feet of HARD snow on the ground, nothing can be moved outside - even temporarily. I have the 40Ford on the lift, the 240Z on the Rotisserie, the TA Convertible (awaiting spring) and 5 engines awaiting either teardown, or the machine shop - and I just sold one engine I finished and didn't really need!

A lot of it is just the nature of winters up here. If it's going to be worked on (or used) in the winter, it has to come into the shop in the fall.

I don't know how things are up in Canada but it's actually getting harder and harder to dispose of stuff down here, residential trash collection has it's own set of "trash police" so I have to pay to get rid of lots of stuff that you used to be able to just toss and that means even more stuff hanging around till it's financially worth it to have it hauled.

It's getting very similar up here - I keep my scrap metal in a pile awaiting a trip to the recycler, the '46 Merc truck is filled at least twice a year with stuff going to the dump and oil is kept in a 45gal drum until full.

But thanks to all for the suggestions - I already have more room by putting several into practice!

 

[JC23]

A mezzinine would allow for a clean room for delicate operations such as small painting and engine building.

Or I could paint a big door on a wall and you could store everything in there...

 

[e-tek]

A mezzinine would allow for a clean room for delicate operations such as small painting and engine building.

Or I could paint a big door on a wall and you could store everything in there...

I would love ANYTHING you painted on my walls - but a door would be great!!

 

[JC23]

I would love ANYTHING you painted on my walls - but a door would be great!!

Thanks but it sounds like you don't have the room!

But you have my creative juices working...