Between 485 & 705 SQ/FT British Garage planned

[bazzateer]

I did some checking and measuring and a bit of sketching yesterday and realised that I already have all the wood I need to build my L shaped workbench. So, while I wait for the funds for the electrics I'll probably start building it this week. It will be free-standing for now but eventually will be fixed to the wall studs.

Naturally I'll try to remember to take pics. I'm using scrap pieces of wood and I'm no carpenter so it will be more Heath Robinson than Norm Abrahms!

 

[51rider]

Aw shucks guys!

Just pleased I can pass on something that will save a few hard earned ££that you can spend elsewhere on the garage

 

[Flange]

Baz, have you ever used Freecycle? I use it and although I have mostly given stuff away on it, I have also had a few bits given to me that were great. Things like wood quite often come up on it and not just small off cuts but quite often decent quantities of good stuff. Things I have received free from Freecycle include a woodburning stove, a new pine single bed frame and some Whitworth tools.

It may be worth joining and keeping an eye out for items that you need. The only thing to remember is that when you first join you have to give at least one item away before you are eligible to receive stuff for free.

 

[bazzateer]

Baz, have you ever used Freecycle? I use it and although I have mostly given stuff away on it, I have also had a few bits given to me that were great. Things like wood quite often come up on it and not just small off cuts but quite often decent quantities of good stuff. Things I have received free from Freecycle include a woodburning stove, a new pine single bed frame and some Whitworth tools.

It may be worth joining and keeping an eye out for items that you need. The only thing to remember is that when you first join you have to give at least one item away before you are eligible to receive stuff for free.

I am on there but nothing decent has come up yet. Wasn't aware of the rule about giving something first - will have to find something I don't want.

 

[Flange]

Wasn't aware of the rule about giving something first - will have to find something I don't want.

Each region is run by its own moderators so there may be regional differences in the rules, in my case i had to give stuff away first.

There is a lot of stuff on there so it can sometimes take a lot of looking before you find what you want. Have you tried posting a wanted ad on Freecycle? I have given stuff away a few times because I was reminded I had something due to a Wanted ad reminding me I had it.

 

[enginewizard1969]

I use freecycle just picked up aload of hinges to make my cupboards didn't have to give first, as was said every area can be different

 

[Scottishross]

nice looking garage mate

 

[bazzateer]

Each region is run by its own moderators so there may be regional differences in the rules, in my case i had to give stuff away first.

There is a lot of stuff on there so it can sometimes take a lot of looking before you find what you want. Have you tried posting a wanted ad on Freecycle? I have given stuff away a few times because I was reminded I had something due to a Wanted ad reminding me I had it.

I have thought about a wanted ad but keep forgetting (not bothering) to do it!

nice looking garage mate

Cheers!

 

[bazzateer]

Made a start on the bench this morning.

This was after cutting the various planks to size:

The longer/lighter coloured section is 5x2 and the shorter/darker section is 6x2.

This was after I lag bolted them together and laid them in the basic position where the bench will be. One of the fence posts/bench legs can be seen in this pic also.

A couple of the recycled fence posts were beyond use so I will have to buy a couple after all.

 

[Lippyp]

Baz, workbench looks good, you planning on kitchen worktop as a top?

I'm on Freecycle too but most of the time it seems to be full of people asking for a free 65" TV etc with very little of any interest to me given away. I desperately need a load of old wriggly tin to continue rebuilding my tin barn and despite living in a rural area I just can't find any. Have put want ads on all my local frecycle sites saying I'd be heappy to come and take it down of old outbuildings and clear up but nada.

As to an extractor fan, even without power you could do what I did in my place in France for ventilation when we're not there and the power is turned off. I have an 80W solar panel, 12V battery, charge controller two high output 12V PC fans and an optical switch to turn them off when it gets dark (turns off at almost exactly the same time the panels stop charging) It's made a huge difference to the amount of condensation and mould in corners we were getting when the place was shut up for the winter.

 

[bazzateer]

I've already go an 8' and a 4.5' section of kitchen worktop free from my brother (he fits kitchens amongst other things). They are brand new still in wrapping and were surplus from another job. He's going to get a 2x2' section for the corner which will allow me to have the bench size I'm after. Alternatively if he can get a 6' section there'll be no need for a corner piece.

I've posted wanted ads on my loccal freecycle now for some fence posts (recent weather must mean there are some going? Also for a dehumidifier - worth a try before I commit to buying one!

Got my eye on a nice commercial grade 6kw heater fan which I might get as it also blows cold for ventillation - that said my little 2kw heater fan does a reasonable job of getting the garage comfortable to work in.

I'll deal with ventillation before the insulation goes in - there'll be plenty of power outlets for fans if that's the way I go.

 

[bazzateer]

Bit of a lie-in today as it's 1st Jan so just an hour or so in the garage. Fitted legs to the smaller section of the bench, I'll add a brace across the back in due course and probably supports for a shelf near floor level. Still have to incorporate the drawers in this section too.

Having just thrown it all together with some cursory measurements and hand cutting the wood I was quite pleased with this:

The floor isn't perfectly flat around the edges so it may just require a slight bit of grinding of the comcrete to get it perfect. Likewise the back edge as the bench currently slopes slightly from back to front.

 

[THE APPRENTICE]

Looks like you will have plenty of space to work at there .Are you fiiting drawers on some drawer runners or just some wooden fillets at each side?
Its suprising what you can build without spending a fortune on a fancy bench .Have you decided what your going to cover the floor with yet ?

 

[bazzateer]

Looks like you will have plenty of space to work at there .Are you fiiting drawers on some drawer runners or just some wooden fillets at each side?
Its suprising what you can build without spending a fortune on a fancy bench .Have you decided what your going to cover the floor with yet ?

I'll be fitting two of these to the 6' section of the bench. :

For the floor I'm still thinking of some cheap laminate flooring - smooth for wheeling jacks etc over and easy to sweep up keep tidy.

 

[bazzateer]

Been looking into wall coverings as well and might be going with plasterboard/drywall after all - mainly because it's cheap! Also, it has some fire-retardent abilities. Fitting it over sealed vapour barrier means I won't have to bother with taping and 'mudding' - I can just paint it.

I can then use plasterboard fixings to hang signs and pictures etc. Anything heavy can be fixed through the drywall/plasterboard into the studs.

I've been refining my electrical plans today and have just about settled on what I want. Just need to find the cash to buy the cable and get a few more junction boxes etc. May have to wait until payday at the end of the month.

My neighbour popped round with 5 x 5' flourescent light fittings for free the other day so I now have more than enough light for the project. (2 x 8', 17 x 5' and 2 x 4').

 

[THE APPRENTICE]

Been looking into wall coverings as well and might be going with plasterboard/drywall after all - mainly because it's cheap! Also, it has some fire-retardent abilities. Fitting it over sealed vapour barrier means I won't have to bother with taping and 'mudding' - I can just paint it.

I can then use plasterboard fixings to hang signs and pictures etc. Anything heavy can be fixed through the drywall/plasterboard into the studs.

I've been refining my electrical plans today and have just about settled on what I want. Just need to find the cash to buy the cable and get a few more junction boxes etc. May have to wait until payday at the end of the month.

My neighbour popped round with 5 x 5' flourescent light fittings for free the other day so I now have more than enough light for the project. (2 x 8', 17 x 5' and 2 x 4').

A good mate of mines plaster boarded his garage/shed that he keeps his motor bikes in , we put 70 x 12 mm pine facing up the joints .Once painted and some holes filled it all looked pretty smart.
If i was you i would fix plywood in between the studs where your going to have heavy stuff or shelfs .We use 18 mm ply at work when doing disabled toilets etc so all the handrails and other aids get an amazing fix.Some 2x1 inch strapping on the side of the stud then fix your ply on top .Awsome fix .

I have been gathering loads of really gd stuff from work and skips for months and somewhere in it is 2 50 metre rolls of 1.5 twin earth and 2.5. Its theings like your lights etc that really help the build along isnt it . I know my build wouldnt be possible if it wasnt for my freebies and raiding skips lol

 

[bazzateer]

Good score on the cable - merits a 'You ****', or in English 'You Jammy ******!'

Plywood is a bit expensive. I don't plan on having much on one wall except signs, pictures etc which should be fine with plasterboard fixings. The other wall will have free standing racking/shelves so should also be fine. The rest is either doors or workbench. Might use ply for the walls above the 6' bit of the bench actually ................................a single 8x4 sheet would probably be all I needed.

 

[THE APPRENTICE]

Good score on the cable - merits a 'You ****', or in English 'You Jammy ******!'

Plywood is a bit expensive. I don't plan on having much on one wall except signs, pictures etc which should be fine with plasterboard fixings. The other wall will have free standing racking/shelves so should also be fine. The rest is either doors or workbench. Might use ply for the walls above the 6' bit of the bench actually ................................a single 8x4 sheet would probably be all I needed.

I could start a thread on the stuff i have sitting waiting to be used .Doors, windows,paint,plywood,4x2,tyvec,dpc and all sorts that will hopefully save me a fortune . I got brand new upvc doors and obv only need one so sold the rest to add to the fund.I was like a dug with 2 ***** the day i seen guys going to put them in a skip haha
Wonder if theres a thread where you can brag about free **** you fund lol

The ply works great i plan to do it in my own garage hopefully in the summer if i get things moving soon.

 

[bazzateer]

I think I need to spend my next free weekend touring the local industrial estates and looking in the skips! I did pull a couple of rolls of lino out of a skip next to my mate's unit. Was going to put them down where the cars will sit to protect the concrete from drips and my back from the concrete until the flooring goes down.

 

[THE APPRENTICE]

I think I need to spend my next free weekend touring the local industrial estates and looking in the skips! I did pull a couple of rolls of lino out of a skip next to my mate's unit. Was going to put them down where the cars will sit to protect the concrete from drips and my back from the concrete until the flooring goes down.

I work for a local council where the waste is just insane at times .Theres everything from joiner to blacksmiths in our depot and we all use the same skips so we often swap stuff when we have been told to put good stuff in the skip lol
Most days theres things in the general waste skip that theres nothing wrong with at all ,and i mean nothing . Sometimes the stuff in it is still brand new in the box .I dont ask any questions lol
The waste in our wood shop is unreal aswell.If i need say half a sheet of ply in the morning to board up a window by lunchtime the other half will be in the wood skip lol This will come in handy when im building cabinets and benches haha

Lino is always handy fror things .I have seen some nice heavy duty stuff with the raised coin profile .Something that may work fine in a garage that isnt getting too much abuse

 

[bazzateer]

The lino I nabbed is normal kitchen/bathroom stuff I think, but it'll do and it was free. Can also use some to put on the shed floor when I get around to building it.

Just fitted some more bracing to the top of the 6' section of bench to take the two drawers and put three corner legs on the 8' section. Need to acquire a couple of fence posts to finish off the legs - waiting for a result from Freecycle but might just buy a couple.

 

[THE APPRENTICE]

Yes you cant mock it if it was free lol I like the way you say "aquire" . Dont know the last time i bought a fence post mate iv no idea what they cost these days.

 

[bazzateer]

They're not expensive, I can get 2 8 foot 3x3 posts for under £20. Tomorrow if I have time before work I'm going to take a stroll along the alley and see how many fences have come down. The houses on the opposite side of the alley often have poorly maintained fences so I'm sure some will have come down. That way I might be able to 'acquire' what I need.

 

[bazzateer]

Just ben told I have to be in work for 7am Sat/Sun so looking for posts will have to wait until Monday.

 

[bazzateer]

Had quick drive down the alley at 6am this morning on way to work. Seems I'm too late as some fences clearly had come down but the owners have put them back up by nailing a few bits of wood across the posts/panels - won't last long but I need some posts now! Did notice that I still have a 6-7' post embedded in concrete by the ramp so I can lop that off when I get time. Seen in this pic:

 

[Grizz1963]

I think I need to spend my next free weekend touring the local industrial estates and looking in the skips! I did pull a couple of rolls of lino out of a skip next to my mate's unit. Was going to put them down where the cars will sit to protect the concrete from drips and my back from the concrete until the flooring goes down.

Sounds like a great score.

I want a laaaarge piece of carpet for the one side of my garage too.

Think you know this thread of FREEBIES http://www.retrorides.proboards.com/thread/89875/tip-treasures-updated-04-2014

Scored over 170 building blocks three miles from here yesterday...... Mickey and I had them collected and stored in less than two hours.

This was when we started. Pity you live too far from here, or else you may have been the recipient

 

[bazzateer]

Hadn't really noticed that thread Rian but obviously seen some of the results on your other ones. 14hr shifts this weekend but off Mon/Tue so intend to have a scoot around the local industrial areas for any scraps.

 

[bazzateer]

No skip diving today but got a bit done on the benches. Picked up some reclaimed timber from a place nearby - about 10m of 4x2 and 6m of 3x3 all for just £17. Two 2.4m 3x3 posts would cost more than that from a DIY store.

Had to remove about 40 nails from the 3x3s - think they'd been used in a roof - nice old wood with a red colour. The 4x2s were just standard pine I think. Anyway, using the reclaimed 3x3s and the one from outside the garage I finished off the structure of the two sections of workbench.

I also fitted the two drawers to the 6' bench as well as a power strip. Both benches were then given a quick going over with a sander before slapping on some of the stain left over from the walls. It's not the right colour for the reclaimed wood but at least it will give it some protection.

Some pics:

8 foot bench now has all it's legs and some supports for a low shelf on either side:

Shelf supports completed and stain applied:

Drawer carcases fitted using coach screws:

Back on it's feet and drawers in:

Power strip fitted and bench stained (unstained part will be covered by the shelf):

Left them to dry now. Still need to fit some 90 degree brackets and a power strip to the 8' bench. The brackets on both benches will be used to screw the counter-tops to the benches.

When finally fitted in place both benches will be fixed to the wall studs and also to each other - this is why they have no central legs across the back.

 

[bazzateer]

Slight update, spent the morning fitting final shelf supports, staining and fitting L brackets to the 8' bench. Both benches roughly in place and will be left to dry now. This was never intended to be a work of art and it has turned out pretty much as I hoped. Once finished off with the worktop (light Cocobolo for a bit of class!) it should serve me well.

I decided to wait on fitting the second power strip as I'm not sure exactly where I want it at the moment. I'll wait until the electrics/insulation and walls are done and the benches are ready for their final fixing to the walls.

also tidied up the garage as there were tools, and rubbish all over - not to mention a lot of sawdust. Swept it all to one end and was pleased to note that the concrete sealer/densifier seems to have done its job as there was virtually no dust apparent.

 

[RSOllie]

Looks like it will take some abuse! Lol
I have to ask about the plug thing though, are u not haveing many sockets on the wall?

 

[bazzateer]

It's something I had lying around so thought I'd use it. There'll be loads of sockets around the walls as well.

On the subject of sockets I was going with a normal ring circuit for the sockets using 2.5mm cable plus a separate ring of 6mm cable for the welder/compressor circuit. Thinking about it, instead of running two circuits with two types of cable why not just run one 6mm circuit on a 30amp breaker? That way I can plug anything into any socket. It will save on time and cable if nothing else.

 

[bazzateer]

Found a pic of the tool chest I bought for £180 a few years back which is currently sitting in a lock-up garage. All the drawers slide nicely and the locks work, only came with one key per lock so a friend cut some spares for me. This will be cleaned up and installed in the garage eventually. It's about 6' tall with the top box on and weighs a ton! Maker is either US Pro or American Pro, I can't remember and can't read the badge on the pic!

Might have to paint the bench drawers red to match!

 

[bazzateer]

Insulation should be here soon. Spent this morning drilling holes in the studs ready for the power cable to be threaded through for the sockets. Won't be able to do that until the end of the month though as no more left in the budget to buy the cable!

Also need to buy some 3x2 to fit some noggins where the sockets will go and also to fully frame out the doors ready for insulation. That should also come after payday!

 

[Sunbimmer]

Looks like it will take some abuse! Lol
....

Looks like it CAN take some abuse

 

[bazzateer]

Looks like it CAN take some abuse

It can, and it will!

Insulation arrived. First had to help unload it onto the side of the road as the lorry couldn't get down the back alley. Then had to carry it all up the steps from the road down the side of the house and across what's left of the garden to the garage. It was a bit wet from all the recent rain we've been having so I've stood it all on end for now to help the water drain from the plastic covering. One pack of 25mm had lost its plastic so I have stood these pieces up against the wall individually to dry out. They're all closed cell foam so it's just the surface water.

More moisture for the garage though, which isn't ideal!

So, with no money until payday not a lot will happen for a week or two. I'll just make sure the insulation is all dry then stack it flat. If the rain stops I'll try to get some stain on the exterior.

 

[bazzateer]

Insulation now all stacked flat, I've put all the Rockwool back in the garage as well. Was paid on Monday so have bought some 6mm twin and earth cable which I'm collecting tomorrow evening.

Just spoke to a Sparky friend of a friend who will be calling in on Thursday to look at what I have planned and advise me on the best way forward - he should also be able to sign-off the finished product as safe etc as well.

Although I've just been paid I overspent last month so after getting a few essentials and doing enough shopping to keep me alive for the next month I can't spend too much as I also have to book a ferry to the Netherlands this month for a trip at the end of May.

Small steps unfortunately but hopefully all the electrics will be done in a month or so. Then it'll be time for the insulation and vapour barrier!

 

[bazzateer]

Tiny update. Just collected 85m of 6mm twin and earth cable for the power circuit. Cost less than half what is costs from usual retailers. Sparky calling round tomorrow evening to look at the project.

 

[xtremek]

Why is electrical so expensive? The breaker box? For me, the breaker box excluded, the electrical is a fraction of the cost of insulation.

 

[Lippyp]

Cable is expensive here as are fittings. We also have a lot of rules and regulations around electrical. It has to be inspected and signed off by a Part P qualified spark which costs too. Costs are all relative to your budget and the size of your project though.

 

[bazzateer]

Costs are all relative to your budget and the size of your project though.

This ^^^. When you have run out of money everything is expensive!