Above 1200 Sq/FT Craig's Colorado Car Condo

[Craig Balzer]

Still waiting for the installers to return to erect the 2-poster. So I started bringing in and organizing the smaller stuff.

This weekend: how to fit this (photo 1) into this (photo 2)

 

[Craig Balzer]

I used Schaller's drawer builder (https://www.schallercorporation.com/drawer-builder/) and three hours playing tetris.

Captions tell story

 

[Craig Balzer]

Next up -- do a little cleaning and painting on a 70's Accel Ignition Products Display Cabinet.

Any one know the proper paint to match Accel yellow?

It's hard to see in the photo but the black base is pretty rusty. Gonna wire-brush it, put on Eastwood's rust encapsulater and paint it black.

 

[shortykorte]

I have the Schaller bins and like them. Only problem is they’re sized to fit Lista cabinets. For my Listas great but for other cabinets I end up with small gaps. I use semi-soft foam to keep things tight.
I found it’s best to decide what’s going in a drawer, pick the appropriate bins for those items, then arrange bins in drawer. I use them for both hardware and tools. I also will use one or two by themselves in a drawer just to keep small like-items organized.


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[Jayman17]

Craig, that is a very well executed set-up for hardware and/or small parts. Should be very handy having that large top on it as long as you don't suffer from FSD.

Jay

 

[joe11894]

You're the first other person from Colorado I've seen on here. Love the shop! Hopefully I'll have something that nice when I buy a house but the apartment garage will get it done for now

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[Craig Balzer]

I have the Schaller bins and like them. I found it’s best to decide what’s going in a drawer, pick the appropriate bins for those items, then arrange bins in drawer.

Shorty-- that is my exact approach. I am fully expecting to rearrange each drawer multiple times and still not be satisfied.

Should be very handy having that large top on it as long as you don't suffer from FSD. -- Jay

Thanx -- but I gotta admit you sent me to the Urban Dictionary on that one.

You're the first other person from Colorado I've seen on here. Love the shop! Hopefully I'll have something that nice when I buy a house but the apartment garage will get it done for now.

Joe -- I have been planning this shop for nearly 14 years. Good things come to those who wait . . . and are willing to refinance house for shop

 

[joe11894]

Joe -- I have been planning this shop for nearly 14 years. Good things come to those who wait . . . and are willing to refinance house for shop

Glad you were able to get it done! Must feel great after 14 years. That's how I live my life. I've found with some patience life has a way of giving you exactly what you want. Been keeping an eye out for a bigger toolbox at a good price but nothing really spoke to me. After a few months I ended up getting a free snap on box over the weekend [emoji1787]. Definity worth the wait.

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[Craig Balzer]

I think I can declare the initial build of my garage "finished" -- if that goal is ever to be attained. The last of the out-sourced installs was completed this morning

The crew showed up on schedule and completed the install in 3 hours. I took a bunch of photos but in hindsight they all look nearly the same. So -- here is the high bay with a newly installed Challenger lift.

Also moved in some of my hardware cabinets into the smaller room along with 2 tumblers and an ultrasonic cleaner.

So -- the rest falls to me. My to-do punch list is getting shorter

• Build sound-proof “room divider thing” to place along air compressor
• Plumb air lines from compressor – may wait on this until I am comfortable with placement of benches and things that may be obstacles.
• Plumb slop sink and interior hose bibb
• Build two 8-foot long work benches using recycled bowling alley segments
• Search Craig’s List for oven (powder coating) and refrigerator (beer/soda) and microwave (snacks and such)
• Buy/Install blast cabinet for in deep corner of Dirty Room
• Install Buffer/Grinder/Drill Press/Parts Washer/Welding Table in Dirty room
• Maybe erect an 18” high safety rail on loft edge; not gonna build railing on staircase (I want unobstructed lane to carry heavy/awkward items into loft)

I'm sure there are a thousand small things I'll stumble across that needs doing. Then change gears from finishing my garage to restoring my Jaguar.

 

[Ronn]

Do you happen to recall what the height of your work benches are?

 

[Craig Balzer]

Ronn

The only bench I have completed is one of the two stainless steel benches (the other is still in the shipping box -- long story). It is 8 feet long x 30 inches deep and advertised as 35 inches tall. I opted for the casters which I think adds 2 or 3 inches -- I'll measure tomorrow.
https://www.globalindustrial.com/p/...ss-Steel-Workbenches&infoParam.campaignId=T9Z

I'm gonna work off that bench for a while to see how I like that height before committing to the same height for the two wooden benches (which will be stationary -- prolly gonna be too heavy to conveniently move).

So -- more to follow as I figure it out for myself. I have been helping a friend restore a 66 T-Bird convertible and he has three different heights on various benches in his garage. I ought to measure them and add those data points.

Sorry for an incomplete answer. But thanx for stopping in and following my build thread.

Confused in Colorado

 

[shortykorte]

Looking good Craig.

On the 18” safety rail, do you think there might be a chance someone backs up and rail becomes a tripping hazard? With an understanding of keeping a clean, clear view, would some basic 36” post with a 1/4” cable at the top assist in letting you know when at the edge?


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[Craig Balzer]

Looking good Craig.

On the 18” safety rail, do you think there might be a chance someone backs up and rail becomes a tripping hazard? With an understanding of keeping a clean, clear view, would some basic 36” post with a 1/4” cable at the top assist in letting you know when at the edge?
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Nice call, Shorty. Let me check into those. Craig

 

[Craig Balzer]

Do you happen to recall what the height of your work benches are?

Ronn

Just came back from my garage -- he is the skinny on the height of the stainless steel table.

My previous response gave the original dimensions.

The first attached photo shows the original ends of the legs. There is an inch of adjustment available on them. Allows leveling and a little bit of height adjustment.

I measured the table top at 39.5" from the floor. Given the ad says the table is 35" tall, the 5" casters provided 4.5" of additional height.

I have limited time working at this height but I didn't have any issues (I stand 5' 10").

Hope this helps. Ask any questions you have . . .

Craig

 

[Craig Balzer]

I haven't posted anything for nearly a month. I have been dealing with a frozen Drain Pipe from my garage bathroom to the septic tank. Really frustrating but I have a really good band aid in place until spring when my GC is gonna dig up the the last 20 feet of the drain pipe to fix a belly that developed in it.

Meanwhile some not-so-photoworthy progress:

• wired 220 to the lift
• wired 220 to the air compressor
• wired switch to Stop-n-Go Light
• moved Library Card catalogue into my Hobby Shop (for small parts and hardware)
• moved a Sun Diagnostic Machine into my Hobby Shop
• moved new Sears Garage Cabinet into my Hobby Shop
• built another stainless steel table and two push carts

and I also placed 5x Fire Extinguishers throughout my Hobby Shop (the captions give the details). I urge you all to do the same if you haven't already done so. Like many of you, I have invested too much time, money and effort in building my Hobby Shop to risk it all to a small flame that all too quickly can become a large fire. I haven't actually measured it, but I would estimate I am never further than 20 feet from a fire extinguisher. (High bay is 36' x 48' and the small room is 24' x 24')

The fire extinguisher in my Dirty Room is hung beside a small homage to my GC. His is Amish and his crew that built my Hobby Small were his four sons.

 

[78SC4X4]

You definitely have been busy. The place is really filling in nicely. Fire Extinguishers are a great idea. I've got a couple in the house but not the garage (where I'm most likely to set something on fire).

 

[Jayman17]

Craig, your shop is really turning out nice. I've said it before but I'll say it again, I really like the look of your powder coated garage door hardware/tracks.
Nice collection of cabinets too, my favorite might be the red blueprint cabinet with the laminate top.

Jay

 

[fouckhest]

Looks great, I like the over abundance of extinguishers.

Also, really like the Schaller's drawer bins, I've got an older card file like that as well, I'm going to have to price this out!

 

[Wreckster23]

Wow what a clean shop! Going to be a treat restoring the Jag in there I bet.

 

[Craig Balzer]

You definitely have been busy. The place is really filling in nicely. Fire Extinguishers are a great idea. I've got a couple in the house but not the garage (where I'm most likely to set something on fire).

78SC4X4 - Good to hear you have your house protected with some extinguishers; time to do the same to your shop.

Craig, your shop is really turning out nice. I've said it before but I'll say it again, I really like the look of your powder coated garage door hardware/tracks.
Nice collection of cabinets too, my favorite might be the red blueprint cabinet with the laminate top. Jay

Jay -- I totally agree. I really like the look of the powder coated garage door hardware/tracks, too. Puts some color on a large blank wall/door. I owe you and fouckhest some updated photos.

Looks great, I like the over abundance of extinguishers. Also, really like the Schaller's drawer bins, I've got an older card file like that as well, I'm going to have to price this out!

fouckhest - I'm still filling the Schaller bins. I've got 8 of the 10 drawers filled. More room for more stuff. and now, the Library Card Catalogue is calling out to me for some more Schaller . . .

Wow what a clean shop! Going to be a treat restoring the Jag in there I bet.

Wreckster23 - It's clean cuz I haven't done a thing in there yet; just wait. I can make a mess with the best of them. I'm hoping to get the Jag out of storage in a few weeks. Last major action is to build a coupla 8 or 10 foot benches. That's on the calendar for the next week. Watch this space

 

[shortykorte]

Definitely looking good.


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[fouckhest]

fouckhest - I'm still filling the Schaller bins. I've got 8 of the 10 drawers filled. More room for more stuff. and now, the Library Card Catalogue is calling out to me for some more Schaller . . .

I got looking into them, the little bins are very affordable, but the bigger ones seem like they will add up fast...

My drawers are 9" wide, 11" deep and 2.5" tall....going to need to do some serious thinking/planning on how to best utilize.

Looking forward to the next update!

 

[Craig Balzer]

I got looking into them, the little bins are very affordable, but the bigger ones seem like they will add up fast...

My drawers are 9" wide, 11" deep and 2.5" tall....going to need to do some serious thinking/planning on how to best utilize. Looking forward to the next update!

fouckhest

Are you aware of Schaller's drawer designer?
https://www.schallercorporation.com/drawer-builder/
It allows you to build the drawer to maximize storage. It automatically builds the order sheet and, IIRC, tells you the cost.

I agree, the bins can add up pretty quickly, but I really like the etailed organization.

Here's mine filled with stuff and things

 

[Craig Balzer]

I have decided to rename my garage: "Craig's Colorado Car Condo" had alliteration but was long and a bit awkward. I live in central Colorado which was (is?) in the heart of Indian country. The Ute, Cheyenne, Arapaho, Apache, and Shoshone were the most numerous, although Comanche, Kiowa, and Navajo also wandered into Colorado as part of their hunting range.

I don't know if this is true, but folks around here talk about spirit trees. I'm told there were 6 basic types: some were shaped like a tuning fork, some had a full 360 vertical curl, others a S curve. Each had/has a meaning to other tribes. Or maybe not.

Anyway -- I have two tuning forks trees on my property. See first 2 photos. So the new name is Spirit Tree Garage. (Kudos to Colt Zantop for the license plate sign). I also added another license plate to my Packer's wall.

I'm not gonna change to title of this thread -- that's gonna stay the same.

Craig

 

[MOPAULY]

Craig, did you have official plans for this? I like the approach, sans I would probably do wood siding on the outside, but I like the structural approach and finish.

 

[Jayman17]

Bu-bu-but you have white bins mixed with red bins, that kind of blasphemy will get you banned around here.

Jay

 

[Craig Balzer]

Craig, did you have official plans for this? I like the approach, sans I would probably do wood siding on the outside, but I like the structural approach and finish.

MOPAULY - there were no official plans. I went through about 5 different versions -- mostly minor changes. The biggest change was when the HOA disapproved my location request. That resulted in my having to flip everything left-to-right - mirror image. It also added a coupla 10's of thousand to the overall build cost.

The other major change was when a friend with 40 years of wrenchin' experience walked through the garage when it was just poles and boards. I planned a standard sized walk-through door connecting the high bay and the 24x24 room. It was his idea to open it to the 8-foot wide walk-through. I was willing to move large items through the two garage doors; this is so much better.

I copied a bunch of good ideas from the Journal and learned from others mistakes. Feel free to do the same with my efforts . . .

PS - HOA covenants dictated the outward appearance of out buildings needed to match the existing home. I copied every feature: stucco, color, the 45 degree corners on the garage doors, the color/style of the shingles, the pop-out ridges tracing around the windows/doors, etc.

 

[Craig Balzer]

Bu-bu-but you have white bins mixed with red bins, that kind of blasphemy will get you banned around here.

Jay

Jay -- tell me about it. It tweaks my OCD / **** retentive self every time I open a drawer. Hopefully time will heal the wounds.

I bought the white bins about 15-20 years ago. So long ago I can't even be sure they are Schaller's. All I know is Schaller no longer offers this size (2x3?) in any color. I'll learn to live with it.

Craig

 

[shortykorte]

Jay -- tell me about it. It tweaks my OCD / **** retentive self every time I open a drawer. Hopefully time will heal the wounds.



I bought the white bins about 15-20 years ago. So long ago I can't even be sure they are Schaller's. All I know is Schaller no longer offers this size (2x3?) in any color. I'll learn to live with it.



Craig

Ha, 2x3 is one of the sizes I needed tonight.
I’m going to print some but need red filament.

Cool trees and fitting name. Do y’all have problems with them splitting at the Y? I guess the hurricanes test our trees that split like that. Shop is looking great.


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[GoldCar]

Hi Craig,

nice progress and nice organization of the drawers ... top all that

 

[Craig Balzer]

Ha, 2x3 is one of the sizes I needed tonight.
I’m going to print some but need red filament.

Cool trees and fitting name. Do y’all have problems with them splitting at the Y? I guess the hurricanes test our trees that split like that. Shop is looking great.

Shorty - spent some time getting more stuff organized in my shop today. Threw a measuring tape on the small Schaller bin: it's 2.5" x 4". If you print 2x3 you'll have the market cornered.

I don't have any experience with the tuning fork trees splitting from high winds or lightening storms. I live on a heavily treed area and even when the winds kick up, it stays pretty calm on my lot.

 

[Craig Balzer]

Hi Craig,

nice progress and nice organization of the drawers ... top all that

Goldcar - thanks for the comments and for stopping in.

What kind of gold car? A Rolls with "AU 1" on the plate???

 

[MOPAULY]

MOPAULY - there were no official plans. I went through about 5 different versions -- mostly minor changes. The biggest change was when the HOA disapproved my location request. That resulted in my having to flip everything left-to-right - mirror image. It also added a coupla 10'sof thousand to the overall build cost.

The other major change was when a friend with 40 years of wrenchin' experience walked through the garage when it was just poles and boards. I planned a standard sized walk-through door connecting the high bay and the 24x24 room. It was his idea to open it to the 8-foot wide walk-through. I was willing to move large items through the two garage doors; this is so much better.

I copied a bunch of good ideas from the Journal and learned from others mistakes. Feel free to do the same with my efforts . . .

PS - HOA covenants dictated the outward appearance of out buildings needed to match the existing home. I copied every feature: stucco, color, the 45 degree corners on the garage doors, the color/style of the shingles, the pop-out ridges tracing around the windows/doors, etc.

Thanks, it's given me the inspiration I needed to think outside of the "design" box and make something custom to fit my needs.

 

[Craig Balzer]

MOPAULY

If you are in the concept phase of your Garaj Mahal, allow me to offer the below. I put these notes together months ago to reply to another post. Hope these help and that I am not telling you how to **** on egg:

I am finishing up a 2300 SqFt Hobby Shop and am starting to populate it with stuff. What stuff? How is it all gonna fit? See below (sorry -- my OCD kicked in and I got pretty detailed):

GENERAL
• Build as big as you can afford/fit on your property (or you'll regret it).
• You gotta know your plan inside and out – when the builder asks to move something elsewhere, only you can visualize the impact on other things / stuff
• Be flexible when reality shows up – also be true to your overall plan
• Windows? PRO: natural light – CON: entry point for a$$holes
• Skylight(s)? PRO: natural light – CON: then no attic
• Keep the building dimensions in multiples of 4 feet – reduces wastage of wood
• A mezzanine is good for long-time storage of large or awkward items; plan for where the staircase is gonna be placed; plan how to get heavy items up there and back down

FLOOR
• Gonna place light(s) in floor under lift??
• First thing you lay down is 10 mil vapor barrier
• Then closed-cell insulation – 2 inches thick
• In-floor tubing goes in before concrete pour – plan carefully if a lift is planned. Should be thicker concrete and limited pex tubing near posts
• Thickness? 4” works. Except under lift – my pour was 9-12 inches thick under posts.
• Plan now for smoothness of finish on concrete - - epoxy covering?
• Gonna wash cars in there – floor drain(s)? Lot’s of environmental issues to learn
o Lay some plastic conduit in the floor before concrete is poured from the circuit box to the three walls to allow future wiring to be run without tearing into walls or mounting conduit on the walls

WALLS
• 2x4 vs 2x6 construction. A 2x6 is pennies more per board and allows thicker insulation
• I have R19 in my walls (Colorado) and the building is noticeably cooler this summer and stays warm in winter during sub-freezing temps
• I have R49 blown-in above the ceiling
• Sheath with OSB vs Dry Wall. Dry wall looks prettier but to hang anything heavy requirements finding a stud or two. OSB has more industrial appearance but a shelf goes wherever you want to put it
• Windows – already covered
• Height of walls? 12 or 13’ allows most lifts to fit (I have 14’ ceilings in main room)
• Tall walls require more heating capacity, and costs more to heat

ELECTRICAL
• Plan where your 110v outlets are gonna be, then add 50% more of them (mine are 4 feet apart except where a window gets in the way)
• Are you gonna use 15- or 20-Amp circuits? (different wiring requirements and different fixtures)
• Place them 45-48” above the floor level so they aren’t hidden later by benches, toolboxes, etc
• Plan for outlet(s) on the exterior of each wall
• Plan for outlet(s) in ceiling for lift or drop light or other
• Plan for outlet(s) in ceiling for garage door opener
• Plan for outlets up high on wall: wall clock, TV, modern “smart” speakers, other
• Lights – fluorescent or LED? Dimmable? Dimmable LEDs are available and require different wiring and dimming switch
• Plan for exterior lights – Colorado Code requires a light above each man-door opening
• Plan for exterior lights – gonna have a patio nearby or BarBQ pit or horseshoe pit or Christmas lights?
• Plan for dedicated circuit for heater
• Plan for dedicated circuit for water heater
• Now plan where circuits are gonna start. Each can handle 8-10 outlets and each should start with a GFIC outlet
• Plan where your 220v outlets are gonna be. Consider welders, air compressor, lift, oven (powder coating), special tools, etc. Even if you won’t have these until the future, plan now to power them.

See post #243 on page 13 for important consideration

WATER
• Gonna have water in the garage? A sink to wash up before going into the house is priceless
• Gonna have water in the garage? A sink to wash parts is useful
• A shower is priceless to avoid getting SWMBO’s towels and linens filthy
• Toilet?
• Hot water is nice to wash cars in the winter
• Plan a hose bibb on at least one exterior wall and maybe one inside

A/C

HEAT
• Gonna use in-floor PEX? -- see notes on concrete.
• If not, propane or electric heater will need power and proper placement
• See comments re height of walls

STUFF
What toys do you have? Do you plan to have? Sketch your floor plan to scale on gridded paper; don’t forget windows and doors. And then, to scale, place your toys. All of them. The easy ones are toolbox(es), benches, welders, air compressor, and the like. Did you remember to ID a place to store floor jacks? Creeper? Jack stands? Ladder(s)?

Find a place for place everything:
o Welder
o Plasma Cutter
o Grinder
o Polisher / Buffer
o Powder Coating Oven
o Blast Cabinet
o Parts Washer
o Microwave
o Refrigerator
o Charging station for cordless tools
o Desk lamp
o TV
o Stereo
o Computer
o Phone
o Wall Art / Neon signs
o Other

Expanded details:
STORAGE
• Plan cabinet(s) to store hardware (nuts, bolts, washers, this and that)
• Plan cabinet(s) to store supplies, such as (paint, cleaners, paper towels, etc)

FLUIDS for the car
• Oil
• Oil Filters
• Fuel Filter(s)
• Gear Lube
• Differential Lube/Additive
• ATF
• Brake fluid
• Anti-Freeze
• Power Steering Fluid
• Marvel Mystery Oil
• Starting Fluid
• Lacquer Thinner
• Grease for ball joints/tie rod ends etc

CLEANING yourself
• Hand Cleaner
• Latex (or Nitrile) Gloves
• Shop Towels

CLEANERS for the Car/Engine/Garage/Floor
• Castrol Concentrated Cleaner
• Engine Cleaner
• Brake Cleaner
• Carb Cleaner
• Rust Remover
• Brushable Rustoleum
• Degreaser
• Acetone
• Mineral Spirits

BEAUTY PRODUCTS
• Polish
• Wax
• Touch-up paint
• Chrome Cleaner
• Chrome Kleener (Autosol)

WORKING on the Car
• Di-electric grease
• Bearing Grease
• 3-1 oil
• Silicon Spray
• Anti-seize compound
• Loctite
• Teflon tape
• Acousti-Seal, Exhaust System Sealing Compound
• Wellseal Gasket Compound / Gasket sealer
• Wire of various colors and sizes
• Electrical Connectors
• Masking Tape
• Duct Tape
• Electric Tape
• Contact Cement
• 3M Weather-strip Adhesive
• General Purpose Adhesive Solvent Part #: 051135-08984
• 3M Adhesive Remover (Ronson lighter fluid)
• PB Blaster or Kroil -or Knock’er Loose
• Wire ties
• Mechanic's wire
• Cotter pins
• C-clips
• E-clips
• Snap rings
• Hose clamps
• Roloc pads/grinding discs
• Die-grinder burrs/bits
• Buffing wheels/compound
• Razor blades
• Utility knife blades
• Sandpaper
• Emory cloth
• Scotch-brite
• Grease fittings
• Fuel line/brake line and fittings
• Rubber hose: windshield washer, heater, radiator, fuel, vacuum
• Spray paint
• JB Weld

THE MOST IMPORTANT POINT: TAKE TONS OF PHOTOS.
Just like when you disassemble a car or major component, referring to a before photo is priceless during reassembly. I have been able to show my GC photos of the routing of power lines or placement of studs or whatever on at least 5 occasions. Saved guess work by him and potential oop's during drilling or nailing.

 

[fouckhest]

^^^fantastic list of things to think about!!

Great advice, kudos for sharing!

 

[shortykorte]

Thanks for sharing list. I see where I missed a few of those tips.


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[Craig Balzer]

On the 18” safety rail, do you think there might be a chance someone backs up and rail becomes a tripping hazard? With an understanding of keeping a clean, clear view, would some basic 36” post with a 1/4” cable at the top assist in letting you know when at the edge?

Shorty -- this post is for you.

Five weeks ago you recommended installing bollards at 3 feet high as opposed to my plan of a 18" tall black pipe railing.

It took a week or two of searching to find what I wanted.
It took a week plus to ship them to me
It took another week to find and use a machine shop to drill and tap holes in 12 gauged walls of the bollards
Then a few more days to install them, buy the clasp/latch, and the chain.

So - - - I present The Shorty Bollard Security System

 

[MOPAULY]

Thanks Craig, my main restriction is that anything over 1000 sq ft requires stormwater plans and some other zoning requirements. This will be a combo shop for cars and working on a semi and alternating 40' bus.

 

[Craig Balzer]

MOPAULY -- a semi AND a bus.
That is gonna be one ginormous shop!

 

[shortykorte]

Perfect! Those bollards are a great idea and looks as if it’s part of your original design.


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