Garage 88

[Saxaphool]

Found this forum about a month ago, and omg....I haven't accomplished anything...

My g/f and I purchased a house with an attached 19'6"x19'6" attached garage in December. Actually closed on December 23 and moved in before Christmas.

I'm a piano tuner and needed a shop to work on piano related stuff, as well as have a place for all my woodworking stuff from my previous house that my ex now has.

Here's the house

Here's the garage

 

[Bobcat753]

Jeez floor to ceiling peg board! Some one will need a ladder and a few thousand peg board hooks!

 

[Jack Olsen]

That's a very nice start.

 

[marty_p]

Looking good, and keep us posted as you progress!

 

[rixtrix1]

Wow, tall ceiling! Nice blank canvas to start with.

 

[1/2 Cup]

Welcome to the GJ, Looking great.

 

[Saxaphool]

JANUARY

I pulled down all the pegboard and sold it on CL. It was actually put up very well with the outlet holes cut very neatly. It was also really nice pegboard, not the lowes/HD level stuff. I have a boatload of slatwall I'll be using so I had no need for the pegboard

I didn't want a concrete floor, so my original plan was to put down sleepers, insulation, then t&g ply/osb. During my research I discovered the Dri-Core flooring panels. They're 2x2 OSB on the top with a plastic waffle kind of base. They're meant for basement conversion, but get used in garages quite a bit.

The cost was going to be similar, and with the Dri-Core the floor would be somewhat easily removable if we ever sell the house, compared to the sleeper floor. They are t&g so they fit together just like a laminate floor, just quicker.

Sorry a couple of these pics are from the cellphone

A week or so later I put down 2 coats of porch paint. Turned out a bit more orange than I expected, but I wanted to try and "warm" up the room, especially since I would be using fluorescent lights. **In hindsight, I wish I would have waited to paint the floor until after the drywall and wall painting were finished**

Next up>>> exterior door getting put in, electrical, and insulation for walls

 

[Saxaphool]

MARCH

I wanted an exterior door into the garage. My original plan was to close in the garage door(subsequently decided not to do that at this time).

A friend of mine is a small contractor so I had him put the door in for me. I could have done the frame work, but the masonry was a bit out of my ability range.

Next up >>>> insulation

I also insulated the garage door. Looked at many options before settling on this insulation from Texas Garages....it stays in place with nothing.....you cut it to fit, and slide it into the garage door panels...they have small plastic side moldings to fit on the flush side of each panel, but I haven't installed them yet. (Point of note....make sure you measure each set of panels, as mine were an inch or so different between the vertical section...glad I measured as I went)

Sorry for the crappy cell phone pic above.....here's the finished door(just pretend you don't see the drywall and paint in this picture....that's coming later)

I also had the electrician come do the following:

1. Install 6 4-bulb florescent fixtures
2. Add some outlets, including a 220 line for my band saw
3. Move the lightswitch from in house to in garage
4. Install a ceiling fan leftover from previous homeowner
5. Move old garage lights to attic for more light up there
6. Run power for ductless HVAC System

 

[crawler07]

That's a great looking space and you look to be very detail oriented so im sure this will turn out great. What's the plans for benches?

 

[Saxaphool]

STILL MARCH

After the electrician was done roughing in everything I wanted, I started on the insulation. I used the plastic enclosed to try and minimize the contact with the fiberglass....it was a little bit extra, but not enough to be a hassle.

You'll notice in the 1st picture, I had to build out the wall on that side of the garage. There was a difference in the depth from the drywalled section to the framed section of 3 1/2 inches. Basically I just added another 2x4 in front of all the existing ones to bring the wall out to the same depth. I have a long work bench going on this wall, so I didn't want to hassle with different wall dimensions.

The black shelf in the center is my temporary tool storage....most of my stuff is still at the ex's house....fortunately she's been very accommodating.

I had a guy come to look at hanging my drywall, but he never got back up with me, so I just decided to do it myself....I HATE drywall work, but time was of the essence, so you gotta do what you gotta do.

After the drywall was done, my dad came over and painted 90% of the garage for me.....which was a huge help!!!! Thanks DAD!!!!

No pics of just the paint but you'll see it soon in the next round pf pics.

UP NEXT >>> My amazing table find and work starts on the north side workbench

 

[Saxaphool]

What's the plans for benches?

Crawler07,

On the wall with the electrical panel, starting from the left. Next to the hot water heater will go my Craftsman rolling tool box(base/middle/top)..... Next to that will be a 30" wide base kitchen cabinet built in(unfinished version from Lowes) along with a 30" wide wall cabinet(also Lowes)...there will be a dropped bridge for my mitre saw.....then a custom built 4' bench (under which will go my shop vac and dust deputy)....next to the 4' bench I'm custom making a lowered cabinet for my bench-top drill press. The DP cab will have 3 drawers for drill related ****. Above the 4' bench will be a custom made set of shelves to hold my nuts/bolts/screws/etc. I have 6-7 of the older HD orange parts boxes(which are no longer made), but i've added another 6-7 of the Stack-On Organizer Boxes, which are very similar to my HD ones....Next to that shelf and above the DP Cab is another Lowes wall cabinet(but the shorter over the fridge variety)....then comes my Laguna bandsaw and finally I'll have my sheet lumber storage area.

On the opposite was will be a long 9' workbench from my business that I'll be moving.

 

[mr overdunne]

im confused......I was told by several tuners that the minute you move a grand piano its lost its tune. is that not the case?



looks excellent though. thanks for sharing.

 

[Saxaphool]

im confused......I was told by several tuners that the minute you move a grand piano its lost its tune. is that not the case?

Basically any piano, vertical or grand, that is moved any significant distance will most likely need to be tuned again. If a grand piano is on a stage dolly it can be rolled across the stage or from off stage, etc. with no ill effect, but any "location" move would require another tuning.

In general, most pianos should be tuned once a year to keep them up to pitch. Although I have numerous clients that have theirs done twice a year, and a few who go 3x/4x a year.

 

[dubber]

Great spot you have there. Now we have a 'Garage 88' and 'Workshop 88' on the forum

 

[Kevin54]

The garage looks fantastic!!! When I first read what you did, this was the first thing that came to my mind!! (I haven't had all my coffee yet)

 

[Mr. 360]

Great spot you have there. Now we have a 'Garage 88' and 'Workshop 88' on the forum

Funny you should mention, I actually inadvertently clicked on this thread thinking it was my own. Guess I just saw '88' and started clicking haha.

Does make me curious though, the OP's meaning behind the name. I know for me it was simply the year I was born, and 'WorkShop' seemed fitting. I did actually toy with calling it 'Garage 88' at one point.

Nice bit of space you have there, I'll be interested to see how the floor holds up long term.

 

[rburke65]

Well there are 88 keys on a piano......

 

[Saxaphool]

Well there are 88 keys on a piano......

Ding we have a winner.....I actually toyed with Ebony & Ivory or something to that effect...

 

[Saxaphool]

Funny you should mention, I actually inadvertently clicked on this thread thinking it was my own. Guess I just saw '88' and started clicking haha.

Does make me curious though, the OP's meaning behind the name. I know for me it was simply the year I was born, and 'WorkShop' seemed fitting. I did actually toy with calling it 'Garage 88' at one point.

Nice bit of space you have there, I'll be interested to see how the floor holds up long term.

Funny you say that...I saw yours (thinking it was mine) when I got on a moment ago and it had like 400+ comments, and I was like holy ****! Clicked on it and soon realized it definitely wasn't mine...

 

[Saxaphool]

The garage looks fantastic!!! When I first read what you did, this was the first thing that came to my mind!! (I haven't had all my coffee yet)

Nice Pic!!

 

[Saxaphool]

, I'll be interested to see how the floor holds up long term.

Time will tell I guess....I won't be doing any vehicle work in the garage(yea, I know a travesty) and the Dri-Core is rated pretty high on it's load capacity, so we'll see.....I'll keep you posted as I start rolling grand pianos around on it

 

[Saxaphool]

I wanted some type of rolling work service for my shop. I contemplated buying a workbench from Grizzly or something similar. While perusing CL, I found an ad for a guy that had a whole bunch of white tables. Called him, found out it was a guy I used to be in Rotary with many years ago. I stopped by his place(commercial mover) and he had about 20 of these tables. They evidently came out of some kind of clothing store. Their made of MDF, covered in a glossy white laminate and the shelves on each side pull out.

I scored one for $50, loaded in my truck and brought it home.

I bought locking castors from Castor City and figured how much I needed to cut off each leg. Chopped them off and added the castors.

As you can see I can pull it right up behind my contractor saw and use it as an outfeed table. I cut the height so it sits about 3/4" below the table saw height so the cross cut guide will clear the white table when I'm using it.

If your in the mid-atlantic area and want one of these....I know where there's about 19 more....

Best $50 I've spent....as you'll see in future posts I'm using the **** out of this thing.

 

[sean Buick 76]

Nice work with the low cost, good looking table!

 

[Saxaphool]

Nice work with the low cost, good looking table!

Thanks! It's worked out incredibly well

 

[Saxaphool]

MID-APRIL

North Wall Bench & Storage

I needed a workbench and some storage on the north wall. After a lot of design revisions I came up with a plan.

Here's my big sheet cutting system. I lay a 4x8 piece of OSB on my very cool table, then a 4x8 sheet of blue foam insulation. On top of that I put whatever I'm cutting. With a saw guide and setting the saw to just barely cut through the top I can cut the 4x8 sheets into more manageable sizes.

At my previous house, I used HD orange plastic parts cabinets for screws, nuts, etc. but I stacked them on top of each other on a shelf. I wanted a better system.

I wanted adjustable shelves, in case I ever changed box sizes. I hang it on the wall with a french cleat, but also ran a 1x3 cleat under. My plan is to run a shelf across the top of my cabinets, so I want to make sure the cabinets stay up there.

 

[Saxaphool]

MID-APRIL

Still More North Wall Bench

I beefed up the the bottom of the base cabinet(the base cabinets at my old house flexed under the weight of my junk)

Next to the base cabinet, I'm building a 4' long work bench thats open underneath for my shopvac and dust deputy(mini cyclone system). I'll build a lowered bridge between the 2 for my mitre saw

I'm using oak plywood and unfinished oak cabinets from Lowes. I'm staining to match some existing cabinets I have at work, that I'll be moving.

Here's the bridge for the mitre saw

 

[JustinS]

That floor is interesting, can you park a car on it?

 

[Saxaphool]

That floor is interesting, can you park a car on it?

I'm sure you could,it's rated pretty high on the pressure you can put on it. You would need to do something with a transistion on the front edge at its just t&g....my plan is to rip down some pressure treated board and make some kind of threshold/transition.

Not sure when I'll do that....lots of other projects on the to do list first, but I'll be sure to post pics

 

[jayrush13]

Just so you know that's an NEC code violation to have anything in front of your panel. If you call an electrician out don't be surprised if he walks away with out doing any work

 

[Jim_No_Garage]

Reading your post I flashed back to the Flintstones 88 Fingers Louie episode where Fred unwittingly buys a stolen piano for Wilma. That's how I remember piano's have 88 keys.

I like your setup - I have the same / similar Jet saw. Nice work!

Jim

 

[Saxaphool]

Just so you know that's an NEC code violation to have anything in front of your panel. If you call an electrician out don't be surprised if he walks away with out doing any work

jayrush13....thanks for the heads up. I did call my electrician(he has to come back to finish since the drywall is up...nothing major, hooking up the outlets, etc.) Told him about the miter saw bridge, and he said yea, that was against code, but he could finish everything up with out making me take the bridge out. Wouldn't have been a huge issue, but glad I don't have to

 

[Saxaphool]

I'm having to maximize my space(don't we all?), and after some thought I designed a cabinet to fit in the area beside the garage door and behind the exterior door. I had about 14" of width to play with.

Here's the space I have to work with, and nothing too fancy, just some sides, top, bottom, fixed middle shelf and movable shelves.

Here's the start of the cabinet. Making it our of 3/4 oak ply to match the rest of my stuff.

Here it is unfinished with shelves, but no door yet

Putting on the door with a piano hinge

Ta-Da!

Opened....basically using this for solvents, paints, etc. I sized it so I can put 2 gallon cans per shelf if I want to.

 

[captain14]

Good looking shop you are building there. I will follow your progress. I like the cabinets you have built so far.

What are you using for heat and cooling? Did I miss that ? I know you installed a ceiling fan, and I know what the summer heat is like since I am near College Park.

 

[GRN96WS6]

Sweet use of space for that cabinet, I am horrid with woodworking so mine would look nowhere near close to that.

 

[Saxaphool]

Good looking shop you are building there. I will follow your progress. I like the cabinets you have built so far.

What are you using for heat and cooling? Did I miss that ? I know you installed a ceiling fan, and I know what the summer heat is like since I am near College Park.

Captain14, Thanks! And to answer your question....

Definitely wanted a heat and cooling option....as you know our summers are kinda brutal, and this past winter was no picnic...

 

[Saxaphool]

Sweet use of space for that cabinet, I am horrid with woodworking so mine would look nowhere near close to that.

Thanks! Like anything else, practice, practice, practice....my first stuff sucked, but has gotten better....and trust me, what I'm making is FAR from perfect.....I still have a LLOONNGG way to go

 

[captain14]

But you are doing well by the looks of the shop projects. Thanks for the update of the HVAC setup.

 

[Saxaphool]

RECENT PROJECT
Arnold Dolmetsch Spinet Harpsichord

A client purchased this 1950's vintage harpsichord from an antique dealer. It had some "issues", mostly sticking parts that had corroded over the years. I've had it in my other shop for a few months working on it. Couple of weeks ago, moved it to the new shop to finish it up before delivery. Last pic is of it in it's new home.

 

[Saxaphool]

Drill Press Cabinet

At the end of my workbench next to where the shop vac is located I wanted a cabinet I could set my bench top drill press. I need to be fairly narrow, but I wanted drawers to store drill-related stuff. I once again used 3/4" oak plywood.

Here's the side panels

I measured and installed the full-extension slides before assembly, since access would be limited once it was built

Partially Assembled

Fully assembled and drawer parts cut

Temporarily In-Place

Drawers - Used a design of drawers from a Fine Woodworking Magazine. Basically using all 1/2 birch ply, they are made with one rabbet cut and one dado cut, then assembled.

Drawers completed

Slides installed & Drawers mounted

Top with hole for DC - My dust collection will head below through the top of the drill press cabinet. I used a 2 1/2" hole saw for the hole.

I'm using Rockler's 2 1/2" dust collection stuff. I'll wait to permanently attach the top until the DC stuff is finished.

Here's the finished cabinet. Just need to put the drawer fronts on. I did wrap the top with maple to match the other workbench and base cabinet.

 

[captain14]

Another good looking cabinet. Thanks for sharing

Do you move the pianos yourself or do you use someone else to do that part? Do you do any woodwork repair to the piano?

My neighbor got his piano tuning training through a guild. Is that the correct terminology?