Above 1200 Sq/FT Garage Refurb®

[NUTTSGT]

I put the countertops on yesterday.



You can see I added a backsplash. It's made of the old backsplash. I will paint the edge black and it'll be fine for what it's for.


I believe I'm going to go ahead and close this end in and paint it as well... that has to wait as I will be at work the next 48.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Also stocked up the fridge...the beer wasn't for me but it probably needs to go. I actually bought it if the neighbor came down and wanted to talk. He lost one of his younger brothers, high school age and I know it was rough on the family. I just wanted him to be able to crack open a beer and talk if need be


Mr Bones, Lab Inspector approval rated.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Been a lot happening but I've struggled to get any reasonable garage time.

After looking at the cabinet, I decided I was not happy with the way it looked..so I started back on the track of what to do.... cheaply.

I had left over beadboard from the kitchen, some with the wrong color of stain. So I went back at it ...

Stained a second coat and black as trim color.


I added an actual shelf in the bottom and painted it black to match the counter top. Not perfect but it'll work.



The opening for the microwave will get some corner trim, yet to be purchased.

I tried to make the door match the rest of the cabinets in the garage. I thought I would mix stained plywood and black trim... Plywood looks like **** .... that will get covered with bead board like rest of cabinet.

 

[NUTTSGT]

A hair cut this morning, trip to Menards after that and out to the garage. Heat wave pushing 50°F so it was time to replace the stove pipe.


I forget when I put this pipe in, 3-4 years ago. Cheap enough to replace every few years.



New pipe in, just need to fill around the 6-8 reducer and light a fire.

 

[NUTTSGT]

I do remember the other pipe smoking this bad on initial start up ...nice stinky haze....fire's going and I'm going in the house to hang out with my dog while the air clears.

 

[XJSuperman]

Modern chimney pipe *****. Cheap painted **** that stinks and then rusts. Bring back the good stuff! Blued or ceramic coated!

 

[NUTTSGT]

Modern chimney pipe *****. Cheap painted **** that stinks and then rusts. Bring back the good stuff! Blued or ceramic coated!

Yeah, not real impressed.. I bought it at Menards, maybe next time, somewhere else ??

 

[NUTTSGT]

Picked up a piece of corner trim for the microwave shelf opening.


Added the bead board to the door. I tried to line up the bead board with the facing on the cabinet. Close enough for who it's for.


When I tried to put a second coat of stain on it, I realized I made a mistake. The bead board I used, was from the kitchen supply, it had a coat of poly on it.... Right back off it came...

 

[NUTTSGT]

Right back on with the correct stuff and a coat of stain. I mounted the door and magnetic catch.

Just need to grab an unfinished wood knob, which Menards didn't carry in stock.

The wife came home and out to the garage. Her response, "I thought you were painting it all black." She doesn't like the dark wood stain and black trim....oh well.

 

[madison069]

Right back on with the correct stuff and a coat of stain. I mounted the door and magnetic catch.

Just need to grab an unfinished wood knob, which Menards didn't carry in stock.

The wife came home and out to the garage. Her response, "I thought you were painting it all black." She doesn't like the dark wood stain and black trim....oh well.

I think it looks good, better than all black with the bead board. But I know how it is when the wife says something.

 

[NUTTSGT]

I think it looks good, better than all black with the bead board. But I know how it is when the wife says something.

Well, she did realize that it's in my garage, so her opinion is 2nd to mine. If it was going in the house, then I'd be starting all over.

 

[zmotorsports]

That turned out great Eric. Well done.

 

[NUTTSGT]

That turned out great Eric. Well done.

Thanks Mike.

Here it is, in place with the microwave.

 

[jon72vega]

Thanks Mike.

Here it is, in place with the microwave.

That looks nice!

 

[NUTTSGT]

That looks nice!

Thanks, I appreciate it

 

[NUTTSGT]

Cleaned out the old fridge and took it to our SIL. He's going to put it in the basement as a fridge down in his computer area.

I didn't realize how dirty it had become over the years.


Kinda gross...

All clean and now gone.





The outside did still have some over spray from doing painting.

 

[NUTTSGT]

We're changing up some of the Internet stuff at the station. That included moving a modem and router back to previous locations and sharing some space with another modem... keep in mind, the city has internet and the union has our own internet.

The city is switching providers so a couple of switches need to come out of the mess.


This would be said mess...

Chief said switches would be gone by end of year. I told him I would make a couple of shelves for stuff to sit on and I would clean up the wiring spaghetti.

 

[NUTTSGT]

As promised, I whipped up a couple of shelves in the garage yesterday.





I also made a mounting plate for the outlet strip. Plate to wall, strip to plate. All wiring getting zip tied.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Also moved the quick connect for the wood shop side of the garage.



Not ideal but what I had on had for fittings.



It gets it away from the key box and every now and then, the quick connect will leak with a hiss...rotate hose and it stops.

 

[nickersonau]

Re: garage refurb



Thanks.

I'm prob gonna OSB my walls/roof when I do my garage.

I really like the idea of OSB better than drywall because it's easier to mount stuff on it. (yet I know Drywall looks better to some).

but wasn't sure the best way to cover the joints. Thought about 1/4" by 1" strips, but that takes away that flat surface. I like how the chaulking worked in your case.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Since I added the microwave cabinet, I felt it was time to move my old school belt collection.


No real place to move it unless I swapped it with the hose collection.


I wondered, would it make any difference ?

 

[NUTTSGT]

Only way to find out and 10 minutes later, they are swapped.


Hoses above the cabinet.


Hoses on the right, belts on the left...


Also picked up a pair of slate gray mini tool boxes to replace the black ones....

 

[Johanfpa]

Wishing you and your loved ones a happy & healthy 2026!

 

[NUTTSGT]

Wishing you and your loved ones a happy & healthy 2026!

Thanks to you the same.

 

[NUTTSGT]

After getting those Slate Gray mini tool boxes, I realized I had put some of my decent "go fast" stickers on the inside of the lids, much like a larger tool box.

I had a few more stickers left but didn't want to stick them and regret it later. So I came up with an idea.


Stickers and magnetic sheet, let's try something new.


After putting the stickers on the magnetic sheet, I cut them out.

 

[NUTTSGT]

The stickers are now magnetic and can be placed anywhere at any time.



Another small little project that I whipped out last week was a small little shelf. If you have followed along, you might remember the small jar of Iwo Jima sand my neighbor gave me... I've been worried about knocking it over and maybe breaking it.

So I came up with this to display it but make sure it was safe.

 

[eflow73]

Be careful, making stickers and dash plaques into magnets is addicting.

 

[OutlawDrifter]

Eric...I like that magnet idea, a lot.

Great solution to the Iwo Jima sand, definitely something to be treasured.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Eric...I like that magnet idea, a lot.

Great solution to the Iwo Jima sand, definitely something to be treasured.

Thanks.... been awhile since the neighbor gave it to me.....toooooo many overtime shifts since then ..... But I believe the guy that gave it to him was at Iwo Jima. So as a Marine myself, it means something to me and why he passed it on to me.

He also made me a deal on a really nice Enfield rifle last year.

I've got some really cool neighbors... I'm fortunate...

 

[NUTTSGT]

Spent yesterday, home from work, on the way couch not feeling too hot... better today and off to a new project.

The wife and I had a little discussion about the house shop vac, a little 2.5 gallon Cman unit. It hangs on the wall in the house garage. She asks about using for something and I informed her, we'd have to get a couple of extension wands.... one thing leads to another...

I need to store the accessories in the house garage, out of my garage. Something like this...

A quick sketch of what I need. ..



Getting started...

 

[NUTTSGT]

Slowly making progress.... stopped for a quick lunch...

 

[NUTTSGT]

A little sanding and some paint is all we need now. Keep in mind, this is the smaller shop vac stuff, 1 1/4".

 

[zmotorsports]

Very nice Eric. That's a great idea.

 

[Johanfpa]

Like it, great idea, will steal it and build something similar

 

[NUTTSGT]

Very nice Eric. That's a great idea.

Thanks Mike.

Like it, great idea, will steal it and build something similar

Feel free to copy it, no patents or copyright infringements.

 

[OutlawDrifter]

I like that also...good solution to a problem I have...consider the idea stolen

 

[NUTTSGT]

Paint is drying overnight...it sucked up the first coat and had to add a second coat.



Tan paint to match the garage walls.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Shelf hung and in service.


On to the next project.

 

[NUTTSGT]

First project, rewire table saw cord. It has this old cord that is not flexible and appears to be getting brittle.



The plug also has some wear from decades of use.



Pop open the outlet box and replace the cord.

 

[NUTTSGT]

New cord done and in place.


I believe I am going to replace the cord from the box to the motor as well.