GARAGE TIPS and TRICKS - POST 'em!

[e-tek]

I've been finding some incredible 'tips' threads on other sites and thought it would be great to have one on the Garage Journal - for all those things related to an awesome garage, all the tips that have gone before, all the tricks that can make a garage/shop better!
And if you've posted an idea before (you know you have!), copy it here for all to see in one thread!
Here's one to kick us off: to save floor space, try/plan to hang shelving from the ceiling down, vs. from the floor up.

 

[idubvdub]

Nice
I think this is a really cool idea, I only wish I had some ideas to add.
I'll start racking my brain

 

[rsanter]

for shelving use pallet racks and cut them down to fit in the ceiling height.
they can hold lots of weight and you can put large things under them like table saws, shapers, even motorcycles and have the benifit of the storage space above

for lighting in garages with low ceilings you can hand the florecent lights between the rafters so they do not hang down.

use the pull down power cords. I have so much stuff along the walls of the garage that finding a wall outlet is a pain and they are never in the right place. tripping over cords is also a pain. pull down power cords will be the best upgrade you can make

have as much on wheels as you can. all of my equipment is on wheels so that can go along the wall (or under the pallet rack) untill I need it. even my Bport mill is on wheels.

bob

 

[e-tek]

To Rsanter: Excuse my ignoramousness - what's a pallet rack?

Before Epoxying your floors (or anytime) run a bead of caulk in the expansion cut lies - the finish will amze your freinds, things like scews, nails and DIRT won't get trapped in them and the expansions will still work.

 

[russlaferrera]

A pallet rack is a series of heavy duty shelves made to hold pallets of materials. You see them in warehouse settings (Cosco, HD , Lowes)

 

[russlaferrera]

Use a small piece of rug when kneeling next to a vehicle when detailing. It can be used when working outside on lawnmowers and such. The rug provides a soft base for you, tools and a place for parts.

 

[rsanter]

e-tech
what russ said, they are the heavy duty shelving units that you find used at lowes, costco, etc
they are about 40 in deep so the larger equipment and stuff will fit under them.
in my first garage I actually used one as a work bench by setting the first shelf at about waist height and the next shelf up was just above head height (dont want to hit my head) and I even put a 4 ft florecent light as a work surface light.
I got all of mine used so I have lots of storage for cheap. this in now the 4th garage I have used these in

bob

 

[RAYJAY]

I put wheels on everything i can in my shop makes it so easy to clean and re paint

Jeff

 

[Kevin54]

For garage rugs, check what uniform companies supply them. These are the 3 x 8 rugs that are rubber backed and usually brown or blue when you walk in a door. After they start looking a little bad or faded, they usually get replaced. These rugs are heavy duty and rubber backed and great for a garage. These can be picked up for around $5-10 a piece off of the truck. I was getting some from the place that supplied ours for $10 that looked almost new but may have had a tear on the rubber edge or something. When they need washed, just toss them out in the drive and hit them with a power washer. Also for decent work shorts for garage use, ask the same company. Jeans and shirts can be had for pennies on the dollar. I know that some people have a hard time wearing used clothes and I am one of them, but they are laundered and in good shape. So for someone that is wrenching and getting greasy they would be a good deal.

 

[russlaferrera]

Buy or make items/tools that you will use to make life easier. Wheel chocks, you jack up a FWD car than chase it. A strong magnet on a stick, we all drop bolts, sockets. A magnetized bowl, them screws and other hardware disappears. A tool cart, you need a place to put everything when doing a project. Under the hood or messy bench is not the place. You spend more time looking for tools and stuff than working. Pans, I have about 10 16"ans. When doing brakes it confines the mess and gives a place to store lug nuts and hardware.

 

[rsanter]

for wheels under equipment that do not have locks, I have some lenths of chain that are about a foot long. you can give them a gentile swing to wrap them around the wheel. yout wheeled item will stay there very well

bob

 

[M3Pilot]

Never let you wife put anything into your garage.

 

[ImportTuner]

Never let you wife put anything into your garage.

Good one .... I use old car mats for kneeling/sitting on ...

 

[autoclassicnut]

Discarded carpet from friends comes in real handy, better than walking or laying on the concrete anyday. Also a flat surface gathers clutter. Organize and try to keep it that way while still getting projects done. M3pilot you hit the nail on the head. you might even add the kids to that list too.

 

[Kevin54]

Also a flat surface gathers clutter, I know as I hear that from my wife too much!

I've been saying that for years and see it at work all too often. People too lazy to walk three feet to throw it in the trash so they let it lay somewhere.

Pick up some small parts bins. WallyWorld has 30 drawer bins for something like $9.00. A couple of them goes a long ways in organizing. Keep an eye out for schools, JVS, etc, that is auctioning items off. One set of lockers can stroe a remarkable amount of items and makes organizing easier. I have a set of 4 that has 5 doors each (approx 1' sq. doors) Rattlecans in one, lubes in another, shop rags in one, drying towels in another. etc. A set of lockers does not take up much room and does not look bad either.
Another tip....do not build lower cabinets too deep. Make the top surface deeper but keep the cabinet on the shallow side. This way, you don't have to bend way over and crawl to the back to find what has been lost in there for ever. If anything, use overhead cabinets for your base units

 

[Vincent Vega]

If you must share the garage with kids toys, bikes etc... Keep them in the front on one side. That way they don't have any reason to go near your work area.
When your kids are old enough to want to play with tools, buy them their own. A cheapy companion set with be good enough and they will learn to appreciate quality tools and storage.
Yard shed for yard tools. Garage is for cars and workshop. Yard tools will always be in the way.
Put your stuff away and lock up every day. Even in your locked garage. I learned the hard way. Plus, you will be able to find your tools right away because they are in your tool box.

 

[kbs2244]

I don’t like shelves or cabinets under the work bench. It is way too easy for stuff to get pushed to the back and never seen again.
Like some others I have casters on all my big power tools. (Table saw, drill press, lathe, etc.) They have their own parking spaces along the walls and are pulled out for work and then pushed back.
I also have my tool box on casters along with two 24x40 work tables. You can bring your tools and a work bench right along side whatever you are working on.
The space under the work bench is where they are parked.

 

[edl]

Hi E-Tek - great minds think a like - i started something like this at http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=16557&showall=1 - maybe we can combine the threads and get all the good tips in one place - Mods? - thanks ED!

 

[e-tek]

Hi E-Tek - great minds think a like - i started something like this at http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=16557&showall=1 - maybe we can combine the threads and get all the good tips in one place - Mods? - thanks ED!

ATTN Administrator- can we combine these threads???
edl - some great tips on your thread!

 

[comp]

maybe email them ???

 

[e-tek]

maybe email them ???

?? email them where?

 

[Ira]

for shelving use pallet racks and cut them down to fit in the ceiling height.
they can hold lots of weight and you can put large things under them like table saws, shapers, even motorcycles and have the benifit of the storage space above
bob

Absolutely agree with this. I just put up an 18' wide section (one 10' section and one 8' section) that is 42" deep. Shelf capacity is somewhere around 3000+ pounds per shelf. My lowest shelf is 36" above the floor, so I put big stuff on wheels under it. The top shelf is about 8" from the ceiling, so I store dimensional lumber, long pieces of molding, PVC, etc. up there. I have the added benefit of owning a compact utility tractor with a front end loader and pallet forks, so I can easily store very heavy items on the lowest shelves, e.g., the tractor's loader bucket and belly mower when I'm not using them. One thing to keep in mind is that the actual shelving material can get pretty expensive. 2X6's are usually used, so in my case to make up one 10' wide shelf, it costs almost $40 just for the ten eight foot long 2X6's (cut to span front to back on the horizontal shelf bars. You can also buy wire shelving that works with the pallet racks. I bought mine here...

http://www.buyrack.com/product_type.asp?product_type_id=3&product_type=Heavy-Duty Rack

Click on "Pallet Rack". I also bought several sections of the "FastRak" to replace some open shelving units I had. These are kinda like "mini pallet racks" in the way they are made and put together.

This stuff is all commercial/industrial quality. Not cheap, but much better than anything you can get at Lowe's, Home Depot, etc.

The pallet racks are an even better solution if you have a higher ceiling (mine is only 8') so you can continue to "go up" with stuff.

Disclaimer: I do not work for "BuyRack" and I do not represent them. I am however a satisfied customer.

Ira

 

[rsanter]

I was lucky to buy some of the pallet racks for cheap and had additional stuff given to me by a company I used to work for. at one time I had some spare racking as I had been given so much so one day I gace most of my spare stuff to a friend for his shop.

the 2x4s I used for decking came from pallets that were made of 2x4s and 4x4s that were used to deliver sheetmetal stock so these were free as well

yes free is my favorite price

bob

 

[e-tek]

From another post - "place about 10 center punch marks around the shaft where it goes into the bearings. This will ensure the shaft rotates the bearings."
That's one I've never heard of and would save a lot of bearings going bad!

 

[Hit-By-Thunder]

this is my very first post.

I am planning on building next year a 24X36 shop with 9 foot walls (code) and one tip I can give. Don't hoard stuff you will never use. I am in the process of "cleaning out the garage" and my motto is, If I haven't used it in a year, it is gone. With my tiny garage (26X26 with a 7 foot ceiling) space is more valuable than hanging onto it thinking I may need this in the future.

Great site, so glad I came accross it. I love the progress pictures of everyones builds thank you.

Rob

 

[kbs2244]

Well Hit, there are 2 opinions on that concept.
Some guys call in "inventory" waiting for a project to come to the surface.
And some are like you and keep a clean shop.
I comprise. I have a shed full of stuff out of the main shop.
I like a clean work area, but some stuff is just too good to trash.

 

[idubvdub]

...but some stuff is just too good to trash.

Could not agree more

 

[Hit-By-Thunder]

kbs, Oh my shop is far from clean, it is very organized and there is NO OTHER ROOM left for anything. I am the prince of pack rats and when the stuff comes free, well I keep it. The problem is, there is no more room to park the cars in the garage. so for the last 3 weeks, its been a battle of, " I can use this, I will use this, I might use this, I will never use this".

I do kitchen cabinets installs for a major big box store and when I do tear outs, the customer usually trashes the old cabinets. dang it no orte room

Rob

 

[Bud_Man]

I love the fold up seating in this garage and will be installing a “Jeep” model in mine. (Look closely at the first post pictures). http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/garage-seating-137916.html

 

[jhn9840]

Before starting work for the day wash your hands throughly with gojo then rub in some cheap hand lotion. Stops the grime from getting ground in and your hands won't get dry and cracked as easily.

jhn9840
John

 

[e-tek]

I love the fold up seating in this garage and will be installing a “Jeep” model in mine. (Look closely at the first post pictures). http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/garage-seating-137916.html

Thanks for this link - whata great site!!

 

[sorcutt]

You could even make the tailgate into a workbench if you had a flat one.

 

[comp]

?? email them where?

sorry,,missed the reply,,,moderators normally have a email address to send to

 

[e-tek]

From MENACE2U's post in Garage Gallery - He built a suspended shelf (Loft) along an entire wall and installed a "library ladder" to acces it. Great use of space, lots of storage area!

 

[Junkman]

Put a large piece of cardboard under the engine and between the wheels. When you drop a wrench or tool, just pull out the cardboard to retrieve the tool. Beats climbing under the car searching. Works for all but round tools that seem to roll away into the atmosphere.

 

[BrianAltenhofel]

If putting a stereo in your garage, use extension cords for the speaker wire. It's cheaper and higher quality until you get into the boutique (Sonic Horizon) type stuff.

I did this a lot when I was DJ'ing in high school and doing FOH for various bands. A 100 foot extension cord is much cheaper than 100 feet of the cheap speaker cable, and the extension cord has less resistance per foot than even Monster. They are also typically manufactured with a lower amount of oxygen and have tighter strands.

 

[rowbow41]

If you use containers like coffee cans, boxes or plastic & metal containers, turn them upside down when there is nothing in them that way you will that whatever you are looking for is sure not in those containers and it keeps the dirt out as well.

 

[jvo]

I got tired of having a bag of floor dry in the way on the floor all the time. Bought one of those tin dog feeders at the farm supply store. It holds almost a whole bag of floor dry, mounts up on the wall, where its easy to reach. It has a trap door on top for filling it, and a trap door on the bottom that you push inwards, fill a scoop of floor dry, and run over to contain your spill. Much faster cleanup when its organized and easy to find.

 

[wrenchr]

There is spare racking at my work I could get, hmmm.......

 

[rsanter]

if its in good shape, you should never turn down a free shelf

if you cant use it you can find someone who can

bob