Heavy 10 Garage Build

[05snopro440]

Nice to see a fellow Albertan here, I'm just east of Sherwood Park.

I'm curious, what was the motivation to go with tile in the garage? I'm mulling flooring options and never would have considered tile. It looks awesome and looks like it is holding up great.

 

[rckymtnab]

Hello @05snopro440 ! I am up in Sherwood park all the time for work, and we lived in Sturgeon County for 3 years.

Garage Journal enlightened me to tile. A few thoughts, and just my own:
- I considered leaving concrete but as you know we get spalling from salt. Mine was showing some. The worst part of concrete in my view is just that it is porous and hard to sweep. My wife swept up the garage today, for the first time, and remarked ‘this floor sweeps up so nicely!’
- Epoxy is great alternative. Some folks here talk about hot tires rolling it off the floor, but not as much of a problem in our climate. The biggest challenge here is that you would want to do the entire floor at once. Shot blast or grind, acid, and then epoxy. I also worried about grinding sparks but I honestly dont have experience to comment.
- The tile can be installed on half the garage (complete with grout) while all your stuff hangs out in the other half. Then move everything and do the other side. This was a big advantage to me. The porcelain tile is harder than concrete and I used epoxy grout. If a tile is damaged, it can be replaced. I think it looks great and so far I love it! I will take a photo of the results of dropping a crank shaft when I het a chance.

I was inspired by more knowledgeable people than me, here on GJ. Happy to answer any questions if I can be of further help. Enjoy the process of planning and executing a vision for your garage, and in this case it might be what is ‘right’ vs what is ‘better’.

 

[rckymtnab]

This Reed 3C has come up on our local classifieds, and I am seriously thinking it over. It is in rough shape and has a repair on the jaw - but vises like this dont come up often in our part of the world. I am thinking about it as a working welding desk vise. Hmmm.

 

[RyanE]

Today I picked up a Versa Vise at a used tool shop in town. Its a neat little vise and I am hoping I can find a way to use it in the garage.

Not sure how I missed your thread before but I was eyeing up that vise on FB Marketplace a few weeks ago! Small world! I see a friend of mine (Layback209) also posted here!

Nice lathe! I'm currently going through a SB9 that I recently picked up not too far from you. Nice shaper you've got there as well.

Looking forward to following along.

 

[rckymtnab]

Hey Ryan, awesome, and I am glad I made the trek up to the NE to scoop that vise, I deliberated for quite a while before going. It was worth it in the end.

I didn’t see any lathes pop up, how did you find it?

I will try to find your threads and see what you get up to with it.

 

[RyanE]

I didn’t see any lathes pop up, how did you find it?

I will try to find your threads and see what you get up to with it.

The lathe popped up on a FB Marketplace search. It wasn't all that well listed but the price was reasonable given the current market and it was pretty rough/dirty looking in the pics so that may have deterred some potential buyers.

I saw the ad about 1hr after it was posted (a Sat evening) and I called the seller immediately. I picked it up in NE Calgary the next morning. Definitely a "spur of the moment" decision and my SO was a bit pissed but sometimes you just have to drop everything and do it!

I don't have any active threads on GJ, I've always been more of a lurker. I might have to change that!

 

[rckymtnab]

I don't have any active threads on GJ, I've always been more of a lurker. I might have to change that!

Post some pics here!

 

[rckymtnab]

My daughter enjoying some time ‘building’ in the garage with dad.

I started working on this drill press stand and enjoyed using my bench as a clamping surface.




And it turned out ok, I had carefully designed the stand to place my drill press so that the table is flush with my large bench.

I had deliberated on fixed vs casters and finally decided I better make it mobile: I figure there will come a time where I need it moved, or when I need that space. I was worried about stability with a narrow base, but I dont have much room either. I think it will be ok and I am planning to integrate some ballast into the bottom of the cabinet. I may also fix it i to position with a few screws to the wall or side cabinet since it will rarely move from that position.

 

[rckymtnab]

With summer coming I decided to accelerate things by purchasing these upper cabinets ($20) from a renovation. I think it must have been 60’s era and there are some interesting carpentry techniques used.

I had a pile of machining tooling from a retired machinist that I was finally able to get put away.

 

[rckymtnab]

My wife and father-in-law won this steel plate and stands at auction last November, and surprised me for my birthday.



It has been in “free parking” for the winter but the time came when we needed the trailer. We unloaded with an engine hoist successfully.

 

[rckymtnab]

We used c clamps to ensure the chains stayed in place.

 

[rckymtnab]

I was working in the garage for a few minutes with the girls today. I had a small punch out on the bench and my 6 year old started playing with it, asking if that was ok (of course it was). After a while she says, ‘Dad I love your garage, you have so much junk’ with a admiring smile . The inside joke is that my wife has been calling plastic toys and dollar-store stuff ‘junk’ since she was a baby, so she loves ‘junk’ lol.

 

[05snopro440]

Hello @05snopro440 ! I am up in Sherwood park all the time for work, and we lived in Sturgeon County for 3 years.

Garage Journal enlightened me to tile. A few thoughts, and just my own:
- I considered leaving concrete but as you know we get spalling from salt. Mine was showing some. The worst part of concrete in my view is just that it is porous and hard to sweep. My wife swept up the garage today, for the first time, and remarked ‘this floor sweeps up so nicely!’
- Epoxy is great alternative. Some folks here talk about hot tires rolling it off the floor, but not as much of a problem in our climate. The biggest challenge here is that you would want to do the entire floor at once. Shot blast or grind, acid, and then epoxy. I also worried about grinding sparks but I honestly dont have experience to comment.
- The tile can be installed on half the garage (complete with grout) while all your stuff hangs out in the other half. Then move everything and do the other side. This was a big advantage to me. The porcelain tile is harder than concrete and I used epoxy grout. If a tile is damaged, it can be replaced. I think it looks great and so far I love it! I will take a photo of the results of dropping a crank shaft when I het a chance.

I was inspired by more knowledgeable people than me, here on GJ. Happy to answer any questions if I can be of further help. Enjoy the process of planning and executing a vision for your garage, and in this case it might be what is ‘right’ vs what is ‘better’.

I have a 46 GMC truck and some other automotive toys, too. I do lots of grinding, welding and fab, but I work with lots of greasy and oily stuff. Plus my concrete floor is nowhere near new either. At 1,200 sq-ft, doing epoxy all at once wouldn't be likely.

Small world!

I was working in the garage for a few minutes with the girls today. I had a small punch out on the bench and my 6 year old started playing with it, asking if that was ok (of course it was). After a while she says, ‘Dad I love your garage, you have so much junk’ with a admiring smile . The inside joke is that my wife has been calling plastic toys and dollar-store stuff ‘junk’ since she was a baby, so she loves ‘junk’ lol.

What an inspiring moment!

 

[rckymtnab]

After stalling out on garage projects for a few months I finally finished my built in cabinet drawers. I am overall happy with them and I learned a ton. I used oak from reclaimed hardwood for the rails and stiles. One thing I didn’t appreciate, and had to learn, was the importance of ensuring that each parallel piece is cut to exactly the same length. I honestly wonder how many true 45 degree miter cuts have been re-cut assuming the angle was wrong?

I ended up building a jig based on this video:

Drawers are all dado joints and lined with heavy felt.

 

[rckymtnab]

And the project aftermath. I really enjoy this bench for working on!

 

[rckymtnab]

I have gained some momentum in the shop.

Long ago I scooped a 5’ oak shelf on kijiji. I had been deliberating three potential uses: a shelf for my machinist tool boxes, a rack for clamps, or a bench for mounting grinders. In the end it was best suited for the grinders, I just wasn’t sure how a wall mount shelf would handle the load and vibration of the grinders.

I painted it up green (I have lots of oak already, and it had fallen victim to some overspray in a past life).

Although maybe ineffectual, I sandwiched a layer of cork between the top of the shelf and some plywood mounting plates I made up for the grinders.

Overall it turned out great and it is structurally very sound. It is great to my three Wissota grinders mounted- now I just need to set up my various wheels.

 

[rckymtnab]

I should also point out that I placed them under the window as to make use of about 8” of space while allowing my Tundra to be parked inside for maintenance. I figured the natural light would be nice for inspecting any final polishes.

 

[rckymtnab]

Today I cleaned up this Versa-Vise. It needed to cleanup in the top of the jaws and on the anvil section, but otherwise perfect! This one will be going as a gift to my father.

 

[rckymtnab]

I started cleaning up a couple old post vises today. I was amazed how easily they came apart and cleaned up.

I will be keeping this Smart post vise made in Canada.

 

[rckymtnab]

Final clean up and coated with tung and teak oil.

 

[wolfe street rod & custom]

Good morning. Nice work! I guess I’ve forgotten that I was on here (GJ). It’s been a minute.

Peter.

 

[rckymtnab]

I finally made it to Edmonton to pick up vises I have been accumulating. I had to pull apart this 8” Wilton in order to lift it out of the truck.