Hoffman Werkstatt

[hoffman912]

Hoffman Werkstatt (17x24 with an 8x19 attached lean-to)

Hi Gang,

We finally moved into our new old home back in August; an 1895 built Victorian with a detached 2 car garage. Has all the character we were looking for, and a detached garage so i can have more fun with my hobby and car shenanigans.

I posted a bit about it before; the house was in fantastic shape and has proved to be exactly what we wanted and more since day 1.

here are some pics from the realtors site when we bought it (sorry i dont have too many current ones).

we have done the inside quite a bit since then, making the parlor room a study, with bookshelf for all of our books, and a place for my vinyl collection. We have also repainted quite a bit and of course added a bar against the wall in the dining room for our wine and my scotch.

 

[Zeke]

It looks very nice but I'm glad to hear that you didn't install that kitchen.

So where are the garage pics?

 

[hoffman912]

While the house was wonderful, the garage had many, many issues. for all of its issues thought, it has tons of potential. it is a deep two car garage, with a lean to built on the side - a perfect space for storage and a mini machine shop.

first, previous owners were not kind. they let leaves and **** sit on the roof, and today the roof has several leaks when it rains. there were termites at one point, and 2 owners before us did little to stop them for quite a while. The building was eventually treated. the house showed no signs of damage. The addition had the worst of the damage but is repairable.

the garage was built in 1909, it was dark, it was dank, damp, it smelled of old pine. It needed lots of light and tons of cleaning. Its age, while bringing character also brought in ancillary issues in terms of construction issues. it was packed full of vermiculite, and the shingles and the leaky roof were tile, a faux slate, made of a certain substance called abspestos.

in addition, the slab is in horrible shape, and is much like what i would assume the terrain of the Ukraine to be like right now. Needless to say, my work is cut out for me....

 

[hoffman912]

So where are the garage pics?

working on it sorry.. trying to get everyone caught up in the narrative of progress to date since August.

 

[Zeke]

I like old garages like that. If you keep the big door, I'd reverse the top 2 panels and add grids Victorian style. A little stove of FP in the lean-to? Very nice. Pull up a chair and hang out.

 

[hoffman912]

Thanks Zeke, nice idea on the door. Yup, little fireplace in the lean-to. the chimney is in really bad shape, and the gas line is cut off.. but there is the potential to fix that.

 

[hoffman912]

The first place to start was the lean to. my philosophy is that only car stuff, and carpentry stuff goes in a garage. no lawn equipment, etc. since i do not have a shed yet, the lean to will become a parking lot for the lawn mower, grill etc, but next summer that stuff has gotta go somewhere else. eventually the lean to will be used as parts storage, as well as a secondary work shop, more dedicated to machine type tools: block grinder, belt sander, drill press (eventually), sand blast cabinet etc.

the lean to was a mess. it was covered in dust, cobwebs and a metric **** ton of vermiculite. time to get the ol' hepa vac out and get to work.

 

[hoffman912]

you can also see here that the lean-to had the lions share of termite damage. looks bad, but it is repairable. Thankfully they treated it, all be it quite late in the game.

 

[hoffman912]

next it was time to move everything back in and start setting up shop. shelves full of parts, plastic bins full of parts, wheels, tires, and of course some power tools. a built in was a perfect place for paints, lubricants and cleaning supplies.

when i clear some of the stuff out of here, i would like to put in a work bench, add a drill press, and of course when i get the power situated and have 220, the lean-to will house a proper air compressor instead of my dads 26 gal oil free craftsman (not a bad little air compressor, but not beefy enough for what i have planned)

 

[hoffman912]

for the main garage, the first step was to add some lights. this garage was really dark and dingy and i needed to be able to see to do any work. after seeing some posts on here about Lithonia Lighting 4-Light Heavy Duty Shoplights from Home Depot, i decided this would be the best move. 50 bucks a pop, great light, no extra wire, PLUS they have a female plug on the side so they can be run in series. Whats not to like? I picked up three for the time being back in August, with the intent of buying 3 to 6 more in spring.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Lithonia...y-Shoplight-1284GRD-RE/202968125#.UngMjhA6xVU

Next, there was a little shelf that was build up high. the frame was solid, but the drywall was busted up and full of vermiculite. obviously there was a leak above there, but for now it would make a decent make shift tire rack to hold my winter bmw wheels/tires and keep them out of the way. Not pretty, but functional for now.

the overhang on the far right was not pretty or ideal, but it sufficed and i was able to store my second hand aluminum extension ladder over there. i usually have a strict rule about nothing hanging from walls or above cars, but this was the best i could do with it for now.

In the back right corner was also a workbench that i can only assume has been there as long as the garage.. it is massive. I am not quite sure what I am going to do with it yet. I think i would prefer another crafstman bench there with drawers, but this thing is too cool. tons of character, tons of patina, solid as can be. they definitely do not make them like this anymore.

 

[hoffman912]

After some serious clean up and organization, things started to finally come together. I finally had a place i could work on my 912, and park two cars.

 

[hoffman912]

while the garage was in rough shape, the goal was to get it usable for now. I needed to be able to have a functional working garage in the short term, so i could make some suspension adjustments to the Porsche, a full tune up and prep for an October weekend get away in Asheville with some Porsche friends. After 2 moves and a hellish summer in a **** hole apartment i needed to blow of steam by tinkering and driving the heck out of the car. Proper repairs and a true reno would have to wait until spring.

I cannot stress how wonderful it is to not have to wrench on a car in your driveway because your true one car garage is to narrow to work around

 

[hoffman912]

As i began to work in the garage, and live at the new house, i quickly realized how bad off the pad was and the roof. when it rained i noticed a lot of moisture on the ground. not only was the pad in bad shape, but obviously a moisture barrier was not in the equation in 1909 when the garage was built. it was also crumbling in some spots. To remedy this i am looking at using the existing pad as fill, having a vapor barrier installed and pouring 4 inches of new concrete on top of that (with reinforcement of course). hopefully this will be strong enough to withstand work being done on jack stands with out breaking up the new concrete. Thoughts on this?

With several leaks in no fewer than 4 different areas, i quickly realized i needed to do something about the roof. Being asbestos tile, it will be a pain to deal with.

The roof has no rot where it is leaking, which is a good sign. The tiles however, are in bad shape and although the house came with a nice stash of tiles for back up its probably best to come up with another solution.

The plan right now is to repair the termite damage in the lean-to, and to then build a new rubber roof for the lean-to, and to then have a steel roof screwed onto the existing roof. I looked into mitigation of the existing tiles and that would cost about 2K for removal alone. by placing a steel roof on top of the existing, it would allow for containment of the asbestos, which is what is preferred over disposal, and much safer. Not only that, but the steel will last much longer and should help keep it cool by picking a lighter color to reflect the heat and suns rays. Plus it should be much cheaper over all.


I have received a quote from one place for $7600 for all of the work; $500 to repair all the termite damage in the lean-to, 2K for a new rubber roof, $2100 for a new steel roof, and then 3,000 for a new concrete floor.

I was thinking about having this company do the termite repairs and the floor, and i would take care of the roof on both sections, but it might make more sense for them to take care of all of it. I want to get a few more quotes though. What are your thoughts on their pricing?

 

[Ron Fletcher]

Cool place!! You should be able to get a lot done there once you get situated. Good luck!!

 

[hoffman912]

thanks! After the roof and structure is fixed, the plan is to gut the electric and start over. Currently the house has 100A service, with 30 going to the garage. since upgrading the house is going to be a major PITA, the plan is to run new service to the garage (the pole is right behind the building). I think 100A should do, but not sure if i should just say screw it and run 150? probably over kill..

The plan is the eventually have a big enough air compressor to sand blast and paint, and a welder, so i can restore the 912 and other projects in there.

 

[Zeke]

I'm liking this place more and more but now you tell us you have a 912? With Minilights no less. You ****, man.

 

[hoffman912]

i have been debating dropping a 6 in it. I actually had a really solid nearly rust free roller that i was tempted to drop a 6, the minilites, bucket seats and all my sports purpose goodies into, so i could revert the 12 back to stock appearances, but sold it to fund the house. I have had mine for 15 years now.. so addicting. im debating on finding another to hot rod, or a vw bus to build as a support vehicle/parts hauler.

 

[Zeke]

No, no, a SWB 912 should not have a 6! They are plenty quick the way they are. But you could put some big jugs on it and a 911 fan! I used to be RGruppe #335 so I know a thing or 2 about this.

 

[hoffman912]

I thought your name and avatar looked familiar never been in r gruppe, but i have seen you around pelican and other forums.

my engine was rebuilt by Duane Spencer in 05, 288* cam, shasta p&c, classic and speed parts aluminum oil cooler, csp aluminum fan pully, harry bieker carbs, bursch exhaust system (though i do have a customized john benton built flowmaster, thats loud and fun, i just need to get the carbs rejetted as the exhaust is too big for them right now).

i love your set up there. what kind of air cleaners are those?

 

[WarrenJ]

Welcome, looking forward to the progress.

 

[Sunbimmer]

The 912 looks awesome , oh and uhh........ you're garage too

 

[Zeke]

Harry, PM sent.

 

[xtremek]

I love the old work bench, I vote to save it. I'm signing up for the duration.

 

[aps63]

for the main garage, the first step was to add some lights. this garage was really dark and dingy and i needed to be able to see to do any work. after seeing some posts on here about Lithonia Lighting 4-Light Heavy Duty Shoplights from Home Depot, i decided this would be the best move. 50 bucks a pop, great light, no extra wire, PLUS they have a female plug on the side so they can be run in series. Whats not to like? I picked up three for the time being back in August, with the intent of buying 3 to 6 more in spring.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Lithonia...y-Shoplight-1284GRD-RE/202968125#.UngMjhA6xVU

You are going to love those fixtures. Tons of light and they look great too.

 

[dubber]

for the main garage, the first step was to add some lights. this garage was really dark and dingy and i needed to be able to see to do any work. after seeing some posts on here about Lithonia Lighting 4-Light Heavy Duty Shoplights from Home Depot, i decided this would be the best move. 50 bucks a pop, great light, no extra wire, PLUS they have a female plug on the side so they can be run in series. Whats not to like? I picked up three for the time being back in August, with the intent of buying 3 to 6 more in spring.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Lithonia...y-Shoplight-1284GRD-RE/202968125#.UngMjhA6xVU

Picked up that light last year, its a great piece.

 

[SweetD]

Great post and project(s)!

I am currently in my own garage, partaking in both this week's "Taper's", and a beer or three.

Here I am playing with my backup band in college:



You ain't gonna learn what you don't wanna know!



Dave

 

[hoffman912]

Thanks guys! The 912 is definitely my passion. I have driven it cross country 4 times and am tentative for a 5th trip this year in memory of a 912 friend who joined me on 3 of those trips that passed this month. I have been through hell and back with it. carb fires in the desert followed by a tear down and rebuild of the carbs on the side of the road, other assorted breakdowns and miss adventures, meeting countless friends and wonderful people. and it is a hoot to drive. working on the car is my yoga. driving it is my meditation. and when i am in the twities hitting it hard, it's like a john coltrane jam session and i am elvin jones keeping the tempo

 

[hoffman912]

Great post and project(s)!

I am currently in my own garage, partaking in both this week's "Taper's", and a beer or three.

Here I am playing with my backup band in college:



You ain't gonna learn what you don't wanna know!



Dave

Dave, a man after my own heart

 

[hoffman912]

Picked up that light last year, its a great piece.

Thanks! I think yours is one of the garages that caught my eye and gave me the idea for this lighting. i have three now, i definitely want more. this garage is too dark. The three i have added though have made a world of difference

 

[hoffman912]

in between houses, i went to some yard sales and craigslist and picked up a few items along the way, in preparation of finally having a garage i could work in. One of these was an old school craftsman crown top belt sander/disc sander i scored for $45. the other was a craftsman 1/3 hp block grinder for $50. Another item i picked up with the HF blast cabinet and 50 lbs of 80 grit media for $50.




The plan is for these to be set up in the lean-to. it will be a make shift work shop, with the goal of a) saving space and b)keeping the garage clean. My philosophy is that the garage is like an operating room. whether i am rebuilding, painting a project or part, detailing, or just parking the car, I want it to be clean, organized, and as little dust, sand, dirt, metal shavings etc. i realize it will never be spotless, but it helps having a dedicated space for fabrication etc.

I also have a drill press on my wish list, and an air compressor that can handle sand blasting and painting. I have painted individual parts before with great success, however it was all with special ordered to match automotive rattle can paint. in the end paint work is all about prep and cleanliness, and finish work. sure the act of painting is big too, but if you cant prep and then cut and polish properly, you'll end up with a crappy paint job that wont last.

I also purchased this craftsman work bench with drawers and cabinet space a few years back too. I am debating keeping this in the main garage or moving it back to the lean-to. I think the lean to would be best imho. for right now, until i get a shed for yard equipment and some things better organized, it stays in the garage.

to be honest, i cannot wait for this winter to be over so i can start working on it again and get the items addressed and things better organized.

 

[dubber]

Thanks! I think yours is one of the garages that caught my eye and gave me the idea for this lighting. i have three now, i definitely want more. this garage is too dark. The three i have added though have made a world of difference

Nice! Adding lighting to a garage is like crack (from what i hear haha)....

 

[hoffman912]

Yeah, i tell people how many lights i want to add and they are like WTF? are you building a garage or a grow house? I tell them its because the better the light the easier it is to work and see what i am doing, plus when i do any kind of body or paint work i will need to set up even more temporary lights.

the plan is at least 6-9 of these lights from home depot over the cars, a set of lights just over the work bench and tool box area (not sure if i will use same lights or different). Then in the lean to, another two sets of these lights from HD.

 

[aps63]

Having too much light is always better then not enough.
Here are a few articles on how to calculate how much light you need.
Excellent reading.

A thread in the lighting section about how to calculate your lighting needs. http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/s...d.php?t=150938

It sends you to this article(which is great) about how to calculate how much light you need.
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/content....y-Jack-Lindsey

 

[Rothaus]

Nice place !

It's always good to see another air cooled Porsche owner here. I had a 68 912, but it was beyond repair, and I ended up parting it out, still got some pieces floating around.

Cheers
Engelbert

 

[hoffman912]

Nice Engelbert! I dig your stuff!

I think my biggest challenge right now, aside from the structure issues that need fixed, is how to come up with a layout that best uses the space.

The garage section itself is narrow, so I am limited in where to, work bench, tool storage etc. the lay out now is driving me crazy. there are some overhands i need to tear down, my steel prestolite cabinet is there because thats just where it fit best right now, the old school antique work bench is driving me bonkers and is more in the way than useful right now.

When i rebuilt my cvs and adjusted shocks last year i felt like my work space was a nightmare. i organized as much as i could and where i had everything stored was OK, but the lay out of the workspace itself was awkward. I need to figure that out...

I dont want to put fixed work benches on the side as i need to be able to park two cars in there. if i need to fix the bmw or the wifes subaru in winter, i cant pull the 912 out, so i need to be able to work with two cars in there if i need to.

I believe the main garage building is 21 wide x 24 deep

 

[hoffman912]

Finally got some outdoor storage! bought these two plastic sheds (one is a tall 5x6 shed, and the other is a short horizontal shed, about 5x3)

I built them last week after work, and this weekend i filled them up with all of the yard stuff that doesnt belong in the lean to/side building.

now i can get a bit more organized in the side room. I am still looking into repairing the termite damage this summer, but at least in the mean time i will have a better space to work in.

 

[TexZ]

Awesome project, its always cool to see people revive older buildings. Sounds like you have your work cut out for you on the foundation though!

 

[hoffman912]

thanks! Yeah, need to get a new slab and a new roof. it will happen this year, i just need to get a few more ideas on how to best get it done and do it.

question for you guys. the lean to right now has a rubber roof. the roof need some wood replaced and a new roof put on. could i do a flat steel roof there too (its not totally flat, it does have a shallow angle) or am i better off to put another rubber roof on? whats cheaper/will better hold up?

 

[hoffman912]

Once the weather warms up i plan on taking care of the necessary repairs to fix the structure, and then plan on putting new concrete in later this year. I am getting really excited.

In the mean time i have been playing around trying to find the best lay out and solution for the space. I hadnt measured it since we bought the house and couldnt remember the exact dimensions (i knew it was narrow), but in checking again today found that the garage space itself is 17wx24d and the lean to is 8wx19d


after work today i played around in excel a bit, trying to find a floor plan that works. right now the big challenge is floor space, and of course, work bench space. i have two now, but really dont like the feel/lay out for the main garage. i will move those to the lean-to, which will be used as a small work shop/machine shop and parts storage. to make the most of tool storage and to have bench top space, i am going to take some craftsman (or similar) rolling chest bottoms and make a bench out of that. next to that i plan on getting a 44" HF cabinet with side cabinet. on the right side walls i plan on taking a queue from Jack Olsen and have two fold down tables to add additional work space. I have also added electric details etc as i plan on redoing all of the wiring as well.

anyways.. here is my lay out. feel free to critique, add any feedback, thoughts etc.

View media item 39114

 

[jsherid1]

Great start Harry, there are a few Rennlisters on here.

That price seems decent for that work just make sure they do the removal and disposal of the old shingles correctly if they have asbestos content. I think they'll have to wet them and bag them to prevent fibers from going everywhere. Do some research on the methods and make sure they follow them.