Man Town (on a budget)

[skullhead]

Well I am happy to say I have started redoing my garage. I hope to turn it from a two car storage area to a two car working garage. I have gotten a ton of ideas from this board and folks which has helped me put together a shell of a plan.

I definitely have some challenges to over come but I am optimistic and having fun.

My garage is 21w X 24d, attached and only about a 8, ceiling.

My biggest problems right now are:
1. Power: I only have one outlet for the entire garage!! Who designs these things.
2. Lighting: Only has two bulb fixtures. I have two 120w bulbs but man is it dark when you are trying to work.
3. Storage: NO cabinets or decent wall hooks just a wall of cubes someone built on one wall. I demoed it the other week and put in workbenches but I need cabinets.
4. Paint: House is 9 years old and the walls are the contractor paint from back then. So much dust in there you think it was snowing. I clean my bike and the next day it looks like someone was doing lines in there.
5. Floor: Painted at one time but messed up now.

So like I said i have torn down the wall of cubes and moved my workbenches to the back wall. So much better now I can work. I painted the bench tops last weekend and fixed all the holes in the back wall from the cubes. Seems whoever put them up was using his drill as a stud finder, drilling holes every 1/2" until hit hit a stud. You think he would have busted out his tape measure after finding the first one but nope just keep drilling.

This weekend I have the cable guy coming (I know priorities) and plan on painting the back wall so I can hang some cabinets. Going with a white semi gloss paint.

I figure since I can't empty the garage and work on it I'll do one wall at a time. I'll have to keep moving stuff but at least it will get me there.

I had some pics on another thread but since I am kicking off this thread I'll post them again so they are in one place.

Thanks guys this site is great and if you have any comments or ideas along the way just throw them out there.

 

[skullhead]

Here is the wall of cubes, weird what some people will do. These things were heavy duty 1/2" plywood and bolted to the wall.

 

[skullhead]

Here is after I tore them out and moved the benches to the wall. Much better use of the space. The section by the water heater is temporary until I get some other storage.

 

[skullhead]

Gratuitous motorcycle pic. My wife swears I am building the garage just for my bike and a place to hide. Damn she is wising up on me!!

 

[milly]

Looks like a nice hideout you have there. Keep up the good work.

 

[crewbus]

You've got a good start there, before you get to far I would get your floor done the way you want, then go from there, I wish I would have done my floor first, how I have to move everything out to paint it.

 

[skullhead]

You've got a good start there, before you get to far I would get your floor done the way you want, then go from there, I wish I would have done my floor first, how I have to move everything out to paint it.

I was thinking that too because I wanted to do epoxy with the little things you throw down (flakes?) but the amount of money to get the floor preped right was just too much. And then I was back to what do I do with everything already in the garage. So with no way to empty the garage for an extended period of time and to keep it in my budget I am going to do a tile like Race Deck or something. So it shouldn't be too much of an issue.

 

[Ramblur]

Gratuitous motorcycle pic. My wife swears I am building the garage just for my bike and a place to hide. Damn she is wising up on me!!

Hence the name of my shop, the SAC "spousal avoidance chamber"

 

[jhchoppers]

My wife swears I am building the garage just for my bike and a place to hide.

Welcome to the Party. Nice Bike too...

 

[Canadian Charlie]

Man town is my kind of town, congrats on a great work area

 

[Deafautotech]

Gratuitous motorcycle pic. My wife swears I am building the garage just for my bike and a place to hide. Damn she is wising up on me!!

what kind of your harley? i cant figure what it is? softtail or dyno?? i am owner of 2004 XL1200C Custom. it is very good bike and i love my harley. it is my first harley as 20 years old. my mom always worry about hit my harley while my mom try get her car (1993 Mercury Capri) out of garage. well it is right because my 8,000 dollars of sportster park next of 1,000 dollar car....

so well.... hope to have good ride this year....

 

[JMURiz]

Looks like a springer softail to me

 

[skullhead]

what kind of your harley? i cant figure what it is? softtail or dyno?? i am owner of 2004 XL1200C Custom. it is very good bike and i love my harley. it is my first harley as 20 years old. my mom always worry about hit my harley while my mom try get her car (1993 Mercury Capri) out of garage. well it is right because my 8,000 dollars of sportster park next of 1,000 dollar car....

so well.... hope to have good ride this year....

My bike is a 1996 Softail Bad Boy. Basically it is a blacked out softail springer. They only made them three years (they didn't sell to well, not sure why).

So far I have added the solo seat, drag bars, Samson exhaust, Ness Big Sucker and new control levers.

 

[cyclopsblown34]

Keep the shop clean and it will be plenty easy to work in there.

 

[skullhead]

Keep the shop clean and it will be plenty easy to work in there.

Your telling me. I figure if I get it nice enough in there the wife won't use it as a dumping ground on her way into the house.

 

[skullhead]

Welcome to the Party. Nice Bike too...

Thanks, yeah I love that freaking bike.

 

[Deafautotech]

i am curious, what size of your harley engine? i know my sportster have 1,200cc as evolution engine.

 

[skullhead]

i am curious, what size of your harley engine? i know my sportster have 1,200cc as evolution engine.

They came with a 1340cc back then.

 

[cyclopsblown34]

Mine is me and my son's hideout. We have walled off one bay to be 12'wx36' deep. The other side is 24'wx36'deep, we have a 36" tv w/satellite and surround sound in the large side of the garage which is effectively clean area for parking and our man den. We aren't filthing up the house with tracking dirt in and dropping crumbs on the floor while watching the tube.

 

[Deafautotech]

They came with a 1340cc back then.

it is good motor. it will go longer if it keep maintenance like oil changes, tune up, carbs adjust to prevent motor run lean mixture which it will harm the engine.

i did saw harley that have over 100,000 miles on motor but i can noticed that motor was rebuilt because that harley was very old like 1990 something... i was look around their bike at harley store while guy bought some parts....

 

[skullhead]

Update..........
Well the electrician was out the other day to see about more outlets and lighting. So to keep cost realistic I am converting the existing outlet to a quad and adding another quad outlet on another wall he can get to. I wanted a few more but with the house being finished and not wanting too big of a bill this will work fine.

Lighting I am going with 5, 4 bulb, 48", T-8 lights. Waiting for them to call so we can schedule.

 

[cyclopsblown34]

Kick a*&. You will be able to see what you are doing. Your shop can almost never be too bright.

 

[mickeypat]

Didn't think Franklin allowed you to have dust.

 

[skullhead]

Didn't think Franklin allowed you to have dust.

Normally they don't but I have it flown in special from a villa in France so they let it slide.

But what really burns my a$$ is they won't let me put a shed out back. Man I'd love to get all the yard tools and fertilizer out of Man Town.

Can't put up a nice shed but they have no problem with these two story play towers people put up for their kids, go figure.

 

[Iron-Iceberg]

Put a play tower over your shed. Problem solved. Next problem......

 

[Quiksilver]

Put a play tower over your shed. Problem solved. Next problem......

that is a beautiful idea, just tell them it's the kid's clubhouse.

 

[skullhead]

This weekends progress.

• Coat of high gloss white on back wall.
• Cable TV hooked up
• Mounted new cabinet over workbench

So I did pretty good this weekend. The wall looks great, I really like the new cabinet (more to follow), and the benches with the painted tops look and work well. It was nice having the TV on and listening to the race while I worked and hung out. Not sure if I am going to keep the compressor where it is. May move it over by the grinder.

Also not sure if I am going to keep the shelf unit by the HWH. Was thinking maybe I'd just prime and paint it grey to match the work bench? It is not as nice as a store bought unit but it does hold a lot and is well built. Any thoughts?

View attachment 10392

 

[skullhead]

Here are the pics, I clicked too fast.

 

[cyclopsblown34]

Looks cool. I worked on the Talon this weekend and listened to the race. In spite of the tv being 32", I can't see it too well from the work area. At least I could hear the cars and rattle the shop with the stereo. It rocked when the Fuel cars would line up.

 

[LoneGunman]

Update..........
Well the electrician was out the other day to see about more outlets and lighting. So to keep cost realistic I am converting the existing outlet to a quad and adding another quad outlet on another wall he can get to. I wanted a few more but with the house being finished and not wanting too big of a bill this will work fine.

Lighting I am going with 5, 4 bulb, 48", T-8 lights. Waiting for them to call so we can schedule.

Why not run exposed EMT for you extra receptacles? I dont think it looks bad in a garage and you can put receptacles wherever you want. You could also do it yourself, it's not difficult, only problem youd have is making your offsets to enter the 1900 boxes.

 

[skullhead]

Why not run exposed EMT for you extra receptacles? I dont think it looks bad in a garage and you can put receptacles wherever you want. You could also do it yourself, it's not difficult, only problem youd have is making your offsets to enter the 1900 boxes.

Well LG I'm no electrician so I have to ask two dumb questions. What is EMT? And what are 1900 boxes?

 

[skullhead]

Made a little more progress today. Painted the ceiling and one of the other walls, only one left. And thanks to 89vert and his bicycle storage I figured out what to do with all my yard tools. I had this big Rubber Maid closet I didn't know what to do with, that is until I realized the shelves came out real easy. Now it holds all my lawn tools! Works perfect and since it is Rubber Maid I can just wash it out if it gets too grubby.

I'll post some pics this weekend.

Not as exciting as some of the other builds going on I know but doing my weekly post out here really keeps me motivated to getting something done each week.

Later Guys

 

[safetyfast]

Go Vols! Looks great.

 

[skullhead]

Here are some pics for what I was able to get done this week end. Have the left wall and ceiling painted. Hung the bikes and like I said before made an old rubber maid cabinet into my lawn tool locker.

So I just have one wall left to paint and organize and if I would hear back from my electrician that would be helpful.

 

[skullhead]

One more pic. Shows the whole wall.

 

[LoneGunman]

Well LG I'm no electrician so I have to ask two dumb questions. What is EMT? And what are 1900 boxes?

EMT- electrical metallic tubing basically a pipe made to hold your wire that comes in 10' lengths, 1900 boxes are 4 inch boxes that you would surface mount, you'd use an industrial cover to hold you receptacles.

You could add a bunch of receptacles for what an electrician is going to charge for the one he is going to run.

Heres a pic of EMT, this pic is off an electricial contractors website that I frequent, it was the only pic of EMT I could find, now obviously it should not look like this, it was not strapped properly and that's why the pic was taken.

http://electrical-contractor.net/forum/RS/550Kap_United_damaged_EMT_run.jpg

 

[skullhead]

Heres a pic of EMT, this pic is off an electrical contractors website that I frequent, it was the only pic of EMT I could find, now obviously it should not look like this, it was not strapped properly and that's why the pic was taken.

Ok LG I got you now. Just didn't know that's what it was called. I was thinking about going that route but wasn't sure how it went with keeping in line with code. TO be honest that is what I was expecting. It is just a garage and that is how most of the garages I have been in have been set up.

 

[King-Suburban]

One more pic. Shows the whole wall.

Sweet Jeep, we have one in our garage too!!!

Lookin good!!!

 

[skullhead]

Today's update.

I FINISHED ALL THE PAINTING!!!!!!!! That sucked. Not as much as moving everything again when it is time to do the floor, but sucked all the same.

 

[skullhead]

Sweet Jeep, we have one in our garage too!!!

Lookin good!!!

Let me tell you something about that Jeep. It goes so long with out needing a charge I thought my wife was playing tricks on me and charging it behind my back. I keep meaning to look at what kind of battery it has because the capacity is awesome. Especially considering she does a lot of the driving on the grass.

That Jeep has so much power that it she starts out in hi gear (it has two) it actually spins the wheels, side steps and then takes off.

I had one of those electric cars when I was a kid and we were lucky to get ten minutes on a good hard surface.