My own humble beginning

[zjrog]

Wow. I just found this site this evening. Oh my... First post for a newbie. Simple, common two car garage, one wide door. Deeper on one side, deep enough to park my F150 Supercrew in and walk behind it. Shelves and workbench are supported by recycled 4x4s, strong enough to support my fat rear end. They are all 30" deep. Under one end of the shelving, I have room for my air compressor, toolboxes and a welder (which I'll get later). I have right at 42' of shelving, and the workbench is 8' long and about 40" tall. I say about, since the floor isn't level. Is till have electrical and lighting to finish.

And of course, I JUST finished shelving and workbench projects! http://s178.photobucket.com/albums/w271/zjrog/Garage Project/

I've tidied the garage some, but still need to go through the boxes. I moved into this house last August, and just haven't finished going through everything.

I also have a 10'x14' shed that I keep my wheel ramps, garden/lawn tools, mower, shop crane and bicycles in. I'm seriously contemplating another similar shed for the backyard for my outdoor furniture (but not my grill as I use that year round, even in snow!!!).

Yeah, just finished this functional, but not pretty project, and I find this site... Ahh, such is life!!!!

Roger

 

[cdrewferd]

Looks pretty good. Does your wife know that you found this site yet, or does she not find out till you want to build a bigger garage?

 

[Down Under Bloke]

Ah tidy garage, a sunny day with the garage door open; does life get any better than that.

PS: Welcome

 

[benjacobs]

Hi Roger!

Nice garage. I imagine after looking around in these forums, you'll get plenty of ideas on things you can do to/for it.

Looks like you've got the old tennis ball on a string trick going on, huh?

Hey, it works every time, no doubt about it, but have you ever thought of upgrading to a prox guide or laser guide? I have a laser guide (a dual. unit... for both my wife and I) and I absolutely love it. Seems like most folks aren't too warm to the idea, and that's understandable, I'm just a garage geek I guess.

Anyway, keep on truckin'

 

[skullhead]

Looks like you are off to a decent start. I am in the same boat as you right now, just getting started.

Keep up the good work.

 

[cyclopsblown34]

Nice start on the carhole. You will glean several ideas from this board.

 

[zjrog]

Oh yeah, the ideas I've gathered so far... I'll never afford it all. But, thanks for the comments! I have enjoyed sitting at the bench already, sharing some stories with some new friends! Doesn't get much better than that!

The tennis ball is really an oversized dog toy, and was a lot cheaper than anything else. But, it gets in the way when the Supercrew isn't parked there!

And while I have a 10'x14' erector set shed, I'm seriously considering a more permanent, larger solution. I think there is plenty on this site to give me ideas for!

Thanks again!

 

[C_F]

Welcome aboard.
I like your nice sturdy looking shelves & workbench.

 

[zjrog]

Welcome aboard.
I like your nice sturdy looking shelves & workbench.

Thanks! I like this place!

And while not pretty, they ARE sturdy. I can park my nearly 300 pounds on them and they won't collapse into a pile of rubble. Though, I considered OVER building the bench, it doesn't need it.

 

[JMURiz]

And while not pretty, they ARE sturdy.

Hey, if it even bothers you and you are bored you could stain the fronts, make it real fancy. But to me it looks great already.

 

[Coach James]

Nice bench and shelves. I saved a pic of the shelves for future reference.

Welcome to an A+ forum.

Coach

 

[zjrog]

Nice bench and shelves. I saved a pic of the shelves for future reference.

Welcome to an A+ forum.

Coach

Hehe, if I was modest, I'd blush. But I'm a retired sailor, so no such modesty! Thanks though. Considering the company I'm in with this forum, I take that as a compliment sir!

As for making them purty, I'd considered painting them before I filled them, and still might. Stain might not take to that pressure treated stuff, but paint might reduce splinters! Now, back to work on my Jeep...

 

[zjrog]

Getting a new garage door in the next couple weeks, remembered this thread and have had a lot happen in the last 4 years. I really need to re-organize my garage. I've overgrown my two small rolling toolboxes, collected too much stuff from projects on the shelves. So this winter is a challenge for myself to get things back on track. I nearly killed myself in August, in a solo bicycle crash and am still recovering. I'm lucky to be alive, much less having full function and feeling in my fingers and toes. I broke my neck and crushed a vertebra and damaged several others. I'm fused T7-12 and still wear a cervical collar. I have all winter to go through the shelves, add lighting and and maybe tidy up things I don't like.

Be well all, and be safe!

 

[zjrog]

Got the new door in, and I should insulate it. So begins my winter rehab. Got one of the HF 42" 13 drawer tool cabinets for Christmas. How do you decide where to put the tools? Somehow I think this is going to take a lot of trial and error before settling on final locations for everything. But it will be nice to be able to put everything that is in smaller cases in the larger drawers of the HF box.

Gray box can roll under my workbench, or might be the basis for the welding cart I need to build. The little Stanley roller is in my basement. I suppose if worse comes to worse, I can add all the extra boxes to the HF cabinet, but I'll have to remove that top shelf.

Projects:

The welding cart as mentioned for my 110v stick welder and my 220 MIG and grinders.

Go through all the boxes I haven't touched since building the shelves and move what I want to keep to plastic tubs, or get rid of.

Add some lighting. Previous cheap lighting fixtures failed in less than a year. And didn't put out enough light anyway.

And I'd really like to add some more outlets on new circuits, but don't want external conduit ran. I'll have to talk about that with my electrician neighbor.

Of course, come spring time, reorganize and build some shelves in my 10x14 foot shed.

 

[Victorymike18]

Nice shelves. They look solid, and I bet they didn't cost much to build.

Yep, it's nice to go from having a bunch of small toolboxes, to one larger box with drawers. Hang onto the smaller boxes though, as they're great for medium size oddball tools like an angle grinder, sawzall or jigsaw, dremel, etc...

Keep it up.

 

[zjrog]

Shelves were less than $150 total including my workbench with 3/4" MDF on it. With the exception of that 8' long top shelf, all the rest will support my 250+ pounds. I'm chicken to sit on that long one... Especially after breaking my back last summer.

I've put only one wrench in the new box so far, but have laid a bunch of stuff out on the floor around it so I can see what needs to go in which drawer. I'm not in any rush.

Something I considered with the little gray roller, it may lose its wheels and go under my little rolling table. Or I might repaint it red and swap it out for the top box on the Craftsman roller. Then put that top box on my workbench or on the HF box. Choices, decisions, dilemma...

 

[zjrog]

You guys are a terrible, wonderful influence. I've been struggling with space and storage. Mainly my inner Pack Rat has run amock. Time to "reimagine" my original design some. So much has changed since 2011... I find myself on the lookout for a used wrinkle finish red HF 42" box to match my current one...

Sent from my SM-G975U using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[turbowoodworker]

You should really try posting more than once every NINE YEARS!
I'm sure there's a lot going on in your garage that GJers could watch and learn.

 

[zjrog]

I have, just not in this thread. Learn from me? HA!

Maybe learn not to pack rat stuff, or keep stuff put away...

Or when friends are moving and giving you stuff, be much much more selective what you take...

On the other hand, a hydraulic press, and 2 engine stands are nice when needed.

A 4k generator was nice. But needs the governor replaced, and an exhaust. And all the throttle linkage. Oh yeah, a brand and model I can't find info for. But it is a B&S 8hp engine...

You should really try posting more than once every NINE YEARS!
I'm sure there's a lot going on in your garage that GJers could watch and learn.
[emoji481]

Sent from my SM-G975U using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[zjrog]

I'm going to shame myself with current garage pics. It is indeed quite a mess.

The engine swap in my 02 F150 was not easy, and probably I made a lot of things more difficult than needed. But. Today I put the tank and fuel pump in it, next weekend I will put in another new fuel filter. After 7 years, it is indeed good to get it on the road again.

So with that project complete, time to tidy up the loose ends. And put things away, determine what of the old is being kept. On a day, 2 weeks ago that I was waiting on parts, I dug into one of the shelves, went through and tossed a lot of just literal junk. And moved some stuff into plastic totes for the basement (family stuff I hadn't seen in years, Navy certificates and some yearbooks). Obviously I have a lot more to toss, and go through. But I also was able to pile all my Jeep project stuff in one place for a change.

What am I changing? I lime the idea of HF boxes under a workbench. Plan is to move that workbench to where my toolboxes are currently, and remove the casters from the HF box, put it on a 2x4 frame to keep it off the ground. That top shelf is likely going higher. I have a large cabinet to put in place where the bench is currently. Also move my welder cart and slide the beer fridge over. That will include moving my 220 outlet closer to the garage door. I also want to add an outlet strip along this wall, and add a breaker for that strip in my breaker box. I'll talk with my electrician buddy for that. And add some LED lighting.

And of course. More cleanup.

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[Modern Jess]

I'm going to shame myself with current garage pics. It is indeed quite a mess.

Pshaw. That's nothing. That'll clean up with an hour or two of effort.