New build: Arts & Crafts style garage in historic neighborhood

[Red Leader]

Getting all of this done will be a milestone!

I feel the same way about 99% of what I do out in the garage.

You are in good company

 

[Motown 454]

James the gates look great. You can't ask for anything more rugged then those. Very Nice.

 

[993James993]

Hey guys, thank you for the nice comments. Good to see you both!

I had hoped to pick up the wood and start coating it with Penofin this weekend but it rained all day Sunday, so it will have to wait. I'm taking a few vacation days the week of Thanksgiving and looking forward to doing my part. If things go as planned I'll have the wood planks installed, the temporary fence down and out of here, and be able to start on removing the existing fence.

 

[993James993]

Here are a few progress shots. This type of work is really not related to a garage but it is part of my build, so I want to show it off. With any luck I'll soon post photos of paint correction for the red car.

Anyhow here is what I did today. This was a dry run of the layout. I used this to check my math and to make sure that everything fit where it is supposed to:

This is after working a couple of hours. Today was a nice day to work, with clouds and a cool breeze.

This is as far as I got:

I only bought one drill bit for this job and managed to break it so this was a good time to stop. The two planks that go at the edges will need to be trimmed. Tomorrow's plan is to hand the boards on the other side and then coat them with Penofin. Once both sides are up I will trim the edge boards and then attach the horizontal trim pieces. I should finish the gates this week

View from inside:

From the alley. I can't wait to get ride of this chain link fence.

The other thing that has got to go is the gravel. It's actually not on my property but I need to install pavers or something in order to stop bringing sand into the garage.

 

[Octarine]

New guy here, just read the thread and I have to say, congrats on doing it the right way!

Re: work surfaces, have you checked out the prices of butcher block tops from Owl Hardwood up in Des Plaines? They sell premade blanks 25" deep by however long you want for quite affordable prices. I am a huge fan of solid wood tops to work on.

-Mike

 

[993James993]

Hi Mike,

Thanks for the tip on the butcher block tops. I'll definitely check out Owl Hardwood.

 

[993James993]

Here are a few shots of the west gate, partially installed. I applied the same Penofin finish that was put on the fir door last year. The pine I used did not absorb the stain as nicely as the fir did. The effect doesn't highlight the grain patterns, but rather looks uneven and mottled. I was pretty disappointed yesterday when I realized this was the result. I had planned to sand the boards and try again but this morning I changed my mind. After thanksgiving I'll play around with a test board to see if I can get it to absorb evenly.

I know that there are products to prep light woods for stain but the Penofin is what seals the wood and keeps it from rotting. I would think that using another product prior to application could weaken the protection.

If I can't get the test board to stain like I want I may end up just using a water based semi transparent stain to even out the color. I'll let the Penofin soak in for a month or so before deciding.

I still need to install the last board on the front as well as three boards on the side fence.

 

[ephotrod]

What color penofin did you use on the gate. I really like the dark rich color and am looking to do a project using the same color.
Josh

 

[Grizz1963]

Great progress and finish there.

Over engineered as you mention, but still, then there is no regret later.

 

[993James993]

What color penofin did you use on the gate. I really like the dark rich color and am looking to do a project using the same color.
Josh

Hi Josh,

The color is transparent bark. I like it.

 

[993James993]

Great progress and finish there.

Over engineered as you mention, but still, then there is no regret later.

Good to see you here, Rian! I subscribe to your thread but I won't be using a lathe!

 

[993James993]

This is sure slow going, but things have lined up so that tomorrow I will remove both the old fence and the temporary chain link barricade. I've waited for both moments!

This is what the other gate looks like. Door hardware has shipped!

 

[Zeke]

All stain looks blotchy on random grain pine. If you pretreat it you won't lose any more protection than you get on the hard grain anyway. Nothing penetrates the hard grain well.

 

[993James993]

Big day today! Finally demolished the fence between the garage and the house. Cutting the steel tubes with a Milwaukee Sawsall was like cutting hot butter. Cutting away the vines and cleaning up was the hardest part.

I've wanted to do this for a long time. It sure does change the back yard.

For reference here is a photo of the garage during construction taken from the back porch:

Planned an early start. It rained last night and was a little chilly this morning:

Here is the new view from the back porch:

This gives an idea of the reclaimed space that was hidden behind the fence:

Taking the lamp down will wait for another day. I'm thinking of getting a pole mounted version of the lamps used on the garage for the yard.

I have to come up with some way to move the boulder.

 

[abstamaria]

Very nice, James. Congratulations!

Andy

PS: Perhaps leave the boulder if it's natural to the area?

 

[993James993]

Hi Andres, thank you!

The boulder is what's left of my Japanese style karesansui dry garden. For anyone who is not familiar with this type of garden, here is a photo taken at the Japanese garden in Portland Oregon:

Image linked from jgarden.org


Ten years ago when I bought this house I installed a similar garden which was never well received by my wife or daughter, who would both walk through it, leaving tracks in the raked gravel. Actually hardly anyone besides my son and I actually understood the concept, but I enjoyed it and didn't feel that it was entirely out of context given what I consider to be Japanese influences in my house, which are common in Arts & Crafts architecture. The garden was removed to make way for the garage. The other boulders are resting outside the interior portion of the backyard. I had this one left inside thinking I would somehow recreate a much smaller version of the garden.

 

[zuk123]

Bump

How has the interior trim out been going? This is a beautiful garage, that I missed entirely until someone linked it in another thread.

Please take a few minutes and share some more of it with us (he asks selfishly...)


Thanks,

zuk

 

[K2sno311]

second BUMP

This build is one of my favorites, just read it from front to back

Your attention to the slightest details make it absolutely beautiful!!

Need updates, please

 

[mtm_motors]

I've been tempted to bump this for quite a while

one of my favorite garages on GJ. Excellent contents as well!

Would love to see any progress as well

 

[Grizz1963]

Love the trees as well as finished (is it ever) pics.

 

[SBogaCH]

it's awesome garage! In Russia say: Ahuenno!

 

[gtsonoma]

An awesume garage, grounds and cars !! No posting from the OP since Dec 2011, I wonder what happened....??

 

[pitterpat]

That's the stuff Stuart!
Over here the ends usually have a metal end strip to minimise damage & splitting. Used ones are fairly inexpensive but might need the attention of a portable belt sander to clean them up before turning them to worktop use.

If they don't have the metal ends you could run them through a planer.

 

[abstamaria]

One of my favorites. l learned many things here.