Puget Dude’s creations and fabrications (Random project thread.)
- Thread starter PugetDude
- Start date
We spotted this guy a few yards off the road on the way back to the cabin tonight. We’re seeing a lot of wildlife this year-passed a dead mountain Lion on the highway yesterday; first time I have seen one that had been hit by a car. Update; saw a big dead black bear on the drive up yesterday, too. First one of those I have seen as roadkill. 
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Time for another project update…
Had a couple of 6’ high locker doors left over from the bulk buy a couple of years ago. Decided to build a narrow cabinet out of them. My garage has an awkward 30” wide 4” high raised curb across the end ((probably to prevent a car from driving into the shared interior wall)
Also had 6 Huot cabinets for drills, taps, end mills, etc… and a Zoro promo code… so this quickly evolved into more than just two locker doors.
Ordered a couple of Durham wall cabinets from Zoro; they are only ~13” deep- perfect for what I had in mind. Paired them together with a spacer to match the width of 3 Huot cabinets and put them on a base made out of 3/4” melamine coated form ply. Piece of leftover polished diamond plate and an electrical outlet and the center section is done..,
Had a couple of 6’ high locker doors left over from the bulk buy a couple of years ago. Decided to build a narrow cabinet out of them. My garage has an awkward 30” wide 4” high raised curb across the end ((probably to prevent a car from driving into the shared interior wall)
Also had 6 Huot cabinets for drills, taps, end mills, etc… and a Zoro promo code… so this quickly evolved into more than just two locker doors.
Ordered a couple of Durham wall cabinets from Zoro; they are only ~13” deep- perfect for what I had in mind. Paired them together with a spacer to match the width of 3 Huot cabinets and put them on a base made out of 3/4” melamine coated form ply. Piece of leftover polished diamond plate and an electrical outlet and the center section is done..,
Now for the fun part….
Two side cabinets using the locker door frames; same width as the Huot cabinets. The doors are 18” wide x 72” high; I built simple wooden cabinets out of 3/4” melamine coated form plywood. This stuff is really nice to work with, takes screws well and has a very smooth finish.
I always wanted a couple of Vintage Texaco gas pumps and an Alemite work station but don’t have room for them in the shop- so a couple of locker doors, 6 Huot cabinets and two Durham wall cabinets are going to have to suffice.
First order of business was to cut the louvers out of the locker doors to give me a flat surface to work with. M12 cutoff tool with a 3" diameter abrasive wheel was perfect for this.
Spent some time online looking at pump designs/pump faces/ decals/ signs, etc. and came up with a design that would work in the narrow space I had available.
Two side cabinets using the locker door frames; same width as the Huot cabinets. The doors are 18” wide x 72” high; I built simple wooden cabinets out of 3/4” melamine coated form plywood. This stuff is really nice to work with, takes screws well and has a very smooth finish.
I always wanted a couple of Vintage Texaco gas pumps and an Alemite work station but don’t have room for them in the shop- so a couple of locker doors, 6 Huot cabinets and two Durham wall cabinets are going to have to suffice.
First order of business was to cut the louvers out of the locker doors to give me a flat surface to work with. M12 cutoff tool with a 3" diameter abrasive wheel was perfect for this.
Spent some time online looking at pump designs/pump faces/ decals/ signs, etc. and came up with a design that would work in the narrow space I had available.
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RivennHewn
Well-known member
But
Looks like another great project!
But mostly, a Zoro promo codeTime for another project update…
Had a couple of 6’ high locker doors left over from the bulk buy a couple of years ago. Decided to build a narrow cabinet out of them. My garage has an awkward 30” wide 4” high raised curb across the end ((probably to prevent a car from driving into the shared interior wall)
Also had 6 Huot cabinets for drills, taps, end mills, etc… and a Zoro promo code… so this quickly evolved into more than just two locker doors.
Ordered a couple of Durham wall cabinets from Zoro; they are only ~13” deep- perfect for what I had in mind. Paired them together with a spacer to match the width of 3 Huot cabinets and put them on a base made out of 3/4” melamine coated form ply. Piece of leftover polished diamond plate and an electrical outlet and the center section is done..,
Looks like another great project!
The pump faces are next. Found some decals on eBay that were the perfect size- but needed an easy way to recess them. I was going to fab up a couple of shallow pans out of sheet metal but then realized that a large aluminum cookie sheet was the perfect size. Quick shot of self-etching primer and a couple of coats of gloss white paint and they were ready for decals.
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Had to trim the decals a little bit to get them to fit, but I couldn’t be happier with the way these worked out.
jHad to trim the decals a little bit to get them to fit, but I couldn’t be happier with the way these worked out.
The hardest part of the project was installing the “glass” into the locker doors. I bought a roll of 1/4” x 1/8” rubber astragal seal on Amazon and dug out a piece of 1/4” thick plexiglass I have been dragging around for years. It took a lot of soapy water, a plastic putty knife, a rubber mallet and a lot of swearing but I did manage to get them in.
The cookie sheet pump faces are a snug fit behind them and are secured with flat clips and 1/4” bolts tacked to the inside of the locker doors.
The cookie sheet pump faces are a snug fit behind them and are secured with flat clips and 1/4” bolts tacked to the inside of the locker doors.
The pump bodies were painted with a couple of coats of XO Direct to Metal oil-based enamel- had the local hardware store color match it to a shelf out of the Durham cabinets. I put a splash of Tractor Supply hardener in the paint before rolling it on with a sponge roller. Scuffed between coats with a 220 grit foam sanding block. It leveled out really well.
As soon as the paint was dry I started installing the pump graphics- these were all purchased from different eBay sellers. The Sky Chief sign was shorter than the Fire chief sign; it didn’t look right so I folded hems on a piece of 26 gage galvanized with my homemade sheet metal brake, shot it with satin black, and added it above the smaller sign. Problem solved.
As soon as the paint was dry I started installing the pump graphics- these were all purchased from different eBay sellers. The Sky Chief sign was shorter than the Fire chief sign; it didn’t look right so I folded hems on a piece of 26 gage galvanized with my homemade sheet metal brake, shot it with satin black, and added it above the smaller sign. Problem solved.
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kaymccampbell
Well-known member
That is beautiful.
The rounded tops of the pumps are an interesting story.
We bought a new washer/dryer last year and the mouthbreather they sent out to install it dented the dryer top climbing over it hooking up the vent.
The dealer gaffed the issue off on the manufacturer who sent a new top… and instead of an installer; another new top… and another new top…three times before we finally decided the dent was preferable to GE customer service.
So the tops got cut down and repurposed as tops for these pumps. These are screwed into a simple plywood form on the back side, pop-riveted together in the front with a piece of aluminum trim over the seam.
These really changed the look of the locker doors from simple boxes to the vintage look I was after.
We bought a new washer/dryer last year and the mouthbreather they sent out to install it dented the dryer top climbing over it hooking up the vent.
The dealer gaffed the issue off on the manufacturer who sent a new top… and instead of an installer; another new top… and another new top…three times before we finally decided the dent was preferable to GE customer service.
So the tops got cut down and repurposed as tops for these pumps. These are screwed into a simple plywood form on the back side, pop-riveted together in the front with a piece of aluminum trim over the seam.
These really changed the look of the locker doors from simple boxes to the vintage look I was after.
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Next step was to mimic the Alemite work station look with a bridge between the pumps. This pretty much used up the last of the melamine coated plywood and MDF. Ordered some puck lights and a little battery powered clock from Amazon Warehouse Deals.
Since these cabinets are about half the depth of standard gas pumps, I went with wall mounted globes. Bought these online; they were the most expensive part of this project. I went with unpainted steel housings; shot them with red and green Implement Paint from Tractor Supply. I believe it was their Majic brand spray paint; I have had really good luck with it laying down a smooth finish. For the lights inside the globe I went with 8” diameter flat LED ceiling fixtures. Used a remote control switch to actuate the lights- power is via an extension cord that just drops down behind the pegboard.
.
And with the lights on…
Since these cabinets are about half the depth of standard gas pumps, I went with wall mounted globes. Bought these online; they were the most expensive part of this project. I went with unpainted steel housings; shot them with red and green Implement Paint from Tractor Supply. I believe it was their Majic brand spray paint; I have had really good luck with it laying down a smooth finish. For the lights inside the globe I went with 8” diameter flat LED ceiling fixtures. Used a remote control switch to actuate the lights- power is via an extension cord that just drops down behind the pegboard.
.And with the lights on…
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Shelves are a mix of leftover plywood, mdf, particle board that I had lying around. I beveled and rounded the front edges, filled the pores with joint compound and rolled on a couple of coats of Behr “Polar BearWhite” and the shelves were done. I went with K&V standards and clips- ordered them online from Woodworkers Express for a fraction of what Agent Orange and Big Blue wanted locally. Wasn’t sure what I was going to use these shallow cabinets for; these gave me the adjustability I wanted. I wanted to use the same galvanized diamond plate pegboard I used above the Steevo inspired benches and the exposed ductwork but it’s still out of stock. I had a drop piece of hardboard pegboard in the sheet goods stack so I hit it with a coat of Polar Bear White and used it instead. Probably reflects the light better anyway.
The wooden tops are 1” thick pine, clear coated to match the tops on the Home Depot cabinets I used for the Steevo benches.
The wooden tops are 1” thick pine, clear coated to match the tops on the Home Depot cabinets I used for the Steevo benches.
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shortykorte
Well-known member
Now this is thinking outside the box. Fantastic.
Watched a video a couple weeks ago about a scratched built pump. He bent up a recessed box for the meter but the pan you used is a much better way. On the rubber gasket, did you soak it in hot water before installing?
Oh, hate to tell you this, at our Texaco, Sky Chief was on the left.
Watched a video a couple weeks ago about a scratched built pump. He bent up a recessed box for the meter but the pan you used is a much better way. On the rubber gasket, did you soak it in hot water before installing?
Oh, hate to tell you this, at our Texaco, Sky Chief was on the left.
Shorty,
Didn't soak the gasket before installation. Probably why it fought me every step of the way. Where were you with this little piece of advice when I was wrestling with that stiff as a honeymoon pr*ck rubber rope?
When I was working as a nozzle jockey putting myself through college at the local Texaco, the Fire Chief was on the left... unless you pulled in from the other side... then it was on the right.... hmmm.
Didn't soak the gasket before installation. Probably why it fought me every step of the way. Where were you with this little piece of advice when I was wrestling with that stiff as a honeymoon pr*ck rubber rope?
When I was working as a nozzle jockey putting myself through college at the local Texaco, the Fire Chief was on the left... unless you pulled in from the other side... then it was on the right.... hmmm.
bugnut
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Puget, absolutely outstanding! What a great combination.
zmotorsports
ALLIANCE MEMBER
That entire cabinet/station turned out freakin' AWESOME Scott! Nice execution and creative thinking.
Jayman17
Well-known member
Scott, I think you’ve won the internet for today with this amazing project. So freaking creative and so well executed. Looks really good in your shop! 
Jay
Jay
Monza Harry
Well-known member
I'm taken with the duality of it! Decor and function, right out of the park and down the street!
The shallow shelves would be good for spray cans if I'm seeing the "scale" of this right. Again a big 2 thumbs up on integrated form and function right from word go. Harry
P.S. clever execution to boot! 3rd thumbs up for you, Sir!
The shallow shelves would be good for spray cans if I'm seeing the "scale" of this right. Again a big 2 thumbs up on integrated form and function right from word go. Harry
P.S. clever execution to boot! 3rd thumbs up for you, Sir!
Monza Harry
Well-known member
Now trade out that plain Tremclad for the Professional, we use [@work] whatever the truck driver brings back, but personally the pro version lays down smoother and drys faster but not immediately like some others, so it flows out nicely and is touchable in a couple of hours. Harry
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senlow
Well-known member
Well executed workstation. I like it!
stinkity stoink
Well-known member
That workstation is sweet !!! I am amazEd out the creativity
driftpin
Well-known member
Fun to read, and impressive for the ingenuity and repurposing. I thought of rattle cans when you were wondering about shallow storage items, also. Thanks for the good photography: well composed, in-focus, and the story becomes well told.
MP&C
Well-known member
harley jim
Well-known member
Scott that is an amazing project. I love it.
csp
Well-known member
Great idea and nice execution.
That raised portion of the floor is to keep fumes that are heavier than air from migrating into the living space from the garage.
That raised portion of the floor is to keep fumes that are heavier than air from migrating into the living space from the garage.
FYI- all of the Huot cabinets came from Amazon Warehouse Deals. Some of them were around $40-45; price has gone up quite a bit since I started watching them. The Durham wall cabinets are pretty flimsy; I wouldn't load much in them (welding helmets are perfect.) but they were the perfect size and color for this project. Lockers came from PHX CL; paid ~$5/door for them- (bought 50+)
There were two perfect banks of lockers at the scrapyard in Snowflake a couple of weeks ago- took all the self control I had not to drag them home with me, but I just don't have room for any more.
There were two perfect banks of lockers at the scrapyard in Snowflake a couple of weeks ago- took all the self control I had not to drag them home with me, but I just don't have room for any more.
RivennHewn
Well-known member
Shorty’s signature footwear line?
Toolfool
Well-known member
Yeah, WTF ?
shortykorte
Well-known member
Ah, that looks more like Dude’s leisure footwear. Our motto, “Gets you out of honey dos every time “
Like others WTF
Like others WTF
Missed a step coming down a ladder. Landed on my left heel on concrete. Hairline fracture and a nasty bone bruise.
This is empirical evidence that no good deed really ever goes unpunished- I was working on re-doing crown molding/drywall repair at a friend from Washington’s house they just bought here in Arizona; rushing a little trying to get it ready for the painter she hired.(Who didn’t show up on time…)
Stay tuned for when I livestream myself shooting the television; feels like I am going around in circles with one foot nailed to the floor- literally and figuratively- and it’s only been a few days so far.
This is empirical evidence that no good deed really ever goes unpunished- I was working on re-doing crown molding/drywall repair at a friend from Washington’s house they just bought here in Arizona; rushing a little trying to get it ready for the painter she hired.(Who didn’t show up on time…)
Stay tuned for when I livestream myself shooting the television; feels like I am going around in circles with one foot nailed to the floor- literally and figuratively- and it’s only been a few days so far.