Nah. Bugs get the suckiest mileage of all the TDi models. Its pushin a lot of air - there's a lot of frontal area. It may all be rounded, but that's a lot of glass. The car is tall for its size. I'm 6'2 and I could wear a 10 gallon hat in there! Plus, I never baby it. I'm not one of those guys who'll drive 60 mph on the highway just to get all the way to 50+ mpg.
The Derelict Garage rides again!!!
- Thread starter fergus
- Start date
Happy New Year everybody!
Minor update here.
Got some Christmas cash, so off to Home Depot I went. I bought four sets of 20" full extension slides for the drawers I'm planning to build. Then I started thinking about working out there at night...and how it ***** for lack of light. So I went ahead and got some bare ceramic light sockets while I was there.
Didn't see anything in the way of reflectors or shades that would work, so I had to think about it for a few days. Then, we were down in the city and I remember Jack Olsen's cake pan lights, and so we stopped at Ikea. I found something that would work even better - stainless mixing bowls. On sale for $4.99, so I picked up five of em.
Drilled some holes
Put in the fixtures
And bam...
I hung them all on one length of aircraft cable, and each one has a short loop (through the other two holes on top of the bowls) of cable that hangs of the main line.
You'll notice that's during the afternoon. It is super bright out there at night...almost as good as daylight. I know I said I hate them, but I used CFLs in the lamps...and I actually like them. I saw that the bulbs were listed as 2700k...and since my other thread on hating fluorescents I learned that was around the range of light that I like to work in... and that is close to regular incandescents.
Minor update here.
Got some Christmas cash, so off to Home Depot I went. I bought four sets of 20" full extension slides for the drawers I'm planning to build. Then I started thinking about working out there at night...and how it ***** for lack of light. So I went ahead and got some bare ceramic light sockets while I was there.
Didn't see anything in the way of reflectors or shades that would work, so I had to think about it for a few days. Then, we were down in the city and I remember Jack Olsen's cake pan lights, and so we stopped at Ikea. I found something that would work even better - stainless mixing bowls. On sale for $4.99, so I picked up five of em.
Drilled some holes
Put in the fixtures
And bam...
I hung them all on one length of aircraft cable, and each one has a short loop (through the other two holes on top of the bowls) of cable that hangs of the main line.
You'll notice that's during the afternoon. It is super bright out there at night...almost as good as daylight. I know I said I hate them, but I used CFLs in the lamps...and I actually like them. I saw that the bulbs were listed as 2700k...and since my other thread on hating fluorescents I learned that was around the range of light that I like to work in... and that is close to regular incandescents.
JC23
Well-known member
You'd better watch out, fergus. Martha Stewart would really dig that!
ambenz
Well-known member
Subscribed..I like some of your ideas that seem to incorporate the old addage..."keep it simple, stupid!" Being frugal is another great quality, keep up the good work.
tinbender 66
Well-known member
You've taked Olsenism to a new level
. Looks great!!
. Looks great!!Thats funny Paul. You know, I had thought about trying to bend up some cones out of sheet metal for half a second. But then, half a second later, I thought "Get serious. They're lamp shades. You want light now, not six months from now."
But I"m sure that's something you could whip up in about five minutes...after you figured out all the geometry.
But I"m sure that's something you could whip up in about five minutes...after you figured out all the geometry.
Bronson
Well-known member
Good job, Fergus! I really like the bowl reflectors, great idea! /Did You get a Garage door yet? When My Dad lived in rural NorCal, theft was pretty rampant.
Vernmotor
Well-known member
Just to let you know ..I reading all along..good ideas
Red Leader
Well-known member
Those lights look killer!
Dan in Pasadena
Well-known member
+1. I just got through posting to RobboC's thread on his single UK garage how nice these would be in his smaller space.
They have me wondering how they'd look/how effective they'd be in my 18x20 -which is obviously small but not a single? I ask because a couple of my uber cheapo Home Depot 4 ft fluoresecents have died and these look way cooler. With CFL's they be cheap to operate too, right!
Dan, my garage is also 18x20. I'm not totally sure, but it seems like they put out more than the three 4ft fluorescent fixtures I have out there already. I'll take a pic tonight with just the bowl lights on if you like.
Oh yeah, the CFLs also came from Ikea...and they are rated at 11W, or 60W incandescent equivalent. And it was $3 for a 3 pack so...
Oh yeah, the CFLs also came from Ikea...and they are rated at 11W, or 60W incandescent equivalent. And it was $3 for a 3 pack so...
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Kevin54
MEMBER EMERITUS
Fergus...fantastic job man!!!! Those light that you made are great. Once I get my garage rearranged the way I want, I think I'll steal that idea for sure.
Dan in Pasadena
Well-known member
Fergus,
Your bowls kinda/sorta remind me of the old school exterior lamp shades you'd see that were dark green porcelin outside and white porcelin inside....yet yours are cooler. I wonder if say, a couple rows of those would light up the entire space enough for me to get rid of my cheapo fluorsecents?
Your bowls kinda/sorta remind me of the old school exterior lamp shades you'd see that were dark green porcelin outside and white porcelin inside....yet yours are cooler. I wonder if say, a couple rows of those would light up the entire space enough for me to get rid of my cheapo fluorsecents?
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Kevin, RL, Vern: Thanks guys.
Bronson, no door yet. Its next on the list. I know what I want to build, but just not sure exactly how to carry it out. We have a couple of good guard dogs, a motion sensor light, nosy family that live close by and next door neighbors that are always home. Plus we live on a large plot of land. But no doors still stress me out. I wouldn't have gone more than a day without doors if I still lived in So Cal though! I got ripped off four times in four years down there. Ugh. Thieves/tweakers... lowest life forms on the face of the planet.
Dan, almost painted these suckers green for that same reason! But, stainless is cool too. I also thought about painting the inside white for better reflection, but they are plenty bright as-is. One could also polish the inside just a little for more light too.
I'm betting that two or three rows would be enough for the whole shop. Mine are spaced 36 inches apart and I guess they could even be 48 apart, but I wanted mine sort of "centered" over the length of the bench. They also hang at about 7 ft off the ground, so any higher might be better for distributing light over a large area, but I'm not sure.
I have the same cheapo ten-year-old Home Depot 4 footers out there that you probably have. The only reason they went up was because I already had them. I'll take some pics for you to see.
Bigger bowls might be even better, but these were the biggest available at Ikea. Maybe I'll see if I can find a few bigger ones to run down the middle of the garage? It'll be cheaper than buying electronic ballasts/new T8 tubes and all that...which is pretty much why I did this in the first place. Newer cheap fixtures without tubes are about $18-20 ea. I think I have about $60 into the lights altogether. I did already have the aluminum cable laying around though.
Bronson, no door yet. Its next on the list. I know what I want to build, but just not sure exactly how to carry it out. We have a couple of good guard dogs, a motion sensor light, nosy family that live close by and next door neighbors that are always home. Plus we live on a large plot of land. But no doors still stress me out. I wouldn't have gone more than a day without doors if I still lived in So Cal though! I got ripped off four times in four years down there. Ugh. Thieves/tweakers... lowest life forms on the face of the planet.
Dan, almost painted these suckers green for that same reason! But, stainless is cool too. I also thought about painting the inside white for better reflection, but they are plenty bright as-is. One could also polish the inside just a little for more light too.
I'm betting that two or three rows would be enough for the whole shop. Mine are spaced 36 inches apart and I guess they could even be 48 apart, but I wanted mine sort of "centered" over the length of the bench. They also hang at about 7 ft off the ground, so any higher might be better for distributing light over a large area, but I'm not sure.
I have the same cheapo ten-year-old Home Depot 4 footers out there that you probably have. The only reason they went up was because I already had them. I'll take some pics for you to see.
Bigger bowls might be even better, but these were the biggest available at Ikea. Maybe I'll see if I can find a few bigger ones to run down the middle of the garage? It'll be cheaper than buying electronic ballasts/new T8 tubes and all that...which is pretty much why I did this in the first place. Newer cheap fixtures without tubes are about $18-20 ea. I think I have about $60 into the lights altogether. I did already have the aluminum cable laying around though.
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Dan in Pasadena
Well-known member
Yeah, I can see your lights are "purpose lights" meaning intended to focus light on the work bench. If I try them it would be to light up the whole garage so I'd mount them reasonably high and on a sort of standardized grid spacing. I'm thinking maybe 6'x6'?
I THINK, but am not sure that the 4' fluorescents I have are not worth trying to fix. I don't want to spend a fortune on lights if I can afford it though so your idea may be a good one for me. I don't think I unerstand/see what you're talking about with the "aluminum" cable? I'd likely use switched outlets ganged together as I hav my fluorescents. If you have any close up photos of your cable I'd love to see them.
64 lane
Well-known member
I love a dream shop that is completely finished out. But I come from the school of make what you can or find what you want for free. I will spend the money where it is needed if I can, but I love how you have repurposed so many things. I hope you are proud of your workshop. I would be.
Okay, here's some pics
First, all the lights
Just the bowl lights
Just the 4-footers
The 4-footers really do a better job of flooding the light - I don't know if the pictures show that, but I guess its no real surprise. But without the bowl lights on, the bench area was sooooo dark. I was shocked - I wonder how I ever did anything out there at night before.
Here's some pics of the top of the lights for you Dan:
So I guess you would need about three rows of bowl lights for a full 2-car. Maybe going to a higher wattage (output) bulb in the middle row would do you well? Maybe painting the insides white or polishing? Or bigger bowls? At any rate I'm happy with the setup for now. I'll probably move on to some other projects. Its just the light from those 4ft fixtures is just so...unfriendly compared to my new lights...
First, all the lights
Just the bowl lights
Just the 4-footers
The 4-footers really do a better job of flooding the light - I don't know if the pictures show that, but I guess its no real surprise. But without the bowl lights on, the bench area was sooooo dark. I was shocked - I wonder how I ever did anything out there at night before.
Here's some pics of the top of the lights for you Dan:
So I guess you would need about three rows of bowl lights for a full 2-car. Maybe going to a higher wattage (output) bulb in the middle row would do you well? Maybe painting the insides white or polishing? Or bigger bowls? At any rate I'm happy with the setup for now. I'll probably move on to some other projects. Its just the light from those 4ft fixtures is just so...unfriendly compared to my new lights...
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rlwhitetr3b
Well-known member
The height of the lights will also make a difference on how far the light spreads out.
zjrog
Well-known member
Love those lights, I hope you don't me stealing the ideas!
Zeppe807
Well-known member
Nice project. I too love the lamps. I want to get an old Green Porcelain lamp that is on an old building on our family ranch. I like the idea of the older style lights, and your idea is great.
I will have to ask though, do you know what make of the cabinets are? I got some similar and do not know what make they are, and have seen a few like them popping up on the board.
It is nice to see another smaller budget garage build on the board, I wish I had more time to put towards the shop.
Good Job
Joe Zeppe
I will have to ask though, do you know what make of the cabinets are? I got some similar and do not know what make they are, and have seen a few like them popping up on the board.
It is nice to see another smaller budget garage build on the board, I wish I had more time to put towards the shop.
Good Job
Joe Zeppe
I like the lights. I like the whole place. Well done, sir.
Rich H.
Well-known member
Nice job bringing it back from the dead
Those light fixtures look sharp!
One idea: Maybe try hanging the 4 footers along the sides of the Jeep, instead of right above it? It would help eliminate the shadows on the sides of the Jeep. Just a thought...
Those light fixtures look sharp!
One idea: Maybe try hanging the 4 footers along the sides of the Jeep, instead of right above it? It would help eliminate the shadows on the sides of the Jeep. Just a thought...
Rlwhite: I'm sure you're right
ZJRog: Steal away. That's why its there
Zeppe807: The cabinets are made by Hamilton, or American Hamilton. The tag says they are a medical supply company
Jack: Thanks. The lights are your idea anyway. I just tweaked it a little. My wife had tons of cake pans laying around (she bakes like crazy!) but I knew better than to mess with mama's kitchen. When I saw that wire crate full of bowls at the store I knew I had a winner.
Rich: That's a good idea. With both sets of lights on, there aren't too many shadows on the workbench side of the garage, but I can see how lights offset from center would be a good thing.
ZJRog: Steal away. That's why its there
Zeppe807: The cabinets are made by Hamilton, or American Hamilton. The tag says they are a medical supply company
Jack: Thanks. The lights are your idea anyway. I just tweaked it a little. My wife had tons of cake pans laying around (she bakes like crazy!) but I knew better than to mess with mama's kitchen. When I saw that wire crate full of bowls at the store I knew I had a winner.
Rich: That's a good idea. With both sets of lights on, there aren't too many shadows on the workbench side of the garage, but I can see how lights offset from center would be a good thing.
Curt_pnw
Well-known member
Wow, I absolutely love those lights. Great idea!
psychobillycadillac
Active member
Fergus looking great so far and I'm really digging those lights. It'll definitely make working at the bench more pleasant. I like the output of 4 foot florescent lightss but after working under one for a while it really starts to hurt the eyes. Those bench lights throw plenty of light and look good too.
novaboy009
Well-known member
Any way to tuck those wires/caps out of the way? I think I'd be inclined to run it through conduit just to make is look a little cleaner. But that's just me, still love the idea!
I just read both your threads.
I, like probably many others here, am more interested in reading about the rehab projects than the acre x acre metal pole barn builds. I would love to have a hangar big enough for the space shuttle myself but enjoy the ingenuity of these builds the most.
So what's your future plans for the place?
I know you said doors next.
You guessed 3-5 years before. Staying longer?
Any plans for a new floor?
I love the flat fender.
I, like probably many others here, am more interested in reading about the rehab projects than the acre x acre metal pole barn builds. I would love to have a hangar big enough for the space shuttle myself but enjoy the ingenuity of these builds the most.
So what's your future plans for the place?
I know you said doors next.
You guessed 3-5 years before. Staying longer?
Any plans for a new floor?
I love the flat fender.
Curt/Psychobilly/Mavawreck - thanks for the comments and stoppin by! I love working out there at night now. Its just great. Can't believe I waited that long.
Novaboy - yeah, you could tuck those caps. I had planned to solder all the connections and used heat shrink tube/tape to cover everything up, but I didn't have big heat shrink tube laying around, and I was getting impatient. I didn't do counduit for two reasons: 1. I'm too cheap. 2. Everything I do to the garage, I have made removable so that whenever we leave, I can take everything with me.
K2- Plans are to get everything off the floor. Whatever it takes, I will do to get all the junk into a cabinet or some other place. That might actually happen before the doors. Just depends on what kind of materials I stumble upon.
We're still thinking 3-5 years. It could be longer. It just depends on what life brings us.
Ahh the floor. Ever time I use the creeper, or try to roll something across it, I have a very animated conversation with the floor. You know, about his obvious short comings. Its not his fault that he's this way - he's a product of his environment. Whatever. While I surely don't need to replace the floor, it sure would be nice. I've thought of all kinds of ways to fix the floor: Lifting the whole building again, pouring a real footer and a new floating slab; busting out the middle slab and just re-pouring it to be "level" with the other two; a topping slab to just get everything close to level inside; a floating wood floor; race deck (I'm totally against plastic anything, but this stuff is nice - and spendy). The list goes on. Its one of those projects thats a "someday, maybe" or "I'll do it, just to see if I can" type of thing.
Novaboy - yeah, you could tuck those caps. I had planned to solder all the connections and used heat shrink tube/tape to cover everything up, but I didn't have big heat shrink tube laying around, and I was getting impatient. I didn't do counduit for two reasons: 1. I'm too cheap. 2. Everything I do to the garage, I have made removable so that whenever we leave, I can take everything with me.
K2- Plans are to get everything off the floor. Whatever it takes, I will do to get all the junk into a cabinet or some other place. That might actually happen before the doors. Just depends on what kind of materials I stumble upon.
We're still thinking 3-5 years. It could be longer. It just depends on what life brings us.
Ahh the floor. Ever time I use the creeper, or try to roll something across it, I have a very animated conversation with the floor. You know, about his obvious short comings. Its not his fault that he's this way - he's a product of his environment. Whatever. While I surely don't need to replace the floor, it sure would be nice. I've thought of all kinds of ways to fix the floor: Lifting the whole building again, pouring a real footer and a new floating slab; busting out the middle slab and just re-pouring it to be "level" with the other two; a topping slab to just get everything close to level inside; a floating wood floor; race deck (I'm totally against plastic anything, but this stuff is nice - and spendy). The list goes on. Its one of those projects thats a "someday, maybe" or "I'll do it, just to see if I can" type of thing.
Started out yesterday trying to build some drawers for my cabinets. After an hour of cleaning up the garage (it really never ends...who makes these messes anyway) I got sidetracked when the wife called and asked me to pick her up from a friends house. On the way over, I noticed the local fire department was having a yard sale. You know I couldn't resist.
So I brought this monster home.
It was the end of the sale and they only wanted $20. I offered em $14, since that's all the cash I had on me. I've become...way...too...cheap.
It measures 84 x 56 X 34. Gigantic. Its made mostly of aluminum too...which I thought was interesting. I'm sure any of you firemen out there can explain it all. It seems like it was used for safety gear, since it has a dowel for hanging stuff in the top.
So after my BIL and I wrestled the thing in there (it only cleared the front door header by 1") on pipe rollers, I had to think about what I actually wanted to use it for. Then I got it. Instant tool crib:
Freed up a lot of space in my cabinets, where most of my power tools were crammed into one lower cabinet, then the others were in the lateral file drawer this thing replaced. I'm thinking of adding some expanded metal in the sides of the big compartment in order to hang a bunch more tools in there...it would greatly increase the capacity.
Now that I've slept on it, I wish I would have picked up two...a little re-arranging would have made it fit. They had another one of the monster cabinets (with dinged up doors) at the fire station...hmmm.
So I brought this monster home.
It was the end of the sale and they only wanted $20. I offered em $14, since that's all the cash I had on me. I've become...way...too...cheap.
It measures 84 x 56 X 34. Gigantic. Its made mostly of aluminum too...which I thought was interesting. I'm sure any of you firemen out there can explain it all. It seems like it was used for safety gear, since it has a dowel for hanging stuff in the top.
So after my BIL and I wrestled the thing in there (it only cleared the front door header by 1") on pipe rollers, I had to think about what I actually wanted to use it for. Then I got it. Instant tool crib:
Freed up a lot of space in my cabinets, where most of my power tools were crammed into one lower cabinet, then the others were in the lateral file drawer this thing replaced. I'm thinking of adding some expanded metal in the sides of the big compartment in order to hang a bunch more tools in there...it would greatly increase the capacity.
Now that I've slept on it, I wish I would have picked up two...a little re-arranging would have made it fit. They had another one of the monster cabinets (with dinged up doors) at the fire station...hmmm.
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64 lane
Well-known member
Nice find. The front top looks like a great place for a garage sign.
tinbender 66
Well-known member
Nice find. I want one.
psychobillycadillac
Active member
Nice score on the cabinet. It looks heavy duty. Nice versatile mix of tools in it by the way. Yard work, Wood work, Paint work, and Beer work?