The Eclectic Garage

[Zeke]

I've been here for 4 1/2 years and not posted much about my garage/carport. Lately it's gotten so constipated that I had to decide to do something. Before I get into the pics I have to say I don't plan on changing a lot. The theme is old garage, old dark wood, bad concrete floors and lots and lots of stuff.

However, the "stuff" is getting reorganized and some of it is getting moved around. I've been here for 15 years, longest I've lived anywhere by 7 years. I guess I'll die here.

So, here is the day that I decided that I had to admit that I needed to do something. What I'm doing and am going to do will take some time and I'll measure out the progress and pics a little at a time. The before:

 

[Jay Sco]

Man you have a lot of......stuff. Welcome to the GJ, wait a minute......

 

[Zeke]

Now a little explanation of each pic.
I work outside mostly because there are cars in the garage. I have built 5 cars in the carport. A '44 Jeep, a Porsche 914 race car. Fixed a wrecked truck (mine). Restored a '71 911 and did some creative work on an '88 911 Porsche Carrera. A couple of those projects ran a 1000 hours.

Some storage cabinets. This area will get improved.

Let's go inside through the side door.

A look around, you see lots of old tools and "stuff" hung about. The race kart on the wall is going away. Been up there since I moved in. Hasn't run since '94. It's a '82 Margay Expert II.

I've started at the corner where there is a door to a bathroom. It's a little better now...well, a lot better, but the theme hasn't changed. There will be no painting of anything in the garage. I like the patina of the 1934 lumber.

 

[cbacres]

Is that a Powermatic drill press under the rags?

 

[Zeke]

No, a CM 150. I have pics of the start of the cleanup and reorg, but I switched cameras and it got a little rough here for awhile. I've had to reboot 2wice.

 

[HSpencer]

I already like your shop set up. I am thinking "shed" to store the stuff you gotta keep but don't want underfoot.
Your work area, storage and benches are very interesting. I like the hardware store look you have in there. I could browse around for quite a while. Would be nice if you had one of those old hardware cabinets with lots of drawers. To me, your not in bad shape, just need to move some stuff out of your way. Looking forward to what you do with the space.

Best Regards
Herb Spencer

 

[1/2 Cup]

I have to admit I like " stuff " as it has a homely and lived in feel, looking forward to your progress.

 

[Doug B]

..The theme is old garage, old dark wood, bad concrete floors ...

HAHA...love the theme.

About a month ago,I realized my garage was pretty non-functional as a work space,so I started a big clean up and reorganization. My main objectives have been getting rid of stuff that shouldn't be in there (garden tools,boating stuff,snow shoes etc. all go out into the storage shed), and more storage(shelves,cabinets,and I need another bottom tool box). It's a slow process.

Looking forward to seeing how you get it done.

 

[Zeke]

I started Monday of this week and worked the area near the interior door. Moved the drill press and grinder to the back wall. I put some to the old tools on the wall along with some of the 'stuff' that was already there. I made a clamp rack. I've never had a clamp rack, they've always been in a stack leaning in a corner trapping dust and spiders.

I don't know if the stereo is going to stay there on top of the parts organizer. I don't listen to it much. So that's a week's progress. This will take some time, maybe all year. Lots to do.

 

[Vernmotor]

Looks like about 15 lb in a 5 lb bag. kind of like my garage !

 

[HSpencer]

Looks inviting and great!! I like it a lot.

Best Regards
Herb Spencer

 

[Zeke]

Looks like about 15 lb in a 5 lb bag. kind of like my garage !

Yep. that's would be a "blivey" which could be an alternate name for the Eclectic Garage.

 

[Doug B]

Oh man, we have that same Lawson bolt bin at work...from back when the Lawson sales guy would come around and fill it with slotted wood screws....It's been shoved in the back of a storage room for years.The boss know I want it.I have a standing $50 offer on it Maybe some day

 

[turbowoodworker]

Love your space and especially the old Firebird poster. Get over to PHX much?

 

[Sunbimmer]

I used the word before in HSpencer's thread and I'm gonna do it again here.
I love the certain conviviality of your place

 

[Zeke]

Love your space and especially the old Firebird poster. Get over to PHX much?

No, I ran that track one time in about '88 I think. Interesting track but a bit dangerous for karts. One guy hit the tires in the turn after the end of the straight and broke his arm. I like a little runoff room.

More pics soon. Thanks guys. This should be fun.

 

[Zeke]

I used the word before in HSpencer's thread and I'm gonna do it again here.
I love the certain conviviality of your place

I will take that as a very nice compliment. Thank you.

 

[Bricen18]

Very nice. I too have lots of stuff. Currently it consists of kids toys In my garage.

Keep up the good work.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Zeke]

What else is there?

My garage is actually 2 connected buildings. The previous pics are from the 'new' part built in 1934. The original 1 1/2 car garage was built with the house including a laundry room. That now includes a bath.

At some point maybe in the 50's the original garage built in 1930 was converted into a den/smoking room/radio listening area. When I bought the house from the son of the original owner builder, his mother, it was full of stored furniture, etc. I didn't get too much of the story on the room pic's below but I do have lots of stories I do know and will tell as we go along. I still have a lot of that furniture like the cane rocking chair.

Here's how I developed the room for my taste. No, he didn't leave me the jukebox and the spinet piano belonged to my MIL. There's got to be 2 hours worth of story telling regarding the 'stuff.' I did buy those LP albums new when I was 12 or 13. Please pardon the sepia effect. Just playing with the new camera.

 

[ODIS]

Good for you, Zeke!

Looking forward to your posts with lots of pictures and the stories to go with them.

All the best,

Ody.

 

[don long]

Hey Zeke
I really like your wall paper of old tools in the garage
and I noticed the old craftsman drill press (NICE)

It sure feels good to walk out into the garage when you have a good idea where to find the stuff you need with out searching for it

Looks good keep us posted on your progress

Don

 

[Pat Brady]

Wow!! What a fantastic place, Zeke. It looks like you can really get just about any job done out there. Thanks for showing us the pics!!

 

[Zeke]

A little more done

After fighting a simple task of changing the oil on my truck, I had some time to do a bit more. The oil change is related because the oil for 2 cars and filters was all sitting on the floor in this area. So now it's all cleaned up until it gets dirty and messy again. You know that will happen.

 

[Zeke]

I've had that tool box since I was 14. Looks like I might want to paint some of the metal objects, just not the old wood. I won't touch the tool box. Funny, I see more detail looking at my own pics. The last pic is just more 'stuff.' I have no idea when and where I found the 2 red bags. The bike hanging upside down is an original Schwinn girl's Stingray complete with a flower power banana seat.

 

[Bud Man]

I like it! A well used shop, not a show piece.

 

[OynamaKulme]

Great garage - all what is needed for the real man. By the way, what kind of a ball is hanging on a rope and touches the windshield (fourth photo)?

 

[Zeke]

Towards the end of the 2nd week

Starting around at the opposite wall I got that area cleaned up. I don't think any changes are necessary. Before getting to the target of this post, the work bench, I'll mention that I shot a couple of close ups just for fun. It's all 'stuff.' BTW, the 2 nail kegs you see are there because they are full of nails. 100 lbs of nails each!! They have labels on them having been delivered before WWII. If I had the room they would become seats at a small table. Meanwhile, they are hard to move.

The work bench was built by the husband of the lady that built this house. I don't have the whole story, but seems that when he got here he needed HIS space like most of the GJ'ers. The garage as mentioned was built behind the original garage in 1934. I'm going to assume the bench was built about then.

My theme has been to not paint or refinish anything but I've worked hours on this bench trying to "blend" the old paint and rub it into the wood. As you can imagine, the old paint is most likely oil based enamel of some sort and with lead in it. I'll tell you this, it's been scrubbed and scrubbed some more. Simple Green, acetone, alcohol, xylene, MEK, even some carb cleaner. Nothing dissolves the paint. If I used paint remover I might get somewhere but that's not the idea behind the Eclectic Garage.

The white shelf under the kart is temporary. I won't be using any melamine anywhere, but I wanted a place for the time being for all the battery chargers and that sort of thing. Since they are in constant use they don't live in drawers. When the kart comes down I will build some cabinets out of old dark wood. Soon I will get some pics of one of my all time favorite inspirational garages that has remained original and untouched after it was built out in 1953. The cabinets are fabulous old untreated fir.

 

[Zeke]

Hah! I look around at the pics I take and am still seeing a different view of what I see every day. Looking at the plates and frames you'd probably figure me to be an old hippie. I really never quite made the grade as a hippie. But you know us Cali guys, right? Not real red neck either.

Just want you to know I never sent any money to greenpeace (now don't even think about going political here or I'll have Ryan ban you ) but I might have been to San Francisco during the Haight Ashbury days. I just didn't have a flower in my hair.

So as the plate says, LVPCJOY.

 

[Zeke]

I decided to make a glaze just to freshen up the bench. Tomorrow I will add some darker color and at the same time add some more glazing liquid. This should give me the patina that echoes the original paint and stains still showing up through this wipe-on finish. Hopefully it will look in the end like work never stopped on the bench for the 80 years it has been there.

 

[Modern Jess]

Can you tell us more about the benchtop mill / lathe combo?

 

[Zeke]

Can you tell us more about the benchtop mill / lathe combo?

Similar to the small Smithy and others sold. This one was the model HF sold a few years back. It's in a class called 7 x 14.

 

[HSpencer]

I LOVE the red and gray vise!! It looks great. Your place is fantastic!!

Best Regards
Herb Spencer

 

[Zeke]

I LOVE the red and gray vise!! It looks great. Your place is fantastic!!

Best Regards
Herb Spencer

Thanks. I have 5 other vises that include a Columbian and an Athol but the little Wilton Shop King is perfect for the bench and it's the vise I use most often. The others live outside in the carport. I'll get out to the carport soon.

Meanwhile, I found the perfect place to relocate the race kart over the 3 in 1 machine on the back wall. No pics of above the machine but there are some shelves with camping equipment, etc., that never gets used. So the shelves are coming down and some more shuffling of 'stuff.'

Getting access to the wall above the bench is going to be huge with respect to organization, function and best of all — aesthetics.

 

[Seagoon]

Great garage - all what is needed for the real man. By the way, what kind of a ball is hanging on a rope and touches the windshield (fourth photo)?

Over this side of the pond it is normally a tennis ball. If you stop when the windscreen touches the ball the front bumper will be 2 inches from running into whatever is the first solid object (bench/wall/whatever)

 

[Zeke]

Yeah, I just ignored the question unless he wanted to know if it was a Wilson or Penn.

 

[MP&C]

Nice door hardware collection!

 

[Zeke]

Nice door hardware collection!

Thanks. I have boxes of the 'stuff' (who'd a thought that ) The hinge leaf with the lower finial in the pic in post #27 is a cast iron hinge half from a San Francisco Victorian I worked on many years ago. It has engravings on it. Pretty fancy.