Between 265 & 485 SQ/FT The Scooter Workshop

[Modern Jess]

Seriously though, good work

Keep up the good work. I really dig how it's coming together.

Thanks much, guys. I appreciate it.

 

[Modern Jess]

I love all the 'outside the box' thinking going on here. All of a sudden I need wiremold for my outlets and air lines run in aluminum channel. It might not be the most cost effective way to wire and pipe a shop but it definitely gets points for coolness and flexibility. I can't wait to see what you come up with next. Great job!

Thanks much. Definitely not the cheapest way to do it, but I'm planning for the long term.

So, you going to embed this stuff in concrete?

I've been following your build intently. For whatever reason, that stuff is fascinating to me.

 

[The J]

This is a great build. It's quite enjoyable following your thought process and the quality of work is excellent. Subscribed!

Maybe consider a light tube (Solatube or similar) for more natural light?

 

[Bulldog13]

Great build...love the BMW and the scoots....What brand are the stainless rollers you have? I have a blank canvas to work with in Florida and those would work great instead of building a bench.Look forward to more progress!

 

[chevshack]

great project

 

[ConCretin]

So, you going to embed this stuff in concrete?

When you think about it, your system would provide incredible flexibility in walls that would otherwise have NO flexibility for change. So yea, I might.

Thanks for the inspiration.

 

[Modern Jess]

This is a great build. It's quite enjoyable following your thought process and the quality of work is excellent. Subscribed!

Thanks! The thought process has been the enjoyable part, but it definitely slows down the work.

Maybe consider a light tube (Solatube or similar) for more natural light?

I've been thinking along the same lines, but haven't figured out a good place to put it yet. Most of the ceiling is open to the roof, so no real place to put the tube. I do have one corner that will have a flat ceiling with some space between it and the roof, so I may yet revisit that.

Great build...love the BMW and the scoots....What brand are the stainless rollers you have? I have a blank canvas to work with in Florida and those would work great instead of building a bench.Look forward to more progress!

Thanks much. The stainless bench-style toolboxes were a moving-in gift from my wife. They're made by Whalen, and available at some Costco stores (seems to vary by area) for around $500 apiece. They're good boxes for the price, and very practical. My one big complaint is that you have to pull the drawers fairly hard to get them to release. There's no grip-latch mechanism or anything like that, more like friction-grip.

Here's a thread here on GJ that talks about them. There are a few other threads about them floating around as well.

great project

Gracias!

When you think about it, your system would provide incredible flexibility in walls that would otherwise have NO flexibility for change. So yea, I might.

Thanks for the inspiration.

I might be biased, but I think it's going to work well in my case. Seems like it would be doubly so in your case. Looking forward to seeing your job resume, hope the snow doesn't present too much of a problem.

 

[Modern Jess]

Okay, finally some project updates.

I mentioned a while back that I'm building a suspended shelf that runs along one wall from the very front to the very back of the shop. I'm making it out of superstrut for strength and to save a few inches of headroom (compared to 2x lumber). The plan is to suspend the front edge of the shelf with threaded rod (a trick I learned right here on GJ) but I had been puzzling over how to actually pull it off. There's an order-of-operations problem in that I have to put drywall up, and then stick the threaded rod through the drywall, but by the time drywall is up I won't be able to reach into the soffit to fasten the top end of the threaded rod.

So here's my solution. This bracket is bolted through the rafter ties, and has a barrel connector screwed tightly to it. The bottom of the barrel connector ends up just 1/16" above the top of the drywall, so I should be able to find it with a strong magnet. Once I've got a small hole cut, I should just be able to thread the rod into the barrel connector and tighten it with a double nut farther down.

There are five rafter ties from front to back, and each one has a suspension anchor like this one, spaced four feet apart. A four foot span gives me a pretty reasonable weight limit for standard superstrut, well over what I'll be using the shelf for.

 

[Modern Jess]

And another update! I've finished building out and thickening the next wall, and all the insulation is now in place. The electrical conduit and airline conduit are in place as well. These first two walls are now ready for drywall.

 

[dubber]

Very cool build, your patience to find a unique property with these two garages sure paid off.

 

[Modern Jess]

The Saga Resumes

Summer here in California has, sadly, come to an end. It held all the way through October, and then a bit of November, and then ended abruptly in December. Farewell, fond summer, we shall miss you.

And with the passing of summer, it's time to return to the relative warmth of my workshop, which (lacking heat) isn't really all that warm. The truth is, I had a project sitting on my lift for most of the summer, and I was just too bored to work on it. That project kept me from working on my workshop as well. Stupid scooter.

But now I'm back in the swing of it. After a prolonged period of thinking (which made my head hurt) I decided that my initial plan of 1/2" drywall was stupid in a space where I'm likely to set things on fire on a regular basis. The proper thing to do would be to use 5/8". Unfortunately, the Wiremold conduit on the wall was set flush assuming 1/2" drywall, so that had to come off the wall and be re-shimmed. And while I was at it, I decided to seal the space behind the conduit for better noise insulation. And then I decided I would just do the damn drywall myself.

******.

So here we are, several weekends into it, with 1.5 walls sheetrocked and I'm just now learning how to tape and mud. Ugh. It's not as bad as I thought, but it is damn tedious. And I'm sure it will look like hell when I paint it.

 

[B Mad]

nice build.

Great space for the bikes, i wish i had m,ore space for my bikes.

The skylight story brings back too many memories of "why did i do that?"

 

[Modern Jess]

nice build.

Thanks!

Great space for the bikes, i wish i had m,ore space for my bikes.

We both know what happens when you have more space for bikes. You end up with even more bikes, until you're just as crammed as you were before. It's a disease.

The skylight story brings back too many memories of "why did i do that?"

Indeed. I could fill a book.

 

[sakurama]

Wow, great build. I'm subscribing so I can steal ideas!

Tell me more about your air lines. I don't want to do steel and copper doesn't excite me either. The plastic and push to fit connectors are very cool and I've not seen them for air before. We used plastic pipe in our old factory space and never had an issue for the 8 or 10 years I was there but it seems there's the worry of them blowing up if smashed. While I'm not too worried I want to avoid it nonetheless.

Love the channel idea. Good job so far. Looking forward to more.

Gregor

 

[Bears Fan]

Great job!!! can't wait to see it finished so we can see some more scooter projects...

 

[Modern Jess]

Wow, great build. I'm subscribing so I can steal ideas!

Steal away! I was just this morning perusing your garage thread, admiring your Festool collection. I've caught the Festool disease recently, though I've only stuck the proverbial toe in the water so far.

Tell me more about your air lines. I don't want to do steel and copper doesn't excite me either. The plastic and push to fit connectors are very cool and I've not seen them for air before.

There are some nice systems (i.e. RapidAir) that make running air lines pretty flexible. My approach is based on the same kind of connectors, though I'm using different tubing and putting it in channel. My approach is also very much non-standard -- because of my electrical channel (plus some very long shelves, plus my desire to make as much use of the walls as possible) I don't really have the luxury of doing the "proper" vertical drops that anyone will tell you is the right way to do it. So I'm doing it wrong. As a consequence, though, I'm going to have to work harder at drying the air from the compressor before it goes into the lines. I think I can live with that. Ask my again in a few years and I might give a different answer.

Love the channel idea. Good job so far. Looking forward to more.

Thanks!

 

[Modern Jess]

Great job!!! can't wait to see it finished so we can see some more scooter projects...

Thanks much. Long term, the most interesting project I have waiting around is a Lambretta conversion. I've got a couple of bare Lambretta frames (which are a dime a dozen) and I'd like to stuff a modern Piaggio engine in one, probably the new 3-valve air-cooled 150.

 

[ConCretin]

Glad you're back. I've missed this thread. Now get to work and don't forget to post lots of pics.

 

[Modern Jess]

Glad you're back. I've missed this thread.

I am honored that the guy with the biggest, most epic project currently running in the Garage Gallery actually remembered my humble workshop thread. Thanks, man. And good luck to you on your project.

 

[coma13]

Really cool. I love your attention to detail. I'll be watching for more ideas!

 

[TimRaleigh]

Great thread. That channel idea is gold!
Tim

 

[1/2 Cup]

Great thread. That channel idea is gold!
Tim

I have just read the entire thread and have to agree with your comments, well thought out and executed..

 

[Modern Jess]

Thanks, guys!

But you know, I was just thinking last night -- as I sipped bourbon and admired my terrible progress taping and mudding the drywall -- that if I spent half as much time doing as I spend thinking (and drinking bourbon) that I'd be done by now. So there's got to be a balance somewhere.

 

[1/2 Cup]

Thanks, guys!

But you know, I was just thinking last night -- as I sipped bourbon and admired my terrible progress taping and mudding the drywall -- that if I spent half as much time doing as I spend thinking (and drinking bourbon) that I'd be done by now. So there's got to be a balance somewhere.

I have to admit to doing the same thing over a red wine and or a scotch and dry.

 

[Modern Jess]

The Suspended Shelf

Finally!

I've been planning this suspended shelf almost from the beginning of this build. A huge number of decisions were driven by the shelf -- taking out the window, where the can lights were placed, how the wiring for the overheads was routed, and on and on.

At last, I got enough drywall up (and some of it even primed and painted!) that I could put up the shelf without interfering with the rest of the drywall project.

I'm riffing here on the time-honored GJ tradition of overhead shelving, which usually seems to made of 2x4 or 2x6 lumber. I only have 8'3" to the rafter ties, though, so vertical space is at a definite premium. I figured I could save a few precious inches of headroom by building this shelf out of unistrut. The shelf is supported from above by 1/2" threaded rod, which projects through the drywall to a coupling nut and an L bracket that is then through-bolted to the 2x7 rafter ties.

The unistrut pieces that are against the wall are lag-bolted through a horizontal 2x4 and into the stud behind with 4" Spax ledger-type screws.

The wall bracket

Wall bumped out for insulation

This assembly bolted to the rafter tie will receive the threaded rod later

I never get to use this kind of washer. This seemed like the time.

Drywall going up

Finally putting up the rest of the unistrut!

I use this mini-lift motorcycle jack for this kind of stuff all the time

A nut and a washer finishes the threaded rod through the drywall

Strut channel is up!

Ta-Da!

 

[Modern Jess]

Additional details that I neglected to put in the above post:

- The shelf is 22 feet long, and runs the entire front-to-back of the workshop.
- The supports are spaced at 4', and each 4' segment should be good for around 600 pounds.
- I'm planning an identical one on the opposite wall.
- The underside of the shelf is going to be finished in drywall for a clean look. Just have to figure out how to attach the drywall.

 

[1/2 Cup]

Just checking your progress, what more can I say..... Awesome.

 

[Xporter]

Very nice!

 

[smg980]

With this unistrut setup, would you be able to attach a 2x6 channeled for a sliding door track and put up a door? Of course you would also need to attach a 2x6 to the ceiling for the top part of the track. I would believe that this setup would be stronger with less weight than 2x4's/2x6's for the whole shelving build. Thoughts?

 

[smg980]

Oh by the way...I like it. Its nice and clean!

 

[Modern Jess]

Just checking your progress, what more can I say..... Awesome.

Very nice!

Oh by the way...I like it. Its nice and clean!

Thanks all!

With this unistrut setup, would you be able to attach a 2x6 channeled for a sliding door track and put up a door? Of course you would also need to attach a 2x6 to the ceiling for the top part of the track.

I've been struggling with the door design. My original plan was to use a simple bypass door design -- a simple extruded nylon track with two slots running top and bottom. I may yet do that, though it will limit the opening to the shelf a bit, primarily at the ceiling. My Standard Unit of Storage™ is one Costco flip-top bin, and the shelf is sized for those, plus a couple inches to tilt the bin as I take it down / put it up. It will probably fit with the addition of a small track.

I'm still thinking on that one. I may just forego the door altogether.

I would believe that this setup would be stronger with less weight than 2x4's/2x6's for the whole shelving build. Thoughts?

Most likely, though I haven't run the numbers for 2x timber spans.

 

[smg980]

Additional details that I neglected to put in the above post:

- The shelf is 22 feet long, and runs the entire front-to-back of the workshop.
- The supports are spaced at 4', and each 4' segment should be good for around 600 pounds.
- I'm planning an identical one on the opposite wall.
- The underside of the shelf is going to be finished in drywall for a clean look. Just have to figure out how to attach the drywall.

Why not use a threaded bolt countersunk into the drywall and bolted with a nut from the back side of the strut? I'm following this progress closely as I have had similar ideas, but want a sliding door so I don't see the stuff up there and also keeps the dust out.

 

[Modern Jess]

Making a Jig

Okay, this will seem random at first, but bear with me.

I'm making a jig.

Make a jig

Put some wood in that jig

Put some wood on that jig

Clamp and screw

Voila! You've got a thingamajig!

​

 

[Modern Jess]

Maybe this will make more sense:

​

 

[Modern Jess]

Adding some low-voltage wiring for a future strip of low-profile LED lights.

​

 

[Modern Jess]

Adding a front fascia, which is offset from the front edge of the shelf a bit to allow a recess for sliding bypass doors (someday).

Note the recessed slot
​

 

[Modern Jess]

And finally, the drywall:

​

Time for a beer!

 

[TimSeawel]

You are one creative person. I love the thought going into each aspect of this build. I was in the heavy construction field for 40 years and have built a lot of different things but I always had a blueprint. I just can't think creatively.


Tim

 

[smg980]

Adding a front fascia, which is offset from the front edge of the shelf a bit to allow a recess for sliding bypass doors (someday).

​

How did you attach that board? Predrilled into the unistrut?

 

[Modern Jess]

How did you attach that board? Predrilled into the unistrut?

The strut channel I used has the oblong holes all along the back edge. The screws go through the fascia board (I'll spackle them later), then through the inner trim piece (the bottom of the groove pictured earlier) and then through the oblong hole in the strut channel, into either (a) the T-shaped wood thingamajigs or (b) a piece of 3/4" x 1 1/2" pine shoved in the slot from behind.

This method dictated the order of operations -- fascia first, then drywall.

(I had to carefully note where the oblong holes were before driving the screws -- and even then I managed to miss one).

Here's a visual: