Between 485 & 705 SQ/FT The **** Shack
- Thread starter bdbecker
- Start date
Workspaces between 485 and 705 squarefeet.
Thanks for the kind words fellas!
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We were at a preschool parents night last week and were talking with some friends about the difference in personalities between their two kids, specifically the adage about 'if you think you know how to parent with one kid, wait until the second comes along'. I am a little nervous to have to dive back into infant care taking mode again (waking up 5 times a night, dirty diapers, hauling around 100lbs of baby stuff everywhere you go), but at the same time I've loved watching Stinker go through all these stages of life so I'm also very excited at the same time.
As far as photos go, the garage is in absolute shambles right now from having to move everything around to get access with the drywall lift, but as soon as I get everything put back together and presentable, I will be taking/posting pics.
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Ahh... now we know who the non-believer is! (joking)
You are correct - I don't expect everyone to agree with my choices, but at the end of the day, my opinion is the only one that really matters. I don't mean that to sound like a jerk, but more along the lines of that its my space and I can finish it how I want - if I want pink and lime green walls, that's my choice (not my actual wall color choice, don't worry - probably going to do a slightly off-white/light gray).
What is kind of funny is that I'm generally a "play it safe" kind of guy and usually think through projects dozens of times, leaving little to chance. Maybe its a midlife crisis thing, I don't know, but for whatever reason I just decided to go for it this time not knowing if things were going to work out or not. A number of times while I was painting the OSB sheets black, I would get these mini panic attacks at the thought of having to go back and try to paint the ceiling white if things didn't work out. But they did, so it was worth stepping out of the comfort zone.
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Glad to have you along for the ride! The black ceiling is not going to be for everyone, but I do think recessed lights are generally underrated for shop use.
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I think its safe to say that guys who spend their free time reading about garages and tools for fun are probably more inclined to be the "obsessive" type. To quote a line from Alice in Wonderland... "We're all mad here."
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Will do... I'm looking forward to it being done!
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You and me both. I originally thought I could have this knocked out by the end of August. Between the fact that I've never done anything like this before (sheeted a ceiling or ran electrical to this extent), and dealing with a few curveballs (turns out my trusses aren't square or spaced evenly which means 22 out of 24 boards had to be cut to fit correctly), its safe to say I underestimated the amount of work it would take. I am going to make an effort to make at least a monthly update, even if its just to say "Hi, I'm still alive".
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Glad you like it! Whenever I catch myself getting hung up on something, I have to be reminded of the Winston Churchill quote "Perfection is the enemy of progress." Churchill didn't come up with that all by himself, different versions of that trope were around long before him, but his version is the one that has really stuck with me. I might have to make another sign to hang up in the garage.
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We were at a preschool parents night last week and were talking with some friends about the difference in personalities between their two kids, specifically the adage about 'if you think you know how to parent with one kid, wait until the second comes along'. I am a little nervous to have to dive back into infant care taking mode again (waking up 5 times a night, dirty diapers, hauling around 100lbs of baby stuff everywhere you go), but at the same time I've loved watching Stinker go through all these stages of life so I'm also very excited at the same time.
As far as photos go, the garage is in absolute shambles right now from having to move everything around to get access with the drywall lift, but as soon as I get everything put back together and presentable, I will be taking/posting pics.
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Ahh... now we know who the non-believer is! (joking)
You are correct - I don't expect everyone to agree with my choices, but at the end of the day, my opinion is the only one that really matters. I don't mean that to sound like a jerk, but more along the lines of that its my space and I can finish it how I want - if I want pink and lime green walls, that's my choice (not my actual wall color choice, don't worry - probably going to do a slightly off-white/light gray).
What is kind of funny is that I'm generally a "play it safe" kind of guy and usually think through projects dozens of times, leaving little to chance. Maybe its a midlife crisis thing, I don't know, but for whatever reason I just decided to go for it this time not knowing if things were going to work out or not. A number of times while I was painting the OSB sheets black, I would get these mini panic attacks at the thought of having to go back and try to paint the ceiling white if things didn't work out. But they did, so it was worth stepping out of the comfort zone.
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Glad to have you along for the ride! The black ceiling is not going to be for everyone, but I do think recessed lights are generally underrated for shop use.
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I think its safe to say that guys who spend their free time reading about garages and tools for fun are probably more inclined to be the "obsessive" type. To quote a line from Alice in Wonderland... "We're all mad here."
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Will do... I'm looking forward to it being done!
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You and me both. I originally thought I could have this knocked out by the end of August. Between the fact that I've never done anything like this before (sheeted a ceiling or ran electrical to this extent), and dealing with a few curveballs (turns out my trusses aren't square or spaced evenly which means 22 out of 24 boards had to be cut to fit correctly), its safe to say I underestimated the amount of work it would take. I am going to make an effort to make at least a monthly update, even if its just to say "Hi, I'm still alive".
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Glad you like it! Whenever I catch myself getting hung up on something, I have to be reminded of the Winston Churchill quote "Perfection is the enemy of progress." Churchill didn't come up with that all by himself, different versions of that trope were around long before him, but his version is the one that has really stuck with me. I might have to make another sign to hang up in the garage.
Finallygotit
ALLIANCE MEMBER
No worries.
Like you said, you are the one who is going through the blood, sweat and tears to make the space yours. And in the end if black doesn't work out, it's just another coat (or two) of paint.For me, if 20fc is good, 20,000fc has got to be better, right?
When I walk out of my shop at night to head back to the house, I have to wait for my eyes to adjust. It's like I'm snow blind.Congrats on your new son and congrats on the new Cadillac XTS.
dwysywd
Well-known member
Love the black ceiling. I think it looks great and agree it makes a small space seem weirdly bigger. The recess lighting is another cool choice. Can’t tell you how many times I knocked down a strip light moving a ladder or sheet of anything.
Congrats on the new arrival! And I can attest my 2 kids are so completely different. One is in college now, she’s a junior, and we thought she was difficult as a teen...how wrong was I!! While my son is now a junior in high school, straight As. He is difficult in a completely unexpected way. LOL.
So count your blessings and remember that your job is to teach them till they won’t listen anymore and then accept that experience is their teacher moving forward.
Sent from my iPhone using a facsimile machine.
Congrats on the new arrival! And I can attest my 2 kids are so completely different. One is in college now, she’s a junior, and we thought she was difficult as a teen...how wrong was I!! While my son is now a junior in high school, straight As. He is difficult in a completely unexpected way. LOL.
So count your blessings and remember that your job is to teach them till they won’t listen anymore and then accept that experience is their teacher moving forward.
Sent from my iPhone using a facsimile machine.
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I was able to find some time this weekend to tackle a couple of Christmas projects. It's the first time I've spent any real amount of time in the garage in cold weather with the new ceiling. Even without insulation, it made a big difference in heat retention. It only got up to 21F today, but the garage hovered around 43F - perfect for working in a flannel shirt and stocking hat. I'm also still very happy with the lighting.
The first project was making a charcuterie board for Wife. I found a nice drop of quarter sawn white oak in the discount bin at The Woodsmith Store.
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I squared it up, sanded it, hit it with the rusty vinegar treatment and topped it with several coats of butcher block conditioner, added a couple of drawer pulls for handles, and installed felt pad feet on the corners. A simple project, but I was really happy with how it turned out.
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The next project was making a hobby horse for Stinker. I free-handed a horse head onto a 2x12 and got busy with the bandsaw.
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Being a Dad to a daughter, I'm sure this won't be the last time yarn makes it into the garage.
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I originally planned on adding eyes and a halter, but kind of liked the simplicity of it with just the mane and ears. I might change my mind and and them later... we'll see.
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Felt good to work on something other than the ceiling for a change.
The first project was making a charcuterie board for Wife. I found a nice drop of quarter sawn white oak in the discount bin at The Woodsmith Store.
View media item 99298
I squared it up, sanded it, hit it with the rusty vinegar treatment and topped it with several coats of butcher block conditioner, added a couple of drawer pulls for handles, and installed felt pad feet on the corners. A simple project, but I was really happy with how it turned out.
View media item 99299
The next project was making a hobby horse for Stinker. I free-handed a horse head onto a 2x12 and got busy with the bandsaw.
View media item 99300
Being a Dad to a daughter, I'm sure this won't be the last time yarn makes it into the garage.
View media item 99301
I originally planned on adding eyes and a halter, but kind of liked the simplicity of it with just the mane and ears. I might change my mind and and them later... we'll see.
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Felt good to work on something other than the ceiling for a change.
Is that supposed to start at 4 years old? That kid definitely inherited Wife's stubborn streak. That's not me talking trash Wife - she readily admits that she's responsible for that personality trait.
JustinS
Well-known member
Congrats on upcoming baby #2! We just welcomed our second last week, so much for garage projects! Lol
dwysywd
Well-known member
Congratulations to you as well!
No joke as far as garage projects are concerned. I'm not planning on anything big after the ceiling is insulated - just tinkering on smaller projects until I find that balance back. I was totally caught off guard the first time around, trying to be a little more realistic in my expectations this time.
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You laugh, but you weren't there for the gingerbread man ornament debate. Long story short, I learned that the paper gingerbread man ornament she made at preschool doesn't belong on the tree. I was not given clear direction where it actually belonged, only that putting it on the tree was unacceptable. It's been sitting on the dinner table for a week now.
amkluttz
Well-known member
Four year old girls man, sheesh! What's up with that? Our daughter has a mind of her own, is sassy to the point of disrespectful, has to always have the last word and has had more spankings than I care to count. She knows exactly how to push all of her mother's buttons. My wife wants to homeschool and I'm not sure it's a good idea simply for the button pushing topic.
I will say that our two year old little guy is a different monster altogether. He's fairly well behaved and will listen when I ask him to do something. Completely different personalities. Although, since he has turned two "NO!" has become a bigger part of his vocabulary.
The wife is cooking up #3 now. That one was a bit of a surprise for us.
Enjoy the kids, there's nothing like them!
A belated Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all!
I had all last week off work, but even then, it was still pretty hectic. The weekend before Christmas we hosted Wife's family, we then hosted my family and celebrated Christmas on Thursday and Friday, finally we had my extended family Christmas on Saturday and Sunday (didn't host that one, thankfully). Despite all the family coming and going, I still managed to sneak in some QST here and there.
I'm happy to say that the garage ceiling is completely closed up and ready for insulation! Here is the last board...
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(Obviously I still haven't figured out how to take decent pics of a black ceiling)
There were a couple of junction boxes that fed the exterior lights on the garage that needed to be moved before I could hang the last two boards. To do this, I needed to cut the power to the garage. With the days being so short, finding time to do that during daylight hours over the last month proved to be more difficult than I expected, but this last week I was finally able to get it knocked out.
Since I was going through all the work of pulling new wires, I figured I'd update the exterior lights as well. I picked up some cheap LED flood lights from Menards to replace the rusty old incandescent fixtures. Despite the flimsy construction, they do throw off a nice amount of light and are an upgrade over what I had before. Time will tell on their durability, but if I can get at least a few years out of them I won't be upset.
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Perhaps the best project I accomplished for my own sanity is that I got my workbench cleared off and all my tools put away. I also sold the space hog of a drywall lift that I've been tripping over for the last few months. It feels good to finally have things back to normal. Now I just have to keep my eye out for a deal on insulation and I'll be set!
I had all last week off work, but even then, it was still pretty hectic. The weekend before Christmas we hosted Wife's family, we then hosted my family and celebrated Christmas on Thursday and Friday, finally we had my extended family Christmas on Saturday and Sunday (didn't host that one, thankfully). Despite all the family coming and going, I still managed to sneak in some QST here and there.
I'm happy to say that the garage ceiling is completely closed up and ready for insulation! Here is the last board...
View media item 99718
(Obviously I still haven't figured out how to take decent pics of a black ceiling)
There were a couple of junction boxes that fed the exterior lights on the garage that needed to be moved before I could hang the last two boards. To do this, I needed to cut the power to the garage. With the days being so short, finding time to do that during daylight hours over the last month proved to be more difficult than I expected, but this last week I was finally able to get it knocked out.
Since I was going through all the work of pulling new wires, I figured I'd update the exterior lights as well. I picked up some cheap LED flood lights from Menards to replace the rusty old incandescent fixtures. Despite the flimsy construction, they do throw off a nice amount of light and are an upgrade over what I had before. Time will tell on their durability, but if I can get at least a few years out of them I won't be upset.
View media item 99719
Perhaps the best project I accomplished for my own sanity is that I got my workbench cleared off and all my tools put away. I also sold the space hog of a drywall lift that I've been tripping over for the last few months. It feels good to finally have things back to normal. Now I just have to keep my eye out for a deal on insulation and I'll be set!
How many bundles of R38 batts fit into the back of a Grand Caravan?
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Nine... which is exactly the amount needed to insulate the ceiling. I could have maybe have fit one more if I used the front seat. I've been floating back and forth between blowing cellulose vs batts. Cellulose was definitely cheaper, but I kept hesitating because I just had visions of having to deal with a glitter bomb of insulation any time I needed to go up in the attic. I happened to notice Menards was running a sale (22% off) on R38 batts and the decision was made for me. I cashed in all the 11% vouchers I've been saving over the years, so I ended up only being out of pocket $60.
Like a kid who couldn't wait to play with a new toy, I dove right into insulating the attic Friday night after Stinker went to bed. One comical moment was when I cut open the first bundle while up in the attic. So if you haven't done something like this before, insulation bundles expand like crazy when you cut them open. That 2'x2' bundle has 8 batts that end up being 1' thick when expanded. I didn't think about this until after the fact. Just imagine a 6'3 dude who is claustrophobic freaking out in a cramped attic because he accidentally buried himself in insulation. I eventually pulled it together and got it finished. Less than 2 hours to do something I've been dreaming about for years. That shower beer at 10:30 Friday night tasted really good.
I spent the rest of the weekend playing around in the garage and enjoying the warm weather. Made a coat hook out of a hardwood pallet stringer. Wife is happy I'm not leaving my jacket and flannel shirts on the sunroom furniture.
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I also made a hatch for the ceiling.
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Had a good security while working today. She might sleep on the job, but she'll drown you in drool if you get anywhere near my door.
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Thanks for checking in!
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Nine... which is exactly the amount needed to insulate the ceiling. I could have maybe have fit one more if I used the front seat. I've been floating back and forth between blowing cellulose vs batts. Cellulose was definitely cheaper, but I kept hesitating because I just had visions of having to deal with a glitter bomb of insulation any time I needed to go up in the attic. I happened to notice Menards was running a sale (22% off) on R38 batts and the decision was made for me. I cashed in all the 11% vouchers I've been saving over the years, so I ended up only being out of pocket $60.
Like a kid who couldn't wait to play with a new toy, I dove right into insulating the attic Friday night after Stinker went to bed. One comical moment was when I cut open the first bundle while up in the attic. So if you haven't done something like this before, insulation bundles expand like crazy when you cut them open. That 2'x2' bundle has 8 batts that end up being 1' thick when expanded. I didn't think about this until after the fact. Just imagine a 6'3 dude who is claustrophobic freaking out in a cramped attic because he accidentally buried himself in insulation. I eventually pulled it together and got it finished. Less than 2 hours to do something I've been dreaming about for years. That shower beer at 10:30 Friday night tasted really good.
I spent the rest of the weekend playing around in the garage and enjoying the warm weather. Made a coat hook out of a hardwood pallet stringer. Wife is happy I'm not leaving my jacket and flannel shirts on the sunroom furniture.
View media item 99909
View media item 99910
View media item 99911
I also made a hatch for the ceiling.
View media item 99908
Had a good security while working today. She might sleep on the job, but she'll drown you in drool if you get anywhere near my door.
View media item 99912
Thanks for checking in!
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JustinS
Well-known member
Insulation is my second least favorite task right behind drywall!
jethro29
Well-known member
very nice .congrats.
I hear you. Roofing is my #1 least favorite followed by drywall and insulation. One thing I did learn is that it is way easier to insulate an attic during the winter than it is in the summer. Not having to suffer in a 100+ degree attic sauna makes the job way more tolerable.
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Ha! Yeah, but you still need to spend nearly $4k to accumulate that much in vouchers. Even then, I do appreciate the 11% rebate program - its a nice way to get a little bit of a kick back for doing business with them. I try to wait for an 11% rebate week making routine purchases on things like dog food and shop supplies that I'm getting low on. I still shop around for the best deal on things, but if Menards has the same price but I can also get the 11%, I'll go there. I was saving the rebates for something fun (either a new air compressor or tool chest) but figured cashing them in for insulation was a noble cause.
I don't know if its the right or wrong way to build a hatch, but I framed out a 48" long rough opening between my trusses. I then made a hatch frame out of 2x4 that fits inside that square and skinned it with OSB. On the ends of the removable hatch frame, I installed 2x4's on their sides to create a lip on each end that hold the hatch in place. To get access to the attic, you just push the hatch up into the attic, slide it over an inch or so, and then tip one end down to pull the whole hatch out of the ceiling.
Anyone who wants to copy this method, just be aware that is not exactly air tight and could lead to condensation and mold. Since I'm only going to be heating the space when I'm working out there, the risk of that occurring is fairly low. I will more than likely stuff some foam rope around the perimeter or maybe install some sort of rubber flange on the top side to lower the risk even further. I'm still on the fence on whether to spend the money on an attic ladder or not. I don't see myself needing to access the space on a regular basis so it seems like it'd be wasted money.
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Thank you!
iced98lx
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Late to thecongrats party but congrats all around! Those XTS's are nice road trippers and the little person addition is always a hoot. Congrats also to your wife on her promotion!
mannydantyla
Well-known member
I just want to **** in a say that I'm finding this thread (or at least the first post) incredibly helpful as I'm also thinking about how to expand/extend/build onto an existing shed/garage structure and/or foundation just like this.
The forum is interesting because American inequality is on full display - you have super high-end mountain top homes with 20 car garages and you also have "**** shacks" like this. But the high-end stuff is not helpful to me.
As I mentioned, I'm also thinking about a similar build. The truth is my wife and I are house hunting right now and we thought we found the perfect house that also had a really nice detached two-car garage. We put a good offer on it, didn't low ball them or anything, but today we found out that they accepted another offer. We're pretty sad tbh.
But we have a runner-up in mind, however it has a very small garage if you can even call it that. And a big *** crack going right through the middle of the concrete slab. I think we may keep on looking for something else to pop up, idk.
BTW I like your "Thompson for Sheriff" sign, where did you get it?
The forum is interesting because American inequality is on full display - you have super high-end mountain top homes with 20 car garages and you also have "**** shacks" like this. But the high-end stuff is not helpful to me.
As I mentioned, I'm also thinking about a similar build. The truth is my wife and I are house hunting right now and we thought we found the perfect house that also had a really nice detached two-car garage. We put a good offer on it, didn't low ball them or anything, but today we found out that they accepted another offer. We're pretty sad tbh.
But we have a runner-up in mind, however it has a very small garage if you can even call it that. And a big *** crack going right through the middle of the concrete slab. I think we may keep on looking for something else to pop up, idk.
BTW I like your "Thompson for Sheriff" sign, where did you get it?
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Thanks! I need to get the Sopranos theme song downloaded so I can listen to it on repeat whenever I'm in the XTS... it only seems right. I wonder what Wife would say about me smoking a cigar in there? Best not find out.
Its crazy to think that we're only a few months away from due date. I do need to knock out a few house projects before then, so apologies in advance if the thread is lacking on garage content in the near future.
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I'm glad you can find my ramblings a little useful! If you're only on the first post, be warned the thread does veer off on some tangents here and there. Also, if you are looking for more small garage threads, Cash68 put together a nice list on this thread:
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=360107&highlight=house
Inequality is such a loaded word these days... I think we should all be thankful that we have even the smallest space to dedicate to a hobby - most people in the world will never know that luxury.
I also wouldn't discount those high end builds outright, there are things in those build threads that can be applied to any size shop. Its important to remember that a lot of the guys who have those big garages were just like us earlier in life. Through hard work and perseverance, they have put themselves into a position to build the shop they've always dreamed of having. We only see the garagemahals they have now because GJ wasn't around 30-40 years ago for them to document the **** shacks that they used to have.
https://www.allposters.com/-sp/Hunter-S-Thompson-For-Sheriff-Plastic-Sign-Posters_i9897209_.htm
As annoying as it is, its worth signing up for their email list and waiting for the next 50% off sale.
dwysywd
Well-known member
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Battle_of_Aspen
Interesting story about Thompson for Sheriff.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Interesting story about Thompson for Sheriff.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
There are more than few interesting stories around HST. Some true, some embellished, all entertaining. If you haven't read his work, you're missing out. "Hells Angels" and "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" are the two that got me hooked.
Here's a link to a humorous article he wrote about the Kentucky Derby:
http://brianb.freeshell.org/a/kddd.pdf
I've been working in the garage rather than on it lately. The latest project was making a new weld cart. Pretty straightforward build, but it gets all my weld supplies into one spot. I'm leaving it unpainted for the time being. Its a bit too cold to get paint to adhere right now, but I also might add some additional hooks for the torch and ground lead, a handle, and whatever else might come to mind.
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A new weld cart needs a new weld hood, right?
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Honestly nothing wrong with my old hood (secondhand 3M Speedglas 9002), but I've been curious about the Striker Supreme XL from USA Weld for awhile now. In another GJ thread, someone mentioned that they were currently on sale and I was really tempted to buy it. As I was looking for some additional reviews to convince myself that I should buy it, I found in on another forum where someone pointed out that the Striker was being sold under a different brand on Amazon for even less.
Striker:
https://www.usaweld.com/Striker-Supreme-XL-Welding-Helmet-p/supremexl.htm
Tacklife:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073PY7F68/?tag=atomicindus08-20
At $65, I made an impulse purchase. I'll more than likely write a more in-depth review in a new thread, but in short, I've been very impressed with the hood so far. The coloration while welding is very similar to my Speeglas 9002, only the window is larger. Not quite on par with the new Speeglas or Lincoln Viking hoods I've also run, but seems to be a solid hood for the money.
I also moved the Sportster next to the workbench. I promised myself that I wouldn't take on any new projects until she's back on the road. As you can see in the pic, I've made absolutely no progress on the bike since I tore into quite awhile back. As I was pulling the rear wheel to get a new tire, I started noticing more and more things that needed to be addressed. I'll be shifting my focus and resources onto the bike now that I have a more workable space. This build thread may turn into a bike thread for awhile, my apologies in advance.
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Also, I know some were curious about the light levels in the garage. I tried to tune the camera settings to be as close to what I see for that pic. There is still a little washout on the horizontal surfaces that make things look a little brighter than what they are, but the rest of the photo looks fairly true to real life.
View media item 100946
A new weld cart needs a new weld hood, right?
View media item 100948
Honestly nothing wrong with my old hood (secondhand 3M Speedglas 9002), but I've been curious about the Striker Supreme XL from USA Weld for awhile now. In another GJ thread, someone mentioned that they were currently on sale and I was really tempted to buy it. As I was looking for some additional reviews to convince myself that I should buy it, I found in on another forum where someone pointed out that the Striker was being sold under a different brand on Amazon for even less.
Striker:
https://www.usaweld.com/Striker-Supreme-XL-Welding-Helmet-p/supremexl.htm
Tacklife:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073PY7F68/?tag=atomicindus08-20
At $65, I made an impulse purchase. I'll more than likely write a more in-depth review in a new thread, but in short, I've been very impressed with the hood so far. The coloration while welding is very similar to my Speeglas 9002, only the window is larger. Not quite on par with the new Speeglas or Lincoln Viking hoods I've also run, but seems to be a solid hood for the money.
I also moved the Sportster next to the workbench. I promised myself that I wouldn't take on any new projects until she's back on the road. As you can see in the pic, I've made absolutely no progress on the bike since I tore into quite awhile back. As I was pulling the rear wheel to get a new tire, I started noticing more and more things that needed to be addressed. I'll be shifting my focus and resources onto the bike now that I have a more workable space. This build thread may turn into a bike thread for awhile, my apologies in advance.
View media item 100947
Also, I know some were curious about the light levels in the garage. I tried to tune the camera settings to be as close to what I see for that pic. There is still a little washout on the horizontal surfaces that make things look a little brighter than what they are, but the rest of the photo looks fairly true to real life.
iowa4x4dieselman
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 5, 2012
- Messages
- 224
Nice idea re-purposing a filing cabinet to welder cart, now you can keep the tools you need in arms reach 
Nice idea re-purposing a filing cabinet to welder cart, now you can keep the tools you need in arms reach
On the downside, now I get to reorganize everything and spend the next few months trying to remember where I put it. Oh well...
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Here's a full review of the Tacklife weld hood I bought in case anyone is interested:
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=8349020#post8349020
rattle_snake
Well-known member
Sweet. Looking forward to it.
Finallygotit
ALLIANCE MEMBER
No apologies needed. Have you seen Sakurama's thread or Bob Heine's thread. As long as it has pictures (we love pictures) we're in!
Bob's thread is on my "to read" list. If I end up catching the flu that has kept Wife and Stinker home all week, I might actually get to it sooner than later. I have read Gregor's thread and keep up with his projects/posts. He was the inspiration for the "Let go of the banana" sign that hangs on the back wall above my workbench - a constant reminder that if I want to achieve the dream of a clean and organized workspace, I can't hold onto things that don't support that vision.
I will try to take a bunch of photos, but the work I'm going to do to my bike is not going to be anywhere near as exciting as any of Gregor's projects. Its mostly going to be focused on tackling some deferred maintenance issues and remedying a few questionable modifications from back when I didn't know any better. For a brief moment, I did consider getting crazy and turning it into a bigger project, but ultimately decided to save those ideas for a different bike. I've had this bike since new and she's been in this configuration for 12 years now. I've had a few bikes come and go, but I've always kept this one. Every time I take her out, no matter how long its been between rides, there is a familiarity that I think would be missed if I changed her too much.
I don't know, I'll let you know when I actually get the bike off of it.
Honestly, the bench really wasn't that expensive or difficult to build so I'll probably end up selling or taking it apart when I'm done. Once the Sportster is back on the road, I'll need every square foot of floor space I can get because I really want to dig into my '64 F100 that's been stored in my Dad's shed for the better part of the last decade. When the need arises for another bench in the future, I'd like to finally get a Handy Lift - maybe even go full Jack Olsen and sink it into the floor!
The truck is in pretty good shape for a midwest farm truck that's done ~150k miles (I'm assuming the odometer rolled over). Needs floor pans and the bed floor replaced, but there isn't much else for body damage or rust. Brakes and steering/front end need to be gone through completely. Engine is a 223 I6 and ran well enough to idle and drive onto the trailer when I bought it. Originally was a three speed column shift, but someone put a four speed on it at some point. I'm sure I'll find more issues the deeper I dig into it, but those are just the main ones I know about right now.
Long term, I'd like this truck to be a truck, not a show queen. I want it to look cool but still be practical enough to haul some lumber or a project bike. Maybe a touch lower and level with a tasteful up-sized wheel and tire combination, not dragging on the ground with giant rims and rubberband tires. No plans to do a V8 swap, but I might put a better carb and exhaust on her to free up what power is to be had. No intentions of trying to switch back to a three speed to make it "correct". I don't think I'll be doing a Crown Vic front clip either. I know patina and survivor trucks are kind of played out, but I like how she looks and will probably won't paint her. That's just what I'm thinking now, who knows what I'll come up with when I actually dig into her.
Long term, I'd like this truck to be a truck, not a show queen. I want it to look cool but still be practical enough to haul some lumber or a project bike. Maybe a touch lower and level with a tasteful up-sized wheel and tire combination, not dragging on the ground with giant rims and rubberband tires. No plans to do a V8 swap, but I might put a better carb and exhaust on her to free up what power is to be had. No intentions of trying to switch back to a three speed to make it "correct". I don't think I'll be doing a Crown Vic front clip either. I know patina and survivor trucks are kind of played out, but I like how she looks and will probably won't paint her. That's just what I'm thinking now, who knows what I'll come up with when I actually dig into her.
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Being that it's a 64 with the i-beam, and the steering and suspension need to be rebuilt, the Crown Vic front end must be very tempting. It seems pretty straightforward, especially with all the kits that are now available. We all have seen your welding ability!
I can also see the merits in rebuilding what you have.
I can also see the merits in rebuilding what you have.
Pressingonward
Well-known member
I am a big fan of leaving the original patina alone. Not a big fan of rusty garbage or fake patina, which is what seems to be popular nowadays. I inherited a 27 t-bucket rat rod from my uncle last year and I have no idea what I'm going to do with it - it's definitely on the edge of the rusty garbage category 
A couple of side project updates...
When I'm working in the garage, I tend to lose track of time and don't do a very good job of keeping an eye on my phone. I'm sure more than a few of you can relate. Wife gets frustrated with me because dinner will be ready or she needs a hand with something, but she has no way of getting my attention other than coming outside. I tried to remedy this situation by getting a cheap wireless doorbell designed for deaf people, but the problem is that the range isn't all that great so half the time it doesn't go off. When it does work, the lights only flash for ~15 seconds, so if I don't happen to be looking towards the box, I don't always notice that she's trying to get my attention. When I was replacing the wiring for the exterior garage lights, I had an idea. There is a switch for the garage lights both in the garage and in the kitchen. When I was replacing the wiring for the new lights, I pulled an extra line and setup a "red alert" light. Now, whenever Wife needs me, all she has to do is hit a switch. No matter what I'm doing, I'll eventually notice the bright red light above the door. I know some may not be thrilled about something like this, but it works for us. Wife is respectful of my QST and doesn't abuse the light. I need to come up with some sort of fun sign to hang next to it... something like "Reactor Core Overheat Alarm".
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Next update is what I like to call "adventures in cleaning parts when you don't have a sandblaster". If you've been following along with some of my axe projects, you'll know I'm a big fan of using vinegar for rust removal. While it does work, you have to be careful to not let the parts sit too long as they will eventually rot away. Another rust removal alternative is to use an electrolysis tank. I won't go into to detail about how to set up your own unit as there are dozens of well written articles and videos on how to do it online, but I will show you my setup. I'm running a 3 amp 13.2 volt DC power supply I picked up on FB Marketplace for $20, the bucket is from Home Depot, the anodes are chunks of channel drop from my weld bench project, the electrical wire is just leftover from my lighting project, and the wire used to suspend the object in the tank is rebar wire. All in, I'm into this for maybe $30 after purchasing the washing soda.
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My first project? A bit of a torture test of the system - an old adjustable wrench my Dad found in a field on the farm. Who knows how old it is or how long its been sitting in the dirt.
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To my amazement, it only took a week to get it back to "functional" form.
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It does actually work - the jaw does go up and down and the worm gear does spin. Far from ever being as good as new, but functional. Each day I'd remove the loose chunks with a stiff brush, but otherwise the tank did all the work. Pretty amazing. The coolest thing about an electrolysis tank is that you can't overdue it. When there is no more rust, the reaction stops. When I went to check this morning, there were no more bubbles coming off the part, meaning there no more rust to be broken down. I've got an axe head running in the tank now that I'm confident in the process.
Finally, some tool purchases have arrived... unfortunately.
View media item 101231
There is a saying that comes to mind in this moment... "If you want to hear God laugh, tell him your plans". I no more than got new engine mount isolators in for the motorcycle when a trip back home revealed an issue with the Grand Cherokee. There is a not healthy noise coming from what I believe to be the transfer case. Trust me, I've done a ton of poking around and research and believe I have it narrowed down. So a slide hammer kit, bearing driver kit, brass drift punch set, seal puller, snap ring pliers, and retaining ring pliers were purchased to do the job. I spent nearly as much on tools as I did on the parts for a rebuild, but that's still only 1/3 of what a shop would charge me to do the job, and I get some new tools that I needed anyway out of the deal, so I guess its not all bad.
When I'm working in the garage, I tend to lose track of time and don't do a very good job of keeping an eye on my phone. I'm sure more than a few of you can relate. Wife gets frustrated with me because dinner will be ready or she needs a hand with something, but she has no way of getting my attention other than coming outside. I tried to remedy this situation by getting a cheap wireless doorbell designed for deaf people, but the problem is that the range isn't all that great so half the time it doesn't go off. When it does work, the lights only flash for ~15 seconds, so if I don't happen to be looking towards the box, I don't always notice that she's trying to get my attention. When I was replacing the wiring for the exterior garage lights, I had an idea. There is a switch for the garage lights both in the garage and in the kitchen. When I was replacing the wiring for the new lights, I pulled an extra line and setup a "red alert" light. Now, whenever Wife needs me, all she has to do is hit a switch. No matter what I'm doing, I'll eventually notice the bright red light above the door. I know some may not be thrilled about something like this, but it works for us. Wife is respectful of my QST and doesn't abuse the light. I need to come up with some sort of fun sign to hang next to it... something like "Reactor Core Overheat Alarm".
View media item 101230
Next update is what I like to call "adventures in cleaning parts when you don't have a sandblaster". If you've been following along with some of my axe projects, you'll know I'm a big fan of using vinegar for rust removal. While it does work, you have to be careful to not let the parts sit too long as they will eventually rot away. Another rust removal alternative is to use an electrolysis tank. I won't go into to detail about how to set up your own unit as there are dozens of well written articles and videos on how to do it online, but I will show you my setup. I'm running a 3 amp 13.2 volt DC power supply I picked up on FB Marketplace for $20, the bucket is from Home Depot, the anodes are chunks of channel drop from my weld bench project, the electrical wire is just leftover from my lighting project, and the wire used to suspend the object in the tank is rebar wire. All in, I'm into this for maybe $30 after purchasing the washing soda.
View media item 101227
My first project? A bit of a torture test of the system - an old adjustable wrench my Dad found in a field on the farm. Who knows how old it is or how long its been sitting in the dirt.
View media item 101228
To my amazement, it only took a week to get it back to "functional" form.
View media item 101229
It does actually work - the jaw does go up and down and the worm gear does spin. Far from ever being as good as new, but functional. Each day I'd remove the loose chunks with a stiff brush, but otherwise the tank did all the work. Pretty amazing. The coolest thing about an electrolysis tank is that you can't overdue it. When there is no more rust, the reaction stops. When I went to check this morning, there were no more bubbles coming off the part, meaning there no more rust to be broken down. I've got an axe head running in the tank now that I'm confident in the process.
Finally, some tool purchases have arrived... unfortunately.
View media item 101231
There is a saying that comes to mind in this moment... "If you want to hear God laugh, tell him your plans". I no more than got new engine mount isolators in for the motorcycle when a trip back home revealed an issue with the Grand Cherokee. There is a not healthy noise coming from what I believe to be the transfer case. Trust me, I've done a ton of poking around and research and believe I have it narrowed down. So a slide hammer kit, bearing driver kit, brass drift punch set, seal puller, snap ring pliers, and retaining ring pliers were purchased to do the job. I spent nearly as much on tools as I did on the parts for a rebuild, but that's still only 1/3 of what a shop would charge me to do the job, and I get some new tools that I needed anyway out of the deal, so I guess its not all bad.
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Beaten down but not defeated...
I spent most of the day working on pulling the transfer case only to get hung up on one nut in an impossible to access location. I can get a socket on it, but beyond that I'm stumped - no combination of wobble sockets and extensions could give me enough force at the correct angle to get the nut to break free. After about two hours on that one nut, I tossed in the towel. It'll probably fall right off tomorrow afternoon because that's how these things seem to go. On the plus side, I've got a pork **** on the smoker to look forward to eating in a few hours, so the day wasn't a total loss.
I spent most of the day working on pulling the transfer case only to get hung up on one nut in an impossible to access location. I can get a socket on it, but beyond that I'm stumped - no combination of wobble sockets and extensions could give me enough force at the correct angle to get the nut to break free. After about two hours on that one nut, I tossed in the towel. It'll probably fall right off tomorrow afternoon because that's how these things seem to go. On the plus side, I've got a pork **** on the smoker to look forward to eating in a few hours, so the day wasn't a total loss.
Grumblebum
Well-known member
Sounds like me BD, I'm trying to get back to a similar hold up replacing my turbo dump pipe so I can put the new one in as part of an exhaust kit upgrade. Aborted last time as I was rounding over the nuts you can't see or get to. Have since purchased more tooling (wobble bars, nut extractor socket, 6pt sockets etc). Just need to get a weekend to try again now.
I think it's been a while since I've said hi here, but have still been mostly kept up.
Cheers GB
I bet it can be saved - a well done rat rod is still cool in my book. Rat rods went astray when people forgot that they were supposed to be bare bones, no frills, all-go-no-show cars you drove around and didn't care if it got a little dirty or dinged up. Maybe a little weird and quirky, repurposing odd items they had laying around, but even then those odd items still did serve a purpose on the vehicle. They jumped the shark when people started attaching nonsense decorations to them to dress them up. At that point, you are making a show car, no different than the chrome everything, $30k paint job, trailer queens they were originally rebelling against. If you skip the nonsense decorations and just build a cool rust bucket, I think it would be well received by most.
No worries GB - I follow a number of build threads and don't always comment either. I'm not "in it for the likes" as they say.
I've been racking my brain trying to come up with a solution and I think I've got it figured out. I'm going to break one of the sacred rules of tools and see if I can pick up a cheap 1/2" wrench at the Habitat ReStore and bend it 90 degrees, mimicking this Gedore wrench:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000UYX4WW/?tag=atomicindus08-20
A crows foot wrench seems like the right idea in this situation, but I don't think it'll work because I still won't have room to manipulate the ratchet. My flexhead Gearwrench wrench is nearly the right tool, but the head is too flexible to keep everything lined up while applying force. The annoying thing is that the nuts aren't torqued that tightly, but I just can't quite get this one to go. If the bent wrench doesn't work, the next step will be dropping the exhaust to make more room and trying again with the ratchet and flex heads.