The White Shop

[Ryan]

So I've got a friend in the Porsche world that is getting ready to redo the inside of his professional shop. Like me, he grew up in Formula 1 shops... but unlike me, he's a...
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[Zrexxer]

I can't even wear a white shirt without getting barbecue sauce on it. And I don't even have to be eating barbecue to do it! A white shop is an interesting idea.

 

[Denwood]

Loving it. As you might guess, my recent (and far more pedestrian) build favors white as well.

October 2014

March 2015

 

[Trey T]

With a small garage, that's what I'm planning to do, use more lighter color, but not necessarily all white.

Ryan: is that the current state of his shop?

Dennis: What did you use to cover your floor?

 

[Ryan]

With a small garage, that's what I'm planning to do, use more lighter color, but not necessarily all white.

Ryan: is that the current state of his shop?

Dennis: What did you use to cover your floor?

He's moving from a typical shop into a new space... He will be working almost exclusively on Porsche Cup cars, so it makes sense for him to a have a high-end race shop in appearance...

 

[Denwood]

Trey, Increte Stain Sealer in white. It can be had in water or solvent base. About $340 US for 5 gallons. The slab is around 30 yr old floor with a lot of pitting and everything from oil/auto paint/brake/trans fluid etc. spilled on it. Prep was Diamabrush "grind" using an HD rental and vacuum.

 

[v7guy]

Looks nice, I can never keep my place clean with all the metal work that goes on, I'm envious.

 

[sublimate]

Abstamaria has a beautiful garage/shop that's mostly white (with red accents):
http://garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=71002

 

[lilcraigford]

Loving it. As you might guess, my recent (and far more pedestrian) build favors white as well.

Incredible transformation! I'll have to make time to check out the thread in your signature.

 

[FlyBy]

Redline Speed Works in the Tri-State area recently built a new shop and went all white. It's quite impressive.

http://redlinespeedworx.com/facility-tour-redline-speed-worx-rsw-11000-sq-ft-shop/

 

[sr71]

Probably the nicest white & red shop I've been in is Terrible Herbst. This is only the repair area....another whole area for fab, transmissions, etc.

 

[bgarrett]

do those white shops require more time cleaning than working?

 

[ADSR]

do those white shops require more time cleaning than working?

Those white shops come with janitorial services, good sir

 

[Squankum]

Why, it seems like only 50 years ago that world-leading Porsche race cars could be built using sunlight, on wooden floors, while drinking beer.

I probably only think of this because it's much like my current cubicle situation at work, but if somebody in the bay across from you needs your help or wants you to look at something, it's a long walk all the way around. That's stupid.


See also:

 

[ilovevocs]

Why, it seems like only 50 years ago that world-leading Porsche race cars could be built using sunlight, on wooden floors, while drinking beer.









I probably only think of this because it's much like my current cubicle situation at work, but if somebody in the bay across from you needs your help or wants you to look at something, it's a long walk all the way around. That's stupid.





See also:

Sometimes vanity overtakes common sense and when money is no object when you want to impress people your not concerned about such bourgeois ideologies. The Herps are arrogant **** holes. Sorry I have an opinion....

I think anyone that's a grass roots racer in score would have the same opinion. I've just been rubbed wrong too many times by too many of them.

 

[Denwood]

Abstamaria has a beautiful garage/shop that's mostly white (with red accents):
http://garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=71002

Andy's garage was my inspiration. I don't have janitorial services..but I really do love the white shop. A quick sweep and/or damp mop and the floor is white again. I'm working on a snow melt solution as the 3-5 gallons of salt water (after 1 night of the missus parking inside) with no drain is a challenge.

 

[rubberrodder]

Wow! I was looking for the "Dirty, full of ****," garage thread. Boy! did I mess up or What?

 

[mustangmike6996]

wow...

 

[[email protected]]

Denwood, how do like/compare that paint/sealant you used vs. an epoxy type coating?

Also, please don't take offense to this, but you obviously put plenty of $$ into that beautiful garage. I'm surprised at the Maxjack lift vs. a full size lift. Was this merely a space thing? Other uses for the Maxjack? What made you go that way?

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

Denwood, how do like/compare that paint/sealant you used vs. an epoxy type coating?

Also, please don't take offense to this, but you obviously put plenty of $$ into that beautiful garage. I'm surprised at the Maxjack lift vs. a full size lift. Was this merely a space thing? Other uses for the Maxjack? What made you go that way?

No comparison between a tinted acrylic and epoxy. Look at that Porsche shop, they know what works.

I was recently in a Volkswagen/Audi performance shop and they had the same glistening epoxy floors. Makes turning those wrenches a pleasure everyday.

 

[Alaska4Ever]

White shops scare me... takes away the argument to my wife that i am clean.. Good looking places.

 

[Denwood]

Steve, my floor sees some very wild temperature variations, has no vapor barrier, and is often below zero. It would have been another ~$100 to do epoxy, but we felt this finish would hold up better given the conditions. I deal with a local concrete coating specialist, Dean at KAM Industrial with over 25 yrs in. It is surprisingly tough..and still hasn't fully cured yet. It's -20C out there tonight! If my shop was left heated at least above freezing, I would have used a 100% solids epoxy with a urethane top coat. This is a very old slab, so 100% solids epoxy would have filled some of the deeper pits that the stain/sealer did not fill. This would make for a slicker surface, but easier to clean.

Total cost of the reno project, including a few new tool boxes, cabinets, structure, spray foam, hoist, roll up door and slat wall was under $11K. The labor was all me. The decision to go with MaxJax was for two reasons. The first was that I calculated max lift with my Westfalia on the hoist was 48" before contact with my top beam. Working under with a wheeled shop stool is very comfortable..even relaxing The second reason was that in about 60 seconds I can have the Maxjax posts against the wall when the shop is in wood working mode.

Every other "compact" hoist I looked at also would have seen ceiling contact, so would have required more structural work.

 

[Adam.C]

Redline Speed Works in the Tri-State area recently built a new shop and went all white. It's quite impressive.

http://redlinespeedworx.com/facility-tour-redline-speed-worx-rsw-11000-sq-ft-shop/

What are those black mats?

 

[600SL]

Why, it seems like only 50 years ago that world-leading Porsche race cars could be built using sunlight, on wooden floors, while drinking beer.




I probably only think of this because it's much like my current cubicle situation at work, but if somebody in the bay across from you needs your help or wants you to look at something, it's a long walk all the way around. That's stupid.


See also:

It all boils down to what sells the service. In todays 5S world, people with money tend to want to have there cars worked on in these places and are willing to pay for that overhead.

For the home shop owner its more of a hobby.

 

[IWANTBLUE]

I can't even wear a white shirt without getting barbecue sauce on it. And I don't even have to be eating barbecue to do it! A white shop is an interesting idea.

I'm gonna have to steal that

 

[zTimbo]

One of my former places of work had a white shop with light grey floors. While it looked awesome when it was clean it showed dirt and got dirty real quick at the slightest hint of any real work was about to go down. Constant mopping of the floors and this shop was a 80x40. I mopped at least twice a week. I will never have a light colored floor.

 

[NUTTSGT]

No comparison between a tinted acrylic and epoxy. Look at that Porsche shop, they know what works.

I was recently in a Volkswagen/Audi performance shop and they had the same glistening epoxy floors. Makes turning those wrenches a pleasure everyday.

It all boils down to what sells the service. In todays 5S world, people with money tend to want to have there cars worked on in these places and are willing to pay for that overhead.

For the home shop owner its more of a hobby.

I'd imagine those are the two constant variables, the owners getting their stuff worked on don't fret about repair costs and guys working in a bright enviroment making a decent wage probably have better moral and enjoy their job.

I also believe somebody mentioned janitorial service coming in to clean regularly would also make a difference. Heck just mopping a home shop floor after making a mess with hot water and Simple Green makes a difference in cleanliness.

 

[sberry]

It reduces the light bill. Makes it feel warmer and bigger. Painted floor lets the dust be mopped up. I **** the set up along the walls, cubicles not so much. The auto shop doesn't need the cutting and welding, roll the mats up and zoom with a floor machine.

 

[moto367]

Loving it. As you might guess, my recent (and far more pedestrian) build favors white as well.

October 2014

March 2015

I like it. Nice job

 

[Project_shadow]

That's beautiful @denwood
Blew my mind when I saw the before and after

 

[Cougar]

Dennis - WOW Great job!!!

 

[Denwood]

Moto, Project, Cougar, thanks. The build would never have happened had I not googled "scissor truss garage" and ended up here on GJ. Feedback from all of you forum members was also very motivating.

 

[Denwood]

Andy's Far East Garage here was a great inspiration: http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=71002

 

[bdkw1]

Sometimes vanity overtakes common sense and when money is no object when you want to impress people your not concerned about such bourgeois ideologies. The Herps are arrogant **** holes. Sorry I have an opinion....

I think anyone that's a grass roots racer in score would have the same opinion. I've just been rubbed wrong too many times by too many of them.

Naw, Ed is all sorts of fun to party with..... Or was......

Have had to pull Troy out a couple of times. Good times.

If you want arrogant, try Bob Gordon.......

 

[rowerwet]

Light colored floors make finding dropped hardware easy, we have light grey in the hangar I work in. You don't notice the dirt, until the section next to you gets cleaned...
We keep the new mechanics on the floor cleaner part of every day.
Airplane owners are the same guys at the Porsche garage, and air planes are cleaner.

 

[Kevin54]

I like color. I hate gray tones, yellow tones, or green tones that are industrial looking as I worked in machine shops all my life.

A stark white clean shop that Ryan shows, and the people that work in their own areas are expected to keep them clean and efficient. Tools get put away, locked up, you're not slipping and sliding in grease on the floor. It's called "efficiency and pride". It builds morale in working in a place like that, it builds character in working in a place like that, and above all, it gives a person "self pride" to have the chance to work in an area like that.

They may have people come in to polish the floors, but I bet you are expected to keep your own area pristine to 90%.

I told a former boss of mine years ago that "How you live reflects on the work you do, and the work you do reflects on how you live."

He told me I was full of ****. I asked him to give me one good example, and he had no answer.

You work in a place like above, and you adhere to the rules and regulations of the owner, and I can guarantee that you don't go home and be the biggest slob there is.

 

[zkling]

Ryan, do you have any additional or larger pictures of your friends shop?

Redline Speed Works in the Tri-State area recently built a new shop and went all white. It's quite impressive.

That is a nice place, am curious about the mats under the lift though. Maybe to add traction? I salute the owner of the older snap on box amongst all the new boxes.

 

[buildyourown]

Never again. My last employer built a new shop and the owner was enamored with the white epoxy floor. It's a horrible work surface. A light oil or coolant spill is invisible and becomes super slippery. I'm kinda surprised nobody had a serious fall.
It does look good and the reflective light is nice, but it's also fragile and slick.

 

[RivennHewn]

As much as I appreciate the clean, sanitary, uber organized look, I don't think I could work in a shop like that.

For me, a lot of creativity comes out of the chaos and clutter.

 

[sberry]

It is slick and you don't want to weld over it.