Tiny Wisconsin Garage

[lordy123]

Figured I should start one of these threads, hopefully keeps me motivated to keep working on the garage

So the garage is 9.5 ft by 20ft, not a lot of room. When we bought the house this February I thought "what did I get myself into" when I looked at the garage again! Luckily there's a small garden shed right behind it.

When I got it the entire back of the garage was a wooden work bench that was flush with the side door depth wise but nearly 5ft tall. All the sides were covered in make shift wood shelves of various designs. I should have taken before pictures... I tore most of that out and insulted the walls with some R19.

Next I got two large case cabinets for $200 a piece, new on the pallets. Definitely one of my best scores thus far. I put them were the old work bench was.

Next I took the casters off my cheap craftsman toolbox and made a temporary bench around it. I screwed down some nasty pegboard next to it for a little more temp tool storage. With so many different projects going I just needed places to organize things on the fly. This will do for now!

Right now all my electric in the garage comes from the light receptacle, that'll need to change soon.

 

[jawmaw]

Nice cabinets. They look huge.

 

[bczygan]

Very cool!

My garage is the same size.

I'll be watching what you do with yours.

I seldom subscribe to threads, but this one I will.

Bill

 

[48RON54]

I like it!

 

[sublime68charger]

Nice will be following along.

nice to have another cheese head on board around here.

 

[upndown]

Gotta work with whatcha got! Looks like it will be a nice little shop.

 

[HSpencer]

I love the building!! Looks like a great shop space. A great buy on the cabinets and your getting off to a super start on the place!! I like the red and white colors on the building very much.

Will be following your efforts.

Best Regards
Herb Spencer

 

[TigerFan]

It actually looks bigger on the inside than I would have expected. I look forward to seeing how it develops.

 

[captain14]

Nice garage. Do you have a master plan in your head? There are some other singles on here that the owner get a lot accomplished in?

We love pictures. That's a rule.

 

[bczygan]

So what kind of work are you going to do in there?

 

[lordy123]

So what kind of work are you going to do in there?

General maintenance and repair on three vehicles, lawn equipment, and a boat motor. I also have a 2000 Aprillia RSV with a blown motor right now that's going to need to go in there this week. Hopefully I source a new motor and get it in before the riding season ends, but that might be a winter project.

Tonight was replacing the shifter cable on my rusty Chevy. Obviously that's a lot to ask of the space, but as long as I can get the nose of the vehicles in and keep my tools organized I should be fine. Most of the work on the truck will need to be done outdoors like tonight, but the girlfriends civic and my jeep fit decently.

 

[lordy123]

Nice garage. Do you have a master plan in your head? There are some other singles on here that the owner get a lot accomplished in?

We love pictures. That's a rule.

Somewhat of a plan I have ideas I'm mulling over, I'll probably put up wall boards first and then build some shelves above those cabinets to hold seasonal stuff. Before that I'll need to set the electrical situation straight. So right now it's electrical, walls, then shelves. After that a permanent bench solution, I'm playing a few different fold down ideas because of space constraints.

 

[lordy123]

Nice cabinets. They look huge.

Thanks! They are a nice size, 46" W x 24" D x 72" H.

Very cool!

My garage is the same size.

I'll be watching what you do with yours.

I seldom subscribe to threads, but this one I will.

Bill

Thanks, if you have any small garage tips let me know.

Nice will be following along.

nice to have another cheese head on board around here.

For sure, I looked through your thread, very nice garage!

I love the building!! Looks like a great shop space. A great buy on the cabinets and your getting off to a super start on the place!! I like the red and white colors on the building very much.

Will be following your efforts.

Best Regards
Herb Spencer

Thanks, I really like the oldschool look, the house and property has a lot of character. Some of my friends think were nuts for getting something this old, but I really like it.

 

[bczygan]

Thanks, if you have any small garage tips let me know.

I do have a couple.

As my garage has evolved, I have realized it cannot be multipurpose, and still be workable.

I have to choose the functions it will support.

Started out to be an everything garage. Then realized there is no room for any woodworking. Have been removing woodworking things for weeks. Still have a lathe to move.

Then, in my case, since I wanted to do metalworking, I removed all the automotive related things and put them in a shed. Not quite all. I need to move a roller or service cart. Opened up the front of the 4x8 shed and am closing the end, so I have better access. I do my minor auto maintenance in the street, so the shed will serve that. And I'll still have a roller in the garage, so I can pull in the drive when needed.

Next is storage items. There is no room for yard tools and equipment. It must all go elsewhere. I have a shed for that.

In fact, if it is to be a workplace, almost all storage needs to go elsewhere. I can walk to fetch supplies, so I don't have to work over them.

Tools and equipment. Here, even for the limited and specific and focused function and use I have, there is no need to have extra tools and equipment. So my extra vises and grinders and hand tools will have to go elsewhere. Luckily they can be used in the woodworking shop I will build.

So what I am saying is severely limit the functions or uses it will serve, and pare down what is in there every day. No item should go in there until you simply MUST have it there and available. Simplify.

Do this to make it a serene and beautiful place that you want to be in, and want to work in.

One way to do this is to put things in cabinets and behind doors or curtains. But there is a balance between what you need out, ready to use, and what you want to have to go into a cabinet for.

And watch out for the trap of too much storage. Storage causes hoarding of things. The purpose of cabinets in a shop should be to keep dust off of necessary items, not as a way to increase dead storage.

In small spaces like ours, nothing should be unnecessary or duplicated.

I am getting noxious items out as well. My compressor and blast cabinet will go on a porch. You could build a small lean to for yours.

And that's another thing. You mention pulling a nose of a vehicle in. You probably cover it with a tarp when it rains, so you can keep on working. You could also add a shed roof on the side for storing things under a tarp, that don't have to go inside. You could extend the roof, creating a covered area where you could work in good weather, or even if it rains.

That's all I could think of for the moment.

Bill

 

[bczygan]

Is your bench under a window?

How about a fold down bench top?

Insulated?

Insulated door? Ceiling?

How about a screen panel so you can open the door for ventilation without getting bugs?

Lighting? Ambient and task.

Compressor and Hose reel?

Electric cord reel?

Parts washer?

Water hookup?

Pee funnel?

Inside color scheme?

Ceiling type?

Music? WIFI? TV? Computer?

Comfortable roll around chair? Or stool?

Seals around door?

Storm window?

Heating?

Flooring?

What other tools?

Welding?

Painting?

Metalwork?

Electrical work?

 

[taumac]

I think a roof extension is a great idea for him. I get working outside ***** but at least your be dry. You could enclosed it with tarp If needed.

 

[lordy123]

Thanks for the tips bczygan, I plan on getting the garden/lawn stuff moved to the shed behind the garage, but it's currently being used for storage.

A little backstory:
We bought the house in February and then had to fix about 1000 sqft of cracking old plaster walls. Also did a small bathroom remodel. When that was done the girlfriend started getting more things unpacked and in place, I put up a fence and built some pantry shelves. Then it was on to all the landscaping work, which is still a work in progress, but I've got the grass green and dropped three large pines, which are now completely cleaned up.

After all that the garage was a disaster, so all the drywall stuff went to the basement and all the saws got put away. Next is getting the shed set up to get more things out of the garage. But that means I need to install the dishwasher and hand the microwave, because those are in the shed

Some of the things in my picture I just have out because were going to have a lawn party this Saturday. I'll update with more pictures and plans soon.

 

[lordy123]

I think a roof extension is a great idea for him. I get working outside ***** but at least your be dry. You could enclosed it with tarp If needed.

I really like this idea too, When we do the roof later this fall I'll try to get that and maybe a lean to for the boat.