Where It All Began

[Sodapopsixtysix]

When I was young I used to visit my Grandfather's house over my summer vacations. I grew up on the West Coast and he lived on the East Coast. I always looked forward to spending time with him and "playing" in the corner of the basement that we called "our workshop". It seemed like he could fix or build anything and I always admired him and wanted to be like him. He was the first person to give me real tools and a toolbox, not the toys that the other kids played with. Here's a few pics of where it all began...

 

[SickSkilz]

Blast from the past. Reminds me of my grandfather's garage

 

[captain14]

Nice picture including the last one of the staff lounge.

Is the shop still in the family? How about any of the tools shown. Nice clean and organized.

 

[Sodapopsixtysix]

He became a body & fender man when he returned from WWII. I have a few of his hammers and files. I had some more mechanics tools but they were stolen out of my garage a long time ago. I'm working on finding that vise that is in the picture. I'm hoping it ended up with a family member that still lives in CT.

 

[PFSard]

Very nice setup. Glad you were able to display some pics.

 

[patrickn]

Awesome Sodapopsixtysix!
I love seeing these types of photos.

 

[Richard Cranium]

thank you for sharing

 

[Lippyp]

Happy memories!

I remember the smell of my Grandads work garage, a mix of petrol (gas) wooden ladders and soap. He owned a commercial window cleaning company that used to clean all the big shop windows in town every morning before they opened, all the schools and even at one time the windows at Windsor Castle. He had a fleet of red vans and a massive garage at the bottom of the garden of his office which was in fact the house my mum spent the first few years of her life living in. I spent many a happy hour in the office which was very victorian, my "aunty" Joan, my grandads spinster secretary, book-keeper and everything else (who worked for him from WWII until the business closed when my grandad hit 94, she was hopelessly in love with my grandad) sat behind a massive old typewriter at a tall counter, invoices on a metal spike and a hatch through the wall where the men were despatched to their jobs through. It still only had an outside toilet out the back door and down the garden path a was. It was about halfway between my primary (elementary) school and home so we walked past it every day and would often go in to say hello if my grandads White van was outside (the gaffer drove a white one rather than red like the rest of the fleet!)

Happy days.

 

[METALMOVER]

Weird, I can here the tap tap tap of the old typewriter as I read your posts, odd to think many kids born in the past 20 years will probably never hear that noise.

 

[Dennis Leigh Henry]

Really cool pictures and a great story to boot. I believe it some way shape or form, many of us on the GJ all aspire to follow in the footsteps your grandfather left..

 

[bobcatdan]

Hope I'm not stepping on the OP's toes, but here's the one picture I have of my Grandfather's shop. I took it about a year before he broke it down and sold most stuff on auction. As much I was I wanted the whole farm which was not to be, he did honor my wishes to get a few things. I have the work bench front and center. I good his craftsman tool box. The Columbian vise and the wall mounted work light. I could have the wooden bench against the wall if I really want it, the door is still open on that. I simply don't have a good spot for it. I grew up in that shop and loved it. It almost brings a tear to my eye that it is gone. Been over a year now and it still hurts. To the OP, your Grandpa's shop looks pretty cool.

 

[justanengineer]

Looks like home to me. I really admired many of those old fellas, they seemed to be able to do a multiple of what I can do with a fraction of the tools.

 

[Sodapopsixtysix]

Thanks for all of your comments and sharing your stories. I really enjoy hearing how you've been inspired by your own grandfathers or anyone that has helped you become the person you are today.

Since my mom was an only child I think it made my grandfather very happy when I came along. He finally had a boy in the family that he could share his interests with! I am grateful that he did and wish that we lived closer to each other so we could have spent more time together.

Unfortunately he passed away a long time ago and the house with his workshop was sold. Thankfully, he took a few photos of his shop and created his own Garage Journal for me to find and share for him.

 

[OJ Bartley]

Great pics, love the neat, tidy old shop.

 

[dcmus]

My dad wasn't into anything of the sort but the neighbor was an engineer who's basement was stuffed to the gills with "stuff". I used to slip in there and just "gaze and smell". Now I sometimes do the same thing in my shop

 

[Mike Behrens]

I wish I had a picture of my grandpa's basement shop. I have clear memories of watching in wonder as he fixed stuff.

Sent from my 831C using Tapatalk

 

[thool]

Something kind of sentimental about having a grandpa and basement workshop. It was like a guys only club, where he could set things up and do things his was without being hen pecked. Then prove its worth by fixing stuff.

 

[wrench409]

Great shots! I posted them over on JJ in Vintage Shots from Days gone by.

Brings back memories.

 

[Sodapopsixtysix]

Found a box of some of my Grandpa's tools today. Here's a few things that I managed to save...

<a href="http://s280.photobucket.com/user/sodapopsixtysixsodapopsixtysix/media/Garage%20Journal/Grandpa%20Barry/IMG_20160130_183312259_zpsx1zugiz9.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk181/sodapopsixtysixsodapopsixtysix/Garage%20Journal/Grandpa%20Barry/IMG_20160130_183312259_zpsx1zugiz9.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_20160130_183312259_zpsx1zugiz9.jpg"/></a>

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[Richard Cranium]

thanks for posting the pictures, I so enjoy looking at the older shop, in fact I enjoy looking at all shops

 

[jwhcars]

Wonderful pics and stories, takes me back to my grandfather's and my dad's shops.s

 

[nadogail]

Thank for sharing, I wonder where are today's boys going to get started?

 

[My Old Tools]

I have my grandfather's anvil from the tractor shed at the farm. It was also his grandfather's anvil. It is very old.

My other grandfather ran a classic country store with gas pumps out front. I have his 1912 brass and nickel National cash register. It is about the only thing he saved when he sold the store on a whim one day. I had told him since I was 4 years old that the cash register was mine. I wanted the small neon sign that hung over the door "O. E. Canant, General Mechandise", but the new owner wouldn't let me have it. The ******* burned the building a few months later for the insurance. I spent most of my childhood in that old store listening to old men tell stories. My granddad was well respected and you never knew who would drop buy. I met Wright Patman, US Senator from Texas District 1 for 47 years, and Dr. Gee the long time President of East Texas State University (now Texas A&M branch). I'll post some other family memories in the Free Parking.

 

[StormcrowAz]

Great post! I'm certain my love of "tinkering" came from the time spent in my grandfathers shop as a child. I inherited some of his fastener collection and every time I use one of those old nuts/bolts/washers I feel like a part of him continues to live on in that project.

 

[jmarkwolf]

Thank for sharing, I wonder where are today's boys going to get started?

Youtube?

 

[Highpsi]

Fabulous! Love the photos and tools. Thanks for sharing!

 

[OCD]

Cool pics, awesome story!!

 

[nadogail]

Thank for sharing, I wonder where are today's boys going to get started?

You Tube is no where near as effective as watching and learning alongside a caring person who can and will explain why things are done "that way".

When you were perched alongside of your mentor and holding the drop light, you saw the whole process, "Warts and All", not something that has been edited by the You Tuber to make the jobs look easier and quicker.

Hopefully we are smart enough to learn from our mistakes, really smart people learn from the mistakes of others.