Show Me Your Garage

[Chuck G.]

Re: Show Me Your Garage

Bruce:

Your garage is virtually identical in size and design to mine, same layout, same single/double doors, same vaulting, same lift location. Only difference is mine is attached, yours is detached.

I'm worried it won't be big enough.

Chuck

[Bruce B.]

Re: Show Me Your Garage

Chuck,
The size is good for me but with 4 cars (one's in another garage) and lots of parts it can get cramped. It is just amazing to me how much room a car take up when it is apart. One car takes up at least 2 bays when it is apart.
I really enjoy our hobby and the garage with the lift makes it even more enjoyable.
Enjoy yours.
Bruce B.

[Steven B.]

Re: Show Me Your Garage

Bruce:

Your garage is virtually identical in size and design to mine, same layout, same single/double doors, same vaulting, same lift location. Only difference is mine is attached, yours is detached.

I'm worried it won't be big enough.

Chuck

Chuck, I have a friend who built an 80' X 40' 2 story for his '59 and pickup. He has 1/3 as storage loft and half of the bottom for tools, work benches, etc. A couple of weeks ago he said he should have built it bigger.

[David P.]

Re: Show Me Your Garage

A few photos of may garage. Stack my vette and 190SL Mercedes.
Ceiling 109 inches so the tops of both need to be down to stack.
It has been a great addition.
Have a large finished room above. Its the "Man cave: form my son and myself.
Have to have the big flat screen. Sorry about all the Mercedes on the NCRS forum.

[Paul J.]

Re: Show Me Your Garage

Stewy:

I get the best results with one of the cheapest and easiest floor sealers. I use a water based clear garage floor sealer on raw concrete. It will not hot lift, is gas and oil resistant, and lasts for 15 to 20 years before needing a recoat. When I spill gas or solvents on it they slightly penetrate the sealer, but cause no damage to the sealer. However, you have already etched your floor and coated it, so this is not an option for you.

Industrial lighting applications do not use flourescent bulbs. They are too inefficient, so they will use more exotic lighting like low and high pressure soduium or halide, etc. These bulbs and fixtures are too expensive and hard to find for the home shop, so multiple bulb flourescent fixtures are our best option.

I reviewed the lighting info on the previous posts, and it's most informative, but I used a less theoretical approach with great results. My shop bays are about 14 feet wide and 23 feet long. I have six flouescent fixtures in each bay that each hold two 40 watt bulbs. These are spaced 4 feet apart and 5 feet from each wall (or the other bay). In the back of one bay I have a 14'x9' work area with my workbench, blasting cabinet, parts washer, bench grinder, etc. This equipment is around the sides of the work area, and is lighted by several shaded two bulb flourescent fixtures on chains from the ceiling that bring them close to the work area. These are switched separately from the rest of the lights, but together as a group. This area also has the trolley and chain hoist where all heavy engine work takes place. There are three two bulb fixtures on the ceiling (like in the rest of the shop) over this area. All of the ceiling fixtures are switched by two separate circuits that allow me to have either a lot of light or a whole lot more light. I seldom need to use a drop light.

I also have large windows high up on the shop walls. Most days I don't even need the shop lighting. You need to have windows in your shop.

As for the workbench, I have'nt seen anyone in this or past discussions mention the best option. My workbenches are built from 2x4's from the home center. The bench top is made from 2x10's with the edges planed down and matched (like a tabletop). They are glued together and bolted down to the carcus (frame) with heavy lag bolts that are recessed into the top. The surface is then lightly sanded. The 2x4's in the corners are doubled in an L for stability. The bench has shelves made from 5/8 or 3/4 inch plywood and is diagonally braced as needed. The whole bench is lag bolted together. I have two of these (the one in my shop is 12' long) and I have not been able to destroy either one of them. I do most of my beating in one area and the wood takes it with minimal damage to the top. When I finally wear out a top, it can either be flipped over or easily replaced. It is far better than the metal tops that I have dented and warped in the past.

I don't know about the availability or pricing of dimensional lumber in your area, but it's the best option in the States.

Paul

P.S. Hold the comments on the clutter on the bench. It's usually a lot neater. I just got overrun by a bunch of little projects.

[Stewart A.]

Re: Show Me Your Garage

Paul that style work bench is a good idea. I have a ripper that I can get rid of the bevelled edges on the pine and glue them flat. I was going to use a stainless bench top, but the damage I would do to it would kill me !!! So I'm thinking about a solid MDF top or your style top. It's a bit useless if I make it sexy and I'm to scared to butcher it. A w/shop has to be a workshop.
Thanks Paul. Stewy

[Stewart A.]

Re: Show Me Your Garage

Bruce, do you find that the C1's hang really weird on a 2 post lift. The chassis is really short on the C1's. And the car is supported by the arms being very close together. Stewy

[Rick S.]

Re: Show Me Your Garage

Chuck, nice looking. If I may, as a former police officer, I see two thinks I don't like.
1, window, be sure to put some type of covering on it.
2,change door to no glass. You don't want prying eyes looking in, Make sure after the door is changed to a non window, you have a dead bolt with at least a 7/8 throw. My advise, things are getting worse here in Fl. Bill.

Bill,
As a retired P.O. I agree that one should put some type of covering over windows so prying eyes can't see what they want to steal. For the windows in our garage I painted the garage door windows with spray can of frosting which allows light to get in, works great.
Rick

[Dave B.]

Re: Show Me Your Garage

I installed a Race Deck floor in my garage. Found the flooring on ebay out of a video store that was closing. With the lifts lighting was a major problem. We installed (19) 4' 2 bulb flourescent lights. We recently retrofitted all fixtures to the new T5 flourescent technology. What a difference!

The garage door opereners are wall mounted commercial chain driven openers and the tracks have been relocated to next to the ceiling. The garage is air conditioned with a separate dehumidification system.

[Dick W.]

Re: Show Me Your Garage

Use 8' hi output flourescent fixtures, they cost a few bucks extra, but the additional light output is worth it. Opt for the solid state ballasts also, they save a ton on electricity over a period of time. I used metal halide lamps in the shop that I sold and really liked them, the down side is the warm up time to get full out put. Plus the cost. I have added a couple of metal halide lamps to the area where I do most of the assembly work in my shop. Old eyes need all the help they can get

[Steven B.]

Re: Show Me Your Garage

Bill,
As a retired P.O. I agree that one should put some type of covering over windows so prying eyes can't see what they want to steal. For the windows in our garage I painted the garage door windows with spray can of frosting which allows light to get in, works great.
Rick

'Bought/built a house 13 years ago and used the walkout basement for cars, shop, etc. I bought some of the adhesive backed rolls of frosting and it worked pretty well. I then put blinds over that. Probably overkill.
That and the alarm worked pretty well. When we sold/moved a couple of years later I removed the adhesive frosting.

Will have lived in this house seven years June 1 and neighbors still don't know whatis in the garage.

[Tom L.]

Re: Show Me Your Garage

I've been looking at this thread for a bit and some of the "Man-Caves " are indeed quite impressive. 2 years ago I built my one and only garage, attached to the house, and was faced with the same dilemma that many posts address, STORAGE.

The idea a friend suggested at first seemed crazy but I asked the contractor anyway. Can I put a basement under the garage for storage and work space for dirty jobs? He looked at me funny but got a price anyway. It was suprizingly reasonable! The basement under my garage, and one other room, is about 1000 sq. ft. and the additional construction costs worked out to about $20/sq.ft. In my book that is cheap compared to the expense of building an equal space above ground.

I'll try to post some pics later.

If you are building you may want to give it a thought. Have fun!

[Steven B.]

Re: Show Me Your Garage

I've been looking at this thread for a bit and some of the "Man-Caves " are indeed quite impressive. 2 years ago I built my one and only garage, attached to the house, and was faced with the same dilemma that many posts address, STORAGE.

The idea a friend suggested at first seemed crazy but I asked the contractor anyway. Can I put a basement under the garage for storage and work space for dirty jobs? He looked at me funny but got a price anyway. It was suprizingly reasonable! The basement under my garage, and one other room, is about 1000 sq. ft. and the additional construction costs worked out to about $20/sq.ft. In my book that is cheap compared to the expense of building an equal space above ground.

I'll try to post some pics later.

If you are building you may want to give it a thought. Have fun!

Lynn, at $20/foot that is reasonable. How is the basement ceiling/garage floor supported (I-beams?)? Was the garage floor poured in a pan or precast? 'Looking forward to seeing the pictures.

Steve

[Tom L.]

Re: Show Me Your Garage

The floor is supported by 12-24 steel I-beams 5' on center. Then corrigated decking with a mesh of #5 re-bar 6" on center in a mesh pattern that reenforces 5" of 6000lb concrete. I had these pitures from contruction at work but have no finished pics here.

[Bruce B.]

Re: Show Me Your Garage

Stew,
I don't have a problem with C1s on the 2 post lift although you are correct about the lifting pads being sort of close together. This can cause the weight of the car to open the door gaps. I notice it more on the 57 although the 62s are on the same frame.
When I need extra space I will store the 65 on the lift and park a C1 under it.
I still believe the 2 post lift is the most functional since it allows me to have full access to work on exhaust, brakes, rear end , trans , etc.