# Garage, Garage/Workshop, Workshop/Garage, Workshop...Pics



## TheDudester (22 Apr 2007)

My 'workshop' is in a garage attached to the house.

The garage is just a little over 17ft long, a little under 12ft wide and just about 8ft in height. The floor is concrete. There is only one wall that isn't interrupted by either a garage door, a door leading outside or a door to the house. Fortunately, this wall is 17ft long.

At the moment amongst other semi-stationery tools and hopefully a new Makita thicknesser tomorrow, there are three bikes (soon to be 4), a petrol lawn mower, roofbox suspended from the ceiling and a number of garden tools.

Occasionally SWMBO likes to store bottled water and glass jars used in jam making. She also reminds me every now and again that we built the garage onto the house so the car could be driven inside with the children and the shopping unloaded whilst it is pouring with rain outside.

Getting to my questions in a moment but first.....

A shed will probably take care of the bikes, lawn mower and garden tools.

My mother-in-law has agreed to store the roofbox in her garage if I can suspend it from the ceiling.

The bottled water and jam jars is a tricky one.

The car in the garage! It has been done, the doors even opened on both sides but at the moment it's a pipe dream.

So my questions.

1) The door leading to the house is a fire door and shuts tightly. I have used some sticky foam draft excluder to try and make it airtight but there is still a gap at the bottom. Does anyone have any ideas about what I could do with this? I do use a vacuum attached to most of the tools I use and try and sweep and clean up often.

2) I was contemplating using the long wall to build floor standing cupboards with a counter top and wall cupboards to keep things in. Is this a good idea or would I be better off with standalone work tables. I would intend to store things like the thicknesser and drill stand in them and bring them out when needed. I would also use the counter top with a SCMS (if I ever buy one).

Using just one side of the garagel would still allow a car to be brought inside although goodness knows where everything else would go.

I should declare at this point that I am a huge fan of the NYW, love all things Festool don't know how to use a hand plane properly (but after finding these forums I do really want to).

Thanks

TheDudester


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## matt (22 Apr 2007)

Sounds familiar, although I've no intention of ever trying to put my car in my garage - the kids and shopping can get wet...

My workshop (garage) also gets used for storing stuff. Wife has a massive shed down the end of the garden for all the gardening stuff, plus anything else that passes for gardening stuff. Nevertheless, my workshop continues to suffer under the burden of needed storage space...

So, our solution... Taking delivery of another shed for the surplus stuff in the garage...


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## John McM (22 Apr 2007)

If you have broadband check out this podcast (No.10), the video quality is poor but the knowledge is very useful

http://www.woodworkingonline.com/catego ... st/page/2/

then check out this video and the 2 part associated article on shop layout.

http://www.workbenchmagazine.com/main/w ... hop01.html

I have done something very similar and it was cheap. Base kitchen cabinets from Wickes, kitchen worktop from B&Q, old wall cupboards scrounged off a friend. Result a lot of workshop, highly organised in a small space 14x12.
Cheers


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## Shultzy (22 Apr 2007)

TheDudester, I've used a bench situated at the end of the garage (pics on my photo site under woodworking projects) to store tools etc. and bench tops which hinge up from the wall, and I can still get the car in. You can pin a piece of rubber or flexible tube to the door, this should be sufficient to seal the inside from dust.


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## Shadowfax (22 Apr 2007)

As it is a fire door, why not fit a proper smoke seal to it. This is a neoprene seal, with or without an intumescent strip, that fits into a routed slot in the edge of the door (or in the frame). If it keeps out smoke it will certainly keep out dust and make the door more useful at the same time.
Cheers.

SF


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## wizer (23 Apr 2007)

garages are not for putting cars in. What a silly idea....  :roll:


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## Shultzy (23 Apr 2007)

WiZeR":1yx4ch6f said:


> garages are not for putting cars in. What a silly idea....  :roll:



I agree but swimbo put her foot down and I couldn't sit down for a week :lol: 

She has agreed to me putting a new workshop in the garden so we are still talking. :lol:


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## TheDudester (24 Apr 2007)

I'm just as brave as you guys :lol:



> *JohnMcM wrote:*
> If you have broadband check out this podcast (No.10), the video quality is poor but the knowledge is very usefu



The links were great JohnMcM and they contan good information. I also watched the podcast on planes. It was compulsive viewing for a beginner. The way the presenter describe his first experience of a plane seemed strangely familiar.

Shadowfax, I will look into that type of seal.

Moving forward, a decision has been made to purchase a shed to store the bikes and garden equipment. SWMBO has specified a metal one and I'm not going to argue. Phoning around these can take from 2-4 weeks for delivery.

I intend to post some pics today or tomorrow, showing the current situation. I assume I will need to find somewhere to host them.

Regards, 

TheDudester


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## TheDudester (24 Apr 2007)

As promised, here are four picture showing the current condition of my 'workshop'.

Picture1







Picture2






Picture3






Picture4






We are going to look at a shed this coming weekend. Fingers crossed. Would love to get rid of all the 'non-essential' stuff.

Regards

TheDudester


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## Shultzy (24 Apr 2007)

Dudester, how about putting a bench underneath your tool cabinet with a hinged section (a la pub bar) across the door.


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## TheDudester (26 Apr 2007)

Shultzy":36kob0lb said:


> Dudester, how about putting a bench underneath your tool cabinet with a hinged section (a la pub bar) across the door.



After doing some further research (reading, watching the video link), this is what I would like to do:

1) Buy a shed and remove all bikes, garden equipment and black metal storage unit (Pic1).

2) Move grey metal cupboard (lockable) to where black metal shed is at present.

3) Build floor and wall mounted cabinets along long wall (Pic2,3,4) leaving 2 to 3 feet either end (for additional equipment).

4) Cupboards to be able to store all necessary equipment including, thicknesser, table saw (underneath of course).

5) Raise the height of current tool cabinet to provide additional space underneath.

6) Sell all Triton equipment as well as the Trend PRT.

7) Buy a Festool MFT800 table and mount router in it and use as an additional work table if necessary.

8) Build everything so it can be easily removable (French cleat?)

Now all I have to think about is a drill press; morticer, bandsaw, planer; woodstore.


This would leave the wall in picture 1 (RHS) for storing wood or a planer.

Comments would be appreciated.

Regards

TheDudester


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## Blister (29 Apr 2007)

My advice as a single man , 

" Just tell SHMBO , it a workshop now " not a garage :shock: 

stand back and see what happens


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## TheDudester (27 Apr 2008)

It is just over a year (3 days) since I posted pictures. Not much changed till yesterday when I organised things fto accommodate a new table saw.

During the re-organisation, I discovered some lengths of wood had become bevelled because I had stored them on their edge from the top of the black unit down to the ground.

I decided to use my platform ladders to provide a better but temporary solution to store the wood I have. 

I actually like this idea and would like to buy shelving units to hold the wood (I need to use my platform ladders). Plus I could use the lower shelves to maybe hold some item in a similar way as you can see.

Is this the best way to store lumber. I can't really see how else I can fit it in. I want to use the left wall for cupboards and cabinets. The right wall is just gyproc spot cemented to a brick wall and I have found fixing things to this awkward, hence the idea of shelves.

If I stored the lengths on wood on their edge again (opposite way round) would this help correct the bevel?

Huge progress was made in a day or so. I guess I just needed an incentive.











Regards

D


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## Benchwayze (27 Apr 2008)

I must be lucky. 
The garage won't house a car much bigger than a mini and once inside, you can't open the car door to get out. Always had to push my old car those last few feet inside, literally. So it was a sure fire bet the Volvo wouldn't go in the garage. 

Result I have a 'Workshop'. Only 17' x 9'6", but it's all workshop. No serious suggestion was ever offered as to any other use. (An extra room was once mooted, but I reminded SWIMBO about the increase in Council Tax, and the subject was never raised again! ) 

John


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## Benchwayze (27 Apr 2008)

TheDudester":2aaey940 said:


> The bottled water and jam jars is a tricky one.
> 
> 
> 
> 1) The door leading to the house is a fire door and shuts tightly. I have used some sticky foam draft excluder to try and make it airtight but there is still a gap at the bottom. Does anyone have any ideas about what I could do with this? I do use a vacuum attached to most of the tools I use and try and sweep and clean up often.


Hi Dudester, 

Persuade your lady that she doesn't need to store jars. (Unless they are those special Jeremy Clarkson, Kelner jars!) She uses in season fruit I gather, so a few weeks before she is ready to make jam, she could start saving fresh jars. Besides which, glass becomes brittle over time, and breaks more easily.

Have you tried one of those 'brush' draught excluder strips that just brush the floor, but also keep out dust and draughts? 
Bottled water? I never drink unfiltered tap sludge either. I bought a water-filter jug so I don't have to pay through the nose for the bottled stuff. 

Hope this helps

John


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## OPJ (27 Apr 2008)

I can't remember who sells them (I'm sure Machine Mart do them, but I can't find it on their website) but you can buy heavy-duty "brackets" for storing timber, which would be ideal for you, I think.


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## NeilO (27 Apr 2008)

Following john McM links, I think our `murrican cousins use a tape measure completly different to us, as the author of the writeup claims the workshop is built around a 50 sq ft workarea ( small shed) looking at the picture theyve either brought very small machinery and employed one of the seven dwarfs , or they have nicked Dr Who`s Tardis....no way is that 50 sq ft......http://www.workbenchmagazine.com/main/wb297-homeshop01.html


And Dude, nice space you have there , wish I had as much......50 sq ft, Humbug!!! :shock:


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## TheDudester (27 Apr 2008)

Benchwayze":2hl2exm3 said:


> Have you tried one of those 'brush' draught excluder strips that just brush the floor, but also keep out dust and draughts?



I am going to get something like that.



NeilO":2hl2exm3 said:


> Following john McM links, I think our `murrican cousins use a tape measure completly different to us, as the author of the writeup claims the workshop is built around a 50 sq ft workarea ( small shed) looking at the picture theyve either brought very small machinery and employed one of the seven dwarfs , or they have nicked Dr Who`s Tardis....no way is that 50 sq ft......http://www.workbenchmagazine.com/main/wb297-homeshop01.html
> 
> And Dude, nice space you have there , wish I had as much......50 sq ft, Humbug!!! :shock:



They could mean to the edge of the equipment I suppose.

And thanks for the compliment. I feel it is getting there now.

Regards

D


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## PowerTool (27 Apr 2008)

TheDudester":10qog8za said:


> And thanks for the compliment. I feel it is getting there now.



Oh definitely getting there  The shelving just makes it look so much more organised,as well as neater and tidier.

Andrew


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## TheDudester (2 May 2008)

After spending a few days in the newly reorganised garage I have to say it has made such a difference to spending time there. 

There are still some things I would like to address immediately and one of them is to get the thicknesser of the floor. I'd also like to be able to use the the SCMS and router table more easily.

To allow me to keep the fence on the router table I raised my tool cabinet. Who says Systainers don't have other uses.






To deal with the the SCMS and thicknesser I intend to build a mobile cabinet which will be the subject of another post.

Regards

D


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## woodbloke (2 May 2008)

Dude - this is _almost_ a gloat of Wakaesque proportions :lol: - Rob


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## OPJ (2 May 2008)

You've even "accidentally" left one of the systainers open...!! :roll: :wink:


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