Garage/workshop build (lots of images)

[franksta]

It took my father and me about 5 hours to get to this point. It is totally doable with 2 people, 2 floor jacks with a 20" rise, and a northern tools furniture dolly. There is nothing about this that is light-duty. Every part is massive. I'd highly recommend steel toed boots.

 

[cbrsurfr]

Lookin' good! I wish I had that much space for a 4 post. I think I'm going to have to settle for a 2 post low rise.

 

[franksta]

 

[Black2na]

when does it get bolted to the floor?

 

[franksta]

when does it get bolted to the floor?

Never. Those enormous casters you see at the front of the car will allow me to move it around the garage. That's one of the reasons I went with a 4-post lift.

The concept is similar to what's seen in this video but the design on mine differs a little.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7VCCJeTSZA

 

[franksta]

I finished putting the trim up on the drywall seams. Also, I can lift my VW up to max height and not smash it into the light above it.

About 77.5" (197cm) of clearance from the floor to the bottom of the crossbar. I'm pretty sure I duck every time I walk under it because my scumbag brain can't comprehend that the rails are taller than me. I'm only 70" (178cm) tall.

Got the primer up on the wall too.

 

[kevman]

I would incorporate linear track lighting components around the walls of your garage and then buy a few of these adapters pictured so you can have an outlet anywhere you want around the garage, I did something similar in my garage , I also added lights too so that I can have spot lights when I am working under the hood.

 

[franksta]

 

[FuzzyDunlop]

I would incorporate linear track lighting components around the walls of your garage and then buy a few of these adapters pictured so you can have an outlet anywhere you want around the garage, I did something similar in my garage , I also added lights too so that I can have spot lights when I am working under the hood.

Thats brilliant. But he already has a billion outlets. But I like the idea of the track lighting.

 

[DisgruntledVirus]

This is pretty awesome. I want to do something like this but for a wood shop/car/other kind of work

EDIT: How much of the construction part did you do yourself?

 

[franksta]

This is pretty awesome. I want to do something like this but for a wood shop/car/other kind of work

EDIT: How much of the construction part did you do yourself?

None of it. The dirt work, slab, and all vertical construction was done by contractors. I also had an electrician run power to the sub-panel but I did the rest of the electrical and the interior finishing.

 

[skyking]

looking great Franksta, especially with a bug on the lift.
If you let your friends use it and got just a nickel for every discretionary dollar it causes, you will pay it off in no time.
Car goes on lift for some minor work. The owner walks around under it and spots all sorts of other things he wants/needs/must do. CHA CHING!

 

[franksta]

looking great Franksta, especially with a bug on the lift.
If you let your friends use it and got just a nickel for every discretionary dollar it causes, you will pay it off in no time.
Car goes on lift for some minor work. The owner walks around under it and spots all sorts of other things he wants/needs/must do. CHA CHING!

My standard charge is tools and beer(or lunch for those that don't drink). That was even before I had the lift. I've even had 3 people go for it. First guy had some trouble with the power window on his Saturn. Got a nice set of Torx bits and BBQ. Second guy needed brake work on a Chrysler of some type (Sebring I think). C-clamp and Steak N Shake. Most recent was a new hood support for a MGB GT. Bud light and Miller lite, drill bit set, and argon for the welder.


I figure on a long enough timeline the gas money I'll save by the reduced grass coverage will pay for the whole thing. Haha!

 

[Jimzz]

Not sure if you talked about it yet but do you have a cost break down?

 

[franksta]

Not sure if you talked about it yet but do you have a cost break down?

Going from memory (whish is not very sharp)

Site prep, slab, frame, doors, and roof was roughly $23k
I want to say the bricks were about $4k
Electrical was less than $1k

I've put several hundred more in electrical work into it myself. As well as a few hundred in insulation, drywall, paint and the gravel driveway. Probably totaling less than $2k.

Hopefully this gives you an idea for the expenses involved. It should easily be done and ultra nice for less than $40k.

 

[Tweak155]

At first I thought your color choices were terrible (going with 3), but with the cabinets put in it looks amazing. Great work man! Totally jealous...

 

[franksta]

At first I thought your color choices were terrible (going with 3), but with the cabinets put in it looks amazing. Great work man! Totally jealous...

It gets mixed reactions and I knew that it would. It has turned out to be quite a lot of work but I'm satisfied with the results. I would probably just pick a single color if I were going to do it again, but I think this hides the trim lines between them well. I've only got 2 more walls left and the one with the large garage door doesn't have a lot of area to cover.

 

[franksta]

Everybody gets a turn. Only one more left, my wife's S40.

On a long enough timeline this will get new paint.

 

[Richard N]

I would incorporate linear track lighting components around the walls of your garage and then buy a few of these adapters pictured so you can have an outlet anywhere you want around the garage, I did something similar in my garage , I also added lights too so that I can have spot lights when I am working under the hood.

I went track lights for over my work bench. One day I'll get around to putting them up. Only thing with having an outlet there is it is only on when the lights are on. My old shop had four drop lights with spring loaded reels strategically positioned. I cut off the light and simply put a receptacle on each one. They were handy and never in the way. Always had a cord when needed and put away in seconds

 

[skyking]

I was going to put in a temporary membrane structure at my place, but it is no longer a permit-free option for me. This thread is food for thought.

 

[franksta]

I went track lights for over my work bench. One day I'll get around to putting them up. Only thing with having an outlet there is it is only on when the lights are on. My old shop had four drop lights with spring loaded reels strategically positioned. I cut off the light and simply put a receptacle on each one. They were handy and never in the way. Always had a cord when needed and put away in seconds

I've got 2 of the retractable lights, only one mounted right now though. It's at the front of the lift such that I can pull it down when working under the hood of my front engined vehicles. Indecisive about where to mount the other.

The drywall is up on the other 36' wall and I've got the blue and white paint on it. I'm hoping to do the green today or tomorrow.

 

[franksta]

Painted the other wall.

Installed some under cabinet lighting.

Added a Kicker Hideaway to my Grand Marquis.

Practiced with my TIG machine on some aluminum.

 

[JCH13]

What TIG welder do you have? It looks like you should adjust it for less cleaning and more penetration, if you can. 🙂

 

[franksta]

What TIG welder do you have? It looks like you should adjust it for less cleaning and more penetration, if you can. 🙂

It's a Lincoln Precision TIG 225. It does have an adjustment for the AC balance and I've been leaving it on the automatic setting. The manual says it ranges from 40% to 80% negative which is the penetration side of the wave. The dial is kinda worthless as there's no markings on it.

 

[JCH13]

It's a Lincoln Precision TIG 225. It does have an adjustment for the AC balance and I've been leaving it on the automatic setting. The manual says it ranges from 40% to 80% negative which is the penetration side of the wave. The dial is kinda worthless as there's no markings on it.

It is useful if you know what to look for. The etched zone around the weld is where your DCP phase is cleaning the aluminum, it should be very close to the edge of your weld bead. This depends on the exact weld you're doing (thickness, alloy, joint type, etc) but you can adjust to more DCN (more penetration) to bring that cleaned zone close to the edge of the weld. It looks a bit better and reduces thermal load on your torch, among other more debatable advantages.

I've used a Precision TIG 375, very nice welder. With the right setup on yours it can do some amazing things. Like butt-welding 4130 tubes together with enough ductility to run them through a bender!