garage porn?

[GARTHXS]

So I just bought my first house and I have a two car garage. And I need some ideas for my workshop. Keep in mind swmbo wants to park inside . As always pics are appriecieted.

[crazy steve]

Hey.... is it a garage, or a workshop?

'78E original owner

[chrisso]

Youll be needing a Beer Fridge, some girlie posters on the wall(cunningly disguised as calendars,and some rusty old bike parts lying around.

[WMarshy]

Three words worth searching: labatt refreshment duo

[GARTHXS]

Garage, and as far as rusty bike parts I think the 78 qualifies

[DiverRay]

Keep in mind SWMBO will need about 8' of the space for her car, if it's a small one. I would leave the room for her on the side that has the door into the house, so she has a strait walking path.
Put a work bench, about 30" wide, along about 8' of the other long wall. have it end near the front, so the air compressor and other large tools are near the back. Roll cabinet and top box for tools are between the bench and the compressor when not in use. Shelves and drawers under the work bench are great for storing old parts, oils, and hand power tools. Pegboard and cheap cupboards above the bench, with GOOD lighting so you can work at night in the winter.
Post pictures of what you have, and we can help from there!

[CatatonicBug]

It all depends on what kind of tools you have. If you have a large compressor, you have to allow room for it. I have a small one, and it fits UNDER my workbench. I don't have a rolling toolchest, so my toolbox sits on TOP of my workbench. I do some woodworking, so I built my bench to accomodate a sliding compound mitre saw.

A workbench is a must, but I think I would put the compressor closer to the large garage door, to send the noise OUT of the house instead of vibrating the walls. Then the tools should be one step closer to the house (because you will likely be working out in the driveway, and less walking is better), THEN the bench - all the way to the back wall, as far as it will go.

I built my bench out of 2x4s and 2x12s, with some scrap 1/2" plywood for endcaps. It's not perfect, but it's plenty sturdy for me. If I was pickier, I would have found a flat kitchen countertop to bolt to the top instead of the 2x12s.

[Chuckster]

Garage Journal Forum

If you're looking for ideas go to www.garagejournal.com. They have a great forum and you can get tons of ideas. There are some amazing garages highlighted there. There are also separate forums for electrical, heating, flooring, etc., so if you have specific questions you can post for answers.

[randy]

Here are some pics of what I did with my 2-bay garage. These are progress shots and when it was finished each section had a drawer for storage. One area had a pre-fab lavatory formica top where I could do wet / greasy work and cleanup was easy. The area on the left became the radio bench. A spare section of carpeting laid on top helped prevent scratching the wood / plastic cabinets. Out of all the things I miss, I miss my garage most!

[crazy steve]

Ok, some practical advice....

When building a workbench, check CL for 'take-out' cabinets. You can generally find used cabinets (kitchen, sometimes even commercial) for pretty cheap and they can make excellent bench 'bases', not to mention the wall units that will usually be included. Even check 'Unfinished Furniture' stores; you can catch sales or close-outs on stuff that will work. Some chests will work great for a base. And all this stuff will already have drawers/shelves/doors. Covered storage is a good thing... when you drop that carb jet, it won't have as many places to hide.

For the bench top, look around for some 'plain' solid-core wood doors. For these, check commercial remodel sites or some building materials recyclers. If you're in the right place at the right time, sometimes you can get these for free. These are usually 3'0" doors, and after you trim off one side to get rid of the doorknob hole, are the perfect width for a bench top.

With the cost of new lumber these days, recycling can save you money and sometimes a lot of time.

'78E original owner

[rpgoerlich]

Ditto on the take out cabinets


It's what a garage is for right?

[bikerphil]

Last workbench I built, I let the top (doubled up 5/8 plywood) overhang 2" in the front to be able to clamp stuff down to drill, grind, etc, it's very handy to have that.

[mro]

I laminated my work bench tops with 1/8" masonite.
Holds up to abuse, easy to clean and protects the plywood top.
The one in my garage is over 25 years old. While it's a little on the stained side from oil/grease etc. it still cleans up good and might last another 25 years.

mro
BTW, garages are for "boy toys", drive ways are for cars

[GARTHXS]

nice pics

Thanks for sharing, I just have to clear out my boxes into the house any preference on paint for the floor I am thinking red so I can find stuff when it sproings

[HobbyMan]

I don't know about you fellas, but my work bench is going to be made from 3/8" thick steel plate. with a box beam frame beneath. I want something you can really pound on. With a steel bench, you can weld on it as well. As an added bonus, you don't have to worry about solvents breaking it down. Thats my dream bench anyway.