The Money Pit

I have been slowly working on redoing the garage, and am getting closer to the finishing stage. Wired, insulated, the drywall is up on the ceiling...I plan to use T1-11 on the side walls, and try not to hang much of anything on it, so the bulk of the "storage" will be up front.

Been toying with peg board, either plastic or metal, and some type of closed storage for the odds and ends. I built a closet off to the right side and got chrome steel shelving that is full of plastic storage bins now.

I'm looking to make the garage a working garage...(I pull motors and stuff like that) and yet nice enough that if I had planned a party,..and it happened to rain that day,..I'd have a decent enough place to hang out. Plan on an epoxy floor at some point too.

So I'd like to see what you guys have done with your garage, and maybe hear from you if you had to do it over again, what would you do different. Also if you know of good deals on whatever,...love to hear it.

7T1vette

I purchased some 4-shelf (stainless grid), 6' long metal storage racks from Sam's Club. Then I boxed them in with siding panels and put hinges and a screen-door latch on the 'door' front pieces. It was a bit of work, but it works great and cost a lot less than ready-made cabinets. Two of those racks against one wall will hold a LOT of stuff. I put small items in some plastic storage bins before being stored on one of the shelves. Works for me.

The Money Pit

These are the Lowes version of the chrome racks I got. I may end up with more of them now that I see the closed in version 7T1vette made.

I also have a workbench my dad gave me, with a bench vise and grinder to somehow fit in. Maybe I can build some shelves or drawers for under that.

Greatsteaks

Try doing a search on this site
Garagejournal.com

brent319

I put french cleats in my shop and like it a lot. I just ripped a bevel on some furring strips and put them on the wall of my wood shop. I have different modules, if you will, that hold things like wrench sets, screw drivers, and one that holds my cordless drills, batteries, and charger. When I started working on my car in the garage, I put up a few cleats and was able to just bring up my drill module and some of the other things and hang them on the wall. You can put pegboard on a cleat if you want to have a section that uses that also.
Some people don't like the looks or say they collect dust, but I have had good luck with them in my wood shop. When i add a tool or re-arrange it is just a matter of picking up the modules and rehanging them where i want.
Just a thought....
Brent

jim-81

include a refrigerator for beer..

Mooser

I used cleats for all of my cabinets, make it nice down the road if you want to move something.

You've probably got more room than me but I'd use the walls and try and get everything off the floor anything on the floor uses all the area above it.
A 6" grinder on a pedestal uses up almost 2 sq-ft of floor space all the way up to about 4' high. Put it on a HD shelf coming off the wall and all that space under it all of a sudden becomes available for something else.
Better yet, put it in a cabinet and make a base that clamps to your bench or vise, pull it out when you need it.

Use the upper part of the walls, the upper 1~2 feet of wall in a lot of shops is empty all the way around.
Run your cabinets right to the ceiling, otherwise it's just an open shelf and collects dust.

The area above an open garage door is frequently wasted

I installed a small window air-conditioner and a slow speed oscillating fan. Trying to figure out how to install a screen door, and a panel or something that would allow me to open the big door a foot or so without letting in a zillion bugs at night when the light is on.

Small fridge, Run coax for tv while you can, phone line. internet/Cat5 (unless wireless)

My house alarm is also wired to the garage

Paint everything the same color (benches, cabinets, etc) makes it look like it was supposed to go there

Retractable light, extension cord and air line in the middle of the ceiling

oldgto

http://i569.photobucket.com/albums/s...o/SANY1496.jpg

I went with pegboard over the workbench. Once I got the location of tools I wanted, I traced out the tools onto the pegboard with a magic marker. Then I wrote the sizes underneath.
The reasoning is, when my wife or kids are helping in the garage, it makes it very easy for them to locate a particular type and size of tool for me when I`m under the car. It also makes it quick and easy to spot missing tools when the job is done.

Mooser

Hi, my name is Jim and I'm a cokaholic....

But Seriously, yours is the type of shop that's neat to go visit, there looks to be a 100 storied in any direction you look

I'm gone

(class says) Hi Jim

L82shark

FIRST thing I installed. Up to 5 of those closed in metal shelves with doors I made. Still ran out of room. I have 5 different project cars going on, need to finish a couple or build a bigger shop. I built a workbench across the backwall and now its just a place to stack more stuff until I get a chance to bolt it on. But I am on my 2nd refrigerator, they keep getting bigger....

boeing46

Not sure all the things you plan on doing aside from pulling engines and obviously working on cars. I have a standard 2 car garage. I installed a decent size compressor and air tools. A table or stand up drill press is invaluable with a good variety of drills. On your walls that don't have tall cabinets install some wall hung cabinets because they leave room below them for stuff. I also have a table rip saw but that's for home repairs etc. If it's not to late install as many electrical wall receptacles as space permits. A few extra circuits if possible. It's so nice not having to run cords all over the place. I have one very sturdy pounding table in the middle with a big vise on one side. It's next to the table saw so long material like pipe or wood can be placed in/on either tool the length of the garage. I hope this gave you a few idea's but all our wants and needs are different. I know you're having fun though.

oldgto

Thanks! It`s crowded in there, but I still manage to get things done somehow.
http://i569.photobucket.com/albums/s...o/SANY1487.jpg
http://i569.photobucket.com/albums/s...o/SANY1488.jpg
http://i569.photobucket.com/albums/s...o/SANY1499.jpg
http://i569.photobucket.com/albums/s...o/SANY1485.jpg
http://i569.photobucket.com/albums/s...o/SANY1490.jpg

KS69Coupe

Some ideas. Got all of the organizational stuff from Lowes, Costco.









I can do about 90% of my own mechanical stuff. Obviously, not pulling engines or restoring cars from scratch in this garage.

7T1vette

Hey, oldgto... I hear the American Pickers are headed your way!

P.S. Based on your Forum name, is it OK to call you "Old Goat"?

oldgto

Them pickers couldn`t pry enough cash out of their wallet!
"Old GTO" was because "old goat" was already taken, LOL!


http://216.77.188.54/coDataImages/p/...66tailight.JPG

Redwing01

Hey KS69COUPE , You may wanna clean that place up a bit !!
Wow , what an incredible place ...Wow

The Money Pit

I have pulled this motor four times over the past dozen years, and sometimes it really didn't need to come out, but whatever I was doing was easier with it out. Kind of like doing it just for the heck of it.
The dark dirty garages I've had in the past only take away from the fun, so this is why I'm looking to better organize, and clean things up. This pic was taken last July when I blew the balancer through the hood.

I've added ten pot lights for better lighting, insulated and installed heat and additional outlets, and when I'm done, I'm hoping to end up with something in between KS69Coupe, and oldgto.

Still have to tape and spackle the ceiling and front wall,...not looking forward to that, but once it's primed, I'll air nail the T1-11 and dig into the organizing the front wall. Keep the ideas coming, I really am "decorating challenged". I need to see it first, then I can imagine the finished project.

The closet I built wasn't even on the radar when I started this, but now that it's there, I can see it will hide a ton of stuff.

oldgto

I have a couple big aluminum racks with caster wheels in the back corner. They are strong, I have a couple engines on one of them.... and easy to move for cleaning under them. I think they came from a commercial kitchen. You may check with a restaurant supply place for something like that.
You can see a little bit of them on the left of this pic...

http://i569.photobucket.com/albums/s...o/SANY1490.jpg