THSCC Forums

Get a sheet-metal top. I think it was like $50 or so to get a piece of sheetmetal (like on the below mentioned Sears bench) cut and bent to fit to a MDF board. I believe mine is 6 foot long by 2 foot wide. It has been recently covered with RX-7 parts, surrounded by them, so I really couldn't tell where the bench started and ended.

That's what I have on mine and within a week, it already paid off when I spilled oil all over the thing and simply wiped it up. I think it is much easier to deal with than to replace a thin piece of MDF every once in a while.

FWIW, Sears has a bunch of stuff on sale this week. A workbench is on sale for around $100. Check it out, you may like it, or it may inspire you.

How do you deal with releasing the pressure from the tank? Can you install a release valve in the line that enters your garage?

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In need of car.

Having recently re-organized my garage here is what I can share:

1) Build your own workbench. I know that others said don't, but it is the only way that you will get one that will fit exactly as you want it. All others are a compromise in space, and that is unacceptable.

2) Create a clean space by the door to the house (if applicable). No grinders, no oil cans etc. Next to this, you can put a computer if you are so inclinded, your manuals and battery rechargers (which hate dust, btw). Then work your way out to progressively dirtier operations.

3) Budget an easily accessable space for rags, Oil-Dry and oil absorbing mat. Easy access to spill clean up equipment is essential.

4) Have an open shelf for putting new and waiting to be installed parts. Otherwise they will just sit on the workbench.

Hope this helps.

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Rich
http://www.v8mongrel.com/

Do you mean releasing the water that condenses in the bottom of the tank? Well, I'm an idiot, my compressor is still in the garage. I just reach under and turn the lever. I put a ball valve on there, it's much easier than that ridiculous screw.

However, now that I think about it, I could just as easily have that come out to some tubing and dump it remotely. Even better, hook it up to one of those $30 timers that do drip irrigation systems (naturally have to run it through a regulator before doing so) and have it purge automatically every day!

But if you mean actual air pressure, I don't know what you mean. There's a overpressure safety valve on the tank. There's nothing special about the position of the regulator, you can have that 50 feet from the actual compressor no problem. Just unscrew some stuff and screw some different stuff in.

ANders

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Lina Racing: As Seen On Radio

Sorry, I was referring to the water buildup.

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In need of car.

Howzabout this?
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/D ... mber=46960

Like some others have said...

Get a truckload of flourescent lights. My garage is 22x20 and I have 6 of them, PLUS the garage door opener lights, PLUS the standup tripod halogen. Never enough light.

Get as much shop vac as you can afford. Life is not worth living without a kickass shop vac.

I used basic kitchen cabinets for my workbench. White, so I can find parts that I dropped. To this I've mounted, with wingnuts (so I can remove them if I need) the bench grinder and the vise. The "Big stuff" like the sawzall, circular saw, etc, go under the workbench.

Power: again, lots of it. If you're going to run this much lighting and power tools, you'll need it. The retractable extension cord in the center of the garage mounted to the ceiling is goodness too.

Something I've recently done is go from using the two car garage to store two cars to storing one. I was starting to hate tripping over the power washer, the copius spare wheels, the air hose...no more. So far its great and I don't have to be nearly as picky about storing stuff (neatly, in boxes) on the floor.

Not to be underrated - FULL SIZE BEER FRIDGE. I happened to have a spare and it's a godsend. Track weekends, I just empty its contents into the cooler and go. Also helpful for storing leftovers, or that three pounds of shrimp you just got on sale. It's even a useful spot to put stickers you don't want to put on the car.

For the floor, I used Rustoleum's Epoxi-Tech and have not been impressed with it now three years later. However, the guy that's here painting my house told me that the mass-market stuff is crap, all of it...if you want it to last, do as Donnie says and get it done professionally.

Big bulky stuff (the bumper skin for the car in my case) gets suspended from the ceiling. Things like shovels go against the wall, hung up and tucked into the space between the wall studs. Spreaders and stuff for the lawn, those are hung up too. No way could I store all this crap otherwise.

One last tip: every six months or so, I bug bomb it. I hate bugs.

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Karl S.
2014 Baby, 2014 House, 2013 Ford Focus ST, 2013 BMW 328i, 1994 Mercedes E320
(Insert passive aggressive signature line here)

Richard:

My garage is not much larger than yours. Feel free to stop by sometime
and check out my layout

I frabricated slelving unit frames from 3/4" box steel.
I tried to utilize EVERY bit of wall space possible .I have shelving
built around and over my Air Comprssor, Parts Washer, bleed
blaster and welder, anyting and everyhing possible.

I built in two small Craftsman 6 shelf roll units. On the
back wall I had a 4x4 sheet of .120 steel cut in half length wise and
that is the work bench. All the Steel came from Dillon Supply.

I have 6 double Floursent 4ft fixtures which along with the garage
door opener maxed out the circuit (and then some). But 8 would be
better, you can't seem to have enough light. I believe you are limited
to 8 devices on a typical 15 amp light curcuit.

Painting the walls a reflective color helped a lot, espically the inside
of the garage door.

For the floor I used Rustolemum Epoxy Garage Floor paint,
think the same as Karl, but it too starting to wear out. It's not
lifting but apparently wearing out. In order to get
the floor as brigt and reflective as possible it needs to be glass
smooth and that is a problem with some garage floors. If I had to
do it again I would look into putting a coating over the existing cement
floor before I epoxied it again. But at this point re-doing the floor would
be a major PIA.

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Mark Vitacco
THSCC TT Chairman
mvitacco@bellsouth.net

I am dredging up this old thread as I have some follow up questions...

Metal Top for Work Bench

I am going to build my own bench and I am looking to cover it with metal. Question is, what "Type" (Stainless Steel, Steel with some type of plating, Aluminum), "Thickness" and "Source" (Dillon’s, Lowe’s, Home Depot, misc. HVAC company, etc.)

Lighting

My plan is to have lighting on the ceiling as well as something on the sidewalls (to help prevent strong shadows from strong light source on ceiling) as well as dedicated lights for the bench. I am looking at Metal Halide lighting on the ceiling as the primary light source (with backup incandescent light for quick on/off trips into the garage due to the startup time for the Metal Halide). Any opinions on the quantity and wattage for the lights (especially the Metal Halide)? I am thinking a single (maybe two?) roughly 175W Metal Halide on the ceiling, one incandescent on the ceiling (separate wall switch) for the quick in/out and incandescent or Halogen on the walls (separate wall switch). Not sure what to do for the bench area. Opinions? Anyone using Metal Halide inside right now?

Wiring

To support extra outlets (GFCI and 220V) and lighting, I will need to do some additional wiring in the garage. I have nearly 100% faith in my own ability to figure out how to do this correctly (NEC, etc.) as well as do the work myself. But I am trying to determine what the downside is (other than electrocution or just plain doing it wrong). I am assuming that technically I am supposed to get a permit, have a licensed electrician look over my work and have a City/County inspector sign off. But after building my own porch a few years ago and the QTY of misc. crap that I had to go through with Durham City/County on that project, I am not interested in going through that again unless someone can convince me. Especially as I feel it added zero value to the project.

Welding Equipment

I plan to do this. Not immediately, but sometime in the future. Anything I should plan for now when laying things out? Specifically the storage of flammable gas. Also, anyone know if standard homeowner policies have exclusionary language for things like having welding gases in a garage that is connected to your house. I plan to build a shed in the back yard for storage of the lawn equipment (mower, fuel, etc.) should I just plan to store something like Oxygen and Acetylene tanks in separate building?

Fire Extinguishers

Any suggestions on Type and Qty.

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Richard Casto
1972 Porsche 914
2013 Honda Fit Sport
2015 Honda Fit EX
http://motorsport.zyyz.com
Money can't buy happiness, but somehow it's more comfortable to cry in a Porsche than a Kia.

I don't even know what that is. But I do have two harbor freight hanging Halogen lamps that you can have if you want them. They're just...taking up space in my garage.

I wouldn't bother with those lights myself. Get flourescents, lots of them. They are cheap and through out plenty of light. Depending on temps in the garage, ie heated not heated, you may want to get the cold wheather rated versions. They flicker less and buzz less when it gets below 50.

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91 Jetta GLI STS/DSP 111
85 Porsche 944 ASP 11
http://www.blackforestindustries.com

If you have white walls & ceiling, you could use those tall halogen lamps that bounce the light off the walls & ceiling to avoid shadows. They're pretty bright & work great - and if the garage is cold, a couple of those will warm it up pretty well (they're 300W max). But I highly recommend also getting some fluorescent cordlights like Les Davis has in his garage. (unless you plan to put lights in the floor )

Actually that sounds like a really cool idea. A friend of mine had lights installed under his house so he could see what the heck was going on when he was under there to work on something. That simple flip of a switch beats a flashlight anyday!

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Vincent Keene
'06 Ford Mustang GT (track rat)
'15 Dodge Charger R/T (yeah, it's got a HEMI!)
'07 Ford Fusion SE (205,000 miles and counting)
'98 Chevy Z-24 (retired)
'93 Acura Integra (Team SWB 24HOL Car)

Think parking lot light. Metal Halide, High Pressure Sodium, Mercury Vapor are similar except that Metal Halide is the most "white" of these. "HID" lights in many European cars (and some in the US) are Metal Halide I think. They are much more efficient than regular incandescent. I think they put out about 5x the light for a given wattage. But the are not "instant on" (need to warm up to get full intensity) and they put out heat.

(Karl, I am going to take you up on the free lights. Just need to figure out how to get them from you. )

Anyone out there have direct experience with the Metal Halide?

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Richard Casto
1972 Porsche 914
2013 Honda Fit Sport
2015 Honda Fit EX
http://motorsport.zyyz.com
Money can't buy happiness, but somehow it's more comfortable to cry in a Porsche than a Kia.

That's what Jason uses in his reef tank (corals and fish in salt water). His tank uses the blue aquarium ones ($$$).

He said he'd go with fluorecent lights in a normal height garage instead of metal halides due to:

(1) cost of running the metal halides... they use a lot of power
(2) they generate a lot of heat
(3) since it's an intense point light source, it would create a lot of shadows (though your wall lighting might minimize that)

Dunno if this helps, but it's all the info I have. When we finally rewire my garage, many fluorecent lights are going in.

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Diane (Hall) Bundas
1992 Spec Miata #48 - 1997 Chevy Tahoe - 2007 Honda Civic Coupe