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Ok, “Mini Garage Mahal” is a bit of an oxymoron.

I have already posted about my plans (and questions) about the epoxy garage floor covering. My new house has a 19’ x 20’ two car garage with a roughly 5’ x 10’ nook in the back left corner that is perfect for a small work area. This same nook already has a full storage platform built over top of it and I expect many of my tools (when I am not using them) will have to be stored in this area if they will not fit on the ground floor in the nook.

This is my first garage, space is limited and I am looking for ideas on things like bench layout, tools, lighting, wall coverings, decorations, etc. This is primarily going to be used for mechanical work (project car, etc.) with some small amount of wood working. Here are some of the types of large tools I expect to use to give you an idea on what I am looking to do. Stuff like air compressor (to power air tools), bench vise, bench grinder, small drill press, small press (bushings, etc), miter saw, small table saw.

The wife expects that with all of my stuff that we will still be able to part two cars in the garage. I expect this will end up being my project car and her car with my daily driver in the driveway. However, I expect things like the table saw, miter saw, press, etc. will come out into the main garage area at times.

Layout: Any bench ideas that has worked well for you? Height, depth, construction material? I expect I will construct this myself.

Mounting of tools on bench: I expect the bench to be small, so I wonder if I can get away with putting in mounts for stuff like the vise and bench grinder, but then to mount/unmount them as needed. Ideas?

Storage: Do I use shelves? Buy old kitchen cabinets from someplace? Other ideas?

Wall coverings: Currently the walls are already covered in drywall and painted. I know Mike W. has asked in the past for ideas on more durable coverings. I expect I will leave these as dry wall for now.

Lighting: What works well for you when working on the car late at night? Ceiling mount? Combo of ceiling and wall?

Decorations: Good source of auto theme art?

Misc: Any other ideas? Network connection for computer? Filing cabinet for records? Portable heater? Etc.

You get the idea. Any an all suggestions welcome. So, give me some ideas! Tips on what to do and what not to do! Don’t let me make the mistakes you have made with your garage. Funds are limited, but I can spread out the cost by doing this over a period of time, but a “master plan” would help especially when it comes to building in benches and cabinets.

_________________
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.

A 19x20 garage isn't going to be big enough for what you want... Maybe servicable if you have lots of other storage options at home.

We have a 20x20 garage, and if both cars are in it it's hard to do more than a simple oil change. I'm cramped changing tires in the garage, there just isn't room on the sides. The Tundra makes it a lot worse than our old Sunbird, basically anything along side of the Tundra is inaccessible.

We do have shelves along both sides, however, where there are car doors, then no shelves, and no junk allowed along the walls (can't open the doors in a space that small). Get as much storage in the air as possible (used kitchen cabinets or shelves), high storage doesn't interfere with car doors, and you are tall enough to reach.

You have your nook for a work bench (which is good), so that's all the "extra" space you will have.

Fitting a small compressor in the garage will work, but they are noisy, hopefully you have outlets along the walls, that way you can put the compressor outside and the work will be done inside.

If you get a bench grider, beware when grinding, they WILL throw parts, so don't put anything valuable behind it (glass, cars, etc). No matter how much lighting you have there won't be enough. It never makes it under the car or into wheel wells. Get a fluorescent work light. They don't melt things or start fires like incandecent bulbs.

A lot of the tools you mention have big food prints and will take up a lot of wall space, be prepared for cursing and fussing while you navigate around the stuff. Hopefully you have a crawl space or garden shed for the mower and other yard stuff (and the waste oil/gas cans).

In the end, I'm sure you will enjoy the garage space, but to park 2 cars in it, you will need a little patience during project time. If it's an attached garage, just make sure there is a clear path from teh wifes primary car to the house door!

Scott

First task is to buy or borrow a recipricating saw and rip out the side wall of the garage. er....that is the second task the first is buying jacks to hold up the garage roof.

Wait until wife leaves to visit mother on vacation. Then cut out wall. pour new foundation, add at least a 10X10 area to garage. Leave enough space for bed since you may need it when the wife returns. (I could not find an emoticon for Doghouse) You will then have enough space for your work area.

Richard,

I just "lost" a long response so here is a short version.

What Scott said plus:

Fluorscent lights: 4 or 5 is good. The ones with diffusers are best. Cord reels for drop lights and drop extension cords from walls or ceiling. Use surface raceway for extending existing circuits. GFCI protection for all receptacles and drop lights . . . since you will break a bulb or use electric corded tools on a wet floor. GFCI's can save your life . . . ask me how I know.

Make sure some of the lights, etc. will work with the door(s) open. You will work at night with the door open!

Put as much as possible on wheels to give you more flexibility for various projects.

Keep storage bins, etc "see through" as much as possible unless you really like making labels. You will be having to "stack" stuff so keeping it see through makes it a lot easier to find the correct container. I use the cheap plastic "shoe boxes" a lot. Also look in the tackle box area of a sporting goods store to find bin trays for small hardware. They also stack well and may even come with a holder for four or five trays.

If you end up with space for shelf units, the cheap plastic ones sold in Lowes, etc. work very well if you pick the right style, load rating, and size. Metal sucks. Too much work to assemble and actually weaker in the popular price range.

Don't spend significant money, etc. until you have a chance to see what works and what you need.

_________________
Dick Rasmussen

FS 50 2018 Mustang GT

How tall is the ceiling? I've heavily utilized Closetmaid shelving, with braces on every stud. I'm not even using the 'garage model' stuff either, just the regular interior closet material. It's very easy to install, pretty darn cheap, and frees up precious floor space. I don't have single item over about 30 pounds stored up there, but the majority of the things you want to keep on shelves are generally that weight or under. The taller the ceiling, the more layers of shelving you add.

_________________
Tom Freeman
'98 M3/4/5 | '93 Spec3 325i | '12 TSX sport wagon | '03 Tahoe
Team Silver Bullets '91 240SX

I lived with a 19x18 garage for 5 years with 2 cars, 2 motorcycles, and a 12' long work bench in it. And the damn water heater. I could change the oil and maybe swap wheels with both cars in the garage but that's about it. Any suspension, exhaust, etc work meant moving the other car out.

Living with a small garage is all about storing smart. Like Scott said _nothing_ below 6' high or on the floor next to the cars. Or anywhere else if you can swing it.

Storage options depend on how much you want to spend. I should mention that I try to do everything cheap but functional. The closet shelving is a good idea. I have always lined the tops of the walls with cheap adjustable utility shelving and 12" pine board or particle board shelves. In a small garage I would NOT recommend using the metal assembled shelves - see above about putting stuff on the floor. I also used some "T" style hangers to put some shelves hanging from the ceiling. My old garage also had a huge 3' high by 12' wide x 3' deep storage area framed above where I put the workbench. I stored spare wheels & tires and other huge stuff there. It's a shame I don't have a picture of it!

I wouldn't skimp on the workbench, and IMHO homemade isn't a great idea. Really sturdy kitchen cabs are OK, but industrial/lab type metal cabinets are the bomb. I got some nice green chem lab cabinets for next to nothing from UNC surplus on a state property bid. I'm still debating the best cheap workbench countertop. I have 1/4" hardboard on 3/4" plywood now, but I wish I had some kind of formica-laminate. The hardboard soaks up moisture. Actually the chem-lab slate counters would kick ass.

Lighting - the more the better. Home Depot has (had?) really cheap and simple fluorescent dual-bulb light fixtures for $5.32 when I did my garage. I have ELEVEN of these lights in my garage (granted it's 836 sq ft ). Put in ceiling fans that turn on when you flip on the lights. Hmmm, that's what I was going to do this weekend

Do you have access to the attic above the garage, or is it a room? Great place to stick a compressor.

Have a big backyard? Get a metal shed ($240 for a 9x10' at Sears this week) and put ALL of your gardening and lawn crap in there. I'm going to do this too - no sense in using the garage for storage of stuff which will never be used *in* the garage! We're car nuts, not gardeners

I could probably go on and on. Maybe I have a second career as a garage storage organizer?

See ya,
Mike

_________________
Mike Whitney
whit32@gmail.com, 919-454-5445
V10, V8, V8t, I6, I6, V6, F4t, I4, I4, I4, I4, I2, 1, 1

One note about work benches...

In my case, it is often the only above the floor storage space for things that don't have a permanent home yet, the result is a bench that never gets used for work. I end up setting up an old box, or use a big rubermaid tote to do all my work on.

For what it's worth, a big plastic tote does work well for a temporary work bench (no heavy items, hammering or drilling though), the lids can be inverted on the tote and become a basin for any small parts I might drop.

When cars and people co-habitate, dirty floors will be a fact of life. I don't have epoxy or anything, so even sweeping doesn't get them clean (it just gets up the big parts. More likely, the clothes I'm wearing get the floor clean, so I ruin a lot of clothes.

Keep bit pieces of cardboard around to use as a "creeper." It slides well on smooth concrete, and when working under a car on jack stands that extra 2" of ground clearance vs a wheeld creeper is a god-send.

Final note... The first investment should be a set of coveralls. For $25 or less you can come home, put on the coveralls and start work, it eliminates the need for changing. Get them a size to big so they will fit over other clothes (and sweatshirts in the winter).

Scott

Go to http://www.griotsgarage.com

They are expanding quickly from a high-end car detailing source to a garage outfitting company! I've bought several items from them and everything so far has been good quality.

Their garage stuff isn't inexpensive, but it'll give you good ideas on what to put in your garage. The web site isn't as good as the catalog, but I'm sure you can order one off the site.

There is no such thing as too much light in the garage. I was trying to do some close work last nite in my garage and realized that even with a work lite right on the spot I can't focus any closer than about 18 inches. Getting old sucks. So, now I've got my eye on a couple of Metal Halide lighting fixtures they just added to their catalog. 175 watts, but about a billion lumens. Maybe I can even get a tan while I work!

Thanks for all of the great feedback. Keep posting!

I need to expand on the “two cars in the garage” requirement from the wife. I do realize that the space is tight and I expect that I will have to move one car out to have space to work on the other. Also, Tom Freeman asked about the height. I am guessing that ceilings are about 14+ ft, so I have plenty of room up high to hang stuff on the walls. The bonus room is directly above, so I can't expand in that direction.

Some comments that have really helped are…

* Bench materials
* “Storing smart”
* Place the shelves up high on the walls
* Location of bench grinder
* Garden stuff in shed
* Cord reels from ceiling
* GFCI for receptacles
* Wheels on stuff
* See through bins
* Cardboard creepers
* Coveralls
* griotsgarage.com

The coveralls idea is a winner. Probably need to do that first. I also am surprised that nobody mentioned a 2 or 4 post lift. Due to the two car requirement, I doubt that will happen, but a scissor lift is a “maybe someday”

_________________
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.

Griots is a good reference source, but remember that most of what they have can be found elsewhere for less. I still buy from them occasionally because they do have a great selection and a great catalog, though.

I didn't weigh in on the flooring thing, but I've had great success with commercially poured epoxy floors. They are expensive when done that way but last forever, I think. I've been pretty hard on mine and they are *great*. Have them in two shops. PM me if you need a contact, but remember, it is *expensive*. Worth it if you plan to live with your place forever, but probably not otherwise.

Can't have too much light, but be careful of cheaper fixtures with no bulb protection if you have low ceilings. Busting a long flourescent above your head is no fun, especially when you instinctively look up to see what just happened.

Build your workbenches to standing height and get roll around stools to sit on at the workbench. You *can* build solid ones with 2x4's, you just have to be smart about it. If you can find what you want when you want it out of metal at a surplus place like Mike did, great. If not, wooden ones can be done well. For benchtop material I actually like 3/4" MDF with a good heavy epoxy paint on them. Light gray works well.

If you really want a modular mount for grinders and vices and similar items, consider a 2" receiver hitch setup. You could bolt one of the bumper mount receiver receptacles (usually around $25) to the bottom front edge of your bench and then get a plate welded to a receiver hitch with the right "rise" for you that you can bolt the tool to. Insert into hitch and pin it in place. Seen that done on race pit carts for similar items (and horse farriers use that kind of thing for their vice on their trucks quite often). It also allows you to take your vice to the races and if your tow vehicle has a hitch then you have a solid place to put it.

I'd do one of those retractable extension cords in the middle of the ceiling to get power there easily.

If you put shelves or storage in on the walls make sure to take lighting under them into consideration. Shelves over workbenches can block your light quite well.

Lowes had a Kobalt brand small roll around stool that had a pneumatic height adjustment that was cheap. Love those. Bonus is the tray under the seat for parts. That way you aren't running over your nuts and bolts and you move around.

That's about all I can think of for now....


--Donnie, owner of several shops and building a new one soon.

Richard - I was thinking that maybe a picture is worth a thousand words. Why don't people post pictures of their garages / shops? I'd particularly like to see Donnie's

I'll see if I can dig up a pic of mine...

_________________
Mike Whitney
whit32@gmail.com, 919-454-5445
V10, V8, V8t, I6, I6, V6, F4t, I4, I4, I4, I4, I2, 1, 1

That sounds great to me. I am pretty much doing the same with Griots. I may or may not buy stuff from their site, but seeing what they offer, gives me ideas.

_________________
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 sounds like a great idea. I am wondering how much movement you might get with the receiver hitch. It has been a few years since I had a vehicle with a receiver hitch and I can't remember how tight it was once it was the pin was in place.

Do pretty much all receiver male/female parts have the same amount of "play" in them? Should I shop around to find a combo that fits a bit tighter and would wiggle less while using them in this way?

_________________
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.

My garage is 19 wide by 25 deep. The extra five feet makes a huge difference.

Here is a panarama of pictures of my garage:

http://www.freshmilk.com/anders/garage/

That's actually an old picture. I have even MORE big storage shelves and stuff in there now.

I have storage on the sides, but I mount nothing in the _middle_ where I would need to swing open doors.

However, my car is a "Zero car garage". It is not used for daily parking.

If you even want to *pretend* you will be able to do what you want, then rule one is Yard tools don't live indoors. One lawnmower will destroy that space. (Seriously)

My benches are all 2x4 with 3/4 plywood. Keep an eye out at Lowes in the formica section: they will sometimes have sheets that are chipped. This doesn't mean anything for you, your workbench is not 4 foot wide!

Bench construction: Let the plywood overhang 2 inches. Don't put the 2x4s right under the edge. This makes it MUCH easier to clamp things!

Forget about motorsports decoration. The wall space is too precious.

Electrical

1) all the outlets you have in there already are GCFI. Or should be. (that is, on a gcfi circuit. not every one of them will have a reset) It's national electrical code.

2) Before you go mounting shelves, run some new outlets. Get them on a seperate breaker. Always put them in in fours, if you go to all the trouble of pulling wire, put in more outlets! Put one right near the garage door so your extension cords go further. Have a ten foot extension cord drop from where your garage door opener plugs in. (Zip tie the top part to the opener so the stress isn't on the plug.

Get your compressor out of your garage if you can!!!!!

Get your compressor out of your garage if you can!!!!! (I'm repeating it because it's so important. Hell, buy a plastic doghouse and put it in your back yard!!! (Dang, why didn't I think of that earlier!?) Or your crawlspace. Don't worry about the damp air affecting anything: the humidity IN my garage was 78% the other day. What would the frigging difference be???

Um, yeah, lots of flourescent lights. If you go incandescent, it gets HOT in there during summer nights. Cause you'll want to close the door, because the insects start flying in...


How about them apples!!

ANders

_________________
Lina Racing: As Seen On Radio

What Anders said

EXCEPT: Even if the wall receptacles are on GFCI's, chances are any ceiling receptacles are not . . . but guess where you may plug in your drop lights and extension cord reels! FYI a complete circuit (numerous receptacles) can be GFCI protected with proper installation of a GFCI in the outlet electrically closest to the source (panelboard). It pays to check which circuits are actually on a GFCI by using the test button and then seeing which receptacles are deenergized.

ALSO: when mounting grinders and vises, keep in mind that you may need to rotate them or you depending on what you are trying to do. My vise has an adjustable base. My grinder is on a stand but it also has a fair amount of working room around it.

_________________
Dick Rasmussen

FS 50 2018 Mustang GT