Ghey Thunder Garage Build

[Tomas]

So I recently became a house owner and now I have a garage. Not ever having had a garage before I really don't know my arse from my elbow as to how I should set this thing up. All I know is the way it is right now is a complete abomination. The joining tape on the drywall is bulging. There are holes everywhere on the walls. The pop corn type ceiling surface is full of shit and does not reflect light at all. And the neon tubes used for lighting make a humming noise that's highly aggravating. I've done a few jobs in this garage already and it's almost gotten me to the point where I just don't want to work on the cars anymore. Time to remodel this shit hole.

If anyone has experience setting up garages please fire away your recommendations.

To start with, I have 3 priorities.

A. Fix ceiling and walls.
B. Install proper lighting
C. Install proper work bench with vise.

Once that's done I am gonna move onto finding a suitable compressor and doing something with the floors. The garage has a 220V outlet which was used for the water pump. The house water was supplied by a well when I bought it. House was built in 1979. I eliminated the water pump and hooked up to city water so I can use the 220V to run a 5+ HP compressor if I decide I want something that big. For the floors I don't want to do the plastic locking floor tiles. I need something where I can wipe fluids off the surface and that's highly durable. I am thinking epoxy, some kind of concrete treatment, or just plain vinyl tiles. Not sure yet. I need recommendations.

Today the gheyness started. I hosed the ceiling and scraped all the pop corn. Took me about 3 hours. Cleaning up took me about 4. My neck hurts like a bitch.




This is the work bench currently in there. It's not horrible. I prefer stainless steel surfaces but I haven't made up my mind yet. Any workbench recommendations except the shitty Huskey stainless benches from the home depot?



This is the opposite side of the garage and where the 220V outlet is located. I am thinking that's where the compressor will go. I'll probably also change out the door to something with a frosted glass pane in it to get more natural light during the day. The current window is tiny.





Garage door opener. Does not currently work. Pinion is probably shot. Not sure if I will repair or replace. Or may be just remove altogether. I don't mind opening the thing by hand.



For lighting I found these $30 LED lights. They put out around 800 lumens. I am thinking about 6 of these on the ceiling might do the job. Anything but neon lights. I like the light tone of hallogen but those fuckers get hot. How is the realiability of LED lighting now a days? I don't mind spending a little extra for LEDs but if I am going to end up replacing the units as often as regular bulbs then I'll use something else.



And my shit on the driveway

[CosmicArkie]

Put the compressor outside if you can. Makes for a much nicer (read quiet) environment.

[MS6_Auburn_Fan]

Get a fold up ladder for access to the attic.

LED lighting is great because it is so bright but it is very focused. Flood light style fixtures are worth considering because then you can put any bulb you want in there and they throw a lot of light.

Your florescent lights are buzzing because it is either the wrong bulb with the current ballast or your ballast is bad. For lighting I would recommend a mixture of fluorescent or halogen and LED. Put the LED over your work bench for strong focused lighting and then fluorescent in the middle for general lighting and then more LED over the area where you would work on your car.

[Tomas]

If I put the compressor outside I am sure it would not last more than a couple of years. Out here in the swamp it's super humid and it rains all the time.

The upper part of the ladder is on hinges. The bottom part hooks to the ceiling. You can see the hook in one of the pics.

For lighting, home depot sells LED light tubes that look like the fluorescent T5 type. It's just that they are a bit expensive at $110 or so for the fixture and 1 tube. That LED light I posted has pretty good light spread. I installed one in the laundry room and it's not that spot focused. But yes, a combination of different light will probably be the best.

[Easter Bunny]

Honestly I would consider gutting the whole thing, running more outlets and then hiring a contractor to replace the drywall.

[Printman]

A friend of my neighbors did his garage walls and ceiling with Corrugated metal roofing panels. He said it cost him around $12.00 for a 96" x 30" panel and to be honest it looks cool as shit and you cannot knock a hole in the wall. Just an option on something I have seen that looked good but a little pricey but never have to paint and will last longer than the house.

[DSIT995]

I would def do the stainless steel bench top, I almost bought one from ikea that was slightly damaged for $100, not bad for over 8ft long

And +1 on the compressor outside

[Chimmike]

Originally Posted by CosmicArkie Put the compressor outside if you can. Makes for a much nicer (read quiet) environment.

won't last 5 months in his part of FL, salt air will tear it up.

@Tomas; congrats on the house! Post up the link to those LED lights. They'd be a great addition to my garage.

220v great for compressor, most of all WELDER! Don't forget a good floor coating. Makes cleanup a lot easier.

Also, add outlets every 6' or so. You never know where you'll need an outlet for tools at any given time, best to add those via conduit and another 1 or 2 15a breakers while you can.

[MS6_Auburn_Fan]

Build a small out house against the garage for the compressor. It won't be that much different than being in the garage unless you plan on putting a small AC unit in there.

Put some drop cords on the ceiling and consider the ones that are both an outlet as well as a drop light as that is very convenient.

[dpolseno41]

A small screw compressor would solve all the compressor issues.

[CosmicArkie]

Originally Posted by Tomas If I put the compressor outside I am sure it would not last more than a couple of years. Out here in the swamp it's super humid and it rains all the time.

Up against the back of the house/garage with a 5hp upright tank doesn't make much of a footprint - and you can build a little enclosure/shed roof around it to keep off the weather.

I've had a Campbell Hausfeld rig outside without anything for protection for 13+ years, rain/snow/sun. FWIW.

[Tomas]

The corrugated sheet metal panels aren't a bad idea for the walls. For the ceiling I don't think that would be very practical and would also darken up the whole place.

Drop cords and compressed air lines on the ceiling are definitely on the agenda.

Mike, these are the lights.
LED Versi Lite -

The lithonia web site says 650 lumens but the box I have in front of me says 740. At 4000K color temp it's a fairly white light. They have them at the home depot with a yellow "NEW" so may be that's why I could not find them on the home depot web site.

As to the compressor meh. I haven't made up my mind yet where to put it. I also don't know what I am going to get. Not sure I want to go through the trouble of making a small outdoor enclosure for it out of concrete blocks. Forget wood. That would just permanently stay humid and ruin the compressor almost immediately. I literally live in the swamp now. I am bordering the everglades. It is humid here all day all the time.

Originally Posted by dpolseno41 A small screw compressor would solve all the compressor issues.

Fuck I wish. Do you know of a reliable one for less than $800 or so? I don't think I've ever seen a used one for less than 2K.

[Chimmike]

yeah, an enclosure would have to be built of concrete anyways in case of hurricane, lulz. Even then, an enclosed concrete structure with no positive ventilation would be a moisture trap in FL.

I'll have to look at those LED's. Says they're dimmable............for $30 a pop might be time to upgrade the simple can lights in the kitchen to LED. Talk about a power cost savings.

[pzr2874]

I'd mount the compressor in the attic like you are planning as well.. That garage is a nice project.

[Deldran]

I would highly recommend building your own work bench. Thats what I plan on doing building a base and buying a butcher block top for it

Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk

Oh and two car garage cut four holes in the ceiling. 2 in the middle and one on each side. Mount a 50' self retracting air hose to each

Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk

[Tomas]

How about just building the work bench with 2x4s and then cladding the top with 20 or 18 gauge stainless steel sheet? That's one thought I was having.

Compressor - yes. Compressor in the attic so far seems a good idea. But it would have to fit through the opening. No way I am enlarging that opening just to fit a compressor up there. Instead of a 5hp / 220V compressor I was thinking on hooking up 2x of these Makita units to a 30 gallon tank or so. The compressors have good reviews and in case one goes to shit I would still have a back up. Like a contingency plan and shit. Anyone have one of these? Apparently they are very quiet. At $660 for 2 units it's not horrible.

Makita MAC2400 Big Bore 2.5 HP Air Compressor - Amazon.com

Makita MAC2400 Big Bore 2.5 HP Air Compressor - Amazon.com
Makita MAC2400 Big Bore 2.5 HP Air Compressor - Amazon.com

[Deldran]

That works to I just prefer wood bench's because not so harsh on a part u are hammering on.

Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk

[someguy]

garagejournal.com if you want lots of advice on this stuff.

Otherwise, just plan for extra storage...think vertical, don't waste your floor space if you can help it. Lots of lighting, T8 bulbs in fixtures are the most popular option right now...same with outlets, as many as you can fit with separate circuits. If you can run a sub panel, do it now, 100 amps is a good size.

Do you ever plan on having a lift of any sort in there? High rise doors, good concrete, etc are all important. No point finishing the floor if you need to jack it all up to get the min 4" 3000psi or whatever is required for a little lift.

As for compressor, two little ones suck, especially non oil lubricated ones, they'll still be loud. What all do you need it for though? Honestly a 60 gallon quality oil lubricated (Quincy, IR, etc) will not be too loud and give you tons of air. Usually they're hard wired not plugged into an outlet though given your power situation. You can always build a little cabinet (vented sufficiently) around it to keep the noise down.

[Tomas]

The Makita units are not the oil-less type.
For lighting, I am actually leaning toward T5HO neon tubes at the moment. Those fuckers put out a lot of light.
Lift - no. Don't have enough height. And honestly I've never felt like I needed one. The only thing I might do some day are overhead tracks close to ceiling height so I can run an I beam on rollers across the whole garage with a 500 lbs chain block. That way I can lift the engine / trans out of the car without that horrible china cherry picker that takes out a lot of space.

[865ms3]

@BigBoostMS3; helped me get mine setup when i moved.

we made a 2'x8' workbench out of 4x4s and 2x4s. its really sturdy and has a MDF top. i still need to seal it. I need to work on my lighting as well. there is a mount on the wall for my FD wheels. i can still get two cars in there if need be so it works.

i like the idea of the compressor in the attic. i plan to do this soon. scott has his in the attic with everything plumbed down (even the drain).

its not officially done until there is a big sparkly NATOR sticker on the wall.

[Voltwings]

May be a bit ambitious, but its cool to see how he makes such a small space functional. Came across this video when I was redoing my garage (am in the process of redoing it now) and the garage part starts around 6:00, but its a neat video all around.

[Easter Bunny]

I would honestly go with MDF for the workbench top. I like being able to screw cleats or parts to the top. Plus if it ever gets really nasty it's cheap to replace.

Is the floor currently painted or just really dusty. If you are going to epoxy paint it you will have to be extra careful about getting any residue up or the epoxy won't stick. My parents garage has vinyl tiles that have been intalled for at least 30 years and the still look pretty good if you go tile just make sure to keep some extras for future replacement.

[someguy]

Originally Posted by Tomas The Makita units are not the oil-less type. For lighting, I am actually leaning toward T5HO neon tubes at the moment. Those fuckers put out a lot of light. Lift - no. Don't have enough height. And honestly I've never felt like I needed one. The only thing I might do some day are overhead tracks close to ceiling height so I can run an I beam on rollers across the whole garage with a 500 lbs chain block. That way I can lift the engine / trans out of the car without that horrible china cherry picker that takes out a lot of space.

There's lots of lift options though...4 post, 2 post, scissor...portable and not. Check out something like a maxjax or some of the low/mid rise scissor lifts from bendpak. I know for a fact if I had the space at all, even for a low rise, I would get one. Being able to get the car in the air in a couple minutes, higher and safer than jackstands would be amazing.

Lighting so long as you have enough doesn't matter. Take into account replacement bulb costs and such. Double pretty much whatever you think you need and put them on two banks, you'll love it when it's midnight and you're trying to finish off that PITA job.

Didn't realize that compressor was oil lubed, neat. That said...it's not nearly enough. 3.3cfm@90psi (even 6.6 if you had two, which btw is harder to hook up) is pretty low. An impact gun will be ok on that, but if you want to run die grinders or air drills or any other air hogs (let alone sanders, etc) you'll be wishing you had more. At $600+ you can get a new low end brand 60 gallon 240v, or something quite nice in the used market. For around $1000 you can get a nice new 5hp two stage unit that will do 15cfm.



MDF tops are a PITA, they deteriorate pretty quickly. Butcher block or just straight plywood is better. I prefer wood though, steel tops are hard on tools/parts...but are nice and clean. It depends on the work you're doing.

[heisenburg]

i built an MDF top and 2x4 support bench for my moms house in her garage and if it's not taken care of the mdf will start to peel away in chucks, it will bubble and start to rub away. i wish i had went it solid wood for the top. i live in an apt so i go there to do all my work and it's such a pain.

[Tomas]

For workbench tops you can also just use a sheet of 1/4" or 3/8" acrylic or polycarbonate counter sunk screwed to the wood surface.

Originally Posted by someguy garagejournal.com if you want lots of advice on this stuff. .

Originally Posted by Voltwings May be a bit ambitious, but its cool to see how he makes such a small space functional. Came across this video when I was redoing my garage (am in the process of redoing it now) and the garage part starts around 6:00, but its a neat video all around.

The guy with the porsche also has a thread on the forum @someguy; mentioned. It is a bad ass little garage. Also got me thinking about porcelain tiles for the floors. Apparently quite a few of the people on that forum seem to think that's the best choice. Like I said earlier I am not a fan of epoxy so I am going to look more into this,

This is the guy's thread. He is a bit of a faggot using a pic of himself as an avatar but I would not expect anything less from a Porsche owner.

The 12-Gauge Garage - The Garage Journal Board

[ABolewski]

I'm so jealous, I can not wait to have my own garage. Have fun with the remodel and good luck.

[sidekick]

That garage is fucking awesome, I wish I could afford a personal lift.

[someguy]

@Tomas; just be careful on garagejournal what you say...they are Nazi's over there and you'll get banned for looking at someone wrong. Imagine you're posting with little 13 year old girls lol

[swsmailman]

Good looking build so far.

The priorities for my garage when I was improving it was storage, workspace, and lighting.

But lighting is important, you may have an awesome workbench or something but if you cannot see what you are doing then there is no point. I went from just having the garage door opener lights as my main light source in my one car garage to going and buying two shop lights and installing them. Such an improvement, have them wired to my garage light switch and use them every time I walk into the garage.

I know we all have a dream garage because I know I sure do, I want a two car someday that will be a one car, when that happens I would prob spend more for my garage than my entertainment system in my living room.

[phate]

For the vice(s) - search ebay and classifieds. Anything new and American made is god awfully expensive. I've picked up a couple light and medium duty vices off of ebay for <$50 each. They're probably from the 50's, but they work just fine. For a larger heavy duty vise, lots of people like Wiltons, but they are pretty pricey.

Good thread about vices: http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/s...ad.php?t=62716

[dadderllama]

I recently built a work bench with some fellow msfers... Turned out great!!! I used mdf then topped it with Masonite (peg board no holes) which is pretty durable. If I ever mess it up too bad it's easily replaceable and cheap $12/sheet.

[Mr Wilson]

Originally Posted by someguy @Tomas; just be careful on garagejournal what you say...they are Nazi's over there and you'll get banned for looking at someone wrong. Imagine you're posting with little 13 year old girls lol

Spent a lot of time looking througb GarageJournal after you linked it. Need some interior ideas for the garage after rebuilding everything minus the frame and floor.

Have no idea how some of those placed can be called garages, many are 2 to 3 times the entire square footage of my house.

Quite liked the Garage88 build thread. Trying now to convince the wife I need a wood stove for heat.

edit - fuck, I'm a brownie.........

[helmetface]

Originally Posted by dadderllama I recently built a work bench with some fellow msfers... Turned out great!!! I used mdf then topped it with Masonite (peg board no holes) which is pretty durable. If I ever mess it up too bad it's easily replaceable and cheap $12/sheet.

Work bench or shelf suspended from ceiling? I can't tell...

[Tomas]

It's called a hanging work bench yo.
i vantz.

[Chimmike]

If you plan on doing heavier welding/fabricating i'd suggest a 1/2" or 5/16" plate table surface, @Tomas;. I got a piece from Alro for $150 that was a drop, it had been flame cut but the cuts were fcking perfect. I just welded some legs to it but I'm sure you could bolt it to a wood frame.

[Tomas]

Thanks for tip on Alro Mike. I've been looking for a place that sells bar for while now and they have a location in Miami.

[Matrix311]

Congrats on the new house and the garage. Building my garage has been the funnest part of owning my home.

I spent last year building my garage and i'm quite pleased with it. I would recommend looking at T12 bulbs and lighting system. They use digital ballasts and do not give off that humming/buzzing sound you hear with older fluorescent bulbs. I was going to get LED lights as well but for the cost per lumen it wasnt worth it.

You spent $30 for an 800 lumen LED light. I have dual strip lights installed in my garage and picked them up at Home Depot for $38 each. Each T12 bulb puts out 5,000 LUMEN vs 800 LUMEN from the LED. As someone else mentioned above, lighting is quite important and you dont want any dark spots. I bought 8 of these to install in my garage. Lithonia Lighting 2-Light White Ceiling Commercial Strip Fluorescent Light-C 2 96 120 GEB at The Home Depot It puts out so much amazing light. I have ZERO dark spots. I am getting about 138 lumens per sq ft. and per garage journal forum they usually recommend 200 lumen per sq ft for proper lighting.

Regarding the floor I went with garage tile. It would have cost me $4800 if I would have bought it new, instead I picked it up used from a pawn shop here in town. I got about 650sq ft for $500 which was a steal. My garage floor already had epoxy on it which i didnt care for at all. It looked nice when it was brand new but it didnt hold up very well. Within a year it was already chipping and had multiple stains on it that wont come out. I even put the clear coat epoxy on it and that didnt prevent stains. With the garage tile all the liquids just seep through the tile to the floor so your not laying in coolant or oil that may have spilt onto the floor. This is the garage tile I have in my garage, highly recommended! Premium Rib Drain Garage Tile | GarageFlooringLLC.com

Lastly regarding the workbench, maybe check craigslist or those local flyers that get sent out. Check to see if you have any custom garage cabinet builder people in your area. I had them build me a 12ft work bench with peg board and it has cabinets up top and below, was only like $400 with tons of storage.

Here are some photos of my garage. Just completed it late last year and love it.




Here it is with the lighting I just installed.




My workbench


IF ya got any questions hit me up! Can't wait to see your final build of the garage.

[Chimmike]

Originally Posted by Tomas Thanks for tip on Alro Mike. I've been looking for a place that sells bar for while now and they have a location in Miami.

I have tub full of material I get from them. The location near my work has a great selection of drop in all materials. Drop is SO MUCH CHEAPER. That's how I get away with doing some stainless, cuz I can't afford prime prices, lol.

Originally Posted by Matrix311 IF ya got any questions hit me up! Can't wait to see your final build of the garage.

OOHHH! A boobicon! <3

Great place to own one

[Matrix311]

Originally Posted by gingermike I have tub full of material I get from them. The location near my work has a great selection of drop in all materials. Drop is SO MUCH CHEAPER. That's how I get away with doing some stainless, cuz I can't afford prime prices, lol. OOHHH! A boobicon! <3 Great place to own one

Thanks man I love the rubicon. It's my wife's and the white yj is mine. Both are on 35" Goodyear wrangler mtrs. They will pretty much go anywhere.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

[Tomas]

It is almost done now.