30 Minutes a day in the shop/garage

Day 13.

Well, I managed to get one side done, which took longer than expected. I'm happy with the results. Unfortunately, lighting isn't always the easiest thing to get a picture of.

Before:

After:

I still need to clean up the wiring from the lights to the switched receptacle, but that may be a pain until I can get the GT6 out of the way.

Day "2" here because well life and moving.

Started with just collecting up the loose tie downs I have from everywhere. I knew I had a few but in looking for a box to put them in, I found 4 more!!! Ugh. Anyways all wrapped up and ziptied...

Onto other projects! I know Toyman mentioned his new bolt bins, so I tackled what I could find in all my known store bags that have other bags holding multiple sizes of bulk hardware.... Plus a bolt bucket/jar/bin from years ago... Now I just need to get something to put them in and label them. I have 2 separate orders from McMaster-Carr for bolts I haven't ever used. 

I even found all my fittings needed for the Challenge truck.

By then my 2 beers were finished and it's time to go to bed. Time to get some hooks for the pegboard and hang up everything that can be hung up, in the morning.. 

Day 14. 

This was a fun one. I had the GRM live chat going in the garage while I worked on the lights on the other side of the garage. So those folks got to watch my garage get a little brighter as each fixture got installed and powered. 

I'm almost certain I'll have to redo the connections to the ceiling receptacle as it looks like the garage door will hit the cables. Plus, I want to order more lights to go the full length of the garage. But for now it's a big improvement.

Before:

After:

Feels good to start and finish a project in only a couple of days.

I've not fallen off the wagon but have been doing garage stuff related to the garage not actually in the garage.  Tonight I should be back in.

In reply to Ian F (Forum Supporter) :

That really is night and day. That makes such a difference in being able to work.

I went vehicle shopping this afternoon. Unsuccessfully. No shop work though. It was too late by the time I made it home. 

I haven't done much in my garage except actual paying work.  I'm working from home and my garage is my office.

Right next to the racecar I'm building.

Today was hours of research on wiring and connections.  I hate wiring.

Oh, you inspired me to order another package of lights!

I too took the luxury of the video chat time to tackle bolt sorting, tool sorting, and part sorting. I sure felt like I didn't do E36 M3 for 2 hrs but I did get a lot of stuff sorted out and into a place and not just in a bag or box.

Day 1: the starting point

Obviously it's a stye. I actually spent 30 minutes in there last week building that shelf. Okay, let's put stuff on it!

I started with my spray paint because it was absolutely everywhere. I found so many cans in various nooks and crannies.

I moved a couple of things around and that was time for the day. Felt good!

And for my 30 minutes of working on cars I washed the Boxster before putting it away. It still had all the brake dust and come scratches from the one event of the year. Also felt good.

Let's see what tomorrow brings.

In reply to Javelin (Forum Supporter) :

so much unused pegboard!

Day 15

Turns out the garage door doesn't go back far enough to hit the wiring. Woohoo! I still want to clean it up, but at least it's not critical to opening the door.

Sometime back when I was still with my ex-, I assembled parts to make "MFE Service Mode" tools for the R50-53 MINI. But before I could finish them we broke up. That was back in early 2013, so these have been in a bag since probably 2012 at least. While I don't need them now, I'd like to finally finish them. When I was making them, they sold for about double what Turner is selling them for now. I sold about 6 sets of them for $50 ea. around 10 years ago.

However, I believe one of the biggest issues with clutter in the garage/shop is not cleaning up from the previous project before starting another one. And I still had bits left over from the lighting project on the "bench".

But where to put those bits...

Wait... I bought a set of hanging bins from H-F some months (years?) ago. Let's hang them and then I can put stuff away. Found some scrap plywood and used the screws from the lighting clips and there we are.

Bonus! Another box out of the garage and into the recycling bin.

I've spent at least 30 minutes a day over the last week or so in the garage just cleaning and organizing. Here's where I've ended up. I now have plenty room to start a couple new projects and finish a few that are unresolved.  I feel like I can actually make some progress on things now.

Day 16

During lunch today I turned the lights on.

Grumble... Well, at least I knew what tonight's task would at least start with... I ended up taking down three end lights, whacking the first two together a bit tighter, and then reinstalling the other three. All of the gaps look tight now, so hopefully that finished the lighting project.

Otherwise, not much picture worthy as I continued the process of finding stuff and either finding a better home for it or throwing it away. Did get a box cleaned out/recycled and put away a couple of tool containers that had no reason to be out.

I'm starting to see light at the end of the tunnel of crap under the cars. 

And I decided to put off the MFE tool project. So instead of just leaving the bits on the bench as I normally would, I put all the bits back into the bag and put the bag in the Gladiator cabinet with other special tools.

Side note, I needed to use the garage sink to wash my hands and it was so nice being able to see! I was pondering lights under the cabinet above the sink, but with the new LED lights I don't need them.

I again spent another hour or so on day "3", and again feel like I didn't do E36 M3. I even emptied out one big tote and did some more putting E36 M3 from one place to another.

Shew.

My 30 minutes yesterday were spent helping my eldest swap the tires on his Suburban.

I guess its my OCD, but does anyone else routinely clean up their garage with a leaf blower and mop the floor?

In reply to Jeff351 :

Leaf blower, yes. Mop? No way. 

In reply to Jeff351 :

I would think as you scroll through the photos posted, the pictures would tell the story and the question would be answered.

I do not because well, that would require work to be done inside my little space of solitude.

In reply to Jeff351 :

Take a wild guess...

With my allergies, when I get enough of the floor uncovered, I'll get the vacuum out and run it over as much of the garage as possible.  Right now, that back wall/door behind the TDI is where bugs go to die thanks to the colony of spiders living back there.

Day 17.

You know a project has been around too long when you buy parts for it twice.

I went around the garage and house and collected all the parts for the TDI and stuffed them into the back. New turbo/manifold assembly. New intake manifold (plus two that need to de-coking). 4 front wheel bearing kits - because I bought two more on sale from idparts last year; forgetting about the two I already bought 6+ years ago. Filters galore. Clutch assembly. One rear brake rotor. A complete timing belt bolt kit. New engine bay side shields. And so on...

On the plus side, I finally found the TMS ECU chip for the 325is that I misplaced years ago. Why it was in the center console of the VW I have no idea...

Now to order some pizza for dinner.

I didn't get to the garage as I have to load up all my crap from the sold house to move it all south... 1 tool cart, 2 air compressors, 9 transmissions, 2 sets of seats.... 

Now to find room out of thin air.

Day 18. 

A busy day, so I got a really late start in order to get my 30 min in before the end of the day.  So just a typical session of, "What is this? Do I need to keep it? Do I have a place to put it? Can I toss it?". As I inch ever closer to being able to put the cars back on the floor.

Which actually presents a second problem. I only have ramps for one lift, so sometime during the week I'll have to make a trip to Home Depot for a bunch of 2x12's...

In reply to Ian F (Forum Supporter) :

Had to pick up a couple items the other day, and used the curbside pickup option. It was great, but then I wasn't buying anything like lumber where it could suck not to pick out your own pieces. Also sounds like ordering the day before is a good plan for that maneuver.

How much extra lumber does one have to order from HD to get a full batch in reasonable condition?

In reply to (Jesse) Ransom :

I have not tried ordering anything for pickup, so I am not sure. The local HD is open for customer shopping, so I'll just go there and buy lumber as I normally would. The only difference being I'll take saws with me to cut them to length in the parking lot so they'll fit inside my van easier. Eventually, these pieces will be the drive-on parts of the raised floor that is part of the plan for the garage.

Day 19

Picking away. Another session or two and underneath the cars will be clear. 

Part of the time was spent getting VW wheels and hubcaps out of the basement and into the back of the parts wagon. Feels good to only have one set of wheels in the basement now (snow wheels for the MINI).

Really wish I knew someone local who could use a power steering rack for a Miata... Hmm... I'll try my local SCCA FB group.

On a bad news/good news note... I've mentioned the VW has been on the lift for over 6 years. At one point during that time, I wanted to get the minivan into the garage for a snow storm. In order to do that, the car needs to raise up a few inches so the hood of the van can tuck underneath. But I don't have enough ceiling height to raise it up to the highest lock block. So it's been sitting solely on the hydraulic pump valve. Well, something wasn't happy about that and fluid started weeping from somewhere. The good news part is the height of the car never changed.