Some new garage shots...a few new features...some cleaning

EDIT: some new stuff at the end of the thread.

spent a saturday evening cleaning the garage (yeah, sad I know). Also finished up a few new organizing features that someone or nobody may be interested in. Photos, as per my usual format:

the right side is just trash cans, recycling bins, bikes, and baby toys (and where the wife's 4runner parks) so not bothering taking any pics.

Here's "my" side: main workbench (an old studio soundboard table...weighs a good 200lbs I'd guess), with some new little shelves I put to hold little crap, more magnet strips, relocated all my chargers, etc. Two lights under the "hutch" which is built to hold al my heavy crap, tires, etc. Toolbox, and to the left of that more shelves and another smaller workbench with a stool and my extra laptop mounted on an old TV arm.

now, if I could just get the wife to park outside permanently so I could have both halves for my shop, lol..

wraparoun...I redid the "loft" area over the GT6, which used to cover half the garage, but its legs got in the way of alot of activities, so I redid the outer legs in a triangle against the front wall, and counterbalanced and braced it with a long angled piece to the side hutch area. This loft is only about a foot below the open garage door, so only low-profile things (like my bike racks) can go on it. Also created more hanging space, etc. Mounted up a retractable power cord, another flourescent light, etc, and organized alot of my tools on the far wall as well

note part of my GRM collection in a rack up top, where I can get to them easily!

a little bit of inspirational art..

oh also...this is what hangs above the middle and the 4Runner's hood. More space savings done on the cheap...

Well done! Nice car too. And you have company: I just finished cleaning my garage as well on a Saturday night.

/Rich

I'm in the process of the build in Arlington- you've got some good ideas I need to implement- I like the loft, 'cept my ceiling is just at 7'6" so I could have the vertical room for the "office" above the shop. I'll take some pictures once I get some of the junk out. It's full of construction stuff, but it is going to be AWESOME when I get it done this winter.

Very Cool!!

next summer's project is going to be pulling everything into the driveway and doing the floors

btw, I know i've posted it a million times before....but the BEST thing you can do for your actual garage is to have a big shed to keep all the lawn/house stuff in, so it doesn't pollute all the car stuff in the garage!

here's a shot of the old loft setup. had more overhead clearance but kind of got in the way being in the middle of the garage like that.

I spent Saturday cleaning/organizing my garage as well. I don't have any interesting pictures to share, though.

irish44j wrote: btw, I know i've posted it a million times before....but the BEST thing you can do for your actual garage is to have a big shed to keep all the lawn/house stuff in, so it doesn't pollute all the car stuff in the garage!

... and then fill the shed with car stuff.

Love the pictures. Thanks for some good tips and ideas.

And, finally, someone who has as many pairs of old shoes out in the garage as I do!

irish44j wrote: btw, I know i've posted it a million times before....but the BEST thing you can do for your actual garage is to have a big shed to keep all the lawn/house stuff in, so it doesn't pollute all the car stuff in the garage!

100% true. I have put absolutely zero effort into keeping my garage organized in the first year I've been here - no big projects at the moment. But if I had a lawnmower, trimmer and all the lawn/garden stuff that's in my shed cluttering up my garage, I wouldn't be able to walk in there. All hail the shed! (A basement helps, too)

Also, although I'm flush with jealousy whenever I see your garage (I loves me some organization; I tell everybody it's not a disease, it's a condition), you've brought upon a lightbulb moment: I need smaller cars. That '60 Catalina is gonna fill my garage up with old steel...

I'm trying like mad to get our garage cleaned out before winter hits. My wife had every single piece of clothing, every stuffed animal, and all sorts of other crap from before she went to college. It's all been in storage for almost 5 years. I wonder why she can't just get rid of it all instead of making us sort it.

dyintorace wrote: Love the pictures. Thanks for some good tips and ideas. And, finally, someone who has as many pairs of old shoes out in the garage as I do!

in the manner of "information overload:"

sadly, most of those aren't old shoes....I just play alot of sports. I think one shelf has - volleyball shoes (for indoor) - basketball shoes - tennis shoes (2 pairs) - baseball cleats - football cleats (1 pair WR-style, 1 pair lineman style) - soccer cleats - golf shoes - mountain biking shoes (2 pairs) - trail running/hiking boots (3 or 4 pairs) - mountaineering boots and some snowboard boots that my wife uses when shoveling snow. Plus 2 or 3 random shoes that are covered with mud, paint, or otherwise used for garage stuff, lol.

jeez, now that I've written that out, I really do have too many shoes (and those don't include all my casual/work/dress shoes that are in the bedroom closet!)

slantvaliant wrote:

irish44j wrote: btw, I know i've posted it a million times before....but the BEST thing you can do for your actual garage is to have a big shed to keep all the lawn/house stuff in, so it doesn't pollute all the car stuff in the garage!

... and then fill the shed with car stuff.

well, that white GT6 is now gone (sold) so the garage now has my 5x10 utility trailer inside (for the winter), a bunch of plywood sheets, engine hoist, table saw, and way too many stupid yard tools. Plus 4 old GT6 doors, about a dozen old boxes for wheels, and several random house doors.

apparently I'm in a "list" mood tonight lol..

Drewsifer wrote: I'm trying like mad to get our garage cleaned out before winter hits. My wife had every single piece of clothing, every stuffed animal, and all sorts of other crap from before she went to college. It's all been in storage for almost 5 years. I wonder why she can't just get rid of it all instead of making us sort it.

lol, I feel your pain.my wife has like 10 boxes of old cabbage patch dolls, stuffed animals, etc. ANd we're in our mid-30s!. Luckily, the P/O of our house built the attic over the living area into a giant walk-in closet with a door into the master closet (kind of a cool secret 20x8 room, finished!), so she is required to keep all her old (and new) crap in there with the Christmas stuff lol...

Drewsifer wrote: I'm trying like mad to get our garage cleaned out before winter hits. My wife had every single piece of clothing, every stuffed animal, and all sorts of other crap from before she went to college. It's all been in storage for almost 5 years. I wonder why she can't just get rid of it all instead of making us sort it.

The answer is "fire". Accidents happen, man. They really do. Think of all the "cuddle time" you will get while consoling her about her loss. Then think about your shop. And how badass it is going to be without effing Barney and all his cousins clogging it up.

ANd we're in our mid-30s!.

Does that mean you're like 39? I call myself an early 30's guy (34). At least for another year- or five.

lol...I'll be 35 in 2 months

I want that garage. a lot

any particular reason you didn't give the loft a solid floor, or at least extend something matching the description of a floor further into the center of the triangle void? support wouldn't be an issue I don't suppose, if you took a page from the Golden Gate Bridge's playbook and used steel cable as supports on the inside.

In reply to Slyp_Dawg:

If I made that part solid, I wouldn't be able to get stuff off the currently solid part easily, since it's right below the garage door and can't be accessed from the front. Plus that area gets more lighting without a "roof" on it. It's only of limited use anyhow, since there's only a foot clearance under the door when it's up. The only thing I really put up there is the Thule bike rack when its not on the subaru, plus some other spare bike rails, etc for my wife's truck.

There is a smallish corner platform on part of the "triangle" section - it's where the two crates with GRM mags is sitting, with a few empty power tool boxes behind it.

Okay, so NOW I'm jealous...This looks really good. You do need to have at least one more current fire extinquisher, though. Back by the door where all the flammables are. Otherwise, I see nothing to improve. Good Job!

Mikey52_1 wrote: Okay, so NOW I'm jealous...This looks really good. You do need to have at least one more current fire extinquisher, though. Back by the door where all the flammables are. Otherwise, I see nothing to improve. Good Job!

good point. can never have too many. There's a small one inside the GT6 as well :)

today's addition: a hideaway workbench. On heavy-duty, lockable casters and built so it can slide right in under the main workbench when not in use. I'll be using this one mostly for some woodwork/cabinet stuff this winter, since I don't have much clearance for large pieces on the main bench. This will be useful to roll out into the driveway when I want to work outside.

It will be painted once it gets warmer than 29 degrees. Probably black like everything else that I've built in the garage.

That is berkeleying brilliant!