Building a garage... looking for suggestions.

General & Technical discussion about other Nissan/Datsun cars
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McWicked
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Re: Building a garage... looking for suggestions.

Post by McWicked »

two_68_510s wrote:Good old freebie SketchUp, by Google.http://www.sketchup.com/download/

Hey, we could make it interactive so everyone could add or change stuff, now that would be interesting chaos!!
I've played around with SketchUp but never found any decent 510 models, guess I'll have to look a again.

Anyway, if we designed it by committee, I can only imagine what we'd end up with. I'm guessing it'd be something that'd make Jay Leno blush. With a nuclear reactor, aircraft hangar, game room, home theater, shooting range, women's dormitory, bowling alley, laboratory, and a survival shelter for the impending zombie apocalypse.

-McW
Go to Heaven for the climate, Hell for the company.
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510wizard
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Re: Building a garage... looking for suggestions.

Post by 510wizard »

On the flooring, there is so many ways to go. You really need to ask yourself what you are going to use the space for. If just to store cars and some light maintenance work then epoxy or Race deck type stuff ( can't beat the look for the price). If you do the type of work that I do, then bare or polished with a sealer. A sealer is easy to reapply when necessary . Welding, dropping heavy stuff, etc., destroys a painted floor. Some have used an industrial type tile, which holds up really well and looks great. A lot of European shops use title, but like most things euro, not cheap. But, whatever you decide, do it now, before you start moving stuff in, not after the first spill of oil.
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Byron510
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Re: Building a garage... looking for suggestions.

Post by Byron510 »

As I've also been in a few shops, storage can really eat up floor space in a hurry, and it's hard to reclaim. The 'keep it simple'' aspect is one to keep in mind. Try to store anything behind cupboards, height up so that the floor space you need can be utilized.

Also, someone mentioned a tall roof. One thing to keep in mind, roof square footage is expensive, but extra height on the walls is cheap - even though most contractors don't like to do it.

I too have always wanted to build my dream garage. What I have now is close, but you can always use more space, - that is inevitable.

My two cents worth.

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goichi1
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Re: Building a garage... looking for suggestions.

Post by goichi1 »

This is a nice thread, I have the same dreams, a big shop with everything you need to make it enjoyable to go out there and work on your latest project.

Pay attention to Monte (Wiz), I have been in his old shop, it was really evident that he had refined the process of shop set up and organization. What I have found really hard to do is making everything accessable, this seems easy, just put it against the wall, but as you move things in you start running out of wall space fast too. I love his idea of extra space at the front of your vehicle, this is handy and something I don't have either.

+1 on having the aircompressor in it's own room, I never hear mine kick on while in my garage, I know it comes on when the flights slightly dim for a sec.....
+1 on a heated and well insulated space, nothing worse than freezing inside, might as well be outside.
Work bench: have the table at a height that is comfortable for you to stand and work.

Retractable airlines/power cords: I put mine in the middle of the garage, it's not proving to be the best spot, that's usually where the roof of the car is so you have to reach over it. Like someone else said, over the work bench and near the door.

Lift: e510 has a nice looking setup, but I would want the ability to open my garage door with the car up on the lift. I know there are compromises, maybe not enough depth for this in his shop??

HAZMAT/flammable storage locker, This is something I have been wanting to get to store all my paint and flammable shit in, but I don't have room right now. If I had a bigger shop, I would have one.

I also learned a lot when I built the small shed/shop behind my house. The difference between an 8 foot wall and a 10 foot wall is tremendous, and like Byron said it doesn't cost but a few dollars more. Had I not put a loft style storage area up there I would have enough room for a lift but the overall size of that space is too small to facilitate that.

My must haves would be:
1. 1500 to 2000 sqf
2. Heat, including the floor
3. Lift
and of coarse all the other things that go with a shop that I pretty much have now, airlines, work bench, ect...

That drawing that two 68 posted is freakin nice! That's exactly what I want too. One lift is enough though but the layout is great. I'm sure to start playing with that program soon too.
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McWicked
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Re: Building a garage... looking for suggestions.

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goichi1 wrote: My must haves would be:
1. 1500 to 2000 sqf
2. Heat, including the floor
3. Lift
Damn. Well, it appears the shop I'm building fails on all three fronts. Half the size, no heat and no lift.

-McWicked
Go to Heaven for the climate, Hell for the company.
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RonM
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Re: Building a garage... looking for suggestions.

Post by RonM »

McWicked wrote:
goichi1 wrote: My must haves would be:
1. 1500 to 2000 sqf
2. Heat, including the floor
3. Lift
Damn. Well, it appears the shop I'm building fails on all three fronts. Half the size, no heat and no lift.

-McWicked
Hey Mr. Wicked,

How far along are you no the Build part? What are your limiting factors, space, local codes, CC&Rs, budget, etc? Depending on your longitude/latitude in Cali, a heated floor may be pointless but for a few days out of the year. I'm sure you've taken all this stuff into consideration, but maybe there's better ways to skin the proverbial cat.
Sometimes people loose touch with subjectivity, because they've got they're heads stuck too far up they're own,,, Reality.
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McWicked
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Re: Building a garage... looking for suggestions.

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RonM wrote:
Hey Mr. Wicked,

How far along are you no the Build part? What are your limiting factors, space, local codes, CC&Rs, budget, etc? Depending on your longitude/latitude in Cali, a heated floor may be pointless but for a few days out of the year. I'm sure you've taken all this stuff into consideration, but maybe there's better ways to skin the proverbial cat.
Not far at all. I've drawn up the plans and have taken a couple bids from contractors. But that's about it.

Limiting factors would mostly be space and CC&R. Though my lot is fairly spacious, I am situated on a corner, so orienting a detached garage in such a way as not to present an eyesore limits it's overall dimensions. So even though I've gotten lots of good advice, much of it I can't put to any sort of use.

-McWicked
Go to Heaven for the climate, Hell for the company.
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icehouse
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Re: Building a garage... looking for suggestions.

Post by icehouse »

McWicked wrote:
goichi1 wrote: My must haves would be:
1. 1500 to 2000 sqf
2. Heat, including the floor
3. Lift
Damn. Well, it appears the shop I'm building fails on all three fronts. Half the size, no heat and no lift.

-McWicked

HAHA mine does too!


The things I'm going to change about my garage is.

1. Plywood on all the walls. Sheet rock is a joke IMO there isn't any purpose (besides fire code) to install it. I have 1/3 of one wall that isn't sheet rock for some reason someone installed plywood. It's bad ass. I want something hung on the wall, well no need looking for a stud just screw it on. When I finish all my wiring I'm add plywood to all the walls.

2. A 200 amp panel. I know what your thinking 200 amps is the main panel. Who cares as long as whatever breaker you run from your main matches the wire size to the new shop panel your good, that way if anything bad happens the breaker in the house will pop. You also won't have to constanly switch plugs in your garage to run different tools. You just know you can't run to many things at once. I would post a pic of my garage panel but I think some of you may shit bricks :)

3. Big ass beams. I may be a day dreamer but how cool would it be to have hoist points from the ceiling? Cab swaps pulling heavy stuff out of your truck. I would have an I beam with the hoist they use in scary movies.

4. Nothing fancy done to the floor. I crylon shit on the floor, spill things, a fancy floor isn't anything I want. Raw concrete somewhat smooth.

5. Vacume pipes, nothing fancy just a few PVC pipes running around the garage hooked up to a Craigslist shop vac. When it burns out a new one can be hooked up. Maybe run it through a "bong" to keep some of the dust out from the blast cabinet. Both this and the compressor hooked up in a different area so the noise doesn't kill you.

6. Yes the bigger the shop the better.... Although I have a 25x30ish and it's plenty big. I'll post a picture. In my mind I think I may add a car port on the front later for a lift I like the size. It's heatable (doesn't brake the bank) and how much space do we need?


This picture was taken with my iphone in panoramic mode.


Image


I'll take a photo of the kick ass plywood wall later.
"People don't like it when shit doesn't match their rule of thumb." Sam
goichi1
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Re: Building a garage... looking for suggestions.

Post by goichi1 »

McWicked, don't get me wrong, I am in the same boat, but if we are dreaming, might as well go big right!! If you are in Cali, maybe you don't need a heated floor, so scratch that option.....

Yea, Jeff, DO NOT show anyone that panel!! You should install a cage around that bad boy to keep folks out!!
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510wizard
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Re: Building a garage... looking for suggestions.

Post by 510wizard »

Some more thoughts, can you do an L shaped garage? We all tend to think about square or rectangular garages, but an L or a stall that is deeper on one side is a big help on setting up a garage too. You can separate your work into different areas, dirty and clean work as an example. My dream garage was going to have an area for grinding, welding ,bodywork, and woodwork, (the dirty stuff ) and an area for the machine shop, engine assembly and electronics ( clean stuff). My point is the different types of work don't mix together, if you can separate them so much the better. When I did last garage, I couldn't separate the activities. It was a real PIA having to cover the metal working machinery, to do woodwork or bodywork, ( oiled machine ways,saw dust, sanding dust and grinding dust don't mix)! Also know matter how hard you try to lay things out as far as placement of machinery and stuff, things change over time. You might be into cars now, but you could be building a boat or ? in the future. With this in mind put a lot of stuff on rollers if possible. Use that Wiremold 3000 raceway for electrical as a mentioned before. Need additional outlet, no problem, pop the cover off, add an outer or a switch, pop the cover back on, done.
dcuplover
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Re: Building a garage... looking for suggestions.

Post by dcuplover »

a roll up door instead of a regular sliding door is on my next garage list. That way it frees up everything above the door for storage.
Cool bus Icehouse! I have a few of them in my garages along with a Ghia and Beetle.
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Dave Patten
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Re: Building a garage... looking for suggestions.

Post by Dave Patten »

Here is mine.
32' x 48', 13' to the bottom of the roof trusses. Pole barn construction with a metal roof (up grade from the 20 year old Ondulene shown).

and 510's inside.

Image
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goichi1
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Re: Building a garage... looking for suggestions.

Post by goichi1 »

Damn nice looking shop! That's about the size I want! maybe someday.......
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Mattndew76
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Re: Building a garage... looking for suggestions.

Post by Mattndew76 »

Dave thats a nice cave. It should have at least 2 NC machines in it.....;)
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Track Junky
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Re: Building a garage... looking for suggestions.

Post by Track Junky »

Off topic but, Icehouse do you have a build thread somewhere for your VW bus?
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