Oppo! Show me your garages/storage solutions

"BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires" (biturbo228) 06/10/2016 at 17:42 • Filed to: None

3

34

This is mine, and although it’s a little messy (that’s getting better) I’m proud of some of the ideas I’ve got to fit far too much junk into a small space...

My garage is ~13' x 21', and I’ll walk you round a couple of my favourite little features :)

On the right I’ve recently put up some shelves all the way up the left-hand wall. I’m lucky in that it’s about 4m high so I’ve got a lot of vertical space to exploit. In the future I’ll grab some appropriately sized storage boxes and organise it a bit better. Oh, and underneath that there’s a Rover V8 in bits, a Rover 2600 OHC, a 4.0l Jaguar AJ6 and a 1.6l Peugeot 106 GTi engine, along with an assortment of gearboxes and other random junk that needs a place to live.

Next we’ve got the opposite wall, which is where I could probably do with some suggestions. I’ve currently got a compressor there that needs wiring up, the tool chest, an assortment of spanners, sockets and hammers and an overhead shelf with all my fluids there. I didn’t get a picture unfortunately, but just to the left there’s a couple of small shelves holding three jacks and a fire extinguisher (screwed onto the upright that supports the door, so if there’s a fire you’ve sorted your exit route by the time you’ve got to an extinguisher).

The lower shelf there is a bit of a dumping ground and needs sorting out really...

Next to that I have my welder (some old industrial beast from an Italian factory somewhere), the compressor that actually works at the moment, all my sheet metal behind it (not the best place, but the only place for it really), a Triumph slant 4 engine and one of my favourite ideas, a couple of hooks so I can hang a fibreglass Spit/GT6 bonnet on the wall :)

Moving back we’ve got a rather dark picture of the overhead storage shelf that spans about 1/3rd of the garage length. It’s built out of 9x2 with a thick fibreboard floor and has tons of stuff up there. Most of two Spitfires, most of an MGB GT, some Maserati parts and a ton of Jag bits.

Then we’ve got my workbench area which really needs some properly sized shelves in the cabinets as it’s massively underutilised at the moment. I’m thinking of changing the upper cabinets doors to pegboard so I can hang tools on them, but that costs money so will probably take a while to do...

I’ve just added the little shelving units inside the studs of the wall which I’m rather proud of :)

Then, above your head, I’ve just added in some storage for long-stock inside the rafters of the storage area which again I’m rather proud of :) there’s a little boxed-in section for shorter stuff, and another open section for stuff that spans the width of the garage :) behind that we’ve also got my paint cabinet with a portable guillotine perched on top :)

So, there we go :) current things I have no real good place for are rolls of carpet for working on cars outside on the loose surface (currently perched on the engines), my cheapo TIG welder (going to make a little trolley for that), wooden blocks for padding jacks (no idea with that one) and sheet steel.

Current ideas brewing are a platform that I can winch up towards the ceiling in the middle that’s beefy enough to hold another Spitfire bodyshell/chassis up by the roof, sorting out the electrics properly (most of the plugs you can see aren’t wired yet), get some better lighting in there, make some drawers for fasteners embedded inbetween the studs, running some foam insulation under the roofing sheets to stop condensation, and some paint! I’m thinking a warm grey for most of it, with accents either in stained wood or slightly metallic bronze :)

What about you guys?

Party-vi > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 06/10/2016 at 17:43

0

Maaan your garage is way cooler than my garage. Damn.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Party-vi 06/10/2016 at 17:47

0

Is it? It’s full to the gills with junk, although I’m fairly ruthless that it’s only car junk. Anything non-car related that gets put in there finds itself placed outside of the door until someone deals with it...

I am very luck to have the space though, and the space to put non-car stuff elsewhere...

aberson Bresident of the FullyAssed Committe > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 06/10/2016 at 17:49

0

The garage is full of stuff that isn’t mine.

Except for the stuff that is mine

Suprisingly both bays of the garage are currently empty.

Invinciblejets > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 06/10/2016 at 17:50

0

Looks like an organized mess. I wish I had a garage I have a yard with a tarp covering a few transmissions, extra tires and diff for the rx7

Ash78, voting early and often > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 06/10/2016 at 17:51

0

Mine's all cars and toys, plus some car fluids and a big freezer. Far less efficient than what you've got there. I'm very jealous. I'd kill for actual workspace like I had in my old house — a full gym, workbench, storage. That's why I love houses with basement garages, they always have tons more space than ground-level or freestanding/detached garages.

Party-vi > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 06/10/2016 at 17:52

0

My garage is filled with boxes that have yet to be unpacked (moved 3 year ago...) and decidedly none-car-related objects. I do have part of a Ferrari fascia from an ALMS crash, but that’s the neatest thing.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > aberson Bresident of the FullyAssed Committe 06/10/2016 at 17:52

1

Nice :) I like your little storage thing above the Alfa. very clever.

I ran a zero-tolerance policy a while back with stuff in the garage that wasn’t mine, and I’m happy to say that it’s stuck so far :) I am lucky that people have places other than my garage to put things now, but it was a bit of a dumping ground for a while...

bob and john > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 06/10/2016 at 17:54

0

4 bicycles hanging on hooks, 3 motorcycles in their own spot.

up top on that wooden structure we have the roof-rack for the audi, skiis, second set of wheels for both cars and some other misc stuff


fluids, cleaning products and spare bulbs here.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Invinciblejets 06/10/2016 at 17:54

1

Yeah I used to do most of my work outside (still do on the moderns) and it’s really really nice to do stuff inside.

If your yard’s big enough I’d put serious consideration to building something. Two courses of bricks, some 4x2, some 4" nails, some cladding and some roofing sheets and you can buold yourself something very respectable that’s nevertheless dismantleable if you ever need to move...

Pickup_man > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 06/10/2016 at 17:59

0

Here are about the best recent pictures I have of mine. It’s a 24 x 24 with 10' ceiling, and my wife parks in half of it. In my one side I have 4 motorcycles (one on the work bench) a 3 wheeler, with a second hanging on the wall and in parts on the shelf, the toolboxes, a second workbench, air compressor, a stack of spare tires and a snowblower. For not a huge space it works really really well. If I ever acquire more junk there is still plenty of shelf space on the wall and above the garage door, plus I’m scheming of ways to hang stuff from the ceiling if needed. I love my motorcycles and toys but I really wish I had the room to work on my ‘50 Ford F3. I’m doing my best though to pay off some debt and save up so I can buy an acreage with a proper shop, until then this works.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > bob and john 06/10/2016 at 17:59

0

Very nice :) every available space is utilised, but you can still get to things which is the holy grail as far as I’m concerned :) I especially like the pushbikes on the wall and the dedicated bays for the bikes :)

I’ll get some pictures of my sister’s boyfriend’s garage tomorrow (he lives with us, is also into cars/bikes and his garage is right next to mine). He’s built himself a kickass wheel rack along one side of the garage that I wish I had space for in mine :)

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Party-vi 06/10/2016 at 18:01

0

Cool :) I scoured the track when I went to Silverstone for a bit of carbon fibre from a crash there but got nothing :S

Our loft is still full of boxes from when we moved 3 years ago as well! Fairly certain that if I haven’t needed it by now I won’t ever need it, but my family seems congenitally disposed towards hoarding junk that may be useful at some point (which it has on numerous occasions!)

Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 06/10/2016 at 18:02

0

My humble little 1 and a half car garage. I just cleaned and organized it cause we are having a garage sale next weekend so even more stuff will be gone in about a week and I’ll actually have room to work. Now if I can only get working electric in there it would be perfect

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Ash78, voting early and often 06/10/2016 at 18:03

0

Yeah I am very lucky with the space I’ve got, and the space around me so I can keep non-car related things outside of the garage.

It’s surprising how much value just clear space actually has. Whenever my workbenches and the floor is covered in bits it takes yonks to do anything cos I’m always tripping over things to get from one side to the other. I would say that clear space makes it easier to find tools, but I think I’ve just got a talent for losing them the second I put them down...

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero 06/10/2016 at 18:10

0

Nice :) looks roughly similar to mine size-wise. Mabe a little shorter and with a lower roof (my high roof is the saviour of my garage really).

If you’re looking for workspace, you could probably do something funky with a winch, some cable and a workbench with foldable legs. Attache pulleys to the ceiling and you can winch it right up to the ceiling once you’re finished, but you’ve got a workbench when you need it :)

I like the use of the walls for storage though, and the little corner shelves are excellent. Great use of space :)

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Pickup_man 06/10/2016 at 18:16

1

Now this I like :) Looks funky and functional, with great use of storage space up in the walls. I spotted the above-door storage. Very clever. Must see if I can do that with mine :)

I’ve been scheming on how to hang stuff from the ceiling too. I did have my Spit’s bodyshell up there for a couple of months, held with thick metal eyes screwed into the 9x2 rafters and a couple of ratchet winches (I think you guys call them come-alongs?). Wasn’t ideal as it was right about head height and didn’t really save much space.

That’s why I’m thinking that if I make a metal frame, attach steel cables to pulleys attached to the rafters and then converging into one cable pulled by an electric winch on the wall I could winch another bodyshell right up to the roof and have load of space underneath :) if I boarded over the top of the frame it could double as storage for smaller things, and also a workbench if needed...

I’d secure it there with chains looped around the rafters and bolt it down to the frame itself so it’d be nice and safe :)

-this space for rent- > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 06/10/2016 at 18:44

0

I have several piles I move around as I need space.

Nothing > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 06/10/2016 at 18:46

0

My in progress. Just moved a few months ago. I still need to add some wall shelving. My goal is nothing on the floor other than the workbench area. I’ve since added more of those Home Depot bins. They’re great for kids toys, scrap wood, and other oddly shaped things. I have one unfinished wall that stores all of the longer scrapwood, some yard tools, etc. Eventually that will get drywalled/insulated.

Urambo Tauro > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 06/10/2016 at 18:52

0

Nuh-uh, mine’s too messy right now. It’s embarrassing. I hope to address that this weekend...

But if I had to offer a tip for organization, I’d say to develop themes for storing tools. If you’re like me, you have lots of different tools sharing the same drawer, and it gets a bit crowded in there. Every time I think about buying a bigger toolbox, I find myself spending the money on more tools instead...

So what I like to do is try to find some kind of theme , something that the tools have in common that justifies them sharing a drawer. For example, I have a “material shaping” drawer that contains tools that cut, grind, buff, drill, etc. Under that is a “concussive force” drawer that has my hammers, prybars, chisels, punches, etc. I also have an “inspection” drawer, where I keep rulers, calipers, pressure testers, stethoscope, etc.

Having themed drawers like this allows me to sometimes notice a tool that might work better than whatever it was that I was coming to that drawer for in the first place.

Decay buys too many beaters > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 06/10/2016 at 19:27

0

I’m spoiled for room and haven’t had to get creative yet. (keep in mind there is a bike behind the FR-S as well)

But yeah, some basic cabinetry and shelving

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > -this space for rent- 06/10/2016 at 19:58

0

I tried that for a while, but eventually the piles grow and grow until there’s nowhere to shift them to :S

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Nothing 06/10/2016 at 20:05

1

Very nice :) a great start, and I’m definitely jealous of not tripping over junk all the time ;)

I like the storage bins on the wall for odd bits. I’ve been trying to think of a good place to store all the scrap bits of metal that you get from fabrication jobs that are really useful when you just need an inch long triangle or a weird long strip of metal for another project.

I’ve decided against insulation on mine as the space between the studs in the wall is just too valuable. I do plan on putting some under the metal roof sheeting though to stop condensation.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Urambo Tauro 06/10/2016 at 20:21

1

If I’d taken the pictures a week ago it would look very different! I’ve just come out of a really messy phase where I had not time to tidy up after jobs (not that I usually give much thought to tidying up afterwards). Started reading Jack Olsen’s thread on Garage Journal and thought ‘nah, this isn’t good enough’ so started going the extra mile with storage.

This was it at peak junk:

That’s a great idea about themed drawers. At the moment the bottom drawer on the red toolbox in the 3rd picture houses the vast majority of my tools in a jumbled mess, although I do have a dedicated air tools drawer, a drawer for power tools and a drawer for grease/oil cans in the cupboards at the back.

I’ll definitely do themed drawers once I get round to organising the cupboards at the back :)

gmctavish needs more space > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 06/10/2016 at 20:21

1

I don’t have a garage, but my dad does. He uses it for his storage and workshop, not his car. I don’t have many pictures of it finished with all the shelving and workbench up, but I do have some from when the drywall was finished. He had a similar setup in the previous garage, but this one is even nicer. More outlets, nicer recessed LED lights, and a garage door that actually opens.

Also the stereo, and one of the speakers and its shelf

Here’s one of the shelves, with angled supports so the door can still open.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Decay buys too many beaters 06/10/2016 at 20:23

0

Nice :) looks like what mine was like before I started gathering enough junk to tide me through my project ideas for the next decade ;)

I like the wheel rack. I must get something similar set up in mine...

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > gmctavish needs more space 06/10/2016 at 20:29

0

Nice :) we’re building my dad a garage/workshop at the moment as since we moved house I kind of took over one of the existing buildings and it’s taken 3 years or so to get the house finished and enough other storage sheds sorted to put all the gardening and woodworking junk into. Should be a bit of a monster for UK garages. Looking to fit 3-5 cars in there depending on how tightly packed you want them to be.

It’s still fitted into a bit of an odd shape though as we want to maximise the room available :)

gmctavish needs more space > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 06/10/2016 at 20:33

0

Thanks! Though my dad did the majority of the work. Oh wow that’s bigger than most garages where I live, that’s something like I’d like to have someday

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > gmctavish needs more space 06/10/2016 at 20:38

1

Yeah, it’s pretty sizeable, although they’ll be packed quite tight in there. He really deserves it after the work he’s put into the house, so it’s about time we built something that was just for him :)

I’ll post some pics when we’ve got more than a concrete base to show for our efforts :)

Nothing > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 06/10/2016 at 20:47

1

Thanks, it’s nice to have more space to work with. I’m really trying to get the garage in order and my tools in order before I start seriously working on the Cougar. I’m off work next week and I’m debating tackling epoxy on the floor while I have the time.

The old metal kitchen cabinets, I found on craigslist for cheap. The workbench moved over from the previous house. I used to have 2 folding wall tables in the other garage that came in really handy. I’m just trying to figure out the right spot to build them for this garage. I also need to add some overhead storage, above the garage doors. I did that in the previous garage as well and it was really handy for long term/little used item storage.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Nothing 06/10/2016 at 20:52

0

Yeah I need to build a wheel rack for over my garage door. There’s a decent amount of unused space there.

I just jumped straight in with my Spitfire project while building the garage at the same time. I kind of like that as it’s grown organically around what I discovered that I needed while I was actually working, but it’s got its negative sides (such as the garage floor still isn’t completely painted under the engines to the right hand side, and the electrics are only there in rudimentary form).

I like the Cougar by the way. Great looking car, and must be great fun to drive :) do you have any big plans for it?

-this space for rent- > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 06/10/2016 at 22:24

1

Yeap, that’s about where I’m at.

Decay buys too many beaters > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 06/11/2016 at 00:04

0

Oh yeah the wheel rack helped a ton! Protip, the super cheap one on Amazon works great if you replace all the fasteners with grade 8+

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Decay buys too many beaters 06/11/2016 at 05:40

0

Hah :) great tip.

I think I’ll make mine out of 4x2 though seeing as I’ve got tons just lying around :)

Party-vi > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 06/13/2016 at 07:57

1

Your family sounds like my wife -__-