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I guess it's time for a little bit of a shop update.
I've been working on unpacking the little things and finding ways to put them away in an organized manner. My OCD might be kicking in just a bit here but I can't help it. I picked up some louvered panels that the Akro bins hang on and have sorted all of my hardware out by size and type. These will hang on the wall by the lift, out of the way but still easily accessible. Here is a picture with Barney's door wide open while on the lift. This shows the room available between the lift and the wall. https://photos.smugmug.com/1985-Mont..._070426-XL.jpg Everything getting sorted out on the worlds most expensive workbench... https://photos.smugmug.com/1985-Mont..._075152-XL.jpg You can also see there that I've moved the tool boxes up to the front of the lift. I picked up a second 72" rolling bench which is on the back side toward my office area. It's a mess in this picture but I'm starting to get it pretty workable... I'll pretty it up and put things in the permanent place once I finish the shop area. https://photos.smugmug.com/1985-Mont..._103712-XL.jpg A bit of the OCD madness... https://photos.smugmug.com/1985-Mont..._120200-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/1985-Mont..._121200-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/1985-Mont..._081531-XL.jpg I liked the panels and bin setup so well that I ordered a few more which will be here this week. These should let me finish putting up everything on the "bench" in a way to keep it neat and tidy but still very easily accessible. I also ordered some steel Locboard and hangers to hang some of my tools and such that just won't fit into the benches. I haven't decided yet if I'll hang those under the LocBins or somewhere on the opposite wall. I re-purposed a steel office supply cabinet I brought with us into a storage cabinet for cleaners, paints, and oils and such. It fit on the wall right in between the two overhead doors. https://photos.smugmug.com/1985-Mont..._080250-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/1985-Mont..._143610-XL.jpg The AC has been working great. Typically I've been coming out and opening up the back door of the shop and turning the fan on when I get up and letting mother nature cool the shop down then about 7:30 am or so I'll shut it up and turn the AC on about 78-80 degrees. It hardly runs at all until about 11 am or so then cycles for about 5 minutes or so every 30-40 minutes. Our electricity gets expensive at peak times 3-8 pm so I've been shutting the AC off at 3 pm and leaving it off the rest of the day. The shop actually stays pretty comfortable for a few hours after event with temps in high 90s outside. I'm impressed with how well it is insulated for sure. Saturday I put roller solar screens up on the (6) 48" x 48" windows on East and West side of shop and they have helped a TON!. Today is my first day back in the shop with them installed and so far can tell a big difference in heat soak. They still let light in but almost zero heat. https://photos.smugmug.com/1985-Mont..._080741-XL.jpg This picture shows where the morning sun is shining in thru the solar screened window. Before the part with the sun shining on it would be 15 degrees hotter than the shaded part...now...they are the exact same temp. https://photos.smugmug.com/1985-Mont..._075525-XL.jpg That's about it for now, once I get the rest of the bins in and up and everything put back away I'll post some more "finished" looking pics... |
WOW!! You're cranking right along there Lance!!!
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Looks awesome Lance. At my previous business, that's how we stored nuts and bolts in the Akro bins. Works good, easy access and affordable/expandable. Although, you sure you have enough metric? That is a "metric chassis G-body" after all!
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I have a habit of bagging up any leftover parts and pieces from projects (to do something with later). I found bags of stuff left over from projects on Barney going back to way before I ever started racing it. The bags brought back the memories from the "electric fan install" or the "GTO seat install" projects. Most of what I have been doing the past few days is emptying those bags out and sorting the hardware in them and putting them into the rest of my hardware. |
So after my initial trial run with the louvered panels and bins...I decided I needed more of them. I also decided that the center of the panels needed an additional 2 screws to compliment the 10 screws around the perimeter of the panels. When really loaded down the center of the 48x24 panel would pull away from the wall a bit.
Before https://photos.smugmug.com/1985-Mont..._093619-XL.jpg After https://photos.smugmug.com/1985-Mont..._093852-XL.jpg I did this on all 4 panels now in my possession. I also decided that trying hard to line the holes up on the studs wasn't necessary as the mollys held just fine in the sheetrock. So since I had the first two panels down, I rearranged how they hung to be a bit more eye appealing. Here they are hung along with the 2 Locboard (pegboard) panels I also picked up. https://photos.smugmug.com/1985-Mont..._113012-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/1985-Mont..._113041-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/1985-Mont..._113100-XL.jpg I picked up Triton's 63 piece assortment of pegs because I have no idea what all I'll need but I needed to start somewhere. Here they are hanging on (2) 18x36 panels. https://photos.smugmug.com/1985-Mont..._114321-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/1985-Mont..._114338-XL.jpg I'm sure I'll need more and different pegs as I go along but this was a good start. And here we are with (145) 5x5 bins and (12) 11x11 bins full and on the wall... https://photos.smugmug.com/1985-Mont..._121821-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/1985-Mont..._121758-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/1985-Mont..._121741-XL.jpg I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. It makes use of the wall space there where not much else could go, is very organized which will make finding the hardware in the bins super easy and should help keeping the rest of the shop neat and tidy. |
it appears you are well hung, lol :lol:
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I think you're right Joe!! Don't think I've ever seen anyone with such well hung nuts. |
Had the first "customer" in the new shop yesterday for an oil change...
https://photos.smugmug.com/Other/i-H..._064558-XL.jpg Felt good to be wrenching once again in a real shop...even if it was just an oil change. It went so well in fact that I decided to maintain my other driver as well... https://photos.smugmug.com/Other/i-f..._095603-XL.jpg Oil changes for EVERYONE!!!! :D Working on the drive-on lift is different than the 2 post I'm used too but so far everything is just fine. It's nice to have a "shelf" nearby to put things and with a little bit of finagling was able to get to everything needed just fine. Next job is pulling the third member out of the rear axle on Barney for inspection so that'll be a bit more involved... Will update how that goes once it happens. |
In my shops --- I've always had a large RubberMaid 4 wheel cart to put stuff on while working under the lift.....
How many times have you bumped into the ramps..... |
Fantastic!
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I did have to rearrange things a couple of times to get the jack tray to hold my oil pan in a place that still let me get my right hand in the right place to get the drain plug out without splashing oil everywhere... I was going to try to not get one of the stand up oil catch drain dealios but I think that will be easier than dealing with a drain pan on a jack tray. |
I can't tell you how much I would love to have a shop like that. VERY NICE!
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So very cool Lance!!!
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Big step today, two months after moving in I finally unpacked the last of the shop boxes...
https://photos.smugmug.com/Vista-Mon...NpDr5vb-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/Vista-Mon...Dkpmw9Z-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/Vista-Mon...ZZ3G88V-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/Vista-Mon...stDpHLJ-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/Vista-Mon...HcbvvfL-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/Vista-Mon...HWZzJ6n-XL.jpg I think I've decide this will be my "fab corner"... I've got a floor drill press and a 14" bandsaw coming next week and I need to build a rolling steel workbench that will fit against the wall when not in use. https://photos.smugmug.com/Vista-Mon...BP7q56R-XL.jpg My other choice to put the area is to park the RV all the way up to the back door and use the area right behind the front door. This may be a bit more convenient because closer to lift and tool area but electricity for the welder is more of a challenge there. Having the dirty area further away from my desk area might be a plus as well. We'll see... So far I'm pleased as punch with how it is turning out. I hosed off the floor today and pushed the water out with a squeegee and it cleaned up pretty good. It wasn't slick at all when wet either BTW... I think it might be easier to clean up with a big mop and bucket but that's just one more thing I have to store the rest of the time when not using it. I'm considering it though. The shelves really helped consolidate my "treasures" and keep them in an orderly fashion. The wife was afraid they'd look "junky" but I think they look spectacular. |
Looks spotless (as I would expect) and beautiful. Getting settled is always a nice feeling.
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Beautiful shop Lance. :thumbsup:
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Looks fantastic.
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So This worked out pretty slick. I needed a way to get up on the mezzanine up above the bathroom that didn't take up any floor space when not in use. Found this handy dandy small space attic ladder that worked perfectly. https://photos.smugmug.com/Vista-Mon...8zC8LPB-XL.jpg It has a spring loaded arm up top that helps pull it up and stow it when not in use. https://photos.smugmug.com/Vista-Mon...3hRr7C6-XL.jpg The pole has a hook on the end that you use to pull the ladder down or push it up and there are push button locks that lock it in extended form. It's actually easier\better to go up and down than the 14' step ladder that I've been using and takes up a WHOLE lot less room. |
What floor treatment is that? looks great
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Great ladder! Where were you able to pick that up from? I could use that myself.
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Great job Lance, I know what it's like to "reset" and do a new shop. I'm still getting settled 2 years later.. It's a constantly evolving project, and it never freakin' ends...
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The shop is looking great Lance. I'm not sure I would go inside the house except for meals and to hang out with the wife. Hahaha!
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What we came up with was to first grind the floor smooth with 40 grit pads on a huge commercial concrete grinder. Then all of the expansion joints, cracks and divots were filled with a grey epoxy caulk and then the whole floor was ground again this time using 80 grit pads. The next day a coat of clear polyaspartic was put down, basically a quick drying clear epoxy. We mixed in some aluminum oxide to provide a bit of grip but I'm not sure now it was even needed. The floor is not slick at all, even when hosing it down. When you really scratch the floor (yes, I've done that in many places already) it is kind of like clear coat on a car...it looks horrible. But as soon as you wipe it or rub the scratch, it almost goes away. There are many surface scratches on it that I bet could be polished away if one wanted...but I'm not concerned about them at all. I clean it up with a dust mop for the most part and got it looking this good for the pictures by hosing it down with water and using a squeegee to push the water and dirt out the doors. And no Greg...I haven't lost any nuts or bolts on it either. :D In places where it really got ground down, you can see the aggregate of the concrete and it looks really cool...but for the most part it's all one color and easy to see thing that fall on it. :D |
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https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1 It is good for a floor 9' 10" above the other floor, mine was 9'7"... |
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Your shop looks great. How does your heated floor work with the race deck tiles? Would you do that floor again? |
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You can kind of see in this picture what I had to do to get the shelves to fit to my satisfaction.
https://photos.smugmug.com/Vista-Mon...HcbvvfL-XL.jpg I found these shelves at Costco for $60 each. They are 4' wide, 24" deep and 8' tall with melamine shelves. I cut 8" off of the bottom of the back legs and attached them to the walls direct. This was to clear the trim and stem wall at the bottom. I then had to trim each of the front legs to the proper height to account for the hump\slope of the floor. The high spot of the floor is about where the pressure washer is and it drops about an inch each direction by the outside edges of each shelf. This way the shelves themselves are level, square and plumb. It is hard being afflicted with the OCD but in a weird way satisfying at the same time. My wife thought I was crazy during the process but understood why once it was done. I'm sure some of you will understand as well... |
Garage looks great, Lance!
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I picked up a few tools this week that were sorely needed in the shop. Some were things I had before in my old shop but didn't bring with me, others were things I've always wanted.
First up is a Hein Werner 12 ton Hydraulic press. https://photos.smugmug.com/Other/i-K..._151659-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/Other/i-V..._151709-XL.jpg I kept a lot of the steel and aluminum plates from my old press and got quite a few with this one as well to help in situating things when using the press. I had a bench drill press before but I'm real happy to have a Chicago Machine Tools 12 speed floor drill press now. https://photos.smugmug.com/Other/i-2..._151742-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/Other/i-x..._151752-XL.jpg This is the one I'm most excited about... I've always struggled with improvising when trying to make clean cuts on different types of metal, this Wilton 14" Tradesman Bandsaw should help considerably with that task. https://photos.smugmug.com/Other/i-h..._151835-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/Other/i-m..._151843-XL.jpg I also picked up these 3 rolling shelf carts and a transmission jack. https://photos.smugmug.com/Other/i-B..._151856-XL.jpg The shelf carts are just cool, not sure what I'll use them for yet but I'm certain they'll earn their keep in time. The trans jack is older, and leaks...but should get the job done with needed. I'm tempted to take it apart and see if I can find a shop to seal it back up again. Every tall trans jack I've ever seen like this leaks so maybe it's just the nature of the beast. Kind of a pain though in a brand new shiny floor shop though. I also picked up some car setup tools which I'll show later once I get them all setup. I will say though, they will go very nicely with the 4 post drive on lift... :) I also did some decorating today... https://photos.smugmug.com/Other/i-6..._105930-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/Other/i-H..._105958-XL.jpg |
Moving right along Lance, I love the tool selection.
Before long you will drag home another project car, it's a sickness I tell ya :lmao: |
You got yourself some nice tool there. I wish I had the room. It's looking good.
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What I have found is the pad extensions for the chassis jacks are either too short or too long. https://photos.smugmug.com/1985-Mont..._070501-XL.jpg The long extensions won't fit under the frame at ride height and the short extensions won't lift the car high enough to get my jack stands under the frame. There are a couple of different options to fix this and I'll probably implement them both. First a shorter set of jack stands (preferably with a flat pad type top) would make this a LOT easier and second, a set of extensions machined about halfway between the long ones and the short ones in length would also help. Here is what I ended up doing for now. I used two of the short extensions on each side and lifted the car from the #4 body mount position (right in front of rear tires) high enough to get my jackstands under the frame behind the rear tires. I then moved the chassis jack forward far enough to get out of the way and lifted it up high enough to just support the middle part of the frame as a safety measure. https://photos.smugmug.com/1985-Mont..._130933-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/1985-Mont..._070435-XL.jpg At this point the car was very stable on the ramps and the axle was hanging low enough to get the third member out. https://photos.smugmug.com/1985-Mont..._070354-XL.jpg As far as doing the work once the car was lifted...none of this was an issue. I have plenty of room to move around both in between the ramps and outside of each ramp. My arms are long enough to reach in from the outside if needed and the ramps go plenty high enough that I never banged my head, not even once. I like having a place right there to set tools and parts, this is especially handy when working alone and need one hand to hold a part and can set a tool or two close by to reach for with the other hand. The lift is VERY sturdy and goes up and down with no binding or issues. Very pleased with it's operation. I did have one other issue I had to address. The rolling jacks were almost impossible to move forward and back and especially if they got twisted sideways just a bit. It took me a while messing with the adjustments on the wheels before I finally figured out it was the wheels themselves binding up. There is no bearing or anything, just a solid wheel riding on a stepped solid axle, bone dry... Any sideways pressure on the wheel lodged it against the step on the axle and locked it up. I pulled every wheel off and put a coat of wheel bearing grease on the axle stub and step and reinstalled them...the jacks glide almost effortlessly now up and down the ramps. HUGE difference... As far as working in the rest of the shop, it's been great as well. The AC keeps it very nice in here even when it's brutal hot outside. I hardly ever even turn the lights on as there is a lot of light that comes in thru the (6) 48" x 48" windows up high on each wall. And the floor surface is just awesome. It cleans up great and is pretty tough as well. I dropped a control arm from about 5' high on it yesterday and while it put a mark in the clear coat on the floor...just rubbing my foot over the mark made it mostly disappear. I'm sure at some point the marks, scrapes, and gouges will start to add up but the easy thing is a simple coat of clear coat over the top will fix it right up again. And no Greg...it does not hide whatever is dropped on it... It is very easy to find the nuts and bolts my fat fingers drop to the floor. |
That right there is exactly why my shop with have a 2 post. :action-smiley-027:
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Ultimately for a home based shop, or small biz, having both style lifts would be awesome, although costly and unlikely. The asymmetrical lift I have is great, but I would love to have a 4 post with rolling 3 ton hydraulic jacks for the ultimate in versatility. Just my .02
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Lance, looks like a great opportunity to install some V bands on the exhaust, you know you’ll be back in there at some point. :thumbsup: |
Move the jack up so it rides on the top of the lift where the tires go. Works way better that way and gives full expansion at all heights.
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Rotary has these lift blocks for their rolling air jacks in two different heights. I have 8 of the tall ones and 8 of the short ones. They are nice and "grippy" for lifting on a round axle, pinch rail, etc. and don't dig in or leave marks.
http://i1060.photobucket.com/albums/...psi41ke5fu.jpg |
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Keep in mind I'm still very happy with this lift. I knew I'd have to find a way around this very issue before I ever bought it. It is still WAY better than laying on the ground trying to do this stuff... :D I really think the answer is very simply just shorter jack stands. I'm debating on either modifying mine or trying one of these sets. https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon....L._SL1500_.jpg 10.71" - 15.6" tall https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon....L._SL1500_.jpg 13" - 21" tall Most stands (including mine) start at about 15" high |
I have a set of the "big reds" --- they're real lightweight and a very small base.
I keep them in the trailer and use them more as a "chalk" to check the floor jack if changing a tire. They're "okay" but that small base -- under anything at an angle - that's dangerous. Dangerous enough doing that anyway. |
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