Garage Setup - Ideal for DIY Maintenance?

Can you make it a one car garage? i.e., install a lift in the middle of the garage which will give you lots of room to walk around the car? I keep my Mondial in a one-car garage and my big complaint is that I actually have to pull the car out of the garage to work on it...

I would also recommend a lift. Even a mid-rise one if you don't have much ceiling height. (This may require flush mounting your garage door opener.)

 

A pair of two post lifts!
Walls lined with tool cabinets
Drill press, press, lathe, mill

 

I think I'll be puting a pit in mine at some point,,, dont have the height for a lift

 

Get a 4-post lift along with the sliding-jack rated for 3500lbs. Best of all worlds. Store (2) cars and can do all sorts of suspension work.

 

Stereo
TV
Beer Fridge
PIR (passive infra red) sensor so you know when the wife is creeping up on you!
Separate garden shed for all the non-auto bits and bobs that need storage

Good lighting
Heavy work bench with vice
Power points x plenty
Telephone
Separate electricity isolator RCD fuses so you don't have to trip into house to reset
Tool chest on wheels
Yes, if budget allows a lift would be excellent
Tools, tools and more tools
If possible, fresh water supply and a sink

 

This isn't 100% automotive related, but if you like DIY stuff you might like Make magazine-- http://makezine.com/. I think their most recent issue has stuff on workshops. Maybe it will give you some ideas.

http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/07/man-cave_workshop.html
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/09/rileys_workshop.html
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/03/firefly_workshop.html

 

My best garage purchases were:
1. 2 post Bend-Pak lift
2. Quincy 5 hp 80 gal compressor
3. Bead blast cabinet
4. TIG welder
All but the bead blast cabinet rewuired 230v power, so plan your wiring carefully.
I got a great workbench cheap in the classifieds, got some old metal hospital desks at a take-it-for-free warehouse emptying, and I ran air and electricity all over the place. Oh, and a sink. Very valuable. And a mini-fridge. And an old stereo (vital).
Start checking Craig's list for industrial shelving or go to Sam's Club. Don't rush. Let it be a Zen experience and everything will find a proper place.

 

This is excellent start, and all of high priority. Consider also:
Pull down bed/cot
Portable head
mail forwarding to garage
and so on.......

with narrow space around car, consider installing shelving/cabinets above car door/ or owner's height so can open/ walk underneath andmaintain maximun floor space

for bench I have used the premade kitchen counters from Home Depot/Lowes covered with hard laminate-get to choose color, easy to clean/maintain, and gives backsplash to keep items from rolling off back of bench;also can be cut to length or placed around corner.....

 

NOW you're hitting on the important stuff. Quad outlets every 6-8 feet should be fine. I would plumb compressed air (with a drier) along with the power conduit. There is no such thing as too many outlets! It's more about access, anyway.

The idea that you need a blast cabinet or a lathe is a little over the top. Get stuff you will USE.

I think wall lighting (sconces) are as important as ceiling lighting and better than loose floor lighting fixtures. You need as much as you're going to use the lift. Use the lift a little, then add a few side lights.

Yes, you need a fridge. For friends, of course!

 

I really like having a permanent, carpenter built work service with shelves w/doors under it; make sure the work surface is good size.

I ordered a BIG vise off the internet and installed it on the outer left corner: highly recommended.

Also I had a big laundry tub type sink with hot and cold water and a drain installed: keeps my wife from going nuts (e.g., no more washing dirty hands in the kitchen sink).

A good air compressor (Rol-Air for me, the type with a wheel and handles so I can move it).

My current home has lots of built in cupboard space: perfect for storing tools, supplies, and many, many spare parts: like having your own wrecking yard.

Plenty of electrical outlets, conveniently located.

A high quality floor jack, with several sets of jack stands.

Odd lengths of wood, e.g. 2x4, 1x2, plywood squares: come in handy.

Hooks on the ceiling.

Racks / shelves / holders for your tools, convenient to the work surface.

A good, clean sounding stereo (or TV).

 

Chris-
I would definately add a PARTS CLEANER! You can get one new for around $100. Since you're in MA and the garage is a separate building I'd be looking for a way to heat it unless you are only planning on working only during the few weeks that the east coast can reasonably call summer. Also, an epoxy floor makes a huge difference although expensive. I'm not convinced about U-Coat-It but others may have some thoughts/experience. Epoxy floor vendors make a big deal about adding "sprinkles" (because it covers their mistakes and slab irregularities). I had contractors that flat refused to do the job ithout the damn sprinkles. I insisted on a nice one color tan - makes it easier to find the parts you dropped and much more comfortable to lie down on. I'm still lacking a lift but will go with a two post when the time comes. Birdman has a great article on his site that was published on the old Velostrada site.

 

Over the years, I have found that the best tools I have purchased are (listed in order of best to least)

4 post lift
Air compressor (now needing replacement)
Assortment of air tools
Bench vise
2 or 3 sturdy benches, one with metal top, and one designated as a dirty bench
Cabinets (lots of room to hide your mess) and little boxes to sort out nuts and bolts and stuff
Bearing puller
Assortment of QUALITY hand tools (6 torque wrenches, racheting box end wrenches are among the most valuable to have) in two large rolling tool chests
Engine crane
Floor press
MIG welder (TIG would be nice, but ...)

Radio, sink, nice floor, heat, lots of light, receptacles, and nice neighbors.

 

In my dream garage I put in two circuits for outlets in a leapfrog design so any two outlets next to each other were on different circuits. I did them every 4 feet and I did them 3 or 4 feet off the ground that way if you stack items against the wall you will always have access to your outlets, and you can reconfigure and add workbenches anywhere at any time. I installed flush mounted flourescent lamps and I had skylights in my garage as well. The skylights gave enough light that I didn't need to turn on the lights if I was going in to grab something or just to get the car to leave. I also ran 230v to locations for my compressor and other goodies. If you have any neighbors I recommend a lot of insulation so you can make lots of noise in the middle of the night without waking the wife or the neighbors. Also for where you are located I'd install a wall mounted heater, probably electric on 230v so you can keep it above freezing in the winter and warm it up if you have a project. If well insulated it will be very nice. My garage was better than my house. Maybe a couple outlets on the ceiling for just in case.

 

Rather than bringing several electrical circuits to the garage, i suggest a small sub panel - much more flexible.
Don't forget insulation to keep the heat in.
Get an insulated overhead door, if it will clear the hoist.
Rather than using shelving, get cheap cabinets with doors. This will keep the contents from getting grinding dust/dirt on them and it looks cleaner.
If you can build the garage deeper, you will have a bit more room to work with the car in place.

hth,
chris

 

Keep in mind that a four post lift will be notably wider than the vehicle. Check your side "walk around" clearances around the lift width.

I've worked on a car in half a 2 car garage before (at floor level), and it was a bit tight.

Ideally, a "service bay" should be much wider than a "parking bay".

 

Something you'll appreciate will be electric power outlets in the ceiling, they will enable you to move around without tripping on horizontal cables interfering with your movements.

For heating I suggest 2 smaller units instead of a big one.

In a corner I'd put a paint both, small or big projects, there are always items that need to be cleaned, bead blasted an painted.

A motor with two polishing wheels will also come in handy, of course they will spread dirt all over the garage, but I had a bracket fabricated and installed in the back of the garage, and had the motor stored indoors but used outdoors.

I had my garage constructed some years ago and there are always things you find out after having the garage completed, such as, you can never have too much light, a workbench should be bolted to the floor, hoses for the compressor should also be routed close to the ceiling.

 

My 2 car 22x24 detached garage is almost set just the way I want it..

1. 12 4' Fluorescent fixtures, Plenty of blinding light..Use electronic fixtures they work better for colder temps
2. Insulated and drywalled, Upper walls and cieling in gloss white to reflect light. lower 3'
in grey.
3. 10hp 80 gallon compressor. Hard lines on ceiling leading to 2 front 25ft air hose reels and 1 50ft air hose reel at the rear doors so it will reach when working outside.
4. Rolling tool chest and collection of tools
5. Work bench with vise and 3 rolling cabinets underneath
6. outlets 42" off the floor every 4 feet all are 20a GFI..4 separate circuts
7. 100A sub panel
8. Ceramic 230v heater ( concidering replacing with a compact heatpump so a/c in summer and warm in winter. )
9. Outlets on ceiling, mounted extension cord reels and light cord reel from ceiling
10. Snap-on Midrise lift ( ceiling hight is only 8' 8")
11 10x24 loft storage overhead..No center beam, lots of storage
12. Wall mounted 48x36 trophy display cabinet
13. DLS connections, wifi, cable and phone
14. 26" flat screen mounted on wall
15. Toughbook laptop with doc. Daignostic and Service software. tied to 26" monitor. Bluetooth connection for obdII/CAN
16. All cabinets & benches are either suspended from the walls or on casters so they can be rollled out for cleaning.

..The wife calls my garage Gretchen...My other girlfriend.

David

 

Up in Massachusetts, if you want to work during the winter, you are going to have to think about heating the garage. Definitely install insulation, seal up the windows, and install sheetrock or panel board. You need to do the ceiling as well. And if you run a 220 line to the garage and install a subpanel box, you can get yourself an industrial space heater. I had one in my garage, ran on 220 electric, and did a decent job getting the garage warm enough to work, even on a pretty cold day. I didn't keep the heat on all the time as it just gets too expensive. But if you can get it up to 50 to 60 degrees, you can work comfortably.

Plus all the rest of the stuff the guys were talking about. Water/slop sink is pretty important, and a parts cleaner if possible.

As for a lift, I have a scissor lift made by Snap-On that I got used from a garage that was going out of business. I have limited head room, like you, but the scissor lift does a fine job getting the car up in the air and giving access to most of what I need to reach. And don't buy a cheap lift! Get a decent one. You don't want to be under the car as the cheapo lift is dropping on you saying to yourself "I wish I'd spent a couple of hundred more and bought the good one." My Snap-on is rated for 9000 lbs and has a safety interlock so that it can't come down even if the hydraulic line let's go. IMHO, buy the best lift you can afford (plenty of threads on this site talking about scissor lifts and others).

Beyond that, take your time filling the place up. Take it from someone who has too much "stuff" in his garage. More is not always better. Leave yourself room to work. But having a good workbench and a big toolchest is a good thing.

By the way, what are the dimensions of your garage. That will dictate what you can do as much as anything else. One alternative if the garage is small -- get a decent sized shed and put it next to the garage to store all the junk that otherwise will end up in the garage.

 

I like this set-up

 

Let’s see some pictures of your garages.

 

Old picture. My dream garage, 24X48, 10 foot walls with vaulted ceiling for full height access for lift. 1/2 bath and attached 14X24 wood workshop. I miss that place very much. Four skylights and many many flush mounted ceiling lights.

Alas I no longer own it and only have a carport now.

Not me in the photo.
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Ah, that Gretchen ... what a rack!

*sorry, couldn't resist*

 

What do you guys think should be the height for a perfect garage? 10 foot, 12 foot?