On Thu, 3 Jun 1999, Pete & Aprille Chadwell wrote:
> I'm seriously sick and tired of my messy garage. I'm ready to do some
> serious work in there to create a suitable mechanikin' environment, with
> good bench surfaces and storage shelves. Trouble is, I'm not really a
> carpenter. Nor do I have carpenter's tools (no... really?).
You could spend a little or a lot on carpenter's tools. Depends on how
much you like toys. I think a skilsaw and a drill are about the only
power tools I consider must-have, and a square, level, and string-line
among the first hand tools to garner up.
> My question is, does anyone have any slick, simple, STURDY and
> easy-to-build ideas for constructing shelves and workbenches? Or, does
> anyone have any cool internet resources for same? I've visited the
> "Ultimate Garage" website (www.ultimategarage.com) and it's cool but hey...
> I'm not a millionaire!!
You can buy prefabbed metal shelving that is OK for light stuff. If you
have a bit of the ol' engineer in you, you can weld up a set. Or make
them out of wood- Plywood is good, OSB is not, solid wood will do if you
can get good stuff.
For a workbench I used 2x6, 2x8 and 2x10 planks- these are actually 2"
thick instead of those wimpy 1-1/2" ones you get from the hardware store.
It took a bit of searching to find someone with a mill in my case. I used
2x4s for the legs and stringers.
For a quick and dirty benchtop, get an old solid-core door and hang legs
underneath it. I find a good tabletop height is about 32-34", but you
should make it fit the task (higher for a lathe, lower for something to
sit at... be creative).
> I've got a 22 X 24 foot garage and two cars. Currently I have absolutely
> NO built-in shelving. I would like to sheetrock the interior walls, paint
> the floor with gray epoxy, and build shelves and benches, and install
> decent overhead lighting. Somehow. I don't even know if I can do it,
> skill-wise.
I would also make sure that you have lots of electrical outlets, high up
off the ground (maybe 6" above your bench top)- it's not good to have
spaghettilike extension cords running around your shop. I like being able
to plug in my magnifier lamp and my angle grinder right on the bench,
without having to go wriggling into the dank depths of "under the bench".
-Malcolm
* There is a FAQ for this list! Its new home is:
http://www.islandnet.com/~walker05/triumph/trfaq.htm
|