Your "space"........XJ garages!

So, what do you guys have as your "space".....your XJ garage? And what bikes & equipment do you have? Please post pix if you have them I'm in the process of building my bike shop now, and I'm looking for new and good ideas.
I'll start with my shop:
2 bikes, '81 XJ550R and a '99 Buell M2 Cyclone
Handy Lift
Full PVC plumbed compressed air with 7 drops
50 ft hose reel (for those driveway tire jobs!)
Adequate lighting (but need more!)
Parts washer
New workbench (constructed last fall)
Bench grinder
and a host of assorted standard/metric tools

 

More pix........

 

Nice shop CaptainKirk...
I don't have enough space to turn around in, gotta do a major clean up one day :lol: been saying that for years!

I have basic hand tools
two torque wrenches
no real tool box
no lift
always need more light
not enough heat this time of year
built my own parts washer
built my own work benches
air compressor with the coil hose
hvlp spray gun
bench grinder
wood lathe - radial arm saw - 6" jointer - scroll saw - disc/belt sander

 

A kitchen where ya can't swing a possum

 

Captin' that is one nice looking work spot! A+
I get to work under the cover of a 2-car carport and have a 8'X22' storage room attached to keep my junk in.
(there is 2 tons of pellets in the spot my some of my junk used to be in)
I have a set of rollaways like yours and a compressor and lots of air tools
I dont have a lift (Envious)
I do have one of the most awesome work benches you ever saw. it is a stainless steel table 6' long 3' wide that came out of a restaurant kitchen which also doubles as a reloading bench.(super sturdy and attached to the wall)
I also have a 2nd 6' work bench which is metal as well but it is the kind youd get at sears. (it's ok)

I'd close my carport into a garage but my wife already has designs on it for a photo studio. Hence if I want a covered parking space I can't close in the carport. 8O
Which wont get to be a shop anyway! :x

You got a Nice shop man!!!

Remember the man with the most tools GETS to do the most work!!! :!:

I'm not sure I need more work! :roll:

 

I have a slightly oversized one car garage (but very undersized for anything useful). An 8'x3' workbench that I built along one wall. Decent lighting, cheap air compressor that deafens me every time I use it, a small rolling toolbox in desperate need of more tools, moderate set of standard and metric tools, a few cheap air tools (came with compressor), 10" table saw, bench drill press, bench belt/disc sander, miter saw, bench bandsaw, and about 10 years worth of crap that should have been thrown out long ago but probably never will.

Oh, and 3 8' long fence panels and a whole stack of wood fence pickets for repairing the 400 linear feet of fence around my back yard.

Somewhere in there, I have an '82 XJ650 Maxim that is currently awaiting me to learn what the heck is keeping it from running.

 

Thanks for the compliments!
I am by no means finished.......To quote the late John Paul Jones (no, not the Led Zeppelin JPJ) "I have not yet begun to fight!"
Always wanted a kick-a$$ bike shop. So I've started slowly buying tools & stuff starting with the Handy Lift.
Best investment you could make; trust me!
Once you've done your first oil change WHILE STANDING UP! you realize how bad off you were! I've got a bad back, that's how I justified it to myself.
I justified it to my wife like this; Think of all the money I'll make working on OPB's (Other People's Bikes). (Just between us, I still haven't paid for it yet.....) 8)
Anyway, I'd love to see pictures of and hear descriptions of your work spaces. Maybe I can get some ideas from you and vice versa!

 

Garage heaters?
One of my pet peeves is the fact that the Illinois winters keep me inactive out there from December through February.......and the "lead-up" months can have some pretty uninhabitable times as well. A happy mechanic is a good mechanic. A warm mechanic is a happy mechanic-and so it goes.
I need heat in my Space. (Gives new meaning to the words "space heater", doesn't it?) I have obstacles to overcome, though.
1) Natural gas is not an inexpensive item. To plumb natural gas out to my garage, I'd have to dig a thirty-foot trench to avoid digging up my deck and the concrete patio beneath it. Not good. Natural gas heaters are not cheap in themselves
2) Electric heaters are OK, but my garage was wired by retards who decided 15 amps was plenty of juice for a car-barn. Most of the heaters I've seen would toast the fuse (yes, fuse) to the garage in a heartbeat. Upgrading electrical is not cheap either.
3) Kerosene or propane "space heaters" require ventilation and the fumes give you a monster headache!
4) About the only economical option is a LP (propane) fired vented heater. I'm looking for recommendations from anyone who has found and used an effective, inexpensive one. Anyone?

 

I use a Natural Gas radiant heater from Northern Tool. They are also available Propane. Mine was easy because I already had gas line on the garage ceiling (long story, but the house came that way). Replaced an elbow with a tee, added about 2 feet of 1/2" pipe and I was in business.

Before you go digging trenches consider routing gas line through attic, basement or crawl space.

I have a good friend that built a house with 3 1/2 garages. He caught a sale on non-vented gas fireplace at one of the big boxes. He's got the world's prettiest shop heater.

Aside from being great for wrenching, it is very nice on those very cold mornings to not grab ahold of a near zero steering wheel!

Also, nice to not have to worry about all those partial cans of paint freezing instead of slowly drying out like they're supposed to. :lol:

I keep the garage set at 55 deg. If I plan on working out there I turn the temp up an hour before I start (two or three hours if I'll be laying on the floor).

 

Hmmmm....I'll have to check into the Northern heaters. Unfortunately, my garage is detached, and to get natural gas from the crawlspace......well, forget it. It'll have to be propane, I fear. I figure if I torch it off a half hour before heading out there it should be warm enough to work; tolerable, anyway. Thanks for the suggestion!

 

I'm lucky with the garage size (850 sqft), but don't have quite the set-up that Captainkirk has. Nice looking shop......other than the workbench was extremely low on beers! We just move recently, and are still unpacking. So, you can imagine that much of the garage is stacks of boxes full of "what the hell is this and why did we move it?"

I have most of the basic hand tools (the Metric/SAE Craftsman sets that RickCo loves so much), and am building a workbench and tool storage (was acutally supposed to do that today....got sidetracked). We were lucky enough to pick up some nice benches with drawers from a college that was remodeling in the town we moved from. Just have to get them set up so they're actually useable. We need to add some serious lighting as well. I get by with the marginal lighting and my portable shop lights, but good lighting is key.

We have several woodworking power tools as well as my wife's tile saw that will occupy some space. I have an air compressor, and hope to be expanding my air tool ownership. Of course one of my project cars is usually occupying some space too (downsized to one Blazer (did have 2), toyota, and mitsubishi, but I do miss the Saab 900T!)

I am thinking about getting a wood stove for the garage so that winter will be more enjoyable, and I won't have to dig trenches. Of course roof and chimney work won't be that fantastic either. We are pretty lucky here that the temp doesn't get too much below freezing since we're right by the water. Though I would consider trading the rain some IL cold.

I guess that's my way of saying that I have the opportunity to have a fantastic shop, but have the contraints of having too much crap and not enough money to make it what I want!

 

I too need heat in my work space. But 1st I have to insulate and sheetrock it.


I thought about gas and a wood stove but was afraid gas fumes or solvent fumes would be a flammable hazzard.
Electric is tooooo expensive!

Well I'll cross that bridge when I get there.

If a guy was to go gas I would say it needs to be one where the pilot sparks whe it's turned on, pilot lights are out of sight and out of mind and in the summer spring or fall when the weather is bad, and you want to do some inside work, just dont for get the pilot light is there..

YA, YA, I know but how many people dont brave the fumes at times?
Or have a stupid vacuum operated petcock that just might decide to dump 1/2 tank of gas on the floor?

Mike

 

I had a great solution for my 3 car garage with 10 foot ceiling last year. Pellet stove. I picked up a used breckwell for 300.00 last winter and have been very happy with it. Even with the Colorado winters. Unfortunately, My garage is so full of the family crap I cant get much work done in there. Pellet stove works well enough that when it is up to temp I open the door and heat the house also. I have a 25x30 garage in the works for out back. That should be big enough for the projects and far enough from the house I wont be bothered. Nice looking garage by the way. Looks great

 

Thanks for all the compliments. Now I wanna see some pictures of your spaces!

 

XJ Garage; a primer

Not that I have this great shop to work in, but it's on it's way. A few years ago I had a 2 1/2 car garage stuffed with 2 1/2 decades of crap; barely room for my project car, let alone 2 bikes. I imagine many of you are in the same boat. You don't know where or how to start! So, I'd like to offer a few tips for those of you who find yourself in that situation.

Rule #1- Assess your situation. First of all, RickCoMatic hit the nail on the head in a previous thread regarding working on these bikes. Bring yours to the dealer, and they'll do their best to chase you off, or at least discourage you. And with good reason! Think about it; most metric shops are charging between $60.00 and $80.00 per hour. Ten hours of labor and they've exceeded the cost of your bike, in many cases! And they know it. That's why they try to discourage you or steer you towards a new machine. So that means (unless you're well off) you'd better dig in and get used to working on your own machine. And if you're any good with your hands, you can make a few bucks doing work for friends or the guys/girls you ride with-maybe enough to sink back into tools and equipment.

First thing you need is a work space. So maybe you don't have a garage. No biggie. You could make a cozy little shop out of an 8X12 tool shed, if need be. So take a look around and see what you've got for workshop space. One creative guy I know lives in a mobile home. His landlord won't let him do PM on his bike, let alone bigger repairs. So what did he do? He rented a heated storage unit to keep his bike in, along with all his tools, lights, etc. He keeps the bike there all winter. It's semi-heated (around 50 degrees) so he can work on the bike all winter if need be. An A+ for "clever" in this case.
So maybe your space is full of junk. Time to roll up your sleeves and start pitching crap out. I'm a terminal pack-rat and save everything and anything that might conceivably be useful anythime within the next, ah, say, 2000 years. So I basically had to overcome my instincts. I decided, that if it didn't have a definite purpose, and I hadn't used it in over a year, out it goes. It was like an alcoholic dumping liquor down the sink at first, but once the first bottle was down the drain, it got easier and easier. Within the first hour I'd filled a 40 gallon trash can with "useful crap" and made a huge dent in the progress column. I planned this first assault for a Sunday afternoon, as garbage pickup was Monday morning. First, I'd have no chance to change my mind-what's gone is gone. Second, Monday evening I had a fresh, empty 40 gallon trash can to carry on with.
To be continued................

 

Ahhh! Withdrawal! I can't do it! I've carted around all my "equipment" for the last 15 years and still can't find the bottom of it all. I've had the same suggestions from several well meaning sources but until parts for my 66 GTO start growing on trees again, I'm keeping the "junk" (at least that is what my wife calls it).

 

You need a TV, Ergonomic Chair, Bench with Grinder and Vice, Kerosene Heater (foreground) and your tool boxes. What else?

 

I'm really dissapointed, I can see floor in both the pictures that have been posted! I

guess I just have to start throwing stuff out one of these days! :lol:

 

No, Robert; I wouldn't expect you to throw away '66 Goat parts. Simply divide your garage in half, as I did. Left side, Duster, right side, bikes. Lawn, garden, paint things, I banish thee to the shed!

 

I live in a condo with a meager back yard (imagine a two car garage, more or less) that the missus has claim to. I've storage 10 miles away but access is limited to a few hours a day. I'd give certain parts of my anatomy to move into a house with some land! I've 3 motors in crates, two transmissions, 3 bikes, 3 rollaways, solvent tank, sandblasting booth, the list goes on and on. Suffice it to say I'm packed. A year on and I'm still unpacking boxes from the move. Little room to work in and an HOA breathing down my neck, I'm ready to split.

 

Well, now that you've sorta cleared an area, look around you- what do you see? In all probability, not a hell of a lot. Garage lighting is usually dismal at best; one incandescent bulb, usually of the 100 watt flavor or less. Maybe another one in the electric door opener, if you happen to be lucky enough to have one. What you need are fluorescents, and not just any old ones. Get the four-footers rated for zero degrees fahrenheit and matching bulbs. The average fluorescent bulb starts flickering at about 40-50 degrees F. and becomes useless at that point. Now, envision where your "work spot" will be-dead center. Hang a light on either side of this centerline with about a two-ft. gap in between. You will be AMAZED at the amount of light these things will add. So you don't have power where the lights go? Don't sweat it. Use a power strip screwed to the joists. If the power strip cord doesn't reach an outlet, you can use an industrial extension cord draped through the rafters temporarily, until you can hard wire in conduit or BX (most codes don't allow hard wiring of Romex-check first!) Now you have a Spot, and it's a Lighted Spot!
Next, you need a work bench area. There are a million different takes on this one, everything from old desks, to commercial benches, and everything in-between! I've seen a lot of guys frame up a base and use conventional kitchen counter top. Whatever works for you. I find plywood (preferably 3/4 inch) topped with a thin fiberboard to be the most heavy duty and durable. The nice thing is, when the fiberboard gets stained, or torn up, you can replace it and it looks like new. The plywood beneath is untouched.
Now we have a Well Lighted Spot, with a Work Area. Extend your light concept to the work bench; hang a fluorescent overhead, and you're well on your way!
To be continued............

 

Next up for Your Space is a tie......between a lift and compressed air. Naturally, you can get by without either, but these two items are what separate the men from the boys. First of all, if you're doing work for others, nothing says "professional" like a lift. And if you're doing work for others, likewise; you can do it 4-5 times faster using impact tools. First, the lift. I purchased a Handy Lift when I decided this bike thing was a little bit more than a summer fling. Two reasons: (1) My brother has one, and after working on my bike a couple times at his place, I was absolutely sold. I kicked around the idea of constructing my own; drew up plans and even bought some materials. But when it came down to it, the thought of a homemade lift collapsing wasn't worth what I might save on it. So, I spent my tax return money on a Handy Lift four years ago and never looked back. Best investment I ever made. They have a large assortment of models and prices. They also have electric models, for those bound and determined not to get an air compressor. There are other lifts out there as well, mostly cheaper, but I don't feel the quality is as good. You get what you pay for. I'll try to post some links for lift suppliers in a day or so.
Next, compressed air. Of course, you could get by with an electric lift and electric impacts, but why? Compressed air just makes more sense. And you'll need it for airing up tires and blowing parts dry after using your parts washer, right? Let's face it; if you're gonna clean carbs, you need compressed air. Now that we've settled that issue, what kind? Well, compressors come in many different flavors; upright, horizontal, one stage, two stage, 110V or 220V, oil-less motor or typical. Really, the choice is up to you. Just get one capable of putting out a constant 40 psi (working pressure) or better. This is the minimum pressure needed to operate impact tools. I can raise my lift with as little as 40 psi in the tank, so that's not the issue; it's the impact tools. That being said, plan ahead and spend a little extra on the compressor and get something you can grow into; unless you have NO intentions of growing.
Now, the biggest PITA about using a compressor is having air hoses snaking all over your floor. The answer? Plumb in overhead piping! Isn't that expensive, you ask? Why, no...I answer. Not if you use PVC plumbing. Make SURE you buy schedule 40 pvc as this is rated for 200psi or better (designed for hot water systems). In no circumstances use the grey (cold water) PVC- it won't hold up. Now; take a look around at your shop. This stuff is dirt-cheap, so don't skimp. Put a drop anywhere you could conceivably use one. You don't have to put in air fittings everywhere just now. This is the cool thig about PVC. You can cap off your unused drops, and when it's time to use them, just nip off the caps with a PVC pipe cutting tool, and you're all set to hook in your fitting. One caution about pvc pipe; BUY A PVC CUTTING TOOL!!!!! Don't use a hacksaw, or any other cutting tool. PVC is a known carcingen if you breathe the dust. The tool (about 5 bucks) is just like a hose cutter and nips it off cleanly-no muss, no fuss. Snip; you're done.
I hung a drop (with quick disconnects) on either side of my lift. I have a curly cord I can plug into either side. I also have multiple drops on each wall, with a 25 foot hose coiled up by each one, and a fifty foot hose on a reel by the garage door. This way, I can run an air hose into the driveway for airing car tires, etc-whatever I need. I think I paid 25 bucks for the reel and 10 bucks for the hose. Speaking of which; DO NOT buy the cheap "on sale" vinyl hose- buy a name-brand RUBBER hose-the first cold day you will thank me. (You're welcome!) NOW you have a shop, bucko!

 

The link for Handy Industries is www.handyindustries.com
If anyone needs pix or dimensions for any of the stuff I've mentioned, PM me & I'll try to get 'em for ya.

 

Forgot to mention.......I connected the compressor to the PVC hardline via a 24" flexible "whip" with twp male ends. This allows me to (1) disconnect the whip and use the compressor in a normal manner; i.e wheel it into the house, driveway, where-ever, and (2) having the female disconnect on the PVC hardline manifold allows me to unhook the compressor, yet not blow all the air in the lines. BTW-you'd be amazed at how much volume 3/4" PVC pipe will actually hold-it's like getting an extra air tank.

 

My shop is still at my parents so whenever I am home from college on breaks the garage looks a bit different then when I am not home. The garage is 2 1/2 stalls but both my parents like to park their cars in it (go figure). There is still enough room to park 2 bikes on the side and one between the cars so I can't complain. All I am missing is the giant compressor, right now I have to go to my friend’s house to do the sandblasting .

 

Robert, I really feel your pain on that one. When I lived in Richmond, VA I had a two car garage with lifts, jacks, even a wheel balancer that I picked up on the cheap. I moved up here about 3 years ago and we looked and looked and looked for a house with a garage and just couldn't find one that we could afford. My stuff was in storage for a year and when we did finally move into this house, I had to sell most of my big equipment.

I was able to mount an air compressor in the basement with a 50 ft hose reel that stretches outside, and I talked my girlfriend into letting me take over one end of the covered front porch for tool storage (man, I had to fight for that) but when it comes down to it, if it can't be done outside, and it can't be done with one floor jack and some jackstands, I can't do it

I've worked on cars for years and when I was in Richmond I bought a '77 Suzuiki RE5 to fix up. I'm a rotary engine nut and this was a dream project. I quickly realized I didn't have enough knowledge about bikes and that I'd better start with one that ran first. I'm still learning. Bikes are much, much different than cars and I didn't expect as much. Thanks to this site for helping out though!

 

I'm sure some of you XJ guys have "been there, done that" with Robert and Pacocase's space problems. Any creative ideas?
Like I said, one guy I know uses a rental storage unit to store his bike all winter as well as work on it (minor maintenance)
Another friend built a kit shed in his backyard; wired it for power and is insulating it for the winter....creative souls!

 

Rick; Your Space looks......well, homey! Does the space heater keep in warm with all the insulation? (I hear you get some brutal winters up your way)

 

Burtal???

Two years ago I hit the push-button to have a look outside and see how much snow I had to sno-blow out of the driveway. The door didn't budge.
I popped the pull-down cord and lifted it manually.

The door came up and I was looking at my new white wall. I ran upstairs to see how it looked from the bedroom window. I looked-out the window to see 6 > 8ft of snow. My wife's Honda Civic somewhere beneath a 10ft drift.

It took 4 hours of shoveling to get a snow-shovel-wide path out to the street. Then we started working at getting a notch cut-out so I could get the sno-blower out of the garage.

The temperature was in the teens. The snow was champagne powder. The 8hp blower got quite a workout. I'd make a cut out to the street; then my wife would cause a mini-avalanche into the spot I cleared.

The snow disappeared into the wind and my down-wind neighbors had to deal with it.

We couldn't move out of the neighborhood for 3-days.

Weather forecasters are saying that this winter might be one of the worst New England winters in 200 years. All that tropical heat and moisture not delivered this way during the hurricane season will be looking for someplace to go ... just in time for the Jet Stream shift and the nice cold air Canada sends down for us to enjoy!

 

Captn, seeing that you spoke anout that air in a 3/4 line.

I figure when I finially DO get that shop, I am going to take an old water heater and put it inline in my system so that when I wheel the compressor to the front yard to work on a flat tire, I'll still have working pressure and volume in the shop in the back yard.

Hope that helps. Most old heaters can be picked up for free!?
Just dont try to use one that is burnrd out or rusted out.

Just my $.02

 

I really do have to start using that "Preview button"

 

I'd be very cautious about an old water heater, you just don't know if it's on the verge of rusting through or not by looking at the outside.

I would hate to be in a room with a tank full of air pressure at 80 or 100 PSI that's about to blow.

 

Your right!
In our area the local elect utility bought new water heaters for any one wanting toswitch from gas,I just happened to have a fairly new elect that I can scrap. (not too much use, like about 6mos)


But I also agree about using a tank that might be compromised

 

Ahh Garages... Well let's see. I have an oversized garage, 32 x 28. I have plenty of room. I have to toolboxes, which house an assortment of hand tools, metric and standard, Stand up air comressor, hoses, impacts, grinders, spray gun. I have an 8' oak workbench at the front of the garage, good and sturdy, a bench grinder, mig welder, an assortment of power hand tools, grinders, sanders, and so on. No lift as of yet, but really looking to get one or build one, haven't decided yet. I heat with a wood stove, plenty of heat for the space and the wood is free. The ceiling fan helps to circulate, both 110v and 220v outlets for power sources. Still wanted to insulate again and hang dry wall yet, future plans.The other shop is 32 x 46 it's a barn, one side is my wood shop, a rather large assortment of wood tools, for my other hobby, lol. And the other half is storage for the time being, good place for parts storage, and other nic-naks that don't have a home yet.

 

Kbar, your'e living a dream!

At least some of our dreams

 

The space :mrgreen:


the other space http://www.myspace.com/milogarage

 

8) secreat space 8)

 

is this the kind of messy nightmare garage you are looking for