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Hot Rods Cramped work space, what do you do in the least amount of space.

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Early Ironman, Jan 20, 2017.

  1. Early Ironman
    Joined: Feb 1, 2016
    Posts: 553

    Early Ironman
    Member

    Love it!
    My wife says she knows when I am struggling with something. Because our dog will sort of half growl and whine at the same time. Fortunately the shop is not attached to the house. Otherwise she would hear me as well
    I still have not mastered the force as well as my father. He would explode in the most entertaining way!
    He did what we would all call the F... dance.
    Straight legs and arms, waddling in a circle like a penguin, cussing in a high pitch voice that made him sound like an alien! The rest of us could not help but laugh. Which of course would make him even angrier. Multiplying and maximizing our entertainment. So I learned from a master!

    When my little sister was about 4. She had one of my dads tools pretending to work on her tricycle. My step mom asked her what she was doing.
    She said, "I'm working! God d--b it!"

    Because evidently we have learned that you can't do one without the other!


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  2. wicarnut
    Joined: Oct 29, 2009
    Posts: 9,052

    wicarnut
    Member

    Enjoy and appreciate the space you have and enjoy your projects, the hobby, Life's funny how things turn out, myself and other Old Timers I know never had much garage space, still got Alot done, the building does not define the man or his accomplishments, finally end up with a dream garage, well equiped and with age, health issues, not much gets done anymore, in my case, my story is "Nothing Happens Fast" and like Elvis, my ambition has left the building.
     
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  3. 49ratfink
    Joined: Feb 8, 2004
    Posts: 18,829

    49ratfink
    Member
    from California

    I lived in a house for 10 years where the garage was about 1 foot longer than a 62 Cadillac, and maybe 2 feet on the drivers side and 1 foot on the passenger side. the sloped driveway was gravel. lucky for me there was a cement slab in the back yard where another garage once stood. back then most of my cars were just old cars I drove and fiddlefarted with. did a couple of engines and trans in and outs, but nothing major.
     
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  4. My old shed,no lights,dirt floor,running water when it was raining,plenty of air,both hot & cold,wasp and no door ~ to be honest working outside in the yard was preferable. :rolleyes: HRP

    Mvc-637s.jpg
     
    Last edited: Jan 21, 2017
  5. 111-vi.jpg Later I built a 24 X 30 shop on the side of the house but I didn;t have enough room, this shop does have a concrete floor and lights,no running water,hot during the summer and cold during the winter and a occasional wasp.HRP

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Jan 21, 2017
  6. Then in 1994 I sold my business and decided to build a new shop,30 x 40.with 3 roll up doors in the front and one in the rear for drive through.

    I insulated it to the max,sheet rock top to bottom,painted white,12 - 4 foot double lights,heat and air,running water and no wasp.just one problem,it's still not big enough! :D HRP

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    This is what it looks like today....packed. HRP

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Jan 21, 2017
  7. Mr48chev
    Joined: Dec 28, 2007
    Posts: 33,861

    Mr48chev
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    My little one car garage (built for a 36 Chevy in 36) is so small and so full of the equipment and tools I have accumulated that I have to walk sideways thought it to get to the back.
    Behind it was my grandfathers machine shed where he kept his tractor and truck and some equipment in a 30 ft wide by probably 28 ft to the back of the garage. I was going to tear the shed down in a couple of months and salvage some of the material to reuse because that is what he would have done. Mother Nature started the tear down this past week when the load of the snow was too much for the 60+ year old shed.
    [​IMG]
    That will be where my 20 something by 30 shop goes up this spring.
     
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  8. cfmvw
    Joined: Aug 24, 2015
    Posts: 977

    cfmvw
    Member

    I used to live in one half of a small duplex (it was later condemned, should give you an idea of how nice it was); I built a VW engine in the kitchen, and regularly set up shop on the porch or in the tiny back yard. My previous house was a four-bedroom cape with a two-car garage underneath...I cut the partitioning wall so I could put my VW in the basement, where I also had my shop space. My son and I had a number of projects in and out of that arrangement, plus a couple cord of wood taking up some space every winter. My under-construction home is off the grid, so I designed a 20 X 32 garage to house the VW, my tractor, the battery bank and controllers, some shop space, and 7 kwh of PV panels on the roof...plus an 8 X 12 attached shed for all my cordwood. Both the house and garage were designed small so I wouldn't accumulate so much stuff; my parents, however, persist in trying to give me stuff that I don't need or want!

    I once met a guy who had a saw mill, and I noticed that he didn't have any shelving or benches in it. He said it was because of the Flat Spot Theory: if you have a flat spot, something is invariably going to end up on it and multiply.

    DSCN1012.JPG
     
  9. Early Ironman
    Joined: Feb 1, 2016
    Posts: 553

    Early Ironman
    Member

    That flat space theory doesn't quite work for me. I end up hanging something if there is space that I can use.


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  10. Early Ironman
    Joined: Feb 1, 2016
    Posts: 553

    Early Ironman
    Member

    That looks fantastic! Doesn't look packed to me though. I see floor, walls, all of the cars, ect.
    You could have shelving loaded with all the trappings of our obsession. But you seem to value quality over quantity.
    You sir have an enviable space and the restraint to keep from completely packing it.


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  11. Early Ironman
    Joined: Feb 1, 2016
    Posts: 553

    Early Ironman
    Member

    Man, that sucks.
    My dad had a huge barn full of cars and parts. It ended up collapsing and destroying most of it
    His 54 convertible was in my grandfathers barn that was about to collapse. Got it out of there... and into a newer barn.


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  12. X2
    If your storage shelves aren't full up to the ceiling, then you're wasting unused space.
     
  13. mike bowling
    Joined: Jan 1, 2013
    Posts: 3,560

    mike bowling
    Member

    Started out in a storage container, rented a bay from a friend for 5 years, and finally made a (small) step in the right direction- 5 years ago I built a garage at my house ( 14X24) It WAS pretty big, now it's pretty FULL. But I've got tunes, heat, a fridge , a new back door, lawn chairs---Happy Camper! 8-2-2012 002.jpg
     

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  14. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 55,942

    squirrel
    Member

    My first engine swap. Shop? what shop?

    [​IMG]
     
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  15. Mr48chev
    Joined: Dec 28, 2007
    Posts: 33,861

    Mr48chev
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I work like that now Jim but pick up big cardboard boxes at the furniture store to lay on. I've got two nice padded creepers and no floor to roll them on.
     
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  16. Mr48chev
    Joined: Dec 28, 2007
    Posts: 33,861

    Mr48chev
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Not much to worry about in the shed, one truck cab and a bunch of doors.
    The cab has sat in the same spot for several years and it was given to me minus the roof. My grandfather was very frugal and most of the material in the shed was used and a lot of the lumber was cut from cottonwood logs that my grandfather cut down on my uncle's farm next door. I was not wanting to get up on top of it to tear it down and now I pretty well don't have to.
    [​IMG]
     
  17. jvpolvere1
    Joined: Aug 19, 2016
    Posts: 176

    jvpolvere1

    I rent a shop with one garage door, into which I can store 8 cars. Creatively squeezed in, either driven, or bulled in on vehicle dollies. (I have 7 sets). Still a pain in the butt, cause I have to move something outside to have a space inside to work.
    Never really gets better, just more challenging.

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  18. jvpolvere1
    Joined: Aug 19, 2016
    Posts: 176

    jvpolvere1

    A friend of mine, long since departed, would frequently say "T T T". He was a cranky old Codger.
    I finally asked him, what does T T T mean?
    He responded, "Tings" "Take" "Time"

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  19. That's terrible! I don't think I could even work in that place! :eek::eek:

    I think you ought to give me a call and I'll come over and take some of that junk home with me so you'll have more room! ;):D:D (sarcasm of course)
     
    Last edited: Jan 22, 2017
  20. mike bowling
    Joined: Jan 1, 2013
    Posts: 3,560

    mike bowling
    Member

    I've got a contractor friend who calls me when he's got cardboard from doors or big windows. He doesn't get it, and thinks I'm nuts!
    I use it for covering a work area ( floor or bench), packing parts, making templates- you start with a BIG piece, use it and end up with LITTLE pieces, THEN get rid of it.
     
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  21. joe.didio
    Joined: Oct 4, 2014
    Posts: 65

    joe.didio

    I have a basement garage. The front is a real garage (for the wife's car and my little hot rod), the back is L shape and is a woodworking shop. Because of this thing called hot rods I'm using it as a fab shop. The model A project, the frame jig was workable, but the 55 F100 was a different deal. Had enough building a detached garage. Ain't as big as I would have liked, can't wait to fill it up. DSC01852.JPG
     
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  22. Early Ironman
    Joined: Feb 1, 2016
    Posts: 553

    Early Ironman
    Member

    Nice pad, did you put some radiant heat in too?
    If we move and build, that will be a must for me!
    Having a furnace is nice, but nothing beats a warm concrete pad!


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  23. gimpyshotrods
    Joined: May 20, 2009
    Posts: 23,264

    gimpyshotrods
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Inside? Swank!

    I work outside.
     
  24. joe.didio
    Joined: Oct 4, 2014
    Posts: 65

    joe.didio

    Live in southeast VA. Plan to have heat/AC. Radiant heat is a good idea, but in this build.
     
  25. Fedcospeed
    Joined: Aug 17, 2008
    Posts: 2,011

    Fedcospeed
    Member

    I have every piece of equipment on wheels if possible.Except lathe,pullmax..heavys. That way when its not being used its pushed to the outside edges and that frees up floor space.You have to try and keep work space and storage space separate too.If your work area is small you dont want to be crawling over boxes and such just to get at the drill press.
     
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  26. I had worked for so long with NO garage at all, when I was able to use my dad's garage, it was a huge step in evolution for me. I couldn't fit a car inside, but I had a place to get out of the rain and store tools and parts. Try working on a stock car like that. If it rained really bad, I was SOL to do any welding outside.

    I had a real bad night at Islip in 1983... it took TWO tow trucks to get the car on the trailer. To get it off the trailer, I had to replace a lower control arm and centerlink just to get that far. While on the trailer, it was not a picnic.
     
  27. Smokin Joe
    Joined: Mar 19, 2002
    Posts: 3,770

    Smokin Joe
    Member

    Still looking for a shop that doesn't have the womans boxes of stuff materializing to cover every flat spot.
     
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  28. Early Ironman
    Joined: Feb 1, 2016
    Posts: 553

    Early Ironman
    Member

    I do the same thing. Casters are a life and space saver.


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  29. Bruce Lancaster
    Joined: Oct 9, 2001
    Posts: 21,681

    Bruce Lancaster
    Member Emeritus

    Look UP for space! I see several V roofs in these pics, and I bet some are empty.
    As an absolute minimum put in a couple of extra cross rafters and some sheets of plywood...then all the bulky light stuff like fenders and seats you pull out of a project can go upstairs to await their turns.
    I had the good fortune to be able to design a garage addition to my house a few years back, and for not much extra $ I had the attic V space built with a solid floor capable of holding even engines. I bought precut step riser boards, built a basic staircase, and hinged it at the top with pipe through the rafters...it goes up and down with a cheap block and tackle, so no floorspace is tied up. The stairs are normal width, which is VERY useful because two people can go up moving heavy stuff like engine blocks.
     
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  30. A lift is the way to go if you have the ceiling height. Not only for storage but working as well. I can get both the coupe and roadster in one bay. But I would love to have a couple of more bays.
    Coleman R&R 004.JPG 003.JPG
     

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