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Technical Frame tables, body rotisseries other huge shop equipment storage

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Roothawg, Jan 16, 2019.

  1. Roothawg
    Joined: Mar 14, 2001
    Posts: 24,522

    Roothawg
    Member

    I am close to reaching critical mass in the shop. I have a lot of crap and not enough floor space. I built a frame table about 10 years ago and I thought I would be smart and make it dual purpose by bolting a table top on it. Well, now it is covered in junk and I added a vise and a few other attachments that make it hard to move around. Now I am looking at building another one.

    Where do you guys store yours? I was thinking of trying to rig up a block and tackle and possible hoist it up against the wall. But the thought of it falling over scares the bejeebies out of me. Don't really wanna leave em outside for obvious reasons....

    Just wondering if you have come up with a clever way to store massive shop equipment?
     
    Last edited: Jan 16, 2019
  2. 37slantback
    Joined: May 31, 2010
    Posts: 480

    37slantback
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Watching with interest. Last weekend I found 3 square feet and called it a win.
     
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  3. metalman
    Joined: Dec 30, 2006
    Posts: 3,297

    metalman
    Member

    Why not outside? I'm kinda facing the same dilemma since I'm relocating to a new shop that's half the size I'm in now. I plan on leaving my frame table and other big equipment the rain and snow won't hurt outside while I'm not using it. Helps now I have a nice fenced yard that I don't have now. I also plan on a shipping container or shed to store parts, ect in to clear up more shop space.
     
  4. Roothawg
    Joined: Mar 14, 2001
    Posts: 24,522

    Roothawg
    Member

    Well, I live on a main road and basically you can see every angle of my place. we are on a corner, so there is no where to hide it. The agreement made with the wife was "I don't care what you put in the shop or what you do, as long as no one can see it". I try to hold up my end of the bargain.
     

  5. Pewsplace
    Joined: Feb 10, 2007
    Posts: 2,795

    Pewsplace
    Member

    I have a frame table that rotates and stands vertical against my bench and only takes up 5" of vertical space with cross bars removed. It holds 32 frames on one side and 34 on the other side. The dolly ends come apart and are stored under the work bench. This is a photo of when I first purchased the jig. I had to sand it down and paint it.
    IMG_2733 (5).jpg
     
  6. metalman
    Joined: Dec 30, 2006
    Posts: 3,297

    metalman
    Member

    Got ya.
     
  7. Bearcat_V8
    Joined: Sep 21, 2011
    Posts: 386

    Bearcat_V8
    Member
    from Dexter, MI

    Ha, I have been going thru this myself. The way I look at it is this, The big stuff has it's place. Even so, some of it, like the rotisserie, engine stands, cherry picker, etc, gets left outside behind the shed. It is the small stuff that I am buried in. As a solution, I have been buying storage totes like crazy and packing stuff away. I currently have more than twenty totes stuffed with car and motorcycle parts. I probably need about ten more. They stack up real nice and keep my stuff clean. The real (permanent) solution to this, I have decided, is to put some cars together and I would have fewer parts to trip over.
     
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  8. Roothawg
    Joined: Mar 14, 2001
    Posts: 24,522

    Roothawg
    Member

    I have 10' palletized warehouse racking that is full.
     
  9. saltflats
    Joined: Aug 14, 2007
    Posts: 12,592

    saltflats
    Member
    from Missouri

    I made mine so it bolted together.
    This is my chassis jig, I did have it hanging from the rafters, but we are moving out of this building and had the hole open so I could get it ready for the move.
    20190116_110232 (2).jpg
     
  10. lostone
    Joined: Oct 13, 2013
    Posts: 2,820

    lostone
    Member
    from kansas

    My frame table is my concrete floor, then once the perimeter frame is done it progresses to saw horses for suspension work, then once suspension is done it progresses to wheels and tires.

    Doesn't take much room to store the saw horses. ;)

    Honestly never seen much need for the table, I can see it being useful but not necessary and it does get you off the floor.
     
  11. alchemy
    Joined: Sep 27, 2002
    Posts: 20,404

    alchemy
    Member

    Remember ten years ago when you came over and helped my brothers and I weld up that frame jig? 12' sticks of 8" I-beam, with cross bars of the same material. It got finished with 6" I-beam legs that unbolt. So when not needed it sits on edge up against some pallet racking, and all the legs and jig stands (also unbolted) stack in between. I do have it wired to the pallet rack, but that's just because I climb on the thing when I'm reaching the top shelf of the rack. If I didn't climb on the thing it would never even think of falling over.
     
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  12. The 39 guy
    Joined: Nov 5, 2010
    Posts: 3,524

    The 39 guy
    Member

    I partnered with a friend to build a rotisserie. When not in use it is stored at his place. For the last 7 months the rotisserie has been at another friends shop while he uses it to work on his camaro. So that is one way to keep the space gobblers out of your hair while you do not need them(sharing). I am fortunate to have a couple of sheds to store other things like cherry pickers and band saws. I like these ideas expressed here about break down frame table jigs.
     
  13. DSCF0131[1].JPG DSCF0132[1].JPG Hang em high !

    Isnt that what Clint Eastwood said ?

    Oldmics (running out of ceiling View attachment 4160082 DSCF0131[1].JPG space)
     
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  14. DDDenny
    Joined: Feb 6, 2015
    Posts: 19,132

    DDDenny
    Member
    from oregon

    I built a poor mans rotisserie primarily for finishing the underside of the fiberglass body on my roadster and knew it would take some time and with two other long term projects it would need to be moved around easily so this is what I came up with.
    So far it has only been used as a storage rack but realized the value of the portability, all that fiberglass dust would make quite a mess in the shop and it "should" be pretty easy to roll outside to work on, could even be left outside with just a good wrap of plastic.
    I thought I had some construction photos of it but it does have casters on it.

    20160315_100342.jpg
     
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  15. Roothawg
    Joined: Mar 14, 2001
    Posts: 24,522

    Roothawg
    Member

    Dang, you have a good memory.
     
  16. RMONTY
    Joined: Jan 7, 2016
    Posts: 2,540

    RMONTY
    Member

    I have the same problem, just like most here, not enough room in the shop. I am biting the bullet and adding a 16 x 16 addition to my shop. It will become full as soon as I can buy more stuff to stick in there. Last year I installed a 2 ton mini split heat pump in my 20 x 24 in anticipation of this addition, so I am set as far as climate control goes. I am not putting any windows in it so I won't lose any storage space along the walls.

    If I time it right, the addition will become a paint booth for a short time. Nahhh....I will still be moving stuff around. :mad:
     
  17. goldmountain
    Joined: Jun 12, 2016
    Posts: 4,442

    goldmountain

    I just started making my rotisserie. For the rotating ends, I scrounged up rear axle spindle assemblies from fwd cars. One I bolted to the end of my heavy steel workbench and the other end will attach to the vertical support of my cherrypicker engine hoist. When I don't need them, I'll unbolt them and stash them outside. Shouldn't take up much space.
     
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  18. stanlow69
    Joined: Feb 21, 2010
    Posts: 7,348

    stanlow69
    Member Emeritus

    Build a fence. -------My buddy borrowed my engine hoist and body cart. I told him he can store them until he finishes his truck. I told him I know where they are if I need them. He also has my huge ass extension ladder. It takes a car trailer to move it.
     
  19. Roothawg
    Joined: Mar 14, 2001
    Posts: 24,522

    Roothawg
    Member

    I have a 5ft chain link around the whole acre. It doesn’t hide much. I have been pondering building a sheetmetal fence that would be an extention of the shop. It would be about 8’ tall and trimmed to match the building. Gravel base to park the trailers on.
     
  20. stanlow69
    Joined: Feb 21, 2010
    Posts: 7,348

    stanlow69
    Member Emeritus

    And to hold a frame table laying on it`s side.
     
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  21. 1946caddy
    Joined: Dec 18, 2013
    Posts: 2,059

    1946caddy
    Member
    from washington

    Sink four posts in the ground in concrete and put a 3000# table top on top of it and it won't go nowhere.:D
     
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  22. In all my years I have yet to have or see the perfect answer. If there is one it must be more floor space than we need. The few times I have had that it was only a matter of time before my new space was once again full of more stuff and vehicles. I think clutter and congestion is just part of the disease. Once I submitted to that I did learn to function more or less in my own mess. What I found hardest to store is raw product, steel plate, tubing, sheetmetal, access to it and not having it turn to rust.
    The Wizzard
     
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  23. gimpyshotrods
    Joined: May 20, 2009
    Posts: 23,263

    gimpyshotrods
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    That's a good idea. On our last round of prototypes, we replaced the left rear hub, with a modified one. I have a pallet of nearly new unit bearing rear hubs, taking up space, at work.
     
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  24. goldmountain
    Joined: Jun 12, 2016
    Posts: 4,442

    goldmountain

    Here's the rotisserie as of today. It has cost me zero dollars, just stuff I had laying around. The one end is a rear spindle from a fwd car bolted to the side of my workbench with a wheel mounted backwards on it that will have mounts welded to it to bolt to the car frame. The other end is another spindle and wheel assembly but this one has in addition a really bad brake rotor that some idiot wore the side of the rotor down to the fins. I'm going to have a spring loaded plunger that will engage between the fins to hold the car frame in various angles. When I don't need a rotisserie, it just unbolts and it becomes an engine hoist again. IMG_1157.JPG IMG_1158.JPG IMG_1159.JPG
     
  25. Oldb
    Joined: Apr 25, 2010
    Posts: 222

    Oldb
    Member

    I made the rotisseries to be able to roll the frame table, so heavy it takes the chain hoist to do it. When the project is done the rotisseries will fit under the side of the table, which I will make a removeable top for.
    B IMG_3185.JPG
     
  26. X-cpe
    Joined: Mar 9, 2018
    Posts: 1,958

    X-cpe

    Built my house on an acre 30+ years ago. She was supposed to get half for her gardens and I half for a junk yard. We compromised. She generously allowed me 1500 sq.ft. for a garage if I kept everything out of sight. I can store some stuff under the eaves out back because there is enough brush on the fence line to hide it from the neighbors.
     

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