Dinghyguys Garage Project

[dinghyguy]

So in anticipation of imminent receipt of a building permit we here at dinghyguy of the too small garage are planning the interior of our upcoming 20x30' space. Our current plan is to have one 10 ft door and one 7 ft garage door, basically opening into what would be the middle and left bay of a 3 car garage. The other third is to be shop space.

interior fitting will include:
an EV charging station (city bylaw requirement)
a 4 post lift to enable stacking of cars as well as working under one (but i am willing to listen to the persuasive reasons why an alternate type for hoist should be installed)
a compressor with enough air for a spray gun (suggestions please)
a small welder (i am thinking a 110V MIG/Gas should do, but comments please)
LED lighting in the space.

the shop portion will have a table saw, chop saw inset into a long bench, places for the rolling tool boxes against the walls, shelving/cupboards on the walls, a central vac as a dust collector system, a shop computer hooked up to the wifi, a shop stereo of courseplus the fridge for the cold drinks.

I am planning to use my existing engine hoist, although I may eventually put an i-beam off the trusses and have a trolley with chain fall.

Unfortunately plumbing is not in the cards, a bit too challenging with slopes etc.

what am i missing and what else to i need to store/work on three cars plus our wooden dinghies?

parts washer? suggestions?
sandblaster? suggestions?

cheers
dinghyguy

[18Fiatsandcounting]

what am i missing and what else to i need to store/work on three cars plus our wooden dinghies?

Awesome, Dinghyguy, in the too-small garage but with possibilities for a much better workspace in the near future! I built a garage (workshop) in back of our house, and here are some thoughts:

1. I installed running water (and a drain of course) and it has saved my %*& many times over. I know you mentioned plumbing would be a challenge in your situation, but if there is any way to manage it even at extra expense, this would be sweet.
2. 230 volt service. Perhaps standard where you are, but I had to ask for 230v service for my garage, which was necessary to run the air compressor.
3. Speaking of air compressors, for routine work (air chisels, impact wrench) a nominal air flow compressor with modest pressure might be fine. However, back when I was painting cars (decades ago), my mentor advised me to get an air compressor that can deliver at least 90 psi at 14 or so CFM. From my neophyte understanding, that requires a decent air compressor, say 4 to 6 HP and likely at 230 volts. Things may have changed with modern paint formulations, but that's what I was told from the "old school" guys.

For me, the main advantage was space. The electricity and plumbing stuff is nice, but the main objective is to get enough room to swing a dead cat without hitting anything. Or, for most people, to be able work on your Fiat.

-Bryan, in the reasonable sized garage where my wife lets me spend play time, and where I also fix things for her. Not just Fiats. Marital bliss, that sort of thing. I see heads nodding...

[wetminkey]

Definitely 230V service availability,...and running water - hot and cold,...washbasin.
Bathroom,...and there should be a beer fridge,...the bathroom will be convenient,...!
Lounge. Perhaps with a fireplace,...

[dinghyguy]

230V check - the property will get a new service into the garage and then underground to the too tiny house.
beer fridge check
lounge = old volvo 1800 seats - check
bathroom - no hope
sink has the issue of the drain running up hill...….i cant get the drain line low enough to meet frost requirements and still tie into the house - sigh

thanks for the compressor numbers i was thinking something similar.

i forgot to mention the driveway parking pad for 3 cars in a line beside the garage.
elec heat in future.

the trick will be to keep the garden stuff from creeping in...….unless Ferrari makes lawnmowers! (hey todd, take the carb off your ride on lawnmower and try it on the fiat using duct tape…..)

speaking of which, i hope you all watch the two seasons of Formula 1 on netflix.

dinghyguy

[davidbruce]

Hi Dan
If extra storage is part of the driving force behind a 4 post I think it's the best solution. How high are the ceilings going to be? I have seen mezzanine type storage over 7' roll up doors where there was 10 or 12' ceilings. I have a friend with a 4 post with dollies so he can move it to any of his 3 bays as needs require. I would have plenty of wall plugs, preferably 20amp and they would all be slightly above counter height. No matter how well you plan, benches and counters seem to end up in places they were never intended. And the closest plug always seems to be behind a tablesaw or jointer or something else lined up against the wall. I would install at least a couple of 220v plugs. Probably a 20 and 30amp. Amperage dependent on the future but many tools that can be wired 110 or 220 may need more than a 20amp circuit for 110. Talk to your electrician but it is a lot easier to do before drywall goes up.
I would do some research into what type of spray gun suits your needs. Modern HVLP guns seem to be anywhere from 5-15 CFM and 30-45 PSI. Think about what other air tools you may acquire down the road. Die grinders and sanders consume a fair amount of air. With those things in mind you can start shopping for a compressor. Ignore horsepower ratings. You need to match delivered CFM at a given PSI to your hungriest tool. Bear in mind many don't actually deliver what they claim and long hose runs will cause pressure drops. If you are going to paint. Budget for an air dryer and remember the farther it is from the compressor the more effective it will be.
A 110 mig welder is probably fine for body work but you are probably limited to 1/8-3/16" max. I have a 175amp I use up to about 5/16" but I have a stick machine for heavier sections. It all depends on what you hope to do with it. My preference is solid wire with gas but some people swear by flux core. If you go with gas you will be dollars ahead to buy a small bottle rather than rent one. I use a metal 10 gallon pail with a wire basket and tight fitting lid for a solvent tank. Sandblaster? Better check the CFM.
An I beam and chainfall are nice for the extra lift height and maybe capacity as the rating goes down on your hoist as you extend the boom. But in cases where the load has to shift fore and aft, as in installing an engine and trans. You end up having to move the vehicle.
Oh yes and plan,plan,plan so you don't become Dingyguy in the too small 20x30 shop.

[scrapironchef]

I'm in agreement about installing lots of outlets, a quad box every four feet might seem excessive at first glance but chargers start eating outlets really quickly.

If you are trenching to run electric drop an extra conduit and pull cat 5 and a coax through it, wifi is fine but a hard line connection is much better if you can manage it. Every garage mahal should also have a decent cable connection. Going back and doing this later will be a pita.

[dinghyguy]

excellent suggestion re cables, thanks
Garage will be uninsulated without drywall to start, and i will do all the interior wiring downstream of the panel, so yes lots of outlets will exist!
I already thought of smart home switches as well, so that alexa can do all my work!

Re the 4 post lift, i also thought of the castors so it can be moved. I also saw that you can get an optional item that sits across between the ramps and can jack the car on the suspension points, so that the wheels can be removed. That looks like it might be a good idea too. Thoughts?

i was thinking rool up door vs the sectional type, any comments on that?

cheers
dinghyguy

[scrapironchef]

Forgot to mention - pull a hardline for a phone also.

If you're going for smart switches aliexpress is your friend. Takes a few weeks longer to get them but significant savings. I'm swapping out all my old x10 stuff to smart gear so I have about 5 different things coming from China at any time.

[Broadsword]

Make sure you have good lighting.
You can have all the space in the world, and the right tools for every job, but if you cannot see what you are doing comfortably it is a pain in the neck.

[TheBender]

Sounds like a great project. All of which is well beyond my scope but would be awesome to have. One thing I added at my home garage was some ventilation. I have a large fan that is mounted on the front and blows air/exhaust fumes out of the garage. I also installed an inline duct fan that sucks out fumes at 720 CFM through an 8” duct. I mounted the intake for that just above the car. The only other area I might have input is with the LED lighting which is amazing. Way too many choices out there but can show you a few that I have that might be worth considering.

[18Fiatsandcounting]

sink has the issue of the drain running up hill...….i cant get the drain line low enough to meet frost requirements and still tie into the house - sigh

Dinghyguy, you might check if there is a way of installing a pump to move the water. That's what we had to do in my case, and the pump is located below the sink. In my case, the "rise over run" ratio (I forget the exact term) was not quite enough to meet code, but the pump did the trick. The pump only kicks in every minute or so of flowing water, to pump the contents of its holding tank (5 gallons?) out to the drain.

Just a thought.

-Bryan

[geospider]

well, when done, I may just drive up there to do any big work.
Sounds great. when I got mine, just had a side yard with concrete platform but made it work. Now with a garege but not dedicated to working on the Spider...wife has a car too.
gonna be great.

geo

[baltobernie]

Something like this, maybe? We've all seen portable wash basins at car shows.

https://www.wish.com/product/59916fdc84 ... &share=web

[wetminkey]

Ride on lawnmower? Waa?

[narfire]

what am i missing and what else to i need to store/work on three cars plus our wooden dinghies?


Well, how about a 72 spider and a storage locker full of parts? Room for a parts washer

Build lots of shelves.