Manspace Double Garage & Gamesroom

[ashley115s]

This is going to be a clean workbench/ modelling workbench. The sort of place you superglue stuff back together, build your radio control cars etc. I'l be putting a small vice on there and probably get a dremel all set up ready to go. Some kitchen cupboards will be put on the wall and this will also double up as the kitchen area where the kettle lives! The sign writer says we should put the fridge underneath and get him a microwave to heat up his pies! Good idea! Already got the microwave!

I completed Brians Hatch on the door, remember he told me that the door wouldnt open before we'd fitted it? He was right! So I've named it in his honour, a couple of simple door hinges and a slide bolt job done! Release the bolt before opening and gravity does its thing on the way up missing the tree then you just bolt it back up out of the way or forget and smash your head on it which ever takes your pick?





I'm starting to prepare for paint now and I'm rubbing down the old flakey paint to ensure it gets a good key/ it last a long time! I totally underestimated how bored the kids get in the christmas holidays and that you have to keep them busy and entertained!


So I got Jack (5) busy on the Makita! To be fair the battery was half dead so iy wasnt spinning to vigourously, he did between 5 and 10 mins before dragging me off for a bike ride!

Christmas present to me, I got fed up unwinding the air line so got this and a retractable extension lead! That gives me 18 socket points in the garage alone with a bank going in on the kitchen worktop area.



And last be no mean least is our temporary workbench! This was made form skip finds, basically a metal legged tables and a couple of supermarche dollies with holes drilled in the for the legs and a couple of large cable ties with a sheet of ply for greater work area! Its been handy during the electricall install. Its a working bench as you can see proper old school organisation going here I.e you cant find a damned thing! I tidy it every couple of days and comeback to find this! I get asked where a certain tool is I always respond, back in its tool box where it lives!

[grizz]

I love this thread.

Brians hatch is such a perfect sollution to what could have been a ball ache.

[hamps]

loving this

[murran]

awesome garage. a home from home?

[irmscher]

You have done a brilliant job there and given me a few ideas

[ashley115s]

Starting to get trouble with damp mouldy patches on the roof of the shed side. We reckon it was because there was no ventilation and the air was getting trapped, seemed worse on a really cold morning. Picked some old vents out of the supply stock and stuck them on last night. Pretty simple, you just drill right through the frame where the vents are going to go, hoping that it doesn't have any steel in it, which it didnt!


Inside

Nice and dry this morning but it was warm and the fact the wind was blowing at 60mph probably helped!
Last week I went a bit mad and painted the walls of the shed interior, two coats of white and varnished the wood on the roof to protect it from the mould using some old varnish thats been kicking around in the shed for years!

Even though this area will be just for storage I want it to be as good as I can make it. Installed the insulation today, again it was found either on the side of the road on in the skip which means its been picked up off the side of the road!




Finished it off with the building wrap thought it would help as an extra vapour barrier? I bought some 6mm exterior ply to go top to give it a nice finish and i'l probably paint that white too.

When thats all done hopefull I can paint the floor in there and start filling it with my curse word which there is much! Got to go to Grandads tomorrow to clear the rest of his garage, he died nearly a year ago and when sorting all his house out I only requested everything in his garage, because I'm the only one who will use it, can empty it, can re-home it, that and his 40'' Tv








Proper old school, made most things himself, didnt throw much away, endless stories and adventures, I'm sure his old fire extinguisher will come in handy!

[ashley115s]

Right time for a little update! Looks like this thread has been short listed for an award!!! I'm totally chuffed about that and makes all the hard work feel even more worth it! I feel just being shortlisted is like winning looking at the other threads that are on here.

So taking advantage of the unseasonally good weather I finally got round to painting the outside of the shed the right colour, same as the rest of the garage, looks a million times better! The mother in law even commented on how good it looked which is almost the same as being shortlisted

It defineatly blends in better now!

Two coats of Dulux weathershield satin wood mixed in Woodland ferne cost £36 for 2.5litres! Glad it looks good! I'l do the big door the same colour but I need more paint! I'm thinking of painting a mural on it with my race number and some foliage/Ivy wrapping around it all in different shades of subtle green so it doesnt stand out too much.

I finally finished the ply inside the shed part today. Its all insulated and ready to go. I cleaned the ply up with some white spirit as it had many marks on it where I probably pulled it out of a skip! Some parts even had tyre marks on it where traffic has run over it! Still a good couple of coats of white will make it look good. I opted for some thicker ply on the walls 11-12mm rather than the 6mm on the ceiling so I can put screws into it to hang stuff if I want.


I used painters caulk to fill any gaps, those that don't know what that is... its silicone that you can paint over basically and is good for filling in gaps and cracks before you paint to give a better finish.

I also managed to finish off the kitchen area, get the shelf in for the microwave and finish boxing the compressor in. Its defineatly quieter now.



So now its already for that lick of paint which i'l try and do one evening when I get in from work and she decides she's going to bed early! Then I can paint the floor in this section and I can start moving in! I decided rather than use this area for just storing that 'might come in handy one day' we all have, I'm going to put Grandads work bench in there and really use the space. Before we put the ply up we got some cables down there so I can have a light above it and some more sockets. I'l probably have the chop saw set up on it ready to go and you never know I might even invest in a wood lathe...

[grizz]

Aaaahhh Mate, that looks absolutely awesome.

I am equally chuffed with a thread being shortlisted - Well Done !!

Your finishing is doing just that, and getting the mum in law to approve your work - Priceless.

Kitchen area looks just perfect.

[ashley115s]

The shed side is now painted! Thank god thats finished! Three coats, one undercoat which I found in my Grandads garage was exactly the right amount I needed, it had a really thick skin and when I broke that it looked more like treacle but after a rigourous stirring it was good to go!Then two coats of Dulux satinwood 2.5ltrs in total, the last coat going on Thursday night. I started at 2030 and finished at 0045! I decided to caulk the remaining gaps so there arent any black gaps anywhere! The floor is painted too. Bradite cardinal red took about three litres to do this, the first coat thinned down with white spirit and one good coat on top once that had a couple of days to dry. I also brought it up the walls about a foot using that green frog tape to mask it, I have to say I'm very impressed with that product it really gives a clean edge even on the block work its pretty good. Its similar to the race cars paintwork with red along the bottom.






I came out into the main garage area with the left over paint and to trial how the red was going to work up the walls, I'm happy with the result.

Managed to cadge these from dads old kitchen. I told him to keep the old cabinets and use them in his shed, luckily these were the only two he didnt use and the only two I wanted as they are the above worktop ones.

He also gave me these heaters

Not sure where to put them and I know they wont heat the garage but they will help take the chill off, i'l probably put them in the smaller shed part.
The two cabinets were joined but after a measure up they wouldnt both fit in side by side they are quite tall.


So with a bit of jiggery pokery ive turned the other one around and I can put the strip light underneath it. It left a small gap so I chopped up a small off cut of work top to finish it off.

Can anyone see the tape measure??? I need to get grandads workbench in the shed so I can clear this one! Get the garage completely empty and get it painted! I feel some late night painting coming on!
The father in law re- wired the compressor and put it onto a fused spur instead of the plug. He wondered what size fuse it was using as his eye sights not what it used to be....

Yep thats a bit of threaded bar!!!! He's heard of people doing this but never seen it till now! Its been like since I bought it off ebay about six years ago! So I'm lucky I never burnt my dads garage down with it! Lesson learned never trust anyone or anything until you've checked it over!

[camerashy]

Really liking this thread ashley, from the thriftyness of it, to the doing it without it looking cheap and curse word.

I (and perhaps I speak for others?) would love to see a 'Restoring Grandads Tools' thread, it look's like you've inherited some tools for life there

Keep it up.

[bousfield19]

awesome build i wish i had room to build or extend my garage but unfortunately I'm on a new build estate and my garage is the middle of a block at the end of my garden:-( keep up the good word

[bstardchild]

What an excellent job you are doing and I've some inspiration for improvements to my own garage space so thanks for that too

[Graham]

Awesome well done

[ashley115s]

Little update time. Last weekend I got the windows trimmed up and all siliconed. Took forever! Looks really neat. We got the lighting done in the shed and the power to the kitchen area, the fridge is now on! Although its still empty! I also managed to get Grandads old workbench in there with a bit of persuasion!

Grandad used to a thin piece of hardboard covering the top which we had to beat off to get it out of the hole it was in when we removed it. It left these big planks which looks pretty mank. My father in law suggested I left it as it was (ugly) and use it for pounding stuff. His way and my way arent quite the same, I like the challenge of making a silk purse out of a sows ear, I think its what I'm good at!? I had a few sheets of ply left over from the shed so I decided to cut some down and use it, so now I have a 6mm ply smooth surface to work with

I also capped the ends with it and attached all with the nail gun. I'm not sure wether to leave it, oil it, varnish it etc? what do you experts think? I positioned grandads old vice on the short end and drilled the holes to mount that, Theres not a huge amount of space on the long side and it could get in the way. Now the vice looks like it could do with a lick of paint so I'lprobably end up restoring that too!!!!

My friend gave me this poster a while back and it was for the garage build so up it goes! As this side needs to be kept clear i'l hang some posters or other memorabilia along here to stop me using it for anything else.

The cold weather we've been having this week hasnt really inspired me to come down here at night but with this heater on it really warms up where your working and it isnt really an issue. Ive painted the the kitchen cupboards with the leftover white paint, and the eposed areas of the units which were cream are now white.

My dad thinks I'm mad and its over the top, but he cant argue its becoming a nice hideyhole to escape to!

[marksparks999]

blooming marvelous... just need to get that beer fridge filled!

[MK2VR6]

I can't believe I have only just stumbled across this thread. One word, fantastic! Massive use of initiative and I can't get over how many resources you have managed to salvage and reuse. Are you in the building trade yourself, or is that just the father in law?! Bookmarked!

[ashley115s]

I'm not in the building trade, more the 'you've ran out of luck' trade I prefer to think of it! See my other posts about 'The Debris Collector'. My father in law on the other hand was/is in the building trade, semi retired window fitter, ex builder, ex electrician etc.

[ashley115s]

The kitchen area is pretty much finished now, just the strip light to wire up and need to fill under the long cabinet as there's a 20mm gap underneath it and its guaranteed that last screw will roll underneath there if I don't


The chrome towel rail I found in my hanging from the rafters in Grandads garage, he obviously kept it as it might come in handy one day! After a bit of chrome polish and a little trim it has come in handy! I've only used two screws to hold it up loosely so I can get the rod out easy to change tape/kitchen towel.
The chrome hooks above that my mother in law gave me, ive no idea where it came from or if i'l even use it for anything but its out of the way!
This is designed to be the modelling/supergluing/clean/make a cup of tea workbench. Hopefully I'l make tea tomorrow, the kettle and mugs are in the tall cupboard, i'l keep them out of the way to keep the dust off them.

Mk2 Granada Estate Mardave Banger shell. Had this a few years now havent raced for years but this looked too cool to smash it up!

A couple of shots of the window trimming, was it neccesary in shed? Not sure, but looks good and stops the bugs and spiders hiding in there.


I spent ages cleaning this shelf unit up this morning, I aquired this from my time working at Tesco. They were throwing it out, its on lockable catsors and has a roll down cover, really sturdy too. It was the best ftting unit I had in my other garage for the job.


This afternoon I filled this shed area with all the junk thats been in the garage area and tomorrow I'l get all the wood out so I have the garage completey empty ready to prep for paint. I'm a bit anal when come to painting stuff, I like a completely empty area to work in, all clean, dust free etc. I'm not painting around stuff then moving it all around the place! Once that tins opened theres no turning back!

[montythemole]

This build looks a lot better than houses we've looked at! Compared to some of the student lodgings I looked at back in the day it's 4* accommodation. I would be worried of getting it dirty by daring to actually take a car apart though!

[ashley115s]

Ok so i've lied a little! I still havent emptied the garage of wood or started painting it! I looked at all the ply and all the insulation left over, then looked at the garden shed side. It was only a matter of time before I got round to finishing this off so I thought rather than drag the ply up the garden then back down again id just use it, make the mess now then its done! So ive gone from this

to this



I finished boxing in the compressor, its fully insulated too to keep the noise down(not that its noisey) Now you cant here it running outside at all which my mum and dads old neighbours would be pleased about I'm sure!!! I'm not sure if ive given it enough space to breath, it does have two vents in it and if I'm using it constantly I can take the lid off.

I managed to add a couple of arms to hang more tools, if I didnt do it now I couldnt do it once id insulated or put the ply on.

As you can see its a real mish mash of materials, no new products were harmed in this build! I'm going to paint it all white anyway, I found 2.5litres of wood primer in homebase for £6 so thats going in here, £6 was pretty cheap as it was discontinued stock I don't mind paying that much!

I even managed to build a little shelf for the extension lead!

I have ply lined the roof too but it was a bit dark for that photo. It didnt need to be insulated or lined but I the materials anyway, it used up evey scrap of insulation I had lying about, unfortunately there still loads of ply kicking about, i'l probaly end up making 50 bird boxes out of it!
I also managed to get the tea coffee sugar and biscuits sorted, I havent tried it yet but when I'm out there at 0100am painting away I'm sure it will take a beating! The beer fridge is also taking shape!


So thats about another week in pictures from me. I found this in the skip at work, an Audi badge off a 10plate car, I'm going to try and make a pen holder out of it, I'm getting fed up of looking pens and pencils!