Making garage more hospitable towards tools and projects?

[Flexibel_kampfe]

In a nutshell heres my problem:

My workshop is in the garage, I have no where else for it. But its torture on tools, they rust like crazy. I wax my bandsaw twice a month, often more(when it loses that waxy feel, but it still rusts. Its only used for wood.

I also cannot seem to keep my wood and my metals separate. Yesterday, I took a decent sized chunk out of my BS, because metal chips got in a piece of wood, scratching the insert to hell(its the only painted surface.) I was looking for ideas on how to contain this. Ill post a CAD diagram of my shop/garage.

And then I will be getting an atv, which will have to go in there of course, which will tie up the front... grr...


Eventually I want to add a bridgeport to my arsenal.... so I am not sure how to go about setup


Edit* I should also add that the walls where the workbenches/tables are, are concrete. The floor is as well.

 

[fowler]

u could just build a seperate kit shed
i dont think they are very expensive
like aus$3700 for double garage
and try and work outside to stop cross mixing of wood on the metal and grinding sparks on in the wood

 

[Flexibel_kampfe]

u could just build a seperate kit shed
i dont think they are very expensive
like aus$3700 for double garage
and try and work outside to stop cross mixing of wood on the metal and grinding sparks on in the wood

Too small of a yard... and my father would flip at the idea of me errecting a second garage.... he might bow to me insulating the puppy(since it will add to the value of the house) but stand alone, is most likely a big N.O.! We have a small enough yard as it is... and I have already looked, I am not up to spending about 2k on a workshop... cause thats about all Ill make this summer... let alone having money for toys...

 

[KieranM]

haha kind of like me, we have a garage, with all tools and its plenty big to work in, but since my quad arrived all the parts i took off and rebuilt went into my bedroom, so there is fairings, brakes, lights, handlebars ect lying around my room. I can not put in the engine though as its something to do with insurance, if theres a fire and an engine is in the house i think it complicates stuff.

 

[redsox985]

If everything rusts you may want to look into a high volume dehumidifier. They can suck gallons of water out of your air overnight. We keep one running nonstop in my basement to keep down humidity and musty smell.

 

[fowler]

kieranM
are u old enoough to own/rent your own house or are your parents just really supportive of the kart building

if i tryed to bring even a new sprocket into the house my parents would kill me
also we own a farm so my bike lives in the shed and is not alowed in the garage

 

[Flexibel_kampfe]

I am thinking of insulating it, but confused as to what I should insulate.... And would sealing the floor help?

 

[devino246]

I am thinking of insulating it, but confused as to what I should insulate.... And would sealing the floor help?

Theres really no point in insulating a garage IMO. I dont think you can insulate a concrete wall anyway. Ive seen these little zinc anodes at lowes that are supposed to prevent rust on objects around it. Sticking one or two of those on your band saw should help with rust. If your having that much trouble keeping metal & wood separate, consider having separate workbenches for each.

 

[newrider3]

I am thinking of insulating it, but confused as to what I should insulate.... And would sealing the floor help?

Do you have bare stud walls, or are they already sheetrocked? Or is the garage made of cinderblocks/concrete?

 

[devino246]

Do you have bare stud walls, or are they already sheetrocked? Or is the garage made of cinderblocks/concrete?

He already said:

I should also add that the walls where the workbenches/tables are, are concrete. The floor is as well.

 

[Flexibel_kampfe]

Its a raised ranch, so half of the garage is sub-terrainian, while the other half goes into the house... so that would be odd if it were concrete.

 

[redsox985]

Those zinc slabs do work. They are used by the navy and placed on ships hulls so that they oxidize under water and not the steel hulls where the paint has peeled. Without research and just off seeing a clip on tv about it, i believe there is a minimal electrical charge present that makes the zinc oxidize away and not your steel.

 

[Flexibel_kampfe]

Those zinc slabs do work. They are used by the navy and placed on ships hulls so that they oxidize under water and not the steel hulls where the paint has peeled. Without research and just off seeing a clip on tv about it, i believe there is a minimal electrical charge present that makes the zinc oxidize away and not your steel.

I asked once about that idea, a slab of zinc affixed to my bandsaw, on a wood working site, and across the board was "No Go!"

 

[KieranM]

kieranM
are u old enoough to own/rent your own house or are your parents just really supportive of the kart building

if i tryed to bring even a new sprocket into the house my parents would kill me
also we own a farm so my bike lives in the shed and is not alowed in the garage

yea they dont mind once i dont over do it lol

 

[fowler]

lucky
oh yeah and usually the walls in a house are not insulated anyway
just the roof and assuming u can get into the roof u can insulate that easierly and cheaply
also if u dont like the cool floor (espesially for kneeling on) get a big rubber mat as rubber holds a more cosistant temperature
or if u are quite rich u can get industrial strength carpet as long as u dont weld on it, it is fine

 

[Cam]

I got half my sentra in my room, still pulling bits off

Is there any water leaks, and how bad does the bandsaw rust?

Any mild steel tool i have seems to develop a little film of rust too, im not too bothered on the other hand.

The only thing i could think of is that you are getting condensation, in that case a dehumidifier would be pretty choice.

Good luck with the workspace mate.

Cheers, Cam.

 

[redsox985]

From what I've briefly read online, the zinc anodes only work when submerged. So I'd suggest a dehumidifier and coats of oil on all non used parts areas. I wipe down all of my karts with WD40 until I degrease and paint the parts. My metal supplier oils all of their steel lightly before it leaves the plant.

 

[devino246]

I asked once about that idea, a slab of zinc affixed to my bandsaw, on a wood working site, and across the board was "No Go!"

The navy uses super-sized anodes on their super-sized ships. Im not suggesting attaching a 50lb chunk of metal to your saw. The ones at lowes are no bigger than 1x2".

 

[Flexibel_kampfe]

I got half my sentra in my room, still pulling bits off

Is there any water leaks, and how bad does the bandsaw rust?

Any mild steel tool i have seems to develop a little film of rust too, im not too bothered on the other hand.

The only thing i could think of is that you are getting condensation, in that case a dehumidifier would be pretty choice.

Good luck with the workspace mate.

Cheers, Cam.

Lets put it this way: one day, I put my hand on the saw table, and when I pulled it off, it was covered in rust coloured powder. The previous day it was fine, so its enough moisture to easily develope flash rust. I imedaiatly began using the angle grinder wire brush(bad idea, since it made a few light gouges) as well as SOS pads, Water Deplacer 40, and Terpintine. Which I then waxed with paste wax.

I am definately thinking of insulating, because I live in the rust belt, which also means cold ars*d new england... So I can actually work in there.

I am having trouble convincing my father to let me move the band saw temporarily into the finished basement(cat urine saturated carpets, so its not a matter of recking a beutiful place) as so I can power wash and paint the floor...

 

[freakboy]

Try goin to a hunting/ trapping store and get some of the powder and wax that you put on small animal traps works well on keeping them rust free... and another plus is blood wipes right off easy =D