Comments on: Mule Motorcycles Workshop – Lots of Ideas from a Working Garage http://thekneeslider.com/archives/2010/07/15/mule-motorcycles-workshop-lots-of-ideas-from-a-working-garage/ Motorcycle News for Positive People Sat, 26 May 2012 01:04:58 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Aichbe http://thekneeslider.com/archives/2010/07/15/mule-motorcycles-workshop-lots-of-ideas-from-a-working-garage/#comment-340142 Aichbe Tue, 05 Jul 2011 00:15:01 +0000 http://thekneeslider.com/?p=12027#comment-340142 I do metal polishing (aluminum, stainless, titanium, etc) and other surface treatments for local hotrod, bike shops, and invidual owners. I work out of a 2 car suburban garage which is also used for storage and to park my Sportster. My worst problem is dust. Strategically located fans help, but sometimes not so much. What I did is locate the small tables and buffers near the garage door, and mounted on wooden carriages with caster wheels so moving them in and out is easier. Most of the dust goes out the door. All the stored stuff and non-work related tools and parts are on an island of shelf units in the center 7 ft tall, so the perimeter, 5 ft out from the wall, is where my benches and tool storage boxes are arranged, with losts of cast-off office and kitchen cabinets, and other smaller plastic storage units for lighter weight tools and consumable stuff like sanding rolls and discs. Dirtiest stuff toward the door, cleaner, further inside. In Houston, I can have the garage open 9 or 10 months out of the year, and don't do much in cold weather. It's been evolving since 1995, and works pretty well for any parts under 100 lbs. Superchargers, H-D cases, wheels, swingarms, etc. are worked on inside, and stuff like superbike framesare polished with die grinders and hand-held buffers on the bike, with plastic over everything not to be polished. I had to stop working late at night because the compressor and my Airway wheels are too noisy. Nobody has complained for 12 years about and dust or noise in the daytime. I can work on my bike in the the driveway and entrance but can't really tear it down or pull the engine in the space I have. I do metal polishing (aluminum, stainless, titanium, etc) and other surface treatments for local hotrod, bike shops, and invidual owners. I work out of a 2 car suburban garage which is also used for storage and to park my Sportster. My worst problem is dust. Strategically located fans help, but sometimes not so much. What I did is locate the small tables and buffers near the garage door, and mounted on wooden carriages with caster wheels so moving them in and out is easier. Most of the dust goes out the door. All the stored stuff and non-work related tools and parts are on an island of shelf units in the center 7 ft tall, so the perimeter, 5 ft out from the wall, is where my benches and tool storage boxes are arranged, with losts of cast-off office and kitchen cabinets, and other smaller plastic storage units for lighter weight tools and consumable stuff like sanding rolls and discs. Dirtiest stuff toward the door, cleaner, further inside. In Houston, I can have the garage open 9 or 10 months out of the year, and don’t do much in cold weather. It’s been evolving since 1995, and works pretty well for any parts under 100 lbs. Superchargers, H-D cases, wheels, swingarms, etc. are worked on inside, and stuff like superbike framesare polished with die grinders and hand-held buffers on the bike, with plastic over everything not to be polished. I had to stop working late at night because the compressor and my Airway wheels are too noisy. Nobody has complained for 12 years about and dust or noise in the daytime. I can work on my bike in the the driveway and entrance but can’t really tear it down or pull the engine in the space I have.

]]> By: christopher http://thekneeslider.com/archives/2010/07/15/mule-motorcycles-workshop-lots-of-ideas-from-a-working-garage/#comment-296171 christopher Mon, 13 Dec 2010 21:00:31 +0000 http://thekneeslider.com/?p=12027#comment-296171 i like ur set up i just recent got started with my shop its a great size shop i want to be in contact with you for ideas and input please contact me at tripp4@gmx.com i like ur set up i just recent got started with my shop its a great size shop i want to be in contact with you for ideas and input please contact me at tripp4@gmx.com

]]> By: Stephen Pate http://thekneeslider.com/archives/2010/07/15/mule-motorcycles-workshop-lots-of-ideas-from-a-working-garage/#comment-285394 Stephen Pate Sat, 09 Oct 2010 21:04:33 +0000 http://thekneeslider.com/?p=12027#comment-285394 KILLER shop! Very very cool! KILLER shop! Very very cool!

]]> By: Mule http://thekneeslider.com/archives/2010/07/15/mule-motorcycles-workshop-lots-of-ideas-from-a-working-garage/#comment-278840 Mule Tue, 27 Jul 2010 15:15:17 +0000 http://thekneeslider.com/?p=12027#comment-278840 Oh yea, under and behind my small lathe, I had a local sheet metal shop bend up a bench top/backsplash/ chip deflector out of a galvanized sheet. This is very durable over the bench top/under the lathe and can be wiped off or cleaned up really nice. Something to think about when doing your shop lay out is ease of clean up. In concert with that, things that help prevent the need for clean up means LESS clean up to do later. A guard around the drill press keeps the chip from flying all over the room and getting into motors or areas of the shop you want to keep clean. Grinding, sanding and stuff like that I do in the driveway or side of the house and then just sweep up and hose away the reamaing dust. it never gets done in the "Clean Room". Oh yea, under and behind my small lathe, I had a local sheet metal shop bend up a bench top/backsplash/ chip deflector out of a galvanized sheet. This is very durable over the bench top/under the lathe and can be wiped off or cleaned up really nice.

Something to think about when doing your shop lay out is ease of clean up. In concert with that, things that help prevent the need for clean up means LESS clean up to do later. A guard around the drill press keeps the chip from flying all over the room and getting into motors or areas of the shop you want to keep clean. Grinding, sanding and stuff like that I do in the driveway or side of the house and then just sweep up and hose away the reamaing dust. it never gets done in the “Clean Room”.

]]> By: Mule http://thekneeslider.com/archives/2010/07/15/mule-motorcycles-workshop-lots-of-ideas-from-a-working-garage/#comment-278839 Mule Tue, 27 Jul 2010 15:09:08 +0000 http://thekneeslider.com/?p=12027#comment-278839 It's 3/4" plywood with 3 coats of "Exterior" Varithane. Which is like a plastic varnish. It's pretty durable, yellows with age and you can wipe oil and stuff off pretty easy. Other chemicals will eat it up, but for most work and assembly type stuff it's great. I've done the whole garage this way, walls and everything. However, now I lay down a hard vinyl, reinforced rubber over the surfaces and this works awesome. Sort of expensive, but will last for 25-30 years plus. Not that you'll use it that long, but that means that it'll be "Bomb-proof" for normal shop usage. It’s 3/4″ plywood with 3 coats of “Exterior” Varithane. Which is like a plastic varnish. It’s pretty durable, yellows with age and you can wipe oil and stuff off pretty easy. Other chemicals will eat it up, but for most work and assembly type stuff it’s great. I’ve done the whole garage this way, walls and everything. However, now I lay down a hard vinyl, reinforced rubber over the surfaces and this works awesome. Sort of expensive, but will last for 25-30 years plus. Not that you’ll use it that long, but that means that it’ll be “Bomb-proof” for normal shop usage.

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