It’s been getting steadily colder and, as winter approaches, many of us are seeing snow. With the turn of the seasons and shorter days, what better way to spend some time than in your workshop? So head out to the garage and fire up the heater. If your ride doesn’t need anything in particular, why not sort and arrange your tools and plan some better storage? There’s always something you can do and just to get you thinking, I thought I would put up some more workshop photos.
Richard Pollock sent me a few pictures of his garage recently and I really like them. He’s made great use of the space, as we’ve seen before, but I didn’t think you would mind taking a few more peeks inside.
Shops for other purposes
Then there is my favorite set of photos from a fellow on Flickr you’ve seen here who goes by the name mtneer_man (Be sure to follow that link!). He has a whole series of shops which have evolved over the years, focused on different types of work from automotive to electronic to woodworking and who knows what else. The photos not only make you feel you could accomplish a lot in a workspace like he has available, but it also reflects a hobby all in itself which is building workshops. Planning the layout for each of these shops and getting everything put into its proper place would take quite a bit of time. I’d almost hate to mess it all up once it was all set, but I think the urge to do something would overcome the hesitation pretty quickly.
Woodworking requires space, you need swing room for long pieces of lumber and machines are often located centrally in whatever space you have as the photo below shows.
You certainly don’t need a shop like these to do excellent work and it’s sometimes shocking to see the work areas someone uses after we’ve seen the finished product. So don’t be discouraged by these photos, be inspired by all of the ideas they hold for improvements you can make to your own work area, and remember, the tools and the space don’t do the building, you do. But it is nice to see where others work, don’t you think?
JP Kalishek says
My truck lives outside, but I did get a 10×20 canopy so the cab portion lives in some shade (North Texas sun bakes things) and my Patio cum Garage has 4 full motorcycles (2 @ 91 Honda St1100, 1 @ 80 Honda XL250s and 1@ 78 Honda CB400TII with a kick only TI motor) as well as most of another XL in bits for parts with a titled frame (gotta do something with that some day) and most of a 450 Nighthawk bought for the motor and spares for the 78 CB, as well as 3 bicycles, a push mower (need to get a rider, near 2 acres to mow), a weed eater, and some shelving.
I need to get a storage shed for the parts and bicycles to free some space for work area.
Mine will never be as organized as those in the pictures. My modus operandi seems to remain “A place for everything, and everything all over the place.”
B50 Jim says
I suddenly feel so… inadequate. I might have to get some Viagra before I finish my A65 project.
Nicolas says
double edged article … good inspiration, but also a good humbling moment … lol
I recently relocated to TX, so my truck stays outside, JP, but an non-negotiable criteria for the house selection was a 3-car garage, so that a 1-car area is transformed into a workshop and pit area for a couple rescued motorcycles, the miss’ beginner bike, a vintage vespa, a from-scratch project …
Lord Pollock’s garage is inspiring, but why not a lift instead of a wooden bench, for the sake of loading/unloading the mules, and als oadjusting the working heights … not getting any younger over here
Paul Crowe says
This really shouldn’t be any more humbling than comparing your motorcycle to some of the builds we’ve featured here. There’s always going to be someone with something bigger, better, faster, more expensive, more exotic, more clever or what have you.
I look at these shops and smile and figure if I find an idea I can use, then the photos have done their job.
Mule says
I started using the wood stands long ago because I could make them long and wide and they cost about $100.00 or so. And, usually when I put a bike up there, they will stay for 1-6 months. I don’t really do any “Service” work or daily customer maintenance like oil changes and tires and stuff like that. The wood stands are more like a small scale build center and a bike will sometimes grow roots right into the stand.
Also, being an artsie kinda guy, I really like the look of Varathaned wood. At one point I had a large, low 4′ x 8′ work table, but I covered it with stuff and it became useless. Keeping workspaces and benches free of clutter is an ongoing battle. I lose that battle a often.
As far as adjustable heights, usually I’ll alter the height the next time I build a stand. I sell the ones I have to friends when I have a design change idea. When I want to take a bike down, I can slide them around and just use a ramp. Pretty easy really.
Mark Marabella says
Having been to Mule Racing several times over the past 10 years, Richards shop is as amazing as the bikes he builds. A true craftsman / perfectionist.
rohorn says
Work? Like, do stuff? Why? I’m going to spend this winter on my keyboard working on my witty remarks! Here are a few gems I’ve made so far:
What’s the point?
Sometimes less is more.
Just because you can doesn’t mean you should?
Where’s the innovation?
That’s just new for the sake of new!
That’s just for old rich white guys!
That’s sooo hipster!
How can they survive if they only market to old rich white guys?
How can they survive if they only market to unemployed hipsters?
Millennials are a tech savvy generation, you know!
Millennials hate technology, you know (Unless there’s a picture of a fruit on it)!
I’m dedicated to working on all my own stuff, but not if I have to, you know, like actually buy tools and/or learn stuff, man!!
Torque is everything!
Torque is useless!
That’s not enough horsepower!
That’s way too much horsepower!
Back when everything was perfect in 19xx….
AWLongmeyer says
I decided to employ a rudimentary form of J.I.T. in my shops as it drives me completely clappers searching for nuts, bolts, raw material, tools I JUST set down, etc.
Now, it better be on the build sheet or there’s no place for it!
Unfortunately, my projects still take shape in total mayhem as I’m easily called away and I use tool chests. I’ve studied Mule’s shop several times and I like the way everything is on display and conspicuous if absent so the chests go on Craig’s.
Dano says
AWL, there is no need to get rid of you chests. Look again at the way Mule has his shop laid out. The tools he uses the most are on display and right where he can access them. It appears that the metric and standard are separated on the wall. His chests under the work benches are for the more special use tools.
He works on a number of bikes at once so he keeps his records on them handy. I believe he prefers the rolling box method over the lift is so he can move the projects in and out. He has parts out for paint or other work for many of his projects at any given time, he can’t have them in his way all the time.
His shop is as it should be for his purpose, most of us hobby types need ours for many other purposes and hobbies. With that in mind we probably don’t have the clean and efficient shop that he does but we can try.
He does it right that’s for sure.
Mule says
The wood stands sit on the floor and they are packed underneith with the standard tubes with folding lids. No wheels underneith. They slide on the smooth cement floor pretty easy. The tool chests under the benches are, as you surmized, for less frequently used items. One is filled with everything related to wiring, another has nothing but caliper, master cylinders and brake fittings and discs and the third has hammers, lathe tools and weird crap.
I do most of my heavy grinding and disc sanding type stuff at a secret location, so I have two tubs packed with sanding discs and assorted die grinders. I just throw a frame and the two tubs into the truck and off I go.
Since it’s only me and a one helper in the shop, I can leave all the tools exposed on the wall. If I had kids, room mates or worked in a motorcycle shop, the stuff would all disappear, so that’s a luxury some people don’t have. People walk into my garage and they don’t want to leave…or won’t leave! They always think I just drew up a plan and laid it all out. It took 28 years and it’s continually evolving. What seems really cool this week sucks next week.
Dano says
I also have a bench top lathe and drill press as you do. The bench grinder and belt sander near there too. I am trying to create an area for them, the “dirty stuff” and buffers now. They are the pain of the shop.
Since I do jewelry and general repair of small engines quite a bit in the same shop I do get pretty messy on occasion. That’s when you have to stop and clean it up, as in put the tools back where they belong. As far as the big blasting or grinding needs go I have access to a commercial shop with that equipment, ya I’m lucky on that count.
I know what you mean in that it evolves as time goes on. I hope I live long enough for it to come close to correct someday.
Honyock says
I recently dismantled my shop and moved to the new local hackerspace, along with some even larger machine tools. Motorcycle maintenance stays at home. The puzzle is how to do both with one set of tools. I’m currently packing and schlepping all the metric wrenches and sockets, torque wrenches, and other bike-specific mostly bits in a tool bag, but there’s always the odd dingle spanner or whizflump that’s in the wrong place when you need it. And then there’s the separate set of tools at work. Truly an embarrasment of riches.
Paul Crowe says
I love the idea of a hackerspace, but even as they become more popular, I sometimes wonder if they make working on your project more difficult because you have to go there before you can get to work. Obviously, not everyone has a good work area at home or next door, and then the available tools at something like a TechShop make working there extremely valuable, but it’s certainly a tradeoff. As you mention, leaving tools there can be really inconvenient, too. I hate to be away from my tools.
zipidachimp says
relating to Mule’s motorcycle table, I saw simple genius on youtube last night;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jz8oFhyBrhk Damn, that’s clever!
Paul Crowe says
Looks good. There must be a thousand variations of that idea, some better than others. Home built tools are a great way to get big capabilities on a budget and sometimes, what you build, can’t be bought anywhere. Those are the best.
Mule says
My only criticisms of that would be the jackstands, which I would be tripping over continually, and the need for the roll around jack. Looked like it was kind of a lot of work. Also I’ve continued to lower my stands as I build new ones and I’m down to 18″. I’m thinking maybe 15″ would be even better and if I was smaller, say 5′ 5″-5’9″, a height of 12″ might be perfect. I really liked the stand in the video prior to being lifted. Remove the pipes sticking out and it was just about perfect.
Menormeh says
It is a clever idea. But pushing a heavy weight like a Harley Decker or a Goldwing up a ramp is a two or three man job. Riding it up is a proven formula for falling over and having far more to fix…….. How about using the bike lift on the bike and then using two boxes, one under each wheel? This would also leave the area under the powertrain open for fluid changes etc.? If you beend to close it off you could easily incorporate a bridge between the boxes. Just sayin……
Menormeh says
That should have been ” If you need to close it off you could easily incorporate a bridge between the boxes.” Something between my keyboard and fat fingers went wrong LOL
zipidachimp says
ah well, it looked clever. you might be right about 12″ though.
I tried 6″ and it wasn’t enough. working on a modified rear fender.