Garage Organization... where the OCD folks at?

[Northern]

Good timing and always relevant thread... I think we had one of this previously too? I'm now in my third home I've owned that has a two car garage. I had a long list of things I wanted to do on this one, but unsure if this is even a home we will be in for another 2 years (if we could afford to move) so big garage changes likely will be put on hold. Already did really nice insulated door, new opener, and a minisplit that needs to be recharged/finished up again. Insulation is likely to still happen obviously, but not going as nuts as previously thought on that. "Forever" home is going to get a french cleated wall or two, and lots of other things, assuming it's bigger. One can dream. There is an idea of the perfect working garage in my mind, some kind of abstraction. But there is no real idea when it will happen: it is only an entity, something illusory. And though I can hide my pain of not knowing where something is, it eats away at time, like a cold reaper knowing our time is finite.

Anyways with that being said, I am eyeing 1 or 2 new HF toolboxes to really organize things. I feel like it's long over do.
If I did (2) 56" or (2) 72" I feel like I'd have room to organize and space for future items. Maybe someday I can see some foam cutouts too.

Then "downgrade" my small overloaded 25+ year old craftsman box to smaller/misc things - and hell maybe paint it to match the new boxes.
I love grey, but I'm eyeing the new purple color too. I wish like Husky boxes the US General came in an olive green.

Jordan - Can we get some more overall pictures of your space? I kinda wish I had the ability to go back in time and get some Series 2 boxes.
I check marketplace often, but for what people want for used boxes of any brand I likely will just go new on some Series 3.

For those who want some more inspiration the garagejournal.com forums have been full of some of the best garages I've seen.

My fave of all time is Jack Olsen's garage... for so many reasons. His level of "everything has it's place" and "the floor is not a shelf" is the level of organization I want some day.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lCrlVhwHnE

No idea why it ate half your post, and the youtube stuff is still broken afaik.

I think you're thinking of this thread, but 99% of the pictures are dead now:

https://www.r3vlimited.com/board/forum/e30-technical-forums/general-technical/342734-toolbox-organization

This thread inspired me to buy a new toolbox today to try to reconfigure my setup. It's nothing special, but definitely an upgrade.

[DEV0 E30]

Olive green would be awesome in USG. I bought black, but in retrospect wish I'd gone gray - it's a great color IMHO. I love the orange, I don't want a bright/flashy color for some reason.

In any case, I'd go with 2 56's vs. a 72" just for the economics of the price-for-space. Or a 56" with a hutch and a locker (which is what I have) and a Full Bank. I've got a 26" I keep household tools in, and the 56"/Hutch/Locker holds most of the rest, and a 30" cart I use to stage parts and tools next to whatever I'm working on. I have a tiny (and apparently boring - LoL) YT channel that has vids on the 56, the locker, how I equipped the hutch, the Full Bank, etc.). All my bigger Milwaukee tools are in a Seville cabinet with some other stuff. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...ZbnhapXOs8M54E

Yeah the grey has been on my wishlist for years, but I also like the idea of purple, but it would clash with everything - maybe the rolling chassis e30 ends up purple to match? haha.

I do think two 56"s would be wise - I can get two for the price of a 72" and I'm not sure I can honestly fit two 72s... two 56s will require a lot of moving stuff around as is.

No idea why it ate half your post, and the youtube stuff is still broken afaik.

I think you're thinking of this thread, but 99% of the pictures are dead now:

https://www.r3vlimited.com/board/forum/e30-technical-forums/general-technical/342734-toolbox-organization

This thread inspired me to buy a new toolbox today to try to reconfigure my setup. It's nothing special, but definitely an upgrade.

I editted the post, none of my edits appear to work on any threads/posts I've made in quite some time. I think Simon has been able to push through edits on some posts he sees, but yeah. Ohwell.

Correct, that was one of the threads.


HF is listening, sent me a 25% off coupon for one item... hmm.

[DEV0 E30]

Welp. Got an Icon 73 coming from HF.

Lifetime warranty, free delivery, and used my 25% off and it made it worthwhile. Got my forever box. Not much more than the USG and worth it I think. I already want the hutch bad.

[Simple_Smith]

Hellz yeah can't wait to see update pics! Hutch is cool but I got used to being under a 10' span pallet rack and having a work bench next to the box with lighting going the length of it so I got spoiled with that; some of the hutches feel cramped to me.

[iXBeater]

Welp. Got an Icon 73 coming from HF.

Lifetime warranty, free delivery, and used my 25% off and it made it worthwhile. Got my forever box. Not much more than the USG and worth it I think. I already want the hutch bad.

I dig my hutch - wait for a sale (X% off anything)

[DEV0 E30]

Thanks dudes. Didn't go in even thinking about an ICON honestly, it's been some time since I've spent more than 30 seconds looking at them in HF. Just standing next to both and feeling the drawers and eventual side cabinet additons it was me thinking, is $1000 or less a big deal when I'm buying my next lifetime box? Oh and lifetime warranty and free shipping were the big reasons. I also caught myself looking at scratch and dent, I found a black hutch for 30% off and from the looks of it it is barely damaged at all. $300 off... Or I wait for a 20% off or somehow get another 25% off and get a new one and save $200 or $250. The hutch to have the ability to have a clean space for a monitor/computer too. Since this isn't forever house I'm being cautious about how much I want to bolt to walls/etc. More stuff on wheels makes things easier down the line.

I know the Generation 2 Icon are coming late this year, but the cost of those and size I think are a bit much for home box space. (G2 are 30" deep isntead of 25")
Rumored to be around $4k or so for a 72/73. It is comparable to the 30" wide Epiq? Snap On boxes I guess, which are something like $20k now?

[Jordan]

Jordan - Can we get some more overall pictures of your space? I kinda wish I had the ability to go back in time and get some Series 2 boxes.
I check marketplace often, but for what people want for used boxes of any brand I likely will just go new on some Series 3.

I like the Series 2 boxes, but the 3 are nice too. Really its all you need for home gamer or even semi professional use. I have had mine for years and years and aside from assorted chips and scrapes they are still solid as a rock. Each box has the top replaced with 3/4" black galexy granite slabs. Easy to wipe down, dead ass flat and looks killer. No... it isn't that expensive. Expensive was the custom made marine edge 96x22" countertop on over the custom made lower cabinets. Marine edge is perfect for breaking down messy stuff so it cannot drip off the work area.

Not sure what you want to see but here are a few more shot of my work shop:


Overall but from another angle. You can see the vapor honing cabinet, central work table with arbor press, the core storage cabinet, ABS test bench, and vibratory polisher machine. The stainless shelf is hospital surplus, NSF stainless... not chromed wire that will eventually rust.



Another angle of the vapor blaster, core cabinet, 30L ultrasonic cleaner, and you can see my 2 Dynaudio Core59 monitors, with the Core Sub behind and out of view.



The vapor honing cabinet is supplied with ample dry air from my Kaeser Aircenter rotary screw compressor. Having it located in the shop lets me keep it clean and climate controlled, and the noise isn't bad hardly over 60dB which is easy to work around without care.



In total storage wise I have:

Harbor Freight
72" series 2,
56" series 2,
42" series 2,
2x 27" series 2
(and another 56" series 2 off site that may come here soon)
ABS test card is the 30" series 3.

Metro ECM56XC 24x60 Super Adjustable Super Erecta Deluxe Transport Cart

Air Compressor is a Kaeser Aircenter SCX7.5 (230v single phase, 28cfm @125psi - or about 35cfm at 90psi where I use it)
Rotary screws are quiet, efficient and it has an integrated refrigerated drier so the air comes out cool and dry.

Climate control is handled by a LG 1.5 ton minisplit that does hot hot and cold cold. I do wish I had gone with 2 ton but the 1.5 works fine, I just need to build a duct to vent the exhaust from the compressor into the attic or otherwise out of the space because the waste heat the compressor makes is basically the same BTU as the minisplit has cool so they fight one another and the temp rises. Fine when its freezing outside like today, but it gets *gasp* into high 70's if I have been blasting for a few hours. Otherwise it easily gets it down to low 60's in the shop.

Vapor honing cabinet is the VHT VH1000 - Custom ordered in 100% Stainless Steel chassis with custom red powdercoated finish. VHT hated me for this, I'm certain of it.

Audio is handled by a tablet running Tidal's desktop app, outputting to a Fosi ZD3 DAC - which feeds the Dynaudio Core59 monitors and CoreSub. If you follow Obsessed Garage you're no doubt familiar with these. If you're into audio, and you can swing the purchase you'll forget about the price after listening....

Central table was also custom ordered/made by a local welding fabricator, its 40" x 60" all solid 2" steel box tubing, steel grate mesh, and a solid 1/4" steel sheet top. Its heavy AF, does NOT wobble no matter what you do on it, and I have my Greenard #2 arbor press and HF Doyle 6" vice bolted directly to it. Stool at the center bench is the elevated Vyper stool, which honestly I can't recommend. I find it generally uncomfortable and would rather stand most of the time but that central bench is made to be standing height.

Lighting on the ceiling is a mix of 8' and 4' 5000k Barrina LED strips from Amazon. Have been in service for years without issues and the color rendering is plenty good enough for me.

Vibratory polisher is a Oceanic Innovations Whisper Shake 2.5 - again custom ordered in red powdercoat and filled with about 50 lbs of ceramic ball and pill media for polishing odd aluminum and brass parts.

If I missed something you're curious about just let me know.

[DEV0 E30]

Damn, yeah I wasn't expecting that level of breakdown but that is much appreciated. Obviously from previous years it has become a dedicated space for your current endeavor, and very well appointed.

I dig the use of the granite slabs too, something I don't think I've seen that often in garage spaces. Are they set in place with a bonding adhesive?