Since all of my spare parts and hardware were poorly were organized in my garage, I found myself disoriented when thinking about taking on my next big FM project (400 build). Years of hording small parts and swapping out old for new had made the left-hand side of my garage an ineffecient mess of bins and boxes. Everytime I needed to find something, I had to squat down like a caveman to find it. Sometimes, I even found myself making trips to the auto parts store or to the wrecking yard to buy something I knew I had. Why? Because at least at the wrecking yard and the auto parts store I could find what I needed while standing upright. Enough of that! So I busted out my wood tools. Here's what I did to solve the problem and please keep in mind I have no formal training in carpentry.
This was the problem situation. Tons of bins and boxes forcing me to squat down at the expense of my back to locate what parts I needed.
I took a trip to Home Depot for some 2"x4"s, 4"x4"'s, 2"x6"s, and some 1/2" plywood they had on sale. The plywood was cabinet grade, so it would make for a smooth surface for the top of my new bench.
I got started by screwing a 2"x6"x12' board to the studs at a nice comfortable height for someone my size.
My garage floor was not parallel to the foundation, so each 4"x4" leg needed to be a different height. Here I used a floor jack, a short 4x4, and a level to make sure the bench top would be parallel to the foundation and not with the garage floor.
Here's a close-up showing that I notched the 2"x6"x12' board to support 2"x4"s. I screwed the 2"x4"s into the 2"x6" and to the 4"x4" legs.
I tied the perimeter together with 2"x6"s.
I cut the plywood with a Skil Saw to fit. Each section was 2'x4'. I also added a shelf between the bench top and the floor using a 2"x4" to support the front of the shelf and the foundation to support the rear.
Next, it was time to build some storage shelves. Here I am doing a few miter cuts.
This is a shot of the shelf bracing. I used 2"x6" boards to support the rear of the shelves and 2"x4"s mounted to the studs at 45 degrees.
Yes, I was anxious to see how the whole thing worked even before I finished, so I started organizing my stuff. In this shot, I'm screwing down the shelf top.
I'm sure I violated a few basic carpentry basics but the shelf is very strong and extends 14" from the wall.
My brother and my sister-in-law dropped by over the weekend and were willing to help build more shelves on the other side of the bench using the same design.
Here's the whole thing done and successfully holding my stuff. A 12 foot work bench and storage space along with three 8 foot shelves.
NOW I could begin my next FM project. I pulled my neglected 72 Torino out of the side yard and pointed it towards the garage after I washed it down.
Here it is, an organized garage ready for a 400 build and the resurrection of a Torino.
Today
[/SIGPIC]1967 Galaxie XL/390 C.I.-315 H.P./ 4barrel/4-speed/work in progress
