X-Post: Our own Jack Olsen's garage on Jalopnik
06-21-2011, 07:09 PM
#1
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
X-Post: Our own Jack Olsen's garage on Jalopnik
06-21-2011, 07:57 PM
#3
Race Car
Thanks. I replied on the Pelican thread, but I'll paste a version of it here -- since I'm lazy.
My little two-car garage has been getting a lot of attention lately. Everybody who writes about it seems to get most of the story right, and then some of it that makes me go 'Huh?'
It's going to be in the August issue of Popular Mechanics, and their web site leaked a version of the story early. They interviewed me, and I thought the piece was very flattering and accurate. But the article head -- about 'extreme' and 'ultimate' garages seems a little out-of-place for a two-car garage with $3,200 in it. I spend some time on Garage Journal, and there are many, many, MANY garages there that are more extreme and much more ultimate than mine. But hey, the 911 is going to make an appearance in Popular Mechanics.
The Jalopnik blog seems to have gotten their stuff from the Hemmings Blog, which did a thing on it last week. I liked Hemmings' coverage (because I got to write most of it), but I'm not sure where the wisenheimers at Jalopnik got the idea for calling my garage the Ikea DIY garage. There are two Ikea lights and a piece of their butcher block in there. But I don't have any of that company's famous fiberboard products anywhere.
I think it all got started by the garage (and 911) showing up in Car Craft a few months ago. I was proud to get an old 911 into Car Craft.
The shop is also going to appear for a second time in Wood Magazine's 'Great Garage Makeovers' some time this fall (I think). Oddly, Wood Magazine's special issue seems to focus mainly on car garages, while Popular Mechanics seems to focus a lot on garages where woodworking is done and there isn't a car to be seen.
In any case, I'm sure the garage is going to get a very big head from all of this and that sooner or later I'm going to find a guy with a velvet rope at the door who's going to tell me to keep waiting, since I'm not on the list.
To keep the 911 tech content, here's the garage right now -- shocks all out for rebuilding and the motor out for some fixing -- which I'll explain in an upcoming post.
Not so pretty right now. But then, it's still a pretty-well-cleaned-up garage.
My little two-car garage has been getting a lot of attention lately. Everybody who writes about it seems to get most of the story right, and then some of it that makes me go 'Huh?'
It's going to be in the August issue of Popular Mechanics, and their web site leaked a version of the story early. They interviewed me, and I thought the piece was very flattering and accurate. But the article head -- about 'extreme' and 'ultimate' garages seems a little out-of-place for a two-car garage with $3,200 in it. I spend some time on Garage Journal, and there are many, many, MANY garages there that are more extreme and much more ultimate than mine. But hey, the 911 is going to make an appearance in Popular Mechanics.
The Jalopnik blog seems to have gotten their stuff from the Hemmings Blog, which did a thing on it last week. I liked Hemmings' coverage (because I got to write most of it), but I'm not sure where the wisenheimers at Jalopnik got the idea for calling my garage the Ikea DIY garage. There are two Ikea lights and a piece of their butcher block in there. But I don't have any of that company's famous fiberboard products anywhere.
I think it all got started by the garage (and 911) showing up in Car Craft a few months ago. I was proud to get an old 911 into Car Craft.
The shop is also going to appear for a second time in Wood Magazine's 'Great Garage Makeovers' some time this fall (I think). Oddly, Wood Magazine's special issue seems to focus mainly on car garages, while Popular Mechanics seems to focus a lot on garages where woodworking is done and there isn't a car to be seen.
In any case, I'm sure the garage is going to get a very big head from all of this and that sooner or later I'm going to find a guy with a velvet rope at the door who's going to tell me to keep waiting, since I'm not on the list.
To keep the 911 tech content, here's the garage right now -- shocks all out for rebuilding and the motor out for some fixing -- which I'll explain in an upcoming post.
Not so pretty right now. But then, it's still a pretty-well-cleaned-up garage.
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06-22-2011, 02:18 PM
#9
Awesome. Loved it last time you posted pics in my metal vs. wood bench thread. And still love it.
Where do you work on the engine when it's out of the car? Is there enough room to maneuver an engine stand with engine?
I see you have a few items on peg boards. I'm thinking about putting up some peg board, but I can't decide what all should go on the peg board and what should stay in the tool chest. You've put things like the sledges on the wall that I would never have thought for peg board hanging. I suppose my question is what is a good set of criteria for what should go on the peg board? Frequently used items, I would think, is the most important. Other thoughts? Do you use your BFH's that often?
Brett
Where do you work on the engine when it's out of the car? Is there enough room to maneuver an engine stand with engine?
I see you have a few items on peg boards. I'm thinking about putting up some peg board, but I can't decide what all should go on the peg board and what should stay in the tool chest. You've put things like the sledges on the wall that I would never have thought for peg board hanging. I suppose my question is what is a good set of criteria for what should go on the peg board? Frequently used items, I would think, is the most important. Other thoughts? Do you use your BFH's that often?
Brett
06-22-2011, 02:36 PM
#10
Addict
https://rennlist.com/forums/off-topi...highlight=tool
06-22-2011, 02:48 PM
#11
Race Car
Thanks, Brett.
In some ways, you can never get past all the limitations of a two-car garage. We initially dropped the engine and then rolled it into the driveway. Later, we rolled the car out so we'd have access to more work surfaces. Here are some pictures (friend and Porsche genius Tyson Schmidt is the guy you see, not me.)
And the kid wanted to get involved, of course.
On the pegboard, my way of thinking is not very rigorous. It's handy to have some screwdrivers, pliers, snips and cutters handy for when you're just working quickly on something -- whatever it is. At least for me, there are a lot of garage tasks where you're in and out in five minutes. And having to open a drawer every time you want a pair of vise grips or a screwdriver is one step too many.
I put the hammers up above the heavy bench because -- again, if you have to slide open a drawer, you're probably just going to keep using the hammer in your hand, whether or not it's the right one for the job. I also had built that bench for 'persuasion,' so I kept all the persuaders right there. I'm sure I could get by with three hammers up above there, but then the ones in the drawers would hardly ever get used.
Not the best pictures, but:
In some ways, you can never get past all the limitations of a two-car garage. We initially dropped the engine and then rolled it into the driveway. Later, we rolled the car out so we'd have access to more work surfaces. Here are some pictures (friend and Porsche genius Tyson Schmidt is the guy you see, not me.)
And the kid wanted to get involved, of course.
On the pegboard, my way of thinking is not very rigorous. It's handy to have some screwdrivers, pliers, snips and cutters handy for when you're just working quickly on something -- whatever it is. At least for me, there are a lot of garage tasks where you're in and out in five minutes. And having to open a drawer every time you want a pair of vise grips or a screwdriver is one step too many.
I put the hammers up above the heavy bench because -- again, if you have to slide open a drawer, you're probably just going to keep using the hammer in your hand, whether or not it's the right one for the job. I also had built that bench for 'persuasion,' so I kept all the persuaders right there. I'm sure I could get by with three hammers up above there, but then the ones in the drawers would hardly ever get used.
Not the best pictures, but:
06-22-2011, 03:35 PM
#12
Race Car
very cool. I think some people underestimate the effect that a clean and organized work space has on the final result. You really don't have to have a "big" space to be clean, organized, safe, productive and efficient.
06-22-2011, 08:40 PM
#13
Nordschleife Master
Nice to see other people are going to enjoy your garage other than the Porsche folk.
My theory on peg board is to get the "messy" tools out of the way. A drawer full of vice grips can be a pain to pull just one out and a drawer full of hammers isn't an easy open. The unique tools always look better for show, almost like badges of honor. My IMS bearing tools for the 996 are prominently displayed on my peg board.
Stories regarding special tools normally go like this:
“What’s that for?”
“Oh that?.... Yeah I made that tool so that I can get at the radio through the muffler, saved me 4 hours of dismantle”
My theory on peg board is to get the "messy" tools out of the way. A drawer full of vice grips can be a pain to pull just one out and a drawer full of hammers isn't an easy open. The unique tools always look better for show, almost like badges of honor. My IMS bearing tools for the 996 are prominently displayed on my peg board.
Stories regarding special tools normally go like this:
“What’s that for?”
“Oh that?.... Yeah I made that tool so that I can get at the radio through the muffler, saved me 4 hours of dismantle”
06-23-2011, 02:30 AM
#14
Thanks for the peg board comments, guys. I'm more convinced than ever that I need this stuff. I guess one of the beauties of it is that if you don't like how you've arranged things, it only takes a few minutes to reconfigure. I also just found out that having things hanging in my face will keep me from forgetting where I've put random things, like my whisk broom. I was needing it a couple days ago and thought, "I have no idea where I put the damn thing." A couple minutes ago, I opened a drawer, and there it was. Right on with the drawer full of pliers, too. The one I need is always the one on the bottom.
I will be kinda cool to put the 3 1/2 foot long torque wrench on display.
Brett
Last edited by Brett San Diego; 06-23-2011 at 02:45 AM.
