How comfortable is your 'shop' ?

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KCvale

Well-Known Member
Feb 28, 2010
3,966
57
48
Phoenix,AZ
I know the vast majority of people here just build a bike or two and work on maintaining and improving them in whatever spot they can find when they need to.

When I first started that was my back patio.
In short a concrete slap with a roof that faced West, and that is not the direction you want to be facing in the afternoon in Phoenix in summer.

I'm sure some of you have way worse conditions so share how 'uncomfortable' your work space is with pics if you can.

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Then there are some of us with shops we spend a great deal of time in.

I figure I spend 14 hours a weekday and 5 on weekend days average in mine, with those hours and my penchant to walk around bare foot and wanting to sit comfortably when I dumped that last house I looked for a place to rent that was all about the shop space.

I know, how cool is that?
Rent a place to live based on the shop space hehehe ;-}

When my landlord showed it to me I told him my plan and that the brand new thick padded white carpet would be utterly destroyed and need replacing when I moved out, he was OK with that!
So here you have it after a year and half of use.

First and most important is the 'work bay'.
(NOTE: clicking an image will bring up a huge version of the pic)



That wood rack is really cool, a shopmate built it.
It mounts to the floor on a swivel at the front so I can align the back tire entry point any direction I want yet the rack itself don't move around while I work on it.
Note the oscillating fan that blows air back and forth to each chair.

Anyway a couple padded chairs and if I have to sit on the floor no problem, it may be dirty but it's still comfortable ;-}

Of course I needed parts storage room and a work bench.
You can't see it very well from this shot from my desk chair but I have a bunch of shelves filled with most anything I need and a big work surface with the tools I need.



Ya, that is Elvira, she has been watching over me for a couple of decades now.

I have some pretty competent helpers now, their hours vary as does the work so I spend most of my shop time sitting at my desk doing office work and playing around on the net like now so that had to be the most comfortable.

It looks pretty crappy...



Actually the whole shop looks crappy but I took function over flare for the whole shop and got what I wanted.

Starting from the left that is my helmet, glasses and gloves on the filing cabinet right next to where the giant sliding glass door opens to put on and take off when I go ride.
When it's that easy I never forget.

I won't go into my computer but I have owned and operated my own computer biz since 1982 so suffice it to say it rocks.
The shelf above the desk has miscellaneous things I like close at hand and remote a controlled audio system with and Aux in to play my streaming Pandora commercial free Internet customized music direct from the PC.

In the middle is my long time favorite rolling swivel office chair with a second set of pads and what looks something from the '90's, a real land line, paper calender, and analog clock.
You have to be sitting in my chair to appreciate that.

On the right is an industrial table and chair.
That black box is a mini frig with the cold things I like to keep close at hand and above it is a remote controlled AC unit.

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Ya, I'm spoiled but I build from home for a living.
What conditions have you set up for your own work areas?
 

2door

Moderator
Staff member
Sep 15, 2008
16,302
175
63
Littleton, Colorado
To your original question and the title of this thread...
My shop is my little slice of Heaven. It's crowded, cramped and there's no room for anymore bikes, cars, lawnmowers and even the recycle bins are hard to find. But...I'm really comfy in it. It looks like total chaos but I know where everything is and I can usually put my fingers on whatever I need in seconds. When I need to work I'll move a bike outdoors or back a car out but usually I can squat in a tight place and get the work done. I sit and listen to my audio books, engineer on my bikes or car and drink a beer or have a smoke and I don't have to explain or make excuses for the mobocracy of my shop. Comfy it is. At least for me.

Tom
 

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Venice Motor Bikes

Custom Builder / Dealer/Los Angeles
Mar 20, 2008
7,266
1,797
113
Los Angeles, CA.
Kc... your 'shop' looks like my living room! :p

My shop is small, dirty, & packed to the ceiling with bikes & engines... & I spend 40+ hours a week in it, (20 of them with with my new helper)... But it's been more than three years that this has been my full time job! ;)

Here's older pic of my shop at the end of the day with all the bikes stuffed in it... Now there's even less room! :rolleyes:
 
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tooljunkie

Member
Apr 4, 2012
663
5
16
Manitoba,Canada
my garage-how do i explain it?
Tom's.just with nothing shiney.
24x32 with a 10x16 office/mancave.
tools-yes.e-wheel,bead roller,lathe ,mig,arc,plasma.
just added a bigger compressor.
a/c in mancave.
got my fridge and the stereo blaring my favorite radio station.
its crowded ,but i find it comfy.once i roll out the studebaker it will be roomy again.
my metal storage building is 40x80,just trenched in an airline and hydro.
its too hot to play in this time of year.
 
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Dan

Staff
May 25, 2008
12,765
115
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58
Moosylvania
KC, really like your shop. That is a great parking rack! Must be great for those little, quick adjustments as well as longer work. To just pull it in and it is sturdy and steady must be really nice. Instead of putting it up on a work rack or bike stand.

I out grew the shop in the garage, so building a dedicated one in the back yard.



Really excited about it and is intended to be comfortable and conducive to ease of tinkering. Starting on the doors and roof as soon as this cup of coffee is done.
 

killercanuck

New Member
Dec 17, 2009
1,748
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Wallaceburg ON
When its time to build or rebuild, the kitchen table pulls double duty here.



The bucket is for soaking chains in oil. The cereal box is great for chucking garbage at without having to get up, heh heh.

I do have an eight drawer on wheels thing for putting tools away (when they do get put away :p)

Oh, and my bathroom doubles as shop space too. Drill Press, 5 1/2" Vise, and Bandsaw on an old wooden cabinet with some storage underneath for the grinders, Dremels, and Drills. Gotta get more shelves up in there someday.
 

bigbutterbean

Active Member
Jan 31, 2011
2,417
3
38
Lebanon, PA
You can see my "shop" in any recent pictures of my bike - its the sidewalk in front of my house. Occasionally, my wife allows me to work in our kitchen, but I cant bring the bike inside. Only parts that can be taken off the bike.
 

Greg58

Well-Known Member
May 1, 2011
5,353
2,575
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Newnan,Georgia
My shop is 30 x 30 with storage upstairs, I also have a 12 x 20 room on the back that has a refrig. microwave sink and tv, and a/c. and its still too small. i have to do what Tom does, move my truck out to work on something. With my classic truck boat two motorcycles four bicycles and lawn equipment you can understand why, I hope.
 

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Nashville Kat

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2009
1,501
55
48
Jacksonville, Florida
My shop is now a 10 x 12 back bedroom, which is a real improvement from a corner of the kitchen in the one bedroom apartment I'd lived in since being flooded out in '08. I'll move a few things out to the garage someday and my commuter bike maybe onto the porch when I get the door up- the windows are all in place, but the mosquitos are terrible and West Nile is out there....

Just painted that Huffy cruiser frame with Wal-Mart red anno- really nice paint, and ready now to clearcoat- got the frame last spring on Craigs for $10. It's identical to the orange 50 cc build.
 

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KCvale

Well-Known Member
Feb 28, 2010
3,966
57
48
Phoenix,AZ
I knew a lot of you guys were like me, proud of our shops because they have what we need where we expect them to be when we need them, be it a tool or a part.

Thanks for sharing guys as I aspire to grow my business but will always need that comfortable well organized shop stuff.

The only thing in the shop now is a completed 66cc shifter waiting for pick-up and my electric Caddy so it was a good time to clean and re-organize stuff again.

Even though I policed the floor for little parts and scraps the vacuum let me know I missed a lot as it banged and rattled around going in.

The shop floors thick padded carpet is nice, comfy and safe to walk around barefoot again and I love it ;-}
 

deskman

New Member
Aug 29, 2012
42
0
0
california
I haven't started putting together my engine yet, but I've been prepping my mountain bike for it..my shop is my university's scenic shop, its even in the name!
 

CTripps

Active Member
Aug 22, 2011
1,310
1
38
Vancouver, B.C.
My shop space is limited to a narrow strip down one side of the garage from the side door to the corner where my workbench is. The back wall is off the foundation, but the roof doesn't leak (anymore).

First pic, from outside the overhead door looking in.

Second, this is about all the open space I have, but it's not bad. If the weather's good I can move the trailer out, and another bike to make space. The black mats on the floor are from semi-trailers (they sometimes put pallets on them so loads won't slide).

Third, my workbench corner.

Fourth pic.. I bent some 1/4" dia. rod into S-hooks to get rims and tires out of the way.

Last pic, the workbench again. At the top you can see one of my Uniden system cameras (just to the left of the tires). That one sees everything from the doors back to the bench. It also lets the wife check on me or see if I'm home from work. ;) Another one on the side of the garage sees my car and the side door area.
 

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CTripps

Active Member
Aug 22, 2011
1,310
1
38
Vancouver, B.C.
The cameras are linked to a PC in the house with software that can record. That aspect is motion sensitive, so only only records if there's something happening it can see. The IR is pretty good, the one outside the garage has recorded bats at night. That Uniden kit cost about as much as a motor kit. For what we put into the bikes it's a worthwhile investment. Not a bad setup, I'm sure there are better but it works.