Finally, a real workshop
 

For the past ten years, I've promised myself a dedicated workshop for my various wrenching projects. Originally it was planned for motorcycle work. In the past five years, full time bicycle mechanics have taken over, and while there's still some motorcycle specific tools and stands, it's now the bicycle shop that I've always wanted since the days of A.R. Adams Cycle.

The shop itself is a 12x22' garage drop-in shed. I couldn't go any deeper since my property line is 22.5' feet from the driveway edge at that point:

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q...p/Exterior.jpg

However, I've managed to set it up efficiently with everything reasonably at-hand, and enough room for two bikes to be worked on simultaneously. Of course it's fully insulated, and there's a kerosene heater hidden behind the tool boxes.

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q...heEntrance.jpg

What really made it is my inheriting my late father-in-law's workshop. Frank Hochmuth was both a steam engineer with a number of patents to his credit, and an extremely good machinist. As I am totally untutored in the use of a lathe, I advised him to sell his (which he did), but the rest was left for me to pick through. Which gave me stuff like drill press corner

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q...ressCorner.jpg

Of course, there's a well organized parts department (haven't had a chance to label the trays - that's in process)

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q...Department.jpg

Various tool boxes (black is American tools, motorcycle specific, and miscellaneous; red is metric and bicycle specific, wood is taps & dies). The low bench behind it is my motorcycle workstand. I fold up the bicycle stand, pull it out and tack on the ramp.

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q.../Toolboxes.jpg

I'm running two work stands, both Spin Doctor - their good one which gets most of the use, and their bottom line cheapie (folded out of sight) which I'll pull out for a second bike, or if I'm going to be doing some heavy wrenching on the bottom bracket. I'm am seriously considering a heavy duty, bolt-to-the-floor, shop stand sometime in the future.

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q...nWorkstand.jpg

The biggest help, though, is the old Craftsman work bench which replaced my home made one (it's outside of the back door - I'll be building a small porch off it this fall, and using the outside bench for stuff I'd rather not risk inside).

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q.../Workbench.jpg

And the woodworking saws have been temporarily (yeah, right) moved into the wife's garden shed, which is also storage for any bikes in line for being worked on. Well, I've only got a finite amount of space. Damn that property line - I would have really liked to have gone the full 40' deep, which was the maximum the company I bought the shed from could supply.

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q...GardenShed.jpg

Finally, there's the other owners of the shop - Manson's Family, the family of stray cats that moved underneath back in July. They're still feral, and the little black one, named Squeak, is the only really people friendly one of the bunch (he's spends his evenings sitting or laying next to me when I work), However, we all get along well, and there hasn't been any mouse problems in the garage or sheds since they arrived.

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q...sonsFamily.jpg

One final picture, totally non-bicycle related: Just to give you an idea of what kind of guy my wife's father was, I kept the last hobby project he was working on at the time of his death. It's a small two cylinder, two-stroke engine that he was building from scratch until his failing health stopped work on it. He was in the process of designing the intake system when work was stopped. This motor is 7" long from flywheel to end of the main shaft, and 7" high. That's a quick release to the right and behind it, for size comparison.

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q...anksEngine.jpg

Yeah, I got some inspiration there, as well of a sense that I'd better do a good job on all my mechanic work.

One word: Whoa...

what a great space, I am very jealous ideed. interesting little motor. a nice heavy stand like apark pro or 'shop stand' would be an excellent addition. however I would not bolt it to the floor, that kind of limits you and can make cleanup and other things harder. I was considering gettin one and mounting it to either the plastic base or a 3'x3' peice of 3/4" plywood about 4" out from one corner. it should be vey stable and still movable that way.

OH are the cats helpers or hinderers?

that is awesome!

i'm so jealsous.

I have dreamed oh having a workshop like yours since I started riding, you're a lucky dude! I like the engine too, I have been messing around with glow plug engines lately and they're fun to play around with.

Wow Sykerocker - That is a model of organization !

(What is it like to not spend hours looking for a cable stop you put in some box last year?)

That is just outstanding. I hope to one day have a little section of my garage set up and I hope it is somewhat close to that sweet setup you have.

Need you to stop by and get my disaster area organized. Well done!

As a side note, my workshop converted from a home motorcycle workshop to a bicycle shop a few years back.


bill

Very nice setup Syke, I'm inspired to get more organized! At the moment, my cluttered garage is more embarrassing than impressive...

Very nice, indeed! Very organized and functional.
The only change I'd make would be to suspend a Park bike clamp from the rafters in lieu of the floorstander. I've seen a number of creative applications and like the clear floor space it provides. A buddy of mine put his on an armature that could easily be swung above head level when not in use.
I like the cats.

This is one of those times I think about leaving the city. WOW what I could do with that space!

I'm not only envious, I'm also inspired.

I was parts manager for Ducati Richmond for the first half of this decade, three years backroom queen for the parts department for Honda House Marine. I tend to be obsessive on organization - primarily because, left to my own devices, I'm incredibly disorganized. You should be around me when the system temporarily fails. Wylie Coyote was subtle in his mistakes compared to me.

Oh yeah, when I'm not a parts guy, I'm a bookkeeper. Yes, I actually enjoy spending hours finding the one little mistake that service made in their monthly report . . . .

And this is what happens when you've spent your twenties doing lots of drugs. So much for the horror stories.

DAMN!!!!!! Now that's something I hadn't thought of. OK, I can forget sleep tonight. It's time to start designing . . . . . . . . . . . .

I'm torn on the stand idea. The thought of something bolted to a floor has it's pluses, usually when you're about to wield a combination of BFH and socket with breaker bar. In between stints as a bicycle mechanic, I spent a lot of time wrenching vintage Triumphs and Harleys. Subtlety is not a term I'm terribly familiar with when a bolt sticks. I've been toying with the idea of some kind of recessed bolts in the floor, with the stand base either flush with the floor or easily removable.

Forgot to mention in the original post: I've been studying books on brazing frames. It's the only bicycle dream I haven't tried. That was part of the initial inspiration, and I deliberately had the shed only wired 115/120v so I wouldn't get tempted to start playing with a welder. Torches only.

remember to use the torches outside, plywood floors & molten metal spatter make a nasty combo.

P S Great bike shop, very impressive.

That is way too neat... :)

Well done ... :thumb:

Not only great and organized, but... I could live in there, happily, if there is food inside, too.

wow, nice setup. I have a couple of those wood tool boxes also.. nice.

Why do you have to live so far away.............I pay in 6 packs LOL

That is such an awesome set up

The cube fridge to the right of the workbench is full of bheer . . . . . . . always.

Very nice, I wish my 12x24 shop ( which is like yours in build ) was that organized also. I have been reorganizing it for the last few months after I picked up a very large glass bead/sandblast cabinet. Mine also serves triple duty as a bicycle shop a motorcycle shop and a power equipment repair shop so trying to find a place for everything ( and remembering where it is ) can be frustrating to say the least. I really like your parts bins looks nice and easy to find stuff and professional looking to boot( I use parts boxes made from cardboard ) Is your shop going to be heated and if so what type of heater are you going to use.
Glenn

Very impressive. I always think I am ahead of the game with a workbench and stand in the garage, until I see a thread like this.