Top products from r/garageporn

1. A good heavy workbench shout out to r/workbenches
   
   
   
   
2. A good strong vise attached to that bench. You want one with a covered screw like this not like this The screw gets filings and crap in it and binds up.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. Good bright lights I have 8 of these in my two car and it's insanely bright like a hospital in there.
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. Some kind of entertainment like a TV or stereo, bonus if you can cast Youtube videos to it.
   
   
   
   
   
   
5. Well organized tool storage, you don't want to be digging around looking for something with greasy oily hands. I clearly labeled every drawer of my toolbox. So if I'm under a car and I ask someone to grab me a wrench they can also find it quicker.
   
   
   
   
   
   
6. Some kind of climate control even if it's just a big fan and a kerosene heater.
   
   
   
   
   
7. A good shopvac

In my opinion, if you paid $3K for that little workbench and additions, you've lost your mind.

What do you have there really? A whole 8 sq.ft. of work space if you clear everything off? How can you sit back and be ok with that for $3K? My workbench is probably more than twice that length at 9' and deeper as well. It's made of birch hardwood with steel legs and if given some moderate care will outlive me. I probably have about $700 in that workbench. I'm all pegboarded out as well. You got a monitor up but in spending $3K you still don't have anything hooked up to it?? And what are you going to spend on a Mac mini, another $800? I snagged an aging gaming PC off of Craigslist for $120 which will handle YouTube and whatever other garage shit I throw at it quite easily. Snagged a 1080 ultrawide monitor on there for super cheap as well and mounted it on a VESA swivel mount. Your lighting is truly terrible. You have one light bar going across the top? Even in the video thumbnail you can see all the shadows being cast in that dimly lit area. Do yourself a favor and grab some of these. They'll make your garage as bright as the surface of the Sun and you'll never think about lighting again.

Hey man, i know it has been 3 weeks since you have posted this, but I too have had similar issues. I have an idea of what would be ideal, but have had too much life going on to do anything about it.

I was thinking of buying a used makeup mirror with a light ring, and replacing the mirror with a magnifying glass and attaching it to the articulating arm of a lamp. It would end up something like this. I am a cheap ass and think it is too much money for something I can build myself from some thrift store items, but you may not be as cheap as me or in need of the magnifying glass.

Anyways, good luck and let me know what you came up with

The bench I built using 2x6s and treated 4x4. The top is just two 3/4 inch boards. I moved the electrical from the side of the tool boxes to the front of the bench. I can still roll the tool boxes out and use them as a bench top as well. The craftsman tool box holds the majority of my hand tools. The big drawers of the husky toolboxes hold most of the power tools. The small drawers I have containers (link below) that hold nuts, bolts, washers, glue, fittings, consumables, etc. They fit in the drawers nicely.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079NDQDG8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_3iZTCb7KDGG4Q
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01K2GTM5A/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_NjZTCbPX09EEP

I have smart bulbs (GE Wink Bulbs) in all my exterior lights that are connected to a Samsung SmartThings Hub. They all turn on a sundown and turn off at sunrise. Works great.

Put these over the switches and I dont mess with them at all: https://www.amazon.com/Light-Switch-Guard-Cover-Plates/dp/B078PPG44X

You can also get smart switches which operate with any bulb and can still be manually turned on/off at the switch without casing any issues with the automation.

One more tip - Replace the single-bulb light fixtures with some LED shop lights. You can buy them cheap from Amazon, and they can typically be daisy-chained together VERY easily. Good lighting will make things so much nicer during the long winter nights. I bought these for my project.

Edit: added Amazon link

Had a similar apartment in Austin some time back. They don't really insulate those garages too much, so the first thing to do is insulate the garage door as much as you can. I used stuff like this in the past:

https://www.amazon.com/Atlas-EPS-Matador-Insulation-Designed/dp/B008OPLHVE/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=Garage+Door+Insulation&qid=1562622712&s=gateway&sr=8-4

Now, with that sealed up some more, the next recommendation makes sense. Get one of those rolling A/C units like this:

https://www.amazon.com/rolling-air-conditioner/s?k=rolling+air+conditioner

And I'd get some wood/ply to clamp into the bottom 6" of the garage door with a duct exit hole for the exhaust vent.

The only other reco - it will take a LOOOONG time to cool down from 140 to 80 out there, so if you can set a timer to cool it a few hours before your work time that would make it a lot more bearable.

it SUCKS to detail a car and drip salt water on it. Good luck.

definitely you got options here. Personally I use these and a chromecast. That way I can just yell out what music I want and it starts playing. Great for greasy or gloved hands

https://www.amazon.com/Ibera-Horizontal-Bicycle-Storage-Adjustable/dp/B00MJCSBJ4/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=bike+hanger&qid=1565824651&s=gateway&sr=8-2

Works great, and adjustable.

Already rocking one of these. :)

https://www.amazon.ca/Fahrenheat-FUH54-240-Volt-Garage-5000-Watt/dp/B0000AXEZV/ref=pd_sbs_60_t_2/140-4560975-3835063?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B0000AXEZV&pd_rd_r=a260f01a-f48d-4802-8e89-d3093ff27585&pd_rd_w=VBdf1&pd_rd_wg=IqCOg&pf_rd_p=9926bb69-42b9-46e4-b788-f665992e326d&pf_rd_r=W6MXX4XPFFBN2AH2T43A&psc=1&refRID=W6MXX4XPFFBN2AH2T43A

Would something like this work? https://www.amazon.com/Adjustable-Storage-System-Holders-Organizer/dp/B07FT5RHS8/

There are plenty of options to give you Bluetooth for not much more! Either a Bluetooth adapter or buy the speakers separately and get something like this . I can’t personally vouch for the quality of the amp but you get the idea.

Why pull one when you can pull two, just in case ;)

I also upgraded home/shop wifi to a full mesh using these. https://www.amazon.ca/UBIQUITI-UAP-AC-LITE-Unifi-Wireless-Access/dp/B01DRM6MLI Seamless transition from home to garage wifis

Wexstar WS-8WUS Infrared Panel Heater 800W White https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JJT61WG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_fYF0Db22DDQ42 maybe one or two of these and instal them in the ceiling?

These are the ones I have. I also have some of the Olsa single rails. High quality aluminum.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0776Z4ZTQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_CoDWCbZPMT2M6

Fleximount also has hooks (sold separately) to use on the racks.

FLEXIMOUNTS Add-On Storage Hooks

These are great for quickly throwing out a ton of heat, but no thermostat. It's either on or off and it's manual.

Dyna-Glo RMC-FA60DGD 30,000 - 60,000 BTU Liquid Propane Forced Air Heater https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0044R8Y5I/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_sHQACbN962RT7