Garage

[Mark (smokey mow)]

Would you include it in the build or slot it in after and brace it on the lintels etc (no building inspector or steel calls to mess around with)

get the builders to put it in as part of the build, it's much easier than putting it in after and structurally would be better that way. I retrofitted mine myself and can't do without it, I went for a chain hoist and girder trolley rather than electric. The steel was less than £100 and the hoist and trolley cosy another £50. Big advantage for me is that it takes up less room than an engine crane.

[Tommygun]

Good advice

Know a fair few riggers and can source ex-hire (event and trussing etc) chain hoists for not much cash

[Paul Hurdsfield - Joint Manchester AO]

A radio

[Sparkymart]

[TAFKARM]

[Lyonspride]

The best thing I ever did to the previous garage was painting it white and improving the lighting (is that two things?). The best thing I've improved at the current garage, aside from sticking the Westfield in it, is again lighting. A moveable work lamp this time for localised light.

 

This ^^

Grab some white masonry paint, you won't regret it.

[bigals]

[Sparkymart]

Internet and an old laptop, comes in really handy when you get a problem and need to jump on here

[Captain Colonial]

A fridge with beer in it. Obviously!

[7sRWild]

Workbench, pillar drill, multi level tool box, kettle, tele, supply of Westfield magazines and her in doors locked out!

[AdamR]

Decent quality head torch.

[wilsonch]

What you need are sockets, lots of sockets. To power everything everthing that has been mentioned. Get some fused spurs put in for the things that won't move, the compressor, pillar drill things like that.

Also plan storage racks, rails, boxes because you will amass all manor of things.....especially tools.

And another vote for the lighting and floor paint.

[CraigHew]

I've got my garage kitted out fairly well for my tools etc, considering half our house content is also stored in there.

 

What I have been promising myself for 5 years is floor paint.  A nice grey colour.

 

Still haven't got round to it but your thread may spur me on.

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

As has been said, for the basics, you can never have too many lights or too many sockets. You need a distribution board (DB) in the garage so that your breakers are all to hand, and it's easy then to run a ring in for the sockets. Consider a second, heavy-duty ring with the blue, 32 Amp sockets on for welders, compressors etc. (Though if you plan on using air a lot, I wouldn't put the compressor straight in the garage, they can be noisy b*******s, and will soon heat up a closed garage if in heavy use - nice in winter, but a pain in summer. A well ventilated, secure secondary building is handy for siting them.)

As much bench space as you can, it's amazing where it all goes!

But as for tools and other specifics, it really depends what you're doing. For bodywork, (grp), Dremmels, power files, multi tools, da sanders - go for an air powered type and it can be used with wet and dry, wet! Are all really handy. If it's more mechanical stuff on engines etc, then in addition to the usual hand tools, you'll need a few specialised assembly/disassembly tools, as well as a rook of measuring equipment.

Fabrication on the other hand, welder, drill press, cut-off saw is nice, too, linisher, shaping and forming tools...

The list goes on.

Fortunately, if it's for a Westfield, they've been designed so that if you have a relatively standard kit, it can be maintained and looked after to a good standard with little more than "standard" tool kit type tools.

Oh, and just to go back to the lighting, consider how you plan to use the garage, i.e. Lights over benches so that you're not working in your own shadow! If detailing is your bag, then as well as the ceiling lights, consider a waist level, or lower, second ring of lights to light the lower halves of cars, without too many shadows!

(TBH, on any new build or major refit, I'd take painted walls and sealed or covered floor as a given!)

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

I've got my garage kitted out fairly well for my tools etc, considering half our house content is also stored in there.

 

What I have been promising myself for 5 years is floor paint.  A nice grey colour.

 

Still haven't got round to it but your thread may spur me on.

Yeah, if you don't get the floor treatments out of the way at the beginning, it can become an unfaceable task when the garage starts bursting at the seams. It's the one thing I really regret not getting round to, but the garage is just so full these days, it's never going to happen.