fatfranky
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| posted on 5/7/04 at 05:42 PM |
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Basic workshop provision
Following some comments in another thread i mentioned an old magazine article about equipping a basic lock up as a workshop and was asked to copy the
article which is listed below.
The magazine was called "Bug Power" and was a magazine dedicated to the good old VW Beetle. It was a very basic publication produced on a
part time basis by the Editor with limited advertising but had very good factual content, almost the forerunner of this type of forum!
The article is actually from a 1988 issue - even i was surprised how old it was, hope it is of some use: -
Workshop
This issue sees the start of a new regular series of items relating to working on your VW - workshop environment, technical manuals, tools and
techniques etc. We begin by looking at the working area itself
Whether you're building a full-house custom, competition car, restoration, or just keeping a "daily driver" healthy, somewhere
suitable to work on the car is an important facility. It must be said that a few worthy projects have been built in the street or driveway, in all
weathers, but having done it once it’s not an experience to repeat. If you've already got a double garage with mains supply, running water and
central heating you need read no further - you re wasting valuable working time: For most owners however, the best we can expect is a council lock-up
garage in which to operate on our beloved VWs.
Getting the workshop environment right plays an important part in the quality and efficiency of work you can do, and it pays to spend some time on
fitting Out the garage before you start on the car. Even if you're already underway it's worth spending a weekend sorting things out and
getting it right. A good Start is to whitewash the walls - a simple coat of paint brightens up the whole working area and makes best use of the
available light. It also encourages working cleanly and tidily. Not everyone’s idea of fun, but a good second step is to paint the floor with a
hardwearing stone paint. This keeps the concrete from persistently shedding dust and is easier to sweep clean. I did mine with a 2 inch brush to get
into all the nooks and crannies - finally convincing my friends and neighbours beyond any doubt that I'm not quite sane.
Next stage is to build a sturdy workbench and shelving. A properly designed and constructed assembly will be better in the long run than a quick
"lash-up", so spend the time and a bit of money on timber. The workbench should be strong enough to hold a couple of spare engines and
should be at a good working height. Build in a couple of specially reinforced strong points to take a vice or engine stand. You can bet that no matter
how much shelving you install, you will soon fill it with all those spares that inevitably accumulate. Build the shelving strong enough to ensure that
everything stays put and doesn't come crashing down on your head (or worse, on your car at some unexpected moment. Additional storage space
can be provided by looping a couple of strong ropes between rafters along the sidewalls. Hang things up using butchers hooks for easy removal.
A few ancillaries complete the picture for your workshop. First thing is a fire extinguisher - you may need it one day: (get a 2.5 kg BCF unit at
least, aerosols are useless). A bucket of sand is a good back-up and is also useful for soaking up and brushing away oil spills. Few lock-ups even
have access to mains electric but a passable lighting system can be rigged up with a spare battery and a couple of 12V strip lights or inspection
lamps. Portable generators are beyond most enthusiasts pockets, but its worth hiring one for that special weekend bodywork project or similar. If you
insist on working through the winter months an old paraffin or bottled gas heater will keep you on the right side of hypothermia, but be extra careful
of the fire risk. An old filing cabinet or chest of drawers is ideal for storing tools and spares. A blackboard and chalk is useful for making running
notes and reminders ("lent Tools to Jim 22.10.73" etc. An old portable radio will keep you in touch with the outside world during those
long winter evenings decoking cylinder heads etc. Most workshops have a discrete milk bottle tucked away in a corner - saves those long treks back to
the house (especially frequent in cold weather), but lady enthusiasts may have to make different arrangements. Finally, make sure that the doors are
equipped with a sturdy latch and padlock to make sure all those valuable tools and parts stay your rightful property. Some insurance policies can be
modified to cover tools and parts, either on the House or Car insurance and is a wise precaution.
P.S. Don't forget to leave room for the car:
Ok life has changed a lot in 16 years, didn't Aldi or Lidl have generators for less than £100 not so long ago?
Also the comment about the padlock, from bitter personal experience i can say that all that Low-Lifes do to get past a padlock is place a screwdriver
through the loop and twist. I believe that most insurabce companies now insist on some form of Mortice/Rimlock where there is nothing open to
prying.
I appreciate that a lot of you have very well equipped workshops, but perhaps you could give some pointers to the other blokes working out of council
lock ups etc. And hopefully this post can be built on.
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madforfishing
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| posted on 5/7/04 at 08:30 PM |
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Franky,
I run my build out of a lock-up with no heat, no power & no water. It's no fun, I tell you.
For power I use cordless tools when I can, else I take my 1KVA portable genny, it runs lights in the evening too.
The articles' point about 'whitewashing the walls' is a good one, makes SO much difference when you have no windows.
So, you gathered now that the doors are open & as I said before, I have no heating. - Was great fun last Winter, so much so that I ended up in
Hospital with Pneumonia, nice.
Still smiling though.
Just got a restorable bargain of a trailer off EBay for £100.
My last 2punnysworth...
Make a big shadow-board for your tools and hang everything up.
Clean up, at least once a week.
Keep a packet of baby-wipes in your lockup so you don't put oily palmprints on your cars' interior on the way home.
Take a flask...'I'll only be an hour, love' - YEAH RIGHT.
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Northy
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| posted on 5/7/04 at 09:03 PM |
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Carpet! 
I've got two layers of carpet down on the floor of my garage. It makes a hell of a difference. Concrete get very cold and can cause condensation
to form on the bottom of the chassis (or something like that), carpet helps to stop that.
Alsoit makes lying on your back working on the car sooooo much nicer
If you don't want it to get ruined too quickly, put cardboard down near your bench and under the car to mop up those leaks. 
Cheers
Graham
Website under construction. Help greatfully received as I don't really know what I'm doing!
"If a man says something in the woods and there are no women there, is he still wrong?"
Built 2L 8 Valve Vx Powered Avon
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