rodger. Posted September 12, 2015 Report Share Posted September 12, 2015 I always clean my wifes car off after mine - keeps her happy about the garage! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cliff Posted September 13, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 13, 2015 I think you'll find I have no idea what an engine block heater is. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpt life Posted September 13, 2015 Report Share Posted September 13, 2015 Cliff, there are plugged ports in the engine block that facilitate casting. One of those plugs can be knocked out to receive a low heat unit that just keeps the oil warm enough to allow the engine crank speed to stay up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted September 13, 2015 Report Share Posted September 13, 2015 Dude, if you live anywhere it gets to -20*, how could you not? They are common in diesels. It is a heating element that attaches to your engine, sometimes by replacing one of the freeze plugs. A short power cord is routed from it to the grill / front bumper area (usually). Plug it into your home electrical at night, keeps the engine somewhat warm and ready to run on the cold, cold mornings. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cliff Posted September 13, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 13, 2015 Well, couple of reasons - I only buy new cars, so they start in the cold pretty well (I think thats a thing right? Old cars don't like cold?) With the exception of four years, I have been parking in a garage for the last 15 years. So this will be my first year out of a garage again. I have had remote start on the last 4 vehicles. And, it does get to -20 (-40 with wind chill) but it's not normal. Couple of years ago it was -10 or lower for like a month and that was brutal, but my car always started right away.I know how to put gas in my car and that is just where my knowledge ends! In my defense, I come from an entire family of people that are mechanics or DIY mechanics. So someone is always around to help me out, and I fix their computers. So the good part is that if I end up getting an engine block heater, someone I know will be able to hook it up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpt life Posted September 13, 2015 Report Share Posted September 13, 2015 Gas motors do start more readily in the cold. Block heaters do tend to be a diesel thing. So do pony motors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodbutcher74 Posted September 14, 2015 Report Share Posted September 14, 2015 FWIW, I had a 280 Z and had an engine heater that I installed. You just cut a heater hose and installed the heater where you cut the hose. The heater circulated the anti-freeze through the engine block and kept everything stayed nice and warm. It was great, the heater in the car blew warm air as so as you started it up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted September 17, 2015 Report Share Posted September 17, 2015 I'm just starting out and hoping to put together a shop and your post opened up my eyes to a lot of things I'll need to consider! Thanks for posting this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cliff Posted September 19, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 19, 2015 Resupply!I had some serious delays cause we got 3 tons of dirt dropped off in the yard. I had to put in two window wells then start moving dirt to change the grading on the side of my house. Luckily it rained yesterday so the dirt was too wet to move today - and it's 70 out. So I got a ton done today. I had put studs in last weekend for this wall, so I quickly got the insulation in and put up the drywall. Hopefully tomorrow I can put studs in for the final wall and have drywall done by next week. Also wrapped my fuse box incoming wires in conduit to prep that area for drywall. It's awesome to see stuff come together and I might even be qualified to put up drywall by the time this project is done. Too bad I wasn't before. Worst part is that even after the walls are done, there is still the ceiling and floor to worry about and a giant winter sized deadline. Probably by mid-December it will be too cold to work in the garage, or take tools out to store in driveway to do the floor. So that leaves me almost 3 months to get moving. And still finish my smoker cart - which i'd have the wood for had WIFE not confiscated money for our vacation in two weeks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisphr Posted September 20, 2015 Report Share Posted September 20, 2015 And still finish my smoker cart - which i'd have the wood for had WIFE not confiscated money for our vacation in two weeks! Those wives and their vacations... Pssffft. Progress looking great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coop Posted September 20, 2015 Report Share Posted September 20, 2015 Just think of the progress you'll make while your wife is on vacation? Looking good Cliff! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cliff Posted September 20, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 20, 2015 Just think of the progress you'll make while your wife is on vacation? Looking good Cliff!"Honey, have a good time. I know that what happens in Door County, Wisconsin stays in Door County, Wisconsin so I won't ask any questions." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted September 21, 2015 Report Share Posted September 21, 2015 This is inspiring me SO much to get my shop put together!!!! Thanks for posting this!!!!!! I hope to post the results of my shop build too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cliff Posted May 31, 2016 Author Report Share Posted May 31, 2016 Rather than start a new thread, I am resurrecting this one as I never actually finished overhauling my shop. Still have the ceiling and floor to go. Build a sheet goods/cut off cart today. Misread the instructions a bit so it's not exactly according to directions. I don't care, it came out ok, does what it's supposed to do. It has room for about 3-4 full sheets of 3/4" plywood (I've never had more than one full sheet in my shop at a time.) And then the cutoff area. My theory is that once that is full, I am not keeping anything else. I left the 2x4's long on purpose with this. I think I'm going to use them to hold a few things. In fact, I had to go through my current cut off container, which is a big trashcan - turns out almost everything in there is too small to keep anyway. Weird how a 12" piece of maple is priceless when you first start. I made this from the same plans Jay Bates did. The best part about it is that it slides right in behind the jointer. The downside is that I can't even fit a sheet of plywood in at the moment because my mdf is there for my assembly table build that I haven't started. So.. guess what is going to be coming up soon? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BKeys Posted May 31, 2016 Report Share Posted May 31, 2016 Just went through this thread...I enjoy watching things like this go together. It is looking good. I built my own shop and would like to post pics at some point but it's just too much of a mess at this point. I'm in the process of building the cabinets and lumber carts etc also. Your shop will be full of things you will wish you would have done different, things other people will say you should have done different and some they will be right and some you will change. But in the end your shop will be your shop..you built it and that will mean tons to you that many people won't understand. A thought on your floor...if you build a floating floor over it you definitely wont be able to pull a car in...I know you can't afford a tear out and new floor but...sometimes you can get away with a chemical etching of the old floor, putting a bonding agent on it then pouring a skim coat. Will be much cheaper than a new floor and strong enough that a car could be pulled in if you ever decide to allow that!!! I'd certainly consult a professional concrete guy on that idea but I think it would work...a few hundred dollars vs a few thousand...if you diy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cliff Posted June 1, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 1, 2016 9 minutes ago, BKeys said: Just went through this thread...I enjoy watching things like this go together. It is looking good. I built my own shop and would like to post pics at some point but it's just too much of a mess at this point. I'm in the process of building the cabinets and lumber carts etc also. Your shop will be full of things you will wish you would have done different, things other people will say you should have done different and some they will be right and some you will change. But in the end your shop will be your shop..you built it and that will mean tons to you that many people won't understand. A thought on your floor...if you build a floating floor over it you definitely wont be able to pull a car in...I know you can't afford a tear out and new floor but...sometimes you can get away with a chemical etching of the old floor, putting a bonding agent on it then pouring a skim coat. Will be much cheaper than a new floor and strong enough that a car could be pulled in if you ever decide to allow that!!! I'd certainly consult a professional concrete guy on that idea but I think it would work...a few hundred dollars vs a few thousand...if you diy. As long as I own this place, it will never have a car in it again. And when I move I can remove the floating floor. I don't know much about concrete but a site I went to seemed to indicate that there is no fixing damage as bad as mine. So far I've done nothing but I'm starting to think more and more about tearing it out completely and doing a re-pour. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BKeys Posted June 1, 2016 Report Share Posted June 1, 2016 That would be the correct way to do it and a smart choice for resale. Anybody looking to buy will view that as a pretty daunting and necessary repair. Also, no idea how old your house is but if the concrete is busted up that bad, I'm guessing that it is old enough that they probably didn't put any insulation or vapor barrier under the floor before they poured it. This would be a great opportunity....I put 2" foam insulation under my floor and it has been huge. No condensation coming through and there is quite a bit of heat loss/transfer from the concrete to the ground that gets prevented. You could also put some floor recepticals in if you would like! Anyhow good luck and I'm sure you will get it all figured out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Cancelleri Posted June 1, 2016 Report Share Posted June 1, 2016 In Canada a fair bit of Honda's come with them installed already. The engine block is also a little thicker to reduce the chance of the block cracking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cliff Posted June 2, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 2, 2016 8 hours ago, BKeys said: That would be the correct way to do it and a smart choice for resale. Anybody looking to buy will view that as a pretty daunting and necessary repair. Also, no idea how old your house is but if the concrete is busted up that bad, I'm guessing that it is old enough that they probably didn't put any insulation or vapor barrier under the floor before they poured it. This would be a great opportunity....I put 2" foam insulation under my floor and it has been huge. No condensation coming through and there is quite a bit of heat loss/transfer from the concrete to the ground that gets prevented. You could also put some floor recepticals in if you would like! Anyhow good luck and I'm sure you will get it all figured out! Oh for sure there is no vapor barrier, there are several sections I can see the ground through 2" wide cracks. It's pretty bad but it's also a huge expense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BKeys Posted June 2, 2016 Report Share Posted June 2, 2016 I hear ya...we are getting bids right now for a 24x36 patio. It's a mess to get into but a rented concrete saw and jack hammer you could demo the floor yourself and that would save a huge expense...we are also getting ready to add a 2 car attached garage in front of our current 1.5 detached. That floor is gonna come out and I will probably demo the floor and have a company come in and pour the new one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cliff Posted June 2, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 2, 2016 Yup, and that's what we'll do if we do a repour. I'll demo it myself. Of course, finding a place for all the tools is going to be annoying. I'm concerned I'll have to rent a pod. Add that expense to the roughly $2000 to pour the concrete and it's not a good day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cliff Posted June 3, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 3, 2016 8 hours ago, Mike. said: Cliff - one option might be to patch the big cracks and then use these dri-core tiles on top. Assuming you can make concrete sub floor relatively flat, these tiles are strong enought to bridge small gaps and install pretty easily. I used them for a small basement subfloor and installed in about 5 hours with minimal tools. it is a floating system, all you need to do is cut the perimeter tiles to fit and everything locks in place. You do not need to put anything on top. If you want, you could seal with a floor poly. They add a small amount of insulation and cushioning as well. They work out to ~$1.40 sq/ft. Yes, a complete demo and repour is a better option. But its not really adding any value to your house. No one is going to pay an extra $6,000 (or whatever that will cost) because your garage has a new concrete floor. http://www.homedepot.com/p/DRIcore-7-8-in-x-2-ft-x-2-ft-DRIcore-Subfloor-Panel-CDGNUS750024024/202268752?cm_mmc=Shopping|THD|G|0|G-BASE-PLA-D21-Lumber|&gclid=CjwKEAjwsr-6BRCLvrj785rbhTsSJADjUxaksi8jieDadZMP3S2zH9QhA7hOlq3Rw7CeEzSfGKTC3xoCfQLw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds I don't think they will work, though I'm hardly a source of knowledge on this. I have some pics that show the damage a bit- In this, starting right under the 4x4's the floor slopes downward about 2 inches. This is where I have my bench currently. Huge pain in the butt. As I'm sure you can tell, this is way back when I started. This is a good pic of a good section of the floor. It's not terrible here, like.. yeah it's cracked and stupid, but relatively flat is possible with what is visible here. Similar area- On the other side of the garage, right under the new lumber cart there is a 10" wide gaping hole that is around 2 inches deep. At the rear of the garage the concrete floor ends completely, there is a 10" gap that goes down about 6" to dirt, then you can see the cinder blocks that the garage is supported on. I mean.. it's just a mess Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Bob Posted June 3, 2016 Report Share Posted June 3, 2016 11 hours ago, Cliff said: Yup, and that's what we'll do if we do a repour. I'll demo it myself. Of course, finding a place for all the tools is going to be annoying. I'm concerned I'll have to rent a pod. Add that expense to the roughly $2000 to pour the concrete and it's not a good day. Cliff I rented a shipping container to store my tools in while I built my shop. They were stored for about 18 months. The cost was $85.00 a month. I had some surface rust, but that was because it was a very rushed move and I didn't treat the cast as well as I should have. Might be an option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cliff Posted June 3, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 3, 2016 1 minute ago, Just Bob said: Cliff I rented a shipping container to store my tools in while I built my shop. They were stored for about 18 months. The cost was $85.00 a month. I had some surface rust, but that was because it was a very rushed move and I didn't treat the cast as well as I should have. Might be an option. Wow that really isn't bad. I wonder if that is available in my area. I guess if I had to I could rent a storage unit. Just a lot of work to move things there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted June 3, 2016 Report Share Posted June 3, 2016 Before you rent, check the cost of just buying one. I have a couple of "pre-owned" overseas shipping containers in use for storage at work. A 20' standard model was under $2000, and a 40' "high-cube" (a bit more than a foot taller) model was just $2600, delivered to the site. These are in perfectly good condition, looks like they made maybe one trip across the pond. When you are done, re-sell and recoup a lot of the cost, or use it as a lumber shed. Some folks even bury them for storm shelters. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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