32 replies to this topic

[JacckKirk]

So winters coming up fast & the look of a new project on the horizon i need some help
I have myself a garage but it has no electricity or water etc
At the moment i have a trolley jack , tool chest , a work bench & a welder
So my question for you lovely people
can anyone recommend a portable rechargeable light thatll light the garage up?
Any other tools/equipment i should be looking into ?
Did look at axel stands etc as i will be taking on a full resto

[big-jay]

I've been toying with the idea of renting a small garage myself and getting another project to do.

I was thinking of making a roll over jig to put the car on while I'm carrying out the work. I'm also looking at using a diesel generator to provide me with power, and an decent air compressor and the air tools to match.

Just a few ideas, maybe might help you out.

[Ben_O]

when i got my first garage at 14, i bought a 3 lamp light fitting from Argos, the sort that you put on the ceiling in your house and bought some 12v inspection lamp bulbs for it. I then wired it to a 12v leisure battery and screwed it to the rafter of the garage. It wasn't brilliant but was better than nothing.

 

If you are serious about using a garage that has no power to do a restoration though, you really should think about either a generator or a friendly neighbour who will run you an extension lead for a small fee?

 

My garage now has power, lighting and heating but only one florescent tube on the ceiling at the back half of the garage so working in there when it is dark outside can be a bit gloomy at the front end.

 

Light is everything. If you can't see what you are doing, then you wont have a chance!

 

I don't think i would bother with a garage with no power unless you have the chance to run a genny, or you won't get anywhere.

 

Like jay said, a diesel generator is great as it will put out enough juice to run the welder etc but they are expensive to buy.

 

As for tools, what you have should be fine to start with. Don't make the mistake of buying a load of tools that you might not even use.

 

When i first started out i had a set of spanners, a set of screwdrivers and a small socket set. As i went on, i just bought the tools i needed as i needed them.

 

Ben

[Carlos W]

 Don't make the mistake of buying a load of tools that you might not even use.
 

Who would do such a thing?

Oh yeah, me!

[Covert]

Been there done that, its not the lighting issue jack its the power problem, lighting can easily be sorted with a couple of leisure batterys running 12 v led lights from caravans , they last ages !
Power on the other hand will be your main issue , as said above the easiest is getting someone to run you an lead across , as if you want to weld from a generator , they are very big and very expensive , all the best

[filski]

Jack look around local farms alot of farmers let out units for a decent price infact for about similar price as the garage taht you are getting all most all of them have electricity and lighting pre installed. Regards

[jpw1275]

A kettle and endless supply of biscuits !! Forget the tools

Cheers j

[Craig89]

If I needed to light a garage without electricity I would get some 12V LED flood lights like this one:

http://www.amazon.co...8&robot_redir=1

And run them off a car battery. 30W ones are considerably better than the 10W but obviously you don't want ones too power hungry. Either way LESs will last a good while off a car battery

[Chance]

I really need a garage or a unit but I can only find commercial rate ones local to me

Not really any farms around Dudley unless I start traveling furthur

Where else can I look for a unit at a sensible price? Is there such a thing..

[jpw1275]

Do you have room for a container ? You can get them pretty cheap these days..... just a thought...:0)

Cheers james

[JacckKirk]

Alright guys
Wont be doing any welding in the garage but was looking at a sandblaster
Main thing for now is light and making sure i have the tools

[blacktulip]

get one of those flat LED inspection torches. they are very good and give off a true light, plus you can face the light directly at the object without it blinding you like a traditional bulb inspection torch would. they are around £5. also one of those mats to lay down on will make all the difference when it gets cold. plus a fleece neck sock.

[Black.Ghost]

I've just managed to blag myself a workbench of sorts and some metal racking, which I will secure to the wall, from work for free. That should help a lot with space and it will mean I can unload all the stuff stored in the Rover at the moment....

 

Other than that, I intend putting some kind of heater in the garage over the winter but I don't really need anything else at this stage. I have a couple of engines, and I have never rebuilt one so stripping and rebuilding those (or one of them at least) will be my winter project. See what else I can do in there as well. The girlfriend will be working weekends a lot so should have a bit of time to mess around in there.

[Ben_O]

Where is the Garage Jack?

[JacckKirk]

Just down the road from my house