Mid-rise Scissors Lift in Action

The Atlas Scissors Lift comes in very handy for servicing lawnmowers and snow blowers. I built a 4’ x 8’ platform that sits on the lift and becomes an adjustable height work surface. This allows a snow blower oil change to take place at waist level.

Remackel Trailer... The Best Tool Ever!

Earlier on these pages I started a list of "must have" tools for a well equipped garage. Creating the list inevitably caused me to reflect upon which I regard to be the Best Tool Ever. Taking a few important attributes of a great tool into account…

• Number of times I use the tool
• Number of times others ask to borrow the tool
• Durability of the tool
• Usefulness of the tool

The utility trailer I purchased from Remakel Welding easily rises to the top of my list. I bought my trailer from Dennis Remakel almost 15 years ago. It has been a integral part of countless "big adventures" ever since. Dane Anderson says it best... "The Remakel trailer is a 1/2 ton pickup you can park in your yard that costs nothing to insure"

Milling Machine

After thinking long and hard about machines in the garage I decided to “take the plunge” and purchase a milling machine. I decided the Grizzly model G0619 machine had the right combination of capabilities and small size. There are many nice small machines available and choosing one is surprisingly difficult. This machine is built in China by the Sieg Industrial Group. They have been producing machinery since 1988. The quality of their machines is remarkable for the price.

The machine arrived from Grizzly late last week. I am getting ready to bring it home from PICo as soon a spring arrives here in Minnesota. look for more postings about this new addition to the “L” Shaped Garage soon!

Work Bench

The workbench and toolbox in the “L” Shaped Garage pretty much speak for themselves. the only item I might call out here is the metal pegboard from Wall Control. Their products are very nicely built and well worth the expense.

Garage Tools

A list of important tools to include in any well equipped home garage.

Vehicle Lifts… The “L” Shaped Garage includes a both a four post lift and a portable Scissors lift. Both were purchased from Greg Smith Equipment.

Crane… The “L” Shaped Garage has a Jib Crane installed on a steel post separating the 3rd and 4th stalls of the garage. We designed this feature into the space from the beginning. A special footing was poured in the garage floor to support it and the steel post includes custom plates for mounting not only the Jib Crane but also other accessories.

Chain Hoist… The Jib crane is equipped with a 1000 lb Ingersoll chain hoist and I have recently started using a Warn Pullzall portable winch as well. The Pullzall is a really nice tool for lifting from the crane. It has a variable speed “trigger” that works perfectly for this purpose.

Drill Press… I have a bench top drill press purchased from Harbor Freight many years ago in the garage. Despite the fact that it is poorly built and too small it is actually fairly adequate. look for an improved version here soon!

Magnetic Drill… The Bora Magnetic Drilling System from Evolution Power Tools makes drilling holes up to 1 1/8” diameter a breeze.

Metal Saws… I have four metal saws in the “L” Shaped Garage. First is a 14” Delta band saw. Unfortunately it looks like Delta has quit making this tool but there are other manufactures build comparable versions. I also have a Porter Cable Portable band saw that is a very useful tool (it is also no longer built).

Next… I (somewhat reluctantly) purchased a Rockwell Blade Runner. Rockwell describes this as “The Ultimate Cutting machine”. While I might pull back from that description a bit this is an extremely capable and useful tool that I highly recommend.

Finally… A Rage 2 Cut Off saw from Evolution Power Tools. The saw uses a carbide tipped blade that cuts everything from wood to steel.

 

Air Compressor… I installed an Ingersoll rand Garage Mate air compressor under the stairs and plumbed a set of simple permanent air lines to the wall behind the workbench. I also ran compressed air lines to two cord reels; one on the ceiling and one on the back wall of the garage.

Welding and Cutting… We have a small Hobart wire feed welder (Handler140) and a Colossal Cut 50D Plasma Cutter. Both are 120 volt systems and work well for steel under 1/4” thick.

In addition we have a Strong Hand Nomad welding table and assorted clamps, magnetic squares, and tools.

Arbor Press… A Torin 20 ton Shop Press

Sanding, Sharpening, and Deburring… The Ridgid Oscillating Belt Sander is a fabulous tool for a garage shop. It can take the place of a regular belt /disk sander and give you the added advantage of radius sanding with the drums. It works well for any materials.

The Work Sharp 2000 Metal Workers Tool Sharpener is another tool you should seriously consider for any garage shop. Stick on abrasive pads are available for almost any material and you can achieve remarkable finishes with the smooth running system. Finally no shop is complete without one of the easy to use drill sharpeners from Drill Doctor. I chose to get the model 750 because I want the 3/4” capacity.