Joe's Garage... flip side of Catholic Girls

[Kraig Richard]

“ We have the garage surrounded If you give yourself up We will not harm you Or hurt you neither….. Officer Butzis ……

This is the CENTRAL SCRUTINIZER... That was Joe's first confrontation with The Law. Naturally, we were easy on him. One of our friendly counselors gave him A do-nut...and told him to Stick closer to church-oriented social activities.

1979 …..Joe’s Garage Act I :angel: Zappa :angel:

After having some short time experiance with a garage I need one. Having only worked with this one rental, and only having heard of others, I am quite naïve as to practically every aspect.

I really like what this device has done for me, adding precision and lowering franticness.

Developing work while learning how to use a garage has been enjoyable and satisfying. ....... American Express

Lowering the anxiety level to my work has been highly therapeutic. ....... Priceless

Never got to see a garage used day in and day out, and have been mostly figuring out the intricateness on my own during a few rental days.

Building my first garage and am interested gas saving technology notions, along with any theory, other tips and basic operational principles.

I don't get out much and haven’t seen too much discussion on them here.

End of Preamble......

The gas saving aspects from the glory hole maximiser thread was what got me to think about inquiring about potential savings in garages. Anybody got any ideas or am I inherently required to “heat up the outdoors” with this thing too?

Right now I have in mind a slightly larger then the one I used perhaps 20"h x 24"d 42"w. Do they come in all shapes and sizes or are there any proportional generalities i.e. too tall, too long?

Have been lead to believe insulating soft brick walls are a proper material for an even radiation back at the glass. 26's or 23's? fallacy in this particular radiative surface being so critical?

Any truths out there on why not to line with frax.

Anything wrong with a frax ceiling (if not ok for the walls)?

What about cement/vermiculite ceiling?

What about cement/vermiculite walls?

What kind of shell temp on your garage? (how long can you keep hand on walls or top? )

Cool down requirements. Is it possible to over-insulate for any reason?

Any special color to paint the inside?

Anyone running temperature controls on there garages for massive overshoot?

Any thoughts about advantage/disadvantage of a flame retention burner firing into a "muffler/bag-wall" apposed to a ribbon or pipe with holes burner.

Is the actual radiation from the flame helpful or harmful?

Sizing for needs aspect and "SOP” for daily operation.

The work I'm assembling are all solid and (mostly)
thick parts. so far the largest is two decks of cards.

Should I build the garage to hold a days worth of work ....or load it with a half days work and pack it again the afternoon? Is an hour good enough time to bring that little thick stuff up in?

Learned of mounted lazy-Susan (w/shaft through floor) in front of the garage burner that sounded advantageous.

Any one with insights or ideas on how to make one that rotates and elevates? (....almost a Zappa line)

Move shelves to the hot side, with the work on it or move work?

Any hygiene tips? There seems like a lot of dust involved by the end of the day.

Best shelf material? Anyone using thin stainless ? 3/16" . I have several trays in stock.

An idea I had for garages I am thinking about making doors that lowered down for access and could be raised partway like having a half cake or three quarter cake in the hole. A steel lip on top side of these doors, and strong enough lowering mechanism to support (and not move) with shovel, punnies or forks on top of it. This might keep dust down.

A second idea I'm tossing out here I'm am thinking about having an electrically heated chamber (lehr) featuring a shared "inner door" to the cold side of the garage. The parts being assembled are fairly thick 1" thick x 3" X "5 and have a lot of raised surface detail.(The lehr was across the room from this garage I tried at)

Any ideas on the plus/minus of this inner door or should I be able to get them out the front door of an annealer into the cold side of the garage?


Have been taking larger parts out with a pontil and quite a few hole warms first, medium sized parts forked and little parts off a paddle.

My question specific to use is that the best way or should I be able to come out of the garage with something the size of a small paperweight, without hitting it in the hole a bunch first. The only other folks I have seen were working thinner blown stuff.

I know there's a lot to figure out for one's self with each garage and each process. This aside there's a lot of folks who have forgotten more then I'll ever know about garages. Besides what I’ve touched on, I'm looking for the kind of information that might be best described as "taken for granted".

[Jordan Kube]

"The gas saving aspects from the glory hole maximiser thread was what got me to think about inquiring about potential savings in garages. Anybody got any ideas or am I inherently required to “heat up the outdoors” with this thing too? "

Yeah, pretty much.

"Right now I have in mind a slightly larger then the one I used perhaps 20"h x 24"d 42"w. Do they come in all shapes and sizes or are there any proportional generalities i.e. too tall, too long?"

That basicly depends on the size of work or number of parts you plan to make. You can have a garage that's too tall. The length is going to determine the heat gradient form hot to cold. THose numbers look alright to me. I would say it's a large garage for most studios. I think it'd be great to work out of.

"Have been lead to believe insulating soft brick walls are a proper material for an even radiation back at the glass. 26's or 23's? fallacy in this particular radiative surface being so critical?"

Use 23's. I think you'd get wierd heat out of a frax garage.

"Any truths out there on why not to line with frax.

Anything wrong with a frax ceiling (if not ok for the walls)?

What about cement/vermiculite ceiling?

What about cement/vermiculite walls? "

I like to make ceiling out of fiberboard coated with itc or watered down mortar or something like that. I don't know about the vermiculite thing.

"What kind of shell temp on your garage? (how long can you keep hand on walls or top? )

Cool down requirements. Is it possible to over-insulate for any reason?

Any special color to paint the inside?

Anyone running temperature controls on there garages for massive overshoot?"

I think it would be possible to overinsulate. Are you planning on bringing stuff down in the garage? I've not had any problems with stuff cooling down in the garage just made out of brick walls. Close up the front and turn it off. These are small parts or color bar. Usually you set the garage at the temp you want and it stays there. Pay attention throughout the day. It's someone's job to run the garage. Be it you or your assistants. The person whose job it is to make sure that part comes out in one piece should be resonsible for running the garage. Too hot, too cold, parts slumping, parts cracking, whatever. You'll get a feel for a particular garage.

Any thoughts about advantage/disadvantage of a flame retention burner firing into a "muffler/bag-wall" apposed to a ribbon or pipe with holes burner.

Is the actual radiation from the flame helpful or harmful?



I personally go for the "wall of flame". About six pieces of half inch pipe coming up through holes in the floor stopping about an inch from the inside of the garage. I think the radiation is a good thing. I'd make it big enough to load once in the morning and then in the afternoon.

I cover the bottom of the garage in kilnshelf. Put parts on smaller pieces of shelf and slide them around. You can make barn doors and cut them in half so you have four doors per opening in your garage.

My question specific to use is that the best way or should I be able to come out of the garage with something the size of a small paperweight, without hitting it in the hole a bunch first.

It just takes a longer time to heat up in the garage. You should be able to flash once and bring it over.


I would take Alex's advice and keep it simple.

[Kraig Richard]

Originally posted by Alexander Adams
Keep it as simple as possible. If you want to get fancy, make a forced air+gas ribbon burner instead of using a venturi.

There are a few threads about garage construction in this forum.

here is a thread where I show off pics my garage (http://talk.craftweb.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2882&highlight=garage)

Create interior dimensions based on IFB brick size. If you do this, you will eliminate cuts.


Hi, Alexander. The threads on garages are rare. I had checked that thread out and was very impressed with your refractory flame deflector. Had forwarded pictures to co-conspiritors. Looks like that angled louver over the flame thought would do something for my baseboard heating in our home too.