Makita DLX2220 drill/impact driver set

A cordless drill and impact driver are essential power tools for each workshop, and often sold as set. I initially considered Makita’s DLX3090 set, as it comes with a third battery, and a LED lamp. But looking at the price and other factors, I eventually decided to go for the […]

Jack Olsen’s 12-Gauge Garage

I stumbled upon Jack Olsen’s garage in Julian Edgar’s book Setting up a home car workshop. I was very impressed with the clean and consistent look and the functionality contained in a relatively small space. Luckily, there’s a Youtube video by Jack himself that shows all details of the garage […]

Choosing a cordless power tool platform

As I wrote in my article about air compressors, cordless power tools have matured, thanks to brushless motors and Lithium batteries. As a result, for most smaller workshops, cordless tools like drills, impact wrenches, and many others, are a better choice than a big noisy compressor and air tools. To […]

Air or no air?

In the past, having pressurized air and thus a compressor was considered essential for a car workshop. With chorded electric tools considered unsafe (due to the high voltage) and unwieldy, air tools were used extensively. Thanks to Lithium batteries and brushless electric motors, this has changed completely. Many tools, such […]

Lighting

Good lighting is essential for a workshop – not only sufficiently bright lighting, but also well distributed lighting that prevents shadows. According to the information I’ve found online, you want at least 700 lux per square meter, which amounts to around 13,000 lumen for the whole garage. Regarding the lights, […]

Insulation vs ventilation

One of the requirements for the garage is a comfortable working environment. This includes temperature control. Insulation is usually an important factor, as good insulation prevents heat exchange, keeping the insulated room cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. There are however some reasons that made me decide […]

Goals and requirements

The garage is to provide the following: Storage for a car up to the size of a BMW E39 5 series A workshop for regular maintenance and light restoration work on cars A workshop for metal- and woodworking A comfortable place to work year-round Storage for tools (including a 3D […]