The ultimate garage

[Rikugun]

Tiger needs a bigger garage

I'd bet he agrees.

don't we all!

There is no such thing as too big of a garage!

Amen to that  ;D  ;D

[JohnAMcG]

Don't forget your fire extinguisher... seriously.
I've got a friend with a dream garage, milling machine, lathe, sheet metal rollers, paint booth the works.
He almost lost it when a Gold Wing he was tuning spit back and lit up the carbs.
He had never thought about the possibility of a fire.

I hear these all the time, working in the fire safety industry.  You can often get much better quality extinguishers from a local service company, than you can buy retail.  If you go retail, it will be Kiddie brand.  Whichever you choose, make sure the gauge is in the green and once a year or so you shake it up, until you can hear/feel the powder sloshing around.  It is powder, it has been "liquidized" but it will settle and harden eventually if you do not.  This is for ABC dry chemical extinguishers. 
If you have a pressurized water extinguisher, get an ABC dry chemical.  Use the PW for a squirt gun.
If you have a BC dry chemical, get an ABC dry chemical. 
If you have purple K, get an ABC dry chemical. 
If you have a soda ash extinguisher, How old are you anyways?
If you have CO2, put your soda in a bucket, and spray it down for instant cold.

I run two Fire Extinguisher Service companies and I would keep a 10lb ABC hanging on the wall, and a 15 or 25 lb CO2 to actually use.  The CO2 would be first to grab because it is clean, effective, and cheap to use.  They cost much more up front, because they are a high pressure cylinder, but because they are clean they will not leak after use, so that you could put out many fires (or freeze many sodas) with one (cheap) fill up.  It should not replace the ABC because it does not have a gauge, and does not have the all around effectiveness of the ABC.  If the ABC is used, even for a moment, it must be serviced.  Expect the service to be not much less than the cost of a new retail extinguisher. 

If anyone has any fire safety related questions, I'd be happy to help.   

[fret not]

Hey, thanks, John. 

I tap my ABC cans with a rubber mallet to keep them loose inside.  What makes some of them soooo expensive?  I got a 10lb. one and it was like $50.  It's small for it's size though.

[JohnAMcG]

Rubber Mallet.  That's what the pros use.    ;)

The cost is mostly the chemical.  That is why recharging them or performing service on them is costly.  The chemical runs about $2 a pound.  50 bucks for a 10 pound extinguisher is cheap, I would bet it is a kidde at that price.  I sell 10 pound ABC cans for 87.50.  Of course these come tagged and inspected, and are Badger or Buckeye brand.  Also, they do not ship cheaply.  Depending on where you buy, that may be more or less of a factor in the price you pay.

Always check the gauge right when you buy it, as there are occasionally leakers that slip past quality control, especially for the kidde brand. 

[johnclemens]

I spent 15 years building my dream garage. I just left it and moved to Iowa. Everything I own is packed in storage and I am looking for a new space.
Here's what the old one looked like.
The new one is going to be even better! ;D

BTW he's right about fire extinguishers. I have had a fire while welding. I hate to think what would've happened if I hadn't had one....
I had three of them.

[vadasz1]

JC: some garages aren't as nice as your old one.

One day I hope to have my garage like that.

BTW, I have seen Tiger's garage and it is small but still can park 3 bikes on an angle and still have PLENTY of room to squeeze by.  Tiger's garage is crammed with organized stuff like a Japanese apartment.

[supervision]

  Search, advrider lets see your man castle

[Rick G]

I'm jealous John !!!  I've worked in M/C shops that weren't nearly as nice as your garage!  If I want to get anything done in mine , I have to roll the VX out, if I want to get  parts out of the other one , I have to roll two bikes out, to get at all the boxed stuff. There are three  bikes in the yard under a tarp. I have a single lot , so the county will not let me put up a garage . I can do a car port though.

[Rikugun]

Very nice indeed! I noticed you have one of those "other" quirky Japanese V-twin's of the Honda variety   :)

[Re-Vision]

Always wondered how that Honda 650 V-Twin compared with the Vision, The 500 wasn't even in the ballpark. JMO    BDC

[artbone]

I don't know how old you are or what equipment you already have but if I was starting over at my age the first thing I would buy would be good lighting and a lift table. You can't work on it if you can't see it and you can't work on it if you can't bend down. Well, actually I can get down; I just can't get back up.

Art