Bicycle Trailer

My new project is a trailer to carry bicycles . I started with a harbor freight 4' x 4' trailer kit.

Then added a bicycle roof rack.

Manland

Every Man needs a place That he calls his own.  When growing up as a boy it was your bedroom.  Your sisters were never allowed to enter your bedroom only your mother would go in to get your laundry and then tell you to clean it up.  Some men will convert the basement into what they call a "Man Cave" with big screen TV to watch sports and drink beer with male friends.  Since our basement is finished into a family room, my Manland is the garage. The main purpose of my manland is a workshop where all my tools are neatly stored and where I can make my home brew.  The manland will have a work bench with lots of storage and every tool will have it's place.  Also since manland is a place for men to use their hands and tools to pursue one's hobbies.  In my case it will be a place to use my one good hand since I had a small stroke which  left my left hand without fine motor skills.  So my projects will show how to overcome this disability.

Phase one: The Work Bench

The work bench was constructed using 2 x 6s  for the bench topframe  2 x 4s for the legs.  Legs are 2 2 x 4s laminated together making a 4 x 4.  The top is 9/32 plywood.  The bench is screwed into the block wall using tapcon screws.

If I had a hammer

The use of a hammer and a nail is a two hand operation.  You can't build a work bench without  a lot of nails.  So if you can't use both hands the next best thing is a pneumatic nailer.

Being retired and on a fixed income, I shop at Harbor Freight Tools often.  I got this nailer on sale for about sixty bucks.  It works great, I have ran over 500 nails through it with no problems.  Harbor Freight has a 90 day store return policy.  However, if the tool has moving parts like a nailer I highly suggest buying a one year return policy.  

Work Bench Phase Two - pegboard

Installed furring strips and pegboard on one wall.  Will do the same for the other wall.  A shelf will be installed above the pegboard.

  Furring strips glued and screwed to the wall.

Pegboard attached to furring strips.  Pegboard will be painted white.

Pegboard complete.  First coat of many  polyurethane sealer on the bench. 

Air Hose

I was tried of tripping over the rubber air line hose that came with my compressor.  So I clamped the quick disconnect fitting to the side of the workbench with a 1/2 inch copper pipe standoff. Now I plug in a 25 foot coiled hose into the fitting and can reach the whole shop when  not in use I can hang the hose on a coat hook  out of the way and not be tripping over the hose.

What to do with some scap lumber

After building the bench I had some leftover 2 x 4's.  The former owner left two sheets of 1/4 inch plywood that was getting in the way.  So I decided to it to good use and make a portable work table with two sawhorses that I had.

 First cut the plywood to size 20 x 60 inches

Next cut 2 x 4's and build the frame.

Glue and screw plywood to the frame.  Put the table on the sawhorses and add tools.

miter saw and drill press.

I drilled holes in the table to bolt down the saw and drill press.