Here are some picks. http://s1222.photobucket.com/albums/dd484/H0NDA750
Hopefully someone can benefit from these cheap solutions to expensive problems.
I've been around this forum for the past few years. I have asked tons of questions and received answers threw the search engine, responses to PMs and posts. I haven't been able to give much back in the aria of advice, but have really wanted to. I feel as though I owe a debt for all of the help received. Hopefully this post will give a bit of what I have received. I'd like to share a few of my Ideas in hopes someone else can benefit as much as I have. It's hard to have a good idea here as usually someone else has already had it. I haven't seen the variations of the ideas posted. That doesn't mean someone hasn't already thought of them or their not here, I just haven't seen them.
My shop is basically dedicated to motorcycles. That said it is probably one of the smaller functioning shops. My garage is only 14' X 20'. I have to get creative in order to store 3 motorcycles a garden tractor and a functioning work shop full of tools and equipment in it. Hopefully my ideas show that you can do a lot in a small aria. Here is the link to my photo bucket page. http://s1222.photobucket.com/albums/dd484/H0NDA750
1. My exhaust fan is made from an old furnace fan blowing outside into a hinged metal door. IT moves a lot of air. I connect ducting from it to my paint booth when it's up. I hardly have to wear a mask.
2. My paint booth is made from PVC Pipe and connectors. I wrap it in industrial Saran wrap bought from Menard's. I then cut a slit in it for a door and tape plastic sheeting on top of the booth so that it covers the slit. When the exhaust is on it pulls the plastic sheeting tight against the slit and it seals up well. I also cut out a hole for 2 furnace filters taped together to draw fresh clean air in.
3. I built block off plates for each engine cover out of lexand (spelling). This way I don't disturb the original oil tolerant/repelling paint inside and cover the gasket surfaces. Lexand or plexi works great because you can lay it over what you want to cover, and trace what you want to cut out along with marking the bolt holes. Then just hondabond and bolt them down and you can blast, paint and whatever else. I remove the engine case bolts and replace with earplugs and cut off excess earplug with a raiser knife. This way I can paint where the bolt heads cover. I seal the case haves together when I paint, but even if I didn't, the block off plates would hold them together. Also pipe plugs and corks work great for blocking round holes from paint and glass beads.
4. I built my engine stand out of scrap metal from a scrap metal place in the twin cities and an old 750 frame that was bent from a bad accident. I used hex stock on the back side for multiple positions. I welded a nut onto a pipe so I could put a bold in to have a stop for the hex stock.
5. My motorcycle stand is also made from the same scrap yard. I used left and right hand 1"-5 (Wish I had Used 1"-10, it's hard to start, but will pick up a freight train) acme threaded rod (not cheap) to mechanically drive everything.
I hope some of this info has helped anyone who views this thread. Please let me know if you have any questions.