Author Topic: Help! Garage/den decoration ideas required!  (Read 13059 times)

Offline John Hill

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Help! Garage/den decoration ideas required!
« on: December 27, 2010, 03:25:39 PM »
I need some help with ideas for decorating my new garage etc.

It needs decorating as the garage opens off the lounge and in the event of family gatherings etc the cars will be outdoors and the guests will over flow into the garage. There will be no workshop activities or storage of junque allowed in the garage!

So I have one wall, plaster board, painted, 5 metres long.

'Artistic' materials on hand include, gears, chains, meters (1910-1950) of all sizes, magslips, steppers, low volatage low speed motors including vehicle wiper motors, rotary solenoids, uniselectors, low voltage hand operated generators (aka F&P washing machine motors). Ancient computer bits including core ram (several chunks and one box full), transformers of all voltages including a neon light tranny. Ancient 'computer' keyboard (maybe off a tabulator circa 1950). Dot matrix printer. Paper tape winding machines. Hundreds of radio valves (aka 'toobes') of all ages including mercury rectifiers, transmitter tubes up to a couple of kilowatts, boxes of various knobs, 'Frankenstiene style' knife switches of various sizes, white porcelaine insulators up to about 8 inches long/high. Electric bells, sirens and a klaxon. Some interesting printed circuit boards, old dial and magneto telephones. A few aircraft instruments including operating ADF unit, air speed indicator. A number of motors for pulse driven clocks, sorry but I never managed to get the pendulum drive for these systems.

Now the idea is to build some sort of 'sculptures' that guests can manipulate to produce interest effects, sparks (obviously). So I need some ideas of novel and interesting bits to incorporate. But it has to be wall mounted.


There is also a bicycle powered generator, 3 phase, voltage can be wired for voltages between about 10 volts and a couple of hundred, maximum power depends on the 'rider' but assume 100 watts, 50 for longer periods. This machine would be wheeled in and connected up for the party.

P.S. If it need electronics or computer to operate that no problem as the computer can be the other side of the wall in the workshop proper.

P.P.S. It should be safe but ideally look quite the opposite! :lol:
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Offline John Hill

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Re: Help! Garage/den decoration ideas required!
« Reply #1 on: December 29, 2010, 05:26:14 PM »
90 views and not a single idea! :doh:
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Offline Brass_Machine

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Re: Help! Garage/den decoration ideas required!
« Reply #2 on: December 29, 2010, 06:49:29 PM »
John,

We need pictures of the "art supply" to give you a more detailed idea list.

I say... marble machines, mad scientist lights, steam powered bottle opener....

Eric
Science is fun.

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Offline Powder Keg

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Re: Help! Garage/den decoration ideas required!
« Reply #3 on: December 29, 2010, 08:05:11 PM »
Wesley P
A Gismo ??? If it has a flywheel or spins and is made with small parts. I'll take one! If it makes noise, moves, or requires frequent oiling and dusting it's a better deal yet. It's especially right if its shiny and bright; but if it's dirty and dull it wont mater at all...

Offline John Hill

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Re: Help! Garage/den decoration ideas required!
« Reply #4 on: December 29, 2010, 08:37:47 PM »
John,

We need pictures of the "art supply" to give you a more detailed idea list.

I say... marble machines, mad scientist lights, steam powered bottle opener....

Eric

I was afraid someone might ask that!  All art supplies are now safely in the shipping container where they will be for the next month or so.....

Marble machines are cool so there will be a bit of that for sure.  Not sure about the steam powered anything as I would have to make some flash steam producer,  There will be air though, pistons and bellows along with horns and whistle(s).

One of the ideas is a simulated computer using clicking relays, flashing lights and numeric counters etc.  I might have to cheat and have 'real' computer behind the scenes.
« Last Edit: December 29, 2010, 08:40:35 PM by John Hill »
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Offline Brass_Machine

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Re: Help! Garage/den decoration ideas required!
« Reply #5 on: December 29, 2010, 08:46:41 PM »
Do you have any nixie tubes or the like?

It can be a compressed air bottle opener. Or how about an electric or air powered can crusher...

Eric
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Offline John Hill

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Re: Help! Garage/den decoration ideas required!
« Reply #6 on: December 29, 2010, 11:15:46 PM »
Do you have any nixie tubes or the like?

  I have four nixie tubes but I would have to do a bit of study before lighting them up. 



Quote
It can be a compressed air bottle opener. Or how about an electric or air powered can crusher...

Eric

I could find a couple of big gears from old farm equipment and use them to squish cans into a nice corrugated flats.  There are plenty of reduction gears in the stock to drive something like that.
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Offline Bernd

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Re: Help! Garage/den decoration ideas required!
« Reply #7 on: December 31, 2010, 11:28:11 AM »
I've always decorated my shop with at least one calendar of females in their birthday suits.

Kept the sister's-in-laws angle biters out of the my shop.  :lol:

Bernd
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Offline crabsign69

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Re: Help! Garage/den decoration ideas required!
« Reply #8 on: January 01, 2011, 11:53:33 AM »
I've always decorated my shop with at least one calendar of females in their birthday suits.

Kept the sister's-in-laws angle biters out of the my shop.  :lol:

Bernd


Now thats what i call decorating   ya every mans shop needs at least two.    :beer:  :headbang:

Offline John Hill

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Re: Help! Garage/den decoration ideas required!
« Reply #9 on: January 02, 2011, 08:38:52 PM »
I've always decorated my shop with at least one calendar of females in their birthday suits.

Kept the sister's-in-laws angle biters out of the my shop.  :lol:

Bernd

Whats wrong with her kid Bernd?
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MrFluffy

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Re: Help! Garage/den decoration ideas required!
« Reply #10 on: January 03, 2011, 07:23:50 AM »
I've always decorated my shop with at least one calendar of females in their birthday suits.

Kept the sister's-in-laws angle biters out of the my shop.  :lol:

Bernd

Whats wrong with her kid Bernd?
Found teeth marks on his combination square by the sounds of it :D

Offline Bernd

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Re: Help! Garage/den decoration ideas required!
« Reply #11 on: January 03, 2011, 10:22:16 AM »
I've always decorated my shop with at least one calendar of females in their birthday suits.

Kept the sister's-in-laws angle biters out of the my shop.  :lol:

Bernd

Whats wrong with her kid Bernd?

Only one word ----- religion ----------  :coffee:

Bernd
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Offline Bernd

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Re: Help! Garage/den decoration ideas required!
« Reply #12 on: January 03, 2011, 10:24:39 AM »

Found teeth marks on his combination square by the sounds of it :D

So that's what caused them marks on my square.  :doh:

 :lol:  :lol:


Bernd
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Offline Brass_Machine

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Re: Help! Garage/den decoration ideas required!
« Reply #13 on: January 09, 2011, 11:27:53 AM »
I read somewhere about a guy who made a steam powered pencil sharpener. Maybe a compressed air sharpener? One powered by lots of gears by hand?
Science is fun.

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Offline DavidA

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Re: Help! Garage/den decoration ideas required!
« Reply #14 on: January 09, 2011, 11:45:35 AM »

.....I read somewhere about a guy who made a steam powered pencil sharpener.....

And we all know that old rugby song 'The Engineer'. :bugeye:

Always a project for a quiet time.

Dave.

More steam Henry,  more steam. :D

Offline John Hill

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Re: Help! Garage/den decoration ideas required!
« Reply #15 on: January 09, 2011, 03:50:28 PM »
I read somewhere about a guy who made a steam powered pencil sharpener. Maybe a compressed air sharpener? One powered by lots of gears by hand?

I have a pedal powered generator which could drive an electric pencil sharpener.  Hop on the saddle, start pedalling and when the abrasive disk gets up to speed press the switch that will advance the rotating pencil against it,   hmmmm...... certainly possibilities!!!
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Offline Brass_Machine

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Re: Help! Garage/den decoration ideas required!
« Reply #16 on: January 09, 2011, 10:29:35 PM »
I feel that when you are decorating a garage/lounge area that has a shop theme, the art should do something. The viewer, who becomes a participant, is involved in the art.

Eric
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Offline madjackghengis

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Re: Help! Garage/den decoration ideas required!
« Reply #17 on: February 16, 2011, 09:52:49 AM »
Not all of us know that "old rugby song The Engineer", do ya think ya might share the lyrics with a colonial?   :lol: jack

Offline andyf

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Re: Help! Garage/den decoration ideas required!
« Reply #18 on: February 16, 2011, 10:18:28 AM »
It's far too rude to be repeated on here, Jack. Just google the engineer told me before he died. Like most songs passed down by word of mouth in conditions of inebriation there are various slightly different versions, and when I was young, two different tunes.

Andy
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I've cut the end off it twice, but it's still too short

Offline DavidA

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Re: Help! Garage/den decoration ideas required!
« Reply #19 on: February 16, 2011, 10:32:34 AM »
Jack,

Now do you get what I meant by 'more steam Henry,  more steam'.

Dave. :D