Bike cellar/workshop/man cave

top thread! You've inspired me to clean up mine and get it all presentable.

the OCD in me would have to face off the back of those stair steps with a bit of painted wood/plasterboard tho… Make all the surfaces white

I need to sort out under the stairs, I think I want to make big shelves out of OSB so I can split the space up into 'layers' of storage.

Will probably make sense to block off the steps too so stuff doesn't escape through the gaps which is what happens at the moment.

I just switch them on overnight and so far, they've kept the damp at bay pretty well.

A mate has the same model protecting £6k+ worth of telescope in a smallish brick shed/observatory where its important to prevent moisture condensing in/on lenses.

So far despite some colder nights this week the temperature hasn't dropped below 11 (I have a little remote wireless thermometer with a sensor down there and a min/max function) so it does seem to be more about warming me as the temperature is surprisingly stable.

I am also thinking about one of those heaters you get outside pubs as they seem more designed to provide directional heat, so I could fit one to the wall near the bike stand. They seem to be called radiant electric heaters/infra red heaters, but they use a lot more power - I've not seen one that's less than 500W...

http://www.heatersuk.com/p/1188213/dimplex-irx50n-500-watt-infra-red-wall-mounted-ipx4-rated-heater.html

This is stupendous Fox! When's the cellar-warming/cider party? ;)

We still haven't got round to a house warming, and we bought the place in June 2012 :/

whatok got me a bottle of dark rum, the scrumpy mulled and reinforced with rum is AMAZING.

A sample arrived of the cork flooring yesterday, a whole tile (90 x 30cm) looks like this:

Zoomed in:

I think we're going to go with this because we prefer the cork as natural as possible and the more natural it is the cheaper it is too.

you could go OSB all the way by polishing and staining it:

how does one polish it?

I think you use a floor sander like on a normal wood floor. Then put multiple layers of varnish on it.
It looks like a nice alternative because it's so cheap.
http://www.doityourself.com/stry/how-to-stain-osb

Oh thats interesting, I would have thought a sander would have ripped chunks off due to the uneven nature of it.

Me too. But its all probably saturated with glue.

It looks good in black too

http://www.pinterest.com/pablojmb/osb/

Good suggestion sohi! It certainly appeals on price, the cork is about £23 a m/sq.

I've seen a table made of OSB that had been very finely sanded and varnished or stained, it looked really good.

That pinterest! #osbporn

I would have thought you would sand it flat, varnish, then polish

That makes sense. I could sand it (I think you'd do what we did with our floorboards, start off with one grade then get finer and finer) then treat it with the Polyx oil.

I'll make up a little sample :)

Surely cork flooring is still the way to go as it's softer in case you drop something.

Following that logic would a rug be cheaper?

cork all the way

Great project Fox

Fuck sanding OSB until it's flat though, definitely go for the cork

OSB with cork around the bike work station? (the first ding in the OSB you had spent forever sanding and varnishing would be horrible)

fox is like modern fred flintstone =)

how does one polish it?

It would help if he had the obligatory picture of someone in a scanty bikini. I'm happy to model.

Bunch of tools.

This end still in progress:

Plus I need to draw around the cone spanners (I've done everything else now).

Thanks to crimsonape for drill advice, I was having some issues drilling the holes in the wall for the strip of OSB (it has 10 screws in it all together). Can't believe how easy it was with my new SDS plus drill.

(I'm going to take that as a compliment. I think!)

did you really need so many cone spanners?!

All the cone spanners!

Christ, did you mug a Park Tools rep?

Christ, did you mug a Park Tools rep?

Ha!

I'm a little jealous as he has a few park tools I ain't got. Although I haven't seen my favourite one yet which is the BO-2.

Park deodorant?

Seriously though I have avoided the 'novelty items'. So far...

did you really need so many cone spanners?!

Sheldon says you should have a 13,14,15,16,17 and 18 x2. I thought that was a bit excessive ;)

Christ, did you mug a Park Tools rep?

I left a big blue bump on his head.