Garage Gift Ideas

[Judes McCoy]

I never knew my husband had such borderline OCD characteristics until we moved into our dream house. We built a garage with room for him to do his "projects", a name thrown around for all those daydreaming activities you're sure to do upon retirement. While he hasn't stopped working fulltime yet, he has started spending all his weekend time in the garage, organizing and arranging. The funny thing is, I've never seen him happier. I want to get him something for his birthday that he can use in his "shop", but I break into hives when I step foot into Home Depot. He might actually want to build birdhouses and other stuff like that, but I can't see him letting his shop get dirty. Do they make a "wood shavings" scented air freshener I can get him to give others the impression that he does dirty work in there? - Judes

[Swingman]

LOL ... it's a mere matter of terminology. If we can call a garage a "shop, rename the kitchen and you can go watch TV while he cleans.

[Upscale]

Unless you know EXACTLY what he'd like for his shop, then I suggest you get him gift certificates. While he will pretend to like any tool or whatever you get for his shop, truthfully there's a good chance he will be privately disappointed with whatever it is. The only other alternative if he hasn't already done it is introduce him to something like the Lee Valley Tools website where he can set up a wish list of stuff he wants and then you can pick something from there as a gift for him.

[DerbyDad03]

This oughta get him out the garage for a while:

Sign him up for a woodworking class at your local adult education site, woodworking supplies store (e.g. Woodcraft), or woodworking society.

He'll get to use all sorts of cool tools and he'll get an idea of what type of woodworking he wants to do and the types of tools he'll need.

Watch out - This could get expensive!

Judes McCoy wrote:

[Max]

Sure. There are lots of pine scented air fresheners on the market. But the aroma of good old fashioned sawdust can not be duplicated.

Max (savoring the smell of fresh cut hickory)

[Nova]

Ever though about renting him out? ;-)

[Jetson]

You never knew this before? His ties weren't organized according to length and color family?

Sorry, don't mean to joke, but its funny to hear about someone wanting a shop so bad and then keeping it in pristine condition. Maybe its better that way, as I just helped my grandfather clean out his garage. Stuff had been accumulating for 25 years in that garage, and heaven forbid he would throw anything away during that time. In an attempt to help him turn over a new leaf and stay organized, me and my cousin bought him a Dirt Dog for his shop. He can't bend over very well, and it keeps the floor clean without him having to sweep. Maybe if your husband had a shop vac that would always be "on his side" in the fight to stay clean, he could focus on actually making something (and possibly a mess!). They're not too expensive either!

Jetson

[Oren]

The best present my wife could give is to get her stuff out of my garage (G). Finally, she has a separate garage.

-- Oren

I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work. Thomas A. Edison

[Al Bundy]

Oren wrote in news: [e-mail]:

And the winner is......Oren!

[Al Bundy]

Judes McCoy wrote in news: [e-mail]:

No shop is complete without a Frederick's of Hollywood Calendar.

[J T]

Sun, Dec 31, 2006, 5:39pm (EST+5) [e-mail] (Judes=A0McCoy) doth sayeth: I want to get him something for his birthday that he can use in his "shop", but I break into hives when I step foot into Home Depot.

1. Stay out of Home Depot. Seriously.
2. If he's anything like me, whatever you buy him is gonna be something he don't want. I'd say either give him cash, or a gift certificate from Lowes or some place similar, but not Home Depot, so he can get something he actually wants.

JOAT It's not hard, if you get your mind right.

- Granny Weatherwax

[Oren]

Her's is cluttered like mine - projects, ya know. Her goal is to park the "grocery getter" in her own single garage. Good luck, Honey!

Mine, various garages (over the years) is so cluttered I would describe my path as a cow trail. It is getting thinned out rapidly.

It has been declared: "Out of Bounds"

-- Oren

I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work. Thomas A. Edison

[HeyBub]

A Marilyn Monroe wall calendar is the perfect addition to any workshop.

[Oren]

So why a need to know the day?

-- Oren

I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work. Thomas A. Edison

[Puckdropper]

[e-mail] (J T) wrote in news:23371-45987BBE-126 @storefull-3336.bay.webtv.net:

*snip*

Besides the color, what's the difference?

Puckdropper

[John L. Poole]

A magazine subscription to Fine Woodworking

[A.M. Wood]

A really nice gift would be to locate a good machinery dealer in the area and "drag" him out shopping with you only to surprise him when you show up at "tools r us" and let him know his budget. Your showing some real interest and excitement in the tools and the trip would be a nice bonus. If he's like many other guys, that fantasy is up there in the vicinity of two hot ladies taking an interest in him if you know what I mean....

AMW

[Don Fearn]

I think it was "A.M. Wood" who stated:

This is my favorite suggestion in this thread. My wife and I have done that for each other quite a few times. It helps that we each take an interest in the others' hobbies and tools . . . .

But of course! Unfortunately, it's usually other guys selling the stuff at the tool store where I'm interested and other gals selling the stuff at the tool store where she's interested, and . . .

. . . Oh, wait a minute. This has possibilities!

-- A day without sunshine is like, well, night

[M Berger]

Lowe's actually has decent tools available, and a much better selection.

Puckdr> [e-mail] (J T) wrote in news:23371-45987BBE-126

[J. Clarke]

They have different lines, but whether Delta Shopmaster is really more "decent" than Ridgid is debatable. There's certainly nothing at Lowes that is comparable to the Ridgid oscillating belt/spindle sander for example, and the local Home Despot has quite a lot of Hilti in stock--if price is any indicator of performance then they should be in the same league as Festool. Also, they seem to be stocking the full Dremel product line where Lowes has a few models on display but is very short on accessories. Between the two of them they make a pretty decent store.

Personally I don't much like Home Despot--went ten miles out of my way the other day to buy a box of nails at a local hardware store instead of Home Despot--but they do have some decent products in stock and I don't hesitate to buy from them if they have something that is good value or that doesn't have a really good alternative for a reasonable price.

Rather than a store gift certificate one can obtain a Visa Gift Card that is good just about anywhere that credit cards are accepted.