The Skunkworks Build begins

[Bevis]

so what became of the issue with your neighbor on the setbacks and the wall??

 

[bluesman2a]

so what became of the issue with your neighbor on the setbacks and the wall??

I had a survey company come out to locate the line, but they couldn't find enough undisturbed pins for a definitive locate. With the one they found, eyeballing it, looks fine not anywhere NEAR as bad as he made out. But I'll have a full survey done after the holidays just to be sure.

 

[bluesman2a]

Well an update has been a long time in coming. Things are slowing down, not a lot that's picture worthy. A lot of what I've been doing is dealing with inspections.

I had three hiccups, one big one on electrical rough, a couple of minor ones on framing, and a fairly big one in general.

1) Electrical rough identified that I did NOT have a ground loop tied into my foundation. This requirement was news to me, and if you are pouring a slab for HEAVEN's SAKE make sure they leave you something to tie into. I had to have my concrete people come back out, crack into my foundation, then I welded a rod onto the rebar and we encased it all in concrete per the code. Pic:

2) Framing was a little easier. He identified that there was a fire-break missing at the top of the existing wall we tied into, a framed access opening was missing, and I needed simpson straps on my headers. Framing crew came back and did this today. Oh and TwoStory, you were right, they got me on not fire-caulking too.

Pics:

3) Last but CERTAINLY not least, I spent FOUR HOURS this morning bouncing from county office to county office trying to get an answer. I'm in a catch-22. My permit requires a breezeway to attach to the house. I cannot NOT build the breezeway, without 3 months of red-tape. BUT if I build the breezeway, then I cannot have meter on the new shop because it will be attached to the house (cannot have 2 meters on the same structure). So I either need to get a variance for the meter or a variance for NOT building the breezeway. After 4 hours of research I threw up my hands and asked for help. It looks like the variance on the meter is going to be the way to go. I had three inspectors come out to the house today and so far it is looking like this MAY work.

 

[Boosted1]

Nice garage and congratulations on your near completion.
The fencing really finishes off your wall area nicely.
I agree that the installation cost on the Rotary was money well spent.
I had mine installed last month and the guy was here over 4 hours. He had setup thousands of lifts.

 

[bluesman2a]

WOOT!!!
Passed second framing inspection today.
All I have left is the final, and for that will have to have the breezeway in-place for that. If everything goes well there, I should be ready for final on Thursday of this week!!!

 

[5wndwcpe]

Congrats on the framing inspection. I'm heading in that direction soon myself and I ain't lookin' forward to it.

 

[bluesman2a]

WOOT!!!
BIG NEWS THIS WEEK!!!
Breezeway is finished:

And... DRUM ROLL, PLLLLLEAAASE!!!!
Got my CC/CO signed today (LAST inspection) and now I can get POWER!!!

 

[bluesman2a]

I also thought it appropriate that the last nail was driven mere HOURS before our first snow of the year, and now the work can go completely indoors.

Not by any means record time, had the 1st crew here on May, 25th 2007. The CC/CO signed on 1-18-2008. Now once I get power, I can get down to the REAL work!!!

 

[cdrewferd]

That's awesome. Congrats on the CC/CO. Can't wait to see what you do with the inside.

 

[signshop]

Congrats, your shop is looking fantastic! I thought you said it snowed? Guess we get more up North, we wouldn't call that snow.

 

[bluesman2a]

Congrats, your shop is looking fantastic! I thought you said it snowed? Guess we get more up North, we wouldn't call that snow.

Thanks for the kind words...

While Atlanta snow is little more than symbolic or flurries elsewhere in the country, even that was enough to close down some things around here. Also enough to sell stores out of rock salt, bread, eggs, and milk... I'm from the mountains of NC, so I don't understand it myself, but people here seem to get excited.

 

[dipper]

Congrats on the great build bluesman. It really turned out very nice.

 

[PAToyota]

So do you still need the variance for the breezeway vs. second electrical meter? Or has that been taken care of as well?

Or do you now have to take down the breezeway for the electrical inspection?

 

[bluesman2a]

So do you still need the variance for the breezeway vs. second electrical meter? Or has that been taken care of as well?

Or do you now have to take down the breezeway for the electrical inspection?

Man, that ain't funny, Pa....

Turns out that getting the vairance for the 2nd meter was a WHOLE lot easier. It basically consisted of me showing the electrical inspection supervisor my pitiful 150Amp house panel. Then I walked him out and showed him the bandsaw, drill press, Miller 251, 100Amp Plasma cutter, compressor, lift, and all the rest of the toys... He looked at me and said, "They ain't no WAY all this stuff is gonna run on that dinky little box...". The next day I got a phone call saying don't worry, be happy, it's all good.

In fact the ONLY comment I got on the final this morning is that the breezeway really SHOULD be painted. To whit I pointed out it's made from 100% pressure-treated lumber/plywood, and he agreed it'd be just fine the way it is.

 

[PAToyota]

Good to hear!

Just a little surprised that someone in authority actually listened to reason, though...

 

[bluesman2a]

In celebration of passing my inspection, I opened up the pass-doors between the two shops, framed in the door openings last weekend. I hope to get the doors themselves mounted this week/weekend, but the BIG NEWS IS.....

I GOT POWER TODAY!!!! So for the 1st time in 3 months I can roll up my extension cords and walk around without tripping over the darned things!!!

Now all I need to do is get the old part wired and I'll be good to GO!!!

 

[volvo]

.
What long read and fantastic project,. Congrauations, Well done bluesman2a ....H

 

[Bevis]

congrats on passing the inspection.

 

[5wndwcpe]

I'm thinking road trip. You are buying the beer, right ?

 

[bluesman2a]

I'm thinking road trip. You are buying the beer, right ?

Hey if you pay the freight from PA, the least a little Southern Hospitality could offer you is some beer!

 

[LT4BLAZER]

Why did the permit require a breezeway?

Very nice shop, by the way!!

 

[bluesman2a]

Why did the permit require a breezeway?

It's a very long story, but it all boils down to the fact that the building is considered to be in my "side" yard. This means it is not behind the rear wall of my house as it relates to the road. My house HAS no relation to the road, it sits behind two other houses (who also cannot see me).

Because of that, it was a choice of build the breezeway to "connect" it to the house, or go through a lengthy variance process that I stood a chance of loosing.

 

[drivinhard]

Looks great!

I just had the same lift (SPOA10) only in red, delivered last Fri, but have not been able to wrap mine up like you before our crappy weather

Also re: your county code stuff, my 32x48' got reduced to 32x31 (1k sq max) per Jackson Co's Sept, 2004 code revision. I live in the woods by the way to (no 'hood), 2.4 acre. Crazy what they can tell you what to do on your own land.

 

[bluesman2a]

Looks great!

I just had the same lift (SPOA10) only in red, delivered last Fri, but have not been able to wrap mine up like you before our crappy weather

HOWDY neighbor!!! I'm not too far from you. I'm just off 124 a bit South of Hamilton Mill.

I hear you on the weather, it seems like I've been fighting weather since May. Now that things are all powered up and closed in, it's a lot less critical, but it's still no fun to be out there when it's cold/wet and in the 30-40's (no insulation yet).

How about some pics of your place? Surely we can get you a thread going, can't we? I'd be interested in seeing some more local stuff...

 

[drivinhard]

It's been so dry for most of last year, then soon as we got down to the end (nov/Dec) the bottom fell out. If you think there's a drought, just come to my place, it's a big mud hole. Has been for 60 days.

My sister lives in Hamilton Mill (Dacula actually) so I am down that way a lot.

Least you have your concrete poured and you can work on the inside at your own pace now. I'm currently battling the concrete game (dry for 3-4 days, then rain). Just about gets dry to start working/forming and mud again.

How about some pics of your place? Surely we can get you a thread going, can't we? I'd be interested in seeing some more local stuff

You bet, I won't hijack your thread but here's our current thorn in the side:
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=173250

 

[bluesman2a]

Nothing that looks very impressive for pictures, but had another big milestone today:

We are 100% running off the new service, and all the basic switches work from both bays!

We've now pulled 99% of the wire for both the new and old bays. All-in-all we ran about 1600+ of wire (over-kill? yes. because I can). Man am I tired of pulling/stapling. Most importantly we put in a GREAT base that can grow over time as I decide how I'll use the space or if it changes with my needs.

We also demo'd all the crappy work done by the previous owner in the existing part, replaced it all. Got all the switches hooked up and functional.

Only thing to do now from an electrical perspective is to hang flourescents in the new bay. I'm not going to get real serious about that just yet. Anything I do now will just have to come down when I sheath the ceiling.

 

[drivinhard]

Good to hear. I just flipped my power on last night for the first time as well

As for your lights, I'm the same way with the sheetrock stuff (will do later) so I'll have to un-fasten them at some future date. I plan to work in there for awhile to see how much more electrical I'm going to finish, what walls I may frame in (against the poured walls) etc. I prefer to keep it open for a bit.

I'm using a half dozen (and will be adding 6 more) of the 8' Pro HD cold weather ballast units. Got them from the local home depot, they are about $54 and you can get a pack (16) of the high output bulbs for $89. They put out some serious light. I put 2 fixtures in the house carport as well, because I get so sick of houses (even high dollar ones) with one or two 60w bulbs for the entire garage. In any rate, worth a look if you are at that stage.

 

[adams77]

Herb, you need to give up all the off roading and just build garages. Nice work!

 

[bluesman2a]

Herb, you need to give up all the off roading and just build garages. Nice work!

Thanks for the kind words guys...

Adam, I think I HAVE given up off-roading to just build garages. All my project time/money has gone into the workshop for about the last 6 months. I've had my M-715 in need of a simple little radiator shroud for since about Auhgust or so. It's always been just one more thing I need to get done so it'll be better to work in the shop... On the plus side, it's getting close(r)...

 

[bluesman2a]

I'm using a half dozen (and will be adding 6 more) of the 8' Pro HD cold weather ballast units. Got them from the local home depot, they are about $54 and you can get a pack (16) of the high output bulbs for $89. They put out some serious light. I put 2 fixtures in the house carport as well, because I get so sick of houses (even high dollar ones) with one or two 60w bulbs for the entire garage. In any rate, worth a look if you are at that stage.

I started out on that road, but opted for the 4' instead, I just found them easier to deal with. My neighbor is also a lighting person, and she hooked me up with some pro-grade fixtures for a little less, she had not-great things to say about the ballasts HD uses. I also got a steal on some wet-weather-rated flourescent fixtures in plastic housings. I'll be putting those along the walls for better light as well.

 

[bluesman2a]

OK so I've been a little lax on the pics lately, so here's an update:

Completed insulation on all the walls (kraft-faced R-19). Finished all the wiring (FINALLY). This weekend was hanging OSB. Got a good chunk of the walls done. Also finally got a chance to hang some LIGHTS and put away my halogen work-lights (YEEE-HAW).

A couple of notes on the plan for OSB:
1) I have a wall that's 14' plus top/bottom plates, so I laid the first course down horizontally.
2) Then we came in and laid the top course vertically. While this may not be the most efficient way to do things, it leaves the centers open.
3) The area where you see still everything open is where all my cable chases are done, so if I ever need to change/service/add electrical, I only need to pull the middle panels.
4) This middle section will get a colored stripe much like I've seen in a couple of shops here already.
5) Everything on the lower 48" will get covered by corrugated metal (another idea swapped here, thank you).

A couple of notes on lighting:
1) I KNOW I'm doing overkill here, but I HATE not having enough light to work by.
2) The ceiling will get two rows of 4 fixtures, one in the front, one in the middle, and the rear (covered by garage door) will get two on either side of the tracks. These will all be on the main switch for the bay. This is also a 3-way so it can be controlled from either bay.
3) The first set of supplimental lights are 4' T-8 weather-proof fixtures on the walls about 7' off the floors. There will be 1-2 fixtures on the front/rear of each wall on both the left/right sides. These are on their own switch. You can see we have 2 of these mounted now.
4) The second set of supplimental lights are on the front wall to either side of the door. The thought here is to provide AMPLE light for under-hood activities. I HATE not being able to see stuff under the hood. These are both done as well.

 

[southernfriedcj]

5) Everything on the lower 48" will get covered by corrugated metal (another idea swapped here, thank you).

Looking good!

I thought I invented the corrugated metal wainscoat. We just decided to use it in our shop when we were having a planning meeting this past Friday (we are using it in the common areas of some loft style condos). I thought I was an innovator.

 

[bluesman2a]

I thought I invented the corrugated metal wainscoat. We just decided to use it in our shop when we were having a planning meeting this past Friday (we are using it in the common areas of some loft style condos). I thought I was an innovator.

Sorry Jim, it originally caught my eye when they started opening all the local Chipotle restaurants a couple of years ago. I really liked the look, but never thought about it for a shop, then I saw it in a couple of shops here and aside from being FUNCTIONAL, I think it looks really sharp/industrial.

But I have to ask, do you have a local source where I can get 48" tall strips wider than three feet?

 

[jeffj78]

A couple of notes on lighting:
1) I KNOW I'm doing overkill here, but I HATE not having enough light to work by.

No you're not. Better to have too much than too little. I hate working in garages where you really cannot see what you're doing. Better to have it so you can turn it into an OR!!!
I don't have any pics of mine on the server but I have 3 lamps above every car with the ones above the door on seperate switches so I can toggle them off if the doors are open. The 1st and last rows in each bay are placed so that pulling a car in or backing in, I can pop the hood and work on the engine with no issues. I can see just fine, even underneath without having to grab a shop light...

 

[bluesman2a]

So I pulled together my first attempt at an electrical/lighting plan...
It's a little busy... I think I might have to add some more outlets though... FYI, each of those outlets is either a 2-gang quad receptacle box or a dedicated 50AMP 240V welding outlet. On some of the longer runs (like the ones on the center and far right walls) we put 2 welding outlets on the same feeder, it would not be common to be welding on opposite sides of the same wall, but the extra positions are nice. #6 wire is FREAKIN' expensive these days!!!

Here's the basic floor-plan to give you an idea on scale:

 

[cdrewferd]

Looks great.

 

[bluesman2a]

Weekend update...
Still hanging OSB... most of the high stuff and the ceiling is done. Paid to have a couple of guys do the 15' ceiling, and it was worth every penny!!! The only thing left up high in the new bay is the area above the roll-up door. Then the last set is the trough about eye-level where all the electrical is run, that'll be the last sections.

Also managed to get 7 out of the 8 fixtures on the walls hung, there's pretty good light inside now. I'll hold off on any of the ceiling fixtures until I get some paint done.

pics:
Hard to tell in the pics, but the parking area is football-stadium bright from a number of angles. Nice for those evenings where you have to look at something outside. Oh, and the municipal airport called to ask me to shut down my "runway, it was confusing pilots...

Rear lighting.

View standing in the front door (you can see the unfinished bit that remains above the roll-up).

View from rear door with front closed

 

[cdrewferd]

Looking really good.

 

[boiler7904]

A couple of notes on lighting:
1) I KNOW I'm doing overkill here, but I HATE not having enough light to work by.

Always better to have extra lights that you can shut off when not needed than to not them at all.

I think Bluesman wins the award for having the most expensive set of sawhorses.

 

[bluesman2a]

I think Bluesman wins the award for having the most expensive set of sawhorses.

While cost per "horse" may be prohibitive, there are several VERY nice features:

1) can be adjusted to the perfect height so one person can load/unload a pickup quickly.

2) can be adjusted for perfect height to work...

3) can be raised WAY up so you can work UNDER the material for more space.

4) easy to clean under.

5) no more crawling around reaching for stuff you dropped under the table.

6) can be raised WAY up to easier load material onto high ladder/scaffolding.

7) you will NEVER overload them.

8) if you load your trailer right, you can just kick the arms under it and take it directly off the trailer!!!