30X40X12 - After Fire Rebuild

[SpeedinLemon]

I think 40 bucks is a steal. I'd probably paint it but that's just me.

Thanks TB....I was pleased!

 

[SpeedinLemon]

SpeedinLemon - When I first saw the sketch, I thought "Good, he remembered a toekick down at the bottom", but now I see it materialize without one. Is there still one in the plan (maybe by lifting the toolbox some)? You have it far enough along now that you should be able to tell if it bothers you or not as is. Benches just don't feel right to me without one.

Thanks for the advice Shopnut! I'm sure you notice the gap between the toolbox and the bench. That gap only ended up 1.5", so smaller than the standard toe kick, but I do plan to raise the toolbox up on a platform and create the toe kick that way. The box is just slid in the opening for reference right now. I will make the toe kick on the storage cabinet to match and line up. As far as the exposed plywood, I plan to paint everything. Primer first then paint. I've thought about a SS top for the workbench, but will probably paint it or do a stain/poly finish on it first and see how that goes. I've had a painted bench top before that worked ok. I'm still debating the overall color scheme, but am leaning towards a green from the floor up to about 42" (the height of the wall plugs) and a light beige on the upper walls. Maybe a stripe (red?) to separate the colors and I also plan to paint the boxed in beam the same color as the stripe.

SpeedinLemon My opinion on the vise - If you plan on using is hard (who doesn't?) I would probably give a quick paint job in the same color (or maybe not paint it at all). That way future chips won't be so noticable. Red is a good color for a vise, anyway. I would leave the original paint as a base coat because my methods never seem to come close to the original adhesion level of the OEM paint and it looks like that one has already stood the test of time. YMMV. Nice deal by the way!

Have fun!

Good advice on the vise as well. I think I will clean it up and paint it as close to original color as possible and buff out the machined metal parts on the EXL.

 

[flybefree]

Looking good....great deal on the vise, should last a lifetime.

Will look for a long term review of the miter, did not know they made saws.

Shaun

 

[broinkrist]

As i get the shop reorganized a bit, I came across a few cool Craftsman tools that will need attention when I get to actually working on a project in the shop instead of the shop as the project!

Need to get a proper blade for this one:

And his brother the circular saw and grinder from about the same era:

All work fine, just have some surface rust from the fire.

And a new saw purchase. My miter saw was one of my most used tools previously...but it was not restorable:

So I replaced it with this:

12" Sliding compound miter saw. It made short work of the 4X4 post and also 13+ inch 3/4 ply was no problem. This is available through Amazon at $337 including shipping. I know Metabo has a good reputation for grinders and so far I'm pleased with this saw.

I saw a vise similar to this here:

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=2173248

Red Leader was kind enough to enlighten me on it and I was off to ebay! A few days later, I was the proud owner of this Wilton Shop King vise:

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About $40 including shipping for a very cool art-deco look vise. It seems in really good shape, just needs cleanup and either fresh paint, or I may leave it naked as I saw in Taumac's post.

What do you guys think?

Nice find!

I got one also at a local garage sale for $30...much worse condition than yours, needing new jaws and missing 1 pipe jaw, but great vice all around. Still in the process of cleaning mine up.

 

[SpeedinLemon]

Nice find!

I got one also at a local garage sale for $30...much worse condition than yours, needing new jaws and missing 1 pipe jaw, but great vice all around. Still in the process of cleaning mine up.

Good job! I think it's a nice, relatively small vice and seems very solid. Post up some pics when you get it cleaned up.

Do you (or anyone else) know the purpose of the round, sharp, removable plug that is on the anvil of this vise? Looks like it could be used for cutting or bending thinner metal possibly??

 

[Bob Heine]

Do you (or anyone else) know the purpose of the round, sharp, removable plug that is on the anvil of this vise? Looks like it could be used for cutting or bending thinner metal possibly??

I believe they are called hardy tools and they are used for cutting and bending, as you suspected:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardy_tool

 

[SpeedinLemon]

I believe they are called hardy tools and they are used for cutting and bending, as you suspected:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardy_tool

Thanks for the info and link Bob. Looks like they are more common with blacksmiths. I could see that coming in handy for something...not sure what yet though!

 

[SpeedinLemon]

Some more progress....Got the storage cabinet frame and shelves built and installed. Still need face frame and doors. I put a few items on the shelves just to get an idea how things would fit. Still have organizing to do, but won't put too much effort into that until after paint.

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Shopnut....There's a bit of a toe-kick there, but not much....I think it will be fine though.

I got to work on the upper cabinets a bit tonight....hopefully have some pics of that later in the week.

 

[Wingnut65]

Nice work on the shelves SIL. They look small in the first image, but the size is evident with all the tools on them. Are they fixed shelves, or adjustable?

 

[DFW-LSX]

This looks awesome, you do excellent work. Where in NT are you?

 

[shopnut]

Lots of great new storage space within easy reach of workbench - very handy SpeedinLemon. And I'm glad I can rest easy now, knowing your toes are not going to get bruised everytime you are working

 

[SpeedinLemon]

Nice work on the shelves SIL. They look small in the first image, but the size is evident with all the tools on them. Are they fixed shelves, or adjustable?

Thanks Wingnut. The shelves you see are all fixed. I have plans for a pull out shelf underneath the shelf with the Dewalt drivers. The pull out will have battery chargers and a power strip. There is an outletint he back of that cabinet for power. Overall the cabinet is 30" wide, 24" deep and just under 8' tall.

 

[SpeedinLemon]

This looks awesome, you do excellent work. Where in NT are you?

Thanks DFW-LSX. Excellent is a stretch, but I'm trying to make it look and function nicely. Nice looking truck in your sig.

I'm up along the Red River near Gainesville.

 

[brslk]

Very nice Sir. You do great work.

Bruce.

 

[SpeedinLemon]

Lots of great new storage space within easy reach of workbench - very handy SpeedinLemon. And I'm glad I can rest easy now, knowing your toes are not going to get bruised everytime you are working

Yes sir...rest easy! Any storage-related compliment coming from you is high praise indeed! My goal is to have the majority of my storage capable of being closed up. Probably a few open shelves, but I'm trying to get everything behind doors. Since the shop will be sharing space with the "hangout" / pool room area, I want to keep it neat and the sharp objects away from small hands that will be in the area.

Speaking of pool....someone put a large hole in the back yard that I think will get filled with water:

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I'm going to have to pick up the pace. I'd hate for the pool to be finished before the space in the shop is useable!

 

[shopnut]

It was the best night's sleep in a long time last night! Thanks!

Perhaps it's too late, but when it comes to putting doors of the side storage shelves, I have a suggestion for you. Make the door(s) swing towards the wall so it (they) can lay flat against it. Also, mount some pegboard on the inside of them for those low profile tools like bar clamps, levels, etc. and even rolls of tape. Of course, it would require the doors to be pretty heavy duty and the shelves to be trimmed back a bit to make room for the door hung tools/supplies.

Then when you're working at the bench, you can just swing it open and leave it there for easy access to your large tools and supplies, and later slam it shut when finished, and go enjoy that new pool. (The pool layout looks great, btw )

 

[Wingnut65]

That pools looks awesome! You will really enjoy the sitting steps and a cold one.

And with the retaining walls around the edges, looks like there are bigger plans for the back yard as well...?

All the pool needs is a little shotcrete, tile, coping, finish and water and its good to go. So, is the Shop going to be ready in 2-3 weeks for a Great Debut? Or at least ready for a big Memorial Day BBQ, Pool Party and Shop Tours??? Not that we're pushing, but the guy who dug the hole in your yard is working full time on his end of the project...

 

[Bob Heine]

SiL,
Phenomenal work! The shop is coming along nicely and as usual, shopnut sees storage opportunities everywhere.

The pool layout looks great, with lots of new patio space. The truckloads of concrete you are going to have delivered always seem to have some leftover concrete at the end of the pour. It looks like you could add a walkway from the double door entry to the shop for little more than the cost of forms.

 

[shopnut]

shopnut sees storage opportunities everywhere.

Ha Ha - With a middle name of "Packrat" (as stated on my birth certificate ), I can't help it!

 

[Omphaloskeptic]

Nice work! Very soon that fire will be just a distant memory as you enjoy your NEW shop.

 

[SpeedinLemon]

It was the best night's sleep in a long time last night! Thanks!

Perhaps it's too late, but when it comes to putting doors of the side storage shelves, I have a suggestion for you. Make the door(s) swing towards the wall so it (they) can lay flat against it. Also, mount some pegboard on the inside of them for those low profile tools like bar clamps, levels, etc. and even rolls of tape. Of course, it would require the doors to be pretty heavy duty and the shelves to be trimmed back a bit to make room for the door hung tools/supplies.

Then when you're working at the bench, you can just swing it open and leave it there for easy access to your large tools and supplies, and later slam it shut when finished, and go enjoy that new pool. (The pool layout looks great, btw )

Good ideas Shopnut. It's hard to see in the pics, but the second shelf from the top is set back about 4.5" leaving room for me to mount at least one of those multidrawer storage boxes. I may actually make the doors have some depth also to make room for a little more storage space. I've seen some cool zip tie racks made from PVC pipe (Wingnut maybe?) and a few other ideas for the insides of the doors. So yes...they will definitely open away from the bench and flush with the wall. I'm thinking the face frame will need to made from oak or some other hardwood and I will probably use piano hinges for the two doors on the storage cabinet. Keep the ideas coming! Thanks again.

Chris

 

[SpeedinLemon]

SiL,
Phenomenal work! The shop is coming along nicely and as usual, shopnut sees storage opportunities everywhere.

The pool layout looks great, with lots of new patio space. The truckloads of concrete you are going to have delivered always seem to have some leftover concrete at the end of the pour. It looks like you could add a walkway from the double door entry to the shop for little more than the cost of forms.

Thanks Bob....Again, "Phenomenal" is stretching it, but I appreciate it anyway!

I'm afraid I don't have the skills to make things as nice as I'd like or to accurately copy a lot of the best ideas I find around here, but I'm trying to take my time and do as good as I can do. We'll see how it all turns out.

Here's a pic of the pool design in pretty close to it's final form. I think you'll see the walkway you're referring to is actually big enough to be a patio area. I'm on board with the "extra" cement thoughts though...I've already thought of having a small pad poured for a storage shed behind the shop (no way I'm putting lawn mowers, edgers, trimmers, etc... back in this shop!). Also thought of having a curb poured around the area for the swingset and trampoline. I just worry about how permanent those would be....any thoughts?

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[SpeedinLemon]

Nice work! Very soon that fire will be just a distant memory as you enjoy your NEW shop.

Thanks Ompha! I look forward to enjoying the "new" shop. Here's a couple of cell phone pics of the past weeks progress. I'm down to only 4 - 4X8 sheets of wall board to go and that pesky spot up above the garage door. I have to wait on the plumber and electrician on those last 4 sheets...I sure am looking forward to having that part done and getting some paint on the walls!

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[SpeedinLemon]

That pools looks awesome! You will really enjoy the sitting steps and a cold one.

And with the retaining walls around the edges, looks like there are bigger plans for the back yard as well...?

All the pool needs is a little shotcrete, tile, coping, finish and water and its good to go. So, is the Shop going to be ready in 2-3 weeks for a Great Debut? Or at least ready for a big Memorial Day BBQ, Pool Party and Shop Tours??? Not that we're pushing, but the guy who dug the hole in your yard is working full time on his end of the project...

Thanks Wingnut! See the post above for an architectural rendering of the plan....it should give you a pretty good idea where it's headed. They sprayed the gunite (same as shotcrete?) this week...that was a cool process to watch. They only formed one side and free-hand sculpted the rest...those guys are artists. It was amazing how the gunite, even though it looks like concrete, would just stay where it was sprayed (zero slump-rate was a term I learned this week). Once it was roughed in, they came through with oversized spatulas and shaped up all the edges, stairs and retaining walls. I wish I could have watched the entire thing, but work was calling! Pool guys says we're still a month or slightly more away with all the rock work, etc... Since the race is on now...I'm going to have to get moving. North Texas is fairly centralized, so it would make a good spot for a gathering. Might have to plan it around an air show...seems to be a lot of interest there and we have a few decent ones in the area.....something to think about.

 

[flybefree]

SIL! Holey moley where did that oasis come from? One minute we're talking garage storage with Shopnut then BAM! There is this epic pool space plopped down right next to the shop...wow, can't let my wife know such things are even possible!

Wow.

Shaun

 

[sneakyfast]

Thanks Bob....Again, "Phenomenal" is stretching it, but I appreciate it anyway!

I'm afraid I don't have the skills to make things as nice as I'd like or to accurately copy a lot of the best ideas I find around here, but I'm trying to take my time and do as good as I can do. We'll see how it all turns out.

Here's a pic of the pool design in pretty close to it's final form. I think you'll see the walkway you're referring to is actually big enough to be a patio area. I'm on board with the "extra" cement thoughts though...I've already thought of having a small pad poured for a storage shed behind the shop (no way I'm putting lawn mowers, edgers, trimmers, etc... back in this shop!). Also thought of having a curb poured around the area for the swingset and trampoline. I just worry about how permanent those would be....any thoughts?

View media item 19502

That looks awesome bro! Just a thought...you may not want to put that fence that you can't see through between the patio the pool. That way the adults can sit at the table having brews and still monitor the kids in the pool. Just a thought....but looks fantastic anyway.

 

[SpeedinLemon]

That looks awesome bro! Just a thought...you may not want to put that fence that you can't see through between the patio the pool. That way the adults can sit at the table having brews and still monitor the kids in the pool. Just a thought....but looks fantastic anyway.

Thanks SF...I should have explained that a little. The pool has actually never been real high on my personal priority list, but after many years of discussion, we decided to pull the trigger. I'm just not a big water person, but I will enjoy it and the wife a kids are REALLY looking forward to it. I have a feeling it will grow on me too...and there's always the shop and outdoor kitchen close at hand. That being said, the longest part of the design process was coming up with a way to put a fence around the pool that would keep it as safe as possible from access from little ones, while not looking like a maximum security prison! So the dark black fence you see in the drawing is actually a removable mesh fence that mounts in holes in the concrete decking. So during prime usage, that fence will be taken down. We have some friends that have it and it's fairly see through even when installed.

Thanks for the comments!

 

[SpeedinLemon]

SIL! Holey moley where did that oasis come from? One minute we're talking garage storage with Shopnut then BAM! There is this epic pool space plopped down right next to the shop...wow, can't let my wife know such things are even possible!

Wow.

Shaun

Thanks Shaun...It's been years in the making / saving / planning. The kids are at the ages where they will really enjoy and use it to the fullest. If there is interest, I'll post progress pics of the pool along with the shop....I haven't looked to see if there is a pooljournal.com?? If it's anything like GJ though, I want to stay far, far away!!

 

[draider]

I hadn't checked in on this thread in a while. You're making some good progress, Lemon! I really like your built-in workbench area.

 

[flybefree]

Hey that pool is part of the shop complex you must continue to update!

 

[Firefighter315]

Hey that pool is part of the shop complex you must continue to update!

Agreed! Been lurking here so far, great work!

 

[SpeedinLemon]

Here's a few pool construction pics. I really wish I could have watched the entire gunite process....They sprayed it in and it stayed almost exactly where it was sprayed and then used long, straight edge, spatula-looking tools to shape everything. Very much an art form.

This was about 7:30am:

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And by about 6:00pm it looked like this:

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I've really got to make some progress on the shop!

 

[shopnut]

That pool is looking great! Besides all the parties and relaxation you have planned with it, you will find that it is a great compliment to the shop when it's really hot out. Work for a hour or two, jump in and cool off, repeat until the job is done. I'm on a 1-hour cycle when it's 95F or so.

If you haven't thought of it already, consider an outdoor shower to rinse the grit or wood chips off of ya before jumping in the clean pool.

Now, let's talk about some underwater storage lockers...

 

[flybefree]

SIL, the gig is up, my wife has seen your pool complex....now I am in trouble.

Shaun

 

[Shoottx]

SIL, the gig is up, my wife has seen your pool complex....now I am in trouble.

Shaun

Well adding a pool at the same time you are building the septic tank would be just a little incremental work Pool and septic tank are kind the same concept, hold water, can pee in either .... etc

Ducking back into the Dustbin

 

[flybefree]

Mike...hey, you're on to something there...hmmm. HAH! I showed my wife the pool complex because it really suprised me. Lemon's shop had me thinking it sat way back a lane on some hard working cattle ranch in Texas where the stock pond is for skinny dipping and all the sudden (in GJ time only mind you) there is this awesome pool next to the shop next to the house. Maybe I didn't look closely at the first pictures, but that's what popped in my head. I will not have to worry about putting a pool in for a good long while, there is no dishwasher in the house and the washer/dryer hookups are in the kitchen...soon it will be remodel time.
Shaun

 

[SpeedinLemon]

That pool is looking great! Besides all the parties and relaxation you have planned with it, you will find that it is a great compliment to the shop when it's really hot out. Work for a hour or two, jump in and cool off, repeat until the job is done. I'm on a 1-hour cycle when it's 95F or so.

If you haven't thought of it already, consider an outdoor shower to rinse the grit or wood chips off of ya before jumping in the clean pool.

Now, let's talk about some underwater storage lockers...

Shopnut -- The outdoor shower is in the plans.....it's stubbed out behind the big sink inside the shop....it will be on the far right(north) end of shop as you look at it from the pool. I think in the summer time that will be where the kids primarily bathe! Plus they're all blondies so the need to rinse the chlorine to keep from turning green.

Now...what could we keep in underwater storage lockers???

 

[SpeedinLemon]

Quote:Originally Posted by flybefree
SIL, the gig is up, my wife has seen your pool complex....now I am in trouble.

Shaun

Well adding a pool at the same time you are building the septic tank would be just a little incremental work Pool and septic tank are kind the same concept, hold water, can pee in either .... etc

Ducking back into the Dustbin

Well guys....I've built both (or paid to have both built is really more accurate) and other than both involving excavation, I really hope the pool does nothing to remind me of the septic system. NO "P" in my "OOL"!!!

 

[Wingnut65]

That pool looks great. But the clock is ticking... How's the shop coming???

 

[SpeedinLemon]

Mike...hey, you're on to something there...hmmm. HAH! I showed my wife the pool complex because it really suprised me. Lemon's shop had me thinking it sat way back a lane on some hard working cattle ranch in Texas where the stock pond is for skinny dipping and all the sudden (in GJ time only mind you) there is this awesome pool next to the shop next to the house. Maybe I didn't look closely at the first pictures, but that's what popped in my head. I will not have to worry about putting a pool in for a good long while, there is no dishwasher in the house and the washer/dryer hookups are in the kitchen...soon it will be remodel time.
Shaun

Hey Shaun...Stay strong! Mrs. Lemon has been wanting a pool since we first built out here...13 years ago on the shop and 11 years ago on the house. The shop was actually home for about a year and a half when the first child was born and until about a week before our daughter was born.

A little history on the compound....The land we're on has been in my wife's family since the early 1930's. It's been all manner of ranch and farm over the years. The part we're on now belonged to her parents and we bought a few acres in the middle of it and a few hundred yards from her mom and dad's house. We are about a half mile off the road and 4 miles or so from town and 10 miles from work for both Mrs. Lemon and me. It's nice and quiet and we love it. There is quite a bit of room to roam and we have a nice size creek that cuts the place in half and a few tanks for fishing (my 8 year olds favorite part!). I currently keep a small herd of cows and have a split arrangement with a man with the equipment to bale hay. Not too serious on the farming/ranching side, but I was raised in suburbia and I enjoy the cows.

I'll post a few farther away pics of the house/shop/pool compound as we progress...although I've never thought of it as a compound before Shopnut's comments! It is home sweet home though and we are blessed to have it.

You'll be ready in a few years once Mrs. FBF really get's the FC working on you!