Above 1200 Sq/FT Cleaning Up My Shop

[oldironfarmer]

Having read GJ for a few months, I am impressed by the quality of the garages I see.

I've got a problem, it seems I've outgrown my shop. It's 60 ft by 60 ft, and there is just one of me. I might be a hoarder. I'm probably a hoarder. OK, I'm a hoarder. But unless you only use new parts, you rely on hoarders to buy your used parts from. I frequent a popular tractor forum. Several years ago I read about a guy looking for a shift lever knob for a Farmall. One guy replied that he had bought a package of two, and had thrown the second one away as he only needed one I could not comprehend that action! When you've needed one, and have a spare, how could you throw it away!!!!!!

So my problem is I have too much "stuff" and am committed, after reading GJ, to weed out what I don't need. However I have a couple of old cars (37 Chevy, 72 Chevelle) and they are taking up valuable real estate in my shop and I plan on restoring at least two more vehicles in the future and need a place to store them.

I'd like this thread to do a couple of things: 1) Share my add-on build with those interested and 2) Get peer pressure to encourage (ok, force) me to not just trash up my add-on but continue to clean up and organize the entire shop.

The west side of my shop has a 15 ft open shed. I plan to add 15 ft to that shed and enclose it to give me 30 ft by 40 ft for vehicle storage plus some shelving for those things which just can't be thrown away.

Here is the west side of my shop, poles are 10 ft on center.

The building is 60 ft long, and I plan to make a 60 ft addition but the last 20 ft will be a separate room.

 

[oldironfarmer]

Here's a couple of shots panning across the front of the shop, it is 60 ft wide.

1415

1416

Center doors are sliding for a 16 ft by 16 ft high opening. I would like to change those out to a roll up door. I plan to have two new roll up doors, one in the wall left of the existing doors, into the existing shed, and another into the addition. Since the west side columns of the existing building need to stay, I will have two 15 ft wide bays, each with it's own door, 40 ft deep.

 

[oldironfarmer]

So the first thing I have to do is clean out the existing west shed. I had already spent a couple of hours moving stuff from the lane west of the shop, and you can see more stuff stored outside farther to the left. This is my outside steel storage and random bone yard. Lot's of valuable antiques laying out there

Here's a series of pictures of what I have to clean put, starting from the south (closest to the camera in the first picture) and working north. Like most places, some junk, some useable, and some really good stuff.

1417

1418

1419

1420


1421


1422

Here is some of the junk opposite the shop, an old torque tube transmission, three of Ford axles (V8 from the Thirties)

1424

And iron, lots and lots of iron. I'm a blacksmith so I keep all the iron I think I ever might need for anything.

1425

1426

Those are wrought iron wagon tires in the last picture, and not seen are truck springs and grader blade bits. My steel storage out here could be better organized, but I pick through this pile about every week.

So this is my goal, add on, clean up, and organize.

 

[ajohno]

oldironfarmer,
You certainly have a big job to do.
Good luck with your extension and organising.
Thanks for sharing.

 

[oldironfarmer]

So I worked pretty hard today and was surprised how many tires I found.

1437

I don't like storing tires outside, and more than half of these need to be thrown away, but lots of them are suitable for farm implement use.

I came up with 11 tractor rims, 38 inch, and my two tractor rear spares. the rim in front is a doner rim, the painted rims have had rusted sections cut out and replaced from the doner.

1438

I was pleased with how far I got, you can now see the two tractors stored in the shed. Three engine blocks and several heads yet to be removed, along with more wheels and tires. Here;s the shed tonight after today's cleaning.

1431

The yellow frame is the tensioner off a round baler I'm saving for the heavy tube and 3/8" plate. the rollers will rust but it does not have to be inside. I could only drag it so I need to get the Bobcat to move it.

1432

That's a new roll of field fence I have no use for.

1433

That's a B Farmall, the other tractor is a 300 Farmall. Most of my tractors are Farmalls from the 30's, 40's and 50's.

This next picture is almost identical to 1421 on the previous post, no room in that post.

1434

The red container has some of my dad's tools I don't need, and a couple of oddball tractors

 

[Terrick down Under]

I dont know how you are going to cope with this....... I am getting withdrawals just think about the stuff you might discard. I would put a roof on those frames/trusses and keep everything stored out there. Then worry about it when it is full.

 

[oldironfarmer]

oldironfarmer,
You certainly have a big job to do.
Good luck with your extension and organising.
Thanks for sharing.

Thanks for the encouraging words. On the good side, where I live I am on my own, no building permits, no building codes, no inspection, so my schedule is the weather and me. Don't know if there will be much interest in this type of work but I sure need a little peer pressure!

 

[Toolfool]

OK, quit wasting time sitting at a computer when you could be out there cleaning up !! (how was that ?)

 

[oldironfarmer]

I dont know how you are going to cope with this....... I am getting withdrawals just think about the stuff you might discard. I would put a roof on those frames/trusses and keep everything stored out there. Then worry about it when it is full.

Thanks for the comments! You won't find me throwing good stuff away Throwing good items away is pretty much against my nature. Deciding what is not good is the issue, like some rusted roller chain I found that I might need in a pinch. I did set some good stuff out in the weather today but it will handle a few months. What I would like to do is sell some things that others can use however I live out in the country and it's pretty hard to sell much except to neighbors. Selling on CL or eBay is a hassle for iron stuff.

We built the trusses twenty years ago or more. Then I balked at the cost of purlins and didn't finish it, yet. It was supposed to be drive through tractor and implement storage while putting up hay. I've decided I need to finish it because I have so many good tractors sitting out in the weather. But it is low priority, I started to finish it to put the good cars in but decided extending the shop would be better and less expensive.

 

[oldironfarmer]

OK, quit wasting time sitting at a computer when you could be out there cleaning up !! (how was that ?)

That was good

I was researching some floor lifts when I happened on to GJ through a link to Restored 1930's Auto Shop. Got interested in that and spent a LOT of spare time reading the whole thread. Then started looking around GJ and decided to clean up my shop. To me, "clean up" used to mean get a path open so I didn't have to step over anything. I was inspired to do better. I'm hoping a little feedback will keep me going. Thanks for the encouragement!

 

[jb3]

You have definitely already made some good progress and have some neat old tractors!

 

[oldironfarmer]

You have definitely already made some good progress and have some neat old tractors!

Thanks! Old tractors are a passion of mine. I should have named this thread Farmall Garage, or something like that.

 

[oldironfarmer]

Second day cleaning up for expanding my shop, this was a long day but I got the shed cleaned out and ready to start leveling and shooting levels to see where I stand on fill required for my new floor.

I'm going to have to leave my compressor and old compressor in place until they need to go to pour the floor. I guess I'll have to go with a portable compressor for a while.

Got the tractors moved away from the front of the shop where I plan on putting two overhead doors.

Cleaning out I found four old Firebird wheels I've had for years.

So is there any value to these? I advertised them years ago and had no interest. I hate to scrap them.

 

[930dreamer]

Are those two rims from a TransAm?

 

[oldironfarmer]

Moved the tractors closer to the house to please my wife.

1450

 

[oldironfarmer]

Are those two rims from a TransAm?

There are four of them, in good shape except the paint is flaked.

 

[Richard Cranium]

they look like trans am wheels

 

[oldironfarmer]

They are Trans Am wheels, I think original on 79-82.

 

[marty_p]

Andy, your place reminds me a lot of my four uncles' joint family farm shop in SW LA. So many rusty memories that just make you smile.

If I were closer, I would help you clean your place for free on the weekends just to hear your stories about everything, sir.

 

[oldironfarmer]

Andy, your place reminds me a lot of my four uncles' joint family farm shop in SW LA. So many rusty memories that just make you smile.

If I were closer, I would help you clean your place for free on the weekends just to hear your stories about everything, sir.

Welcome to my corner of insanity. Sure wish you lived closer! My son in law helped me drag tractors around with his backhoe yesterday, otherwise I'm working alone. I plan to hire some help when I start building (my concrete work *****) but cleaning up "treasures" is best done by the one who thinks they actually have value.

Now if I could just find a buyer for my Trans Am wheels.

 

[Smokeshow69]

Progress looks good! Keep up the good work I would advertise the wheels on craigslist or eBay. I would think someone would want them ?? If no one bites, scrap them along with the other metal you end up not needing.

 

[MagKarl]

Great thread! Thanks for posting your progress.

 

[oldironfarmer]

Progress looks good! Keep up the good work I would advertise the wheels on craigslist or eBay. I would think someone would want them ?? If no one bites, scrap them along with the other metal you end up not needing.

Thanks for stopping by and for the kind words. I had advertised the wheels years ago, but probably didn't try very hard. Best to do it again.

I need to post some inside shop pictures so everybody can see what I'm up against trying to organize and clean up.

I have this problem that lots of folks do, projects get started but not finished, and cleaning up after each job seems to never happen. Getting cars out of the shop is my impetus for adding on, but, as one friend said - having a bigger shop should make it easier to keep clean

 

[oldironfarmer]

Great thread! Thanks for posting your progress.

Thanks for looking in! Posting progress is an incentive to making progress, I hope it holds. Maybe someday my shop will be organized and efficient. Some jobs I spend more time looking for tools than working

The habit of not putting things away was inherited from my father, but I hope to break the vicious cycle.

 

[Zeke]

Well, it's work to you but for me that would be a playground. I love old tractors but I live on a 50 x 110 lot.

 

[Sunbimmer]

......when I happened on to GJ through a link to Restored 1930's Auto Shop. Got interested in that and spent a LOT of spare time reading the whole thread. Then started looking around GJ and decided to clean up my shop.....

This sounds very familiar your thread is a great read too so far, please keep us posted

 

[oldironfarmer]

Well, it's work to you but for me that would be a playground. I love old tractors but I live on a 50 x 110 lot.

Don't get me wrong, I love old tractors too, I have them on purpose

This work is my recreation.

Thanks for your interest!

 

[Ol'WhiteCap]

I understand not throwing anything away. But your treasures only have value if you can trade (sell) it to someone else.
Yes, your TA wheels, etc have value if you have a market.
Please don't think of me as a mean person, but, I think you would be money ahead if you sold all of the metal for salvage. Took the cash and purchased the parts you need to referb what has "emotional " value to you.
Because after you pass, you know the emotional value is not there.

That being said: I too am a horder!
Good luck with your project

 

[oldironfarmer]

I understand not throwing anything away. But your treasures only have value if you can trade (sell) it to someone else.
Yes, your TA wheels, etc have value if you have a market.
Please don't think of me as a mean person, but, I think you would be money ahead if you sold all of the metal for salvage. Took the cash and purchased the parts you need to referb what has "emotional " value to you.
Because after you pass, you know the emotional value is not there.

That being said: I too am a horder!
Good luck with your project

My son has already said he won't go through anything. Call an auctioneer then hire a contractor with dumpsters

I give stuff away regularly if it's someone who wants it other than for scrap.

I don't mind letting old stuff sit around as long as it's not deteriorating. Lots of the stuff I have I dream I'll incorporate into some type of project. And I do use a lot of what I have to build and fabricate with. On the down side, I have more than I'll ever need. For instance, some heavy tubing, 2-1/4 OD, 0.25 wt. I have about 75 pieces 30 inches long. I've used up four or five in the last fifteen years. I think I have plenty but can't see scrapping any. Think I have a problem?

Have a 56 Chevy upside down in a ditch, no frame. Put there as erosion control by PO. Had a pristine dash I planned to recover. Then a wildfire about twenty years ago burned the interior and dash Still some good trim and logos, but I have other things to do.

Clean the shop

Clean the shop

Clean the shop

 

[BBChevro]

Hey Andy, I spotted the '37 in your avatar when you commented on Sunbimmer's thread - so I clicked on the link and subscribed before I'd even read any of it.

Your place looks about how it would look if I had it (I also hate throwing good stuff away, so I'll probably be a bad influence).
I envy the amount of space that you have (I'm on a little suburban block with a 20'x38' shed crammed in the back yard - needless to say, that the shed is crammed full of "good stuff" that I don't wish to throw away).

What would probably help your situation is racking/shelving - a lot of that good stuff could be stored indoors until you need it, or sold (NOT for scrap) or given to someone who can use it (I'd much rather give stuff away to a good home than sell it for scrap - once it's gone, it's gone).


I look forward to seeing more of that good stuff that you have laying around.

Cheers.

 

[egnorant]

Good work! Get the inventory out of the work area and then roll with it!

Bruce

 

[oldironfarmer]

Hey Andy, I spotted the '37 in your avatar when you commented on Sunbimmer's thread - so I clicked on the link and subscribed before I'd even read any of it.

Your place looks about how it would look if I had it (I also hate throwing good stuff away, so I'll probably be a bad influence).
I envy the amount of space that you have (I'm on a little suburban block with a 20'x38' shed crammed in the back yard - needless to say, that the shed is crammed full of "good stuff" that I don't wish to throw away).

What would probably help your situation is racking/shelving - a lot of that good stuff could be stored indoors until you need it, or sold (NOT for scrap) or given to someone who can use it (I'd much rather give stuff away to a good home than sell it for scrap - once it's gone, it's gone).


I look forward to seeing more of that good stuff that you have laying around.

Cheers.

We love the '37. It has a four bolt 350, mild cam, 81 Camaro sub-frame, 700R4 and a 3.73 Nova axle. It rolls along pretty good, I was doing 110 mph on a toll road and got to thinking about blowing a tire and rolling it. didn't want to deprive the next owner out of enjoying it.

Spent a little time on your thread. Great place to visit, very friendly! I already like your FIL.

I've always built my shelving, too cheap to buy I guess. I'm looking around for some good storage racks with a little more space to work with.

I live where I want to live, and am blessed with plenty of space and a wife who just wants it on my side of the driveway. Getting ready to post a walk through of my shop. I really hate to show it to folks but now that I've seen yours...

 

[oldironfarmer]

Good work! Get the inventory out of the work area and then roll with it!

Bruce

Inventory! YES, that's it No junk there, just inventory! Thanks for implying I have some degree of sanity!

I took today off and we have a doctor's appointment in town tomorrow, but next I need to restage inventory from the outside storage area so I can have working room outside the new addition (and a fire break and access to the back of the shop. It's a little tight going by the caboose.

I did take inside the shop pictures today so I'll post them.

 

[oldironfarmer]

OK, I admit I'm an engineer. Therefore expect to see a really professional floor plan of my existing shop. I became an engineer before CAD and have always had designers to do design work for me. one of my first jobs I did sit at a drafting table but I only lasted there 6 months and only did calculations.

My shop started life as a 30 ft by 60 ft pole barn, 16 ft high, with a 15 ft shed (lean to if you were) on each side, making it 60x60. I hired it built in 1989 after a wild fire destroyed my old 60x60 shop. Very traumatic and full of guilt over not having adequately protected my "stuff". (A note on that, my sweet wife would compliment the chef after a meal by saying "I'm stuffed!" Had to give her counseling before our first trip to the U.K.)

With a new building you have plenty of space so you spread everything you'd like to have under cover out on the floor until the space is full, then the consolidating, cleaning, etc. begins.

I eventually partitioned and closed in until the shop looked like this

1466

The stairs to the right of the welding area go up to mezzanine storage above the machine shop and both wood shops. Each square on my Big Chief table represents 2-1/2'. the enclosed boxes along the walls represent windows, in case anyone is not familiar with standard architectural symbols I make up.

 

[shedfullatools]

That was good

I was researching some floor lifts when I happened on to GJ through a link to Restored 1930's Auto Shop. Got interested in that and spent a LOT of spare time reading the whole thread. Then started looking around GJ and decided to clean up my shop. To me, "clean up" used to mean get a path open so I didn't have to step over anything. I was inspired to do better. I'm hoping a little feedback will keep me going. Thanks for the encouragement!

My shop began to go through and is still going through a major overhaul the minute I finished that thread Just wished I had half the level of attention to detail he has

 

[oldironfarmer]

My shop began to go through and is still going through a major overhaul the minute I finished that thread Just wished I had half the level of attention to detail he has

Isn't that the truth. I slogged through 494 pages.

Powder coaters would go broke waiting on me. But he did inspire me to get off the stick and do something about my deplorable shop where half of some jobs is spent looking for tools And I've got a shed full of tools too.

Thanks for visiting!

 

[oldironfarmer]

So here's the plan. The west shed had become a junk pile, sorry, inventory pile, and was not a usable space. I need space to store some cars, so plan to add 15 feet west to get a 30 ft by 40 ft car storage. The existing shed portion is high enough to put a four post storage lift in so potentially the revamp could store six cars. I'm getting really interested in metal casting so I decided to put a foundry room in, with lots of ventilation and storage for foundry supplies (and piles of scrap non-ferrous).

1469

I thought about building a stand alone building, but really like the ability to move between sections in inclement weather (including heat and cold).

Currently, the wood shops, machine shop, and broom shop are heated and air conditioned. I plan to do the same to the new car storage room and in my dreams I would insulate and air condition the center. Getting three sides is part way there.

Note: The next section was copied from the following post when converting pictures from PhotoBucket when they started charging. I can only post 7 pictures per post with GJ system.

Here's a picture of each room described on the original floor plan.

Porch with shaving horse

1451

Broom making room, broom machine on left is at least 125 years old, brooms against the back wall on right, broom corn stock on shelving

1452

East side of machine shop where the '37 is stored along with a Farmall 450D being overhauled (going on 12 years, why didn't I finish it and gain that space)

1453

Machine shop area, hood of 37 is lower left, lathe is obscured by my belt grinding and polishing table.

1454

I've spent a couple of hours trying to clear off theses tables, usually I just push stuff out of the way. I usually work here because it's air conditioned.

1456

 

[oldironfarmer]

Here's a picture of each room described on the original floor plan.

Porch with shaving horse

1451

Broom making room, broom machine on left is at least 125 years old, brooms against the back wall on right, broom corn stock on shelving

1452

East side of machine shop where the '37 is stored along with a Farmall 450D being overhauled (going on 12 years, why didn't I finish it and gain that space)

1453

Machine shop area, hood of 37 is lower left, lathe is obscured by my belt grinding and polishing table.

1454

I've spent a couple of hours trying to clear off theses tables, usually I just push stuff out of the way. I usually work here because it's air conditioned.

1456

Blacksmith shop, forge by the chimney, trip hammer, anvil, and a fly press on the orange stand.

1455

Wood shop, note the nice clean work space under the window.

1457

Wood shop annex, I enclosed this to get my planers into an air conditioned area. Sink is in here, and you might notice my surface romex wiring scheme.

1462

View out the south window of the wood shop annex you can see the future car storage area.

1463

View in the main shop, Chevelle is sitting on the lift, mezzanine storage above. I could get the car out in under a half hour, so I don't use the lift as much as I'd like. great for working on the Chevelle, though, and I leave it up most of the time for mouse proofing.

1458

Welding area and stairs. Tool board is for working on farm machinery outside the door. Door on right goes outside, door on left goes back to the broom room.

1459

Top of the stairs, mezzanine area over the machine shop.

1460

That's it kids, you can see why I need more space to keep clean. But, seriously, I need to get the Chevelle and 37 into different secure storage.

 

[designr]

YOU CAN DO IT! haha trying to provide support. I started cleaning up my modest shop this past Feb. I had to make a mentality change and become ruthless about what I keep and what I toss, give away or sell so I could enjoy my space. You seem to have reached a good point on that already. After a while it started to feel good. Easiest way to "make space."

I like the fact that you are interested in so many things. My father was into both lost wax casting and blacksmithing. I leaned a lot about both of those hobbies.

For cleaning and organizing my own space - I focused on one part at a time to get it to 80-90% of my goal. Only way to keep things moving and not feel overwhelmed. It is nice to be able to see progress even if everything else was a shambles. Of course some parts got worse before they got better.

I'm looking forward to seeing this evolve and you reaching your goal!

 

[bdbecker]

You have an awesome space Farmer! Your place is what I would probably have if I had more room. I really like the fact that you have separation between different types of work.

YOU CAN DO IT! haha trying to provide support. I started cleaning up my modest shop this past Feb. I had to make a mentality change and become ruthless about what I keep and what I toss, give away or sell so I could enjoy my space. You seem to have reached a good point on that already. After a while it started to feel good. Easiest way to "make space."...

+1 on this. I've had two purges in the last 5 years. The first came when I moved and had to downsize. The second is in progress right now. At first, I thought I would feel bad about some of the stuff I've trashed or gotten rid of, but honestly, I haven't missed anything. In fact, I've forgotten about most of it completely.

...For cleaning and organizing my own space - I focused on one part at a time to get it to 80-90% of my goal. Only way to keep things moving and not feel overwhelmed. It is nice to be able to see progress even if everything else was a shambles. Of course some parts got worse before they got better...

More good advice here. Even if its sorting through one box out of one corner of one room, it all makes a difference in the end.