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Between 705 & 1200 SQ/FT Big Country Texas Shop

Workspaces between 705 and 1200 squarefeet.
8

83VillageRepair

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Merkel, Texas
I have been around here for a while and got lots of knowledge from all of the posts and haven't really contributed much so I thought I would start a thread on my place.

We moved to the Big Country a year ago after living 3 years overseas. My wife fell in love with this house the first time she saw it and we wound up buying it after looking at lots of other houses. We planned on downsizing and getting a newer house but we wound up going older and bigger.

The shop is 30 X 40 and we have 20 acres but all of it needs work. It is typical construction for old buildings in this area, welded oil field pipe and sheet metal. Luckily the house has been completely remodeled and needs nothing.

Here are a couple of pictures from the first day we looked at it. My plans are a giant clean up, getting the shop usable (it's about the projects not the shop). Later I will build a smaller temperature controlled shop and use this one for parking.

This will probably proceed pretty slowly don't hold your breath on progress.

Edit 08/05/2022 I came upon some pictures from about a year before I bought the place.


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83VillageRepair

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Bruce 993 SEA said:
Looks like a lot of treasures...were they left there by the previous owner?

This will be fun to follow!

Lookin' Good
Click to expand...

Hi Bruce
It was kind of an estate sale. Four generations of stuff, mostly oil field related. Most of the good stuff was taken already but I am finding a few “treasures” I found this blower for my forge this morning. I have been collecting stuff to try blacksmithing.

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83VillageRepair

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I have been travelling for the last two weeks first for a work trip to Frisco Texas and then I spent 10 days in South Dakota visiting my Dad. He runs a classic car salvage yard specializing mostly in old Fords. I collected up a bunch of parts from my 40 Ford parts cars and mowed and organized. We also mounted a sign for Dad. It was fun to help Dad out and spend some time with him and my brothers. Should be getting back on my shop this weekend.

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83VillageRepair

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MacTexas
The 8inch Columbia swiveler I brought back from American Samoa. Three other vises came with the place. There were 4 but someone removed the Wilton. The large bridge anvil came with the place, the other 2 anvils I brought with me. I have always wanted a 40 ford. Thirteen years ago a friend turned me on to a free 40 coupe that had be laying on its side in a draw and I have been collecting parts cars every since. It is time to put all of those parts to good use.
 
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83VillageRepair

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Merkel, Texas
Bronson said:
Can't wait to see your progress!
Love the Ford!
Click to expand...

Thanks Bronson. It is going to be fun. I went without a shop space for the last three years so I missed it. I enjoy your posts, especially motorcycle related. Where are you at in the panhandle? I just drove down the panhandle yesterday returning from South Dakota.
 
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83VillageRepair

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Just a quick glamour shot showing the parts I brought back for the 40. It is a standard "coupster" that had a deluxe front end installed. I am going to convert back to a standard. I also brought back a coats manual tire machine and old snapon bottom box.

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83VillageRepair

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This week I had my three sisters visiting so not much progress on the shop. I did get some more work done on the horse enclosure. I also put together some deck boxes and Patio sheds. We have a serious lack of outdoor storage because the attached garage was converted to a guest suite. The rest of the weekend was spend cooking out and hanging with my sisters.

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83VillageRepair

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It has been a long while since I posted to this thread so I will attempt to catch up. My wife's horses have been boarding a few miles away for 10 months we have owned the place so my biggest priority has been to make a place for them. As soon as it cooled down this fall I started working on enclosing a 1 acre parcel for them, I will make some additional pens later on. I used oil pipe on the corners and steel posts on the tangents and no climb horse fence. The last day on the last corner I got a little careless welding and started a 3 acre grass fire. While cutting a fireline with my skid steer it started on fire, it had a little hydraulic leak. I was able to roll out the front and only got a little singed. Luckily my neighbor saw the flames and smoke and came over with his two teenage sons and helped fight the fire until the fire department got there. I feel very lucky that we weren't hurt and nothing was burned that can't be replaced.

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83VillageRepair

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I talked to my insurance company USAA on the next day and turns out I was covered for full replacement value on everything. All I had to do was upload pictures of the damaged items to their communication portal. Luckily I got a great deal on my 2010 Cat 252B3 Skid steer and it was valued at twice what I paid for it so I was able to do a serious upgrade.

I lost my skid steer, milwaukee portaband, Miller Elite welding helmet, grinder, some extension cords and welding leads. I was able to replace everything with the insurance settlement and the process was really easy.

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83VillageRepair

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This weekend I got back to working on the shop. Cleaned out more of the old owners stuff and replaced two missing pieces of roofing iron. I neglected to get any pictures so I will update this post later with some.
 
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Bronson

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Texas panhandle
83VillageRepair said:
Thanks Bronson. It is going to be fun. I went without a shop space for the last three years so I missed it. I enjoy your posts, especially motorcycle related. Where are you at in the panhandle? I just drove down the panhandle yesterday returning from South Dakota.
Click to expand...

Sorry, I just saw this.
I am in Canyon, just south of Amarillo.:thumbup:
Sorry about your fire, glad it wasn't worse!
 
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83VillageRepair

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Thanks Motoman and Bronson! I feel very lucky that there were no injuries. The skid steer was missing the front window when I got it and I hadn't gotten around to replacing it so I was able to to tuck and roll out the front when the flames started shooting up inside the cab. I would hate to have to use the escape hatch on a modern skid steer.

I use a skid steer primarily as a forklift and it isn't that safe crawling out under or over a load so this JCB 520 Loadall is just the ticket. I can exit out the side and it lifts more and much higher than a skid steer. It also has auto leveling forks so I plan on building a man basket to help work on the shop.

Wade
 
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83VillageRepair

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I work 4-10s so I have a three day weekend every week. I can get a lot done on the weekend if I buckle down and have no interruptions. Nothing much accomplished on the shop this weekend. I worked mostly on clean up and mowing. Since the fire I have become a little paranoid about the tall grass. It has been nice the last few weekend so I have spent a lot of time on my Gravely zero turn cleaning up weeds and tall grass. Unfortunately there is steel and other **** laying about so I have to be real careful and slow. I got about 5 acres done this weekend and moved about 5 fork loads of sucker rod and pipe and a pickup load of garbage. It looks good now and I will probably hay this area next year.

A side note: I purchased 3m Worktunes bluetooth noise cancelling headphones and they make it nice and quiet. I can listen to music or podcasts while mowing or using the loader without any background noise. If the phone rings I hear it in the headphones and can decide whether to answer or not. This weekend was Iheart radio "Outlaw Country" channel, and several episodes each of "Noble Blood" and "Adventure Rider Radio" podcasts.

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83VillageRepair

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I have a five day weekend to start the new year. I plan on removing everything from the shop and the dry van storage trailer and only putting back what I plan on keeping. I will update this post with pictures later.

Yesterday I got about half moved outside and generated a pickup load of trash in the process. Luckily my work has 5 roll away dumpsters that employees can use. I have been taking full advantage of them.

W/
 
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83VillageRepair

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Merkel, Texas
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83VillageRepair

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86turbodsl said:
And you say it like that's a bad thing.... :)
Click to expand...

They are certainly a pain to move around but my new loader certainly makes it easier. Cummings 4bt, Mercury 337CID flathead and 4 Ford Yblocks. I did get rid of a 302 Windsor that I was never going to do anything with and I am trying to sell the 4bt so I am making progress.

W/
 
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Shootinok

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What are your plans for the merc flathead ? Big HP for the restoration of the 40 or pretty close to stock? Either way - Those are getting rare.
Finding a machine shop to work on ‘em is tough.


Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app
 
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83VillageRepair

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Messages
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Merkel, Texas
Shootinok said:
What are your plans for the merc flathead ? Big HP for the restoration of the 40 or pretty close to stock? Either way - Those are getting rare.
Finding a machine shop to work on ‘em is tough.


Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app
Click to expand...

I got it from a guy that was going to do a "Hot Rod Lincoln" but lost interest. All of the machine work is done. It might wind up in one of the 40's someday or an fenderless hot rod. I seem to have an affinity for oddball engines. We have some Lincoln V12s and V8-60s as well.
W/
 
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86turbodsl

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Shootinok said:
What are your plans for the merc flathead ? Big HP for the restoration of the 40 or pretty close to stock? Either way - Those are getting rare.
Finding a machine shop to work on ‘em is tough.


Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app
Click to expand...
Dad bought a flathead a while back. He's passed now and did nothing with it. Who's interested in such things?

Sent from my LG-TP450 using Tapatalk
 
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83VillageRepair

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930dreamer said:
Wow, glad no one was injured in the skid steer fire. I know all about cleaning up prior property owners stuff.
Click to expand...

You sure do! We both bought the same kind of place but your shop looks to be much more functional than mine. I feel blessed that there were no injuries and that I had not got around to installing the front window yet.
 
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Shootinok

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83VillageRepair said:
....You get to spend 3 times the money to make 1/3 the power. What's not to like? [emoji4]



W/
Click to expand...



Ha! There is truth in that statement. But there are people who love them just the same.

I’m definitely interested in ‘em
Don’t want to hijack this thread so I’ll start one.
Look for “flatheads” in free parking


Sent from my iPad using The Garage Journal mobile app
 
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