Recent content by giddygoat

I have the Smithy 3 in one that I bought 20 years ago, use it all the time, just used it last week to machine down secondary clutch on a johnson snowmobile to be able to install the more standard comet primary on a CCW motor swap. It gets used for turning, drilling and milling but I do not do...

Using it just for cooling and leaving it on you likely would get by with a 2 ton. I am in southern Mn, shop is two areas 24 by 40 each, one is 14 ft high the other is 10, two overhead doors, no floor insulation walls are 6 inch fiberglass with 1.5 inch foam on lower cement walls. Ceilings are...

I bulit in 1993 and the vinyl was installed with shingle nails, into osb, alot of it worked loose over the years, now the only way I put on vinyl is with 1 in flat head screws, phillips or star bit, they tend to stay where you leave them and not work loose. Just a quick as a hammer and nail and...

New Mini Split Refrigerant 2025 As of 2024, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has mandated a phase-out of R-410A refrigerant in residential HVAC systems, effective January 1, 2025. To comply with this regulation, manufacturers are transitioning to new refrigerants with lower global...

Attached garage I would only use sheetrock, code here is two layers of 5/8 with taped seams with next layer seams staggered and taped all the way to the roof on any wall shared with internal wall to the house. Doors to the the house must be fire rated and have self closing hinges. There was a...

There needs to be good air flow from the softits to the ridge vent best would be the entire length of the wall and ridge vent as to avoid any dead spots. My thoughts are there should be a vapor barrier, when I did my shop the ceiling is vapor barrier then metal ceiling, blow in fiberglass with...

x2 for Fitzees utube esp his cut/**** method.

I run a HD9 four post , 12 ft door, 13ft 6 inch ceiling. end of ramps about 8 ft from door. the door when it is up limits how high the lift can be. on pickups with toppers or suburban type vehicles it can be a issue. Crewcab f350 pickups with no topper fit as the cab is past the reach of the...

Insurance companies are getting more picky even if you sneak it by the inspectors. I have been with the same company for over 35 years with only one 600.00 claim. A year ago they called and said they need to come out and do a risk assessment, They came out and looked at all the buildings took...

Buckgnarly makes a good point on the four post lift, if one lock hangs up and the operator is not paying attention the lift will not be happy, I have done it myself....once, well maybe twice, but now I always check as its going down. Maybe a big orange warning sticker by the release for...

I am not a fan of two post lifts, about 45 years ago I was working in a larger shop with only two post lifts, we did a lot of transmission work. It was the middle of the winter and everything was wet and sloppy, working on a nova, ready to pull transmission, had ****** jack in place and was...

I live in southern Minnesota, my shop is a 50 by 40, 13.5 sidewalls on one side and 10 on the other side. Insulated overhead doors (3) and windows are (4) 3ft by 4ft double pain 3 man doors. It is R19 in the walls with the ceiling blown in fiberglass 2 to 3 ft on the 13 ft side and 18 in batt...

https://www.youtube.com/@fitzeesfabrications# Check out Fitzee, I always had issues with welding patch panels, he does a nice job of explaining and showing how to get a decent job with limited high end tools. His cut and **** method has made a huge difference for me, amazed at how well it...

South-side Auto in Faribault Mn burned due to this exact issue, a late model builder sales lot, building had a shop with maybe 10-12 car capacity and offices in front. Someone forgot to shut off the compressor over the weekend, something happened, broke a line or or other leak or switch...

Cellulose maybe the better insulation, But I have seen a number of service shops that the metal ceiling rusted away because of moisture migrating up thur vapor barrior where screws penetrated. In the winter the service doors where opened repeatedly with vehicles going in and out causing...