Above 1200 Sq/FT My Retirement Shop, Pole Barns, Old Truck and Questionable Decisions Thread

[SouthernIllinois]

When I was a kid my mom drove a '64 Chevy II (Nova) that same color. It was even an SS I think. With a 283 and automatic. They were cheap back then but they are pretty expensive now.

My first pick was a Chevy II - I love that body style. Unfortunately most are chopped up as drag cars, already restored and expensive or overpriced, rusted out basket cases.

 

[SouthernIllinois]

Radiant tube heat is in.

 

[SouthernIllinois]

Thanks to a friends help with the wiring and plumbing the Transair lines, I have compressed air.

Makes 24cfm @ 175psi. Fills the 80 gallon tank from empty to 170psi in about 4 minutes.

No leaks in my redneck cooler/water separator, the Transair plumbing or the three regulator/filters at each drop.

The green light on the exterior of the tool room tells you the compressor is energized, the red one tells you the Milwaukee and Dewalt chargers are energized so I don’t forget to turn them off at the end of the night.

 

[Jayman17]

Great idea with the red light/green light. Your shop looks amazing!

 

[SouthernIllinois]

Great idea with the red light/green light. Your shop looks amazing!

Thanks.

The lights are old, brass navigation lights off a Great Lakes Freighter. Had them on the outside of the garage at my old house and had to come up with something to use them for here.

 

[SouthernIllinois]

Still moving stuff in. The thing is I have a lot of shop stuff in a shipping container but with all this rain, it’s too muddy to get stuff out of it.

Additionally, the electrician that is helping me can only work a couple hours a couple days a week after is day job so electrical progress is slow.

Couple updated pics

 

[SilverJimmy]

Your floor looks great, did you post if you sealed it, and if you did, with what did you seal it with?

 

[SouthernIllinois]

Your floor looks great, did you post if you sealed it, and if you did, with what did you seal it with?

Thanks.
I actually have no idea what they used - the concrete contractor sealed it while I was out of town. By the time I got back, it was done.

 

[jon72vega]

Love that you have a Corvair!
Is it a '66?

 

[SouthernIllinois]

Love that you have a Corvair!
Is it a '66?

65

 

[SouthernIllinois]

Good thing we don’t have any neighbors, not sure they would appreciate the compressor, grinder and Rolling Stones at 5am.

On step closer to having a shed pisser.

I managed to save the “ST LOUIS MO USA” markings.

Before any one bashes it because they think it will stink - it will have flushing water and a P-Trap. I have spent my adult life on USN Submarines and then commercial fishing boats. I know a thing or two about keeping a head from stinking.

 

[Boostingaz]

Good thing we don’t have any neighbors, not sure they would appreciate the compressor, grinder and Rolling Stones at 5am.

On step closer to having a shed pisser.

I managed to save the “ST LOUIS MO USA” markings.

Before any one bashes it because they think it will stink - it will have flushing water and a P-Trap. I have spent my adult life on USN Submarines and then commercial fishing boats. I know a thing or two about keeping a head from stinking.

Couple of things.

How do you like that mower?

I really like your water system tags/labels. That's super slick! Much better than tape or marker or anything else that always fails and you're left scratching your head 3 years later because you forget what the heck you did lol.

 

[Boostingaz]

Oh.....and since I got sidetracked with other details and wasn't looking at anything that I was actually supposed to be looking at......it's gonna stink . JK! Had to mess with you. My fancy exterior urinal stump never stinks and it's right by the shop door.

 

[SouthernIllinois]

Couple of things.

How do you like that mower?

I really like your water system tags/labels. That's super slick! Much better than tape or marker or anything else that always fails and you're left scratching your head 3 years later because you forget what the heck you did lol.

Thanks.

I like the mower but then again I don't have anything to compare it to.
It starts every time and runs smoothly and does a good job on the grass as far as I can tell.

My Dad died Thanksgiving 2023. At the time I was fishing off the east coast and living in Maryland. Pretty abruptly my wife and I decided to retire, buy out my sister's share of the estate and move back to our hometown.

Part of the estate included that mower - it's the only zero turn I have ever operated. When Dad died it only had 40 hours on it. He cut his own grass (about 5 or 6 acres) up until near the end - he died a few weeks prior to his 90th birthday.

He had just traded in a John Deere that he claimed rode too rough for him.
Unfortunately, that's a about all I can tell you about it.

As far as the tags on the plumbing. Those are key chains from amazon.

That is a lesson learned from buying Dad's estate.
Before we had it re-done, the plumbing and well piping in the utility room was something of a mystery. Nothing was labeled and it took awhile to figure out what was what. I decided to label everything in the house and in this pole barn not only for myself but for whoever comes along next.

I had the same tags made for keys - When we moved back Dad had keys everywhere and none were labeled, some we still haven't figured what they go to and I'm afraid to throw them away because as soon as I do, I'll realize I need them. Once again, they not only benefit me but will help whomever is stuck going through my stuff when I'm gone.




Here is a link to the key chains:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B088WZYBF8?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[Boostingaz]

Thanks.

I like the mower but then again I don't have anything to compare it to.
It starts every time and runs smoothly and does a good job on the grass as far as I can tell.

My Dad died Thanksgiving 2023. At the time I was fishing off the east coast and living in Maryland. Pretty abruptly my wife and I decided to retire, buy out my sister's share of the estate and move back to our hometown.

Part of the estate included that mower - it's the only zero turn I have ever operated. When Dad died it only had 40 hours on it. He cut his own grass (about 5 or 6 acres) up until near the end - he died a few weeks prior to his 90th birthday.

He had just traded in a John Deere that he claimed rode too rough for him.
Unfortunately, that's a about all I can tell you about it.

As far as the tags on the plumbing. Those are key chains from amazon.

That is a lesson learned from buying Dad's estate.
Before we had it re-done, the plumbing and well piping in the utility room was something of a mystery. Nothing was labeled and it took awhile to figure out what was what. I decided to label everything in the house and in this pole barn not only for myself but for whoever comes along next.

I had the same tags made for keys - When we moved back Dad had keys everywhere and none were labeled, some we still haven't figured what they go to and I'm afraid to throw them away because as soon as I do, I'll realize I need them. Once again, they not only benefit me but will help whomever is stuck going through my stuff when I'm gone.




Here is a link to the key chains:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B088WZYBF8?tag=atomicindus08-20

Very sorry regarding you father. My prayers and condolences. While I know it's not exactly the same my Grandpa just passed this Christmas and I can tell you from these passed few months of cleaning, I sure do wish he would have labeled the keys!!! . Like you said. We are scared to get rid of any. You might find a locked file cabinet, he had several full gun safes, lock boxes, barns, tractors, 2 boats, you name, it seems like everything of any importance has a key.


Thanks for the link . Reading along that was going to be my question. I'm definitely gonna start a list of keywords and will be doing the same. I love that.

 

[SouthernIllinois]

Very sorry regarding you father. My prayers and condolences. While I know it's not exactly the same my Grandpa just passed this Christmas and I can tell you from these passed few months of cleaning, I sure do wish he would have labeled the keys!!! . Like you said. We are scared to get rid of any. You might find a locked file cabinet, he had several full gun safes, lock boxes, barns, tractors, 2 boats, you name, it seems like everything of any importance has a key.


Thanks for the link . Reading along that was going to be my question. I'm definitely gonna start a list of keywords and will be doing the same. I love that.

Thanks - He lived a very full life and came within a week of 90. Better than most of us will do.

I learned a lot from going through his and my mother's stuff.
Not only that, my Mother in-law was killed in a car accident a couple years ago so my wife and I have had some experience in settling estates.

I am 56 but I am already trying to organize things for my wife or whoever has to settle our affairs.

Getting an update will and pre-paying for cremations was done was first.

I also made a binder labeled "I'm Dead - Start Here"

I have a nice WWII gun collection - I made a spreadsheet with serial numbers, historical significance and an approximate value. I also listed a couple antique gun dealers I have dealt with that buy complete collections at fair prices.

Made sure two trusted people have the combos to the gun safes.

Filed all the vehicle and trailer titles in one manila envelope in the safe.

Life insurance policy, DD-214, Birth Certificates, Passport, and a copy of the will is also in their own manila envelope in a safe. The original will is held by the attorney's office.

All keys labeled.

As silly as it sounds, I made a spreadsheet for the house and pole barn breaker panels. Dad's didn't have any labels - wasn't that fun figuring out.

Made a spreadsheet of all the large maintenance items we have done since moving back - roof, flooring, kitchen, bathrooms, plumbing, electric, pole barn. It has the date and who did the work. I also included paint codes for all the paint we have used.

Scanned in all major purchase receipts, banking and investment docs I think are important, backed them up on a hard rive that's in a safe.

Filled out a password book with not only user names and passwords but all bank and utility account numbers.

Spreadsheet with phone numbers to all utility providers, banks, investment firms, etc.

Being retired, I spend a couple hours every week keeping it up to date.

I just try to think back what was a pain in our a$$ and try to make it easier on the executor of our estate.

Morbid - Maybe?
Practical - Absolutely IMHO!

 

[Boostingaz]

Thanks - He lived a very full life and came within a week of 90. Better than most of us will do.

I learned a lot from going through his and my mother's stuff.
Not only that, my Mother in-law was killed in a car accident a couple years ago so my wife and I have had some experience in settling estates.

I am 56 but I am already trying to organize things for my wife or whoever has to settle our affairs.

Getting an update will and pre-paying for cremations was done was first.

I also made a binder labeled "I'm Dead - Start Here"

I have a nice WWII gun collection - I made a spreadsheet with serial numbers, historical significance and an approximate value. I also listed a couple antique gun dealers I have dealt with that buy complete collections at fair prices.

Made sure two trusted people have the combos to the gun safes.

Filed all the vehicle and trailer titles in one manila envelope in the safe.

Life insurance policy, DD-214, Birth Certificates, Passport, and a copy of the will is also in their own manila envelope in a safe. The original will is held by the attorney's office.

All keys labeled.

As silly as it sounds, I made a spreadsheet for the house and pole barn breaker panels. Dad's didn't have any labels - wasn't that fun figuring out.

Made a spreadsheet of all the large maintenance items we have done since moving back - roof, flooring, kitchen, bathrooms, plumbing, electric, pole barn. It has the date and who did the work. I also included paint codes for all the paint we have used.

Scanned in all major purchase receipts, banking and investment docs I think are important, backed them up on a hard rive that's in a safe.

Filled out a password book with not only user names and passwords but all bank and utility account numbers.

Spreadsheet with phone numbers to all utility providers, banks, investment firms, etc.

Being retired, I spend a couple hours every week keeping it up to date.

I just try to think back what was a pain in our a$$ and try to make it easier on the executor of our estate.

Morbid - Maybe?
Practical - Absolutely IMHO!

I will tell you from experience (vocation wise) you are 175% ahead of most people. I own a company that acts a third party administrator for estates and do contract work for the probate court. I wish everyone was as detailed and prepared as you are. It would make our job a whole heck of a lot easier. Some people do not have one single thing written down. We don't even know what bank they use sometimes. Let alone trying to track down investments or retirement accounts. So every probate turns into us having to play Inspector Gadget or Magnum PI trying to piece together someone's whole life that we've sometimes never met! You're on the right track with everything I can tell you that with all certainty.

It gets even more fun (and this happens more often than you think) when your working on a probate and the beneficiary also passes. Then your working through two layers of the unknown because you have to properly transfer and close each estate individually before you can get to the actual new beneficiary for physical distributions.

Probate is an interesting and fun world.

 

[SouthernIllinois]

I will tell you from experience (vocation wise) you are 175% ahead of most people. I own a company that acts a third party administrator for estates and do contract work for the probate court. I wish everyone was as detailed and prepared as you are. It would make our job a whole heck of a lot easier. Some people do not have one single thing written down. We don't even know what bank they use sometimes. Let alone trying to track down investments or retirement accounts. So every probate turns into us having to play Inspector Gadget or Magnum PI trying to piece together someone's whole life that we've sometimes never met! You're on the right track with everything I can tell you that with all certainty.

It gets even more fun (and this happens more often than you think) when your working on a probate and the beneficiary also passes. Then your working through two layers of the unknown because you have to properly transfer and close each estate individually before you can get to the actual new beneficiary for physical distributions.

Probate is an interesting and fun world.

I can imagine.

My Dad was terminal - had a family meeting, told us what he wanted to happen and assured me and my sisters everything was in order.

Not as much as we expected…..

Fortunately, we all get along and he didn’t have that much outside the little farm so it wasn’t too terrible.

It was more little things like keys, unlabeled breaker panels, home/farm maintenance items and stuff like that.

Hell, in the big scheme of things, it was his, he could do with it as he liked,

We hadn’t decided to move back while he was alive and at that meeting told us to give his beautiful new 48 HP or something Kubota with bucket and backhoe to a neighbor. As much as I wanted that thing, it wasn’t mine to keep - the neighbor has it now.

 

[Boostingaz]

Fortunately, we all get along......

That is amazing and usually, unfortunately, not the norm! Hence there being this whole niche of these things needing to be done by a third party to play middle ground. Usually it turns into a "what do I get and how fast do I get it", even when there has been 10/20/30 years of being estranged. It's very sad when the focus immediately shifts from the life and accomplishments of the individual to what did he leave me. Sometimes I secretly wish, I hope nothing lol. But we strictly follow the written directions and or petition for instructions and hash it all out in court and administer whatever is decided by a judge.

 

[Swanny1953]

Probate is an interesting and fun world.

Ain’t that the truth?? Especially if you haven’t been introduced to it before.
My FIL passed suddenly 3 years ago just before they were to move to Dallas from Nashville to be closer to us and their grandkids. They had a very simple “loving cup” will, with a few specific bequests that no longer reflected their desires. Thankfully, because they had closed on the purchase of their TX home the prior September, we were able to navigate the probate process in TX rather than having to go back and forth to Nashville to get everything wrapped up.
My FIL had a couple of accounts in his name only - auto loan and a separate bank account. Neither of these companies would even talk with us until we had the Letters Testamentary from the probate court, which took 3+ months to acquire. That didn’t stop them from sending a dunning notice and threatening to repossess the truck, even though we repeatedly tried to get current with payments. They would not give us any info to keep the payments current.
The whole probate process certainly isn’t easy for the survivors. Thank god, the attorney who did our kids estate planning was terrific to work with.
As for me, I have a shortcut on my computer desktop titled ”If I should die or become incapacitated”. My wife and both girls know it’s there. It opens a Word document that contains hot links to all the estate documents, a listing of all bank, brokerage & life insurance accounts along with contact info, links to the encrypted password keeper program I have used for 15+ years (Keeper - highly recommend it!!), safe deposit box contents, etc. They don’t know if yet, but we’re going to have a practice “Gary Dies” session for each of them as I’m not getting any younger and I want to stress test what I have put together.

 

[Boostingaz]

Ain’t that the truth?? Especially if you haven’t been introduced to it before.
My FIL passed suddenly 3 years ago just before they were to move to Dallas from Nashville to be closer to us and their grandkids. They had a very simple “loving cup” will, with a few specific bequests that no longer reflected their desires. Thankfully, because they had closed on the purchase of their TX home the prior September, we were able to navigate the probate process in TX rather than having to go back and forth to Nashville to get everything wrapped up.
My FIL had a couple of accounts in his name only - auto loan and a separate bank account. Neither of these companies would even talk with us until we had the Letters Testamentary from the probate court, which took 3+ months to acquire. That didn’t stop them from sending a dunning notice and threatening to repossess the truck, even though we repeatedly tried to get current with payments. They would not give us any info to keep the payments current.
The whole probate process certainly isn’t easy for the survivors. Thank god, the attorney who did our kids estate planning was terrific to work with.
As for me, I have a shortcut on my computer desktop titled ”If I should die or become incapacitated”. My wife and both girls know it’s there. It opens a Word document that contains hot links to all the estate documents, a listing of all bank, brokerage & life insurance accounts along with contact info, links to the encrypted password keeper program I have used for 15+ years (Keeper - highly recommend it!!), safe deposit box contents, etc. They don’t know if yet, but we’re going to have a practice “Gary Dies” session for each of them as I’m not getting any younger and I want to stress test what I have put together.

That's all good planning right there! I don't know that I've ever heard of someone practice dying, but I like it ! For the educational side of things is what I mean.

 

[SilverJimmy]

I thinking that the party will be epic! I need to put that into my plans too!

 

[SouthernIllinois]

Posted this on new tools arrivals as well but since it's part of getting my shop set up, I thought I'd share it here as well:

Good day for shop equipment.

After stalking Facebook Marketplace several times a day looking for a rotisserie, I happened to check within an hour of a guy posting a Titan 4500 for sale. He bought it a year ago for his car and was selling well below retail price. As a bonus, it was only about an hour away. Other than some primer overspray, it's basically like new.

While looking for a rotisserie a Hobart 210 MVP MIG welder with spool gun popped up. The seller was a fella that was a fill time, professional welder that had it as his home shop welder and he had just upgraded to a big Miller to do farm equipment repairs with. The welder basically was like new. After a little negotiating, I ended up with it as well. Came with the box, manuals and everything it came with when new plus a gas bottle and cart.

The Woodward stand for my Lancaster shrinker/strtecher came in as well.

Still looking for a pressure pot sandblaster and a metal brake.

 

[Lou's Garage]

That's a really nice looking rotisserie and that welder looks brand new. Excellent score!

Lou Manglass

 

[SouthernIllinois]

The rickety cart had to go. For one it was too narrow. The welder didn’t even fit level in it.

Actually pretty impressed with the $109 Hobo Freight 350 lbs Vulcan cart. Better than I expected.

 

[SouthernIllinois]

Picked up some 25” magnets from Menards to keep my clamps, punches and chisels handy but out of the way.

 

[SouthernIllinois]

Wall fans up in the pole barn and I began moving stuff onto the carport to set up my "outdoor kitchen"

 

[zmotorsports]

Looking good.

 

[SouthernIllinois]

Power washed the grills, table, chairs and carport patio.

Kinda sad washing Molly’s paw prints off her favorite chair. We have found some very faint paw prints she left behind in the concrete for us.

Molly was killed during construction of the building. She loved climbing on trucks and equipment. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time. She came to us as a nearly starved stray in the middle of a thunderstorm. She turned out to be a cat running on dog software. She made our back porch HER’S. Chased off *****, opossums and any other intruders. She followed me like a puppy and was a great mouser. Miss her bad!

Started the first meal out here - nothing special, apple bacon pork loin.

If it ever stops raining, I can get the dirt work and landscaping around the shed wrapped up.

 

[zanyad]

Molly was killed during construction of the building.

My condolences.

 

[SouthernIllinois]

Good day here

Got the table and chairs moved onto the carport/patio.

Warmed up nice and finally stopped raining so I finally got out for a trip around the hood.

About to put some dinner on the fire.

 

[SouthernIllinois]

Got the beer fridge out of storage and in the shed and then took a short Gator ride around the neighborhood.




Called for hail this afternoon so I shoehorned everything in the shed. Fortunately, the weather-guesser was wrong. The stand-up freezer behind my truck is only there temporarily - it will go in the utility room in the basement as soon as the ground dries out enough to run a skid-steer through the yard.

 

[SouthernIllinois]

Finally got the last of the tool boxes moved into the shed.

The HF 5-drawer is the most practical for day to day, the white Menards (Yukon) box is just for sanders, hammers, dollies, sanding blocks etc.

I didn’t buy all these myself. My Dad passed away, I bought the estate from my sisters and some of this came with the property.

Tools are a mix of Snap-On from my days as a bodyman prior to a career in the Navy, Dad’s older USA Craftsman and Icon I have picked up since then although I did sneak on the Snap-On truck for a set of sockets and a stubby ratchet a few days ago.

 

[Michael B.]

How about it shipmate! DS3SS reporting in. I just found your thread (I don’t know how I missed it for so long). I read the entire thread today. Great shop! Sorry to hear about Molly. I have a pair of shop cats on sentry duty I’m my shop.

I like the Corvair. My dad was big into them for awhile. When we lived in Alaska (Air Force brat) he bought and sold so many in one year he was informed he would need a business license for his next transaction.

What was your rate and which boats did you sail on? I sailed out of Charleston on the Sunfish, SSN-649.

 

[SouthernIllinois]

How about it shipmate! DS3SS reporting in. I just found your thread (I don’t know how I missed it for so long). I read the entire thread today. Great shop! Sorry to hear about Molly. I have a pair of shop cats on sentry duty I’m my shop.

I like the Corvair. My dad was big into them for awhile. When we lived in Alaska (Air Force brat) he bought and sold so many in one year he was informed he would need a business license for his next transaction.

What was your rate and which boats did you sail on? I sailed out of Charleston on the Sunfish, SSN-649.

Thanks.

I was a Sonarman. Retired in 2014 as a STSCM(SS).
I was out of Charleston on Trepang and Sturgeon.
They moved us on the Trepang to Rotten-Groton when Charleston closed.
Ended up as an ACINT Rider for the 18 years - rode almost every 688 between 1996-2014.

 

[Michael B.]

I spent may hours underway manning the stacks in the sonar shack. I don’t think the Trepang was part of Squadron 4 when I left in 1986.

 

[zmotorsports]

That has turned out great. You should be proud of what you've built there. Well done.

 

[manwithtools]

That has turned out great. You should be proud of what you've built there. Well done.

I couldn't agree more. Great job!

 

[SouthernIllinois]

That has turned out great. You should be proud of what you've built there. Well done.

Thank you!

 

[SouthernIllinois]

I couldn't agree more. Great job!

Thank you!