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I moved to our current house in '99, and have been using/developing the 36' x 24' pole barn for my workshop Whereas it's gone through many configurations and is currently stuffed to the gills, until today, I'd not added anything on the inside to personalize or "bling" it up. About 10...

Ok electrical gurus, here’s a conundrum… The greenhouse I built for Mrs. Imagineer gets too warm on sunny days. For example, over the weekend, it was 33F outside and because it was sunny out, the greenhouse was 107F inside. I do have 2 automatic roof vents (that open at ~78F) and am planning on...

How do you guys control/contain grinding grit? In my small workshop, it’s a constant chore to clean up the grit that seems to find its way into every nook and cranny. Most every project I take on involves creating rooster tails of sparks, so figuring out a means of control is long overdue...

Ok, not an actual problem, but there are too many screwdrivers in the tool chest drawer. Not sure where they all came from…they seem to multiply like wire coat hangers. Some of them in the drawer are very old and worn and some of the flat bladed ones have been “sharpened” to try and extend the...

I now have a strong dislike for extension cords, despite using them every time I’m in the workshop. It’s not the cords so much, it’s that I am constantly walking across them, or stepping on them. This past week, I ended up tripping badly on a cord, taking a fall and in the course of...

Question about frost line and freezing. In my pole barn, there is a frost-proof faucet. It’s the kind with a lift up handle and a long pipe with the valve at the bottom. I replaced it about 20 years ago, and since then, I’ve used water from it only 3 or 4 times, i.e., it’s not really...

This is probably an odd question, but what would be a benefit of having a 2nd drill press? I already have a Dayton 10” drill press in my workshop. It’s 27 years old, but still works fine. Among the tools obtained from my father’s small machine shop is an approximate 50 year-old Chicago brand...

Now that lawn care season is over, it's time to get serious about reorganizing my 32' x 24' pole barn workshop to take advantage of all available space. Whereas I felt I had adequate shop space before, two recent tool acquisitions, an Ellis 1600 band saw and a JET JMD-18, and a 50 year-old...

To facilitate the 'grand remodel' of my workshop, it became evident I needed more space. The easiest solution was to build a small shed for all the yard tools and equipment. My plan was to go to a local shed sales lot to glean information on how best to frame, seal, roof, etc a small...

I recently took advantage of a sale and purchased a 24kw Generac standby generator. My plan is to have it installed and run on natural gas. My plan however is sort of up in the air as I can’t find a Generac certified installer who will install it because they are not the seller of the...

I need to install a D-ILTCOA light and have a oddball idea. What's a D-ILTCOA light you ask? "Damn, I Left The Compressor On Again" light. Despite leaving myself notes on the shop light switch and making frequent (after welding) 'return to the shop to look for smoke' trips, I still...

I’m looking for ideas for putting a remote-control opener on the sliding door on my pole barn. The door opening is 8’ x 8’. The door is dimensional lumber with plywood siding on the outside. It’s fairly heavy but rolls ok that it doesn’t take a herculean effort to open it. I’ve always had belt...

What is the benefit of 50%Helium/50%Argon shielding gas vs 100% Argon? I've just finished up a large project that involved about 100 hours of TIG welding aluminum. All the material was relatively thin walled, .080" - .125", I used 100% Argon for all of it and it seemed to go well. I...

I’m only a few (more like 5) years late on my promise to build Mrs. Imagineer a greenhouse, but the project is finally underway. The Greenhouse will be about 11’ square inside and about 10’ at the roof peak. The “foundation” will be a perimeter of 2x12 that is anchored to 4x4 posts set...

Looking for ideas for a cheap heating solution for a makeshift paint booth. Out of shear boredom, I’m repainting a motorcycle. Whereas I don’t have access to a legitimate paint booth, I’m going to fashion up a cheap, drop cloth tent, maybe 10'x10'x8'h, in a pole barn. The problem, its darn...

I’m thinking of finally insulating my pole barn and have a few questions… It’s an old, drafty, single-story structure, 24’ x 36’, T-111 sided, asphalt shingle roof, concrete floor, an 8’ sliding door and a 4’ man door, 3 windows. I have a Vogelzang boxwood stove in the corner for heat. The...

Look who I woke up this weekend... He (or she) was hibernating among a pile of sticks and kindling I keep for starting fires in my barn wood stove. At first, it felt like I was holding some soft bark or mulch. I also heard a faint hiss, much like the sound ice cubes make in a drink...

Can anyone recommend a retractable power cord reel that's decent? I'm interested in installing one or two in my work shop in an effort to keep the excess cord off the floor (and thus getting stepped on).

My workshop is an uninsulated 36’x24’ pole barn with a poorly done concrete floor. I’m not sure of the floor thickness, but I would guess its somewhere near 3"-4”. The floor is cracked all over the place and each winter, it moves; further breaking up the joining edges. This might also have...

What’s the buzz on Harbor Freight Aluminum frame/Rapid Pump floor jacks? I’ve been lugging my only floor jack, and insanely heavy steel one, between the garage and workshop long enough and am looking at buying a 2nd floor jack. The gravity altering model I’ve been using for over 15...