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Above 1200 Sq/FT The ASYLUM - Happy 40th Birthday to Me! (Est. 2005)

Wokspaces above 1200 squarefeet.
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xcgates

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Apr 7, 2008
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TX
Oh, I hear you, I've had my car sit long enough it took several tries to kick it over. Not as hard as starting my carb'ed bike when I rode my Ducati exclusively for 3 weeks. She was NOT happy with being ignored, and having stuff piled on it.

I already have the connection for a battery tender on the car from the one summer I was charging every night, because I didn't want to spring for a new battery.:thumbup:

It will be interesting coming home, and see which car/bike will start, having not used any of them for 3+ weeks. I have some work/cleaning to do, so there will be time to charge up each of the batteries a bit each. Last time I'll be gone for a month+, at least for the next year or so.:thumbup: I'm really not digging this rental econo-box automatic they got me.:(
 
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shopnut

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A WORD ABOUT BATTERY TENDERS…

Since we are on the subject, here’s a suggestion to anyone with several vehicles needing battery charging during storage. You really only need to top off each battery for a day or so each month to keep them in good shape. One charger in a rotation-cycle works fine for many vehicles.

To make it even easier switching from one vehicle to another, I modified an inexpensive ($10 on sale) 20-ft spring-rewind power cord reel by replacing the 120VAC ends with 2-pin SAE connectors (to match the output cord on my battery tender) and mounted it on my ceiling. Just remember that the SAE connector lead installed on the vehicle should have the positive terminal recessed for protection, so the one exposed is the negative. Just keep that in mind as you are soldering the ends on your reel cord. My battery tenders have 3 amp fuses in the cords so a budget reel with small gage wires is fine for this application.

Now it’s extremely easy to connect up to any vehicle in the garage without having cords on the floor. It also helps to standardize the connections to the vehicles, so you're not looking for the correct adapter. All my bikes now have the BMW style receptacle (a bit smaller than a cigerette lighter socket) and cars have a 2-pin SAE pigtail.

422-Battery Tender Reel-02.JPG
 
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HOTFR8

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A WORD ABOUT BATTERY TENDERS…

Since we are on the subject, here’s a suggestion to anyone with several vehicles needing battery charging during storage. You really only need to top off each battery for a day or so each month to keep them in good shape. One charger in a rotation-cycle works fine for many vehicles.

To make it even easier switching from one vehicle to another, I modified an inexpensive ($10 on sale) 20-ft spring-rewind power cord reel by replacing the 120VAC ends with 2-pin SAE connectors (to match the output cord on my battery tender) and mounted it on my ceiling. Just remember that the SAE connector lead installed on the vehicle should have the positive terminal recessed for protection, so the one exposed is the negative. Just keep that in mind as you are soldering the ends on your reel cord. My battery tenders have 3 amp fuses in the cords so a budget reel with small gage wires is fine for this application.

Now it’s extremely easy to connect up to any vehicle in the garage without having cords on the floor. It also helps to standardize the connections to the vehicles, so you're not looking for the correct adapter. All my bikes now have the BMW style receptacle (a bit smaller than a cigerette lighter socket) and cars have a 2-pin SAE pigtail.

422-Battery Tender Reel-02.JPG

A very clever idea, but just a warning that some electronic charger tenders do not like long leads on the 12 volt side of the charger as it has something to do with the electronics and how they detect the status of the battery.
 
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shopnut

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Feb 22, 2006
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A great warning for some folks, HOTFR8. Just checked the Deltran (Battery Tender) site and this is the warning I found on their 25ft extension cable:

"25 ft. Extension Lead extends the length of the charger's reach from DC output to the battery. Use the 25 foot long lead extension with the Battery Tender Junior, 12V Battery Tender Plus, 4, 5, or 10 Bank units. (Not for use with the 6 Volt Battery Tender Plus or any other Battery Tender product with white disconnect plugs.)"

Just make sure yours is compatible.
 

jcouch1

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Oct 5, 2010
Messages
148
Location
Louisiana
i'm confused... where's the apartment ( from the first couple pages) fit in at? i looked at your pictures, but can't figure it out. do you have a cad version of your floorplan?

side note here, but i saw you mention that you're an engineer, if i may ask, what kind? also, do you have any tips regarding internships/ co-ops?
 
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shopnut

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i'm confused... where's the apartment ( from the first couple pages) fit in at? i looked at your pictures, but can't figure it out. do you have a cad version of your floorplan?

side note here, but i saw you mention that you're an engineer, if i may ask, what kind? also, do you have any tips regarding internships/ co-ops?
You will have to be logged in to see my attached images, but reply #2 on page 1 shows the general floor plan. The apartment is contained in the side bay jutting out towards the lake (right side in the floor plan). The door from the shop area enters into the laundry room. Straight ahead is the bathroom, and taking an immediate right gets you into the main 12x36' room. The plan view shows the kitchen cabinets/appliances but nothing else in the room.

The builder was kind enough to give me the AutoCAD file for the ASYLUM, so now I'm able to add my extra designs in there before building them. I've inserted some along the way in this thread to better explain things.

I chose mechanical engineering with a concentration in machine design. My jobs have given me a broad exposure to many other disciplines within the engineering field. As far as internships/co-ops go - many manufacturers right now are downsized and pretty lean. However, their engineering workload is still pretty high developing new products for when the economy turns around. Although it is hard to convince management to take on additional permanant employees, part time help is sometimes a lot easier to justify. I suggest you contact as many companies as you can (that interest you, of course) and see if they are looking for some additional help. I co-oped at a local company for all of my summer and holiday breaks. The pay has pretty mediocre, but the experience I gained was invaluable to my future career. And it helped to keep my interest up through the tough schooling period.

Good luck to you.
 

HOTFR8

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A great warning for some folks, HOTFR8. Just checked the Deltran (Battery Tender) site and this is the warning I found on their 25ft extension cable:

"25 ft. Extension Lead extends the length of the charger's reach from DC output to the battery. Use the 25 foot long lead extension with the Battery Tender Junior, 12V Battery Tender Plus, 4, 5, or 10 Bank units. (Not for use with the 6 Volt Battery Tender Plus or any other Battery Tender product with white disconnect plugs.)"

Just make sure yours is compatible.

:thumbup: That also depends on the brand so you have found some very good information on the Deltrans units.
 
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shopnut

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Feb 22, 2006
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SOME THOUGHT IS PUT INTO THE STAIRWAY AND SINK AREA…

During the last trip out, besides doing some much needed work on the Chevelle exhaust and taking it for a little test drive, I started getting ready to finish up the stairway area. The stair treads will get their final diamond plate cladding. The stereo components will move to their final home. The jacks and stands will get better organized under the stairs. I’m also getting tired of looking at the old white laundry sink so it’s probably time to swap it out. Plus the new sink components that will replace it are just taking up valuable storage space. In fact, a lot of items sitting AROUND the shop right now will be integrated INTO the ASYLUM someday - a cart full of light fixtures, lathe cart, etc. - so it makes sense to tackle these projects sooner than later. One picture below shows the old sink in the background and that is where the sink will squeeze in - between the water heater and the shop washing machine.

Long before I bought the 3-bay restaurant sink, I purchased 8 of the Larsen brand SS fire extinguisher cabinets on that auction site. It was a deal I couldn’t pass up - $25/each and the best part was that shipping was only $25 for each group of 4 that I bought, which I found amazing since they are quite heavy. These were brand new with the protective white film still on the SS and keys taped inside. I remember the lady asking me what I was going to do with 8 cabinets when I bought the second bunch. Originally, I had planned to just recess them in the wall wherever there was an open spot going to waste, like the stairway wall, but I decided against that since they weren’t the completely flush-mount style and they would stick out some.

Sometimes you just get lucky, though. It just so happens that 3 of these, stacked side-by-side, match the sink perfectly at 39” wide. I temporarily set them up on my workbench to snap a few pictures. The adjustable height work surface came in handy for this.

The cabinets will be surface-mounted on the back wall, so they will actually be about 6” closer to you when you’re standing by the sink then what is shown in the side view. Looking at this picture, it looks like I could have simply jacked the table up a couple inches more and slid the sink back more to better simulate this but oh well, I think it is going to work fine. Having them overhang the sink will allow me to install a soap dispenser in the bottom of one of them to keep it hidden.

I plan to keep casters on the sink so I can easily gain access to the water heater and washer, when the time comes. Plus the extra height suits me better. Some “skirting” will hide all the drain pipe plumbing below and, as luck would have it, another auction purchase from a few years ago gave me a 39” wide hinged access panel (for a boat, I think) that will make it easy to reach this piping yet hide it all when closed. That item is aluminum, so I’m still on the fence whether it will look good with all the stainless.

423-Sink Nook-04.JPG424-Sink Nook-05.JPG425-Sink Nook-07.JPG

Now it’s off to the hardware store to pick up some plumbing parts…
 
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shopnut

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I NOW HAVE TWO MITER SAWS IN THE SHOP, BUT NOT BY CHOICE…

Several months ago, I was cutting something on my 10” slider and I heard something strange in the motor. Upon investigation, I noticed the armature cooling blades had disintegrated. I suspect a chunk of wood made it past the intake grill and jammed one of the blades. It would be a chain-reaction after that. I haven’t been cutting much lately so no decision was made on what to do with it - until just recently.

I like to buy American when I can, but a lot of times cost wins out. HF had their 12” slider on sale for $109. Subtract another $22 for a 20% discount coupon and that was a deal I couldn't pass up!

426-Miter Saw-05.JPG

It even came with a frame-mounted laser, but I opted to add an Irwin arbor-mounted laser because it turns on automatically when the blade spins (centrifugal switch, apparently) and is always pointing EXACTLY where the blade will cut since it is mounted right next to it. I noticed the frame-mounted style tends to not show the actual cut line due to small deflections in the slide system and is merely a rough guide. With the factory system, I also had to switch the laser on and off every time I made a cut, and that gets old in a hurry.

427-Miter Saw-03.JPG 428-Miter Saw-02.JPG

My 10” slider isn’t ready for the trash bin just yet, however. It still cuts okay so I will mount a fine-tooth blade in it and continue to use it for the light trim cuts that don’t tend to heat it up much. I mounted the big saw on the dedicated miter table so this old one ended up mounting on an old BBQ grill base for mobility while I finish off the ASYLUM. Later, it may just store in a cabinet for occasional use (if it makes it that long!)

429-Miter Saw-07.JPG

One last comment I will make about the saws is check out the price of replacement blades before purchasing a certain size. The 12” blades are considerably more expensive than the 10”. I’m looking forward to having the extra cutting capacity when I do the next round of vinyl siding - the 10” slider couldn’t quite make it all the way across and I always had to snip them off by hand the last 3/4”.

MORE LASER GUIDANCE...

While buying the miter saw blade/laser combo, the same store had a laser attachment for the abrasive chop saw. $13 seemed like a good deal.

430-Abrasive Saw-01.JPG

I mounted this laser on my drill press a couple years back. It works reasonably well by creating a set of crosshairs, but I still always use a center punch to mark the hole location on the workpiece and make the final positioning adjustment on the table right before the bit contacts.

430-Drill Press Laser-03.JPG 431-Drill Press Laser-01.JPG
 
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shopnut

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Feb 22, 2006
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TERMITES, TERMITES, TERMITES...

Luckily, I caught these in time (I hope).

Dealing with termites is a way of life in Florida. The chemicals they use to treat the ground before the slab is poured are only good at preventing infiltration of the pesky buggers for about five years, unlike the old stuff that lasted 25 or so. Of course, the old stuff was probably causing the fish to grow 3 eyes or something.

Anyway, as of spring this year, it has been 5 years since the concrete was poured. I should have been a bit more proactive about this and been doing my perimeter treatments to deter them, but with all the pool and yard renovation work going on at the other place, it slipped my mind. Well, back in July, I discovered some signs of termites and zapped them with some pesticide.

I’m now finally investigating the extent of the damage. I designed the storage system of the ASYLUM (at least in the shop area) to allow easy access into the walls. As you might guess, subterranean termites come up through the ground and work their way up through the walls. Knowing this, I decided to remove the lower sections of tileboard surrounding the affected area for a look inside the wall. This was a simple matter of rolling the lower cabinets out of the way and unscrewing the wall panels.

432-Termites-09.JPG 433-Termites-08.JPG 434-Termites-01.JPG

Here’s what I found in one area. You can see something that looks like fine dark brown sawdust on top of the unpainted 2x2. You can also see some zig-zag lines on the side of this same 2x2.

435-Termites-02.JPG

I also found one of the termite “tunnels” (like a mud tunnel) following the main 6x6 post up behind the cabinet above so I removed them for inspection too.

436-Termites-03.JPG 437-Termites-05.JPG

Half way up is as far as they got before I noticed them. It looks like I need to start my termite prevention plan asap!

SINCE I’M TALKING ABOUT “NATURAL” THINGS...

I lost another hickory tree this summer. After the lake, the trees are the second best attribute of this property, so it always saddens me to see a large one die. It is within striking distance of the ASYLUM, so I will need to keep an eye on it and cut it down before it falls down on its own. This one is about 50-60 feet tall.

438-Dead-Tree-02.JPG
 
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Bob Heine

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Boca Raton, Florida
TERMITES, TERMITES, TERMITES...

Luckily, I caught these in time (I hope).

Dealing with termites is a way of life in Florida.
I feel for you. I had a major infestation that destroyed the two supporting walls in my garage and a couple in the house as well. Subterranean termites need a reliable water supply either from above or below to make their mud tubes. Mine got extra water from above through a poorly installed shake roof. Unbelievable how fast they can destroy a stud. Only bright side was being able to insulate and air condition the garage as part of the repair.

Make sure you get the repair guarantee coverage. It's more expensive but when the termites have done their damage, you want more than an extra treatment. I thought I had the repair contract but it was only a treatment contract so the first round of wall rebuilds was on my dime.
 
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shopnut

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Make sure you get the repair guarantee coverage. It's more expensive but when the termites have done their damage, you want more than an extra treatment. I thought I had the repair contract but it was only a treatment contract so the first round of wall rebuilds was on my dime.
Thanks for the advice Bob. You really have to read the fine print on those contracts. Sometimes you think you are covered, but really aren't. A retreatment after the house is devoured doesn't make much sense, does it?
 
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shopnut

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IT WAS A TIGHT SQUEEZE, BUT THOSE CABINETS FIT IN THERE…

The following pictures are before and after shots of this work session’s progress. The old sink was moved out and the new sink was trial fitted. I had to move the water heater to make room for the cabinets

439-Sink Nook-025.JPG 440-Sink Nook-043.JPG

To clear the water heater electrical cable on the left and the stairs stringer on the right, I spaced the cabinets out from the wall the thickness of a 2x4 stud. The cabinets rest on a little shelf and screws through the back of the box hold them there. The framing directly below the cabinets will provide a spot for the sink to dock and attach. Remember, I’m making the sink easy to roll out later for servicing and to swap out the washer, when the time comes.

441-Sink Nook-028.JPG 442-Sink Nook-030.JPG 443-Sink Nook-034.JPG

This whole sink nook under the stairs will be completely finished off with tile board like the rest of the ASYLUM, so I will need to allow for access to vital stuff for servicing later. Here’s what I’m considering for access to the plumbing under the sink. The width is nearly perfect, but I almost hate to “waste” it here because it is nice door assembly rated to be walked on. It just seems a bit overkill, but that’s not always bad.

444-Sink Nook-047.JPG 445-Sink Nook-048.JPG
 
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shopnut

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THE SINK AND WASHER ARE GOING DOWN THE DRAIN…

With some great help from forum members in this Plumbing Thread, I’m getting the plumbing all figured out.

For sink and washer drain piping, the following sketch shows what I originally was going to do. If the washers discharge overwhelmed the piping and overflowed, the backup plan was going to be just hanging the hose on the side of the sink. I purchased the parts and added the unions to allow disconnection of the drain lines to roll the sink out of there if needed.

446-Sink Drain Detail-01.jpg

Just when I thought I had it all figured out, I discovered a clean-out plug in the wall, which I believe can be used as a separate washer drain. Looking back at construction pictures shows the exact piping in the wall. Red arrow is pointing to unused port. I will screw a fitting it there and go immediately into a P-trap and then up to the washer discharge box. I don’t mind changing directions on a plan if I know the end results will turn out better.

447-Sink Nook-020.JPG 448-plumbing03.JPG

I needed to cut off all the old plumbing that was on the sink when I bought it because it hangs too low (darn!). The new piping is shown below. In the picture, the P-trap and clean out plugs are not glued yet. The trap will be glued upon fitment to the wall. The cleanout plugs at the ends stuck out too far so I’m going to go a little different route with them after I make it to the hardware store.

449-Sink Nook-040.JPG
 
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abstamaria

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Manila
Very interesting thread with many ideas I would like to adopt. You take pains to be informative. Thank you for taking the time and the effort to post.

Andres

PS: we have termites where I live too, several thousands of miles and an ocean away from you.
 
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shopnut

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Very interesting thread with many ideas I would like to adopt. You take pains to be informative. Thank you for taking the time and the effort to post.

Andres

PS: we have termites where I live too, several thousands of miles and an ocean away from you.
Andres - thanks for "visiting". I'm glad to hear all this is of some help to you.

BTW, a co-worker spent 5 years at Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines. I'm guessing that's not to far from your location. He said he really enjoyed his time there.
 
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shopnut

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SHOP WASHER HOOKUPS…

I’m going through a lot of trouble for an occasional use washing machine for the shop rags. Hopefully it will be worth it. My goal is to have everything hidden when finished. A wall panel will be installed nearly flush with the cabinet face to hide the washer hookup boxes. This will require an access panel to reach in there.

I’m also planning to add a cover over the top of the washer lid so it can be used as a counter next to the sink. The washer is actually sitting up about 3” higher in the picture then it will eventually be (it’s on a caster cart right now), so the lid will eventually sit lower than the sink flange. The following picture shows how I will be adding the hookups external to the wall. There will be quite a bit of trim work to do to make it all look nice. And the bottom of the stairs will be finished off shortly.

450-Sink Nook-055.JPG

I built a little wooden box to mount the “wall” hookups in. I couldn’t stack them directly vertical because the drain pipe and supply hoses coming from underneath needed to be staggered. The drain will go down to the clean-out port in the wall. The water supply will tee into the sink lines. All parts are purchased and just waiting on me.

451-Sink Nook-050.JPG 452-Sink Nook-051.JPG

I wanted to find a hinged access panel for the hookups to hide them and this is what I found. I believe it’s from a boat. It was about $10 more than I wanted to spend but it has some features I was looking for (SS hardware, door catch, black color, etc.). I just hope it’s not too big to fit in there.

453-Sink Nook-059.jpg
 
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abstamaria

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Andres - thanks for "visiting". I'm glad to hear all this is of some help to you. BTW, a co-worker spent 5 years at Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines. I'm guessing that's not to far from your location. He said he really enjoyed his time there.

Thanks, Shopnut. Clark Field is about a 120 km north of Manila. The U.S. Air Force left in 1989, but of course the facilities remain. Your friend will probably still recognize it. While the U.S. was around, the neighboring town was a good source for AN fasteners, s/s locking wire, etc. A new race track has just been built at Clark, and the local sports car club will hold its first race there end November. Regards, Andres
 
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shopnut

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THE SINK NOOK TAKES SHAPE…

Before I started the framing, I decided to hook up the sink temporarily so I could use it throughout this work session. I finished up the sink drain by adding the final cleanout caps and P-trap. For the washer, the suggestion in the other plumbing thread of adding a tee at the wall cleanout was great, except the leg of the sink didn’t allow it to fit. So on to plan “B”, which is just having an easy to remove P-trap if I ever need to get in there. The union in the P-trap and the one in the vertical section will allow that small section to be removed in a hurry if needed. The upper section of pipe is just dry-fitted in the picture so I can move the hookups around a bit when I finalize the washer placement

454-Sink Nook-061.JPG 455-Sink Nook-067.JPG

I made some pretty good headway with the framing around the water heater and stereo shelf. I would have gotten further but I stopped to do some work on the stairs. The small triangular pieces that support each tread had never been permanently attached to the stringers in case I needed to modify them in some way. Having to notch the one for the sink cabinet proved that to be a good idea. Now that I’m pretty certain of everything, I took each one off, added glue and added an extra lag bolt to the existing 4 screws that fastened them to the stringers. I only hope I don’t have to take one off again. The treads are still just screwed down from underneath.

456-Sink Nook-069.JPG

Okay, so finally on to the framing. The water heater will be hidden, but I’m including another yellow door to allow access to the shutoff valve on top of it. Overhead will be the final resting spot for the stereo equipment. Remember, the future TV will be located in a back wall recess. There is a 5-disc changer sitting on the new shelf to give you an idea and the stereo is still sitting on the white fridge in the foreground.

457-Sink Nook-073.JPG 458-Sink Nook-074.JPG

I needed some light shining down on the sink so I added some can lights directly above. They will have a switch right next to them. I didn’t have a single gang box so I just taped a wall plate in place to get the spacing right. I wish I could have placed three lights up there, one in front of each cabinet, but then the stereo shelf would have been too small to set two components side-by-side. With me, storage space always wins out, so I settled on two lights directly lined up with the center of the sink. I can aim one over by the washer someday.

459-Sink Nook-075.JPG

This next view from the stairs shows several parts of the overall plan. First, you see the tops of the can lights. There will be a switched outlet nearby that they will plug into. There is no wasted space in the ASYLUM and the riser of each step will actually be an access panel. With a slightly long reach, the step that is lined up with the stereo shelf will allow access to plug things into the back of the stereo. There’s also room to set the backup UPS next to the can lights enclosed out of sight in the small box. The two steps above the stereo shelf will be bulk storage for longer (4ft) items. Some 3/4” thick plywood was added as a floor. I think these little stairs nooks will offer quite a bit of easy access storage.

460-Sink Nook-079.JPG

In the next work session, you should see some tileboard go up, some electrical get wired, and a few other odds and ends. The little black washer hookup door came in and seems to be a high quality piece, so I will get a chance to size it up too.
 
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shopnut

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THE WATER HEATER IS COVERED UP…

And the stereo system is in its final resting spot. I’m of course keeping in mind the serviceability of the water heater, and panels will come out relatively easy when the time comes.

Before I could install all the tileboard, I needed to route the new electrical branch circuits over to that corner. One is dedicated to the clock/stereo/clock circuit and the other is a continuation of the east wall circuit that terminates at the switched outlet for the sink lights. Nothing fancy here - it will all be covered up.

461-Sink-Nook-082.JPG 462-Sink-Nook-088.JPG

Next, I cut out the tileboard. I also had to give a two tone paint job to another door, to match the others. For convenience, I added two tissue dispensers (removed from a hotel bathroom) where there was room so tissues and latex gloves will always be handy. I inserted some gloves in the one between the yellow doors to try it out. I’m still debating whether to paint the lids black or leave them chrome. The chrome actually acts as a small mirror which comes in handy once in a while, but I think black would match the décor a bit better. I guess there’s no rush to figure it out since they just pop out.

463-Sink-Nook-090.JPG 464-Sink-Nook-092.JPG 465-Sink-Nook-097.JPG

The stereo shelf was far enough along to put the components back in place. I’m still considering adding a set of sliding doors to keep the dust out. The backup power UPS (white box) will nestle up near the sink lights. The one photo shows I can still get a hand in there to reach the back of the stereo to make connections.

466-Sink-Nook-093.JPG 467-Sink-Nook-094.JPG
 
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OBNXIOUS

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All of the ingenuity and attention to detail is amazing. I think the advantage you have with the Asylum is that you can "go home" and actually plot your next step. Although it would be frustrating I guess if you forgot something there I imagine.. ( I think I read its an hour from your house) Either way.. pretty interesting build!
 
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shopnut

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All of the ingenuity and attention to detail is amazing. I think the advantage you have with the Asylum is that you can "go home" and actually plot your next step. Although it would be frustrating I guess if you forgot something there I imagine.. ( I think I read its an hour from your house) Either way.. pretty interesting build!

Thanks. The time away from the Asylum gives me plenty of time to plan the next steps, seek out and purchase the materials, and generally just get a chance to rest up (I work about 12-16 hours straight each day when I'm there)

Yes, there have been things I have forgotten to bring along from time to time, but it doesn't usually slow me down at all. I have so many different projects going on, I just jump to the next one, and continue on the other when I have the materials in hand. Luckily, I'm following no ones schedule but my own!
 
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shopnut

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THE CORVETTE GETS A LITTLE BIT OF ATTENTION…

Waaaaaayyyy back in my task list in post 256, I mentioned the Corvette needed some brake work again, mainly due to the calipers leaking fluid all over the floor. Although it only has 41K on the clock, this is the second time I had the calipers completely apart for a rebuild in my 22 years of ownership. Ten years ago, I replaced the seals with OEM lip seals (trying to keep the car 100% stock), but this time I upgraded to the O-ring style pistons. Apparently, the lip seals are prone to leak if the car sits a lot. Of course, being the packrat that I am, I will box up all the old parts just in case I want to switch back to OEM someday. In the meantime, these new ones better not leak!

I love to sit up in the “Cuckoo’s nest” (the upstairs office) and look down at the shop. It will be nice to have the scaffold and rest of the clutter out of there after the interior is done, for an unobstructed view from all the windows. Here is a shot looking down at the Vette from the bay window, getting the brakes worked on.

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Here are some shots of the front and rear wheel hub assemblies. The car hasn’t been driven for a while and the Florida humidity hasn’t been kind to the brake disks.

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I’ve been trying to blend in a little bit of car/bike restoration lately to keep things interesting. I normally spend the daylight hours working on the Asylum (cutting wood outside and such) and once it gets dark, I start turning wrenches until midnight or so. The only problem with this is many things are draining my pocketbook at the same time.

OK, now its back to working ON the shop! Sorry for the interruption. :)
 
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shopnut

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WORKING MY WAY OVER TO THE WASHER…

Next to the sink will be a clothes washer for those grimy shop rags. The following pictures show some of the tileboard work leading over to that area. Because of the detail I have added, there is a lot of work involved in fitting each panel and making it look good. The big triangular piece will hide the washer hookups and it’s just propped up there to get a sense of how it would look.

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I had to remove the sink to roll the washer in so I took that opportunity to install the new brass fittings on the supply lines. The old ******* were black iron and I noticed a little rust in the water so I ordered the brass install kit from the sink mfgr to do it properly.

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Here’s the washer set in place. The temporary 2x4’s on the floor show where the false wall will be to hide it. Like the water heater wall, this one will be easy to remove later on for servicing. The little black access door is propped approximately in its final location. Keep in mind, the washer is stilling on a caster cart right now and therefore about 3” taller than it will be later on.

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SOON THE STAIRS WILL BE COVERED UP...

I just got around to purchasing the rest of the material for the stairs covering. I shouldn’t have waited because the scatch-and-dent deals on the diamond plate were gone and I had to pay full price for it. If you snooze, you lose.

I changed my mind and will not be using the black rubber tread covers and instead will be using aluminum for the entire tread. It’s hard to even tell in the picture, but the black portion is anodized aluminum. The only problem I foresee with this plan is the black anodizing will probably wear off pretty quickly from foot traffic on the raised “diamonds”, but I think I would rather deal with that than the constant cleaning that the rubber treads would need. I may just sand off all the anodizing on the diamonds for a uniform look, if it presents an issue later on. Time will tell. Stingers and risers will be covered with tileboard and trimmed with the black plastic angle.

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shopnut

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YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ENOUGH CORD REELS…

I’ve been looking for a while for a good deal on some Appleton cord reels. I bought one of their smaller gauge “budget-minded” reels a while back (the gray reel) and it turned out to be a quality unit. These new-to-me RL models (the orange reels) are serious industrial versions with super flexible 12 gauge cable and quality fairleads. Just compare the cable sizes! The cables terminate with some really heavy (cast iron?) single gang outlet boxes which I’m actually not real fond of, but I understand their purpose (the weight keeps them from sliding all over the floor). You can deactivate the spool ratchets easily if you want to, and that makes it a viable option for feeding the hoist on my jib crane, but it’s probably overkill with the small amp draw of that motor.

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I would like to use one near the back rollup door for the miter saw and other saws I use outside on the “black-widow” workbench. Of all of them, I think that reel gets used the most in my shop, but that might be due to all the construction still going on here at the moment. The reels are actually weather tight, so I could mount them outside on the soffit if I wanted. Right now the reel is mounted just inside the door.
 
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shopnut

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SOON I WILL HAVE RUNNING WATER AGAIN…

A sink is definitely on my “must have” list for a shop. I’ve had the sink disconnected for 2 weeks now to do this work and I’m really missing it. I was trying really hard to wrap up this work session with running water again, but I just didn’t get there. I did make a lot of progress, however.

Most corners still need black trim, but everything is now framed and faced with tileboard. I decided to go will a simple removable panel to access the plumbing under the sink, rather than use the hinged aluminum door. You might notice that I had to recess it about 1.5” to gain enough clearance for the drain handles. I’m still considering adding a toe kick (recess) below the sink like kitchen base cabinets have.

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Removing an L-shaped plywood cover reveals the hidden shop washer. Black door on wall gives access to washer hot/cold water lines and drain pipe.

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Here’s a little recessed trash can I found on ebay a few years back. It still had the protective film on the stainless! I’ve been waiting to find a perfect spot to mount it. It features a hinged upper door and removable bin. I probably need to replace the key lock with a simple knob (the same holds true for the wall cabinets above the sink)

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Here are a couple of in-process shots. The little half wall that houses the trash can is permanent, but the wall between the washer and the sink (not quite finished in the picture) is easily removed. The front facade attaches to sink and rolls out with it.

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rieferman

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Collegeville PA (30 min west of Philly)
Inspiring as usual, still in my top 5 favorite builds on this site. Although, for the first time ever, I'll question one of your decisions... Do you think having to remove the L-shaped plywood to access the washer will be a pain? I would have guessed you would have custom painted the lid to match the tile board sooner than cover it... But I'm picking nits for fun, it's absolutely an amazing project from head to toe. Nice work and documentation.
 
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shopnut

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Inspiring as usual, still in my top 5 favorite builds on this site. Although, for the first time ever, I'll question one of your decisions... Do you think having to remove the L-shaped plywood to access the washer will be a pain? I would have guessed you would have custom painted the lid to match the tile board sooner than cover it... But I'm picking nits for fun, it's absolutely an amazing project from head to toe. Nice work and documentation.
Thanks for your compliments, rieferman - it means a lot to me.

First off - I’m glad to see you’re keeping that wonderful old barn of yours. After all the time, effort, and fun you put into it, it’s nice to see you still enjoying it. Have fun with the future woodworking projects.

I’m sorry about not explaining things better about the washer. I would agree with your comment 100% if there wasn’t another washer (and dryer) in the apartment for clothes, towels, and bedding. Mrs. Shopnut said NO to me using the good set for the really grimy stuff. We had a barely-used leftover washer from a laundry room makeover at the other house, so I figured what the heck; I will cram it in the Asylum somewhere.

Honestly, I foresee using this shop washer maybe 3 or 4 times a year (if even that much) so sliding a cover off and setting it aside once in a while doesn’t seem like a big deal to me. I’m putting a sturdy wood cover over it because I do foresee needing functional counter space right next to the sink and I will probably use that every weekend. I’m putting tileboard on the counter surface right now but hope to make it a bit more durable with a sheet of aluminum or stainless soon if one turns up in the scrap bin at work.

Thanks for asking. I do some crazy things sometimes that need extra explaining. I can’t possibly remember to get it all in this build thread. I encourage everyone, however, to ask questions if they don’t understand something.
 
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shopnut

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THE SINK NOOK IS DONE…

Of course, nothing is ever really done, and I still need to install yellow baseboards yet. It turned out just the way I wanted it and I couldn’t be happier. It’s great to have running water again in the shop.

I’ll start off with some finished shots and follow up with another post on the details/features that were built in, that I haven't discussed in detail thus far.

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jawdoc

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wow incredible work!!
Where did you get the jib crane from and do you like it?
 
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shopnut

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wow incredible work!!
Where did you get the jib crane from and do you like it?

Thanks for "stopping by" jawdoc. Judging by your post count, I'm guessing you're pretty new to the forum - so I'll say WELCOME.

I ordered the jib crane from Grainger, but they are available from other sources. My company gets a discount there so it worked out pretty good. The quality on this Dayton is fine and I have no complaints with it.

As with many of the features I'm building into the ASYLUM, I don't have a big need for them yet until I start working on the cars (and other stuff). Nevertheless, it has proven very useful the times I have needed it. The electric hoist really completes the package though.

The ultimate in regards to ease of use, in my mind, is still a bridge crane with it's X-Y motion. If I held out for a 26' version to span the main bay of my shop, it would still be on my wish list instead of already being installed like the jib. They can be pricey. Any crane will make your life a bit easier, however, and I chose the jib because I knew I could install it by myself.

If you go with a jib crane, make sure you have the structure to support it. The following shot shows some of the tie plates and tension cables used to support it.

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shopnut

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HERE ARE THE REMAINING DETAILS ON THE SINK NOOK…

I started this work session with a mission to finish the sink nook, but there was a lot of work ahead of me. Obviously from my earlier post, I accomplished my goal, but it took until 3:00am on the last night to wrap it up. I slept good that night!

I had to first remove the sink and washer to finish up the plumbing. The washer discharge piping was just test fitted and never had been glued, so I cut the pipes to final length and finished that up. There are unions to allow the P-trap to be removed easily. I also replaced the multi-turn water supply valves with quarter-turn units to make it a bit easier to turn off the water in the future. Tees were added to the valves for the washer supply lines and hoses were routed over to the washer “wall box”.

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Next the washer was slid back in and leveled. A small wall was added to totally enclose it. After rolling the sink in place, I attached the water lines and opened the valves. I really had to torque on one of the compression fittings to get it to stop weeping, which concerns me a bit. At this point, I gave the washer a try and it seemed to work just fine.

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I decided to add a toe-kick underneath the sink after kicking the non-recessed version many times last week. I couldn’t run it the full width of the sink cabinet because of the casters, but it doesn’t seem to be a problem at all in the shorter width. The under-sink access panel was finished off and black trim was added to all wall corners. The three handles on the front face of the sink are remote actuators for the drains.

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The washer lid took a bit of time to get working easily. It slides out to allow use of the washer. It can also slide all the way off if needed, and that is likely what I will do so I don’t run into it.

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At this point, I removed all the protective film from the cabinets and trash can. It was kind of like the satisfaction of pulling the paper and masking tape off a freshly painted car to see the results. :bounce: To finish off the project, I added a couple of items underneath the tissue dispenser. A simple U-shaped SS drawer pull handle was used as a towel bar. Some fender washers helped support it better since it is bolting through a single layer of tileboard. Below that is a wall mounted soap dispenser that matches the finish on the cabinets perfectly. I'm embarrassed to tell you how much I paid for that tiny gem.

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Well, that about does it. I’m debating whether to work on the stairs or jack nook next. It probably makes more sense to finish the jack nook first while I can reach through the stair treads if needed.
 
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shopnut

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INDEX ADDED IN POST #1

To all you fellow GJ forum members - I just added an index to the first page to help you, me, and newbees, find stuff in this thread. Remember, if you are logged in, there are 50 replies to each page so that should make it easy to jump to the desired topic.

I will clean it up in the next few days and occasionally update it as the months (and years?) go by.
 
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