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

rieferman said:

Thanks! Boy, I think Chevy needs to get that midgate concept across more clearly in their commercials. Their website (thanks for the link) explains it much better, but I always had just assumed that the truck wouldn't work for me - whereas, it looks like it will work very nicely.

Last question: Any comments on comfort within the vehicle both front and back seat?

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Yes, I agree - Chevy is sitting on a goldmine here that hasn’t been tapped fully. I wish they would sell more of them so the price comes down closer to the mainstream trucks. You pay a premium for a specialty vehicle as it stands now.

My Avy is a 4x4 with the Z71 offroad package, however, it rides quite smooth. My brother-in-law had one for a while but traded it off because it didn’t have that rough “truck” ride. To each their own, I guess.

To get the 4 or 5 special options I wanted, I had to basically buy all the premium option packages offered that year. Among many other things, that gave me 8-way adjustable leather heated seats in front and power adjustable pedals. The seats are very comfortable and I have no complaints whatsoever on my long trips up to WI. You can select to heat just the backrest part of the seat for those backaches after long work sessions at the Asylum . The other neat thing is the keyless remotes are labeled 1 and 2, and depending on which remote is used, the truck will automatically adjust seats, pedals, mirrors, radio station presets, cabin temp, and a few other things to appropriate driver. That is really convenient when people share the vehicle.

I really can’t comment much on the back seats as I don’t spend much time back there. They seem comfy enough and I never had any complaints from passengers. The fold-down armrest is a nice touch back there. And there is a separate sound system for the kids using their headphones. The truck is pretty tall so small kids might need a step (running boards) to help them get in.

Just a comment on towing. I don’t tow often, but the biggest trip was driving up to WI to get all the stuff my parent were storing for me up there (spare engines, lathe, etc.). My tandem axle trailer was probably loaded to about 5,000 lbs total and it handled the mountains in TN just fine. My Avy is only the 1500 class so if you need to do some REAL towing, there’s always the 2500 to consider. There’s a towing button to lock the torque converter.

Gas mileage is between 13 and 17 mpg. My trip computer says I average 14.7 with the mix of driving I do. I’ve seen averages of 17.5 mpg on the flat interstates of Indiana, however, and that is as good as it gets for this big truck.

DaleJR88Fan said:

Shopnut,

Thanks for the additional details. I am definitely going to use/copy to make my beloved 2002 Avalanche more of a workhorse. The index is invaluable and I have used/plan on using many of your ingenious solutions in the years ahead as I finish my shop/man-cave. Just one further question on the bed slider, where did you get the white T-shaped side “fences”? Very simple, but immensely useful and I applaud your skills every time I check out your build.

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Thanks for the wonderful compliments Brian - glad I could be of some help and look forward to seeing what my ideas morph into in your shop.

Glad you are using the index - I predict all the big threads will have them soon ).

The T-sections were cut from an aluminum extrusion that is used to fasten hurricane panels over windows down here in FL. It started out with a cross-section shaped like a lower case "h" and the then the hook portion was cut off. I usually just wander around Lowe's until I find something that can be modified to work for my projects. I'm sure the workers there think I'm nuts (and they are correct ).

edit - Here's the cross-section:


Good luck on your build.

BEFORE WE LEAVE THE TRUCK DISCUSSION…

I forgot to mention I convinced Mrs. Shopnut of the versatility of the Avalanche; although she took a slightly downsized route. She has a Subaru Baja and because it is 4WD, has 4 doors, and has a short bed with a midgate, I call it the Mini-Avy

She was out the day I cut down the tree, just in case things went bad and she had to rush me to the hospital. You gotta love her!

Just checked out the INDEX - works great. Looks like you put as much work into it as yuo did the shop!! You're one of the awesome GJ characters!!

Thanks for the kind words e-tek.

I'm hoping the INDEX will "set the bar" a bit higher (at least in one small aspect) for the folks maintaining long threads on this forum. It will certainly help ALL of us, including the OP. It was actually a nice walk down through memory lane for me as I created it, and now I refer back to it all the time.

Maybe someone with much more influence than me (hint, hint ) will suggest adding indexes in a new post somewhere, for all to see. I could give all the details here in the ASYLUM thread, but I'm not sure if many would see it. The earlier they start, the easier it will be. I will be glad to chime in and offer what I learned as I went through the process.

Let's get back to the soffit material for the ceiling. I bought a couple pieces a month of so ago, and finally got around to installing it. I started off in the bathroom (4x5 corner). I have an inverted hip roof, so all the corners are 45 deg cuts. I don't have a sliding miter saw, so I've been having trouble cutting it. I reverse the table saw blade, but it was a cross-cut blade, and not a fine toothed blade. I need to work on this technique some.

Anywho, my question is what did you use to fasten it to the rafters? I tried the staple gun. The narrow crown just went right through it, and the wide crown staples are okay, but if you miss the rafter, the stapler makes a nice hole in the soffit material. Did you attach it just at the little tab that gets covered over by the next piece, or more in between to keep it from sagging?

Does Home Depot sell some kind of trim to cover the seams, or did you improvise something else.

I saw HD has it priced at about $7 a piece, where it was $13 last year. It's still going to be 65 pieces or more, but still cheaper than drywall.

Thanks.

Bill - here are some pointers for working with the soffit material:

Cutting
Even my new 12" sliding miter saw wouldn't slice fully across a 12.5" wide piece at a 45 degree angle. I would think a table saw should work somehow, though - maybe using the miter gauge? It will NOT work with a coarse blade on any saw - it will try to grab it and break out chunks. It even does this with a fine blade if I'm not holding it down securely on the table (with my hand). What I do when my miter saw won't fully cut across it is simply cut as far as it will go and cut the remainder with a hand tin shear. Using the trim, you do not see any of the edges anyway, so don't spend the time making a perfect cut.

Fastening
I think the pros use shingle nails to fasten vinyl siding to the sides of houses. I prefer screwing things together so I can take them apart easy so I used simple 1" drywall screws to attach to the rafters. I think a pan head screw would actually be better, but the drywall screws work fine for me and are cheaper. Whatever fastener you use, it needs to be a bit loose to allow the vinyl to expand and contract lengthwise with temperature. Your staples may tend to be to tight. I insert the screws in the center of the 1" long edge slots only and when finished, you should be able to slide the panel back and forth a bit. That is the manufacturers recommendation. I never needed to add fasteners anywhere else beside the provided slots in the panel edge.

Attaching a Panel
So the general procedure for each panel (assuming you have a starter strip or a soffit panel up already) is to insert the hook-edge of the new panel into the mating groove of the already attached panel. I do this by myself (even with 12' sections on the ceiling), but you may need a helper until you get the hang of it. Starting at the rafter closest to the middle of the panel (lengthwise), somewhat stretch the material (maybe a 1/4") until it isn't sagging across the 12" width and insert the screw or nail into the middle of the edge slot. Don't over-stretch it or the 4" flat sections will bow. An 1/8" sag is okay and won't be noticable after installation. Then add fasteners working from the middle to each end. All my panels are flat using this method. Hopefully your rafter spacing is no more than 24" centers. Some of the vinyl literature even recommends 18" spacing maximum. I don't think I exceeded 18" anywhere in my shop so far.

Trim
Although there are many trim profiles, I prefer the simple J-channel to hide all panel edges. Lowe's has it and I believe HD stocks it as well. All the trim goes up first. Again, leave the fasteners slightly loose to let it "float". You should cut the panels somewhat short and the trim will hide the gap (maybe a 1/4") at each end. You will probably struggle a bit the first few times you try to insert the hook into the existing panel, and at the same time, insert the two ends into the J-channel trim. You'll get the hang of that too. The trimwork can take as long as installing the panels if you have a bunch of things to work around (like windows in my shop).

Here's some shots of one wall with just the trim up and then about four hours later with the panels added.

Edit: Added picture of typical J-channel joint


I might have to head to the Depot to stock up at that price. Thanks for the tip!

Bill (and any other interested party),

Using the link provided waaaaaay back in post #21, many brochures and installation guidelines can be found. Here are the main links that might be of interest:
Vinyl Siding Info - look for the "literature library" link in the middle (roughly) of the page.
From there, you can click on the GP Vinyl Siding link in the product "tree". (GP=Georgia Pacific)
Use the pull down "Literature Type" menu to select "Brochure" or "Installation Guide" depending on what you are looking for.

There are many PDF files available, but here are a few of interest:
Vinyl Siding Product Catalog
Vinyl Soffit Material
Installation Guide
Note - some are big files so be prepared to to grab a coffee or beer while downloading

I hope this all helps. I find the vinyl installation to be one of the easier jobs of my build. And one that makes a dramatic difference when complete. I'm sure you will figure it out.

One other comment on the vinyl soffit material that I forgot to mention...

If you notice, none of my covered wall sections of vinyl required panels longer than the 12' as-purchased length. If yours do, I might suggest that you try overlapping it just like they do with the vinyl siding. I think they cut the slotted fastening portion off where it overlaps (check the literature for exact procedure).

Either that or add some J-channel trim in the middle to split the big areas into two smaller ones. This might also eliminate the need to handle long sections up on the ladder if you find this difficult (I find it pretty easy, however, because it is so light weight).

Thanks for all the details. I'll get out there when it warms up a little bit in a couple days.

I HAD BIG INTENTIONS OF FINISHING THE STAIRS, BUT…

Stairs just take a lot of time. There is so much detail to deal with.

First I cut the tileboard to cover the stringers and added some small edge trim along the bottom edge.



Then some black trim was added to cover the raw wood edges on top. At this point, it is starting to really look good (in my opinion, of course).



What you will notice in the pictures above is that the risers are not yet finished. That will take a bunch more time since I have something special planned for them. Here is little sampling, though, since I managed to cut out all the boards before running out of time.

BillGalbraith said:

Thanks for all the details. I'll get out there when it warms up a little bit in a couple days.

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Your mention of temperature got me thinking. I'm sure the material is rated for the cold weather because it used on houses throughout the northern region, but you might want to check the temp recommendations during cutting and installation.

Also, the mfr might not even mention this because it is typically an outdoor product, but I will recommend that you bring the raw material into the location where it is to be installed for a 24 hour period to let it come up to room temperature (whatever that is) - just like they tell you for laminate flooring material. You want everything at roughly the same temperature when you make your cuts so it and gaps stay roughly the same as things expand and contract. Of course, this vinyl material will expand at a much greater rate than the wood so you have to give it some extra room, otherwise it might buckle (or bulge out) in the warm months.

SOME DETAILS ON THE BLACK TRIM USED WITH THE TILEBOARD…

Years back, Lowe’s had the trim material I use to finish off the tileboard paneling on clearance for $1.50/stick. Since I didn’t really have a definite need for it yet, I would just buy 20 pieces each time I would go in there so it didn’t seem like I was spending too much money on something I didn’t need. I remember they had to do a price-check every time because it wasn’t in the computer at the sale price. But somehow, I just knew I would use it somewhere. Boy am I glad I had the foresight to invest the money, because this stuff works perfect for my needs.

It’s some type of PVC or vinyl material and has a textured wood grain to it. It came in 8’ sections in black and tan colors. The tan matches the outside of the ASYLUM pretty close and I’ve being using it to trim out the clerestory windows being installed.

Here is a cross-section of the raw channel. It is not crushed - that is it's true shape. The squares on the tileboard are 4” just to give you some sense of scale. I have no idea what it originally was used for, but it was sold in the vinyl siding area. It's way too big for the normal vinyl siding panels. Funny thing was, there was no other vinyl being sold that matched the colors so I had no clues to its purpose. Does anyone know what it’s supposed to be used for?



From this single profile I can extract many smaller sections that fit my needs by slicing it on the bandsaw. I made a little fixture that keeps the cut line straight as I feed it through.



To fasten the trim in place, I use simple drywall screws. They will rust in about a year in my climate so I always give them a shot of clear coat before using. Here is the easiest way I found to hold them while spraying.



I still have a fair amount of channel (in both colors) stored away up in the between-floors storage area. It should be enough the finish off this place.



So now you know even though you didn’t want to

SOME EASY SHELVES FOR SMALL CABINETS…

The fire extinguisher cabinets above the sink did not have any shelves in them, but that could be easily remedied with some scrap pegboard and a trip to the hardware store. I bought one 10” x 36” shelf board and ripped it down the middle to create the shelves. Some pegboard strips were used to give the cabinet sides adjustment holes. They probably would have looked better in white, but I used the stainless steel version I had on hand.



Some shelf clips insert in the holes and hold the shelves. What I found is that the clips meant for 1/4” holes are a bit loose in the pegboard punched holes. The type shown below with extensions that reach up to the top of the shelf, along with snug fitting shelves, keeps it from sagging. Snug fitting shelves are all that hold the pegboard in too.



WINTER IS HERE...

Well, actually it came back in Dec. when the Hickory’s finally dropped all their leaves (usually that happens in Nov.). With the leaves off the trees, you can see all the Spanish moss up there. It’s really not good for them and I try to pull the big bunches down from time to time.

BillGalbraith said:

I saw HD has it priced at about $7 a piece, where it was $13 last year. It's still going to be 65 pieces or more, but still cheaper than drywall.

Click to expand...

Sorry. I was wrong. Was with the wife yesterday at HD and was going to stock up because I thought it was on sale. It's a narrower piece that is $7.70, not the foot-wide stuff.

Thanks for letting me know Bill.

BTW, I added a close up shot of how I make the corners with the J-channel. Go to post 447.

I’M DEDICATING THIS STAIRWAY TO THE AUTOIST…

I hope this doesn’t sound too weird or crazy (dedicating a stairway to someone), but hey - I DO work in an asylum. This is a bitter sweet moment for me. I planned on dedicating the completion of the stairs in Tony Barnhill’s honor ever since I heard of his passing as a result of that bad car accident (see this thread). Some of you may have met the Autoist or just knew him through his posts here on the Garage Journal. He was a real credit to this website. I knew he took an early interest in the direction I was going with these stairs and he had built something similar (see posts 200 and 182) so this just seems fitting.

Of course, things move in slow motion sometimes (well, most of the time) in the ASYLUM, and here it is about a year later, and I just wrapped up the project. So I’m a bit late with this dedication - Rest in peace Tony!




Final details on the stairs will follow shortly.

I really need to clear out an evening to re-read through this in detail - just so much has been put into it.

PAToyota said:

I really need to clear out an evening to re-read through this in detail - just so much has been put into it.

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You, my friend, had better put on a BIG pot of coffee before starting!

I stick mainly to the facts since typing isn't one of my strong suits. I'm sure this makes for some boring, but hopefully informative, reading. My goal is that everyone should be able to take one good idea from me and make their lives in the garage a bit more enjoyable.

I'm sure you already saw it since you had input on it's creation, but don't forget to use the index in the beginning posts if you run across something you are particularly interested in while reading. I bounce around a bit on the various project here and the tidbits of info are scattered about. BTW, the last 30 or so posts are not entered in there yet.

SOME DETAILS ON THE STAIRS…

The water heater, sink, stereo, washer, and jacking tools are going to use a majority of the space under the stairway, but I mentioned back in post #92 that I might try utilize the space directly under the stair treads somehow. I managed to do so by gaining access via the risers. Two methods were used. Wherever I wanted full access, I attached the riser board with cabinet door magnets. I used the heavy duty double-height metal type rather than the standard plastic ones.



I took a different direction with a few of the others. Rev-a-Shelf makes special hinges that allow you to convert the panel in front of a kitchen sink into a useful place to store small items. I’ve included a shot of the hinges with one in the closed and one in the open position. They are not the typical single pivot type, but are based on a four-bar-linkage to get the unique motion needed to allow the riser to swing out and down simultaneously.

I initially bought enough of these to do all the steps but found they didn’t open wide enough (hence the magnet method). So they only were used where I wanted quick access for small items, like the hoist straps for the jib crane right around the corner.



Whichever method of riser board attachment was used, they all have a full length hidden pull along the top edge using the black trim material that works similar to an oven door. When I’m old and senile, I need to remember the doors are here!

Next, it’s on to that jack nook.

JACK STANDS ARE A COMMONLY USED TOOL FOR THE CAR GUY…

So I decided to make mine a little handier. I added flat bases to them so there is no risk of chipping/scratching the epoxy floor. This also lets them slide under the car and be repositioned easy once there. With the car weight on them, they are firmly planted.



I drilled/tapped #8-32 holes in each of the four legs and attached a board (scrap laminate flooring) to the bottom. Holes in the laminate are countersunk so the screw heads don’t scratch the floor.



Clamping the jack bases directly in the vise allowed them to move around too much, so I made a quick “fixture” for proper support while drilling. Remember, I was doing 8 of these so a little time for set-up could be justified.



Next time, I will explain how I plan to store them.

Cool idea. If I ever get an epoxy floor I will do the same. Counter top sink cut outs with Formica would be another material source.

Bib Overalls said:

Cool idea. If I ever get an epoxy floor I will do the same. Counter top sink cut outs with Formica would be another material source.

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Yep, that Formica should hold up equally well and most people probably just toss them out as scrap. Good idea.

THE JACK STANDS WILL SOON HAVE A NEW HOME…

They will store in the jack nook under the stairs, in a dedicated drawer. The drawer will utilize a somewhat inaccessible spot in the jack nook directly above the motorcycle jack.



Before the bases were added to the jack stands, I considered removing the ratchet bars and stacking them up to really save space. This was a good suggestion from this forum, but my jack stands really didn’t “nest” very tight in a vertical fashion. So I scrapped that idea, added bases, and started thinking about other methods to store them compactly yet allow instant access.

I’ve kicked around several ideas for storing the stands but it came back to simple drawer slides working the best. I’ve had some 33” compound slides sitting around for about ten years now and I think it’s the right time to use them. This picture shows how I will nest them in the drawer to make it as compact as possible. One of the slides is laying there on the floor fully extended. The stands will take an 18” x 28” footprint so the extra 5” of travel will allow the drawer to recess back into the jack nook and still allow room for the sliding door set, which I’ll talk about next.



Don’t be too critical about the way these doors are hanging - they are just propped up in the picture. I only had time to cut the door panels and install black trim during this work session.

I considered an aluminum roll-up door for a cool look, but had trouble finding one that would fit well, so I went with simple sliding doors faced with tileboard. A 48” closet door track was trimmed down to fit. I originally was going to store the 4T Walker floor jack there too, but I didn’t like the handle sticking out right there below the whiteboard. So it will be finding a new home and will probably store wherever the engine hoist stores someday (maybe partially under a car?).



Next, the drawer will get built and doors wrapped up.

HIGH DENSITY JACK STAND STORAGE…

Cross another one off the list. The Jack Nook is finished, or at least, it is as far as I need to take it for now.

First, I completed the sliding doors so I knew how far to recess the drawer inside the nook.



Then the drawer was built and installed (that is a story all by itself that I will save for next time). The drawer rolls completely out to clear the door frame and locks. I didn’t bother adding a handle to it since it is easy to just grab the front panel. Release levers on the side of the slides allow the drawer to retract back in.



Here are a couple more shots showing the motorcycle jack stored underneath. I have about 1/4” to 1/2” clearance in critical areas, so it was really tight. I guess that means I utilized the available space fairly well.



The little silver wedge-shaped pieces serve as simple guides to set the jack stands in correctly every time.



One last shot of the overall stairs/jack nook area.

Dang....
I always knew there were people out there smarter than me....
EVERYTHING is thought out... very nice.
Jim

crazy use of space saving in here. where did you get those fairleads for your cords? I want to recess my cords and love that idea.

classicharleyj said:

Dang....
I always knew there were people out there smarter than me....
EVERYTHING is thought out... very nice.
Jim

Click to expand...

Smarter? No. Anyone that puts as much effort into something as I have will get satisfying results - guaranteed. Thanks for posting.

jeepmattb said:

crazy use of space saving in here. where did you get those fairleads for your cords? I want to recess my cords and love that idea.

Click to expand...

I'm going to point you here - Go To #296 because I'm a slow typist. A current search shows them around $26/each - ouch. Maybe you can get lucky and find some surplus ones like I did.

Hope this helps and thanks for visiting.

SOME DETAILS ON THE JACK STAND DRAWER…

The following pictures will probably make you think this thing looks like a cobbled up mess (which it is), but hey; it doesn’t really matter because it works great and the finished product doesn’t look half bad, IMHO. I wanted to keep the floor completely clear so the entire drawer hangs from above. Here are some views before it was taken apart for painting.



This was no ordinary set of slides so I had some fun figuring out how to mount to them. It had some funny hooks to hang it in a large rack of some type and allow it to be repositioned without tools. Considering I only paid $15 for the pair, a little extra time was okay. Plywood fastens onto the side of the slides in front and some 2x3” lumber holds the back end up.



The drawer box has plywood ends and 1x3” lumber running lengthwise. Wedges were cut from scrap tileboard to help position the stands in the drawer (I have piles of tileboard scrap!)



The motorcycle jack emerges...



A view from the stairway with the riser boards removed. Being able to reach in there to fasten the rear support of the drawer was a really handy. I still see available space behind the drawer (right in this picture) that will be used to store something someday, I’m sure, maybe heavy pipe that I don't what to store overhead.



I used Perko flush pulls (p/n 1016DPOBLK) to finish off the sliding doors. My doors are 3/4” thick so they worked out nicely. Installation requires a simple hole to be drilled in the door. They wouldn’t work on thinner doors, however, because they would stick out the back and not allow the doors to bypass.

All your ideas are amazing. With every post, I feel I should go back to my garage and re-think some of the "WASTED" space, which I hadn't really thought about before. Keep up the excellent reporting on your ideas.... I'm not looking forward to your Shop being finished!

Arcticf7ext said:

All your ideas are amazing. With every post, I feel I should go back to my garage and re-think some of the "WASTED" space, which I hadn't really thought about before. Keep up the excellent reporting on your ideas.... I'm not looking forward to your Shop being finished!

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Where the heck have you been Arcticf7ext? I thought maybe you grew tired of the forum. Thanks for the kind words.

Yes, I know I will feel a bit depressed when this place gets to the point I can actually work IN it, instead of ON it. But don't worry, I have a ton of small "finishing touches" stored in the lofts that will be worth posting about for maybe the next 10 years, so I'm not going anywhere. For now, and maybe the next year or so I will be trying to wrap up the major stuff.

That reminds me - its time to update the project checklist. I made some good progress lately.

UPDATED TASK LIST...

Here's an updated task list from earlier posts. With a majority of them done, its time to start thinking about creating a new expanded list to keep me focused. This was just the near-term tasks, but in my slow moving project, near-term is 1-2 years .

Link to prior Task List (reply#315)
Link to next Task List (reply#545)

ASYLUM Task List:

Office (Upstairs) Interior
* Finish installing trim around bay window and workbenches
* Install new cover on drawing board
Office Exterior
DONE * Install tileboard on “external” wall (below 10 foot level)
DONE * Install whiteboard for sketching ideas (above jack nook)
DONE * Make checkered flag door banners
DONE * Build/Install checkered flag door to hide between-floor storage bins
DONE * Finish roof and trim on bay window
* Add half window in first floor apartment door (???)
Stairway
DONE * Install aluminum diamond plate and rubber on treads
DONE * Install tileboard on risers and stringer sides
* Install window sills and door casings
Sink/Jack Nook (under stairs)
DONE * Plumbing for SS sink and add skirting to hide pipes
DONE * Plumbing for shop clothes washer
DONE * Install three SS cabinets above sink
DONE * Build shelf for Audio/Video equipment
DONE * Install all tileboard and black trim
DONE * Add large drawer for jack stands in jack nook
DONE * Add door to jack nook
Crane
* Install cable carrier system for power cabling to hoist
* Install hoist-mounted spotlight (controlled with wall switch)
* Install crane-mounted power cable reel
DONE * Install lift rings in main rafter above for servicing (leveling) crane
DONE * Install removable pull ring at base of crane column
* Final leveling of crane beam
Main Bay (12x13’ area adjacent to stairway)
DONE * Install fluorescent light fixtures in bottom of exhaust fan duct
DONE * Install fluorescent light fixture above main workbench
DONE * Install dental light above main workbench
DONE * Finish exhaust fan duct framing
DONE * Build louvers (2X) for exhaust fan
DONE * Install white vinyl siding on fan duct
STARTED * Install “Library Ladder” system using an old barn track system along with extension ladder (currently on scaffold). I acquired the track and trolley parts from my parent’s dairy barn before they sold the old homestead. I have enough track rail to continue around most of the perimeter of the tall main bay someday, and it will allow access to storage areas, servicing light fixtures, general cleanup, etc.
DONE * Build full width back wall storage area above window with false roof to hide electrical and storage bins (also will have checkered flag door)
STARTED (2 of 10 DONE) * Replace clerestory fiberglass panels with sliding windows (needs to happen in dry months)
DONE * Insulate back wall
DONE * Insulate back ceiling
DONE * Insulate wall opposite the office
DONE * Install white vinyl siding on back wall
DONE * Install white vinyl siding on ceiling
DONE * Install white vinyl siding on wall opposite the office
DONE * Trim out wall by main panel and include service door for timer boxes
Electrical
DONE * Rearrange breakers in main panel
DONE * Add GFCI outlets next to main panel for all shop receptacle circuits (they are spread all over the place right now)(GFI main panel breakers are too big/costly)
DONE * Install timers
DONE * Install UPS (Backup power)
DONE * Wiring for new light fixtures in main bay
DONE * Remove solid conduit to main panel

MISC Project List:
* Rolling workbench – add table support props and paint to match
* Lathe Cart – Build heavy duty version to dock in window nook
* Portable Air Tank – Convert spare 30gal compressor tank (with wheels) to function like one of those portable carry-around tanks.
DONE * Chevelle – Replace rusted header collectors
* Chevelle – Replace fuel line tubing
* Chevelle – Replace transmission cooler line tubing
* Chevelle – Replace heater core
DONE * Corvette – Fix leaky brake calipers (again!)
* Corvette – Fix clogged A/C expansion valve (again!)

Hey Shopnut, I've been here reading your posts everyday, never went anywhere just quiet. I've been checking every step!

Arcticf7ext said:

Hey Shopnut, I've been here reading your posts everyday, never went anywhere just quiet. I've been checking every step!

Click to expand...

Well, don't be afraid to speak up if you see something crazy stupid going on in the Asylum. Oh wait - that describes nearly all of my projects

Seriously, if you have a question - just ask. I will do my best to answer it.

Ok, now seriously. When do you start giving tours?

mpire said:

Ok, now seriously. When do you start giving tours?

Click to expand...

You're in luck - the tour prices have been reduced for 2011. PM sent.

Very interesting and innovative, shopnut. I am going to borrow some ideas from you.

Andres

abstamaria said:

Very interesting and innovative, shopnut. I am going to borrow some ideas from you.

Andres

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Andres, my black and white existence pales in comparison to your colorful life. I should be the one borrowing ideas.
Nice of you to stop by.

(Hey - that makes exactly 500 posts for me in exactly 5 years. I better slow down a bit - I might exceed my allowance)

SOME FINISH CARPENTRY WORK IN THE OFFICE…

The lingering items in my task list reminded me of the small jobs up in the office needing attention. I guess I got so sick of the drywall work back then that I had to walk away from it for a year or so - hey, it wasn’t going anywhere right? Since it was raining out, the timing was pretty good to knock a couple more off the list. I just have to be in the right mood to do this kind of finish work.

I installed all the molding to hide the laminate edges on the work surfaces and window sills. I also had to cover up the exposed framing between the bay windows. Of course, there was also a lot of painting/caulking to do before the job could be considered completely finished. That’s never fun. Some shots of the finished product follow. The big white wall panel in the corner gains access to the crane mounting hardware as well as to the rear of the stereo and other wiring in that wall.




This little wall recess will someday get shelves for my scale models to set on. I enjoy making nearly-exact miniature replicas of my cars/bikes, right down to spraying them with the actual paint used on the full scale versions. I added a switched outlet in the recess if I ever need some accent lighting inside, and someday I would really like to add some glass doors to keep the dust out.



Lastly, I added the window sills in the stairway. They are just simple painted pine boards to match the ones in the apartment. Nothing fancy, but at least they are finished now. The wall outlets below the Kawasaki sign are GFIs for the office circuits. I specifically placed them there so I can see the little trip lights from inside the office or standing at the bottom of the stairs.



It’s great to be this far, but I’m not 100% finished with the job however. The door into the office still needs casing around the stair-side door frame and the little leg recess under the bay window still needs trim around the laminate material. I ran out of supplies so those two jobs were saved for next time. Soon I can start using the room as it was intended.