Hounddog
Well-known member
I love the cabinet...would have done the same thing. Thanks for sharing.
Jim's Interim Shop of Horrors
- Thread starter jimgood
- Start date
jb3
Well-known member
Repurposing those van cabinets and drawers was a genius idea i may shamelessly steal
Progress is looking good! Im dealing with similar accumulated clutter tendencies
Progress is looking good! Im dealing with similar accumulated clutter tendencies
Made some more progress this morning. Work was getting hectic and I needed to do something that would at least bring some satisfaction so I took a break from that to clean off a couple more shelves.
Here's what this looked like yesterday. The metal shelf was mostly paint/wood finish supplies and the wood shelf on the right was mostly automotive/mower fluids, cleaning supplies and gardening supplies. Not to mention about a pound of cobwebs, dust, mold and mouse turds:
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And now:
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So I was able to purge some of the stuff. The rest went onto the metal shelves relocated to the East Wing. It's hard to see but, between the wood shelf and the Cub Cadet frame is a pile of 12' metal tubing. That is slated to become rolling racks for metal tubing, lumber and sheet stock. The East Wing has now become pretty crowded so there will be more reorganizing and purging to come. I might even roll the Cub Cadet over there to get it out of the way. The longer term plan is to buy/build a garden shed and move items that are not temperature sensitive there. No idea when that can happen but the CC could go there.
Here's what this looked like yesterday. The metal shelf was mostly paint/wood finish supplies and the wood shelf on the right was mostly automotive/mower fluids, cleaning supplies and gardening supplies. Not to mention about a pound of cobwebs, dust, mold and mouse turds:
View media item 52259
And now:
View media item 52275
So I was able to purge some of the stuff. The rest went onto the metal shelves relocated to the East Wing. It's hard to see but, between the wood shelf and the Cub Cadet frame is a pile of 12' metal tubing. That is slated to become rolling racks for metal tubing, lumber and sheet stock. The East Wing has now become pretty crowded so there will be more reorganizing and purging to come. I might even roll the Cub Cadet over there to get it out of the way. The longer term plan is to buy/build a garden shed and move items that are not temperature sensitive there. No idea when that can happen but the CC could go there.
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That wood shelf in the previous post had to go. I decided it was too moldy and disgusting. So I set about to move it. I got one end on a furniture dolley and slid it down.
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But what's that stuff that was under it? Well, it appears that's our inspection port for our septic line. Mice found that hole a great place to nest. Crappy cell phone pic but it's basically a bowl in the cement with a PVC cap covered in mouse nesting stuff.
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After some treatment with the shop vac:
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This granite tile must have been covering the hole (not very well apparently).
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This house is now about 33 years old. Wonder if this company is still in business.
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This is the shelf now...ready to go to the dump.
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Here's that space without the shelf. Much better!
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But what's that stuff that was under it? Well, it appears that's our inspection port for our septic line. Mice found that hole a great place to nest. Crappy cell phone pic but it's basically a bowl in the cement with a PVC cap covered in mouse nesting stuff.
View media item 52313
View media item 52314
After some treatment with the shop vac:
View media item 52319
This granite tile must have been covering the hole (not very well apparently).
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This house is now about 33 years old. Wonder if this company is still in business.
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This is the shelf now...ready to go to the dump.
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Here's that space without the shelf. Much better!
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We had a mold inspector come today. The basement is a walkout on the south side but the north side is below grade all but about 18" at the top, obviously sloping on the sides. It gets no air circulation as we do not have central air. And that's probably a good thing because we would probably have some serious health issues if that air was getting pumped to the living space upstairs. It's very musty.
The inspector didn't think we had a big problem. His preliminary guess is that the pegboard and drywall along the north and east walls will have to be torn out and all of the block and cracks will have to be sealed. He took air samples in the basement and upstairs and will get back to us.
The inspector didn't think we had a big problem. His preliminary guess is that the pegboard and drywall along the north and east walls will have to be torn out and all of the block and cracks will have to be sealed. He took air samples in the basement and upstairs and will get back to us.
Had to go to the dump today, which is right near HD. So I picked up a couple more sheets of pegboard to put on this wall. I'm trying to keep as much room in this area as I can so that if I pull a car in here I have space to open the door and get a jack in from the side.
The pegboard on the back wall has to go because it's moldy behind it. There wasn't that much stuff on there anyway so I figured this smaller pegboard area would work just as well, leaving me that much needed elbow room while still giving me a place to put these hangy things.
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All my big tools are going to live in this area (to the left), pushed out against the walls when not in use. I'm hoping to have some space for a couple of storage cabinets too. I also plan to put some fold down work benches mounted on the walls.
The pegboard on the back wall has to go because it's moldy behind it. There wasn't that much stuff on there anyway so I figured this smaller pegboard area would work just as well, leaving me that much needed elbow room while still giving me a place to put these hangy things.
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All my big tools are going to live in this area (to the left), pushed out against the walls when not in use. I'm hoping to have some space for a couple of storage cabinets too. I also plan to put some fold down work benches mounted on the walls.
Bib Overalls
Well-known member
Lots and lots of good ideas.
Like you, I let my shop mess get out of hand and now I am paying the price. It looks a lot like one of those "hoarder houses" you see on reality TV. Paths running here and there through shoulder high piles of unsorted accumula. Well, maybe not that bad but most certainly an impediment to doing any real productive work.
My solutions are a lot like yours. Everything up on wheels if possible. Another of my mantra's is anything pushed back against a wall should should be suspended if possible. I want to be able to sweep under everything possible with out a lot effort. Never be 100% but the closer I can get the better.
I'll be checking in regularly to see if there are any more (I am sure there will be) good ideas I can plagiarize.
Also like the floor plan insets in your photos. Very helpful.
Like you, I let my shop mess get out of hand and now I am paying the price. It looks a lot like one of those "hoarder houses" you see on reality TV. Paths running here and there through shoulder high piles of unsorted accumula. Well, maybe not that bad but most certainly an impediment to doing any real productive work.
My solutions are a lot like yours. Everything up on wheels if possible. Another of my mantra's is anything pushed back against a wall should should be suspended if possible. I want to be able to sweep under everything possible with out a lot effort. Never be 100% but the closer I can get the better.
I'll be checking in regularly to see if there are any more (I am sure there will be) good ideas I can plagiarize.
Also like the floor plan insets in your photos. Very helpful.
Thanks! And good luck with your shop. Keep after it!Lots and lots of good ideas.
Like you, I let my shop mess get out of hand and now I am paying the price. It looks a lot like one of those "hoarder houses" you see on reality TV. Paths running here and there through shoulder high piles of unsorted accumula. Well, maybe not that bad but most certainly an impediment to doing any real productive work.
My solutions are a lot like yours. Everything up on wheels if possible. Another of my mantra's is anything pushed back against a wall should should be suspended if possible. I want to be able to sweep under everything possible with out a lot effort. Never be 100% but the closer I can get the better.
I'll be checking in regularly to see if there are any more (I am sure there will be) good ideas I can plagiarize.
Also like the floor plan insets in your photos. Very helpful.
I can't say this enough...with every little bit of progress, I get more energized about it. It just gets easier and easier. I was able to wheel my table saw out and use it for the first time in years yesterday.
Today, I'm taking down the old pegboard on the back wall. I'm anxious to see what kind of mold is back there. The mold inspector had a moisture meter that was registering very high on the lower 36" of the north wall where the pegboard and the drywall are. I'll wait on the drywall.
Some more progress today. With all the stuff moved to the new pegboard wall, which has little to no risk of growing mold behind it, I decided to remove this old peg board and see just how bad the mold problem was.
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It's easy to see the mold is growing through the holes at the bottom of the panels where they meet the floor. If I'd had any sense at all when I put them up, I would have left a gap of 12" - 18" at the bottom. I knew the basement had moisture problems but I probably figured the holes would allow enough air circulation or something. Or I didn't even consider it at all.
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After taking that first panel off and carefully loading it into the truck, here's what it looks like on the back side. Yuck!
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The wall itself isn't much better. I couldn't figure out how mice could get back here to build a nest. Then I realized the top was open so they had to crawl in from the top of the panel all the way down the wall and nest there.
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Wonder if this is that toxic black mold. We've had no health issues and we've been here 17 years so...
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So, that's the end of that. I made up a mix of bleach and water and sprayed the bottom course of blocks and the floor. Took all the old panels and 2-bys to the dump. Good riddance!
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It's easy to see the mold is growing through the holes at the bottom of the panels where they meet the floor. If I'd had any sense at all when I put them up, I would have left a gap of 12" - 18" at the bottom. I knew the basement had moisture problems but I probably figured the holes would allow enough air circulation or something. Or I didn't even consider it at all.
View media item 52395
After taking that first panel off and carefully loading it into the truck, here's what it looks like on the back side. Yuck!
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The wall itself isn't much better. I couldn't figure out how mice could get back here to build a nest. Then I realized the top was open so they had to crawl in from the top of the panel all the way down the wall and nest there.
View media item 52398View media item 52399View media item 52400
Wonder if this is that toxic black mold. We've had no health issues and we've been here 17 years so...
View media item 52401
So, that's the end of that. I made up a mix of bleach and water and sprayed the bottom course of blocks and the floor. Took all the old panels and 2-bys to the dump. Good riddance!
View media item 52402
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Mold report: we have mold. duh.
All kinds but nothing really toxic so I guess that's good. They gave us a quote to tear out and dispose of the drywall, clean/treat the affected surfaces in the basement and "seal" the block walls with sealer/anti-microbial. Just north of 5 grand. There goes my fun money. And that doesn't include the floor or the cracks in the floor.
We're getting another quote on Tuesday.
I'll still have to rent a container to move all the stuff out of the basement and then clean it before I bring it back in. And I'll still have to get a dehumidifier since I'm sure their sealing process is not 100%.
And we have tree roots in our septic tank. Can't wait to find out how much that's going to set us back.
All kinds but nothing really toxic so I guess that's good. They gave us a quote to tear out and dispose of the drywall, clean/treat the affected surfaces in the basement and "seal" the block walls with sealer/anti-microbial. Just north of 5 grand. There goes my fun money. And that doesn't include the floor or the cracks in the floor.
We're getting another quote on Tuesday.
I'll still have to rent a container to move all the stuff out of the basement and then clean it before I bring it back in. And I'll still have to get a dehumidifier since I'm sure their sealing process is not 100%.
And we have tree roots in our septic tank. Can't wait to find out how much that's going to set us back.
I was going to build a rack for my metal and wood but I couldn't decide between wall mount and mobile. So, while I stewed about that....
I was on my way into the shop this morning and my 20-year old B&D Workmate called out to me begging to be rebuilt. It's really not worth doing because the damn parts are so expensive and a new one is like $75 but, WTH. I've only check one place for parts so maybe if I shop around I can find a better deal. But just the little plastic catches for the folding legs are $4.87 each. We're into it for 20 bucks with all four! And I still need the rubber feet; $2.99 each x 8!
The only major thing wrong with it is that the compressed fake wood tops have been exposed to a little too much humidity.
And rain.
Other than that, it's just dirty and needs a little TLC and WD-40. I started tearing it apart before I got a "before" pic but here's the tops coming off. <cool hand luke>Top comin' off, boss!</cool hand luke>
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The bolt heads holding the tops on were pretty rusted and there was a lot of debris around them. I had to just chisel off the wood around them so I could get a socket on there. Once off, the frame itself looks pretty good. I'm going to clean it up and give it a coat of POR-15, if I can find any. I went to Autozone and Ace Hardware and struck out at both.
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At first I was thinking I'd take some of these parts to someone for blasting and powder coating but there's no friggen way! Maybe I'll just buy a new one and replace the tops and take an "after" picture so I can show what can be done in an afternoon.
I was on my way into the shop this morning and my 20-year old B&D Workmate called out to me begging to be rebuilt. It's really not worth doing because the damn parts are so expensive and a new one is like $75 but, WTH. I've only check one place for parts so maybe if I shop around I can find a better deal. But just the little plastic catches for the folding legs are $4.87 each. We're into it for 20 bucks with all four! And I still need the rubber feet; $2.99 each x 8!
The only major thing wrong with it is that the compressed fake wood tops have been exposed to a little too much humidity.
And rain.
Other than that, it's just dirty and needs a little TLC and WD-40. I started tearing it apart before I got a "before" pic but here's the tops coming off. <cool hand luke>Top comin' off, boss!</cool hand luke>
View media item 52557
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The bolt heads holding the tops on were pretty rusted and there was a lot of debris around them. I had to just chisel off the wood around them so I could get a socket on there. Once off, the frame itself looks pretty good. I'm going to clean it up and give it a coat of POR-15, if I can find any. I went to Autozone and Ace Hardware and struck out at both.
View media item 52558
At first I was thinking I'd take some of these parts to someone for blasting and powder coating but there's no friggen way! Maybe I'll just buy a new one and replace the tops and take an "after" picture so I can show what can be done in an afternoon.
I found a *decent deal on the parts for my Workmate so I'm getting all 8 rubber feet, the 4 leg catches and a couple roll pins for $42 shipped. I had some gloss black Rustoleum on hand so I went at it with steel wool and a wire brush. I wiped it down with Acetone then sprayed everything with one good coat and called it a day. Had some runs but it's good enough for me:
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I cleaned off the adjustment cranks and reassembled them into the arms. Put the arms back on to the frame:
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Edit: Got the new feet and leg catches in the mail (finally) and reassembled it. I glued the feet to the legs this time. They come off way too easily.
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I found a plank of reclaimed 1" x 50" x 5 1/2" rough cut oak that I saved when we tore down our old barn. It's pretty straight and just long enough to get the two pieces I need to replace the tops on this thing. It's going to need a lot of work with a hand plane but I think it will work fine.
* "decent" means it's the best deal I could find online.
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I cleaned off the adjustment cranks and reassembled them into the arms. Put the arms back on to the frame:
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Edit: Got the new feet and leg catches in the mail (finally) and reassembled it. I glued the feet to the legs this time. They come off way too easily.
View media item 53076
I found a plank of reclaimed 1" x 50" x 5 1/2" rough cut oak that I saved when we tore down our old barn. It's pretty straight and just long enough to get the two pieces I need to replace the tops on this thing. It's going to need a lot of work with a hand plane but I think it will work fine.
* "decent" means it's the best deal I could find online.
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We had a second mold contractor come out and inspect the house. He used the mold report from the first guys and I just showed him where the major problems are. He said his quote was going to be a couple grand more than the first guy. Knowing he wasn't going to get the job, he told me that our mold problem isn't that bad considering that we've live here for 17 years and it has not really progressed beyond what it is.
He actually suggested that, with a shop vac and a HEPA filter, I could probably take care of most of it myself. Most of the labor comes in cleaning all the loose items in the basement. But, knowing my wife, I knew that she's not going to be satisfied with anything short of a professional solution.
So, we had another conversation with the first contractor to make sure we understood what they're doing and what our responsibilities are and we signed a contract. They'll be coming out in a couple of weeks.
In the meantime, I decided that it was best to purge some more moldy, mildewy stuff and the lumber I have stored in here just needs to go. I hate just throwing lumber away but it's not worth the time to try to clean it all. And some of it is beyond cleaning.
I started with the stuff behind my work bench, against the west wall.
Here's what it looked like when I pulled it out of the way a little, though it's hard to see the details. The OSB and peg board were covered in mold. These sheets have been here for probably 16 years. There were a few 2 x 10 x 12' boards plus a 2" x 16" x 16' laminated beam I picked up from the trash pile at an 84 Lumber many years ago. It had been stained and sealed so I'm actually keeping that last piece as it is going to make a great work bench top (or 2).
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So, except for the beam, all that went into the truck and I vacuumed up 16 years worth of mouse turds and mold spores. Then I realized that my shop vac filter was not trapping the mold and was spewing it all over the shop! That led me on this mission.
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Next up was all the lumber stored in a rack in the ceiling. This is the only before pic I have. It's in the upper left.
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Empty rack!
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Full truck!
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I had been agonizing about where and how I'm going to store the volume of lumber I had on hand. It was just sitting there waiting for that day when I might want it for some project. And, truth be told, I have occasionally grabbed a plank here or there for something. But, it 16 years, I have barely made a dent in the inventory. Most of it is left over from projectS that I did when we first moved in. I feel much better getting rid of it and knowing that I can get more as projects arise. I'm making a new commitment to do that, plan better for how much I'll need and to get rid of what I don't use so it's not cluttering up the place.
I will be building storage racks on one wall, probably the one above, but they will fold flat against the wall when not in use. We'll see how that goes.
I still have some lumber under my stairs. Some of it is reclaimed from the original barn we tore down about 12 years ago. It's not much and it's nice thick oak so it's worth cleaning up and storing. There's some other stuff under the stairs that I'll be tossing.
He actually suggested that, with a shop vac and a HEPA filter, I could probably take care of most of it myself. Most of the labor comes in cleaning all the loose items in the basement. But, knowing my wife, I knew that she's not going to be satisfied with anything short of a professional solution.
So, we had another conversation with the first contractor to make sure we understood what they're doing and what our responsibilities are and we signed a contract. They'll be coming out in a couple of weeks.
In the meantime, I decided that it was best to purge some more moldy, mildewy stuff and the lumber I have stored in here just needs to go. I hate just throwing lumber away but it's not worth the time to try to clean it all. And some of it is beyond cleaning.
I started with the stuff behind my work bench, against the west wall.
Here's what it looked like when I pulled it out of the way a little, though it's hard to see the details. The OSB and peg board were covered in mold. These sheets have been here for probably 16 years. There were a few 2 x 10 x 12' boards plus a 2" x 16" x 16' laminated beam I picked up from the trash pile at an 84 Lumber many years ago. It had been stained and sealed so I'm actually keeping that last piece as it is going to make a great work bench top (or 2).
View media item 52625
So, except for the beam, all that went into the truck and I vacuumed up 16 years worth of mouse turds and mold spores. Then I realized that my shop vac filter was not trapping the mold and was spewing it all over the shop! That led me on this mission.
View media item 52625
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Next up was all the lumber stored in a rack in the ceiling. This is the only before pic I have. It's in the upper left.
View media item 52392
Empty rack!
View media item 52653
Full truck!
View media item 52654
I had been agonizing about where and how I'm going to store the volume of lumber I had on hand. It was just sitting there waiting for that day when I might want it for some project. And, truth be told, I have occasionally grabbed a plank here or there for something. But, it 16 years, I have barely made a dent in the inventory. Most of it is left over from projectS that I did when we first moved in. I feel much better getting rid of it and knowing that I can get more as projects arise. I'm making a new commitment to do that, plan better for how much I'll need and to get rid of what I don't use so it's not cluttering up the place.
I will be building storage racks on one wall, probably the one above, but they will fold flat against the wall when not in use. We'll see how that goes.
I still have some lumber under my stairs. Some of it is reclaimed from the original barn we tore down about 12 years ago. It's not much and it's nice thick oak so it's worth cleaning up and storing. There's some other stuff under the stairs that I'll be tossing.
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The biggest thing I did this weekend so far was to clear off the old wooden desk who's primary purpose has been so mice could nest in its drawers. It's secondary and tertiary purposes were as a horizontal surface on which to put stuff and mold collection. The stuff that was on there was mainly an eyesore of an organization attempt; a ****** HF 24-bin Bench Top Parts Rack. Ok, maybe it's not ******. Maybe I just couldn't keep it organized well enough.
I took everything off the desk so now the parts bins are stacked on my workbench and the rack is on the floor (there, behind the post). This is one of those sideways steps so it's hard to call it progress But! The musty, moldy, once mouse infested desk is now outside awaiting a trip to the dump. It's also serving it's last duty as a work bench on which I am "restoring" my anvil.
With the lumber I took away earlier in the week and the desk gone that gave me some more floor space against the wall. I pushed the workbench against the wall and that gave me a little more elbow room. ***** I still have the bins and other stuff cluttering up the workbench but I'm planning my next move so it will have to sit there for a few days. I'm still so far ahead of where I was on day one, a cluttered workbench is nothing.
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Again, just rearranged some things. Still contemplating what to do with my steel. That laminated beam on the floor there is going to be a work bench top. It's 2" thick and I scored it for free many years ago. Since it was already stained an sealed, it has survived very well in this damp space.
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This corner remains a disaster since day one. I'll address it eventually. The biggest issues here are the sewing machine, which I need to sell, and the pile of stuff behind the door (more doors and a bunch of clear Lexan I swore I was going to use for cabinet doors.
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I going to move my Quick Jacks over to the right side of the space under the stairs (see pic after this one). I'm trying to retain the maximum amount of space here that I can as this is where I will put my long term project car while I work on it. It's just shy of 13' wide so it should leave some maneuvering room on each side of a car.
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Under the stairs, I've been storing a mix of lumber, some sheet aluminum and some cutoffs from rubber stall mats. The sheet stuff isn't taking up much space so that I'll keep. Some of the lumber is reclaimed rough cut oak from our old barn that is aged and hard as a rock but would make a killer rustic dining table or something. So, I'm keeping it. I bought a small pressure washer and will go through it in the next couple of weeks to clean it and maybe move it to the barn until the mold remediation is complete in the basement. The right hand post here is where I think I'm going to hang my Quick Jacks.
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Just for something to keep me jazzed, I took an abrasive pad to my anvil, treated the remaining surface rust and painted the lower part black, as it was originally. I treated the unpainted surface on the top with Boeshield T9. I've owned this anvil since new in 1987, when I graduated from the North Texas Farrier's School in Mineral Wells. Yesterday, I used the anvil for this project and it was so rusty I couldn't stand it anymore.
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I took everything off the desk so now the parts bins are stacked on my workbench and the rack is on the floor (there, behind the post). This is one of those sideways steps so it's hard to call it progress
But! The musty, moldy, once mouse infested desk is now outside awaiting a trip to the dump. It's also serving it's last duty as a work bench on which I am "restoring" my anvil.With the lumber I took away earlier in the week and the desk gone that gave me some more floor space against the wall. I pushed the workbench against the wall and that gave me a little more elbow room. ***** I still have the bins and other stuff cluttering up the workbench but I'm planning my next move so it will have to sit there for a few days. I'm still so far ahead of where I was on day one, a cluttered workbench is nothing.
View media item 52694
Again, just rearranged some things. Still contemplating what to do with my steel. That laminated beam on the floor there is going to be a work bench top. It's 2" thick and I scored it for free many years ago. Since it was already stained an sealed, it has survived very well in this damp space.
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This corner remains a disaster since day one. I'll address it eventually. The biggest issues here are the sewing machine, which I need to sell, and the pile of stuff behind the door (more doors and a bunch of clear Lexan I swore I was going to use for cabinet doors.
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I going to move my Quick Jacks over to the right side of the space under the stairs (see pic after this one). I'm trying to retain the maximum amount of space here that I can as this is where I will put my long term project car while I work on it. It's just shy of 13' wide so it should leave some maneuvering room on each side of a car.
View media item 52697
Under the stairs, I've been storing a mix of lumber, some sheet aluminum and some cutoffs from rubber stall mats. The sheet stuff isn't taking up much space so that I'll keep. Some of the lumber is reclaimed rough cut oak from our old barn that is aged and hard as a rock but would make a killer rustic dining table or something. So, I'm keeping it. I bought a small pressure washer and will go through it in the next couple of weeks to clean it and maybe move it to the barn until the mold remediation is complete in the basement. The right hand post here is where I think I'm going to hang my Quick Jacks.
View media item 52698
Just for something to keep me jazzed, I took an abrasive pad to my anvil, treated the remaining surface rust and painted the lower part black, as it was originally. I treated the unpainted surface on the top with Boeshield T9. I've owned this anvil since new in 1987, when I graduated from the North Texas Farrier's School in Mineral Wells. Yesterday, I used the anvil for this project and it was so rusty I couldn't stand it anymore.
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This weekend I did a lot of cleaning up. I got rid of a few items in this corner and moved others. Seems like that's most of what I've done; moved things from one place to another.
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Anyone want an industrial sewing machine? I'll make you a good deal of you come pick it up. It's the last large item I need out of my shop permanently. I always thought I'd make use of it but it's been 18 years, the last 17 of which it's been right here doing nothing. It's too valuable to junk and too much if a PITA to sell.
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Over on the east side (northeast be specific) we're getting ready for the mold remediation crew. All this drywall is coming out. This is where most of the mold is hiding. This wall is 80% below grade. The stuff against the wall is pretty easy to move so I left it for them to do.
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Looking north to south along the far eastern wall, all this drywall is coming out too. What was against the wall got cleaned piece by piece and moved to the center of the room. That was half of my Sunday.
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I've never shown this hallway. This is along the south side of the basement and joins the east and west sides. Immediately to the left through this door are the stairs leading to the main floor. A few steps beyond that is the laundry room. Sunday afternoon, I pulled out the carpet, which was filthy and musty. I tore out the drywall in the ceiling adjacent to that window as we have a shower drain that's leaking, no thanks to a ****** contractor that remodeled the bathroom above there.
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After tearing out the drywall, I wanted to see the why the drain was leaking. The slightest pull and it was out. Not even a pound of pressure; it was that loose. I have no idea how this is supposed to connect when done right but I jammed it back in and it snugged up. I don't know whether it supposed to have adhesive in there or what but it shouldn't be that easy to pop out. Maybe a piece of metal strap wrapped around the pipe before the trap secured to the underside of the floor? We hired a plumber to come later in the week to address it.
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Anyone want an industrial sewing machine? I'll make you a good deal of you come pick it up. It's the last large item I need out of my shop permanently. I always thought I'd make use of it but it's been 18 years, the last 17 of which it's been right here doing nothing. It's too valuable to junk and too much if a PITA to sell.
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Over on the east side (northeast be specific) we're getting ready for the mold remediation crew. All this drywall is coming out. This is where most of the mold is hiding. This wall is 80% below grade. The stuff against the wall is pretty easy to move so I left it for them to do.
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Looking north to south along the far eastern wall, all this drywall is coming out too. What was against the wall got cleaned piece by piece and moved to the center of the room. That was half of my Sunday.
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I've never shown this hallway. This is along the south side of the basement and joins the east and west sides. Immediately to the left through this door are the stairs leading to the main floor. A few steps beyond that is the laundry room. Sunday afternoon, I pulled out the carpet, which was filthy and musty. I tore out the drywall in the ceiling adjacent to that window as we have a shower drain that's leaking, no thanks to a ****** contractor that remodeled the bathroom above there.
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After tearing out the drywall, I wanted to see the why the drain was leaking. The slightest pull and it was out. Not even a pound of pressure; it was that loose. I have no idea how this is supposed to connect when done right but I jammed it back in and it snugged up. I don't know whether it supposed to have adhesive in there or what but it shouldn't be that easy to pop out. Maybe a piece of metal strap wrapped around the pipe before the trap secured to the underside of the floor?
We hired a plumber to come later in the week to address it.View media item 53088
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Mold guys arrived a little late and they still don't have their dumpster here. We have to be out of the house while they're working so we're going to sleep in our barn tonight. We both work from home so we set up our office on the back deck. We and the dogs are enjoying a beautiful morning. We'll see how it goes as it gets hotter.
Hopefully, they will be done tomorrow as expected.
Hopefully, they will be done tomorrow as expected.
Obviously, our mold problem wasn't that bad. The mold guys didn't even wear respirators. Some were wearing the white jump suits but I think that was more to protect their clothes from the sealer they were painting on the walls.
They used exhaust fans in the sliding doors in the basement and upstairs to **** out the mold spores their activities were kicking up.
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Upstairs, all they did was go through and clean and deodorize. They also used a product called Benefact to coat all the surfaces to kill any remaining mold spores.
I had no idea they were going to coat the walls white. For some reason, I thought the product they were going to use was clear but I'm digging these white walls. I thought I was going to have to come behind them and do this myself. I can't wait to get back in here to rearrange things and see what it looks like with all the reflected light.
They used a product called Watertite. The coverage isn't perfect but it's good enough for sealing and mold encapsulation. The problem with my block walls was really just humidity, not actual seepage. I still may go over it again to get better coverage.
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I couldn't get a pic of this right now but all the wiring on the east end of the basement is loose now because I had them remove the studs as well as the drywall. Here's another load of moldy stuff going to the dump! Yaay!
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I left a message for an electrician to come out and rewire everything so it's more "shop-like". There were 3 baseboard electric heaters and only one was ever used so I'm going to move one under my peg board and get rid of the rest. I like doing some things myself but electric is NOT one of them.
Once the mold guys are gone, I have to reorganize yet again and hang my dehumidifier. It's going in the back part of the shop, up high, against the back wall of the laundry room. That way I can run a drain line directly from the unit through the wall and into the utility sink. It's not going to look great but I'll be fucked if I'm gonna be emptying a water pan every day. All this sealer is supposed to cut down on the humidity being transmitted into the space through the block. We'll see about that.
They moved nearly everything so it's going to be interesting to see what gets misplaced such that I can't find it. And hopefully, nothing walked off.
They used exhaust fans in the sliding doors in the basement and upstairs to **** out the mold spores their activities were kicking up.
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Upstairs, all they did was go through and clean and deodorize. They also used a product called Benefact to coat all the surfaces to kill any remaining mold spores.
I had no idea they were going to coat the walls white. For some reason, I thought the product they were going to use was clear but I'm digging these white walls. I thought I was going to have to come behind them and do this myself. I can't wait to get back in here to rearrange things and see what it looks like with all the reflected light.
They used a product called Watertite. The coverage isn't perfect but it's good enough for sealing and mold encapsulation. The problem with my block walls was really just humidity, not actual seepage. I still may go over it again to get better coverage.
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I couldn't get a pic of this right now but all the wiring on the east end of the basement is loose now because I had them remove the studs as well as the drywall. Here's another load of moldy stuff going to the dump! Yaay!
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I left a message for an electrician to come out and rewire everything so it's more "shop-like". There were 3 baseboard electric heaters and only one was ever used so I'm going to move one under my peg board and get rid of the rest. I like doing some things myself but electric is NOT one of them.
Once the mold guys are gone, I have to reorganize yet again and hang my dehumidifier. It's going in the back part of the shop, up high, against the back wall of the laundry room. That way I can run a drain line directly from the unit through the wall and into the utility sink. It's not going to look great but I'll be fucked if I'm gonna be emptying a water pan every day. All this sealer is supposed to cut down on the humidity being transmitted into the space through the block. We'll see about that.
They moved nearly everything so it's going to be interesting to see what gets misplaced such that I can't find it. And hopefully, nothing walked off.
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It just kind of hit me this morning that this is kind of a major setback. It could be a couple of weeks before I get my shop back to any semblance of order.
The mold removal crew moved everything. What was once fairly organized is now complete chaos. And they did not clean anything they moved. All they did was spray everything with Benefact.
With the drywall and studs removed, the wiring is now laying all over the place. Now I HAVE to get an electrician out and that could be a couple of weeks.
The electrician will need access to the walls to run the wiring and mount outlets. That means I can't move anything back against the walls until that happens, unless I want to move everything again when they come.
Yesterday was really humid and they left the garage door open all day while they worked. I can't blame them for that but it left the basement really humid after they finished and closed it back up. So I gave the Benefact a few hours to settle then plugged in my dehumidifier. Not sure how long it took but the bucket was full this morning. But the air is much better down there, so at least something's working right.
The mold removal crew moved everything. What was once fairly organized is now complete chaos. And they did not clean anything they moved. All they did was spray everything with Benefact.
With the drywall and studs removed, the wiring is now laying all over the place. Now I HAVE to get an electrician out and that could be a couple of weeks.
The electrician will need access to the walls to run the wiring and mount outlets. That means I can't move anything back against the walls until that happens, unless I want to move everything again when they come.
Yesterday was really humid and they left the garage door open all day while they worked. I can't blame them for that but it left the basement really humid after they finished and closed it back up. So I gave the Benefact a few hours to settle then plugged in my dehumidifier. Not sure how long it took but the bucket was full this morning. But the air is much better down there, so at least something's working right.
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xtremek
Well-known member
At least when it goes back together this time, you should be set. It's still a poor consolation. Hang in there.
I'm trying!
After emptying the bucket on the dehumidifier it took about 4 hours to fill it up again. That got me to looking at the unit a little closer. It was supposed to come with a 16' hose that can be connected to its pump. There was no hose in the packaging and it's not hidden inside the unit anywhere. So figured they forgot to pack it. So I took down the model number off the unit itself, gathered up my paperwork and called the Hisense customer service line to find out if the hose was a separate thing or what.
As I was reading off the model number that I wrote down, I was also looking at the model number on the Lowe's invoice. Friggin' brilliant! I ordered online and picked up in the store. I definitely paid for the model with the pump but they gave me the model without the pump.
I was in too much of a hurry when I picked it up. I should have looked at the model number on the box and compared it to the invoice.
So, now it's going to be a trip back to Lowe's to get the correct one. Yippie!
Just one of those weeks.
xtremek
Well-known member
I so know how that goes.
With what you had accomplished, you'll make it. I'll continue to look forward to watching this unfold. Keep up the good work.Tiny bit of progress...
Dehumidifier exchanged. Still need to mount it permanently and run the pump hose through the wall and into the utility sink.
Plumber came yesterday morning and fixed the leaking shower drain.
Electrician came today and took down my requirements. He'll get back to me eventually. He is well regarded in this area and is always really busy so it could be a few weeks. Anyway, I'm having him run conduit along the west, north and east walls and with a total of 8 receptacles. We're switching the two ceiling lights in the west wing from single bulbs to flourescents with a wall switch. We're moving a couple of other lights and adding 4 more flourescents. Also adding a couple of 220 receptacles, one at the front by the breaker panel and one in the middle of the north wall. That will allow me to use my welder with 220v.
This morning I spent about an hour just removing some junk that the mold crew had unearthed (and didn't bother to remove the mold from). I also cleaned a few items.
Dehumidifier exchanged. Still need to mount it permanently and run the pump hose through the wall and into the utility sink.
Plumber came yesterday morning and fixed the leaking shower drain.
Electrician came today and took down my requirements. He'll get back to me eventually. He is well regarded in this area and is always really busy so it could be a few weeks. Anyway, I'm having him run conduit along the west, north and east walls and with a total of 8 receptacles. We're switching the two ceiling lights in the west wing from single bulbs to flourescents with a wall switch. We're moving a couple of other lights and adding 4 more flourescents. Also adding a couple of 220 receptacles, one at the front by the breaker panel and one in the middle of the north wall. That will allow me to use my welder with 220v.
This morning I spent about an hour just removing some junk that the mold crew had unearthed (and didn't bother to remove the mold from). I also cleaned a few items.
This morning, I took another pickup load of **** to the dump. We have a drop ceiling in our laundry room. I guess the original builder/owner decided that would make for easier access to all the plumbing (which it does). But the ceiling tiles were covered in mouse turds and some were looking a little moldy so I tossed them all. I'm going to spray some Concrobium on the joists up there. Most of it looks good but there are a couple of sketchy places.
I had put in some hours for my real job this weekend so I'm not getting as much done in the shop as I'd like. I'm going to knock off in a few and see what I can get done.
I had put in some hours for my real job this weekend so I'm not getting as much done in the shop as I'd like. I'm going to knock off in a few and see what I can get done.
Knocked off at 11 am from work so I could work on Gen 3 of my two-stage shop vac.
Gen 1 was a stock Ridgid shop vac. Gen 2 was the purchase of a Oneida Dust Deputy. I didn't put a whole lot of thought into it so I bent and welded some metal and came up with this:
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But that doesn't fit through doors or tight spaces so, today I got serious with it! I used the same hoop that I bent for Gen 2 and incorporated it into Gen 3.
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Pardon my welds. I can't see very well and I am limited by my use of 110v. I'm sure I would have turned out a stack of dimes if I could see and had 220v.
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And here's Gen 3 in all it's painted glory. I think it looks just right and only took me 4 hours. "Danger! Danger, Will Robinson!"
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Gen 1 was a stock Ridgid shop vac. Gen 2 was the purchase of a Oneida Dust Deputy. I didn't put a whole lot of thought into it so I bent and welded some metal and came up with this:
View media item 52675
But that doesn't fit through doors or tight spaces so, today I got serious with it! I used the same hoop that I bent for Gen 2 and incorporated it into Gen 3.
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Pardon my welds. I can't see very well and I am limited by my use of 110v. I'm sure I would have turned out a stack of dimes if I could see and had 220v.
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And here's Gen 3 in all it's painted glory. I think it looks just right and only took me 4 hours. "Danger! Danger, Will Robinson!"
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taumac
Well-known member
Great thread. Please keep up the progress. I've had many many weekends or years where it seemed after like I just moved stuff from one wall to another. After finding a layout I want I'm finally getting things done but that took 9 years. Good luck and I'll be following
Been mostly cleaning items that were missed by the mold crew, which is tedious and boring. When I had moved these Tiki torches around enough, I decided it was time to hang them up off the floor so I set about to make a hanger. Documented the whole build here but this is the gist of it.
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Hounddog
Well-known member
Jimgood:
I see you got a nice sewing machine there...you do any upholstery? I just love having a machine in my shop. Lernt..how to work it in my military days (parachutes and such)
I see you got a nice sewing machine there...you do any upholstery? I just love having a machine in my shop. Lernt..how to work it in my military days (parachutes and such)
I wish I had time to mess with it. It's a great machine. I inherited in when my father died in '97. I've had it ever since and have done nothing with it. The other day I plugged it in just to see if it would run. Smoothest running electric motor I've ever heard. It still works after 18 years sitting idle in a humid basement. Amazing.
I'm probably going to sell it.
I hit a major milestone yesterday. I finally moved stuff around enough that I can actually get a car in here to work on! 
The workbench on the right is on wheels so it can be moved out of the way. That pole on the left is still a thorn in my side. I would love to cut it the hell out of there. There's nothing above it but my living room, which is completely open wall to wall so the only thing that beam is supporting at that point is my Lazy-Boy recliner. And the floor of course.
BTW, I thought I'd point out a little design decision I made a long time ago with regard to placement of the light. I don't know if others have thought about this, but if you have a light that will be above the garage door when it's open, place it so that it is over the glass (if you have glass). That way it still provides light when the door is open.
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I can't say I'm done yet. There is still a lot of stuff to sort through and organize better. The major things I moved? The stack of metal tubing that was on the floor under my peg board is now against the back wall under the black cabinets. I will be building a rack on that wall for these items. The 2' x 4' metal shelf that was against the back wall has been moved to the east wing. All the wood scraps that I was saving on it have gone to the dump. Just did not feel like cleaning them (moldy). The Cub Cadet that was in the middle of the floor is now off to the right side (still a temporary location).
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There is still considerable clutter but I'm picking my way through bit by bit. Each item has to be assessed as to its value. Either I toss it or I clean it and find a place for it.
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This weekend I'll be pulling my daily driver in here for some repairs. This will be the first car that's been in here since around 2002 or so.
The workbench on the right is on wheels so it can be moved out of the way. That pole on the left is still a thorn in my side. I would love to cut it the hell out of there. There's nothing above it but my living room, which is completely open wall to wall so the only thing that beam is supporting at that point is my Lazy-Boy recliner. And the floor of course.
BTW, I thought I'd point out a little design decision I made a long time ago with regard to placement of the light. I don't know if others have thought about this, but if you have a light that will be above the garage door when it's open, place it so that it is over the glass (if you have glass). That way it still provides light when the door is open.
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I can't say I'm done yet. There is still a lot of stuff to sort through and organize better. The major things I moved? The stack of metal tubing that was on the floor under my peg board is now against the back wall under the black cabinets. I will be building a rack on that wall for these items. The 2' x 4' metal shelf that was against the back wall has been moved to the east wing. All the wood scraps that I was saving on it have gone to the dump. Just did not feel like cleaning them (moldy). The Cub Cadet that was in the middle of the floor is now off to the right side (still a temporary location).
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There is still considerable clutter but I'm picking my way through bit by bit. Each item has to be assessed as to its value. Either I toss it or I clean it and find a place for it.
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This weekend I'll be pulling my daily driver in here for some repairs. This will be the first car that's been in here since around 2002 or so.
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Hawk
Well-known member
Your question about the quarries earlier, Yes it is still in business:
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/30339
or
http://www.ourstate.com/mount-airy-granite-quarry/
Great work.
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/30339
or
http://www.ourstate.com/mount-airy-granite-quarry/
Great work.
xtremek
Well-known member
Looks a ton better. Is the floor the permenant home for the steel? It's starting to come together.
Thanks!
No, the floor is not its permanent home. My plan is to use some of the tubing to create wall rack. For 12' lengths, I'm thinking I'll have two, possibly three levels below the black cabinets, starting against the wall to the left. Then, above those, to the right of the cabinets, some racks for 4' - 6' pieces. For anything 3' and under I'm planning on cutting up some 8" PVC pipe I have laying around and using various lengths of those to store cutoffs.
As usual, I have an over-engineered plan in mind to make the racks so that I can fold them out of the way when they're not in use. I hope to post some details on that shortly.
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Finally pulled my car into the shop for some maintenance work. It's tight but, if I keep closer to the middle of the room, I can get out the driver's door comfortably. If I have to work on the passenger side rear wheel, I have to position it in front of or behind that damn pole. In front of the pole now so it's a little tight at the right front wheel. But workable.
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Here it is on the "lift".
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I don't think I'll be working on the F350 Crew Cab Dually in here.
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Here it is on the "lift".
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I don't think I'll be working on the F350 Crew Cab Dually in here.
After installing a new neutral safety switch and new front struts in my DD, I started doing some more shop clean up.
I've had this Craftsman workbench for many years. I added casters to it about two years ago and have been using it as my primary bench ever since. Yes, that's a marble slab on top of it. I've had that for years too, sitting forgotten about against the wall and buried behind a stack of junk. When I dug it out recently, I realized that it's perfectly flat and I can clamp welding projects to it for better accuracy than the bench top, which is warped.
Today, I gave it a thorough cleaning, inside and out. I moved one drawer from left to right to fill in better. The big drawer got moved down, which stores my welding helmet, spray cans of T-9 and anti-spatter and a can of acetone.
I remembered that I have a couple of wall-mount trays that I got back when I bought some van cabinets. I was looking for a place to use them so one of them is going into service here.
Amazingly, it was an exact fit in this position.
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But I decided I didn't like how it blocked access to the lower shelf so I ended up mounting it this way. It sticks out about an inch on either side and those metal corners are sharp as hell so I might roll the ends or something.
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Not pretty, but functional. I'm not big into drawer organizers. I find them too fussy, taking up too much space and time. I find that I put stuff back in the same general area all the time and I find it right away.
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I've had this Craftsman workbench for many years. I added casters to it about two years ago and have been using it as my primary bench ever since. Yes, that's a marble slab on top of it. I've had that for years too, sitting forgotten about against the wall and buried behind a stack of junk. When I dug it out recently, I realized that it's perfectly flat and I can clamp welding projects to it for better accuracy than the bench top, which is warped.
Today, I gave it a thorough cleaning, inside and out. I moved one drawer from left to right to fill in better. The big drawer got moved down, which stores my welding helmet, spray cans of T-9 and anti-spatter and a can of acetone.
I remembered that I have a couple of wall-mount trays that I got back when I bought some van cabinets. I was looking for a place to use them so one of them is going into service here.
Amazingly, it was an exact fit in this position.
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But I decided I didn't like how it blocked access to the lower shelf so I ended up mounting it this way. It sticks out about an inch on either side and those metal corners are sharp as hell so I might roll the ends or something.
View media item 53645
Not pretty, but functional. I'm not big into drawer organizers. I find them too fussy, taking up too much space and time. I find that I put stuff back in the same general area all the time and I find it right away.
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Electrical contractor is supposed to be here today. Still waiting.
I'm getting 110v outlets installed on all the perimeter walls plus two 220v outlets for the welder. Also getting some more lights. Place is a mess again since I had to move everything away from the walls where they're going to be working.
I'm just bored. I'm sitting here participating in a required online training.
I'm getting 110v outlets installed on all the perimeter walls plus two 220v outlets for the welder. Also getting some more lights. Place is a mess again since I had to move everything away from the walls where they're going to be working.
I'm just bored. I'm sitting here participating in a required online training.
MagicMarker
Well-known member
Wow.. amazing transformation. Great job.
In for future pics.
In for future pics.
Thanks. After this electrical work is done, it's all mine. I can finally start truly organizing. And with all the purging I've done, it should be a little easier. It literally took me 15 minutes to move everything to make room for the electricians. Wheels are the bees knees! I only had 4 heavy items that needed to be dragged; my homemade WB, the sewing machine, drill press and the metal trash can full of metal cutoffs.
Just for grins, here are pics of the current state of things. I look at it and I'm amazed I had any clear floor space at 6 am this morning.
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