Above 1200 Sq/FT Abandoned Heliport | Studio + Garage

engear2005 · Mar 2, 2018

Re: Hangar Living + Garage + Shop

This is awesome! I am so in for updates on this thread

speedminded · Mar 3, 2018

Re: Hangar Living + Garage + Shop

vr4joe said:
This is such an awesome build thread and love following it. As an entrepreneur myself, I like the fact that you're renting out the space for additional cash flow. I may have missed something but I have a couple of questions.

1. Would it be easier to capitalize on the second smaller garage as the rental photo shoot building so you can separate business from pleasure? There may be some better tax benefits to this as well.

2. I love the idea of live/work garages and I want to build one myself. I'm having issues finding what building type to classify the structure and also choosing a construction type. I'm also have difficulties finding details for the proper 2 hr fire separation you need between classified living areas and work areas. I wanted to add windows similar to yours but can't find a cheap 2hr rated window system.

I’ve been obsessed with live/work spaces for as long as I remember! The larger building suits the needs for a rental studio much better. I intend for the 2nd level glass room to be used as a well air conditioned and heated space that’s a comfortable place for in-between shoots with a dressing/makeup room below it. The smaller garage would be too constricted and only allow one small photo area. May have to open the door to shoot it, but the hangar is large enough to put a vehicle on a turntable inside.

pennsylvaniaboy said:
I love these loft inside garage ideas, but man, my garage activities are too dirty for this.

A “garage” to me is a place to park and protect a car while a shop is where the dirty work happens! Otherwise I agree with you—I sleep/nap enough in fumes at racetracks lol! The last thing I want in my home is the smell of paint, exhaust, cleaners, welding, etc. but I also don’t want any of that around my cars unless I’m actively working on it.

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speedminded · Mar 6, 2018

Re: Former Heliport | Living + Studio + Garage

While the weather was nice, I spent several hours with a machete and [hand] weed cutter attempting to clean up the west side of the property. Doing this by hand sure makes one miss all the tractors and PTO implements I used while growing up on a farm.

The Bradford Pear saplings (or other horrible interspecial derivative) and 5’ tall briars were so dense you couldn’t take a step in any direction without being poked or stabbed. So far I’ve uncovered an 18’ boat, air deflector from a semi truck, and a giant pile of foam most likely from a stripped reefer trailer.

A few more hours of cutting by hand and gathering debris and I’ll be able to get a mower through here and begin landscaping! They're pretty when they bloom but now I’m debating on cutting down these awful trees or waiting until I can afford to replace them with something less smelly and stabby.

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Rally Classics · Mar 6, 2018

Re: Hangar Living + Garage + Shop

I'll be watching this as I may be sharing something of my own which is similar to this very soon. *crosses fingers*

speedminded · Apr 3, 2018

Re: Hangar Living + Garage + Shop

Rally Classics said:
I'll be watching this as I may be sharing something of my own which is similar to this very soon. *crosses fingers*

Congrats on your hangar purchase! I’ll be in your area in June if you’re accepting visits from an automotive photographer!

Rally Classics · Apr 3, 2018

Re: Hangar Living + Garage + Shop

speedminded said:
Congrats on your hangar purchase! I’ll be in your area in June if you’re accepting visits from an automotive photographer!

Thanks much!

Lets see what we can put together while you're out here.

Growlertdi · Apr 4, 2018

Re: Hangar Living + Garage + Shop

liking thids one too.

MacTexas · Apr 4, 2018

Re: Hangar Living + Garage + Shop

This looks like a good one to follow.

speedminded · Jul 18, 2018

Re: Abandoned Heliport | Living + Studio + Garage

A few months ago I made a pact with myself that i wouldn't do any unnecessary improvements or additions until the property is clean and tidy. So I started in one corner with only a machete and pruning saw clearing the underbrush and saplings that I didn't have time to get to over the winter.

Personally, it doesn't feel like I've accomplished much the past 9 months but fortunately the before and after photos show a slight improvement!

Before:

After:

What was once waist high grass and weeds is now a yard! I did line the driveway with some pavers I found for free on Craigslist hoping to keep the grass and dirt from spreading over the asphalt drive again.

Slowly working my way around the property and almost to the point of laying mulch and doing a little landscaping.

Then there was more clearing.

[Before the pavers and more cutting] I put up a steel gate I picked up off Facebook Marketplace. It came with a 7’ 4”x4” steel post and even has grease fittings on the hinges! Not a bad setup for $150. Now it just needs a matching post for the lock side.

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Rockcam · Jul 18, 2018

Re: Hangar Living + Garage + Shop

Amazing.

As a former Atlantan, I'm super curious where you are.

Love seeing your great progress.

Subscribed.

Rally Classics · Jul 18, 2018

Re: Hangar Living + Garage + Shop

That looks great.

speedminded · Jul 18, 2018

Hangar Living + Garage + Shop

Snakes.

I don’t mind them. Generally, they keep to themselves but some I simply don’t want around.

Like this one.

It was a relatively cool morning the last week of April and I found it coiled up under a truck mudflap covered in brush. Using a stick, I gently pressed its head down as I grabbed its neck. Being a chilly 65 degrees, it was still calm and hadn’t had its morning rodent yet.

As I picked it up, it continued to unravel. What I thought was probably a 2 foot copperhead ended up being 37”. That’s a deal breaker in my book but I was already fully committed.

As I walked it over to an open area, it took about 30 seconds for it to come to and decide it wasn’t a bit interested in a free ride. It started thrashing and its head started rotating in my grip. I was done playing that game so I put it down.

Angry is an understatement. By the time I could pull the phone out it had already struck at me four times. Who knew a snake could launch itself in the air?! Flying like a coil spring out of a spring compressor at 545 mph with your face as the prime target. I have a slo-mo video of the 5th strike but still trying to figure out how to upload!

In other news, there are plenty of friendly snakes that I don’t mind having around. Like King snakes, Black snakes, Garter snakes, and Rat snakes.

This is either a Black or Grey Rat snake that was literally drowning on the concrete during a torrential downpour. I picked it up out of 2” of flowing water and brought it inside until the rain subsided. It sat on my lap while I watched a movie lol!

Then one time I caught this 5 foot Black snake.

More snakes equal less rodents!

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speedminded · Jul 18, 2018

Hangar Living + Garage + Shop

Ticks are an issue just about everywhere and Georgia is no exception! Not wanting to spray for them or mosquitos, and possibly harm the bees, I put out 20 Praying Mantis egg sacks.

You can buy them online in the spring and wait until you have at least two weeks of 80 degree weather in the forecast before tying them to trees. Each sack yields 100-400 baby Mantes. They will drastically reduce the insects you don’t want around while giving birds a tasty snack lol!

Chateau Slate 66 · Jul 18, 2018

Re: Hangar Living + Garage + Shop

Your elbow grease has made a huge difference. Great job! As far as ticks, would free-range chickens work in your area? Up here they do a great job eliminating ticks in the yard and, of course, the added bonus of eggs.

Homebody · Jul 18, 2018

Re: Hangar Living + Garage + Shop

No way, I'll take a rat infestation over a any snake. Time to move! :shocking:

bwap · Jul 18, 2018

Re: Hangar Living + Garage + Shop

Great work tidying the place up, it looks so much better already.
once the grass recovers, it'll be so nice!

And yeah, no snakes for me thanks, even after living in Australia for most of my life, I think I'd rather a few rodents haha.

logan_gibson · Jul 18, 2018

Re: Hangar Living + Garage + Shop

Have you noticed more copperheads this year?
I've got a friend in ATL and they have found about 8 in their neighborhood so far this summer. All coming in closer to the house.

HOTFR8 · Jul 18, 2018

Re: Hangar Living + Garage + Shop

Snakes. You are lucky your snakes are not so nasty. Here the only good snake is a dead snake.

speedminded · Jul 21, 2018

Re: Hangar Living + Garage + Shop

Chateau Slate 66 said:
Your elbow grease has made a huge difference. Great job! As far as ticks, would free-range chickens work in your area? Up here they do a great job eliminating ticks in the yard and, of course, the added bonus of eggs.

Thanks! The zoning does allow chickens, just not roosters! I grew up on a 100+ acre farm where our yard chickens were often a treat for a family of Red-tailed Hawks. Tried Guineas once and they barely lasted a couple weeks lol!

logan_gibson said:
Have you noticed more copperheads this year?
I've got a friend in ATL and they have found about 8 in their neighborhood so far this summer. All coming in closer to the house.

This has been the only one so far but there has been a lot of media hype warning about them!

HOTFR8 said:
Snakes. You are lucky your snakes are not so nasty. Here the only good snake is a dead snake.

We have 46 species of snakes in Georgia with 6 being venomous but only 3 of them are really life threatening.

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speedminded · Jul 22, 2018

Re: Abandoned Heliport | Living + Studio + Garage

Using a combination of property records, state business records, and a 1986 helicopter operators directory, I was able to locate the “original” owner on Facebook of all places!

He purchased the property in 1963 after returning from Vietnam and used the barn in the foreground for his crop-dusting operation in the ‘60-70’s. In the 80’s he got into the helicopter salvage & repair business and built the hangar in 1985.

Here’s a picture he sent me with a Sikorsky H-19 Chickasaw out front!

In 1995 it was sold to the owner of a concrete company where they stored equipment until a tragic motorcycle accident in the early 2000’s. I bought the property in 2017 and the loft office did not appear to have been touched since 2001—word processors, phone notes, dated invoices, etc. all still organized on the desk.

Sometime between ‘96-99 the 30’x40’ garage was built in front of the hangar and a metal roof was put over the two semi-trailers.

After 2001, it went through a series of auctions. First a tax sale then it was seized after the feds raided a major chop shop operation. The new owner leased it to someone running a commercial tire shop for years who never recycled their tires. The county came in, fined the owner, and cleaned up over 2,000 tires. After that it went into bankruptcy and I purchased it from the asset company.

I’m currently turning the hangar into a photo/film studio and one half of the garage will be for playing with cars and the other half for doing vinyl graphics. Eventually, I plan to build the hangar out as a Barton Myers inspired residence! Or I’ll build something similar elsewhere on the property.

Barton Myers, House & Studio at Toro Canyon, circa 1997.

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HOTFR8 · Jul 22, 2018

Re: Hangar Living + Garage + Shop

What an interesting history.

Donyw · Jul 22, 2018

Re: Hangar Living + Garage + Shop

Suscribing

HOTFR8 · Jul 22, 2018

Title changed.

OK CFI · Jul 22, 2018

That's an awesome piece of property. I think it needs a windsock as a nod to its aeronautical past.

speedminded · Jul 22, 2018

HOTFR8 said:
Title changed.

Thanks again!

OK CFI said:
That's an awesome piece of property. I think it needs a windsock as a nod to its aeronautical past.

Most definitely! I've looked into it and it's about $100 for the sock and frame.

HOTFR8 · Jul 22, 2018

speedminded said:
Thanks again!

I learnt that I can not edit a title whilst you are trying to do the same thing. :thumbup:

Looks like the title has changed correctly this time.

Bib Overalls · Jul 23, 2018

On converting the warehouse/gym lights to LED. Several years ago a friend gave me three lights with 400 watt sodium lights. Two of the bulbs were good and I was lucky to find a replacement for the third one for about $20. One of the ballasts had a continuous buzz that was insanity inducing. I was watching a video on YouTube where a gent showed how he converted one to LED and there was really nothing to it. I got on eBay and ordered three 60 watt COB led units with the large base for about $42 each with free shipping.

All you really have to do is open up the aluminum case and bypass the ballast but with the ballast disconnected there was no need to keep it so I pulled them out and tossed them in the copper recycle bin.

The I looked at the case. Without the ballast it had no function so I pitched them in the aluminum recycle barrel.

I wound up with the shade, the shade/socket bracket and the socket. I welded a short 1/2" pipe ****** on the bracket, fiddled around a bit, and wound up with a unit that weighs about 5 pounds and hangs about 8" higher than before. Very pleased with the result. The lights come on when the switch is thrown, the buzz is gone, and in the summer my A/C is not fighting the incredible amount of heat the sodium lights generate. I don't know what the electric pay back period is but for me that is just frosting on the cake.

GrantT · Jul 23, 2018

What a great project!

lowdowndodge · Jul 23, 2018

Was the wattage on your old units around 480?

Paycheck · Jul 23, 2018

Might find some info on the heliport here:
http://www.airfields-freeman.com

EOC_Jason · Jul 23, 2018

Very cool thread, looks like you have been putting in a lot of hard work.

JustinS · Jul 23, 2018

Very cool property!

Bib Overalls · Jul 23, 2018

lowdowndodge said:
Was the wattage on your old units around 480?

No. The lamp wattage was 400. Those warehouse/gymnasium lights of all wattages work with 120, 277, and 480 VOLTS to the ballast.

PugetDude · Jul 23, 2018

Subscribed! Looks like it's going to be a great project.

Nermal43 · Jul 24, 2018

What a great space. Subscribed tonight.

speedminded · Sep 19, 2018

Another 30 yard dumpster filled. It took exactly 1 year, give or take a week, to discard 99% of the trash and debris that was all over the property.

Total has been over 10,000 lbs. of trash and 1,000 lbs. of various scrap metal. Here’s the view from the last trip to the metal recycler!

The two semi-trailers are now officially cleaned out so I can start evaluating what they need to be weather tight. The goal is to convert one to a workshop and the other will be 2/3rd’s storage and 1/3rd garden shed.

Along with all the junk in the trailers, about 1/4 an acre was covered in trash and poly iso foam from what I assume is aftermath of someone stripping and recycling a refrigerated semi-trailer or truck box.

Once I picked everything up, I was able to begin cutting. I was hoping I would have this done before summer so the grass had a chance to grow before winter but we all know how that goes sometimes!

After:

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Rewind97 · Sep 19, 2018

Man you got that place looking good!!!

TurtleValley · Sep 19, 2018

**** that's a lot of work!! Hats off to you and can't wait to see how the build goes along.

Any cool helicopter parts hanging around in the bush?

stsmytherie · Sep 19, 2018

This is really great. What a cool property. Keep on keepin on!

930dreamer · Sep 19, 2018

Great property clean up, looking good.

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