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

shopnut · Apr 13, 2010

MORE VINYL IN THE MAIN BAY…

The window wall and ceiling in the main bay are now clad in fresh new white vinyl. The recessed stereo speaker, with its new home between the windows, is back to cranking out the tunes with the other three. Two recessed lights were mounted above the windows and the wiring is complete. I still can’t power up the circuit, however, until the lights are installed in the exhaust fan duct. Lastly, the library ladder hangers are mounted on the main brackets and are ready to attach the first section of rail.

Next, it’s on to finishing the exhaust fan duct so I can have permanent lighting in the back of the bay again. Then I will mount the L.L. rail, build the little false roof above the bin storage area, and hang up the old Chevy sign again.

duke182 · Apr 13, 2010

congrats on the asylum, just don't let the time away from it drive you insane!

shopnut · Apr 13, 2010

duke182 said:
congrats on the asylum, just don't let the time away from it drive you insane!

TOO LATE!

shopnut · Apr 21, 2010

THIS DESIGN NEEDS A LITTLE LAYOUT WORK...

I decided to go a little further with the library ladder design in CAD. In the picture, the extension ladder is shown in the stored and extended positions. Interestingly, there is only a one rung difference between the two lengths. To get it as close to the wall as possible (allowing access to the storage lofts), I will need to hang it from the underside of the carriage rather than set it on top (over the rail). Although, I would prefer the latter for safety, hanging it this way will also allow the stored position to be tight against the wall. And if something was to actually “let loose”, the ladder is just going to hit the wall and stop there. Not TOO much risk, in my opinion. I'm still working on how the ladder will actually attach to the carriage and I need this to be a quick release system.

Also shown in this layout are lines projected down from the rafter (in purple), crudely representing the location of the chains hanging from the heavy duty D-rings mentioned in my prior post.

shopnut · Apr 26, 2010

THE EXHAUST FAN DUCT STARTS TAKING SHAPE…

Actually, it’s now nearly finished! I started the initial framing for the upper section of this duct back in Dec ‘08 when the office attic was getting framed in. The duct has two air intakes, one down low (above the electrical breaker box) and one at the highest part of the ceiling in the center of the building. The thought here was that the low one would help move some air through the rear main bay (where the workbench will be) and the upper one will extract the hot air in the peak. We shall see if it actually works out this way. I don’t have all of the vinyl installed yet, but there is already a dramatic difference in fan sound level now that is partially sealed up. Plus I noticed the lower shutter was opening even though the whole side of the upper duct is missing, so the shutters should work fine. I’m sure it will hurt airflow performance somewhat, but I hope the advantages far outweigh it. If I ever need to replace the fan, the wall vinyl and nearby duct framing is easily removed to gain access.

Two fluorescent lights were mounted in the duct. In one direction they line up with the windows and in the other, they line up with the centerline of the clock. I also connected the wiring to the lights, but this main bay lighting circuit is still not powered up - I had to save some fun for next time.

In the next post, will explain in detail how I constructed the intake shutters.

tammy · Apr 27, 2010

Fantastic!

shopnut · Apr 27, 2010

tammy said:
Fantastic!

Thanks Tammy. I see it's your first post - WELCOME to the site! If you have any questions, just ask. That's what we're here for (and well maybe a little showing off too

).

tammy · Apr 27, 2010

Actually I did have some questions sent them in a PM to you. Thanks for the welcome too! We are excited to finally get our new shop going and yours is such an inspiration. Thank you for sharing your build.

shopnut · Apr 27, 2010

DIY AIR INTAKE SHUTTERS…

I wanted the shutters in the exhaust duct to blend in with the rest of the white vinyl. I figured my best shot at getting them to match was to construct them out of the same material. Here’s a look at the finished 15x35” louver (without frame paint or perimeter trim).

I have 8 flaps in each shutter and four .25” rods act as hinge pins. Holes were drilled in the frame and center bridge to support the rods. These rods don’t actually have to pivot in the wood frame, the shutters will just pivot on them. I temporarily propped them open in the one picture.

Luckily this soffit material, like all vinyl siding, has a hook lip molded in and this provided a perfect shape to hang on the hinge rods. The following pictures show a little more detail on how I cut the individual pieces. Gravity simply holds them on and you can lift them off if needed. The 3’ rods were $2/each and the vinyl came from my scrap pile, so there’s less than $20 invested in both shutters. The metal versions are pretty pricey and sizes are limited.

CrashTestDummy · Apr 28, 2010

Awesome build! Like the car projects, it seems the shop is never done. I've been reviewing this thread over the last couple of days, and am finding a lot of ideas to steal, er, borrow! :thumbup:

Our shop is a bit bigger, but I am doing similar things, like finding used items to reuse in the shop. We got a 6 foot commercial stainless countertop and sink, something like what you were looking for, albeit probably not quite so long, when you found your stainless sink. We've also reused pallet racks, and converted them to about 20 feet of workbench with overhead heavy-duty storage.

I love the dental exam light. This is the second shop setting I've seen one in in as many weeks. The other was in a HGTV 'GarageMahal' episode. The one on the TV show, was lit with a LED bulb. I'm thinking one might be cool for my workbench task lighting. Where did you find yours? Thanks. Keep up the great work!

Gene Beaird,
Pearland, Texas

shopnut said:
THAT MINI BLIND HAS BEEN SITTING IN A BOX FOR 3 YEARS…

I bought enough of the aluminum blinds years ago to do all the windows in the shop – it’s nice to finally have them all up. I only had one day to mess around but I got the rest of the paneling up around the window. Some of the black trim is also installed but more is needed around the GFIs and dental light recess.

The new silver-colored dental light is installed. It is a different model so there were some issues fitting it in the pocket, but I think I have that figured out. Lastly, I did a little painting. The white doors were pulled off and the frames were painted black. Once the black dries, I will paint the doors yellow. I also painted the housing of the fluorescent light black to match.

shopnut · Apr 28, 2010

Thanks for the kind words, Gene. I'm getting closer to those project cars/bikes everyday. They have taken the backseat to this shop construction project for quite some time now and are getting restless. In fact, the Chevelle was the main push for the construction of this shop in the first place - I was losing my storage spot up north so the poor girl needed a new home.

I have 3 dental lights now and they all were purchased off of ebay. I bought the first one about 3 years ago for $100 and that one came with the entire support tree including an extra arm and little drill table. This one is reserved for the lathe cart (when I get around to building it) and that extra self-leveling table will come in handy for setting measuring tools and such while turning something. I bought the other two recently for $50/ea and they included just the arm and light head you see in the pictures. One of them is the type that hangs from the ceiling and it would have been perfect for the drawing board table upstairs if I wouldn't already have finished the ceiling. Maybe I can still find a way to work it in somehow - it needs something substantial to mount on.

If you buy one that is missing the mount bracket (most cheap ones don't have them included on ebay), I found a variety of boat dock parts at Lowe's that fit the pivot shaft fairly good for under $10 and they give you some choices on how to mount it (corner, side or table top mount).

The beam coming from these light are extremely focused. I can shine it up on my ceiling (and they are pretty high) and the pattern still is only about a 12" circle. Don't expect it to flood the work area, they are intended to be a task light and cast a 8" diameter of intense light on your workpiece - perfect for that precision work. All three of mine have a switch for low and a high intensity settings.

The new dental lights for sale these days are indeed LED. I would image all of our lighting will be LED soon, based on it's low power consumption.

See post #254 for a bit more info/pictures.

CrashTestDummy said:
I love the dental exam light. This is the second shop setting I've seen one in in as many weeks. The other was in a HGTV 'GarageMahal' episode. The one on the TV show, was lit with a LED bulb. I'm thinking one might be cool for my workbench task lighting. Where did you find yours? Thanks. Keep up the great work!

Gene Beaird,
Pearland, Texas

shopnut · May 11, 2010

I LOVE GETTING A GOOD DEAL…

I went into Lowe’s the other day to order the other 4 clerestory windows to finish off the high bay wall, figuring having the windows sitting around would be an incentive. I didn’t hurt that they had 20% off special orders either. While I was there, I found these windows in the clearance bin. I’m not EXACTLY sure what I’m going to do with them yet, but I have a couple of ideas where they might go.

Gotta love those clearance prices! This is probably one of the best I found lately.

Vernmotor · May 12, 2010

Got to love a good deal ! Heck if you was looking for windows like that you would never find them .

shopnut · May 19, 2010

LIGHT AND SOUND (OR LACK OF)…

The first thing I did was hook up the lights because it was long overdue. I added the black GFI outlet in my “GFI bank” next to the breaker box and connected the extra branch leading up to the five new lights. It popped the GFI as soon as I turned on the breaker and I thought “OH NO, it's time to start troubleshooting”. After getting a little bummed about the whole situation, I remembered I had a problem earlier on with the original cheap fluorescent fixtures “playing nice” with the GFI so I unplugged the cords leading up to the lights in the front section of the main bay and viola - there was light in the back bay. So I was back in business - no troubleshooting. Thinking back, I even asked a question in the Lighting & Electrical section of this forum (I think my memory is going). So I connected the front bay lights, bypassing the GFI, since it’s not a requirement anyway.

I then proceeded to finish off the vinyl on the exhaust fan duct. That went really fast since I could reach it easy on the scaffold. The whole duct now has a very clean look, but the best thing is that the fan has gotten much quieter. When I used to have to turn up the stereo about 10 clicks when the fan was running, I now only have to go about 2 clicks - AWESOME and I’m sure the neighbors like it too! Airflow still seems fine and standing in the open doorway, I feel a nice breeze getting drawn in.

Now that it’s all sealed up, the louvers seem to be working great. Here are some shots of the upper one open and closed.

And lastly, here’s a shot of the final results for this visit. Next time I will finish the false roof above the bin storage area and do a few little odds and ends. The four clerestory windows I ordered for main bay wall also came in but that project will probably wait until fall.

bazzateer · May 20, 2010

Incredible build! If only I had the space, the cash and the time....................not to mention the ability!

shopnut · May 20, 2010

bazzateer said:
Incredible build! If only I had the space, the cash and the time....................not to mention the ability!

Thanks Bazz. Good luck with getting your new project underway.

Vernmotor · May 22, 2010

Yuo got to love when a plan starting to get this close and looks and works that nice..

TurboCup87 · May 23, 2010

Just went thru the entire thread. Awesome build and love your creative ideas. I'm going to search out a dental light! THX for the tip. :beer:

shopnut · May 27, 2010

TurboCup87 said:
Just went thru the entire thread. Awesome build and love your creative ideas. I'm going to search out a dental light! THX for the tip.

Thanks Turbo.

When I was working on that GFI outlet the other day, I simply aimed that dental light into the box and it was like I was performing surgery on that wiring. I really love those lights and I'm sure you will too.

shopnut · Jun 2, 2010

PUTTING A LID ON THE STORAGE BINS…

I added a roof above the storage bin area to match the one above the bay window. It’s just simple 2’ wide galvanized roofing metal from Lowe’s. Four screws hold all the panels on so major access to the wiring will be easy later on. To route a wire or two, I can still reach up through the banner door.

I also had some time to hang up the first section of library ladder rail. I needed a way to get this awkward shaped item up to the brackets, so I used some ratchet straps to assist. It took a few extra minutes, but I didn’t want to risk dropping the rail on something and leaving a crater. Although I had an option of added some spacers to adjust the height of the brackets, in this case the first rail hung level. I hope I can get this lucky with the rest of the sections.

51rider · Jun 3, 2010

"I hope I can get this lucky with the rest of the sections."

Luck? nah it's all in your planning & design

You'll be fine, I have no doubt.

Oh how I wish I had just half the space................

shopnut · Jun 10, 2010

51rider said:
"I hope I can get this lucky with the rest of the sections."

Luck? nah it's all in your planning & design

You'll be fine, I have no doubt.

Oh how I wish I had just half the space................

Thanks for the vote of confidence, 51rider.

shopnut · Jun 10, 2010

MORE WINDOWS MEANS MORE WORK…

But I don’t plan to even start on it until this fall. My special order clerestory window came in and they went straight into storage in the upstairs office attic. To continue the library ladder rail any further, I decided it’s best to just finish the upper portion of the wall in the tall bay rather than mounting it temporarily. It’s just one more project waiting for me to come up with some extra time. I must say that I really like having a clear view up to the trees through the pair of windows already installed so that is a big incentive to do more.

In the meantime, I can work on the library ladder trolley and all the other tasks on my list.

BTW, I picked up another toy to add to the stable. A Suzuki DR650SE dual sport. Low mileage, perfect shape, known history, excellent price - who could ask for anything more. I gotta have some fun - right?

shopnut · Jun 28, 2010

I KNOW I’VE BEEN PRETTY QUIET LATELY…

And the ASYLUM is feeling a bit neglected, but it is all for good cause. Our pool at the other place was in need of renovation. We had planned on starting that whole project in February so it would be done in early April (in time for the hot weather) but that just didn’t happen. Going without a pool in summer in Florida is just brutal and I’m glad we are back to taking dips. Here are a couple of shots…

I still have quite a few peripheral projects revolving around the pool, but I will get to them in due time.

Vernmotor · Jun 29, 2010

Well I been wondering what you been up to ! That looks nice !

NJHandyGuy · Jul 3, 2010

Sweet nice job

shopnut · Jul 18, 2010

Vernmotor said:
Well I been wondering what you been up to ! That looks nice !

NJHandyGuy said:
Sweet nice job

Thanks guys.

shopnut · Jul 18, 2010

THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS TO A PLACE WHEN YOU NEGLECT IT…

It gets overgrown - you can hardly see the ASYLUM back there! My poor old 1974 John Deere 110 had a tough time mowing through vegetation (mostly weeds) taller than itself, but it made it. Of course, the temp was about 95F. It was probably the equivalent of asking a 75 year-old man to run the Boston marathon. It deserves an oil change after that. Come to think of it, I probably should have changed it before I started!

One of these days I’m going to find the perfect deal on that Dixie Chopper I’ve been searching for and give this old girl a rest.

shopnut · Aug 10, 2010

THE FJR1300 GETS TO SEE THE PLACE FOR THE FIRST TIME…

The Tiger has been the work horse for bringing me, along with small supplies, out to the ASYLUM for many years now. I was out riding nearby with some buddies the other day and decided to stop in and see the place. Everything was going great until I decided to pack up and head for home. Because it hadn’t rained in a while, the sand on the entrance road was extreme loose and deep. Now this usually isn’t a problem for the Tiger with its slightly “off-road” nature, but the FJR didn’t like it. Well, I wasn’t paying attention and down she went. Luckily, it was just sand, so no real damage done, but it did remind me this bike belongs on the pavement. The really bad thing about it was the temps were in the mid-90’s with the heat index over 110. Not a good day to be hoisting a bike up out of the sand - of course is there any good day for that?

abstamaria · Aug 14, 2010

Very nice, Shopnut. At 40, you have plenty of time enjoy that garage. You are lucky.

I see guitars and a sailboat. We have common interests.

BillGalbraith · Aug 19, 2010

Shopnut, I was wondering how the vinyl soffit material was holding up to the Florida heat, and to age. It appears that you've had it up for 3-4 years now. Is it drooping, cracking, oir otherwise misbehaving? It's up to over $13 for a 12 foot section, or over $1/sf, which is approaching drywall price INSTALLED (I think). I'll need to do my ceiling soon, and just wondered what you though of it. Thanks

shopnut · Aug 19, 2010

abstamaria said:
Very nice, Shopnut. At 40, you have plenty of time enjoy that garage. You are lucky.

I see guitars and a sailboat. We have common interests.

Thanks abstamaria. Remember, this was a 40th birthday present years ago - time flies when you're having fun!

Actually the guitars and the sailboat are some of my wife's many interests, but she let's me join in once in a while. I enjoy them both, though.

shopnut · Aug 19, 2010

BillGalbraith said:
Shopnut, I was wondering how the vinyl soffit material was holding up to the Florida heat, and to age. It appears that you've had it up for 3-4 years now. Is it drooping, cracking, oir otherwise misbehaving? It's up to over $13 for a 12 foot section, or over $1/sf, which is approaching drywall price INSTALLED (I think). I'll need to do my ceiling soon, and just wondered what you though of it. Thanks

The vinyl is holding up well. It was designed to stand up to direct sunlight for many years, so it should last quite a while inside without degradation. There has been no drooping that I can tell - just be sure to support it properly. Every 16-18" is fine if you plan to have insulation resting on it in the ceiling, I bump it all the time with 2x4 boards and stuff and it just bounces back. I have noticed that if I drop a piece off the scaffold, it may crack when it hits the concrete. I've never had it crack once installed.

It is extremely easy to work with. Just reverse a fine tooth carbide-tipped blade on your mitersaw and you can get perfect 90 degree cuts. You can also use a tin shears to cut it or score with a utility knife and break (snap) it. I've installed every piece in my shop by myself because it is so light. You don't need to be concerned too much with expansion and contraction of the material as you would on an outside application because of the smaller temperature swing inside.

You can start and finish an entire wall in one day, without any painting. Just think about all the steps required for drywall - hang, tape, mud, mud again, sand, texture, and finally prime/paint. Just consider whether you need (or code requires) fire resistance. Not sure how it handles high heat, but I would imagine not too good.

I haven't had to do it yet, but cleaning it should be pretty easy. And the spiders seem to avoid it - I wish I could say the same for any of the exposed wood. It basically looks as good as the day I installed it.

I'm happy I did my homework initially and chose this stuff - wouldn't have it any other way now. The first boxes I bought at Lowe's were $120 for a box of 16 planks. A couple years ago I got lucky and found some material at H-D for 50% off and bought enough to finish the rest of the ceiling. It's the vented type and I'm not sure if that will be as resistant to spiders and dirt build up, but it will be installed behind the ceiling checkered flag so I'm not to concerned about it. Ever since then the price has risen pretty steeply. Now the box of 16 goes for $200 or so. And don't forget to figure in the trim pieces - they can add up. In my opinion though, it would be worth it at twice or three times the going price for all the advantages.

sreno · Aug 21, 2010

shopnut said:
THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS TO A PLACE WHEN YOU NEGLECT IT…

It gets overgrown - you can hardly see the ASYLUM back there! My poor old 1974 John Deere 110 had a tough time mowing through vegetation (mostly weeds) taller than itself, but it made it.

.....One of these days I’m going to find the perfect deal on that Dixie Chopper I’ve been searching for and give this old girl a rest.

A rest?! My old H3 says, 'no way!'.

Shawn

shopnut · Aug 30, 2010

YOU ALL KNOW I AM A HOSE REEL MANIAC, RIGHT?

Rather than installing one of standard garden hose reels in the new pool area at the house, I figured why not just do it properly. We actually use this one more than any of the reels at the Asylum, so why not do it to last and have something that is a joy to use. I was tempted to bring the big stainless reel from the Asylum, but figured it was a little over-the-top for the pool area.

First, I mounted a 3/4” thick aluminum base plate permanently on the wall. I didn’t think concrete anchor screws (tap-cons) would hold up to the tugging and pulling on this monster, so I installed 9” long 3/8” bolts all the way through to the back side of the concrete block. This pad has threaded holes to match the pattern of the hose reel base plate and was painted to match the wall color. Next, the reel was mounted. I selected a Reelcraft Reeltek model RT-805 (1/2” x 50’, no hose included) similar to the air hose reels in the Asylum. They are a medium grade reel, but definitely a few steps above the typical garden hose reel from the big-box stores. I found that a 50’ - 5/8” Nevr-Kink water hose fits on it nicely (available at Lowes).

But I didn’t stop there. I needed a water supply line and decided this corner was also a perfect place for an outdoor shower (in FL, even the “cold” water isn’t that cold). I used a combination of copper pipe, NPT, Shark-bite (Gator-bite), and solder-type fittings. For valving, I used a pull-chain type valve for the shower, and like at the lake, the rope pulls through a wedge cleat so you can lock it on and have a continuous flow of water if you want. The valve controlling water to the reel is just a simple 1/4 turn 1/2” ball valve.

To finish it off (it IS a pool area, mind you), I was looking for a cool 16” disk to cover it up. I would have preferred a stamped out copper type decoration, but couldn’t find one the right size, so I settled on something I found in the craft store. Don’t tell anyone, but that thing is a cake plate, like for multi-level wedding cakes. Four screws fastened it to the reel drum to hide the plumbing swivel joint. The white color actually makes it blend in nicely, and soon I will add a coat of white paint so the plastic doesn’t yellow from UV exposure.

At first, the wife thought I was crazy for wanting to install this industrial-looking stuff, but now she wants another reel just like it out by the pool equipment for cleaning the filter and hosing off the patio. Has she finally seen the light???

e-tek · Aug 30, 2010

Nice place Shoopnut!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So you say you have two homes in Florida? Are they close to eachother? Is one rented? What's the deal-eo?

Great work on the shower/hose install - looks good, useful for sure.

So your wife "saw the light", eh? I was just trying to do the same with Mrs E-tek....she had taken away a seperate entrance to the suite downstairs in the reno, saying "no more renters". Just like a woman, she's changed her mind, but we differ on how to seperate the entrances again.....

shopnut · Sep 13, 2010

e-tek said:
Nice place Shoopnut!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So you say you have two homes in Florida? Are they close to eachother? Is one rented? What's the deal-eo?

Great work on the shower/hose install - looks good, useful for sure.

So your wife "saw the light", eh? I was just trying to do the same with Mrs E-tek....she had taken away a seperate entrance to the suite downstairs in the reno, saying "no more renters". Just like a woman, she's changed her mind, but we differ on how to seperate the entrances again.....

Thanks e-tek.

No renter's for me at either of the places - couldn't deal with the constant demands! I'm sure it would make saving for retirement just a little easier, though. Still, not worth the hassle, IMHO.

We bought the land that the ASYLUM sits on as a future retirement location (we like to plan ahead!) and there is still plenty of space to build our dream house on the lake. We figured if we ever decided to move out of FL for a while, we could sell our city house and keep the ASYLUM for use later on. The idea is to not get caught in the "all the eggs in one basket" scenario.

I can't imagine living further than an hour away from this place though, as that would limit the visits. A lot of times, I wish it was in my backyard so I could go tinker with my best tools anytime.

mpire · Sep 13, 2010

When are you giving tours?

shopnut · Oct 1, 2010

mpire said:
When are you giving tours?

Tours? With the place as messy as it is right now, I would have to pay you guys/gals to come see it

I'm getting ready to hit this place hard again though, so be watching for some real progress soon.

xcgates · Oct 16, 2010

shopnut said:
THE FJR1300 GETS TO SEE THE PLACE FOR THE FIRST TIME…

Okay, I know I'm a couple months late on this, but just two weeks after I got myself a Ducati, I managed to get stuck on a road through a construction area, slick with a very thorough layer of very slick mud (remnants of a hurricane). Talk about road bikes not liking slick surfaces! :shocking:

I didn't drop it (that time

), but man, I had to get Haz-Mat to dispose of my undershorts! Hey, I may have slightly scratched plastic, bar-ends, and a broken lever, but its all replacable, right? :lol_hitti

So do you ride every day? Until this TDY, I drove a car maybe once every two to three weeks. :thumbup:

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

Well-known member

Member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Member

Well-known member

Member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Attachments

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member