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

shopnut said:

mdbeck1 (or anyone else with a setup like this),

How far does your track extend into storage loft. My overhead track is only going to overlap the storage loft floor by about 30" due to a 6x6 post blocking it from extending any further in a horizontal direction. Do you think that's enough? I foresee something such as a car body panel still hanging over the ledge a bit while I try to lower it and pull it in.

My other choice would be to locate the track completely inside the storage loft and build a trap door so things could be lifted straight up through the floor from the outside concrete pad in front of the roll-up doors. This might be a little safer, but I foresee more work building a door and it would certainly take away from usable storage space. Any thoughts?

BTW, I have that spare manual chain hoist I can use. Even though it is a bit slow to lift/lower, I thought it would be fine for the limited use it will see. Your comment about the electric hoist confirms my hunch.

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My woodworking shop is a portable building in the back yard. If I Remember Correctly it's 16 X 24. It initially came with two decks 4 X 16 (one on each end). I decided pretty quick that I needed something a LOT bigger for the stuff I needed to put up there (Christmas Tree, Christmas decorations, more Christmas decorations, and more Christmas decoration, extra camping/fishing gear, ....). So I took down the 4 X 16 deck (at 8 foot height) and put a new deck in at 7 ft height that was 8 X 16. I floored it with 3/4 T&G plywood and eventually added the track. It runs 12 feet from the very back of the deck to 4 feet out. This way I don't lose a lot of space for a hatch. I usually lift the stuff from the ground with a block and tackle and then I can roll it back to the very back of the storage area and slide it into its storage location. It's worked so far.

My son broke my digital camera but I may be able to get some cell phone pictures this afternoon if you're interested.

No need for pictures mdbeck1, I can visualize it.

A full length track inside the loft would make it very easy to get things to the very back of it (front of the building in this case). If I ran the track to either side of the main center column, it could have a 20' length, but it would have to run below the large plywood gusset reinforcing the main rafter, and this would force it down pretty low.

Considering this location has a column directly supporting the center of the rafter, these gussets are not as critical as they are in the clear-span area. If that's true, I could partially cut out the gusset to maintain a reasonably high track and run it offset about 2-3' from the centerline of the building. I could certainly build the strength back into the wall/roof in a another way if needed. I like the idea of having a taller pass-thru opening into the loft area too, so I don't bump my head all the time.

All this is worth considering. I'll do some measuring and sketching on the next trip out between the window install job.

shopnut said:

Considering this location has a column directly supporting the center of the rafter, these gussets are not as critical as they are in the clear-span area. If that's true, I could partially cut out the gusset to maintain a reasonably high track and run it offset about 2-3' from the centerline of the building. I could certainly build the strength back into the wall/roof in a another way if needed. I like the idea of having a taller pass-thru opening into the loft area too, so I don't bump my head all the time.

All this is worth considering. I'll do some measuring and sketching on the next trip out between the window install job.

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Well, scrap that idea. Cutting out that gusset buys me only minimal extra height, so it's probably not worth it. I most likely will run the track right at the ceiling peak and I came up with a simple way to hang the rail with some other surplus brackets from my vast inventory. And the ceiling flag will still be able to pass over the top of it. More to come in the future.

On a positive note, the Unistrut trolley parts were delivered the other day and should work great. I just need to run to Lowes and buy the matching Superstrut channel that will be used as the track. They only sell 10ft sections, but I really need 11.5, so I guess I will need to buy 2 and splice it near one end. No big deal.

BTW, the window install was a success and I will report on that progress shortly.

FOUR MORE WINDOWS ARE IN…

I couldn’t have asked for better weather during this job. Well, maybe it could have been a bit cooler, but there wasn’t any threat of rain while the wall was opened up, and that was the important thing. Here are before and after pictures of the progress. I believe the building has a much more refined look now.



Removing the old translucent fiberglass panels exposed the remaining framework that needed modification. Notches were needed in the 2x6’s down by the window sills to allow the 18” high windows to insert. Then a little house wrap (Tyvek) was added. I left the Tyvek loose on the one end so wind could blow through from the front overhang area. No sense trying to fight Mother Nature.



After some self-adhesive flashing was added around the openings, the windows were installed.



Then I installed the trim around the windows followed by metal siding. For all this small stuff, I managed to use up most of the scrap pieces I tucked anyway while the barn was being built and still haven’t tapped into my new siding stack. The last task was applying some clear silicone caulk around the perimeter of the windows and now its weather tight. Here’s a somewhat lousy panoramic view showing more of a close-up of the entire wall.



One last shot from inside showing there’s still a lot to do on this wall, but weather can’t stop me from finishing that now. From this angle, all you really see is soffit through the windows, but standing at the centerline of the main bay, you see quite a bit of nature. And standing at the far side of the room, the view is basically unobstructed. The best view, however, is from the office level - it’s like a lookout tower.



I feel this was a major accomplishment working alone, but I can’t stop now. I must repeat the process on the other side of the building before the rainy season is here. I would like to just spend the next work session installing windows to get it over with, but unfortunately, there is a bunch of interior framing to do before it’s ready for glass.

Okay, we need to see an office view of the outside lookout tower. Looking good !

Awesome shop!

Scuderia-F1 said:

Awesome shop!

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Thanks again Scuderia-F1. If you have any questions, just let me know.

Call me the Breeze said:

Okay, we need to see an office view of the outside lookout tower. Looking good !

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Breeze, let me start out by saying I’m a lousy photographer, but everyone already knows that. To make matters worse, I have an even lousier camera that I leave out at the Asylum. On a bright day, I can’t quite seem to capture anything out the windows - it just washes out. Maybe someone has a suggestion

You will have to wait for a picture from the bay window viewpoint because the detached ceiling flag currently is hanging down right in the way looking in that direction. Here’s one I took looking out the top stairway window. Again, it’s a complete washout with the outside view, but those green blobs are really trees.



Here’s another shot standing inside the office looking towards the lake. At least in this one, you can actually see something outside. That doghouse-sized structure houses the well pump and pressure tank. You can see just a hint of the lake below the trees. It was taken quite a while ago during the drywall work (ugh) and I was going to post it in response to a request by Arcticf7ext but never deemed any of my pictures worthy of posting (sorry Arcticf7ext).



For those that missed it, I specifically raised the level of the second story to take advantage of the view out the clerestory windows. By doing so, I also gained a bunch of valuable “between floor” storage space for long items.

By the time I get the last four lakeside windows installed, I will try to figure out how to capture the view on “film” so the rest of you can see what I see in person. My goal is to get a cool panoramic from the bay window.

shopnut said:

Thanks again Scuderia-F1. If you have any questions, just let me know.

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Thanks, but I´m still out of both breath & words after reading this entire thread...
Oh boy, would I like to have a shop half this awesome..

I still keep coming back to the Asylum to get ideas. Great Shop, shopnut.

For the pictures being too bright, if you are trying to include the looking-out-the-window feel, then there is probably too much backlighting for the camera. Check to see if the 'lousier' camera you have has any settings for taking pictures with the sun behind a face. That should adjust and compensate for the bright light outside. Or, just leaning out the window should let the camera adjust for the outdoor light by itself.

Not sure if I missed what part of the sunshine state you are in, but I'd love to see this in person some time. PM me if you allow tourists...

Scuderia-F1 said:

Thanks, but I´m still out of both breath & words after reading this entire thread...
Oh boy, would I like to have a shop half this awesome..

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You're just too kind, Scuderia-F1

Wingnut65 said:

I still keep coming back to the Asylum to get ideas. Great Shop, shopnut.

For the pictures being too bright, if you are trying to include the looking-out-the-window feel, then there is probably too much backlighting for the camera. Check to see if the 'lousier' camera you have has any settings for taking pictures with the sun behind a face. That should adjust and compensate for the bright light outside. Or, just leaning out the window should let the camera adjust for the outdoor light by itself.

Not sure if I missed what part of the sunshine state you are in, but I'd love to see this in person some time. PM me if you allow tourists...

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Thanks for "stopping by", Wingnut65 - I'm glad my posts are of some use to you.

And thanks for the tip on the camera - I will take a look at the available settings on it. Maybe one of them will work better. Actually, leaning out the window would probably work best

(BTW, a PM was sent on the tour)

Great shop! Love the Chevelle!

Lefty1987 said:

Great shop! Love the Chevelle!

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Thanks Lefty.

The Chevelle is standing patiently in line right now waiting for a little attention. Poor girl

SOME DETAILS ON THE FRONT LOFT HOIST…

A little bike trip down to Key West and some visitors the week after had me pre-occupied and gave me a much needed break from the ASYLUM, but now it is time to get back at it and hit it hard before the heat really turns on.

Before heading to Key West, I had some time to buy the loft hoist track and start working on the trolley. I laid it all out on the floor to get a rough idea how things would fit together. Blue brackets will suspend the track from the ceiling.



The trolley is pretty simple and made with 10” sections of short-legged channel, each with 3 drilled holes. The hook of the hoist will hang on the middle bolt and I added a short SS tube to protect the threads. Wheel assemblies are made by UniStrut and were actually smaller than I expected when I received them in the mail. If they were any bigger, however, they wouldn’t fit in the channel. They recommend not lubing the bearings even though they are the non-sealed type. Since the strut I purchased has many large slots cut in the top wall (see the strut sitting directly on the floor in the photos), I may try to close them up to minimize dust infiltration from above.



And a quick coat of blue paint:



I will work on the hoist system in my spare time, but my main focus in the next few weeks will be those 4 clerestory windows. The first step will be clearing a path so the scaffold can roll up right next to the wall. I will have to find new homes for many things that have been sitting there for nearly 5 years. Who knows what critters I’m going to find back there!

rieferman said:

Btw, it can't STILL be your 40th birthday can it? Heck, maybe I'll try that when I hit 40 too... just stay on that number permanently

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Well, no luck with changing the thread name.

I changed it in the first post (which saved only in that single post) but the overall thread name that shows up in the Garage Gallery listing didn't change.

A little GJ research reveals that the member can change the thread title within a certain period of time after creation. After that, only moderator can do it. I'm not sure what that edit time period is, but at 6 years, I think it's expired on my thread

Anyway, the new name I was planning to use is at the top of post #1. I wanted to increment the year as time when by.

I guess I will be celebrating my 40th birthday forever as far as GJ is concerned. Now if I just would have thought of doing this when I was 20 years old...

I have only read a tiny part of this but wanted to say this looks like an amazing build and very well documented. Looking forward to reading all 530+ posts.

Ha ha, love the new hidden title. People that read this thread for the first time will be like "Hey, I wonder why the thread and the first post have different titles??"... And then they'll get the answer this many pages later!

schwalby said:

I have only read a tiny part of this but wanted to say this looks like an amazing build and very well documented. Looking forward to reading all 530+ posts.

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schwalby,
Thanks for commenting. Just one warning, however. You better put on a big pot of coffee before starting - I stick mainly to the facts

shopenut absoutly wow is all i can say you even have a very nice apartment there as well!! nice getaway you have

rieferman said:

Ha ha, love the new hidden title. People that read this thread for the first time will be like "Hey, I wonder why the thread and the first post have different titles??"... And then they'll get the answer this many pages later!

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I've noticed Andres changing his individual reply titles lately as seen here in his "Modern Garage in Far East" thread. It can be done easily when responsing to any thread, if one chooses to do so.

BEAVO said:

shopenut absoutly wow is all i can say you even have a very nice apartment there as well!! nice getaway you have

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Thanks BEAVO.
The apartment is much nicer than the various travel trailers used in the ten years prior to the ASYLUM build. My only regret is that we didn't build it sooner.

what does your wife really think about it mine didnt care to much on my lil 24x30 garage lol!! i will be building another building when this house sells and we get another and she dont seem to care this time.....women????????? do you guys sleep on couch or is there a bedroom as well the floor looks really really good

BEAVO said:

what does your wife really think about it mine didnt care to much on my lil 24x30 garage lol!! i will be building another building when this house sells and we get another and she dont seem to care this time.....women????????? do you guys sleep on couch or is there a bedroom as well the floor looks really really good

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Mrs. Shopnut is on board with everything and continues to contribute her half of the mortgage from her salary. She doesn't share my enthusiasm in finishing the shop, however, so I'm on my own there.

A separate bedroom is in the long term plan and the window by the kitchen table will be turned into a doorway leading to it. For now, a queen size sofa-sleeper suffices. It's quite comfortable with an air mattress replacing the crappy mattress that came with the couch. It deflates and folds up with it, when we need the extra room. If it's just me out there, I leave the bed folded out to save time, since I'm out in the shop all waking hours anyway.

As far as your wife not caring about building the new shop - My guess is, she realized she gets free time to do what she wants when you're out there. And she knows you are not out and about getting into trouble elsewhere.

BTW, the apartment floor is acid-stained concrete and after 5 years, it is holding up well.

AN UPDATED TASK LIST TO KEEP ME FOCUSED...

It seems the older I get, the more lists I create. It is probably due mainly to a degrading memory, but I find them to be useful in many ways. First, they help me plan out the project and visualize the steps happening. They give me a rough idea when material needs to be purchased. They keep me from forgetting steps that need to happen before others, like running that Romex wire before the wall is sealed up. Sometimes when I just finished up something major but there’s still an hour or two left in the day, I can run down the list and knock out a couple of small tasks - ones that I never would have remembered after a long day of work.

But most importantly for me, a project list sets goals - not just overall, but intermediate ones. I can check tasks off and see my progress along the way and have a good idea how much work is left. Sometimes a project looks like it’s nearly finished, but there are a ton of details left to do. A task list will keep everything in prospective.

So here’s my new list. It’s a whopper as far as I’m concerned, since there’s just one of me. But that’s what I thought about the last one and I managed to knock it all out anyway. I have a feeling I’ll still be working on just the building-related tasks through this coming fall. What I’m really not looking forward to is all the scaffold work in the middle of summer in 95F heat, but I’ll manage with the fans blowing, my music playing, and a few tall cool ones

Link to prior Task List (reply#473)
Link to next Task List (reply#686)

ASYLUM Task List:

Crane
* Install cable carrier system for power cabling to hoist
* Install hoist-mounted spotlight (controlled with wall switch)
* Install crane-mounted power cable reel (???)
* Final leveling of crane beam

Front Main Bay (24x26’ area)
* Rough framing for new clerestory windows (DONE north) (south)
* Rough framing for new fluorescent fixtures (DONE north) (south)
* Rough framing for ceiling vinyl (DONE north) (south)
* Replace clerestory fiberglass panels with 4X sliding windows (DONE north) (south)
* Install final large diameter air line loop around main bay
* Add air line drops for auto lift and hose reels
* Insulate wall (north) (south)
* Install wall vinyl (north wall) (south wall)
* Install window jamb vinyl (north) (south)
* Insulate ceiling (north) (south)
* Install ceiling vinyl (north) (south)
* Install 4X fluorescent fixtures (north) (south)
* Install stereo speaker (north wall only)
* Cover up roof rafters
* Design/Build center suspended light fixture
* Build south wall shallow storage cabinet

Front Storage Loft
* Add light-duty hoist system at ceiling peak to access loft.
* Build temporary shelf above door drums (for library ladder attachment)
* Extend front exterior fascia down 12”
* Cut hole in wall above 12’ high doors
* Rough framing for floor / remove temporary shelf
* Install insulation in exterior ceiling
* Install exterior ceiling vinyl
* Install 4X fluorescent fixtures in exterior ceiling
* Insulate loft ceiling
* Install loft ceiling panels
* Install 4X fluorescent fixtures inside loft
* Rough framing for door drum valance (hides drums)
* Rough framing for fluorescent fixtures below door drums
* Install vinyl on door drum valance
* Install 4X fluorescent fixtures in bottom of door drum valance
* Dismantle scaffold

Library Ladder
* Paint components
* Install L-Brackets inside walls (DONE north) (front) (south)
* Install hangers and rail (north) (front) (south)
* Build trolley for ladder
* Modify ladder to store in retracted position

Electrical
* Rearrange circuit breakers in main panel
* Route final wiring to main bay lights (8X)
* Add “WEST WALL” GFI circuit for front wall outlets
* Add “MAIN LTS#2” light circuit for front fluorescent fixtures (4X) and front storage loft fluorescent fixtures (4X). Add switch for storage loft.

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

Mayor said:

Looks great. How large is the lake?

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What lake you are talking about???
They have posted the images from inside of the shop...!!!!

Richard11 said:

What lake you are talking about???
They have posted the images from inside of the shop...!!!!

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I'm not sure exactly what you mean by this Richard11, but here are some shots down by the lake.



(Stitching the pictures together distorts the panoramic views a bit)

5 INCHES OF RAIN IN 2 HOURS CAN PLAY HAVOC ON FOUNDATIONS…

That much rain can cause real problems. It washed out the corners of the foundation because my temporary protection was failing. I started a separate thread HERE to see if anyone has a good suggestion for lasting water protection than my current method.



In the meantime, I backfilled and covered it. I ran out of weed-block sheet so I will finish the job next time.

CLEARING OUT THE MAIN BAY TO REACH THE WINDOWS…

The scaffold need to roll up tight to the wall as I’m installing those clerestory windows in the south wall, so it was time to clean it up. This wall was a catch-all over the past 5 years for building supplies and anything else too big/tall to fit elsewhere. Here’s a shot just after the Chevelle was moved out.



Contained in that big mess were 6 large 2x7’ windows, 20 sheets of paneling, rag/towel cabinet, shelving unit, sheetrock, and a host of other misc materials. The windows are now leaning against one of the columns, awaiting an upper storage loft to open up. They were picked up on clearance some time ago, but because of their size, I wasn’t able to use them yet. I’m still toying with the idea of having a wall of windows between the shop and apartment and these would be the perfect size for it.

Among the many things that were “uncovered”, I found this old hood. I built a quick shipping crate to protect it when it was transported down from WI in my trailer years ago. My surplus paneling had been leaning against it for years as seen in the following picture.



That 4.5” stack of tileboard and pegboard paneling was moved into the plywood pocket by the sink and completely filled it up. It eventual will be used to build a matching cabinet along this very wall for storing low profile items. Some will also be used to clad the wall directly below the bay window.

Since I still had more misc sheet material to temporarily store, I had an idea to convert the hood crate into a rolling panel storage cart. I added some struts to hold the panels at an angle and also better support the base feet, swivel casters on the feet, and an 8’ ledge at the bottom for the stock to rest on. This cart was eventually filled to capacity too.



The rag/towel cabinet and shelving unit were easy to move because I had already added casters to them. Remember my early motto - everything on the floor will be on wheels. The between-floor storage bins absorbed the remainder of the stuff.

So my path is cleared and it’s nice to be able to see that wall again. It’s almost like a blank canvas. That large outlet about midway down the wall and 4 feet up, is pre-wiring for the auto lift that will sit in this bay soon.



Next, the lights mounted near the ceiling will come down and framing will start for the windows. Since it will be dark in this bay without them, I will need to come up with some temporary lighting. I’m thinking about mounting some lights to the backside of that plywood cart since it wheels around so easy now.

The only bad thing was that none of this work was in my project list so I don’t get to check ANYTHING off for all my hard work

Very nice Lake shots. What a "Shop" and "Spot"!!

Since this is a great place to mention it, anyone thinking of putting stuff on wheels, like the aforementioned panel rack, might want to look at our buddies at Harbor Freight. They have these moving dollies for $12 and $15. Get the smaller one (I paid $10 with a 20% off coupon), and strip the wheels off for your project. I don't know what wheels go for, but $2.50 each sounds like a great price to me. The wife wants a rolling rack for gardening tools, but I also like the rolling rack for plywood as well.

BillGalbraith said:

Since this is a great place to mention it, anyone thinking of putting stuff on wheels, like the aforementioned panel rack, might want to look at our buddies at Harbor Freight. They have these moving dollies for $12 and $15. Get the smaller one (I paid $10 with a 20% off coupon), and strip the wheels off for your project. I don't know what wheels go for, but $2.50 each sounds like a great price to me. The wife wants a rolling rack for gardening tools, but I also like the rolling rack for plywood as well.

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Stripping the wheels off a dollie is good idea Bill - and you even get mounting hardware as part of the deal!

Keeping the wood off the ground is also a great idea. I don't expect to move it often, but it would keep from absorbing any water on the floor.

Arcticf7ext said:

Very nice Lake shots. What a "Shop" and "Spot"!!

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Thanks Arcticf7ext. The sad thing is, I've been so focused on the shop that we haven't played in the lake for quite some time. I guess it's not going anywhere though.

Motorcycling has absorbed most of our leisure time lately. But the summer months are coming and lake is always inviting when it's too hot to ride.

HANGING THE OLD CHEVROLET SERVICE SIGN BACK UP…

Currently, I use my enclosed trailer for storing misc stuff. This keeps the shop from getting too cluttered up during the Asylum construction process. I stored my old Chevy sign out there last year while I was working on the rear area on the main bay. The trailer is getting full and I figured the best way to protect the sign is get it out of there and hang it back up.



The first thing I did was fix it up a bit. It was missing the lower frame board so a 1x2 was added. Then I reinforced the upper corners where the eyebolts were.



Some hooks where screwed into the wood overhang that was purposely designed into the back wall.



And the sign found a new (safe) home. It’s hanging a bit too high and really needs a couple of S-hooks to drop it down a couple of inches. This will space it better in the recess, but it will do for now.

THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I EVER USED A CHAINSAW INSIDE THE ASYLUM…

Work continued on the south main bay wall. I first had to relocate the 8’ light fixtures and I figured the best place to move them temporarily was to the front wall above the rollup doors. These lights are controlled by 3-way switches so I tapped into that circuit and ran some armor-clad cable over to the center post. As always, I left plenty of wire rolled up (behind the door drum) to allow easy relocation to its final spot later.



So it was time to make a mess. The sill plate for the windows needed to move down about 3” and this meant cutting into the finished wall. I started by cutting out the drywall down to the new height. This exposed the 2x6” studs that were to be shortened and also allowed me to check for obstacles.



I figured the least invasive way for me to make the 6” deep plunge cuts into the wall was with my chainsaw. It certainly kicked up some dust, but made it an easy job. And some spackling should patch those little slots right up.



This gives a better view of the pieces right after removal. The short pieces of 2x6 were discarded and the sill was eventually reattached.



Here’s a shot looking down in the wall. When the place was being built, I ran coax, telephone, and speaker wire from the far wall inside the apartment to shop area. Since this wall is getting finished off now, these wires had to be routed in their final locations. Right behind the that blue electrical box is where a tape measure was dropped only to be sealed up in the wall forever. I reached down in the wall about 6’ with my magnetic retrieval tool but finally gave up on it. Oh well, you win some, you lose some.



Here’s the initial framing for the windows. The darker colored board on the external side will be notched out to match the new window size. The last picture was taken inside the office looking out the bay window.



Next steps include framing for the library ladder brackets and a bunch of small tasks in preparation for the window installation.

I HAD A PERFECT DAY FOR SPRAY PAINTING…

It was a low-humidity light-breeze day, so I took advantage of it by painting some more library ladder parts. I’ll need them soon. The first picture shows the parts wire brushed to get the rust off of them. The next one shows them after a coat of primer and finish paint hanging on the rack air drying in the sun. Then it was up to the office to let the enamel dry for a week or two to full scratch resistance.



I added the 2x4” framing for library ladder L-brackets, but since the brackets were in the way a bit during the last window install, I opted to save that step until later.



When installing the windows on the opposite wall, I struggled to not slide down the roof slope. The 4/12 pitch is easy enough to walk on but as soon as I ran screws in the wall I tended to push myself down the slope and needed to hang on with one hand. Hopefully these cleats will do the trick. They might also keep my drill from trying to make a run for it when I set it down.



So I’m all prepared to install the remaining four windows and I’m hoping for clear weather.

AT LEAST THE EXTERIOR OF THE ASYLUM LOOKS FINISHED NOW…

It was another extremely exhausting work session. I only took a half day of vacation this time because I thought I had enough prep work done and 2.5 days would do it. Boy, was I wrong - I should have taken the full day off. Starting at about noon in 92F heat, I removed all the translucent fiberglass panels, enlarged the window openings, and installed the Tyvek building wrap. I had planned on having the windows in that first evening (no matter how late it got), but what set me back a couple of hours was some crooked pieces of flashing that needed straightening. It was dark by the time the Tyvek finally went on, so I figured it was a good quitting point with the place sealed back up to keep the critters out overnight.

The next day, rain was in the forecast with a cold front passing through. I hit it hard in the morning and started by installing the windows. This took longer than I remembered last time. By the time I was half way through the fourth (and last) window, I heard the thunder and felt the wind of an approaching storm. I could see it coming from across the lake so I quickly finished up the window, got all the tools inside, and shut up the place. It couldn’t have been more than 5 minutes before the storm hit. And not just rain, but high winds driving straight into the new windows - even with them tucked closely under that 18” eve. Luckily the caulk on the last window had just enough time to skin-over. The weatherman said we had 60mph winds and I believe it. The rain running down the roof was actually blowing up as it ran off the edge. I thought for sure the Tyvek between the windows was going to rip out and allow the place to be flooded, but it hung in there. I guess it was a great test as it proved to be leak-free even without siding.

I was able to get back up there later that evening and start on the window trim and siding. Another wave of showers passed through overnight, so I’m glad I left it sealed up as I slept. The rest of the siding went on the following day with temps much cooler after the weather front blow through. Of course, 7 straight days of dry weather is now forecasted after I dealt with rain the last few days! Oh well, I’m just glad the job is behind me - the pressure is off and I can work at my own pace again while finishing the interior. I suspect that will take most of the summer with my productivity down to about 80% in the +90F heat.

I didn’t take an in-process pictures, but refer back to post #524 since the method was identical. Here are some exterior shots showing the four new clerestory windows (the 2 on either side of the upstairs air conditioner where installed when the office was built):



Some interior shots from 1st floor level:



Some shots from the second floor office:



Next week I'll be stocking up on ceiling lumber and taking a little break from construction by giving some of the vehicles a little attention. They’ve been neglected a bit lately.

Congratulations on reaching this milestone!

I recall you had some 'problem' trees near the building; how's the health of the one in the foreground of the first pictures? Looks big enough to do some serious damage to the building if it fell in the wrong direction.

Have fun wrenching (for a change)! lol

I just found your thread and have spent the past 10 hours reading it from beginning to end.

And let me add the what everyone else has conveyed, the place looks amazing, I am very jealous.

I love the car, my first car was a 69 Chevelle and I still miss that car. I sold it when I joined the Navy right out of high school.

One day I hope to be able to build something close to the size of yours. And I would be happy with the apartment, but I am also single with no kids, so it is plenty of room for me.

I did have a few suggestions to offer though.

First would be for your long stock storage under the lofts and the office. I would line the bottom with a piece of carpet or something. This would allow you to be able to pull it out in the event a shorter piece gets pushed too far back to reach. I initially though of a 2x4 on a length of rope, as you pulled it out, it would "sweep" any shorter pieces out with it, but it may be difficult to keep it perpendicular with the sides and things would slip through.

My next suggestion would be for our stool on the office. With a laminate floor to slide on, but risk scratching, I would consider from furniture sliders. Something similar to these

For your sink, one feature that I have learned to love from working in the medical community is the hand washing sinks. They have hands free controls that are foot pedals, a button pressed with a knee, or a lever your leg fits into. I like these better than the IR ones you often find in a public restroom, but great when you have dirty hands. It could be something for you to keep an eye out or possible be able to retrofit to your sink.

Living in Florida, you often get decent weather, but you also get some bugs. I would look into a screen to drop down in front of your garage doors. This will allow you to take advantage of the weather and/or breeze, without dealing with the bugs.

Of course, you could get one of those fans that blow over door to blow out any insects, but I imagine the running that would be just as costly as running an AC in there.

My last suggestions are for your front loft. I would consider adding some lighting not only in the loft area, but underneath to shine down outside.

While you are still considering ideas for a hoist for the front loft, have you considered a sliding tray like you have in your Avey? This would allow you to lift something straight up and slide the tray underneath it to bring in into the loft.