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

Things are coming along very nicely at The ASYLUM since I last checked in. And congratulations on reaching page 100 (and almost 2000 replies and 1/2million views)! That's quite a landmark.

You and Tom would get along sooo well; you have similar work habits, attention to detail and the ability to document each step of the project. You've inspired lots of GJ members to get on with their projects. Thanks for continuing with your story.

Chris

I guess I flipped it to 2000 and page 101.

markviii - Wow - Your first “official” visit to the ASYLUM thread and you come bearing a wonderful gift - the initial page of the next 100 (if I make it that long! ) Thank you very much for that as well as your kind comments. It’s hard to believe the thread has gone this far (actually, what's harder to believe is that it has taken this long to finish this place - I initially started with a 5 year plan that has now grown to 7! )

I heard about it after the fact, but it seems a face-to-face introduction could have happened at Elkhart Lake last year during the RA Historic Races (see Reply #1441). That would have been cool. I went home to WI for an informal family reunion and most of the gang spent a good portion of the weekend at the races and related activities. I still remember how hot it was though. And I thought I was going to escape the Florida summer heat up there - NOT!

I’m sure my wife and Tom would at least be able to trade some stories from their college days in Urbana-Champaign at U of I (although I’m not sure what Tom’s course of study was, hers was engineering).

Anyways, nice of you to “stop by”.

Yep, it was hot, hot, hot at R.A. But a good time was had by all. We'll probably do it again this year, though not all 4 days (unless the San Diego bunch surprises us again by coming out for the party - they went to Australia this winter, so RA may not be in the cards this year). The vintage races will be July 18-21, 2013. PM me closer to that time to determine if we (or just Tom) will be there for all or part of the time, just in case your family reunion coincides.

Tom studied Aviation and Industrial Education. We both grew up in C-U area, met at University High School in 9th grade and were faculty "brats", so to speak. I chose to go to IL State, while Tom went to UIUC, which was still in the midst of war protests and local race riots in the early 70s.

It's not how long it takes, it's how it gets done that counts. Carry on.

Chris

I’ll definitely get in touch with you guys if a RA rendezvous is possible - the races are even more fun if you have a team to cheer on (even if it’s a friend of a friend, as with the San Diego bunch). I fear the timing might not work out this summer, however, since my trip home will be for my 30 year high school class reunion and they usually hold it in Aug or Sept. We shall see.

Hopefully you and yours fared okay with that weather passing through up there. My wife (who is in Quincy, IL this week visiting her family) called from her sister’s basement last night to tell me the tornado sirens were sounding in town. She texted today to say the rain gauge showed 4” of rain from last night’s rain. With our sandy soil here in FL, 4” gets soaked right up like a sponge, but I would imagine that much rain up there in a short period of time could cause a bit of flooding.

THE ASYLUM WATER WORKS…

When we bought the vacant property in 1996, a 2” well existed and it was basically a bare pipe sticking out of the ground with the building over the top of it (that looked like a dog house for the massive Cujo). When the land was sub-divided years ago, a new well was drilled for the old house on the lot next to us, and the well on our property was abandoned. All I needed to do was add a pump, tank, and associated plumbing and we had our very own running water - it was a glorious day! I felt like Tom Hanks in the movie Castaway when he finally got his fire lit.

But you don’t realize how much you depend on water until it stops flowing.

My well pump was short-cycling so I decided to recharge the pressure tank to see if that would fix it. While adding air, I discovered the reason for the relatively sudden loss of air over the last week or so - a leaky air (Schrader) valve. Unfortunately, a simple core swap wasn’t the answer and the whole stem needed to be replaced. That meant I needed to get inside the tank. And that meant I would be without water for as long as it took to remove and disassemble the tank, replace the valve, and get it all back together again. I can’t tell you how many times I walked over to the sink to wash my hands, only to have nothing come out of the faucet. Luckily there is a lake nearby.

Here is the little building where the well resides.



I knew early on that this system would require service from time to time, so when I rebuilt the platform, I added hinges at the base to swing it out of the way. Years ago, I remember just lifting this thing right up with sheer muscle. But for this recent service, my body said “no way Jose’”. It ***** getting old, but I guess it just makes you think a little harder. I decided to devise a way to let mechanical advantage work in my favor. I mounted a temporary 2x6 sticking out the door opening so a chain could be attached to it. Then a cable and come-along winch pulled on that to lift it up.

Of course the trick was knowing exactly where to place the little pedestal and how high it should be so it didn’t flip too far over the other way. A stack of cinder blocks worked in this case and I snapped several pictures showing things in detail for next time since my memory is deteriorating at about the same pace as my body. Here are a couple of in-process shots. Arrows point to the 2x6, cable, and pedestal.



Once access was gained, the repair was pretty straight forward. There’s a rubber bladder inside the tank and I didn’t want the old valve stem to fall where I couldn’t find it, so I used a section of solid wire (from some Romex cable) to help guide the old cut piece out and install the new one in the hole (my arm isn’t long enough to reach all the way in there).



Once started, this little tire tool pulled it into place.



Everything was back together and a test was conducted before the little house was dropped back down.



Time will tell if this fixed it for good. My tank is getting old and the bladder was replaced about five years ago so I suspect I will need to bite the bullet in another five years when I replace the whole thing. It will be about $250 when the time comes, but for now, $2 bought me some extra years.

I follow this topic and do not often comment. I can say pumps can be a pain when you rely so much on water. The Solar Hot water in the house failed some time ago here and as it failed at night I did not notice until the next day. The system could have pumped my rain water tanks dry and burnt out my pump. My property is nearly 90% reliant on rain water althouth I can switch to town supply water I try not to.

Shopnut, consider yourself fortunate; it might have been YOUR 'Schrader' valve stem connected to your own bladder that needed replacing! LOL

JCQuick said:

mine too love that place I work just down the street from it. But have been going there since it's inception A must for wiring race car's

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Many years ago I worked at an office down the street from Skycraft. It was where the Public Storage is now. After that I had an office/warehouse for my business around the corner on Clay. I remember the first time I walked in there, I was amazed at all the stuff they had. Used to go there all the time. Wish they had something like that up here.

Oh, and the loft looks great! I love the removable guard rail. I think when it comes time to rebuild my garage, I am going to need you to come up and help with the design!

HOTFR8 - Sounds like you dodged a (costly) bullet.

I have found that fixing a problem with the water system jumps to the top of the priority list faster than you can say “I’m thirsty”.

Omphaloskeptic - Now that would be a real problem! On a related topic, I had my annual “wellness” exam and the doctor said what I wanted to hear - “See you next year”

Foxxtrot - Yeah, Skycraft is a one-of-a-kind store and I consider myself lucky to be within driving distance. I look forward to every visit. I’ll really miss it if we ever move.

Thanks for the kudos on the loft. I just looked where Huntersville is in NC and realized it’s maybe only 10 miles from where Mrs. Shopnut’s sister lived on Prosperity Church Road off of I-85. We use to visit her at least once a year and a ride over to your place would have been really quick. Unfortunately, she moved back to Illinois a couple of years ago, so we don’t visit Charlotte anymore. But (said with great enthusiasm), the area northwest of Huntersville makes for a great bike trip destination, so a stop on the way through your area might just be in the cards someday. In the meantime, post up your ideas on your thread and I'm sure you will get some help from the folks here (including myself).

as requested not the best pics i have more. didn't want to hijack this thread.
But I needed a chuck of aluminum for a project so a skycraft visit was in order oh plus i needed some parts from where I work

http://garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=197376

Thanks for the consideration of starting the other thread JCQuick. Hopefully more people will see it and Skycraft will be in business for a long, long time.

Honestly, I wouldn't have minded a few pictures of Skycraft in this thread at all considering the large number of parts bought there that were used to build the ASYLUM

my crapy phone pics weren't worthy of this thread

shopnut said:

HOTFR8 - Sounds like you dodged a (costly) bullet.

I have found that fixing a problem with the water system jumps to the top of the priority list faster than you can say “I’m thirsty”.

Click to expand...

Yes I did. Still short of water and no rain and this time I am going to replace that Solar Hot water system if and when the plumber gets motivated. Other wise in the clod weather it will do it again and it is getting colder here.

JCQuick - Watching that other thread, I'm surprised to see how many people on this forum know of Skycraft.

HOTFR8 - Despite some recent wet weather, we are still well below average for rainfall. Our wet season is coming though.

LIGHTS FOR THE CENTER RAFTER…

The lights were purchased for the center rafter. I found some narrow 4-bulb units at Lowe’s for $54 each that will fit up there nicely. And they have a full wrap diffuser to somewhat match all the recessed fixtures up there and spill some light to the sides.



Here is the ballast and I’m hoping they don’t cause any radio interference since they are “residential” rated. The industrial rated versions can play havoc with the signal as I’ve witnessed.



I’m also gathering supplies for the center rafter job and finishing off the wall between the main doors.



The LED can lights will go where the red circles are. The little rectangle near the wall represents where I plan to install the spotlight for the ASYLUM sign and the dashed line shows the projected light beam. With any luck, shining from this side angle will produce an oval shaped spot over on the sign and 2 of them coming from opposite sides will cover the sign perfectly without lighting up too much of the white vinyl around it.



SOME REPAIRS ON THE OLD TRAILER…

This old Rubbermaid garden trailer just won’t die, so I put some new tires on her a few weeks ago. The drawbar had sort of taken a bow over the years so I added an aluminum strap to straighten it out and act as a tension member to keep it straight when the trailer is loaded up.



I’m expecting another 15 years out of it now!

shopnut said:

HOTFR8 - Despite some recent wet weather, we are still well below average for rainfall. Our wet season is coming though.

Click to expand...

We need the rain here as well. Place is looking very dry still and we are in our Autumn.

You have been busy again. The work on that trailer must have been esential.

shopnut said:

Thanks for the consideration of starting the other thread JCQuick. Hopefully more people will see it and Skycraft will be in business for a long, long time.

Honestly, I wouldn't have minded a few pictures of Skycraft in this thread at all considering the large number of parts bought there that were used to build the ASYLUM

Click to expand...

Of course, they have a web page...

http://www.skycraftsurplus.com/

HOTFR8 - Busy? Yes, but that never changes . In the case of the trailer, I just needed it to haul some gravel to fill in potholes on the entry road so I thought I better reinforce it a bit. Luckily the reinforcement job only took about 30 minutes. Unfortunately though, I hauled gravel for three hours before the holes were all filled.

Thanks Bill. The store has a lot more than what is listed on the website. But oddly enough, there are several things listed online that the store doesn't have. Apparently, they have a separate warehouse somewhere so maybe that is where the internet stuff comes from

"On a related topic, I had my annual “wellness” exam and the doctor said what I wanted to hear - “See you next year""

Glad to hear you got a good report from the doctor; did he happen to lube the hardware in your ankle while you were in for a scheduled check-up? lol

Did you make any 'tool holder' mods to the man-lift yet? Since you're about to do more 'high-wire' (pun) work for the lights, it might make sense to outfit the work platform before you ascend into the heavens. If nothing else, be sure to add at least one cup-holder onto the railing! Oh, considering that gravity has shown itself not to be your friend, you might consider buying a safety harness (and use it); wouldn't want another STUNT/WEEPs event to occur, especially after getting a clean bill of health from the MD.

I've been reading this thread for what seems like a very long time. Never felt I had much to add, but have enjoyed it all the way.

Thinking about your lift and Ompha's suggestion for tool holders reminded me of these horse feeder buckets I saw at our local farm store. Thought they might be something to consider for hanging over the lift rails (inside or out) to provide a little convenience.

Keep up the good work. You've certainly raised the bar for me as I plan my new building.
-Derek

Omphaloskeptic - No lube on the titanium foot bits this time. I guess they gave me the model with extended service intervals!

And no tool holders on the man-lift yet . I guess I've been too busy using it to rig something up. But I have been giving it some thought. I need to get a holder for the impact driver up high within reach because there have been many times I’ve struggled with things over my head. You see, sometimes it takes both hands to position something and then I need to grab the driver (while not letting the part slip) and run some screws in. This is tough to do with the driver sitting on the basket floor. The other things I’m reaching for ALL the time are fasteners down there. Sure, a tool belt would probably work, but I don’t like wearing them.

So here’s my thought…



The blue represents my impact driver. It would hang on the basket back wall like it was hanging on a pegboard wall, but a little more secure so it couldn’t just be bumped off. The red rectangles represent some recessed boxes in the back wall that could have compartments for small things like fasteners and drill bits.

There is some dead space between the basket back wall and the lift mast, and I just hate to see it go to waste. The boxes would look something like this, but with dividers and lips to keep stuff from falling out.



There is a large 6-conductor cable coming up in the middle and that is why I divided it into 2 smaller boxes, but I would imagine this is okay anyways so too much is not cut out of the basket structure (which I will always take into consideration if any mods are made). Several reasons are pointing me in this direction. The basket is not that big and these mods wouldn’t really take away any space. I like having access out the other three sides. Items dropped when grabbing something out of the box bins will tend to fall on the basket floor rather than down to the concrete floor. Lastly, the extra weight being added (boxes and tools) is close to the lift mast rather than cantilevered out on the basket.

You bringing this up was actually a good reminder to do an ebay search for some recessed boxes - Thanks!

Oh and BTW, that safety harness idea is probably a good one. Although I feel pretty safe with the high railing on the basket, there have been several times when I started to unlatch the door only to realize I hadn’t traveled down yet ! You just get in a hurry sometimes, you know? Some kind of strap, no matter what its capacity, would be a good reminder that I’m still up high.

KST1 - Membership since 2005 and 4 posts - I guess I feel pretty darn honored to have this thread be one of them .

If you read my response to Ompha immediately above, you will see what my long term plan is for storage on the manlift basket. However like most things here, it may be quite some time before I get to all that and your suggestion looks pretty good for a near-term solution. Forum members Wingnut65 and creativecars talked about using 5 gallons buckets (see Reply #1707 and Reply #1715), which I thought would work, but those feed bucket looks like an even more direct solution. I would still probably want to add an extension arm to catch the lower rail and keep it from swinging though, but that wouldn't take much time at all.



A little research shows they come in a variety of sizes so I will need to figure out which would work best for my application.

Thanks the suggestion and for following along. And good luck planning your place.

GATHERING UP PARTS FOR THE FRONT CONTROL PANEL…

I’m usually not in a big hurry to complete jobs and that allows me to shop around for components that fit my needs perfectly. With time on my side, I also can usually hunt for decent prices on them. At this point, the shopping is done and I think I have all the electrical parts needed to start building the control panel.

The panel itself will mount on a small hinging door for full access to the wiring within. The door is similar to the ones in this picture and will get a black/yellow paint job just like them. The control panel will be primarily silver and black.



Here's the door in its as-purchased white form. I bought a stack of them years ago for $8 each. Since the door has ribs on it that don't lend themselves to mounting switches on, all components will mount in an aluminum plate. The plate is shown in roughly the correct position on the door and a printout of the general layout is laying on top of it. I will expand the layout to match the plate size so it doesn't look too cluttered. The various switches are lying around the perimeter of the plate.



There will be quite a few connections to make behind the panel so I found a galvanized box to enclose it all for $4. The white door shown above will become the lid for it. The MC cables coming down from the light circuits will transition from solid wire to multi-strand braided wire at the terminal blocks and this will provide the flexibility allowing the door to swing open. I got the 200 terminal blocks shown in the cardboard box for $20 and they normally sell for about a $1 per piece. The buss bars ($5/each) will tie all the grounds and neutral wires together - only the hot wires will need to be switched.



Here's a close up of the terminal blocks. They slide onto a DIN rail which will mount on the back face of the box. Basically the terminal blocks are just stackable **** splices. Wires to be joined enter from both sides and get locked in with the screws. The green/yellow ones are grounding type - note that the base that slides on the DIN rail is metal rather than insulating plastic. I don’t have a need for any of those on this project, however.



I'm probably ready to start building this thing - now all I need is a little time at the drill press.

RUNNING TOTAL OF COSTS…

As usual, I end up buying extra parts when I work on something new like this, but I will list just the parts needed to make this one panel. The extras most likely will be used for something else one day.

Lighted Garage Door Switches (Cutler Hammer brand; 2X @ $10) = $20
SPDT Momentary rocker switches (Surplus Store; 4X @ $2.50) = $10
SPST Lighted rocker switches (Radio Shack brand; 10X @ $4.00) = $40
Spade Terminals (Surplus Store; 30X @ $.10) = $3
Terminal Blocks (Ebay; 30X @ $.10) = $3
DIN rail (Galco; 1X @ $2.00) = $2
Buss Bar (Ebay; 2X @ $5.00) = $10
Junction Boxes (Surplus Store; 2X @ $4.00) = $8
Aluminum plate (Surplus Store; 1X @ $4.00) = $4
Door Assembly (Surplus Store; 1X @ $8.00) = $8

GRAND TOTAL (so far): $108

This is the bulk of it, but I suspect there will be a few odds and ends tagged on the list before it is all over (such as fasteners, decal material, and label maker tape).

BREATHING A LITTLE MORE LIFE INTO THE BIG TRAILER…

While up there building the front loft, I was constantly reminded of my rusting 6x12' trailer roof every time I looked down out the clerestory windows.



And every time I said to myself “I really need to do something before that roof rusts through and ruins the whole trailer”. Well, I finally did something about it last week. It was a terrible time to paint, with a 60 percent chance rain forecasted, but I was determined to get it done and decided to go for it.

I planned to use Rust-Oleum Cold Galvanizing spray paint and it recommended just removing the loose rust before spraying so that’s what I did.



With the wire brushing job behind me, I gave it a good scrub down with my favorite cleaner/degreaser GUNK Foamy Engine Brite. It sprays on as foam and gets rinsed off with water. I’ve never had it hurt the grass in any way over my possibly 20 years of use.



I then proceeded to mask off the areas I didn’t want overspray on, including the top vent dome. This was about mid-afternoon and you can see from the picture it was getting pretty dark. About halfway through the masking job, a serious downpour rolled through and I’m pretty sure my cussing was louder than the thunder echoing through the woods!



Luckily the storm was a fast mover and much to my surprise, none of the paper masking had blown off (albeit, it was soaking wet). Some would probably have thrown in the towel at this point, but I had a different plan for that piece of terry cloth - to dry off the roof!

The breeze was pretty steady so things dried up fairly quick. But it took quite some time for the thousands of leaves on the oak tree above to dry out and stop dripping. (I probably should have driven the truck out this time so I could have moved it, but oh well.)

With the last of the masking finished, I immediately starting painting. With about 1/3 covered in the first coat, Mother Nature said no again - it started sprinkling! And it continued to just spit a little for about 30 minutes. If it would have rained any harder, my painting job would have been over for the day because it was getting too late for the tree to dry out a second time.

It finally stopped and I was able to finish the first coat and apply a second.



I don’t expect this paint job to last real long, but hopefully it has stopped the rust for a couple of years anyway. And my view for upstairs is much better now!



That picture tells me what my next outdoor project is - a good ASYLUM roof cleaning!

Shopnut, it looks like the A.F.C.P. is close to becoming a reality; one more item almost scratched off 'The List'! lol

I like the drill holder idea, but I would 'suggest' that you also incorporate a lanyard/bungee to prevent an 'Aw $hit' event. This might also preclude the possibility of yourself doing the 'miraculous save' lunge over the side of the platform trying to ****** a free-falling drill.

Also, you might consider the purchase of a home fire-escape cable ladder stored in one of those 'rail containers' just in case the man lift stops working while you are aloft.

You do know! you have a shop you could put it in ??

Vernmotor said:

You do know! you have a shop you could put it in ??

Click to expand...

I was thinking the same thing... Or at least pull the trailer under the loft where it is covered! But it did turn our nice, even with our typical weather. If you don't like the weather, wait half an hour...

That panel will be something else. You have pieces there that I have never come a cross before, let alone plan a project around. (Skycraft is on my list)

For having the impact wrench in reach, I guess now would be a great time to debut my new Makita cordless driver and impact wrench!

Ta Da...


One thing that I found that I really like is that both come with belt hooks on the side. Ive spent time recently working at the ceiling on a ladder and the hook has been helpful. But I would still need a tool belt to hold fasteners. And it wouldn't involve re-engineering the back panel of the lift to build something really cool...

Oh, never mind... Keep going with your project...



.

Omphaloskeptic - Yes, the AFCP is getting closer - just need to finish up the 11x17 template so I can starting marking some hole locations. The lanyard is a good idea. We tend to think about damage to our tools by dropping them before thinking about damage to ourselves sometimes. I'm definitely guilty of it.

I need to also take that portable ladder idea and run with it. There is a manual emergency lowering valve, but it's down there by the pump and it wouldn't help one bit if something mechanical jammed up. A simple rope ladder would really do the trick in a pinch. There's a spot I could store it under the basket floor that would be totally out of the way, but still within reach. Thanks - you might just have saved me a Batman-like slide down the mast rails! (Wow - I just checked ebay and they don't look exactly cheap - might have to make something myself with scraps I have lying around)

Vernmotor/Wingnut65 - My old Triumph Tiger would have had a tough time towing around that 2000 lb trailer . Probably should have waited to do the job until I brought the truck out there, but I get a project in my head and there is no stopping me sometimes. I'm sure you guys can relate to that.

Wingnut65 - Yes, Skycraft is a must-see central Florida attraction. You are guaranteed to walk out of there with 5 new projects in your hand!

Boy, that Makita impact driver looks pretty compact - like it would fit in some pretty tight spots. Nice. The belt hooks could really come in handy - are they built into the battery? I've already dropped a tape measure off the man-lift when I leaned up against the basket railing and had it unclip, so I might be a little leery of something that is just hanging on. Maybe it if it had some type of quick-release system that needed a button pushed

shopnut

I do not envy you with the outside cleaning work. Ive had issues with bleeding trees due to the bug problem. The sap would get all over my car in our older place and made it a nightmare to drive if you needed to leave quickly before cleaning it.

akdiesel - Cleaning the roof is the worst! And any water up there makes that metal roof extremely slick to walk on. I usually take the big broom up there and sweep off the big stuff, but it's really getting dingy looking under the trees so it might be time for more drastic measures. Still trying to figure out a simple/safe way to do a good washing though. The lower roofs are reachable through the clerestory windows, but those upper ones - not so easy.

That sap can be a real pain. Glad our Hickories and Oaks don't cause too much trouble in that respect.

For cleaning a metal roof, I'd hire someone! I am more than capable for doing many things for myself, but that is one that I am willing to pay. One more year and trimming my Washingtonian Palms will also be hired out. They are just about at the end of my reach with my pole saw on a ladder...

shopnut said:

Boy, that Makita impact driver looks pretty compact - like it would fit in some pretty tight spots. Nice. The belt hooks could really come in handy - are they built into the battery? I've already dropped a tape measure off the man-lift when I leaned up against the basket railing and had it unclip, so I might be a little leery of something that is just hanging on. Maybe it if it had some type of quick-release system that needed a button pushed

Click to expand...

Be careful dropping things. I'd be more than willing to house the C3 to protect it... With my luck, I'd knock the tape measure off and it would damage 2 things on the way down or bouncing around before it broke into pieces and needed to be trashed.

The Makita is very compact, but has a nice weight to it. The drill is just over 9" tall and 8" from chuck to back. The impact driver is 8" tall and 5" front to back. (Tiles are 12")


The belt hook is on the handle, not the battery. It even can be moved to the other side. You can see the mounting hole on the right side of the impact driver


I had these in my trunk to show you on Saturday, but either my amnesia or Oldztimerz kicked in until after you left.

Glad to hear those storms weren't an issue for you last night. Hope today was fine as well.


.

Wingnut65 - My Washingtonians just passed that height last year. Some guys come around now and trim them for $70, and that's not bad for the trouble they save me. And I guess anything that keeps me off a ladder is worth it!

If that's your kind of luck, maybe I better just hang on to that Corvette for awhile

I see how that little clippie thing works on the Makita now - Thanks. They look like they will get the job done. Isn't it great having a house DIY project to justify some new tools?

Rumor has it, the storms brought 4 inches of rain to the Asylum in 40 minutes the other day! Can't wait to see what havoc that brought. It may just be sitting in the middle of the lake right now. If I'm lucky, it may have cleaned off the roof some, but it never seems to work that way.

AN UPDATED TASK LIST…

It's been awhile since I updated my task list and with the reasonably steady progress I've made lately, it seemed like a perfect time to take a look back and see how I did. Although I think I got a lot done in the past several months, I’m falling behind on my master schedule. You see, I was hoping to purchase the first auto lift and get it installed before the weather turned hot, but I didn't want to do it until the ceiling is all finished (don't want it to get in the way). I guess it really doesn’t matter much when I do it though, just as long as it gets done soon. I added it to the list because it is now showing up on the radar.

Please note I have links at each prior Task List reply to let you quickly jump directly from one to another, going back and forth through time.

Link to prior Task List (Reply#1792)
Link to next Task List (Reply#2240)

ASYLUM Task List:

Crane
* STARTED Install cable carrier system for power cabling to hoist (mounted; needs power cords routed)
* STARTED Install hoist-mounted spotlight (controlled with wall switch) (needs power cord routed to it)
* Install crane-mounted power cable reel (???)
* Final leveling of crane beam

Front Main Bay (24x26’ area)
* **DONE** Rough framing for new clerestory windows (north) (south)
* **DONE** Rough framing for new fluorescent fixtures (north) (south)
* **DONE** Rough framing for ceiling vinyl (north) (south)
* **DONE** Rough framing at ceiling peak
* **DONE** Replace clerestory fiberglass panels with 4X sliding windows (north) (south)
* NOT NEEDED Add mounts for ceiling flag (north) (south) (Ceiling Flag not being re-installed)
* **DONE** Framing for speakers (north) (south)
* **DONE** Framing for vinyl trim (north) (south)
* NOT NEEDED Run Coax and Cat5 cable across south wall (Run in lower duct-way later)
* **DONE** Run speaker wire across south wall
* **DONE** Run air lines and switch wire to window openers (north) (south)
* **DONE** Insulate wall (north) (south)
* **DONE** Install wall vinyl (north) (south)
* **DONE** Install window jamb vinyl (north) (south)
* **DONE** Install window openers (north) (south)
* **DONE** Install stereo speakers (north shop A/V) (south apartment A/V)
* **DONE** Insulate ceiling (north rear) (south rear) (north front) (south front)
* **DONE** Install ceiling vinyl (north rear) (south rear) (north front) (south front)
* **DONE** Install 4X fluorescent fixtures (north) (south)
* Cover up roof rafter gussets (DONE rear) (middle) (DONE front)
* Cover up roof rafter beams (rear) (middle) (front)
* Install final large diameter air line loop around main bay (DONE north) (DONE south) (side bay)
* Add air line drops for auto lift and hose reels
* Design/Build center light fixture
* Build south wall shallow storage cabinet (adjacent to apartment)
* **DONE** Build ASYLUM sign

Front Storage Loft
* **DONE** Purchase plywood/lumber and find temp storage spot for it.
* **DONE** Add light-duty hoist system at ceiling peak to access loft.
* **DONE** Build temporary shelf above door drums (for library ladder attachment)
* **DONE** Reinforce headers above main garage doors
* **DONE** Extend front exterior façade down to add truss beam
* **DONE** Rough framing for floor to replace temporary shelf
* **DONE** Install exterior ceiling vinyl
* **DONE** Cut hole in wall above 12’ high doors
* **DONE** Install insulation in exterior ceiling
* **DONE** Install plywood sheathing for loft floor
* **DONE** Framing for lights and ceiling panels
* **DONE** Insulate loft ceiling
* **DONE** Install loft ceiling panels
* **DONE** Install 2X fluorescent fixtures for loft lighting
* **DONE** Insulate loft walls
* **DONE** Install loft wall panels
* **DONE** Replace siding on front exterior façade and move decorative shutter doors down
* **DONE** Install railing at loft edge
* **DONE** Install grab rail at loft edge
* STARTED Install trim on plywood floor edge (front finished; needs trim on sides)
* Install exterior siding on porch (above doors)
* Build doors for loft (Decide if actually needed ???)

Front Door Drum Covers
* **DONE** Move south door winch to center
* **DONE** Rough framing for door drum valance
* **DONE** Rough framing for fluorescent fixtures below door drums
* **NOT NEEDED** Install service access door between drums (using lift-out panels instead)
* **DONE** Install vinyl on door drum valance
* **DONE** Install 4X fluorescent fixtures in bottom of door drum valance

Wall between Main Doors
* STARTED Design/build power drive system for doors (prototype functional)
* Install hose reel in permanent position
* Install industrial cord reel in permanent position
* Add fairlead panel at bottom of center box.

Auto Lifts
* Determine which Bend-Pak HD9 model suits my car storage needs
* Determine where to buy it from
* Pickup and install lift
* Install rope-light loop for general undercarriage illumination
* Devise method to store large Model RR layout underneath runways
* Determine which lift model suits my car renovation needs (MAX-JAX?)
* Determine where to buy it from
* Pickup and install lift

Man-Lift Upgrades
* **DONE** Replace battery
* **DONE** Repair outrigger jacks
* **DONE** Straighten rear swivel casters and lube all four casters
* **DONE** Replace cylinder breather line
* Replace lift hose and hydraulic fluid
* Permanently mount battery charger
* Add spring retractable reel for charger cord
* Add integral storage
* And ladder for emergencies
* Add timer for charging circuit
* Add voltmeter as “fuel gauge”
* Paint (Chassis) (Mast) (Basket)

Library Ladder
* **DONE** Paint brackets/hangers
* **DONE** Install L-Brackets inside walls (north) (front) (south)
* **DONE** Install hangers (north) (front) (south)
* **DONE** Bend and test fit rail sections
* **DONE** Build ladder trolley and try on rail system
* **DONE** Remove rails
* **DONE** Paint remaining rails yellow
* **DONE** Re-install rail
* Paint ladder trolley
* Modify ladder to store in retracted position

Electrical
* **DONE** Rearrange circuit breakers in main panel
* **DONE** Route final wiring to main bay lights (8X) (north) (south)
* STARTED Add “WEST WALL” GFI circuit for front wall outlets (MC cable routed across shop and breaker added)
* STARTED Add “MAIN LTS#2” light circuit for front fluorescent fixtures (4X) and front storage loft fluorescent fixtures (4X). (MC cable routed across shop and breaker added)
* STARTED Add branch on “Night Lights” circuit to front of shop for illuminating ASYLUM sign. (MC cable routed across shop and breaker added)
* STARTED Design/build front control panel

MISC Project List:
* **DONE** Build TV cabinet and power extending mount bracket
* Rolling workbench – Add table support props and paint to match
* Install parking meters in front of exterior columns for collision avoidance.
* 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.
* Design/Build C.U.P.O.L.A.
* Chevelle – Replace fuel line tubing
* Chevelle – Replace transmission cooler line tubing
* Chevelle – Replace heater core
* Corvette – Fix clogged A/C expansion valve (again!)

.

Okay Shopnut, after perusing your list, I'm officially declaring myself a lazy slob! lol

Omphaloskeptic said:

Okay Shopnut, after perusing your list, I'm officially declaring myself a lazy slob! lol

Click to expand...

Well, since you don't have a build thread, I'll just have to take your word for it! (just kidding )

BTW, your name came up at Monster Garage Party (although, I'm not sure if anyone was actually able to pronounce it correctly, including me). Its all good though. We were commenting on how you helped us all in some way.

Keep those ideas coming - it's making a difference!

Wow, I'm touched; thanks for the mention. It's really nice to hear that my humble suggestions and feeble attempts at humor are worthy of mention.

shopnut

I have to agree with O. To have a list that detailed is one thing but to have it 90%-95% done is outstanding.
I'm sure you look forward to being able to sit back and enjoy it all with out having to fix something, but it is also nice to keep improving on things.
As for the Bend Pak, i've thought about running the 5050 LED weather proof strip lights with the adhesive back the full length in the channel on each side for under lighting.

Omphaloskeptic - The topic started with Mark talking about the Monster Garage sign and continued from there. Your “feeble attempts” come through loud and clear!

akdiesel - Thanks, it’s nice seeing that sea of blue with the completed items. Just as long as I don’t get “knocked” off the ladder again, steady progress should continue. Yes, I am very much looking forward to kicking back and enjoying this place once Phase I is done. The cars and bikes need my attention badly though, so the break won’t last long.

I have 15 strings of incandescent rope-lights in storage right now from a Christmas clearance sale years ago that I was planning to use somewhere. But LEDs are so much better - I guess I better take a look at what’s available. I don’t have a problem with skipping the other ones and picking something better at this point for the lift.

duckface - Ahhh, we have many things in common. 1) We like the look of monitor barns. 2) Our memory is failing us. 3) Our man-lifts are talking to us.

The idea of “modular boxes” is interesting for use on the manlift and worth some extra thought to see if it could work for me. Please post them up in your thread if you get around to building them. I would like to take a look. Keep in mind your needs will change as time goes on. At this point, I could use storage for construction items like a level, framing square, and hammer. Later when the needs sway more towards maintenance, I will need items for cleaning up high, light maintenance, and other simple repairs. Thanks for the idea.

BTW - no need to be apprehensive of that lift. Just use it like it was intended and it will be fine. Mine is so handy that I barely ever climb up the scaffold anymore. I’m almost to the point of being too comfortable on it that I’m doing stuff I really shouldn’t be doing.

CLEARING A PATH TO WORK ON THE CENTER RAFTER…

I have so much junk in the Asylum right now that it’s a bit of a struggle working on different areas of the ceiling at once. So I clear a spot on the floor below and try to work there until it is finished. The manlift needs quite a bit of room to set its outriggers, so I decided to open up a wide path for it directly underneath the center rafter. Most things are on wheels so rearranging it not a huge undertaking. In this picture, you can just see end of the rafter above.



Since this project may take up to a month, the Chevelle was moved as far forward as possible and I covered the trunk lid with cushions (just in case). I can now reach the 26’ span of rafter without moving anything.



BORING HOLES IN THE RAFTER FOR THE MC CABLES…

The self feeding tip on these Irwin auger bits make quick work of boring the 1.25” holes in the 4x6’s. The hole is big enough to allow passing of up to 4 metal-clad cables. It takes all that my cordless drill has to get through it though.



“IT’S FIVE O’CLOCK SOMEWHERE”

When you think of that saying (or the song by Toby Keith / Correction: Alan Jackson/Jimmy Buffet), you can now think of the Asylum since it’s permanently 5 o’clock in here with the failure of the back-face clock motor . I bought the clock used about 5 years ago so I really can’t complain. (No, it didn’t stop at exactly 5:00 - I just set it to that because it’s usually a happy time for most of us working stiffs)



Luckily, the front face is still running and that’s the one I look at most. I guess I need to start seeking out 110v clock motors before it dies too.



THE POOR TRAILER ROOF…

This is the view I saw after returning to the Asylum.



With all the **** falling off the trees this time of year, the trailer roof looked worse than it did before I painted it! Fortunately, I washed a small area and it cleaned up fairly well. Pollen stains I can handle - at least the rust is gone. All is well.

Man your a boarder line hoarder ! with that stuff sitting every where LOL..