...and so it begins

[fourbyford]

My garage thread, that is...

As with many here, I had been visiting this site for many years as a guest. I finally signed up in '17... lots of reading... hadn't posted much until fairly recently. I have gotten so many ideas and so much inspiration from the many builds I've followed... a huge thanks to everyone that posts!

I've honestly had good intentions of starting a thread since my first log-in as a member. I've certainly had enough projects to write about!

A bit about me. I retired from the Air Force... more years ago than I care to think about. Moved to central Wyoming where I bought some acreage. Landed a job in sales where I worked in many areas of the company. After a couple years, I found myself in management... invested a few years in the rat race... but wasn't really happy. An opportunity came up in the company's Research and Development department. I jumped at the chance! I had already used my VA benefits to get my degree in Machine Tool technology... so, I hit the ground running. That was, without a doubt, the best job I've ever had! For a number of years, the senior engineer and I were tasked with product development. We would come up with some concept... do a bit of brainstorming... I would build prototypes... we'd work the "bugs" out... a few prototypes later and we would put the product into production. I ran both manual and CNC machines. We also the tool and die work when needed. It was something different just about every day. At one point, I did some production work... not my favorite thing, but, I did learn a lot. Shop foreman for the last couple years I worked.

During that time frame, my misses and I bought our Idaho farm. We were both still working. She was a teacher... she spent summers here while I would be working in Wyoming... and working on my properties. Winters, we would switch (I was allowed to take a leave of absence). I spent winters here... keeping the driveway cleared and getting things situated... as I would bring a trailer load of stuff each time I drove out.

One of my projects while I lived in Wyoming was building a barn on my acerage.


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[Moosefire]

So, 2 things....

1st, thank you for your many years of service.

Second, please post more pics. That looks amazing!

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[fourbyford]

48' x 64' ...post frame construction. Built mostly by myself... I did have some help with 50 yards of concrete and hanging the center trusses. And LOTS of help when it came time for siding. Most of those sheets were long and hard to handle. Thanks to two great friends, we got it done! Not sure how I'll ever repay them!!

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[fourbyford]

Hey Moose,
Thanks! My time in the AF was absolutely amazing! I got to see and do things that a lot of people can't even imagine!

More pics on the way!



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[fourbyford]

So... I have a number of projects going. This will jump around a bit... I still have a few things to finish up on the Wyoming barn... then, it will be put up for sale.

Very recently, we bought the High Captain a new car... actually, we just picked it up yesterday. We have a 4 bay garage... but, as we all know, that's not nearly enough room! Actually, there's a story here. 3 of the bays are under construction... I've been working on upgrading the electrical, plumbing in air lines, adding lighting and insulation. I have a "project" truck in one of the bays... some tools/equipment in another of the bays... and my "temporary workshop" set up in the middle bay... to try to finish up the inside work. The 4th bay is where I park the "lawn tractor"... my primary means of moving snow... I really like to keep it out of the weather so it's ready when I need it...


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[fourbyford]

You probably already know where this is headed... my truck, jeep and my misses' previous car has sat outside for a while now...
Fast forward to yesterday and my tractor is now officially homeless!
So... the only logical solution is to add a bay!!!
...with winter coming
...in north Idaho
...what can possibly go wrong??

A few pics of what I'm starting with...


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[fourbyford]

The 1st pic is the west end of the garage... where the tractor used to live

The second pic is the east end... the site of what may be my "last stand" ...hahaha

The east end had sort of turned into a "catch all" area... a few tractor parts that I just hadn't gotten around to yet... out of sight and out of mind...

So, first order of business was to get everything moved.

Was able to get most of it moved by hand... my awesomely awesome neighbor showed up with his tractor/loader just after lunch

With his help, we got the heavy stuff out and loaded on the trailer... they're brackets to mount a loader on MY tractor. I'll be taking them for powder coat tomorrow. Then, I'll FINALLY get my loader set up... that will be huge!

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[fourbyford]

So... a couple of days ago, I asked my neighbor if he'd auger 5 post holes for me...
He agreed... and came up to see what the deal was.

We started measuring a bit and pretty quickly realized we'd need to cut into the bank that holds the pond in. Let the digging begin!

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[fourbyford]

As we were digging, it became apparent we would need to cut a bit further into the bank to allow us to set a few of the large (2'x2'x3'... 1,800#) landscaping blocks to hold the bank. Fortunately, he works for a concrete company... they sell them for a very reasonable price...
But, more digging!

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[Miss the Pontiacs]

Good job on the build, especially when you do most of the work. How many acres do you have to work with?
Only problem I see is that you are not far enough to the North.
Have a great Christmas and Good Luck

 

[fourbyford]

All in, we moved 8 - 10 yards of dirt...
The digging wasn't too bad, except for the far right corner. This pond was built about 80 years ago. They brought in loads of clay and compacted it with a dozer. (Neighbor knew the guy that built it) ...after the compaction and 80 years of weather, that area was about like digging concrete! I had to get out the digging bar and a pick to loosen it up enough that he could get the last yard or so out with the loader. Total time was less than 4 hours.

When I first started looking for posts, I wasn't having much locally... I need a couple of 20' 6x6's... pressure treated. He reminded me of a little, out of the way place that caters more to the farmers and ranchers...
I called them and they have what I need (in the immediate future) in stock!

So, it's off to the big city for me... first thing in the morning.

Then, hopefully, we'll auger some holes.
We also need to figure out when we'll haul/place the blocks... after we haul and level a couple of loads of gravel.

My goal for now is to get the outer walls built and a roof overhead... this will be the new home for the tractor... for now. Gravel floor... no door...

At some point (after I get my Wyoming properties sold) I'll build a building for the tractor and implements. Then, this addition to my garage will get concrete and a door... I hope to be able to use it as a paint booth.

Guess that's about all I have for now. It's getting late and I need to be up early. The adventure continues!
...D

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[fourbyford]

Hey Pontiacs,

Thanks! We have about 15 acres around the house... I think about 35 acres wooded... some acreage under cultivation. Between the woods, the hillsides, and the fields, it's challenging to find a good place to build. I cant really justify (at this point, anyways) taking land out of crop production.

I'm one that likes to stay busy...
This ought to keep me occupied for a couple of weeks... lol

Then, I can get back to the inside work. Once I get the insulation finished, I'll install my heater in the garage!

...D

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[Miss the Pontiacs]

I grew up on a farm and space is one thing we had. I’m also in the looking for heat options at the moment. Stop by my build thread and check it out when you get a chance.
I like catching these build threads before there are 1000s of entries. I have a habit of starting from the beginning and reading it in full. So it takes awhile to work through them. So finding your thread and checking on your progress is great. Good luck.

 

[fourbyford]

Nice build! I'm a Texaco fan as well... been buying a few odd bits as I run across them. I really like the design of your building... it reminds me of an old station I used to ride my bike to when I was a kid. 5 cent cokes and a bag of peanuts. I got a flat on one of my bike tubes once that, for some reason, I couldn't patch. Took it to the guys in that station and they fixed it with one of the hot vulcanizing patches... for free.
A couple months ago, I ran across 3 of those green porcelain lights... at a very reasonable price! Cant wait to get them working!
...D

 

[fourbyford]

...as far as heat, I just bought a Mr. Heater 80k btu ceiling mounted heater... will convert it to propane. I would REALLY like to have in-floor radiant but, that would involve jack hammering and removing my existing floor to install insulation and concrete... probably won't happen any time soon. I'm thinking seriously about doing in-floor when I do the floor in the new bay. That will be a ways down the road as well... lol
...D

 

[fourbyford]

Woke up yesterday to a soggy morning. Think we got 1/2" or so of rain. Wasn't cold, just wet. No matter... I already had the trailer ready to roll... got a few measurements, loaded up my co-pilot/body guard (my 4 y/o German Shepherd goes everywhere with me) and headed out. It's about a 50 mile drive (one way)... while I was going, I dropped off a couple tractor parts to be cleaned and powder coated and took care of two other errands. Finally made it to the lumber yard and, sure enough, they had the 20' posts. Right next to those were 24' (surprising)... and as I looked a bit further, a stack that had to have been 30' long! I had no idea posts of that length were even available since I used laminated posts in my previous builds.
They had much more rain than we did... their yard was paved (I think) but, in some areas, I drove through water over a foot deep. A younger guy was supposedly "helping" me find and load the things I needed... he must've been pretty new. He didn't really know where to find most of the lumber... between his lack of experience and trying not to wade in water over the top of my (non-waterproof) boots, things took much longer than I expected. It's apparent they no longer require gym class in school?? I pretty much loaded all my own lumber... (and I'm old... lol)... he really didn't have the strength. Nice young man, though...
Anyways, I made it back home as it was getting dark... trailer unloaded and lumber in the garage to keep it dry, before dark.
Woke up to 1/2" of snow this morning... it's mostly gone now... but, things are a bit soggy. According to the weather guessers, we're supposed to clear up... daytime temps near 40°. Christmas tomorrow... we're having the neighbor up for dinner, so, probably wont get much done on the garage. We'll probably haul gravel on Thursday... hopefully landscape blocks on Friday. Auger holes on Saturday. Then, it's all on me... lol
Headed out now to work IN the garage... continue with a bit of electrical and insulation.
Wishing everyone "Merry Christmas"!!
...D

 

[fourbyford]

...so, another Christmas in the books. Spent the morning on the phone with family then started getting the meal together. My plan was to have everything ready at 4:30... I was hustling from just after noon, but, it all came together and exactly on time. Neighbor showed up for an enjoyable evening.
Had hoped to be hauling gravel today but my neighbor had a commitment to go help his brother with a project. Looks like he may have something going on in the morning as well... so, there may not be any gravel until Saturday.
The plan is to haul gravel in his dump trailer so we can dump it exactly where we need it. Access to the area of the build is somewhat limited... a dump truck couldn't get close enough... more work in the long run. Not to mention, many of the gravel pits have closed for the season (although we certainly haven't had "winter" yet)... I may end up buying it from the company he works for, even though it's a bit of a drive.
Since I really couldn't do much outdoors, I worked on insulation in the garage. Made a bit more progress. Temp in the garage today was 34°... not too bad... ya just gotta keep moving!

 

[fourbyford]

Recently, I've seen several questions regarding insulating "pole barns" so I thought I'd share what I've done.

Our garage is post frame construction and was uninsulated when we bought our place. Winters here, so far, haven't been severe... but, when working out there for several hours, it does get a bit chilly. As i was building doors for our closet last winter, the temps were near 30°... I worked one day when it was 26°... tried to work the next day at 24°. At that point, I found the lower limit of my comfort... didn't get much done.

I think the second winter I was here I started insulating the walls. The girts are 2 x 6's nailed "flat" on the posts, leaving a 1 1/2" gap between the face of the post and the outer edge of the girt... perfect spacing for 1 1/2" ridgid insulation. So, I got two of the walls insulated and covered with OSB.

At some point in time, (IIRC, 3 winters ago) I bought and installed two Clopay 2 sided steel, r-18 roll-up doors on my building in Wyoming. These are seriously nice doors. To say the wind blows there is an understatement... the doors have survived several winters with no sign of the slightest problem. I mention this because the farm garage has single sided (and uninsulated) doors and, ever since I installed the insulated doors on the other building, the plan is to replace these doors with the r-18 variety. Then, it occurred to me that it didn't make a lot of sense to buy r-18 doors with r-7.5 (1 1/2" ridgid foam) insulated walls. In addition to the insulation value of the Clopay doors, I really like the construction. The two skins are assembled and foam is injected and cured in place. The doors are very solid, quiet, and function flawlessly. So... the answer was to take the walls apart and add another layer of insulation. And, I decided that, once I opened the walls back up, I should plumb in my air lines and upgrade the electrical... I don't plan on doing this yet again!

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[fourbyford]

So... I began the process of moving piles o' **** and removing the OSB. As I mentioned, the insulation has been in place for several years now. After reading several discussions about placing anything against the steel siding, I wasn't sure what sort of grunge I might find when I removed the foam. Much to my surprise, the foam was clean and dry... steel clean and dry... no sign of a single problem. It gets very damp here in the winter months and into spring... from mid July to mid September it does get fairly warm and dry so it may make a bit of a difference (that we're not hot and humid all summer) but, I haven't seen any sign of a problem with having the insulation against the steel.

So, the girts are 2 x 6's... my plan was to attach horizontal 2 x 4's centered on each girt to give the next layer of insulation something to rest against. I also thought this "offset" might help with air infiltration.

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[fourbyford]

This also allowed me to conceal the wiring in the walls. It took a bit of work to get this wire (in the pic above) to cooperate but, with a bit of fiddling, I got it done. The goal is to not see any of the "utilities"... electrical, air lines, whatever... just want smooth (OSB) painted walls. The original wiring had 5 outlets running along the girt that was about 40" above the floor. The "boxes" were essentially centered in each "bay" of the garage. Because of the way I intend to arrange my equipment, I didn't really have a problem with the locations of the boxes, although I did add a few, I thought I could use a few more outlets.

I decided to "borrow" an idea I had read a while back... apologies to whoever originated it... so, the deal is, in each 4" square box, you install 2 outlets... each on a seperate circuit. So, I can plug in 2 tools, side by side, and not worry about tripping a breaker if both tools would be running at the same time. Guess that would only happen if/when i had someone working with me... but, I figured, while I have the walls opened up, now's the time to get it done. Also, there is a bit of a loft... I'm running power up there for lighting and an outlet or two.

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[fourbyford]

So, as I finished the first couple of sections of wall, I decided to finally get around to setting up some shelving that I acquired at a "bargain price". The reason it was a bargain was that there were some 4' long horizontal rails... and a metric ton of 8 footers. Perfect if I had room to build 4' x 8' shelving, but I dont have room for something that big! So, the solution was to cut the 8' rails into 2' long pieces and install "rivets" in the ends. Actually, we were going to build some shelving the same way at my previous job so I made a couple of pounds of the rivets on the cnc turning center. We ultimately decided against using the shelving at work so I bought it.

So, after cutting the rails to length, I had to cut 45° relief on the back of the rails to allow them to meet at the corners. Then, lay out and drill the clearance holes for the rivets.
I had also made a tool to set the rivets from 416 ss. It was heat treated and ready to go. But, before I really got to work on the shelving, I needed a stand for my anvil... so I didn't have to set all those rivets while kneeling on the floor... lol

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[fourbyford]

And, a bit more about the wiring...

You can see the 2 circuits coming into this box and the wire going to the loft

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[fourbyford]

And, a few pics from earlier this year... when we had snow... lol

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[fourbyford]

I continued working my way around the garage... adding boxes for a few outlets and switches... and got started on the air lines.

Again, I've read several discussions concerning the preferred material for the lines. Some of us prefer galvi pipe, some, pex-al-pex kits, some, soldered copper, and a few... pvc... lol... (just thought I'd throw that in). Anyways, I installed 3/4" galvi pipe in my previous shop... that was about 22 years ago and it's still going strong. I have never seen even a hint of rust particles in my filters, never fouled a tool... haven't noticed a single problem from using this approach. When I helped my buddy build his shop, he did the same thing... galvi for the air system... with the same results over almost the same time period. I did seriously consider using one of the pex-al-pex products... I figured the cost wouldn't have been that different from galvi. Basically, two things resulted in my using the galvi pipe... the first being the comments I'd read about the effort required to straighten the pex-al-pex. Either spend a boat load of time trying to straighten the tubing by hand or, buy/build a tool. The second consideration was that the kits I looked at mentioned the product carried a 3 year warranty. If I was going to surface mount the tubing, I wouldn't have been too worried about it, but, my plan was to bury the lines inside the walls. Replacing a failed fitting or a bad section of tubing would have been a big deal. So, I decided to go with what had worked for me in the past. I realize the pex tubing probably would have lasted more than the 3 year warranty period... but, how much longer? As I mentioned earlier... once I get this project finished, I dont want to have to come back at some point to fix something. If I get 22 years from this install, I'm good. That will put me dangerously close to 90... I'm not sure I'll be too concerned about garage things at that point... although, we never know!

So, I bought some 3/4" pipe and a small truckload of fittings. A year or so back, I was in the Habitat Re-Store and saw a vintage die stock... with a 1/2" npt die installed. At that point, I wasn't sure I had a need to thread 1/2" pipe... debated for a bit, and then shelled out the $6 asking price... only because i thought it might look cool hanging on the wall somewhere. As I decided to use pipe for my air system, I decided to check the interwebs on the off chance I might find a die that I could make fit the die stock. Much to my surprise, I found one!! 3/4" npt! All I needed was the guide bushing to match. Since I dont have my lathe set up yet, my buddy spun one out and sent it to me! Life is good! At about the same time, I found a pipe vice! And, I do have a pipe cutter... in my shop in Wyoming. Not a lot of help, and, a fair drive to go get it. So, I actually bought a new one... Ridgid... nice tool! So, I began cutting, threading and fitting pipe.

And, as I was doing the initial insulation, I installed a vent in the back wall. I built a shelf just under the vent and placed a 20" fan in front of it. Even in the summer, we usually cool off pretty well overnight. The plan was to pull in the cool air til about mid-morning and then turn off the fan and close up the garage. It worked somewhat but, seemed I just wasn't getting much air through the vent... so, I added another. I have a blower from an old furnace that I plan on plumbing up to the vents... pretty sure I can pull some air with that set-up!

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[fourbyford]

On the back wall, I was able to use 3/4" pipe for the main line and each drop... necked down to 1/2" for each drain. My blast cabinet will live on the back wall so, I wanted plenty of air going to it... thus the 3/4" drop. I know, I know, the 3/4" line will supply FAR MORE air than the cabinet could ever use... but, why not? The $$ savings from using a smaller diameter drop is negligible so, 3/4" it is! The drops on the west wall (perpendicular to the wall I've been showing) will have to be 1/2"... because of the way I had to snake the main line around the corner. But, those drops will mostly be for "hand lines" adjacent to the lathe, mill, and a tool chest that will be in between. Should be plenty of air for that purpose.

I have 2 compressors... a 3.5 hp 60 gallon I bought from HD... I've been using it here since I first came out. My other one is a 7.5 hp 80 gallon and is still in my shop Wyoming. Once I get my places there finished up, it WILL be following me here!

Hmmm... guess I actually have 4... I also have 2 portables... a wheelbarrow style I've used on the Wyoming barn project and a 185 cfm I bought to use for sandblasting. At the Wyoming barn, I used to blast outside the barn... its sandy around there anyways... no way to even notice a bit more sand laying around. Here, is a different story. My misses won't be too happy if I make a huge mess with that setup... will need to figure SOMETHING out!

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[NUTTSGT]

Can, here it is.

 

[fourbyford]

Thanks Eric!
...D

 

[fourbyford]

So... it's been a while my last post. Christmas evening, just as we finished dinner, my misses said she wasn't feeling well. She got up from the table and sat in her chair... I figured she was just trying to get out of doing the dishes. A short while later, she got up and went to bed. She pretty much slept for 2 1/2 days. She was feverish and coughing non-stop. And no, I didn't food-poison her... the neighbor and I were just fine. Then, a couple days after that, I began to feel a bit feverish and started to cough. Didn't have the symptoms quite as bad as my misses but, I still felt absolutely wiped out. That lasted about 30 days. Pretty much didn't get anything done in the garage. Out of absolute necessity, I did start the tractor and keep the driveway clear, haul fire wood, etc... the necessities of every day life, but that's about it. It's a good thing we keep the freezer and pantry fairly well stocked because neither of us felt like a trip to the big city and certainly didn't want to expose others to our misery.
Anyways, I think I've finally recovered from what ever that was and have been back in the garage getting things done.
...D

 

[fourbyford]

So, back in December I mentioned that I took a couple of brackets to powder coat. Even though I didn't feel the best, I did manage to go and pick them up. My neighbor brought his tractor to unload them and help install them on my tractor.

Much to my surprise, most of the bolt holes lined up and things went pretty well. I did have to slightly modify one bolt because of a minor misalignment issue and, I was only to install the last bolt about half way. It appears that there is a bolt broken off in the hole. Of course, it's my luck that it's broken off about an inch deep... dont think there's any way to extract the bolt by welding. So... I will drill that one out and chase the threads... just haven't taken the time to do it yet.

No in-progress pics of the install... it was pretty much all-hands- on-deck... my neighbor was busy with his tractor as I was trying to guide the brackets to align the bolt holes...
Nothing really exciting... I was just trying to keep from scratching the paint!

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[fourbyford]

Another project I've been working on is doubling up the purlins in the roof of my garage. The building was constructed fairly well but, given the amount of snow we can get here, the roof has always concerned me. I've seen roofs collapse on several buildings in the area... it would be a good feature if mine didn't suffer the same fate. I debated on this project for some time. The fact is that the building has been standing for more than 10 years. And, I'm relatively certain that the previous owners didn't shovel the roof. But, the roof is a fairly long (approx 26') 3/12 pitch and the purlins are 2 x 8's on approx 20" centers (may be the 19.3xxx" diamond dimension marked on the tape measure). A couple winters back, I had in excess of 3' of wet, heavy snow on the roof. Then, it started to rain, making the snow even heavier. Fortunately, that was the beginning of a warm up and the snow started to melt. I think I dodged a bullet on that one. As I'm getting older, I really don't have a desire to be on a metal roof (even though it's only a 3 pitch) shoveling several feet of snow onto the ground nearly 12' below. I've found i don't bounce anywhere near as well as i once did.

So... the other option was to strengthen the roof. The jury is still out... ultimately, this may be a waste of time and money but, it lets me sleep at night. Besides, as I mentioned before, I want to finish this part of my garage and be done with it. It's not that big of a deal to do all this work now. Once I get the walls and ceilings closed up, it will be. So... here we go.

I've been buying 12' 2 x 8's a few at a time and bringing them home to install. Reason being that usually, I can only find a few good ones at a time and, I like to only buy the lumber I can use within a few days. If it lays around too long, the boards try to turn into pretzel shapes.

The process is fairly simple... cut to length, scamper up the ladder, place each board and screw into place. On a few purlins, I was able to lift the 2 bys into place with my drywall lift (kudos to Matt/Tool Crib of the North for the info on this lift... its absolutely awesome!)... still a lot of trips up and down the ladder but at least I didn't have to lift the boards into place myself. I started this process in the north west corner of my garage for a couple of reasons. First, as I got my air lines, electrical and insulation in place, I needed to install the upper most girt which overlaps the outermost ends of the purlins. Figured it would be much easier to install the doubled purlins BEFORE the wall is in place. And, I needed to get the area finished where my heater will ultimately hang.



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[fourbyford]

And, speaking of heaters, I was able to get it hung on the ceiling. I had initially debated as to the best way to install it. Then, it hit me... duhhh... bought some uni-strut, threaded rod and lags. I still had to scratch my head a bit to figure the best way to get everything lined up since I was mounting it under the 3/12 pitch. I decided to cut a couple of templates from OSB to help out.

I cut a long-ish piece at 20" wide as that would put me in the center of the mounting slots in the heater brackets. I held this template up to the ceiling and held it in place with a couple of screws. Several trips up and down the ladder and several adjustments to the angle of the template and, I was finally able to mark the centerlines for mounting the strut. After that, it was a fairly simple job to lag the strut to the purlins. At that point, I had to make 4 little angle clips to bolt to the strut... I cross drilled 4 coupling nuts... threaded them onto 4 cut off sections of threaded rod and bolted them to the angle clips. The cool thing is the angle clips were easy to adjust to overcome the otherwise compound angle that would have resulted from trying to attach the rod sections directly to the nuts in the strut.

I used the drywall lift, yet again, to lift and hold the heater while I secured it to the bracketry.

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[fourbyford]

Here's a pic of how I used the coupling nuts to attach the threaded rods to the angle clips.

I got the 120v supply and the thermostat wiring connected to the heater...

And, I've been working on getting the vent through the wall... which has been an adventure. I went to the same farm store where I bought my posts and associated lumber for my (now delayed) addition and easily found my B vent (double walled vent pipe required for gas fired appliances)... interestingly enough, Home Depot and other similar stores dont carry it. I was able to find the piping I needed, and a "wall thimble" but nothing I thought would work for a termination cap. I even went to an HVAC install/service company where I've previously bought a few hard to find items... no luck there either. The people I talked to in both places offered a simple solution... vent through the roof! Well, duh, why didn't I think of that?? Maybe it's because of the aforementioned 3' (or more) of snow that will be on the roof at some point. Once that happens and when the snow does finally start to slide, it would likely try to take my vent pipe with it. And, the only roof jack I could find to use on a metal roof was essentially rubber with a metal reinforcement strip around the edges. When I asked how I would form that around a 3/4" rib and attach/seal it to the roof, the answer was screws and "sealant"... in my mind, the perfect recipe for a leaking roof. And, those leaks would be directly over my mill. No thanks.

Another issue was with the wall thimble. I read the owners manual that came with the heater and read a lot at various web sites. The general consensus is that no combustible material should be placed within 1" of the vent pipe... whether installed horizontally or vertically. The wall thimble is supposed to take care of that. It is 2 cylinders, one fitting inside the other, with a flange attached to each half. The cylinders are 2" (diameter) larger than the OD of the vent pipe... the flanges keep the vent pipe centered in the diameter of the thimble. In my usual way of overthinking things, I reasoned that this would probably work well if I were using a non-combustible material for insulation but, since I'm using ridgid foam, I have concerns. I even called the tech line at the company that manufacturers the pipe and thimble. I explained my situation and asked if the thimble would work... the reply was that it would. But, it's been a while since I've talked to anyone who came across as more disinterested than this person did. I'm sure that they get silly a$$ed questions on a regular basis but... In my mind, this is pretty serious stuff... the way you realize you've made a mistake is when you see smoke coming out of your walls.

So, I set out to "improve" the wall thimble with yet another air gap to make sure the heat doesn't get anywhere near the foam. Everything I read and even the tech cautioned against filling their air gap with fiberglass insulation or similar material and, I get it... the air gap is needed to dissipate the heat. My plan though is th add a layer of fiberglass to the air gap I've created to keep the heat at bay. Anyone have any thoughts on this?

Anyways, I have a bit more welding/clean up to do on the new and improved thimble and I'll be ready to cut it into the wall. Once that's in, I'll build my own hood to shelter the vent from the elements.

Then, all I'll have to do is run some black pipe and test/connect the gas lines.

I'll also install the LP conversion kit... a pretty straight forward job. Once I get everything ready, I'll call our propane supplier to come out. They need to change the regulators on our system anyways... while the service guy is here I'll have him check the gas pressure to the heater... and, we'll be up and running!

...D

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[TomcoPDR]

And, a few pics from earlier this year... when we had snow... lol

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Awesome breathe taking views. Country side living so peaceful and calm too

 

[fourbyford]

Thanks! We love it here. Very quiet.
That said, there are some drawbacks... we have a 45 minute drive to get to most necessities... like Home Depot and the Farm Store... oh yeah, and food... lol
And, should the need ever arise, emergency responses are a bit delayed. But, we think the minor inconveniences are worth it.
We regularly see deer, elk, moose, black bear... pretty much any north american wildlife you can imagine within binocular range... if not MUCH closer!
And, we have great neighbors!

...D

 

[fourbyford]

I got the welding and clean up finished on the wall assembly.
In the process of cleaning everything up I inadvertently removed most of the zinc from the portion that will be on the outside of the wall and somewhat exposed to weather. Tomorrow, I'll clean the metal with lacquer thinner and hit it with a coat of Rustoleum hammered silver... will look pretty close to a galvi finish and should be pretty durable.
I'll be cutting into the wall in the morning... should be able to get the vent pipe installed and get started with the gas line.

Don't know how many of you use these rol-loc discs to clean up metal, but they're just handier than a pocket on a shirt. This particular one is a 3" diameter that I find handy for getting into some fairly tight spaces. I also like the 4" size. The twist lock mechanism works very well and makes it fast and easy to change abrasives. Abrasives are available in a variety of types. To begin cleaning welds, I used 50 grit (sometimes 40 or even 36) blue discs... zirconia alumina... these discs are fairly aggressive and long lasting. Then, I switch to maroon scotch brite discs to remove most of the sanding Mark's and deburr and ease edges. Of course, using finer grits of sanding discs and scotch brite will produce a very nice finish.

...D

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[drivesitfar]

4by: sorry I missed seeing this (your) garage thread, but luckily I found it. since i'm subscribed to over 4,000 threads I don't always look at new threads or posts. now that i've marked your thread I'll try to follow along and watch and learn and maybe help if you might need some.

I just started reading this and looks like you've built your barn or garage/shop in Wyoming by yourself with a couple friends. I knew you were/are handy, but that's AWESOME.

I think you probably still have snow so STAY WARM and spring is a coming soon.

cheers

 

[fourbyford]

Hey Drives,
Thanks for stopping by! Yep, I FINALLY got around to starting a build thread.
As far as the Wyoming project, you're right, I did probably 90 - 95% of it by myself. Obviously needed a hand with 50 yards of concrete (done in 2 pours)... had a bit of assistance with some of the roof... and LOT of help (and rented a man lift for the gable ends) for the siding. The eaves of that building are 12' and two of us could easily handle those sheets... even in the Wyoming"breezes". The peaks of the gable ends are over 29' and required three of us to handle those. The siding I used has a shallower profile than most... making the LONG sheets a challenge to handle. Now, I owe my buds some labor in return. Will lend a hand helping one finish some log siding on his house as well as hanging and mudding some 'rock in his new master suite addition... and will help the other build a 30' x 40' post frame building. And, will get my place finished up and on the market. All that fun will begin in a few weeks... if the weather EVER clears up. They've been absolutely hammered with wind and snow since the first of the year. Really glad I'm not there right now!

As far as the build here... making steady progress toward HEAT! Got the hole cut into the wall yesterday. It went ok... although I had been sort of dreading that job. I dont know, something about cutting a large hole in the side of my garage just bothered me. Really wasn't that big of a deal. And, after thinking about it, even if I had "poked the pooch"... everything is fixable. Not that big of a deal.

Anyways, as much as I've said I want to get this thing put together and not have to go back and take something apart... I had to remove a sheet from the wall... YET AGAIN! Good thing I've put everything together with screws! Again, at this point, it's just not a big deal. So, i got the opening cut through the wall and it's even in the right place. The wall contraption fits just fine and I've figured how I'll build a "hood" to cover the outlet. I've mentioned the large amounts of snow that can pile onto the roof. I'll build something substantial enough to withstand the avalanche whenever it might occur.
I'm currently waiting for the paint to dry on the wall contraption... once dry, it will take an hour or so (ok, maybe half a day) to button up the vent. I'll add the hood in a few days. As for today, I'm headed out to work on the gas supply. Have a few holes to drill in the walls and a few pieces of pipe to cut and thread. Hope to have the propane guy out at least by mid week to check the gas pressure... then, fire in the hole!


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[fourbyford]

The last time I was in the big city, I stopped by a metal supplier/fab shop and dropped off a print. I need a stand for my box/pan brake and, although I normally do everything the hardest way possible, I decided to have them shear and bend the parts I need to build the stand. Late Friday, they called and said my parts were ready. Long story short, tomorrow is the day I want to pick them up. Since it's a bit of a drive, I try to accomplish as much as possible when I make the trip.

While I was still working, our shop had a "parts washer"... which is a bit of a stretch... the pump was shot so it was essentially a tub on legs that held cleaning solvent. But, it was a nice tub. In a move that was completely out of character, one day, my boss decided that we needed an actual parts washer and went to H. F. and bought one. So, the tub needed to go away... I bought it for a very reasonable price. I've had no shortage of other things to do, so this job got put on the waaaay back burner. For a while now, I've wanted to get this thing up and running. And I've even watched a few you tube "experts", a few of which actually have some very good ideas for improving parts washers. One of the improvements is to add casters. I was somewhat on the fence with this initially but, after thinking about it, decided it could work.

I'm over 6' tall so one of my objections to most work benches, tables, blast cabinets, parts washers, etc is having to stay in a crouched over position for hours on end while I'm working on things. So, adding longer legs to the tub was definitely on the list. A while back, I had the same steel supplier cut and bend some longer legs from 10 gauge... which also solves the problem resulting from the original legs being made from metal almost as thick as a recycled beer can. Those have been on my shelf since I picked them up because I've been pondering the caster issue. I FINALLY came up with a plan. One reason I've been a bit hesitant with the caster issue is because of the somewhat smallish "wheel base". I could just imagine trying to wheel the washer filled with solvent somewhere and for reasons unknown, the thing topples over spilling gallons of solvent on the floor. After thinking about it for a while, I settled on a way to increase the footprint of the washer. So, I broke out the band saw and welder and started making parts. The push is to have them ready to take with me tomorrow... to drop off for powder coat. To allow the swiveling casters to rotate 360°, I needed to add a bit of steel. I got the parts cut, hot-glue together and cleaned up this evening... will get holes drilled in the morning.

Not a lot of in progress pics... not too exciting to see a hunk of steel on a band saw and I'm not nearly talented enough to snap a pic while I weld. Anyways, will have some assembly pics once I pick these parts up from powder coat.

I took the parts out to the "unfinished" bay of the garage to do the grinding and cleanup... don't need to be quite so concerned about where the sparks are flying.

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[drivesitfar]

4by: can you (or did you) post up a few pics of your parts washer? sounds like you can maybe make a shelf or two under it and maybe have some tools hanging from it too with all your extra steel and welding skills?

good luck

is your power coating guy a drop off and same day turn around or do you have to make another trip into town to pic them up another day? expensive?

hope you are staying warm!!

 

[fourbyford]

Hey Drives,
Not much to see at the moment. I did drop off the parts today and all I have left is the actual tub. I will post up as I'm assembling everything. I think it'll be pretty cool when it's finished. It will have a shelf about 4" above the floor... should be a good place to keep wire brushes and other cleaning supplies. I actually have enough room that I could add a second shelf... we'll see.
The powder coat shop stays very busy. They said they'll call me early next week. A lot of it depends on the size of jobs they have going at any given time and the colors they are using and the color you request. When I dropped off the parts for my green tractor she mentioned that they dont use that color very often and it might be a few extra days. I assume it's because of cleaning the paint room and equipment... if they're primarily running dark colors (I think they do a lot of black) it would be a pita to have to clean everything up to run a fairly small job in green. They actually got those parts finished sooner than she thought. I've had several things done... they usually crank them out pretty fast.
Not terribly expensive. I had the wheels on my truck done a couple years ago and IIRC, I'm thinking it was about 35 bucks a pop (x 7 wheels)... not bad in my mind. They blast them before coating and do a great job.
I picked up the parts to build the stand for my box/pan brake today as well. I think I'll wait till I get some heat in my shop before I start that one. It was 30° in there when I went out at 7 this morning. Worked til 1:30... got a bit chilled so I jumped in a HOT shower before heading to the big city. Trying to stay warm!! Should have heat soon!
We're supposed to be clear and warmer for a few days... how about you?

Take care,
...D