dungbeetle
Member
I think that aptly describes me.
I retired from being a computer programmer about 6 years ago and started doing what I did 40 years earlier when I was 16.... ie. building cars and chasing 16 year old girls (fortunately I haven't caught any, otherwise I'd be writing this from jail).
The first thing I figured out was that I needed more garage space. My brother who is a general contractor started talking about wood trusses and walls and techniques that I knew nothing about. Since I had spent the previous 30 years at a computer keyboard, I didn't have any preconceived notions about how to go about the task, so one day, I went out and bought a welder. It seemed like the thing to do at the time.
Partly because I thought it might work, and partly because I don't like heights, I welded up the entire roof of a 22 by 24 garage on the ground. It was relatively easy putting on the roofing as I stood there next to it. Using a small tractor, I picked up one side of the roof and welded a wall to it. Then I picked up the other side and welded a wall to it. At first, I only used 6 foot walls because I was being cautious.
But, things worked out well, so with more confidence, I proceeded to build a 30 x 48 foot shop with 10 foot walls for mechanic work... followed by a 30 by 24 foot shop for welding, and then the original 22 by 24 shop was expanded to 22 x 48 so it could hold a spray booth.
Anyone who finds this interesting can see greater elaboration at
http://www.ohran.com/richard/
I've insulated my shops with 1.5 inch foam insulation. It works well to keep them cool in the summer. In the winter I heat them with coal. So, even though I could probably insulate them better, it's hardly worth the effort. So far this year I have used about 4000 lbs of coal which cost me about 75 bucks.
Does this qualify me as a nut case? I haven't fully finished any cars yet, but I've had a lot of fun building these shops. I wish I could think of a reason to build another one.
Richard
I retired from being a computer programmer about 6 years ago and started doing what I did 40 years earlier when I was 16.... ie. building cars and chasing 16 year old girls (fortunately I haven't caught any, otherwise I'd be writing this from jail).
The first thing I figured out was that I needed more garage space. My brother who is a general contractor started talking about wood trusses and walls and techniques that I knew nothing about. Since I had spent the previous 30 years at a computer keyboard, I didn't have any preconceived notions about how to go about the task, so one day, I went out and bought a welder. It seemed like the thing to do at the time.
Partly because I thought it might work, and partly because I don't like heights, I welded up the entire roof of a 22 by 24 garage on the ground. It was relatively easy putting on the roofing as I stood there next to it. Using a small tractor, I picked up one side of the roof and welded a wall to it. Then I picked up the other side and welded a wall to it. At first, I only used 6 foot walls because I was being cautious.
But, things worked out well, so with more confidence, I proceeded to build a 30 x 48 foot shop with 10 foot walls for mechanic work... followed by a 30 by 24 foot shop for welding, and then the original 22 by 24 shop was expanded to 22 x 48 so it could hold a spray booth.
Anyone who finds this interesting can see greater elaboration at
http://www.ohran.com/richard/
I've insulated my shops with 1.5 inch foam insulation. It works well to keep them cool in the summer. In the winter I heat them with coal. So, even though I could probably insulate them better, it's hardly worth the effort. So far this year I have used about 4000 lbs of coal which cost me about 75 bucks.
Does this qualify me as a nut case? I haven't fully finished any cars yet, but I've had a lot of fun building these shops. I wish I could think of a reason to build another one.
Richard
. We're seeing a lot of interesting DIY stuff going on here lately. Just make sure the back of your tractor is weighed down, or you might be in for a ride 
