Converting a cattle barn to a shop

[fflintstone]

When I bought my acreage in 1998, the previous owner had built a basement, a 32 x 48 cattle barn and a 12 x 12 shed. Over the years I built my house on the basement, turned the shed into a sauna, moved it, added a lean to. I also built another lean to, to keep jeep projects and 3 pt equipment out of the rain. Over the last 12 years I didn’t do much with the barn other than use it as a shop to build the house and the things in it. I managed to fill it up with a lot of ****. After moving here full time in July, I had to start turning the barn in to a shop. It took a long time to pull everything out. I finally poured a concrete floor on October 21st. now I am starting to work on it. I have run some electrical and added 9 windows (I like natural light). I am doing everything on the cheap as I am unemployed, formerly working in automotive engineering.
Here is what I have done so far.
BTW my goal is to add a lean to on the east side of the barn for vehicle/tractor storage so no windows are placed on that wall.


HERE I AM ADDING WINDOWS TO THE SOUTH FACING WALL.

HERE IS A VIEW INSIDE WITH NO LIGHTS ON.

HERE IS A VIEW OF MY FUTURE 8’ x 8’ OFFICE W/SLEEPING LOFT.

HERE IS A SHAMELESS PLUG OF MY CUSTOM JEEP.

HERE IS AN OUTSIDE VIEW OF ALL THE WINDOWS.

I didn’t pay more than $30 each for any of the windows. I used a lot of materials I had on hand. I will post more pictures when I get more done but I have to curtail what I want to do as I have run out of money. Unless federal unemployment extensions come thru, I will be screwed in short order.

 

[m.james]

Looking good. Lets hope that money comes through so you can continue your project.

 

[sscustom]

wow thats gonna look nice when its done

 

[andersen24]

O.K. - I love the digital camo on the plug for the Jeep! LOVE IT!

 

[tc2000]

O.K. - I love the digital camo on the plug for the Jeep! LOVE IT!

Me too! I've never seen that before.

 

[fflintstone]

O.K. - I love the digital camo on the plug for the Jeep! LOVE IT!

Me too! I've never seen that before.

If you follow the link to jeep forum in my signature it covers the build of my jeep. The paint is really nothing compared to all the work on the body, and all the stuff I fabricated.
Still waiting to do my final mod, grafting a WWII Willys MB 9 slot grill into the wrangler grill shell. The thread shows my progress
Here is another picture with the matching trailer..

 

[Jack Olsen]

That's a nice building.

 

[keduner]

That is going to be a great building. The light you have introduced into the space is going to really make it special. Nice Jeep too

 

[HOTFR8]

Nice building and nicely set up Jeep. Keep up the good work and please post progress of your building works.

 

[evs1]

What is the ell shaped piece of angle on the towbar?

 

[fflintstone]

What is the ell shaped piece of angle on the towbar?

an "anti decapitation device". In france during WWII, the Germans would string wire across roads about neck high. so the GI's fabed up some angle iron and welded it to the bumper.

 

[littletoes]

I HAVE JEEP ENVY! I have some Marine Friends that would just love that paint job.

Nice shop, keep up the pics. Can't wait to see the benches go in, a big 'ol vice, you name it!

 

[fflintstone]

Yeah I can’t wait to unload everything from the trailer. I wish I had an extra $1,000 and a couple more months of unemployment benefits coming. I could really do a lot over the winter.

 

[evs1]

an "anti decapitation device". In france during WWII, the Germans would string wire across roads about neck high. so the GI's fabed up some angle iron and welded it to the bumper.

Would that be a problem where he lives?

 

[Skaal-tel 79]

an "anti decapitation device". In france during WWII, the Germans would string wire across roads about neck high. so the GI's fabed up some angle iron and welded it to the bumper.

Modern military vehicles retain wire cutters in front of hatches for precisely this reason.

 

[Krokodil]

Very nice job on the windows!

 

[jabberwoki]

So nice love the patina on the walls. Thats going to be awsome!

 

[Grizz1963]

Would love a barn like that.

The Jeep has all the ingredients I like.

 

[Chaz]

That's gonna be a great one! Most shops are inherintly ugly because they are just boxes or quonsets built to house square footage.
Barns are one of the few designs that house square footage attractively. Think about the image that forms in your brain when you say the word "warehouse"
Now try the words "farmhouse" or "barn"
Good luck with your project!

 

[fergus]

Nice man...love it. Makes me wanna find some windows and throw them on my garage.

 

[JetLinkin]

O.K. - I love the digital camo on the plug for the Jeep! LOVE IT!

Yeah that looks really cool, never seen anything like that.

 

[JetLinkin]

Oh, and the shop space is coming along very nicely too! Not too many spaces like that out here in the 'burbs so I'll have to live vicariously through others.

 

[littletoes]

Just wish I had some more room! Had to throw the boat in my garage for the winter (snowing now!), and BOY did THAT shrink the space. All the yard equipment is now crammed around my tool box, barely have room to get at the tools.

Your shop looks good to me fflinstone!

 

[fflintstone]

Nice man...love it. Makes me wanna find some windows and throw them on my garage.

I bought most of them at a habitat ReStore. They were cheap! The trapezoid is an Anderson and I paid $30 for it. The large 3 lite dual casement is an ancient non-clad Anderson and it was $5 the largest window is an opening Anderson casement I got off CL for $30. The two smallest windows came out of Grammy’s house before it was demo’d.

I still want an opening awning or casement to put on the north wall above my welding. I may go to another ReStore that has a lot of windows, but they are double what the next nearest Restore charges.

 

[fergus]

I bought most of them at a habitat ReStore. They were cheap! The trapezoid is an Anderson and I paid $30 for it. The large 3 lite dual casement is an ancient non-clad Anderson and it was $5 the largest window is an opening Anderson casement I got off CL for $30. The two smallest windows came out of Grammy’s house before it was demo’d.

I still want an opening awning or casement to put on the north wall above my welding. I may go to another ReStore that has a lot of windows, but they are double what the next nearest Restore charges.

Yeah, my local Restore charges a lot for windows...can't remember what it is...but its by the square foot and it aint that cheap.

 

[fflintstone]

Yeah, my local Restore charges a lot for windows...can't remember what it is...but its by the square foot and it aint that cheap.

keep hitting Craigslist!!!!

I have 4 ReStore's within an hour drive and the stuff and prices vary wildly. In general, the more upscale the community, the better the stuff they have. One store has a lot of new windows but their prices are high, but less than closeout prices at a lumberyard. I really want an opening window for welding fumes. I might have to bite the bullet. The cheaper windows are at the second closest store. I picked up a couple deals at my local ReStore, 5 gal of concrete sealer for $20, $25 for an Quickcrete garage floor kit, drycore for $2 a square. I find tools are typically very high priced, often right at or slightly above current retail. Personally I think they should price that stuff to move.

 

[fflintstone]

Just wish I had some more room! Had to throw the boat in my garage for the winter (snowing now!), and BOY did THAT shrink the space. All the yard equipment is now crammed around my tool box, barely have room to get at the tools.

Your shop looks good to me fflinstone!

I actually plan to eventually store NO vehicles in the shop. The tractor, motorcycles and ATV will go in this year. Last winter, I had that and my truck and jeep stored in there as well. The plan is to build a lean to on the side of the barn for everything with wheels.

 

[stormr]

great shop, love the old barn look it has, nice to see there are others like me who'll take an old building and transform that into a garage/shop rather than tearing it down and building a new one.

 

[fflintstone]

great shop, love the old barn look it has, nice to see there are others like me who'll take an old building and transform that into a garage/shop rather than tearing it down and building a new one.

Thanks! Heck I can’t even afford to do this one let alone build something from scratch. The $2200 for concrete killed all the money I had saved for a TIG welder. I was really hoping to get some temporary work from my former employer this fall, but no joy there.

 

[jktruck150]

Nice place and nice jeep!

 

[fflintstone]

I got to a point where I couldn’t do much more work without my tablesaw. My wife and I untarped the trailer and I got the saw and a few other things off the trailer before retarping it.

 

[Motown 454]

This is a great build. I love the Jeep too.

 

[fflintstone]

This is a great build. I love the Jeep too.

Thanks! I am pretty proud of the jeep. Yesterday I got a reply on the jeep forum from a guy in Romania. My jeep inspired him to do an urban digital camo on a land rover. Its nice to make friends with people on the other side of the world.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Going to be a great shop when it's finished.

How many hours did your have in masking and painting that jeep ?

 

[fergus]

Thanks! I am pretty proud of the jeep. Yesterday I got a reply on the jeep forum from a guy in Romania. My jeep inspired him to do an urban digital camo on a land rover. Its nice to make friends with people on the other side of the world.

You know Flintstone, I like it so much I'm even considering doing something similar on my '43 GPW...if'n that's alright with you. I just don't want another olive drab jeep rolling down the road...

 

[fflintstone]

Going to be a great shop when it's finished.

How many hours did your have in masking and painting that jeep ?

I laid out the squares /patterns then my wife masked the areas in between. It really only took about 5 total for each color. After I got the base coat of the C.A.R.C. dessert tan it took about 5 days to finish, working around the weather (I paint outside, no booth) If you go to the thread link in my signature line one of the first posts has a photobucket link to the restoration album and there are pictures of the process. The hardest part is actually cutting the stencils for all the lettering. (I still haven’t added tire pressure stencils) the stencils are cut by hand with an exacto knife.

 

[aqr81]

I don't know which I like better, the jeep or the shop. They are both great!

 

[fflintstone]

You know Flintstone, I like it so much I'm even considering doing something similar on my '43 GPW...if'n that's alright with you. I just don't want another olive drab jeep rolling down the road...

I wouldn’t do it to a REAL GPW, unless it was quite unoriginal, say lifted on 35’s with a small block Chevy under the hood. (But I get realty sick of seeing a 48 2A or 51 3A in olive drab with a white star on the hood)
If I had money shooting out of my a$$ I would love to do a unlimited Rubicon in a urban/snow digital camo (white/grey/black)

 

[NUTTSGT]

You actually used CARC paint ? Isn't that high dollar stuff ? Pretty nasty if I remember right ?

 

[fflintstone]

You actually used CARC paint ? Isn't that high dollar stuff ? Pretty nasty if I remember right ?

IMO "real" CARC paint is the two stage (catalyzed) paint applied when the vehicle is assembled. All two stage paints (base and catalyst mixed before and or during spraying) are expensive. And IIRC that particular stuff is nasty, both to apply and sanding/repair.
I have been told that resprays, camo, ETC that are done in motor pools use a simple single stage urethane enamel.
I bought a single stage urethane enamel from a military paint supplier. It was not expensive. It was labeled as a CARC paint. It adhered beautifully to the epoxy primer but I had a few small issues where it went over what was the original color. I have a lot of issues with the adhesion on the trailer, that I attribute to the rattlecan paint the previous own did, and the solvent I used to paint with.