Converting a cattle barn to a shop

[fflintstone]

I enjoyed reading through your thread. Great job on the conversion so far, and sharp looking Jeep. I noticed you have EOD on your bumper, are you an EOD tech?

No, not an EOD tech, but it would be a cool job. I tried to do a tribute to a man I never got to meet. Mom remembers a picture of her dad with the screaming eagles patch. (101st airborne division) I once asked grandma what she knew about what happened to grandpa. The jist of what I got out of her was he died around Christmas in 1944 and “built bridges and blew up bridges” that would make him a combat engineer. I did the unit markings as what they “could have been”.
I built the jeep as my interpretation of what a jeep would look like if “Willys still made jeeps for the military”
I get mixed reactions on the jeep from veterans (usually positive, but combat changes people). I had a cop talk my ear off about it, then when he found out I had not served he went ballistic. I thought he was going beat the **** out of me. I informed him of my grandfather sacrifice and then said “I figured he died giving me the right to paint my jeep any f$%^&ing way I wanted to”. As quickly as he blew up, he returned to sanity and apologized to me and promptly left. Regardless I now try to avoid interaction with LEO’s
Most people like it, kids, and my kid in particular. I like digital camo and I was the first person to put it on a jeep that I know of. If you Google “digital camo jeep” my post in jeepforum is usually #1.

 

[fflintstone]

Love the shop, love the jeep man!! I've got a question for you about your board insulation. What R value would you guess you've got in there now? Did you do 1 or 2 layers of 1 inch, (I've forgotten now)?

I've got a 24' X 26' detached garage I'd like to insulate on the cheap and that looks like that might work!!

Oh yeah, and we went to Dallas over the XMAS to New Year's week and while there I took my boys to the Malibu Speed Zone that they have there. They have chromed 12" adjustable wrenches on the doors to use as handles there. That was the first time I'd seen that, and then a couple of weeks later I see the same idea on your build!!

Keep on plugging and good luck finding a job!

The insulation is 2” thick total. 1” boards are still only $6 at Lowes and I think they are the same price at Menards. They rate the boards at R4, so R8 for my walls. If it is a sunny day the shop is 5-10 degrees warmer than out side. As soon as I get the shelf done I have to add the single layer of insulation to create a ceiling. I have to put my rough electrical in before that. Once I can afford to add a metal ceiling then I would like to throw R13 bats up above the foam board for an R17 ceiling.
I bought all the rusty wrenches at a tractor show 14 years ago @ 5 for $1. I picked up 6 or 7 bucks worth and put handles on my kitchen cabinets. I took them out before I put my house up for a short sale. I used the biggest one as a handle for the door. I need to put larger fasteners on due to the weight of the door. Unfortunately I need one of my drill presses to drill out the wrenches. All my big tools are still under a tarp.

 

[JC23]

Man, fflintstone,

I gots to give you a big thumbs up for staying with it. I been the bucks down route and it's no day at the beach. Good on ya for keeping at it.

I did something like that when I got laid off some years ago. I had just bought my house so I used the fall to start painting it. (There was no garage at the time.) Turned out, we had a long warm fall so I got it done.

Kinda like you. Keep it going, man. You're doing great!

 

[fflintstone]

Man, fflintstone,

I gots to give you a big thumbs up for staying with it. I been the bucks down route and it's no day at the beach. Good on ya for keeping at it.

I did something like that when I got laid off some years ago. I had just bought my house so I used the fall to start painting it. (There was no garage at the time.) Turned out, we had a long warm fall so I got it done.

Kinda like you. Keep it going, man. You're doing great!

THANKS!

 

[Bull]

What is the shear strength of 3/4 plywood, anyway?

 

[fflintstone]

What is the shear strength of 3/4 plywood, anyway?

8,600 - 9,800 N/mm Shear through thickness rigidity, depending on manufacturer.
I wont do the pound feet or inch conversion. I know I can hang my rather large middle-aged self off of it with no problems. I don’t plan on stacking BBC long blocks on it.
I hope that answers your question.


If you want to look.
http://www.canply.org/english/products/comparison/comparison185.htm

 

[2ndgenguy]

No, not an EOD tech, but it would be a cool job. I tried to do a tribute to a man I never got to meet. Mom remembers a picture of her dad with the screaming eagles patch. (101st airborne division) I once asked grandma what she knew about what happened to grandpa. The jist of what I got out of her was he died around Christmas in 1944 and “built bridges and blew up bridges” that would make him a combat engineer.

People can be strange. I think its a good looking Jeep and thats a great story. P.S. I am an EOD tech, and it is a great job.

 

[fflintstone]

People can be strange. I think its a good looking Jeep and thats a great story. P.S. I am an EOD tech, and it is a great job.

I like how some of the marine EOD’s were the first to be issued the Barrett M82 .50 cal. Nice toy!
Thanks for the complement on the jeep.

 

[fflintstone]

Well I finally finished the framing for my “BIG *** SHELF” here are the pictures. Now I just need to buy 4 sheets of ¾ subflooring.

By fflintstone at 2011-01-20

By fflintstone at 2011-01-20

 

[Jack Olsen]

Very nice.

 

[Nighttrain]

Real nice shelves. I give you credit for getting out there in the cold. If i gets below 50* I am looking for projects inside the house to work on.

Also that Jeep is top notch. A great way to give tribute to your grand dad.

 

[fflintstone]

Very nice.

Thanks! High praise coming from the man with arguably the cleanest, most organized garage on this site.
Temps are single digits today and tomorrow. I don’t know if I will get out there. I did go into town last night and get 4 sheets of ¾” sub flooring.

 

[fflintstone]

Real nice shelves. I give you credit for getting out there in the cold. If i gets below 50* I am looking for projects inside the house to work on.

Also that Jeep is top notch. A great way to give tribute to your grand dad.

Thanks! As I just said Temps are single digits today and tomorrow. BURR!!! FUDGE!!!
When it is in the mid 20’s and sunny the south side of the shop gets into the 30’s around 3:00 but by 5:00 it starts dropping quick. I can work all day in carhartt bibs and a thermal shirt if the temps are 40. If I have to wear insulated bibs and PAC boots then it really slows me down. I absolutely hate climbing a ladder in PAC boots.

I think I might help my wife in the house work on organizing.

 

[fflintstone]

Ok, we only got 10” in the “storm of the century” what we did have are huge winds and drifts. The parking area in front of the bar seamed to only have about 6” but I spent triple the time plowing everything. One thing about the wind, anywhere I had a gap in the shop I have fine snow around it. I have a 1’gap around my only door and it blew a layer of snow 30’ back from the door.
I haven’t been doing much outside the last week, but I will finish my “big A$$ shelf" soon and post pictures.

This is what my jeep looks like with 10” of wind driven snow. I like the little mountain of snow on the winch.

By fflintstone at 2011-02-03

 

[V-10 Killer]

Looking forward to the new pics

Call me sick but I was loving this storm lol
Seeing 4' high drifts across M46 and M30 was pretty dang cool.
I sold my plow truck last year for my current vehicle. Wife actually misses it. She's already ok'd a quad and plowblade before next winter

 

[fflintstone]

Looking forward to the new pics

Call me sick but I was loving this storm lol
Seeing 4' high drifts across M46 and M30 was pretty dang cool.
I sold my plow truck last year for my current vehicle. Wife actually misses it. She's already ok'd a quad and plowblade before next winter

You’re not sick! I was hoping for the 12”-20” originally forecast. I wanted to be snowed in. the preschool was already cancelled so we were going to hunker down and enjoy it. I even pulled a ham out of the freezer and we had a “special meal”.

My driveway is a little too long for a quad with a plow. I had a few drifts that were higher than the plow, but nothing a few extra passes would not cure. My neighbor lives right on the road and he has both a plow truck and a quad w/blade. We both plow the county road in front of our house. It is probably illegal but we both do it.
I just rigged a quick attach framework to an old western plow. It attached to the loader on my tractor. I also added a foot of blade width to one side so if my wife ever had to plow she would be less likely to put it in the ditch.

PM me your phone #; I found a woodworking book at the local library that you would enjoy.

Here is my plow rig.

By fflintstone at 2011-02-03

 

[fflintstone]

Here is the finished BIG A$$ SHELF, 32’ wide, 4’ deep and 40” to the ceiling height. The average storage tote is the 18 gallon size and they average 22” long 15” wide & 12” tall. I can put 144 of them up there! At last a place for all my wife’s @#%^&* Christmas ornaments.
The clearance under the shelf is 8’ for the most part. I plan on setting up my drill presses and wood working tools along this wall.

By fflintstone at 2011-02-07

By fflintstone at 2011-02-07

By fflintstone at 2011-02-07

 

[fflintstone]

I should have posted this earlier here but it was in some previous posts when I first joined the forum.

By fflintstone at 2011-02-07

 

[LennyTheLizard]

Subscribed. Great Job! I'm trying to soak up everyone's ideas while I save money to finish my building. Love that shelf. I definitely hope to use that Idea!

 

[fflintstone]

Subscribed. Great Job! I'm trying to soak up everyone's ideas while I save money to finish my building. Love that shelf. I definitely hope to use that Idea!

I wish the guy that built the barn would have made it 14’ ceiling instead of 12”. I would have built a mezzanine and a heated workspace underneath.
You have to play the cards you are dealt though.


This is a good place for ideas. I can’t think of any I have implemented but I am not done yet. I never thought much about decorating my shop but after seeing some of the stuff in here I will now have to.
I now know I “need” a big clock and thermometer.

 

[harrisor]

I like the layout

 

[fflintstone]

I like the layout

Thanks!

 

[4StarCstms]

I love it. Gotta hand it to ya working out there with it being winter ... BRRRR!! If I cant get mine up to 55 or 60 It just ***** the enjoyment out of it -

Love your storage shelf too!

 

[e-tek]

Only a real (?) man makes room for his **** collection in his autocad!!

Great space.

 

[fflintstone]

Only a real (?) man makes room for his **** collection in his autocad!!

Great space.

Thanks!

My 4-year-old son is getting bigger and the top drawer of the entertainment center is no longer safe. The main reason I want an office in the shop is to keep that stuff out of sight.
I also plan on a sleeping loft for the times when I don’t want to be in the same room as my wife.

 

[fflintstone]

I love it. Gotta hand it to ya working out there with it being winter ... BRRRR!! If I cant get mine up to 55 or 60 It just ***** the enjoyment out of it -

Love your storage shelf too!

thanks!

I have to say that even @ 30 I cant stay more than 3-4 hours out there at best. And that is with an hour break for lunch. There are times where I can’t get up the enthusiasm to go out there for several days. I need to do some rough electrical for the lighting and also put up some of the ceiling insulation boards. I absolutely hate being on a ladder in insulated clothes and Pac boots. I don’t even like being on the scaffolding if it is not next to a wall.

 

[wagonmaster]

Great job...I'm looking at some property that has a similar barn. Such a project could be in my future and yours is great!!

 

[fflintstone]

Great job...I'm looking at some property that has a similar barn. Such a project could be in my future and yours is great!!

Glad I could help.

 

[WNGER 83]

Nice Work.

 

[fflintstone]

Nice Work.

Thanks! and welcome to garage journal.

 

[OBNXIOUS]

Any updates?

 

[fflintstone]

Any updates?

Sorry no, I suffer from depression and I have had serious motivation problems the last few weeks. I have to do some work in the next week though, as my sons birthday party is next Saturday and I have to set up his bounce house in the shop. I am really sick of working on the barn and want to do some welding, but I need stuff done out there before I can spend the money on service cable, and I would prefer to dig the trench when the ground is not frozen.

 

[Indy78]

I have to get concrete poured, electric ran and lights up for my sons birthday. But luckily i have till fall. Good luck getting ready.

 

[fflintstone]

I have to get concrete poured, electric ran and lights up for my sons birthday. But luckily i have till fall. Good luck getting ready.

Pouring the floor was the biggest problem/anxiety for me. Since I just moved here full time, I had to empty the garage of all the **** I had just put in their, and all the stuff that had been collecting over the last ten years. Then I had to make the floor flat. (Not as hard as I thought it would be.) Getting people to help me was the worst though. I actually ended up writing off an old friend over the whole deal.
I started clearing out the garage in August. I didn’t pour until late October.
All in all I wish I had poured a floor when I first bought the property and nothing was in it, and I had disposable income. I could have paid someone to do it then for what the concrete cost me now.

 

[OBNXIOUS]

The weather I m sure doesn't help much with motivation as well! Either way, whenever you get a chance to get back at it, I m excited to see how this turns out! Good luck with the birthday party!

 

[Mattlt]

I may have missed this, and I apologize if I did, but are you putting any covering on the exterior of the building? Personally, I'd be concerned about moisture getting in between the cracks in those boards and not really having a way to dry out. Especially now that there's insulation in there to hold moisture.

We had a couple of sheds like this on the farm when I was growing up. The board and batten siding, I mean. They look neat.

Nice work on your project. I especially like the shelf.

 

[fflintstone]

I may have missed this, and I apologize if I did, but are you putting any covering on the exterior of the building? Personally, I'd be concerned about moisture getting in between the cracks in those boards and not really having a way to dry out. Especially now that there's insulation in there to hold moisture.

We had a couple of sheds like this on the farm when I was growing up. The board and batten siding, I mean. They look neat.

Nice work on your project. I especially like the shelf.

First of all my siding is just board siding not board and batten, as such water intrusion is great but wind intrusion dried it up in short order. To cut down on wind I put up tarpaper on the backside of the boards. While not a 100% seal it drastically cut down on wind and water intrusion.
Unfortunately for me the building will never really be “tight”, as such moisture from any heat generation will have ways of migrating out.
I do have some rough sawn ½ x 6 wood that I plan on ripping in half to make actual battens to go over the cracks. I have had the wood for 9 years now so I have and have had more pressing issues.
Hope this answers your question.

EDIT: On the first page there are some shots of the inside showing both the original shrinkage gaps of the boards and the tarpaper that was put up, these show it in progress not all the tarpaper that went up.

 

[fflintstone]

Well I finally got out there for 2 hours today. I HATE LADDERS AND SCAFFOLDING! After moving a bunch of stuff around I was able to put up the first of 48 sheets of 1” foam board the will be my temporary ceiling. The thing about getting this one section up is now I can move my tall gorilla shelves up against the wall. After I get some more up and the shelves move I will snap a picture.

 

[OBNXIOUS]

Nice! Should notice a bit of temperature change once you get it done!

 

[fflintstone]

I had a bit of a setback tonight.
I posted this in the general discussion.


I just lost HALF my tools!

Tonight about 10:00 PM one of my outbuildings caught fire. In it was my Quincy air compressor, my toolbox with 95% of my hand tools, my plasma cutter, Mig welder and oxy acetylene tanks.
This *****! I hope I don’t have any problems with my insurance Co.






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