My 24x32

[2drx4]

The contractor has basically done his part, so now it's on to me.

It's 24x32, with basically a 11' ceiling. The door is a 10x10. The man door on the side is oversized. There's a 100A sub, and a NG stub in the one corner. PEX in the slab if I want to do radiant.

Firstly, I need them to finish the few things they have to do... Then I need to deal with the driveway, walkways, yard, etc.

I'm not sure what's best for the driveway. I don't have the cash to do concrete this year, no idea what paving costs (I assume similar to concrete). I think I'll start by getting some crusher chips and at least throwing them down. Then what? Some pavers for the walkway in the back, and probably pavers for the parking spot beside the shop. Thoughts?

 

[98XJ]

driveway,, you don't need no stinking driveway,, lol that jeep is all you need..
im a jeep man my self.. o ya the garage looks great I like it keep use posted

 

[2drx4]

driveway,, you don't need no stinking driveway,, lol that jeep is all you need..
im a jeep man my self.. o ya the garage looks great I like it keep use posted

All my vehicles are 4wd. I've got that Jeep, a big ol' POS CTD Dodge, and an old POS chebby. And a trailer, which is more the issue as far as being moved around than the other things. Anyways, I'd rather it doesn't get rutted out too bad or turn into a mudhole. Any ruts that wind up in it now just get worse once it freezes. Then it can be murder, even with 4wd

It's also always been bad for tracking dirt into the house. The old driveway was the same, but there might have been a light layer of crusher chips on it, or it was just washed clean by the years of rain/snow.

 

[RbrtAWhyt]

That's a nice look place you have. Very nice!

 

[kyle@hcb]

I like the layout. Cool space!

 

[HSpencer]

Great design. One bay for the vehicle, the balance for the shop. Should work well!! You have a nice place there. Once the grass is in, it will be beautiful.

Best Regards
Herb Spencer

 

[2drx4]

Shifting gears into something else.

I want to plumb the shop for air, but I hate the random air couplings sticking out everywhere.

So after much looking at random things in the hardware store, I came up with this. Maybe it'll work well, maybe it will be a colossal waste of effort and money.

They're outdoor outlet boxes, which are tapped for 1/2" conduit. I threaded a 1/2" NPT ****** into the rear of them, tapped the inside of the ****** to 3/8" NPT, then bushed the 3/8" down to 1/4" and attached a 1/4" M coupler.

The one with the T fitting will be mounted at bench height, the one with the elbow will be mounted at floor height. Flip up cover will hide what's inside when not in use (I think I will buy metal covers, the boxes are metal and that cover is plastic, and kinda flimsy ****).

Homodepot did not have enough brass for me to do all of them, but I've made 7 plus one that houses a draincock (for the compressor) so far. Plan is to stick the compressor in the attic (compressor is not big or fancy).

Also, I'm not going to surface mount those boxes, despite that being how they're intended...

 

[nolimits76]

Interesting design. What was the logic with having a "split level" driveway? Looks like you did quite a bit of grading work. I might have built up the building pad for the garage and the other side of the driveway and put the retaining wall on the outside edge, instead of the center.

Not condemning by any means, just curious as I've never seen that design.

 

[2drx4]

Interesting design. What was the logic with having a "split level" driveway? Looks like you did quite a bit of grading work. I might have built up the building pad for the garage and the other side of the driveway and put the retaining wall on the outside edge, instead of the center.

Not condemning by any means, just curious as I've never seen that design.

This was mostly how it was graded before actually. Parking pad by the house, steep drop off beside that, and a steep drop off to the back yard. There was a bit of another parking pad built up where the driveway to the shop is now, but it did not extend back anywhere near that far.

In hindsight, I should have built the shop up some more. It was built about 2' above grade in the back, actually. I should have used a string level and figured it out before I had the contractor over, but hey, live and learn. If it had been a foot higher it would probably be as good as it could be.

However, I didn't want it to be overbearing from the road, the back yard, or from the neighbour's yard. Thus, it was better if it was kept lower. And I didn't really want to pay for trucking in and compacting a million yards of gravel, plus more concrete, although, really it wouldn't have been too much at the end of the day.

There's also the problem of the electrical service entrance. I didn't want to deal with it. You can see it in the picture. It crosses my driveway and the neighbour's yard to a pole by his house. I have no idea why they did not put a pole in front of my house, I'd suspect the power lines were run prior to the lots being sub'd off the parcel that was there, and Hydro felt they'd just hook it up hokey rather than doing the right thing Anyways, the lowest point for the service is about the property line, but it's quite low where the driveway goes to the door on the shop. It's lower than it appears.

Also, I wanted bobcat/mini-ex access around the back, if I ever need to (septic in the back makes it so nothing should came in from the other side of the house), and I wanted parking beside the shop for my trailer/junk truck.

Anyways, it's a bit of an odd setup, but I think it will work well.

 

[1/2 Cup]

Looks great, keep up the good work.

 

[RbrtAWhyt]

I like that idea.

 

[sunsation288]

Nice built !!!! , can't wait to see your airline , keep the picture coming please

 

[2drx4]

I have actually been working on this a bit... It's a lot pinker in there, and the rough wiring is all done, along with most of the air, and some other odds and ends. I'll hopefully be able to make a push on the insulation over the next couple days and get the rest of it done, and then get the rest of the vapour barrier up and taped.

There was another thing that I decided I *had* to do... And that was stick a beam in for a trolley/chain hoist. Of course, I did not think to do this until after the building was done to lockup, and the roof was on.

I did get the beam in, and took some bad pictures to prove it.

How I attached it to the top plate:

There's two pieces of 4x4x.250 angle sandwiching the beam, with two 1/2" bolts (and an extra hole...), then some .250 FB as shims for beside the flanges, and its all sitting on a piece of 6x.125 FB with 3/8" bolts through the top plate.

3 2x6s for the jack studs, and 2x2x.125 angle brackets with some Simpson 1/4"xsomething screws. The 2x6s got the PL treatment, and were nailed (not that it matters with PL on them).

Grainy pic.

Haven't tried it out... I think I'm going to put a couple 2x6 braces to the two trusses it sits between, since I need to box above it to insulate anyways. We'll see where I get with it. It does not deflect vertically if I hang off it though


I have no idea if how I did this was at all appropriate, but it's up there, and gravity is at least partly on my side with this.

 

[Notch1988]

Looks good man. Looks plenty strong and if you find you're getting deflection in the 2x6's then you can still add a length of square HSS against the wall to help support it.

 

[955point9cummins]

Your air system idea is genius. I love it. Think I might have to pirate that from you for my garage.

Looks awesome so far. I'll be keeping an eye on this one.

 

[justin1795]

nice

 

[2drx4]

I've actually made a lot of progress on this place. Well, you would hope I had, it's been almost a year since it was to lock up. :laughing: But I haven't taken any pictures.


I did build myself a little cart for my wood. Later it will probably be used for steel, whenever I'm done playing wood butcher in the shop and the house (no idea when that will be).

I want to get some big pneumatic casters for it so I can roll it outside and throw a tarp over it too, but that will have to wait until they go on sale... I also might add a top shelf to it. I need a place to keep some of the smaller (but still useful) scraps.

Then I built a bench.

I need to figure out the best way to build some doors for it. All the plywood I get is cheap **** that warps (I could buy better stuff, but com'on). I'm thinking if I use 1/2" ply and strap it with 1x2s it hopefully will be rigid enough that it will work okay...?

Also, the whole thing is stuck together with PL Premium... Except the second layer of ply on the top is just screwed on, so I can replace it if it gets trashed (and it will). I also might get a sheet of stainless or something for it later. Who knows. I'm debating building a second bench like it so I can strap them together if I need a massive work surface, but I'm not sure, I might run out of area in the shop because there is some other things I need too (like a dedicated steel bench for welding).

The thing weighs enough that I needed to use my hoist to get it off the sawhorses that I built it on.

There's also a filing cabinet in the background; it was a freebie. I will use it for another cabinet project I have.

These two filing cabinets were also freebies, so I bolted them together and put them on casters. It's ****.

I'm going to build a top cabinet for them just out of plywood with doors, since I can go about 7'6" high without it blocking my windows. Then I can throw my chop saws up there when I'm not using them, and they're 'put away' that way.

 

[403is300]

Show us all the drywall and paint work!

 

[PatStroud]

Very nice looking lay out.

 

[great white tj]

Very nice..