Above 1200 Sq/FT My 40X32 Post & Beam with Elevator

[Chris 50]

Thanks Free Willie. The T&G pine is smooth, trimmed out in rough sawn cedar. I too went through the painstaking process of brush and roller application, however I did each board inside and out, top to bottom, let them dry, and then installed.

 

[Free Willie]

Well I finally got around to building my workbenck. I was waiting - a local bowling alley was going to renovate and I thought I might be able to get a lane to use as the top but now I don't think it's gonna happen. So I went with oak flooring on top of an old solid conference table top I had. Also 2x4 joists at 1ft on center. I think I could park a car on top if I had to.

Next up is the elevator... soon I hope.
I saw a bunch of different security systems in some of your garages so I put in a pic of mine. Not too vicious but if she wakes me up you can be sure you are in range

 

[jnyost]

Very nice. : )

 

[GHOSTDANCER]

Thats a great looking shop. Got anymore build pics ?

 

[autoist]

Elevator? Tell me more...

 

[Free Willie]

Thats a great looking shop. Got anymore build pics ?

I will have to see if i can scan the printed pictures in - I don't think any were saved on the computer. I didn't find this site until it was almost finished so I didn't think to save them.

 

[Free Willie]

Elevator? Tell me more...

Have'nt started it yet - been real busy. What I am going to do is cut out the loft floor
inbetween the 4 center posts and use it as the platform. (approx 6 x 12). If you look at the upstairs pictures you see the posts are all locked together with headers. Across the headers (long way) will be a bar -in pillow blocks- with spools on each end run by an electric 4000lb boat lift motor. Two 3/8 cable will run down the posts thru/ under the platform and dead end on the opposite posts. the platform will have a sheave in each corner for the cable to run thru. to keep it stable while going up and down there will be hook rollers on each corner traveling on angle iron on each post.
When not in use it will be pinned in place for safety.
With this design most people wouldn't even know it's there.

I work at a large crane company so I had some help engineering it.

 

[autoist]

Well, I'm interested in that design because I want to store my motorcycle up on a mexxanine in my garage.

 

[rlme36]

Hi Chris, I used 7/8 T&G pine and used almost 11 gallons of this stuff.

The cabinets are great as I did not want steel and I searched around different places for these (sears had a killer deal but they weren't in stock anywhere) Best price was on Carparts.com Free shipping and well packed. They are Ultimate cabinets.

Did you use the same Cabot stuff on the exterior or is that a different product?

 

[Free Willie]

That is what I used on the exterior. The interior is bare wood.

 

[Free Willie]

Thats a great looking shop. Got anymore build pics ?

Ok let's see how these turn out.
Day 1,2,3 of the erection.
Then after a few more pieces were added they handed it off to me.

 

[Free Willie]

And these are the others

 

[bacpacker]

Great looking shop. IMO P&B or timber frame is about the best look to be had for a shop.

 

[J-man67]

Little late to the show, but did the elevator ever come to life? Would love to see it.

 

[Free Willie]

Great looking shop. IMO P&B or timber frame is about the best look to be had for a shop.

Thank you, I agree about the look - just have to be careful when welding and grinding.

Little late to the show, but did the elevator ever come to life? Would love to see it.

Have not built it yet. Still gonna happen some day. I'll post pics when I do.
Thanks for the interest though.

 

[Free Willie]

Ok finally got something new to add, I've been looking for an old farmhouse sink for the corner near the man door. Very hard to find a 3' sink as most seem to be 4 or 6' and I wanted one with some patina. I had just enough Hemlock left over from the build to make a cabinet for the sink and I installed a 6 gallon water heater under it. Really nice to have hot water and a place to wash hands.

Next I got a call from my friend/oil guy. He found me a 6yr old Carrier 99,000 BTU furnace for $400. Now the best part - it came with the A frame and 5 ton condenser for central air. Another friend who is a retired tin knocker built the enclosure for the A frame and the plenum with two 14" elbows to send the air in the right direction.

Still no elevator yet. Still looking at different ways to do it. Hopefully I can do it over the winter.

 

[SWSS]

Dang nice!

 

[48windsor]

FreeWillie very classy to have not forgot your wife . cudos. Nice garage . I will say this just bought a place without a shop but looked at afew . Wife knows I want one and it will happen . Got a nice house on 2 acres so there is space .

 

[carterbeauford]

I drive across northwestern CT on 44 sometimes and love some of the New England style barns and homes up there, beautiful shop.

 

[PCO6]

Love the sink & mirror and the way the mezzanine is "caged" in with black vinyl chain link. Very nice garage.

 

[colt zantop]

Like others have said, I really like all the exposed beams ... Etc. nice work!!

 

[Anthonyca]

That is a beautiful building! So much character. Great job and thanks for posting.

 

[Free Willie]

Ok I finally have an update! After much delay and many design changes I have started building the elevator.
Started with a hydraulic cylinder from a dump truck and made a "cassette" out of a piece of boom from a 40 ton crane. I welded the mount frame inside the boom section then welded a 1/2" plate to seal the bottom.

 

[Free Willie]

Then I rented a concrete saw to cut the section of floor out. Then started digging and that's where the trouble started. About 2' down we hit a rock the size of a small car, so off to rent a hammer drill and jackhammer. Lets just say that sucked!

 

[Free Willie]

Once that was out of the way, we got the cassette in the hole and carefully back filled it keeping it plum and centered. Then set the cylinder in to check our measurements and we wound up being within an 1/8th of an inch of being on center with the plum bob.

 

[Free Willie]

With everything looking like it should, concrete was next. (18 bags) The platform will sit flush with the floor when not in use so it will sit on the shoulder I poured. Next was the upper support collar with screw jacks to adjust it to plum. The adjuster nuts will be tack welded after.

 

[Free Willie]

The black diamond plate is the "hat" that will be pinned to the top of the cylinder. It has 8 - 1/2" grade 8 bolts welded to it that will bolt to the 2x2 frame which will be covered with top shell made of 1/8" aluminum diamond plate. I built it this way so if there is any failure I can take it apart even if it is at rest. That is all I have for now.

 

[Woffski]

Very nice garage! Awesome work! I'm originally from Stamford. Where are you from?

 

[Free Willie]

Very nice garage! Awesome work! I'm originally from Stamford. Where are you from?

I am somewhere in the middle near the river. Don't want to get to specific.

 

[jumpstart]

Nice work. Awesome shop.

 

[Free Willie]

Got it all plumbed and wired so today we tested!

 

[Free Willie]

Then took the tractor off and back up to the floor joists. Everything worked like it should so the next step is cutting the floor out and framing it in to use as the platform. That's it for now.

 

[Greg9504]

Garage and the lift look really nice. When I clicked on the link to your friends timber frame company the link is dead, www.strongtimberframes.com

 

[Musicinabottle]

That's a Timber Frame building!

 

[Whitey1]

Thats looks awesome! Bike lift and elevator in one. I know it was a lot more work than using the boat lift style cable setup, but this is a much cleaner install. Will you have a flip up trap door in the loft so there is no gaping hole when not in use? A good torsion spring like on lift gates could make it a 1hand operation.

 

[sublime68charger]

Very nice shop!
And build!

Love the wheel horse as well!
Was that the lift test subject!

Also the professional bike parking pic!

 

[Blackhawks63]

Amazing. Love everything about your building.

Sent from my QTAQZ3 using Tapatalk

 

[Free Willie]

Garage and the lift look really nice. When I clicked on the link to your friends timber frame company the link is dead, www.strongtimberframes.com

Thanks Greg. Yes my buddy Steve just never seemed to have enough time to take care of the website so he just let it go. He wasn't big on computers anyway.

 

[Free Willie]

Thats looks awesome! Bike lift and elevator in one. I know it was a lot more work than using the boat lift style cable setup, but this is a much cleaner install. Will you have a flip up trap door in the loft so there is no gaping hole when not in use? A good torsion spring like on lift gates could make it a 1hand operation.

No on the trap door, the floor will be cut out between the 4 posts and framed. It will be the platform "floor" of the elevator. The table will go up to the floor (which will be pinned in place when not in use) and lower the floor to the concrete. Load a bike on it and back up.

 

[Free Willie]

Very nice shop!
And build!

Love the wheel horse as well!
Was that the lift test subject!

Also the professional bike parking pic!

Just picked up the tractor (literally). My 2 nephews are doing garden tractor pulls. Their dad tells me there are no rules so I'm thinking a shovelhead motor with a shot of NO2.


Someone finally noticed the pro bike parking!