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Post Recession Shop Rehabilitation Project

AZpilot

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Sep 29, 2012
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I just lucked out, I guess. It came that way! All the cool stuff? I'm working on it! How is your vehicle project progressing?

It is coming along. Lot of busy work on the garage. Welding the new floors in next. Then paint and carpet. Just takes time.

Can't wait for the FJ to get started.
 
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Birdman89

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Ontario
Just wanted to drop in and say that I love the paint scheme you did on the drywall walls. I like how the stripe gives something for the eyes to focus on but isn't distracting or too showy. I've been looking for a while for a paint scheme for my shop and think I've found it now! If you don't mind me asking, how high up is the stripe and how wide? Thanks!
 
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NedNorton

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I have welder envy. :drool:

Dan - Thanks. Hope that I can get my TIG skills to a level worthy of it. The welder should last almost forever so at least there is time for lots of practice. I know I need it, for sure.

beautifunchaos - I appreciate the kind words. It means a lot that anyone takes anything away from all this. You should put your build up. The great part about all of this is that we get to see everyones personal spin on it. So, get to posting!

Steve (1/2) - The goal is to have the majority of the welding equipment in one place and mobile. I'n not too sure how mobile this monster is. :headscrat

Andy (oldironfarmer) - :shocking: No sparks for me, hopefully. I'm running out of panel space so the number of additional circuits in the future is limited. :thumbup:

Keeping the lady happy is also a full time job.

Yep. Happy to do it! :thumbup: Would like to see the floor welding when you get to it. My sheet metal working abilities are limited and I'm always into seeing how other guys do it so I can pickup a few tips and tricks.

GLTHFJ60 - Copy away. Couldn't imagine not having hooks for the cables on the welder (or cart). It goes with how I work.

Birdman89 - Welcome! Thanks for the compliment on the paint. The stripe is 3" wide and the bottom is at 38". The color codes I used are listed in the thread. If you want them, and your eyes start to bleed as you sort through the 900+ posts, let me know and I'll get them from the cans.

Thanks for stopping in and reading the ramblings. i appreciate it.

Cheers,
Chris
 
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NedNorton

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Not a lot got done this weekend in the shop, just a few little projects on the TIG welder. I wish I could say that I was busy doing other things but I can’t. Sometimes you just need to sleep in and then take a hike on the ridge. This weekend was one of those weekends. :bounce:

Filler rod, it has to go somewhere (plus a little paint protection)…

First up, protecting that new and shinny paint. I cut up an extra outdoor mat for the top of the HOBART so the MIG and planned small toolbox doesn’t tear up the new paint.





Done…


Rod holders…

When I learned how to TIG in the 90’s (I use the term “learned” loosely) the rods were kept in the cases they were bought in and stacked on a shelf. When you were working on a project the box was plied on top of the machine. I kept seeing some really slick rod holders on weldingweb so I figured I would give it a shot.

I picked up some hot rolled angle for the top bracket and rectangular tube for the bottom bracket. A little quality time with the hole saws on the drill press, some black paint, a few holes in the sheet metal for mounting screws, and I had these.





Cyberweld.com has tubes for filler rod but they run $16 a piece. I’m sure they work great but that’s $80 in plastic. More than I wanted to spend so I looked for a DIY alternative. I found the alternative on Welding Tips and Tricks.
http://www.weldingtipsandtricks.com/tig-welding-rod-holders.html

I built mine out of 1-1/2 sch 40 PVC. Cheap and easy wins the day.


The tubes looked a little unfinished with the txt and purple primer so I picked up some Krylon Fusion. This stuff works great on the PVC. Sprays well and dries fast.



Before…


After…


Done… (With all the stuff bolted on the sides, I'm so glad I spent all the extra time putting the HOBART logos on. :lol:)


I only had room enough for 5 tubes. That should cover most of the rod needed for the steel (1/16. 3/32, 1/8) and aluminum (1/16, 3/32) I plan to do. If later down the road, I need more storage, I can always build a bracket set that is two deep and holds 10.

The toolbox for the consumables is supposed to be here tomorrow and the new ground lead later in the week. Getting closer, baby step by baby step, to having the welder ready to work. :rocker:

Thanks folks for checking in. As always, I appreciate it.

Cheers,
Chris
 
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oldironfarmer

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Andy (oldironfarmer) - :shocking: No sparks for me, hopefully. I'm running out of panel space so the number of additional circuits in the future is limited. :thumbup:

Well, the sparks I was referring to is the welding arc. Hopefully you'll be making those sparks before long :)

Filler metal holders look great!
 

1/2 Cup

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Chris, nice work on the rod holders..:bowdown:

You have given me some food for thought:headscrat

Yet another ugly area of mine I have to get right as I have OEM tubes every where and lots of shorts of silver solder that need rehoming.

Thank you..
 

tjdux

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Feb 4, 2014
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Southern Nebraska
Been reading this thread for a about a month now. Got through it a few weeks ago. Amazing work you and very inspiring. Also the true feeling of comunity here is great. It's been a joy following along. I like to do a lot of the same kind of work you do and hopefully some day I will be disiplined enough to do it to your caliber.

I totally agree with you on having everything needed for a welder right at the welder. I have an old 110v small wire feed that suits my current needs that I found an old cart my grandpa had in the garden shed rusting away that I converted into an entire welding station. Gas, helmet, clamps, cheap harbor freight welding table to keep spatter off my wood benches and less fire hazard, even my homemade chop saw.

Thanks again for all the inspiration, I hope to start my own thread to give back to this wonderful community any way I can.72d77bf146d7b7d2dc006d49dd3b2a0e.jpg

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NedNorton

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AZ Pilot & Brent - Probably no orange on the lettering. After making a few test welds, I think my time is much better spent laying down beads. There is confirmation that TIG welding, at least for me, is a use it or loose it skill set. Stack of dimes? My practice welds looked like a pile of something else. :lol:

Andy (oldironfarmer) - Ah. Got it. the machine works great and I can practice using the 50amp circuit already in the shop. The welder is awesome, me not so much. Now we are squarely in the, "lack of operator skill" realm. So, sparks have been flying just nothing I want to show anyone!

Chris, nice work on the rod holders..:bowdown:

You have given me some food for thought:headscrat

Yet another ugly area of mine I have to get right as I have OEM tubes every where and lots of shorts of silver solder that need rehoming.

Thank you..
Don't feel like the lone ranger. The shop I worked at 20+ years ago was the same way. I probably would have found a corner to put them in but the shop really doesn't have a free corner to give.

If you keep adding on to that welder, you're going to need a tractor to move it around.

Dan (Finallygot it) - You would be surprised. I was worried about that also but it moves around pretty easily. Not as easy as a small MIG cart but it moves without too much effort.

GB (Grumblebum) - We have a great old hardware store in Boulder called McGuckin's. The kind of place that carries everything from kitchenware to Carhartts and is staffed by a bunch of super knowledgeable folks. Guy in the paint section pointed me to it. It works great.

Mark (BBChevro) - Thanks. Always great to hear from you!

tjdux - Thanks for all the good words. It is always terrific to hear that anyone is taking stuff from all this and you are right, the community is tops! Lots of great folks inhabit this board. Start a thread and give us all one more on the to-read list.

Ric (rixtrix1) - Hat is off to you for starting to work your way through. Feel free to skip the text and use it as a picture book. :lol: I can get to be long winded and this thing is getting to War and Piece length.

I had that exact same though when I saw it. Almost a shame to hide that beautiful box.

I know and I'm with you. If I had planned ahead, I may have skipped it but like most things it was an evolution. Plus, If it wasn't done I know myself well enough to know that it would have eaten at me. :evil:

Thanks folks for checking in. As always, I appreciate it.

Cheers,
Chris
 
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NedNorton

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Garage project… Making a space for the Lady to start plants for the spring.

The growing season is super short here, as you can imagine at 8,500 feet, so in order to do much gardening plants need to have some serious quality time indoors prior to going outside. Jen has a community garden plot in Nederland and we plant out the rock walls with annuals to supplement the perennials. All this equals a lot of seeds to start in March.

So, here goes.

After my buddy moved his stuff to his new place, and out of our third garage bay, it was then time to return to the all-time fan favorite… Finishing drywall!

Yah! Sanding! (Trying to keep a positive attitude here :eek2: )


Ready for primer and paint…


Color scheme look familiar? :)


I got the new 4’ LED lighting hung (3 of them) and I hope to have the doors trimmed and painted tomorrow (and the cool grey stripe). There is a planting bench I'm building that is ½ done in the shop and it will need to be completed / painted in the next day or so.

Plus, the fun continues, the first gallon of Rust Bullet showed up today (2 qts are still in transit) so I will need to get the floor prepped. More sanding/grinding. This time on concrete. Awesome. :rolleyes:

This should be a nice place to work in when it’s done and a great space for Jen to call her own. Work has been done on the night shift from 7pm till 1am. Tonight is Jen’s B-Day (and Valentine’s Day) and we have reservations for dinner. A nice reprieve, going out with the Lady and celebrating life with some good food and wine! Ain’t Life Grand!

Thanks for checking in. As always, I appreciate it. :bowdown:

Cheers,
Chris
 
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pitterpat

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Indianapolis
Chris as always GREAT WORK. I'm finally getting around to my garage project. Slow but should be done (LOL) in a month. Your progress is the inspiration for most of it and I want to park my vehicle in my main garage in March instead of the driveway.

Again, great work.
 
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NedNorton

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The drywall work looks great Chris!! That's a heck of a garden room.

Thanks. On the road of things to atone for some wrongdoing in a past life, the universe gave me drywall. OK. Maybe it isn't that bad. It should be a good place for Jen and that is priority number one. :thumbup:

This year's celebration includes (and will from now on) her regaining health. Never to be taken fro granted again!:rocker:

Smart words from a guy that is far more bright than I. Thanks for chiming in, Andy. Always great to hear from you.

Chris as always GREAT WORK. I'm finally getting around to my garage project. Slow but should be done (LOL) in a month. Your progress is the inspiration for most of it and I want to park my vehicle in my main garage in March instead of the driveway.

Again, great work.

Great to hear that you are getting it done. Sometime early on when I was comparing my progress to a glacier, someone said progress is just that, forward progress. I'm looking forward to seeing it! As always, I appreciate all the kind words.

Thanks for checking in folks. I appreciate it.

Cheers,
Chris
 
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NedNorton

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Chris , top job as usual.:thumbup:

I have to admit I don't actually mind sanding drywall ( apologies for making a confession like that in you thread as it may cause an uproar..)

Regards

Steve (1/2 Cup) - I'll be channeling you the next time I jump into my next drywall project. :thumbup: Thanks for stopping by, Steve.

Progress, glacier pace for sure but, progress nonetheless. I got the trim and paint done!



Towards the door… (The wood around the garage door will get painted when the weather is a little better this spring and I can open the door)




Next up is floor prep. Right now I’m on the fence. The current plan is to scrape the junk off the floor and pleasure-wash it, finishing up with 2 coats of Rustbullet. The second option is to acid etch. (Garage Floor LLC says that the floor ***** up more RB once acid etched) I’ll see how clean the floor is after the scrub down. Maybe by the end of the week I can call the project done and get back to spending some time on the FJ frame. :evil:

Here is to hoping!

Thanks for reading the ramblings; I appreciate it.

Cheers,
Chris
 

Lyndon

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Chris

The third bay looks great. I'm sure Jen will be rapt to use it. Especially as you'll probably be next door.

And I hope you got Jen a nice birthday present, and a nice Valentines Day present . . . . :rocker: :bounce: :dunno:

Lyndon
Waiting for a mill update (just joshin' ya!)...... :lol_hitti :beer: :hellobye:
 

Grumblebum

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Chris, acid etching is little harder than a decent mop, no biggie time wise, no worse than sanding a mill :)

Looks good so far, think we will all be flying in 1/2 cup now for room, board & beverages for our drywall projects :bounce:

Cheers GB
 

oldironfarmer

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On an somber note, my wife will not get better, so we enjoy each day as it comes:rocker:

And the true confessions of 1/2 make it known there and abroad to one and all that he needs more drywall sanding to make him truly happy. It would be wonderful if those close to him can indulge his fantasies!:rocker::rocker:

Gorgeous work on the third bay!! Sure would be a nice machine shop...

I'm eager to see your floor transformation. Still on the fence at my shop.:headscrat
 

bj383ss

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TX
Chris your work looks great as usually. I'm sure Jen will love her new space.

Bret
 

Mr. Roboto

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Jeez, I haven't had the time to check in lately and you're off finish up a 3rd garage bay.... I didn't even know you had a 3rd bay! It's coming along great, and the welder looks incredible. Keep it up :thumbup:
 
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NedNorton

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Chris

The third bay looks great. I'm sure Jen will be rapt to use it. Especially as you'll probably be next door.

And I hope you got Jen a nice birthday present, and a nice Valentines Day present . . . . :rocker: :bounce: :dunno:

Lyndon
Waiting for a mill update (just joshin' ya!)...... :lol_hitti :beer: :hellobye:

Valentine's Day is a big one here at the Norton household, for sure! Mill? What Mill? :shocking:

Looks good so far, think we will all be flying in 1/2 cup now for room, board & beverages for our drywall projects :bounce:

Cheers GB

Yes! I'm wondering if he has any trips planned state side! :bounce:

On an somber note, my wife will not get better, so we enjoy each day as it comes:rocker:

And the true confessions of 1/2 make it known there and abroad to one and all that he needs more drywall sanding to make him truly happy. It would be wonderful if those close to him can indulge his fantasies!:rocker::rocker:

Sure would be a nice machine shop...

I'm eager to see your floor transformation. Still on the fence at my shop.:headscrat

Andy, I'm sorry that you guys are going though but happy to hear that you are living and enjoying every moment. Jen and I are trying to do the same and we only hope that we can keep the same attitude for the rest of our days.

Ahh... Machine shop in the new space. I'll let you talk to Jen about that one and we can see what she says. :scared:

Good to hear from you Andy.

Chris your work looks great as usually. I'm sure Jen will love her new space.

Bret

Brent, She is ready to move in. I think I have heard, "Is it ready?", 3 times a day since the start of the project. :eek:

Great birthday present for the Mrs.

I can just see you sanding drywall. Dressed up as Superman but the S stands for Sanderman. :beer:

Where do I get the outfit? I can always use new shop clothes but I think folks would do a double-take if I was sanding a ceiling wearing blue tights. :lol:

Jeez, I haven't had the time to check in lately and you're off finish up a 3rd garage bay.... I didn't even know you had a 3rd bay! It's coming along great, and the welder looks incredible. Keep it up :thumbup:

Thanks, Mr. Roboto. Yep, three bays but my buddy had his stuff in it for several years. So I guess we had two for most of the last 5 years and now we have the same two bays plus Jen has a gardening room. Win! :bounce:

Thanks guys for checking in.

Cheers,
Chris
 

tjdux

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Gardening room could sure be automotive paint booth during the off season as long as thr fumes dont make its way into the house. Looks great, makes all that sanding worth it when the end result is that awesome.

Next thing she will be having you install grow lights for year round gradening. I bet plenty of shops sell grow lights in your neck of the woods thanks to some certain legislature. Good luck man.

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BBChevro

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Very nice work on the 3rd-bay/gardening room Chris. :thumbup:

Glacier pace - I don't think so. :headscrat
Every time that I look in on your thread, you've achieved an incredible amount of progress. :bowdown:


.
 
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NedNorton

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That is shaping up very nicely, glacier pace or not, it was well worth the effort!

Thanks, Strouty! Slow and steady for me is well, just slow with sorta steady progress. :lol_hitti

Gardening room could sure be automotive paint booth during the off season as long as thr fumes dont make its way into the house. Looks great, makes all that sanding worth it when the end result is that awesome.

Next thing she will be having you install grow lights for year round gradening. I bet plenty of shops sell grow lights in your neck of the woods thanks to some certain legislature. Good luck man.

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tidux - She is already talking about an Avocado tree and vegetables all year round so we went to the local hydroponic store (Ned has 2)and bought two lights. :dunno: Good thing "home growing" is legal here in CO. Last thing we need is the DEA seeing the light from the garage, breaking down the door, and mistaking her indoor vegetable grow for an Indoor "Herb" Grow. :eek: I can just hear myself saying, "No Officer...Really, it's basil." :lol_hitti

Very nice work on the 3rd-bay/gardening room Chris. :thumbup:

Glacier pace - I don't think so. :headscrat
Every time that I look in on your thread, you've achieved an incredible amount of progress. :bowdown:
.
Mark, thanks for the vote of confidence. I will always take a "That-a-boy". Makes sanding just a bit easier.

Thanks guys for chiming in.

Bit the bullet, the Rust Bullet. (Ok, lame joke)

Any hesitation in regards to coating the floor was quickly put to bed after looking at it post scrub down. This is after hitting it twice with the concrete cleaner/degreaser. We are now, from looking at the current condition of the floor, into the, "this will not due, not for my Lady’s new garden room" territory.


A quick online chat session with Garage Flooring LLC help and I had ordered up a gallon and two quarts of Rust Bullet Concrete.

One quick side note… The person who helped me at Garage Flooring LLC was terrific. She was the one who said given the condition of the concrete I didn't need to etch, just power wash. And, the RB shipped out the next day. I know Garage Flooring LLC is active here on GJ and they get my highest recommendation. (I have no connection with them other than as a customer)

Back to it... RB, stir sticks, gloves and a sacrificial 3” brush for the cracks. Don’t forget the respirator with new carbon cartridges (More on this later).


Power washed again, dry, and one of two coats on…


This was around 3pm. The instructions said the second coat needs to be put on within 12 hours or after 24 hours and after the first coat has become dry to he touch.

Now, remember the respirator? Just a word to folks thinking of using this stuff: One, it’s a great product that goes down with minimal prep and looks good. :thumbup: Two, once applied on the concrete it off gasses something fierce. :mad: So much so I had to vent the house… Actually, I had to vent it three times over 6 hours. This was with the garage door ¼ open and a fan blowing the fumes out of the garage bay. Even with the fan blowing the fumes out, the smell went through two exterior doors to get into the house. This is super potent stuff. My recommendation is to plan to do this during a time when you can open the entire house, send the wife and kids somewhere else and figure out how to add a straw to your respirator so you don’t have to remove it to have a beer, or two, or three, between coats. :beer2:

11pm - second coat down (Time to vent the house again but, damn it looks good!).


If I ever can figure out a time when I can move all the stuff out of the shop and coat the floor (with Jen staying somewhere else), I’ll go with Rust Bullet and Garage Floors LLC. The prep was easy and it went down great. I’ll let you know how the durability is going forward.

This morning I went to finish up the last of the trim once the floor was dry enough to walk on. Rubber cove baseboard and…

Wait for it…
Wait for it…

DONE! Not just in the “Done for now category” but done like as in: Done and ready for Jen to move stuff in!


French door into the camping gear closet… (we have a lot of gear)



This...


To this... (In just under, let me check my watch, almost near forever :thumbup:)


I’m off to visit my brother-in-law for the weekend. He just rebuilt the motor in his Jeep so the plan is to get that in and spend some time hiking in the 75-degree AZ weather. Something about QST, QDT (Quality Desert Time) and a good helping of single malt scotch that has the makings of some much needed R&R.

Now that the 3rd bay is done, the LC frame is begging to be blasted and brought inside. My brother-in-law will undoubtably remind of this fact. Probably after several of the aforementioned pours of scotch.

Thanks, as always, for reading along. It keeps me going.

Cheers,
Chris
 
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tjdux

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Southern Nebraska
That is somw great floor paint. Hate to possibly kill the alll done into a down for now but hopefully you dont have to run conduit and/or ceiling outlets for those grow lights for the "basil" maybe a bit of "oragAno" lol

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BBChevro

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...Every time that I look in on your thread, you've achieved an incredible amount of progress. :bowdown:

I posted the above at 10.04pm SGJT (Standard Garage Journal Time) and then at 11.06pm SGJT, you posted this...

DONE!...
...Done and ready for Jen to move stuff in!


...


...I rest my case. :lol_hitti



Seriously Chris, that floor looks great. :thumbup:

Enjoy your break. :beer: (<-- I couldn't find a scotch emoji thingy)
 

Lyndon

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Chris

Yes mate, you've done a top job. Enjoy the "desert", or was that "dessert".....

:dunno: :dunno: :beer: :lol_hitti :lol:

And keep looking after that bride of yours!

Lyndon
Yep, I'm watching too, and amazed at the pace! :shocking: :thumbup:
 
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