Above 1200 Sq/FT Sheep Shed Shop

[Tarnished]

Hello All,
Been hanging around for a while, watching and learning, speaking to a few of ya, asking a few questions and just hanging out. Till now I haven't posted any pictures of my place so I thought I would invite you over to the "Sheep Shed Shop" for a look at where I hang out most times. Hope you enjoy the tour.
I have lived in Ohio most of my life, moving thru a few old houses and I believe, leaving each a little better than I found it. Always looking for a small affordable fixer up place with some acreage. In 1990 I found my perfect place. A small old sheep farm in the SW Ohio. 50 acres total with 25 acres tillable and 25 acres of woods, house, barns, and yard. House, barns and 15 acres on one side and the rest on other side of dead end road. Land was slightly hilly, and boarders small river. Closest town about 1mi as crow flies, & 5mi to drive. 25 mi to major shopping, 22mi to work.
House was 1 ½ story 3 bed, 1 ½ bath, 130 years old and good condition. Needed updating, but nothing I couldn't handle. It came with 2 barns 60 feet from the back door. One was a 150'x30' old tobacco barn, which became the main garage for cars, trucks, and tractors. The other was a 2 story 30'x30' sheep shed with an enclosed 20'x25' hog pen attached on the east end. The hog pen was the only place in either barn that had a concrete floor. So for the next 10 years while I worked on updating the house, this hog pen would serve as my main shop. Fortunately I was able to cut a hole in the hay loft and install a stairs which effectively doubled the space. The loft became the main parts holding area, so crowded that I wondered if the ceiling would fall down one day... LOL
For the next 10 years this shop served me well as I remodeled the house, farmed and landscaped the grounds. This shop hosted everything from a woodworking shop to a car/truck/tractor/machinery repair as needed.

In 2001, I was finally able to scrape up the $$ and the time to get started on my Sheep Shed Shop. First thing was to dig out the 2ft of sheep s***t which went on the garden and the many flour beds around the place. The shed was built sometime around 1880 using post and beam construction and had 10x10 corner posts sitting on huge corner stones and a dirt floor. Over the years with all the sheep manure and moisture the bottom 2 foot of each post had pretty much rotted away. Next project was to form and pour new footings and knee wall on 3 sides for the repaired corner posts to sit on. This raised and leveled the entire structure. Finally I was able to pour a new 6" concrete slab floor. Whoooo Hoooo... the Sheep Shed Shop was born!!! I'm a happy man!
All in all I am pretty happy with the results, but there are many things I would now do differently. Under slab insulation, vapor barrier, pex tubing for hot water heat, and much smother finish on the concrete are the ones that keep coming back to haunt. "Hindsight".
Just a little background to let you know how this all came about. Unfortunately at that time I had never heard of the "Garage Journal" and didn't think anyone would ever be interested in seeing pictures of an old barn being rebuilt, so I have no pictures to share of this phase. Sorry.

 

[Tarnished]

OK, let's begin the tour. I will bring you down the road, into the drive and walk through the shop. Pictures have been taken in the last year, so you will see some season's change along the way.
Headed West first view of the place. Hog barn has no windows, sheep shed has 2

Just past the lane looking back at tobacco barn and house

Turn into the short lane

This is where the old curmudgeon spends as much time as I can.

Lets take the tour, then we can come back here and sit and talk for a spell, sip a brew or 2.

Headed down the drive, you can see old tobacco barn which has become the main garage and farm equipment storage. Full to the brim but I will leave this barn for another day.

This is where we are headed. Please don't mind the peeling paint. Keeping them painted is a never ending job for these old barns, and they are due for a new coat next year. (He said Hopefully!)

 

[cgall]

Nice looking place, I hope you are not in Hamilton County.

 

[zac]

Very nice! Exactly what I'm trying to find in my area...

 

[goneflyin2002]

Love your porch!

I have good memories of places like yours.

 

[Cougar67]

That's a beautiful farm! It looks like you've put a lot of hard work into it. Do you have any "before" pictures?

 

[razor524]

Looks like a great place to live!

 

[Tarnished]

Thanks guys, glad you like it. And no, not in Hamilton co.
Continuing the tour:

Welcome to the "Sheep Shed Shop"! Sorry for the long trip, hope you made it this far.... You are about to discover that I have an overflowing collection of old phones, and basically a whole bunch of junk. But that's OK, It's MY junk, and I like it. Your needs may vary.
If you look close at this pic you can see by the hose running THRU the door, one of the things I didn't plan on was a water hydrant on the OUTSIDE of the wall. Due to the sliding door, it isn't possible to extend one either. DAM!

Stepping inside and looking to the left you will see the beverage cooler, tunes receiver, and my Main work bench. Close to door, Frig, and tool box.

Probably most used bench in the place. Usually first stop for everything. Handy to tools, and small area for quick repair. This is where all the thinking gets done. Ha!

This is my view from the window above the bench. I can keep track of pretty much everything from here.

Moving further in, you can see the next 2 workbenches. Again these are for mixed projects, and they may both contain one project, or many. I like being able to separate projects on these 2 benches, if I am waiting on parts or something.

Window view from double benches at right of tool box.

You can see the furnace and cord storage wall in this shot. Also you can see the interior door to the old hog barn shop.

The hog barn is where I started all this, so take a moment to rest while I clean up some more pics. Enjoy!

 

[Outlander]

Fun thread, nice shop. I feel like you invited us over for BBQ and we are wandering around enjoying the country air

 

[BSAschields]

Thats a really nice place you have there. We are 2 1/2 years into a farm / barn / outbuilding refurb as well and your place looks like its going to be an inspiration. Keep it coming..... Please . And Lots of photos..... Please

 

[Weekend_warrior]

Nice shop!

I see you have a lot of Old Phone stuff? I take it you were in the business or just a collector? I work for a consulting company. We mainly work from Rual independants. I've come across some old stuff that I'd like to have. I see you have a cool old Aluminum and glass booth. Most of the companies I see have thrown them out. I work with one that I've been begging to sell me theirs. They have 3 in the back yard that are complete. They keep telling me they have some display plans for them. Also, just a few years back we did some work at reservation that had several single slot paystations they would give me. By the time I got back to the warehouse with a truck (a few weeks). There was not enough parts left to make a good one! I knew I just should have shipped that payphone home. It was an old US. West one. Pretty cool stuff. I like to older signs as well.

 

[BSAschields]

Here you can see what I have been up against for the last 3 years Tarnished
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=89438
Maybe your 10 yrs of experience will enlighten me. My biggest issue that I cant get my head around is laying out the downstairs of the house to incorporate a second bathroom. I think we need an architect . I like your house but unfortunately I think it is a different kettle of fish.

 

[Sunbimmer]

Nice place you got there .
It reminds me of a vacation in Canada in 1993, I stayed a few days in a place very similar to yours, I loved it there especially the porch.

 

[Tarnished]

Thanks Outlander, that's just what I would like you to do if you were actually here. Relax, wander around and enjoy the place. That's what I work so hard on it for....
BSAschields, I really like your place. Has so much going for it. I takes time to accomplish all the things you want, and there is NEVER enough time or money for these old places. Your place has so much potential there in the barns and outbuildings. (Love the 3 old doors) It looks like it has been around longer than you have, so take time to get to know it. Your plans for it will change as you age with the place. Many things you first wanted to change you will be glad you didn't! Looks like your doing fine so far. House before this one was an old brick that took a ton of work to bring into the 21century but was well worth the effort.
Ya gotta love them to live in them!
Glad to see that you keep the wood siding when you made your shed repairs. I am a huge fan of WOOD barns. Most around here have sided over them with the clean metal siding. Clean looking and doesn't need paint, but I prefer the old barn siding look myself. Even if it does cost both legs to paint. As you can see from inside shop, I have not added insulation to the walls. Again, I prefer the old barn wood look. When I hit the lottery, the plan is to add insulation to the outside of the barn, and then reside over the top of the insulation with new barn siding. And of course more paint!!! I hate to see the old barns disappear, and I have worked hard to keep mine functional. When you stop using them, they fall apart pretty quick. Once they are gone, there is no replacing them.
And BSA, do go for the Architect! Pick one you like that is sensitive to old places (most just want to demo them). They will save you money in the long run.

 

[Tarnished]

WE Warrior,
Ya, I got the phone bug bad. I have worked on them from my time in the Navy until I retired last year. Better than 40 years. And I have been hauling them home for about that long also. I have finally slowed down now as I just don't have any where to put them. If I just stick them in the closet, then what's the use??? There are a few more that I am still on the look out for, but then there always are, right? I am continually amazed at what people are collecting now, and what they are willing to pay for them..... I just remember throwing away tons of the old rotary that everyone wants now. If I only knew...
Picked up the "Superman" booth off of CL a few years ago, and then a friend decided to give me another one. Whooo Hoooo! Your right though, phone booth and pay phones are almost gone. Done in by the mighty Cell industry. Grab what you can now!

 

[Tarnished]

OK, everyone rested up?? Lets get back to the tour!
Left ya at the door to the old shop, and that's were we pick up.

The original hog barn shop has evolved into a storage area for portable hand tools, nuts and bolts, piece parts, and my rat hole that I keep machines waiting for restoration in.

I try to keep part of this area as a metal working shop now, grinders, vises, big anvil's and such. This keeps the metal shavings out of the main shop area. I keep an old tool box in here to keep less used hand tools in. Handy for working at the bench in this area. Saves on trips back and forth.

This area also contains 4 pedestal grinders, each set up with different wheel configurations. You can just make out the big 10"US Electric that I restored, sitting on the end. You can also just make out the stairs to the second level storage on the left. Not much headroom here, but I'm only 5'8, and I have no problem.

Back out in the main shop continuing to look to the right, you can see the main machine storage area. You can also see my main work bench's. The big one is 8' long, 3ft wide. It contains 2 pexto stake plates and was from a high school metal working shop. End on the end 6' x 2'. You can also get a good look at the central "phone pole" in the middle of the shop.

All the machines here are on wheels, and can be moved in or out depending on what needs to be worked on at the moment.

Taken from the man door looking east. As you can see EVERYTHING in my main shop is on wheels. It can all be pushed/pulled aside to make room for a tractor or truck to be worked on at a moment's notice. Just to the right of the white man door in the rear corner, is the first of the sliding doors. This door is 15' wide and 7' tall. If I duck, I can manage to pull a full size loader tractor in for maintenance when needed. Have had 4 vehicles in here at one time. (have to move equipment back into the hog shop for this though. )

OK, Take a break. Give me a few minutes I will open that slider,and continue the tour.

 

[Tarnished]

OK, back to the pictures (I know you all love pictures)
This picture is again of the east corner with the South wall slider open. This is essentially my "back yard". 15 ac of woods back here for deer and critters to roam. Even in the coldest days, if there is no wind, (and I don't have the heat on) I like to open this door. Just to let the light in if nothing else. Sun shine always makes me feel better! I would like one day to install windows in this door, just for that reason.

The back yard. If you look in the background you can see the starter pile for next year's bon fire. We clear out all the machines and equipment and hold a huge bon fire party here once a year. Lots of good friends, kids, good food, and a good time is had by all. Look forward to this all year.

Continuing on the west wall, there is a rolling wood rack for plywood and drops. Idea was good, but I need to re-engineer this. Just too much weight to roll easily. You can also see a rolling scaffold that I converted to hold miscellaneous hand tools, finishes and piece parts while in use on a project. Can keep it close to what I'm working on. You can also see my tallest bench. I like having different height benches for different tasks. No need to work on stuff bent over if you don't have to.

This is the second of my sliding doors. It is about 10'x7' and opens to the west. This is also the utility area of the shop. Water and electric all on one wall. Is that code???? Didn't plan it this way, it just evolved. And after all, it is a BARN!

Again, I keep this slider open for ventilation and view as much as possible. You can see more of my mowing duties back here.

If you step thru the slider, and look back you can get a good idea of how my shop works. Material comes in this door, and finished projects move back out. The drive way ends here, so even in wet weather I can move equipment and material in and out as need.
We will come back here shortly.

Just to the left of the slider is the main entrance. If this slider is open all the way, it rolls in front of the man door. This slider is the reason I can't have a water faucet on the outside. GRRRR....

After another break, (being a tour guide makes ya thirsty... ) we will go back in and look back from the hog barn door towards the main door.

 

[HiHoSilver]

Awesome place you have there,
Always good to see people repurpose old barns.

 

[santagary]

I moved from a 15 acre spread with old house and horse barn in Danville, OH, 8 miles west of Hillsboro. I raised Beagles, kids, corn and rabbits (in order to train the Beagles). I commuted to Cincinnati 55 miles each way and worked for UC at the Children's Psychiatric Center on Harvey Ave. for 8 years. We moved to El Paso,Tx in 1970 when it was discovered I had hystoplasmosis (pigeon fever) and needed a less humid climate. I don't miss the humidity and the grey days, but I do miss the people, the trees and the 4 seasons. We don't have those as distinctly in Colorado, but we do have the mountains, low humidity and no mosquitoes to speak of. Thanks for the pics and the trip down memory lane. PS: you must have one heck of a lawnmower!

 

[Tarnished]

Thanks HiHo, Glad you like it. It keeps me out of trouble... mostly..
santagary, Know where your from. Use to drive thru that area for work. Gets pretty hilly down that way, but I am not a real fan of "flat land" so I liked it. Not many places to work in that area though. Glad you found a place that worked for you. No skeeters would be a big plus 1.... Only problem I have with sitting on the pouch. When the sun goes down, the bugs teeth get bigger...
Your correct, for what I have in mowers, i could have built a huge barn.

 

[turbowoodworker]

Great shop and farm.
Question for you. You have 2 table saws. Do you use them both and for what kind of different tasks?
I currently am building a 56x26 shop mostly for woodworking. I brought my Delta contractor's saw with me in my move (it's currently in storage) but I really want a more powerful cabinet saw (Unisaw or Powermatic). There is such little resale value in the contractor saw and I will have lots of room, so I'm thinking of keeping the contractor saw for lighter duty or even dedicated stuff like crosscuts/sled or dados and use the big saw for ripping and stock dimensioning.
Your thoughts and experience would be appreciated.
thanks Rick

 

[Tarnished]

Thansk Turbo,
In answer to your question, It depends. I do custom work for folks and sometimes it is nice not to have to change blade settings between cuts. I have had my Unisaw for years, and will probably be the last thing I get rid of. It is a great saw, and you can do some amazing things with it. If I could only have one saw, then a cabinet saw would be my choice. My large saw is a Delta 12-14, meaning I can run up to a 14" blade on it. Great for cutting thick stock. The table is huge, and is good for cutting sheet goods. This size saw is not for everyone, but they can often be had for far less than a good unisaw. (that was my case) If you get a chance to check one out, I highly suggest it. They are great saws, and would be a great addition if you wanted to keep your contractor saw for dedicated tasks (think dado).
There are a number of good old used machines out there. I happen to like the old Delta machines, but there are others equal or better. Take your time and find one that feels right for you. Don't worry to much about cost, these old machines seem to keep their value pretty well if maintained.
If you would like more info, check out the Old Wood Working Machine site. Great folks, and very informative site, and you can pick up a LOT of good info there. What ever your thinking of doing, someone there has done it, and can offer suggestions. (but be warned, once started down the slope, there is no return. )

 

[Fueler]

Neat re-purposing of old buildings!
Re-route the outdoor faucet on the other side of the man door?
Alternative: Recessed cubby hole for the faucet (which only is accessible if the door is closed). I guess then you would need a sliding mini door in the sliding door to gain access to the recessed faucet (with a phone motif).

This reminds me of when I had a Sat dish installed on the front of the shop.
"Oh, sure just mount it there at the outer edge." Some time later I, uhhh, errr, re-discovered that the sliding door needs to slide beyond than the dish mount point. Well, duh. Felt really foolish about that. Had to make a killer mount off the side of the building beyond the reach of the door.

 

[1953mercury]

Beautiful place, and very nice shop area. I grew up in Wisconsin and have always loved barns. Had always wanted to redo one into a home/shop. Have lived in CO for the last 38 yrs and while I love the area, I have yet to see a really nice vintage barn. I guess in the day resources were scarce, and it was much more make do oriented than the more developed mid-west. When I started my place in 83', I decided if I couldn't find one I would just start from scratch to get the affect I wanted, Just need a silo now and I have a plan for that. Guess by the time I'm done it will be an "old barn".lol. Thanks a lot for the great tour, and look forward to seeing your posts here. Cheers, Mike

 

[turbowoodworker]

Thanks for the advice about the 2 tablesaws. I will probably buy a new Powermatic or new Unisaw. I am not interested in the Sawstop but I would like to take advantage of the new designs with the true riving knife so that means new purchase. Having said that, I'm big into vintage/older tools like drill presses, radial saw etc. But for the TS, I'm going to pay through the nose for a teeney piece of metal behind the blade. Maybe if I wait long enough the used ones will show up on CL but I doubt I'll wait that long. Thanks again, Rick.

 

[Tarnished]

Fueler, Could run piping overhead and down on the left side of man door, but since the barn is unheated unless I am working in it, I would have to blow the line down each fall. for now, I just make due with the "hose thru the door" routine.
Thanks Merc, appreciate it. Yea, old barns kinda get in your bones and ya either love um, or hate um. I have seen some amazing old barn's turned into homes. Always thought I might do something similar till I found this place. Love it to much to start over now, so will just have to make do with the SSS.
Never thought about CO. not having old barns. Just kinda assumed that they were everywhere. Wow. Don't know what there missing...

Beautiful place you have there also. I had checked it out here once before but can't find the thread just now. Fine job, do you have any more pics?

Turbo: IMHO, you can't go wrong with either of the two you mentioned, but I would keep a keen eye out on CL for which ever one shows up first. Can save $$$ if your handy & willing to wait a little. Interesting that SawStop is starting a revolution in how new saw safety will be handled. I have seen mostly great reviews on their saw also. Worth a second look IMHO.

 

[Tarnished]

Welcome back! Glad your sticking with me.
Lets go back over to the door to the hog barn and look back toward the main entrance door now.

From inside looking right you will again get a look at the double desks and furnace. More old phone stuff on this wall with an odd ball collection of other "stuff".

This is view looking west from storage area. Here you get a feeling of where my main bench is along with frig, trash & rag cans. This area is carpeted to help with standing on concrete all day. Again, since everything rolls, the carpet can be quickly rolled up and moved out of the way. Usually I keep this all clean by opening the doors, and using an electric broom to blow out all the saw dust and ****, but occasionally I like to roll up the carpet and just hose it all down. Clean start, so to speak.

Well that's about it. Now you know where I spend most of my time, and all of my money. If there is something specific you would like to see let me know.
Lets go out the west slider, and as we leave you can see some more of my back yard.

Yup... More yard to mow, and lots more woods

Picture doesn't really show it, but there is a small ravine here, and when the ground is wet in the spring, it can run well over 3 foot of water. The rock you see to the right of the picnic table is just 1 of the rocks we moved that the barn corner posts sat on. Couldn't move it any further, so we made a planting out of it.

Follow along with me for one more post, and we will go back and sit on the porch for a spell before you take off.

 

[Tarnished]

OK, Back outside and heading back up the drive you will see the back end of the tobacco barn and of course more peeling paint! The fuel tank that keeps all the diesels running is here also.

This view is looking north at the rear of the house as we walk back up the drive. On the left is a man door into the tobacco barn "garage" as it where. Main covered parking for all the wheeled vehicles is here. Also all the other stuff that needs to be undercover. You can see that the shop is just a few short steps from garage, and the path between is well used.

Quickest path to the back door for food, and more of my mowing duties.

Now let's go up on the porch and have that brew we talked about....

Well there you have it. The "Sheep Shed Shop".
Not everyone will like this shop and I will be the first to admit that it certainly has its fault, but it works well for me and I am quite happy with it. It is certainly a work in progress, as it changes daily. I Hope you enjoyed the tour, it's been fun showing it to others who appreciate it.
I am a huge fan of this site, and always enjoy seeing where others hang out. Look forward to checking out your spaces and hearing from you in the future.

One last shot as you leave. Here you see my front yard, or the other side of the road with more of the woods dressed in there beautiful fall colors.

John

 

[Vernmotor]

Well I must say I never feel more at home as you have made me feel on the internet . ! I really like your place. very nice and clean.

 

[Tarnished]

Thanks Vern,
Glad you enjoyed the tour.

 

[santagary]

Still wondering where your place is in relation to Hillsboro. My greatgrandfather was raised in Galapolis and grandfather and father built a cabins in Vinton county near Lake Hope and Zaleski. Beautiful grounds and a great porch. Your shop(s) setup is beyond my wildest dreams at 71 years young, but being a ****** ain't all that bad either.

 

[Tarnished]

Santagary, Closest big town would be Dayton. Worked there for 40+ years and main reason for my place now. PEACE & QUITE!
Would be about 60 miles North West of Hillsboro.

 

[The Dutch Rabbit]

VERY NICE! i love it. Greetings from the Netherlands

 

[Kevin54]

Tarnished....very nice place you have, very nice!!! And if that were my place, I sure wouldn't complain about anything you have done in the barn. It all looks top notch. Even the fanciest of places though can find fault somewhere.

Do you work on the phones or just collect them? And any interest is selling your phone booth?

 

[ToddGrossman]

You have a beautiful home and property. Congratulations on all your hard work!

 

[Tarnished]

Mr. Rabbit, Thanks. Appreciate you comments. Amazing that something posted here is seen and appreciate half way around the world. Just shows how much we all have in common and how small the world really is. Thanks for looking.

Kevin, Thanks so much for the kind words. I enjoyed showing it off. Glad you took the time to stop by.
Your right, there is always something that we would change if only we could. But you'll get no complaints from me. I just feel so very fortunate to be able to enjoy what I have.
As for the selling a phone booth, Sorry, but at this time no, they are not for sale. There getting harder and harder to find. Most have the dreaded disease known as cell-phon-itis. It's terminal ya know!
I have the two you saw in post 17, (red one inside the blue one)

and then I have another that is all red.

That doesn't count the pedestal booth by the door....
Thanks for asking though. I will keep ya in mind if I do. Now if you ask my wife.....
I have worked in the telecommunications industry over 40 years, and have been picking up these old relics nearly as long. Most of my collection either works, or could be made to work with very little effort. Most were only removed from service when replaced with newer TT units. I stooped trying to fix all of them years ago. I am pretty amazed sometimes at what those people on the "Bay" seem to think they are worth nowadays.

Todd, Glad you stopped by. To some it is a lot of work. But ya know how it is when you enjoy doing something, it doesn't really become work. Know what I mean?
And it's a good thing I enjoy it, cause it seems never, to be done.....
Thanks.

 

[CNGsaves]

Have to say your "Sheep Shop" is one AWESOME place, with lots of quaint and interesting features. Also, the view and surroundings are just gorgeous!! Love the fact that your garage desk has window view of property.

Curious about your telco background?? Love the payphones and the phone booths as well. I'd like to take the extra booth off your hands to refurb and install in my basement!!

I've got ILEC background (small rural) but I'm guessing that you are with a large ILEC . . . Mah Bell or ATT?? Still there?? Ironic that SW Bell gobbled up ATT years after the original '84 divestiture to break up monopoly!!

Former co-worker loved old phones and had around 100 in his basement in various stages of refurb. He had around 60 of the oak wood hand cranks that were awesome antiques . . . and a few with the guts still in them.

Tell us and SHOW us more .... We Like !!

 

[Kevin54]

Tarnished......You might just be the person I need to talk to then (other than your wife ) I have a pay phone I bought off of a fellow member. The thing is, there is no key to it. I have the key to open up the front to take the coin box out. It uses two keys actually. One is a standard looking key for a common lock, then the other looks like a sheet metal "T" to open the cover off the coin box.

The standard looking key fits in both side locks though, but only turns one lock. I need to get into the other to be able to wire the phone up. I can send you some pics later. I have went to the local locksmith and he says he can open it that it take a "special" key. I know it doesn't take a special key, it just takes a key to turn the tumbler. Are there "Master keys" that can open them? Out local telephone company says there "used to be", but they've yanked all pay phones from around town and can't help me out. I hate to drill it and screw something else up. Luckily I can get the coin box open. I don't know what metal they make those out of, but when they pulled the pay phones from our shop, on particular phone, they couldn't get the coin box out, so they brought it down to the toolroom for me to open. I ruined three carbide 1/2" endmills trying to cut it open, so I know that portion is fairly theft proof.

Also, does the wiring have to be changed around any to make it compatible with our line we have now? The payphone is push button and not rotary. I could drive down your way one day if you would be willing to fix it. Your maybe an hour+ away from me.

 

[santagary]

Santagary, Closest big town would be Dayton. Worked there for 40+ years and main reason for my place now. PEACE & QUITE!
Would be about 60 miles North West of Hillsboro.

We lived in Hamilton (little Chicago) in '62 for awhile on N "D" street in a rented house. Love your space and your ability to organize it. You must have a patient loving wife that has as much pride in your spaces and in hers, not to mention mutual pride in your craftmanship!

 

[Tarnished]

CNG: Well thanks. I'm glad you find them interesting. Just a bunch of "old stuff" really, but I also find most of it interesting. I always wonder about the history behind all of these old relics. Hope who ever ends up with it later will appreciate it as well as I have.
Oh yea, I love my window to the outside. Since I live on a dead end road, there isn't a lot of traffic. This causes the critters to think it all belongs to them, and you can see them wander around all day.
As I mentioned before, when I can, I keep the south facing slider open, and it provides me with great natural light and breezes in the summer. For winter, I really want to cut windows into the south facing slider. I just haven't got there yet. It's amazing how much more comfortable a little natural light will make you feel.

The thing about the old aluminum phone booths is that you don't have keep them in a basement. They will survive for YEARS outside with very little maintenance. Most have survived quite well for the last ½ century and are in surprisingly good shape. If they haven't been wacked by a car! Now a wooden booth on the other hand...."Oh My!" Only reason I don't have one is it CAN'T go in the house, and I have no room for one in the shop.

My Telecom experience has been with a local POWER company. They have had their own phone people for about 80 years and me for the last 38. We interfaced with all the regional telco's in a 32 county region for substation phones, and special ckts. At one time we had maintained about 200 miles of our own outdoor cable. We also had 4 different private exchanges that we maintained along with microwave and mobile radios. I saw the move from stepper switches, to the installation of digital electronic switches, up to the present LAN network phone switches. Have worked from outside on lead cables, to switch maintenance, to WAN installations. Did pretty much everything needed to maintain the entire system. At one time we had 15 union and 12 management folks to do all this. When I left, I was in charge of 7 technicians, and worked with 2 other engineers. Wow! Guess we downsized.... Craziness with maw bell then and still continue today with SW Bell, and ATT. Cell phones have kicked all their butts.....
I'll post a couple closeups of the Phone Pole. There is a pretty good time span here.



I think there is about 10 on this wall alone...

Hope you enjoy.