Denwood
Well-known member
Stainless allen head...now that's taking it up a notch 
Between 265 & 485 SQ/FT The Scooter Workshop
- Thread starter Modern Jess
- Start date
Workspaces sized between 265 and 485 squarefeet.
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Modern Jess
Well-known member
Stainless allen head...now that's taking it up a notch
Nearly all the fasteners I stock are stainless anyway, so it wasn't much of a stretch to hunt down 6/32 socket caps from McMaster.
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Modern Jess
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So happy to finally be painting the inside of the compressor closet today. That means that by this time tomorrow, I'll be putting up a strut channel shelf in there, and finally putting away some of the **** that's occupying ever flat and not-so-flat surface in this shop.
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Modern Jess
Well-known member
Okay, it's really hard to take photos of a closet and end up with anything remotely resembling what you would see if you were actually standing there.
Fisheye to the rescue!
Note that I still have one more coat of paint to put on (have done one primer coat and one paint coat so far) and so the coverage is still a little bit uneven. Still, it's blindingly white.
Fisheye to the rescue!
Note that I still have one more coat of paint to put on (have done one primer coat and one paint coat so far) and so the coverage is still a little bit uneven. Still, it's blindingly white.
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Getho
Member
Looking very nice indeed!
dhubbard422
Well-known member
That's a very nice compressor closet! Heck, the whole thing is nice. Your attention to detail is inspiring.
Just curious... did you ever write up anything about building your weather station? Maybe to a different site? Or maybe you have some suggested reading? I have done very little research on them (to date) but I think it'd be cool to have a station at the house and to push the data up to the web...
Thanks for sharing.
Just curious... did you ever write up anything about building your weather station? Maybe to a different site? Or maybe you have some suggested reading? I have done very little research on them (to date) but I think it'd be cool to have a station at the house and to push the data up to the web...
Thanks for sharing.
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Modern Jess
Well-known member
Thanks very much!
I haven't written anything except what's published here. I did a lot of reading, looking at the available consumer-level systems, and quickly gravitated toward the Davis Instruments Vantage Pro 2 system as the "ultimate" consumer-level system. Next, I had to figure out what flavor of setup I wanted (wired, wireless, how the information gets uploaded to the internet) and settled on a hardwired solution that didn't require any interaction from my computer.
Next up was wading into the thorny issue of siting, which is HUGELY important. There are a number of resources here, but they are definitely contained in a corner of the web that is, errr.... crufty: http://wxqa.com/resources.html
Don't get too intimidated by that site. There's a lot of information there, and most of it won't make sense at first. After you've read a bit, some of it will start to make more sense. Other stuff will never make sense. My weather station participates in the CWOP / NOAA weather network, but most of that stuff is almost impenetrable in terms of figuring out what it is and how it works.
Probably the most important feature you'll want in a weather station is the ability to upload weather data to wunderground.com, which has quickly become the 800 pound gorilla of the backyard weather world. It's harder than you might imagine, though it really shouldn't be. Most of the weather station packages require expensive software and / or interface boxes to perform this basic task. Fortunately, the setup I chose takes care of all of that in one small little package that just plugs into ethernet.
I'm probably leaving out lots of information. If you get stuck on something or need some advice, just ask!
dhubbard422
Well-known member
Thanks for the links! Lots of reading... I might have some challenges regarding my site, but I expect that I can find a reasonable spot for a station.
Thanks again!
Thanks again!
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Modern Jess
Well-known member
In reality, almost nobody with a weather station in an urban or even suburban setting has the requisite elements for a "perfect" siting, so don't sweat it too much. Rooftop stations (as long as it's reasonably far above the roof) are ideal in that environment. The biggest issue is avoiding paved surfaces, as it tends to raise the apparent ambient temperature during the day and even into the night as the pavement radiates heat. The next biggest issue is nearby trees, which will affect the anemometer and wind direction. But unless you have a big open field with no trees nearby, you're probably going to have to make some compromises. The goal, then, is just to make as few compromises as possible.
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Modern Jess
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Speaking of which, I don't think I've posted this before. This is the web page that my weather station generates and serves via its built-in web server. The page is updated every couple of seconds (near real-time) and I do tend to watch it during stormy weather (like right now).
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MKE Mike
Well-known member
Speaking of which, I don't think I've posted this before. This is the web page that my weather station generates and serves via its built-in web server. The page is updated every couple of seconds (near real-time) and I do tend to watch it during stormy weather (like right now).
That's super-cool! Closet looks good...
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MKE Mike
Well-known member
Not to thread-jack, but my compressor closet is looking very shabby. Pieced together from drywall scraps after finishing the rest of the garage. I was so sick of dry walling that I didn't even tape or mud. Your closet is beautiful!
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Modern Jess
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Beautiful is too strong a word. Now that I have a light installed, I can see all the places I botched the mud and paint. But hey, it looks good in pictures!
But seriously, I look at your closet and the first thing that comes to mind isn't Man, he didn't even tape or mud! I see that picture and I think Man, he needs some shelves in there! That's all kinds of wasted space!
Which is a good segue to my next post. (Give me a minute).
MKE Mike
Well-known member
Beautiful is too strong a word. Now that I have a light installed, I can see all the places I botched the mud and paint. But hey, it looks good in pictures!
But seriously, I look at your closet and the first thing that comes to mind isn't Man, he didn't even tape or mud! I see that picture and I think Man, he needs some shelves in there! That's all kinds of wasted space!
Which is a good segue to my next post. (Give me a minute).
Earlier in my thread I mentioned trim, a door and shelves; I DO plan to maximize space, but I'm currently ******* with my cb360 project.
I'd love to see your solutions for closet organization!
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MKE Mike
Well-known member
I made my closet door extra tall for exactly that reason. My (very old) house has 12 foot ceilings, but standard doors on closets, which leaves a lot of wasted space up toward the ceiling. There are shelves up there, but you can't get anything big up to the top shelves...
The paint and drywall looks great for a closet BTW[emoji122]
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The paint and drywall looks great for a closet BTW[emoji122]
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Modern Jess
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This morning I put the last coat of paint on the walls in the closet. Once it was (mostly) dry, I started on the thing that I've been working toward for months: Monster Shelf!
Continuing with the theme of using Every Square Inch™ of space in this shop, I've been planning from the beginning to have a shelf over the compressor. It's a little bit short, as I lowered the ceiling in the closet by 3.5" in order to pack more insulation / sound dampening in there. As a result, I really had to work to make this shelf as thin as possible, which I did by inserting the melamine shelving into the strut channel itself. This presented some especially interesting challenges, as the brackets holding everything together also occupy that space. On top of that, the L shape is a bit of a jigsaw puzzle to put together. I'm pretty sure I put this up and took it down 17 or more times trying to get all the details handled and the order of operations set. Eventually, with a putty knife and hemostats in hand, I got the last bolt threaded into one of the hidden nuts, and quickly tightened everything down before I changed my mind.
This shelf is inspired partially by JimVonBaden's old garage, where he had a self-supporting U-shaped shelf in a one-car garage. This is obviously a lot smaller scale, but uses the same principle of self-support.
The strut channel starting to go up:
The compressor end, with the ventilator fan overhead. Also note the temperature / humidity probe, which I will use to turn on the fan automatically when it starts to get hot in there.
The door end:
Wide angle shot, almost straight-up:
Continuing with the theme of using Every Square Inch™ of space in this shop, I've been planning from the beginning to have a shelf over the compressor. It's a little bit short, as I lowered the ceiling in the closet by 3.5" in order to pack more insulation / sound dampening in there. As a result, I really had to work to make this shelf as thin as possible, which I did by inserting the melamine shelving into the strut channel itself. This presented some especially interesting challenges, as the brackets holding everything together also occupy that space. On top of that, the L shape is a bit of a jigsaw puzzle to put together. I'm pretty sure I put this up and took it down 17 or more times trying to get all the details handled and the order of operations set. Eventually, with a putty knife and hemostats in hand, I got the last bolt threaded into one of the hidden nuts, and quickly tightened everything down before I changed my mind.
This shelf is inspired partially by JimVonBaden's old garage, where he had a self-supporting U-shaped shelf in a one-car garage. This is obviously a lot smaller scale, but uses the same principle of self-support.
The strut channel starting to go up:
The compressor end, with the ventilator fan overhead. Also note the temperature / humidity probe, which I will use to turn on the fan automatically when it starts to get hot in there.
The door end:
Wide angle shot, almost straight-up:
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Modern Jess
Well-known member
Excellent idea!
MKE Mike
Well-known member
Beautiful is, actually, the right word (from my earlier post). This is fantastic. Nice work as always!
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Modern Jess
Well-known member
Thanks.
If you're ever in the SF Bay Area, PM me and I'll buy you a beer and show you my drywall defects.
Okay. It does look better than any closet has a right to.
MKE Mike
Well-known member
Careful; I might actually take you up on that. I travel to SF for work occasionally. If you ever find yourself in Milwaukee do the same[emoji482][emoji482]
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MKE Mike
Well-known member
...you can revisit your youth[emoji106]
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Modern Jess
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Will do! I miss Milwaukee, actually. I'm sure it's changed a lot since I lived there in '91.
MKE Mike
Well-known member
It's changed a lot since I moved here 5 years ago; you'd be amazed. Our weather ***** for half a year at a time, but I love this city...
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Modern Jess
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Well, you know what they say about Milwaukee: Ten months of winter and two months of bad sledding.
MKE Mike
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Bed sledding??
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Modern Jess
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MKE Mike
Well-known member
If my definition of "bed sledding" matches yours, we get 10 months of that[emoji108]
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Modern Jess
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But seriously, I think Milwaukee is a great city, despite the weather.
MKE Mike
Well-known member
As in nothing better to do when it's too cold out for anything else....this really is an inappropriate thread jack now. Time for bed- nice work on the garage!
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MKE Mike
Well-known member
...yes, good town, good people
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MKE Mike
Well-known member
That was a typo BTW, and I ran with it to my detriment[emoji106]
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Modern Jess
Well-known member
It turns out that I'm really good at thinking ahead two or three steps in the course of any given project. I know this only because I repeatedly find myself starting new sub-projects that occur to me mid-stream, and which simply must be completed before the current project is finished, or it will never really be possible without undoing a bunch of work. Which is precisely why this project is now going on three years.
Ugh.
Anyway, I was doing a mental inventory of all the debris and unwanted detritus in the shop, in preparation for a trip to the dump. I came across a full box of VCT tile, left over from a few years ago when we first moved into the house. I put down VCT around the washer / dryer area, and (in my typical fashion) I bought too much material. I've been moving this box around ever since, and damn is VCT tile heavy!
I didn't really want to throw away the whole box, but didn't have any real use for it. Except that I do! I'm just finishing up the closet, and haven't put the rubber baseboard molding up yet. I realized that I could use most of the box on the closet, and if I didn't do it now, it would never happen. I wasn't planning on putting VCT tile in there, but it's a good spot for it. Keeps the concrete from dusting and makes it easy to sweep out the closet.
A plan was born.
One weekend later (interspersed with other tasks, like a trip to the dump and a night out with my wife for Valentine's day) I finished putting the floor down.
And a trick shot:
Bonus: the only self-portrait that you're ever going to see of me:
Those last two shots were taken with my Canon G7X, which I can control from my iPhone. The GorillaPod has magnetic feet, which makes it handy around the shop:
Ugh.
Anyway, I was doing a mental inventory of all the debris and unwanted detritus in the shop, in preparation for a trip to the dump. I came across a full box of VCT tile, left over from a few years ago when we first moved into the house. I put down VCT around the washer / dryer area, and (in my typical fashion) I bought too much material. I've been moving this box around ever since, and damn is VCT tile heavy!
I didn't really want to throw away the whole box, but didn't have any real use for it. Except that I do! I'm just finishing up the closet, and haven't put the rubber baseboard molding up yet. I realized that I could use most of the box on the closet, and if I didn't do it now, it would never happen. I wasn't planning on putting VCT tile in there, but it's a good spot for it. Keeps the concrete from dusting and makes it easy to sweep out the closet.
A plan was born.
One weekend later (interspersed with other tasks, like a trip to the dump and a night out with my wife for Valentine's day) I finished putting the floor down.
And a trick shot:
Bonus: the only self-portrait that you're ever going to see of me:
Those last two shots were taken with my Canon G7X, which I can control from my iPhone. The GorillaPod has magnetic feet, which makes it handy around the shop:
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Modern Jess
Well-known member
I've mentioned before that a trip to the dump is highly therapeutic. Today, I managed two trips to the dump, which makes me almost well-adjusted.
But seriously, it was awesome.
But seriously, it was awesome.
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Bob Heine
ALLIANCE MEMBER
How are you ever going to get all that loaded into your pickup?
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Modern Jess
Well-known member
You laugh, but when I took that picture, there was a guy just out of frame to the left that appeared to be trying to stuff a good portion of that pile into his pickup. I tried not to gawk, so I couldn't really tell what he was after. But he was there before I got there, and was still there after I left.
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Modern Jess
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Doing a little test-fit in the closet. This isn't exactly how it will be configured, but a couple of the things in there (the table saw and the mitre saw, both folded up) will in fact sit about where they currently are. I'm calling this my "wood shop".
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sakurama
Well-known member
That was hysterical.
Looks really great. I love the "wood shop" and wish I could condense it into a closet. Hanging my MFT/3 was pretty close.
Keep it up!
Gregor
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Modern Jess
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Thanks, Gregor. As it happens, I'm in the middle of re-reading your build thread. I had checked in on it repeatedly as you updated it, but there were large gaps (time I was away from GJ doing other things) where I missed some of the details. It's a really epic thread. I'll be done reading it in a couple of weeks.
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Modern Jess
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Quick Weekday Update: I had a bit of time in the shop this evening, and decided that maybe accomplishing something would be more useful than drinking bourbon.
Anyway, I have some wood projects that I need to get going on, all of them plywood-type construction projects. Specifically, I need to build some shelves in my new closet for various woodworking tools, mostly in Systainers. My preferred way to cut sheet goods is with a track saw, but my DeWalt rails are a bit wonky. I didn't really get them cut right on the first use, so the rubber edge was a little bit out of true. Turns out it's actually really hard to get the ends of the track saw guide rubber cut right, since you kind of run out of track at the end (duh).
Anyway, I wanted to make another stab at it before I started in on the shelving project, so I pulled out the replacement rubber strips that I've been hoarding for lo these odd years and got to work.
First, I cleaned off my only real work surface: my motorcycle lift / workbench:
(That's actually the biggest accomplishment in this post, since it's been covered with **** for longer than I care to admit).
Then I pulled off the old rubber strips. The bad news is that the adhesive on the old strips was dry and stubborn. The good news is that I have this magic substance called Winzer MPS-100 that is excellent at removing everything I've ever sprayed it on. It's like a miracle cleaner, and (like alcohol, which I'm sure it contains) it dries residue-free after a few minutes. It softened the old adhesive spectacularly, and I was able to clean off the rails with a minimum of effort.
The re-application process is pretty straightforward: peel off the backing and press into place. A rubber roller works really well here:
And here's the finished product. The rail on the left was trimmed previously, and is mostly straight. The rail on the right has brand-new rubber edges on it, and needs to be trimmed by the track saw itself. You can hardly tell, but I already feel motivated to get down to some actual woodworking.
Anyway, I have some wood projects that I need to get going on, all of them plywood-type construction projects. Specifically, I need to build some shelves in my new closet for various woodworking tools, mostly in Systainers. My preferred way to cut sheet goods is with a track saw, but my DeWalt rails are a bit wonky. I didn't really get them cut right on the first use, so the rubber edge was a little bit out of true. Turns out it's actually really hard to get the ends of the track saw guide rubber cut right, since you kind of run out of track at the end (duh).
Anyway, I wanted to make another stab at it before I started in on the shelving project, so I pulled out the replacement rubber strips that I've been hoarding for lo these odd years and got to work.
First, I cleaned off my only real work surface: my motorcycle lift / workbench:
(That's actually the biggest accomplishment in this post, since it's been covered with **** for longer than I care to admit).
Then I pulled off the old rubber strips. The bad news is that the adhesive on the old strips was dry and stubborn. The good news is that I have this magic substance called Winzer MPS-100 that is excellent at removing everything I've ever sprayed it on. It's like a miracle cleaner, and (like alcohol, which I'm sure it contains) it dries residue-free after a few minutes. It softened the old adhesive spectacularly, and I was able to clean off the rails with a minimum of effort.
The re-application process is pretty straightforward: peel off the backing and press into place. A rubber roller works really well here:
And here's the finished product. The rail on the left was trimmed previously, and is mostly straight. The rail on the right has brand-new rubber edges on it, and needs to be trimmed by the track saw itself. You can hardly tell, but I already feel motivated to get down to some actual woodworking.
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E12-535iTurbo
Well-known member
Very cool shop you have there! I got triggered in Gregor's topic to read yours.