The Stable

[MatthewM]

Since graduating high school I have known that I "needed" a shop. My grandfather built his just before passing and never really got to enjoy it. I vowed not to do the same. I worked in a Hot Rod shop through college, and knew my I could be happen in life until I had my own place to build, create, and on occasion think. Thus far in life I've done everything I could to get one, and at the ripe old age of 28 my dreams are finally coming true.

After a quick stint in the Army (6 years give or take) my wife and I stabilized in the Phoenix Metropolitan area. We were lucky enough to save a good chunk of change from my two deployments and purchase a house with some land at nearly the lowest point of the housing crash. After spending the first year fixing up our newly acquired foreclosure, it is time to get on to the most important part of the property, my shop.

About 3 months ago household 6 (My beautiful loving wife) authorized the funding and construction is now underway. The shop is in the back corner of the lot. It is 24 x 48 with a 14 x 14 insulated roll-up door. The slab is 4" of fiber-mesh re-enforced concrete with an 6" deep section for my non-existent lift. The exterior will match the house with stucco and concrete tile. There will be a 200A sub-panel in the building(mounted outside of the framing so that I can add conduit as I see fit after the walls are closed).

My life's pretty busy right now but I've always been a bit of an overachiever. I have a beautiful 6 month old baby, a full-time+ job, and am attending Arizona State University to earn 2 masters degrees in Business Administration and Industrial Engineering. Regardless of all of these challenges, I will finish the flooring, electrical, insulation, drywall, landscaping, painting, and HVAC by myself (and with the occasional help from my Dad when he's in town).

I guess it's time for the good part... Pictures! I'll try to update the thread regularly so please provide your vast body of knowledge and expertise and constructive comments.

-Matt

 

[MatthewM]

Concrete was complete yesterday. Today the focus was framing, the framers were on site at 6 am and by 8am the building was complete to the first framing picture. The last picture is where they finished for the day at about 3:30 to include time spend putting away all their tools and cleaning up the mess for the day. They work quick!

 

[BarnFab]

Sweet build, never to early to get a kick *** shop going

 

[ConcreteAce]

Great pictures. Being a concrete contractor I love looking at how slabs are built in other cities. So different from here in Houston. Good luck on your build!

 

[dwp99]

Great looking shop

 

[Bib Overalls]

Thank you for your service.

My active Army and DoD Civilian career took me all over the country and around the world and it was one hell of a ride. One thing I didn't get was the opportunity to have a shop and acquire the tools I wanted. Now, in retirement, I seem to be over compensating.

You sound like a high energy person and having a shop to work it off and unwind in will really pay back over the years. Are you still in to hot rods?

 

[MatthewM]

I am definitely still into hotrods. In my first pic you can see a picture of one of my project vehicles. It is my grandfathers 1949 F1. That's one of the top priorities(along with everything else) once the shop goes up. It will have a flathead ford under the hood, with either a satin red or black paint job (not sure yet).

I've got a rough drawing of the electrical. The panel is surface mounted so I can add later, but the things shown will be wired up before I close up the drywall.
-There is a 30 Amp on the Outside(West) for the Compressor
-Future 50A and 110VAC for future Air Conditioning.
-50A inside in the Southwest Corner for Phase Converter for the Lathe, Mill, Etc.
-50A Near the Panel for the Welder
-The interior 110V outlets will be Quadruplex outlets spaced every 6 feet or so with alternating branch circuits.
-The lights will be 8ft T8 4 bulb fixtures with 2 circuits, one at the front one at the back.
-The flood lights will be so I can work at night.
-The barn lights will stay on and have ambient light sensors to automatically come on at sunset.


Does anyone else have any reccomendations, or constructive criticism. I've never done a wiring diagram before, so I'm a bit new at this, but I did stay at a Holiday In express last night.

 

[ManuelM]

Proud of you son. We want to come up this weekend, can i start sealing the floor? And the Grandbaby needs Grandpa.

 

[JCQuick]

Nice looking build