Workshop 88

[jvitez]

Great build! You've got lots of creative and practical ideas for what will turn out to be a great space.

A couple of points about your insulation: with 2x6 walls, why didn't you install R-20 instead of R-12 insulation? I know you're on a tight budget but Ontario has expensive energy rates (especially electricity), and you pay for insulation once but the savings continue forever.

You need a vapour barrier. You should be ASHRAE Climate Zone 6, so you need a Class II vapour retarder. Check out this info:

http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/buildi..._innov_vaporretarderclassification_011713.pdf

As per page 2 of this pdf, a Class II vapour retarder is Kraft paper faced fibreglass batts which aren't sold in Canada, unfaced expanded polystyrene rigid insulation, fibre faced polyisocyanurate insulation, or low perm paint on the inside.

You might want to look into this and decide what's best as you'd hate to have everything almost finished and then need to undo a lot of your work to change the insulation/vapour barrier. I know I've had to undo and redo far too many things in my own home and garage, and it really gets me!

On way would be to leave your R-12 as is, and put expanded polystyrene sheets between the studs over top of the fibreglass and spray foam the joint where the foam board meets the 2x6 stud. Another would be to sheet the inside with drywall or plywood and use low perm paint, however you wouldn't want to have an air space behind the interior sheathing as convection currents could occur inside this space and negate a lot of the insulation value.

Anyway, just my 2 pennies, or I guess 0.4 of a nickel in Canada now.

 

[Mr. 360]

Looking great so far as it is always nice to see small spaces come together as a great functional shop.

Thanks for starting the thread and definately keep us all posted as the progress continues.

Good luck!

Thanks, I'll definitely try and keep this up to date as I go

I really like your approach, your results, your sketches, and your progress reports! All that is lacking is a good photo of that Myford! Is it a Super 7? Sort of looks so from the little teeny bit I can see in your 2nd post- love mine, great piece of machinery.

Thanks, actually it's an ML7, so a little older/smaller than the super 7. I haven't had too many chances to really use it, but for $50, I couldn't say no. It is missing the gear set for moving the carriage (that handle just spins). Until i find one somewhere I get by using the handle on the end of the auto-feed. I do need to get some better pics, this is the only good one I have of the unit when I got it.

View media item 30395

Great build! You've got lots of creative and practical ideas for what will turn out to be a great space.

A couple of points about your insulation: with 2x6 walls, why didn't you install R-20 instead of R-12 insulation? I know you're on a tight budget but Ontario has expensive energy rates (especially electricity), and you pay for insulation once but the savings continue forever.

You need a vapour barrier. You should be ASHRAE Climate Zone 6, so you need a Class II vapour retarder. Check out this info:

http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/buildi..._innov_vaporretarderclassification_011713.pdf

As per page 2 of this pdf, a Class II vapour retarder is Kraft paper faced fibreglass batts which aren't sold in Canada, unfaced expanded polystyrene rigid insulation, fibre faced polyisocyanurate insulation, or low perm paint on the inside.

You might want to look into this and decide what's best as you'd hate to have everything almost finished and then need to undo a lot of your work to change the insulation/vapour barrier. I know I've had to undo and redo far too many things in my own home and garage, and it really gets me!

On way would be to leave your R-12 as is, and put expanded polystyrene sheets between the studs over top of the fibreglass and spray foam the joint where the foam board meets the 2x6 stud. Another would be to sheet the inside with drywall or plywood and use low perm paint, however you wouldn't want to have an air space behind the interior sheathing as convection currents could occur inside this space and negate a lot of the insulation value.

Anyway, just my 2 pennies, or I guess 0.4 of a nickel in Canada now.

I hear ya, R-20 would have been nice, I just couldn't spring that much so I'll have to get by with R12. That being said, considering that I used to work in an unheated garage in winters, anything else will be better. As for vapour barrier, I have either the tyvek housewrap stuff (leftover from wrapping the outside) or a roll of 8mil leftover from when I built a temp paint booth for my wagoneer. I realize my methods aren't exactly as by the book as I would like, but for this little garage, I'll have to make the best of em. Maybe my next house will have a bigger garage, insulated to the nines, and drywalled. Thanks for stopping by though, I do appreciate people's .02c (however it's rounded now )

 

[Mr. 360]

A small update here. On Sunday, I finally finished stringing the wiring through my basement and routed it into the panel. I had to extend my ground a few feet as the leftover spool I had stopped 3' short of the panel (of course). I must say, the good people of MicroElectric decided that they would make a split bolt that was neither metric nor imperial. They seem to have settled on sizes that fall in the middle somewhere. Thankfully, the good people of Crescent USA have a solution. these are probably my favourite adjustable wrenches. Nice machining, comfortable grip, and smooth operation. I've had these for years and take good care of them so they're always as nice as they day I opened them.

View media item 34296
So, I am now running on 60 fire breathing Amps. So far no fires or explosions, which is good. I'm looking forward to getting the welder out after a long hibernation, and hopefully soon get to making some stuff. I do however, need to clean up the place a bit now.

 

[jvitez]

Great wrenches, and congrats on achieving power! What are your plans for heat?

 

[Mr. 360]

Great wrenches, and congrats on achieving power! What are your plans for heat?

Thanks!

Probably just going to use one of those radiant oil heaters for now, plus maybe a small ceramic heater for localized heating.

I do have some sketches of a very small woodstove that I would like to weld up, about 1' cubed, small enough to not get blazing hot but big enough for basically a single room. Plan is for it to be installed seasonally and stored in the summer to regain floorspace. I'll get some pics of the sketches later and toss em up. (Edit: only an idea. The insurance pitfalls of woodstoves -I'm guessing especially diy ones- kind of make them a little less appealing. in reality I will likely be heating with electricity)

 

[Honest Bob]

Nice work!

 

[dpass17]

Love your shop bro! I too just purchased my house earlier this year, and the shop is close to that size and had a leaky roof too. Just found this site a few days ago, and love your build out. Will definitely be using it for inspiration, as I have been trying to figure out exactly what to do with mine. Keep up the great work.

 

[Mr. 360]

Nice work!

Thanks Bob! Glad you like it

Love your shop bro! I too just purchased my house earlier this year, and the shop is close to that size and had a leaky roof too. Just found this site a few days ago, and love your build out. Will definitely be using it for inspiration, as I have been trying to figure out exactly what to do with mine. Keep up the great work.

Thanks! leaky roofs are a bit of a pain eh. shingles are definitely cheaper, but I thought the longevity and the aesthetic appeal were worth the extra cost (about $520 for the steel roofing, all in. shingles would have run $350-400). I'm not finished the roof yet, still gotta trim in the ends when time allows.

Actually, it's amazing what you can fit in a small space, just gotta get creative.

 

[dpass17]

I also went with a metal roof. Luckily, owning my own business allowed me to do a trade out with a guy who owns a construction company and I got a new metal roof and eves for free. Thank God for that!

 

[Mr. 360]

I also went with a metal roof. Luckily, owning my own business allowed me to do a trade out with a guy who owns a construction company and I got a new metal roof and eves for free. Thank God for that!

Jealous! Now you have like $500 to put into other cool garage stuff

 

[quick60]

Estwing with leather handle is a fine hammer. My dad was a full time carpenter for 40 years and that is all he ever used. I aslo durng my four years as a carpenters apprentice used an Estwing.

 

[uke73]

Thanks, actually it's an ML7, so a little older/smaller than the super 7. I haven't had too many chances to really use it, but for $50, I couldn't say no. It is missing the gear set for moving the carriage (that handle just spins). Until i find one somewhere I get by using the handle on the end of the auto-feed. I do need to get some better pics, this is the only good one I have of the unit when I got it.

Have you tried: http://www.homeandworkshop.co.uk/, http://www.myford.co.uk/ or http://www.gandmtools.co.uk/ between them they have lots of the spares for Myfords picked up after Myford went bust. If they won't ship to your side of the Atlantic I would be happy to forward on for you. The last company are just up the road from me.

Good luck!

Neil

 

[Mr. 360]

Estwing with leather handle is a fine hammer. My dad was a full time carpenter for 40 years and that is all he ever used. I aslo durng my four years as a carpenters apprentice used an Estwing.

I completely agree. I'll have to keep my eye open for other weights now. I did buy Estwing hammers for all my groomsmen at my wedding. Thought a nice lifetime tool would be cool.

Have you tried: http://www.homeandworkshop.co.uk/, http://www.myford.co.uk/ or http://www.gandmtools.co.uk/ between them they have lots of the spares for Myfords picked up after Myford went bust. If they won't ship to your side of the Atlantic I would be happy to forward on for you. The last company are just up the road from me.

Good luck!

Neil

wow, there is a lot of stuff on those sites. I'll have to keep that in mind someday when I fix that part of the lathe. Thanks for the generous offer!

 

[51rider]

Great work on the garage

An ML7 for $50 Absolute steal

By the looks of the oil feed to the mail bearing journal, that is a pre '46 model.If you come across a deal like that again, give me a shout! Even with shipping it would be worthwhile!!

 

[Tman]

Estwing with leather handle is a fine hammer. My dad was a full time carpenter for 40 years and that is all he ever used. I aslo durng my four years as a carpenters apprentice used an Estwing.

Same here, mine is 23 years old. I just oiled the leather and sealed the handle up again. Looks like new!

Neat little shop, has a ton of character!

 

[Mr. 360]

Great work on the garage

An ML7 for $50 Absolute steal

By the looks of the oil feed to the mail bearing journal, that is a pre '46 model.If you come across a deal like that again, give me a shout! Even with shipping it would be worthwhile!!

I had actually been looking for metal lathes at the time and but just couldnt bear to spend close to $400 for the cheaply made Princess Auto ones. Although this one came with no accessories, I've already made a few pieces on it to help with future work. I'll have to check the serial stamping to see what year this one is, hard to tell from a glance since they never changed much. Something tells me this deal is one of those once in a lifetime things, but you never know!

(Edit: checked serial number last night. K34874 is the number, putting it pretty firmly in the middle of 1955, according to lathes.co.uk)

Same here, mine is 23 years old. I just oiled the leather and sealed the handle up again. Looks like new!

Neat little shop, has a ton of character!

Thanks! Interesting you should mention oiling the leather, mine looks to have some kind of old clear coat on it that's crumbling off now... maybe a light sanding and oiling would do the trick on the handle..

 

[longlivepunk]

I do have some sketches of a very small woodstove that I would like to weld up, about 1' cubed, small enough to not get blazing hot but big enough for basically a single room.

I was considering a wood stove too, but the insurance risk is too high for my liking. Instead I'll be borrowing a propane heater from a friend of mine. You might want to look into the same. They're cheap to run, cheap to buy (and can probably buy used) and actually work really well! Just be careful in a small space of course.

http://www.lowes.ca/products/view.aspx?family=1198117&af=3621&gclid=CNjU54W1nLoCFcU5Qgod12QASg

 

[machine_punk]

Howdy! I've been slowly working through your thread and I am impressed!

(Congratulations on making it to the front page of the forum, too...go check it out)

Do you have a design background (the sketches and general way you are going about this have a 'designer' feel to them.

Looking forward to getting through the rest of your thread...

Kev

 

[Mr. 360]

I was considering a wood stove too, but the insurance risk is too high for my liking. Instead I'll be borrowing a propane heater from a friend of mine. You might want to look into the same. They're cheap to run, cheap to buy (and can probably buy used) and actually work really well! Just be careful in a small space of course.

http://www.lowes.ca/products/view.aspx?family=1198117&af=3621&gclid=CNjU54W1nLoCFcU5Qgod12QASg

True, propane heaters are a much more 'resolved' design, probably safer in some respects too. I had also thought of possibly having a barrel style stove outside, with a water jacket of copper tubing, that would then be pumped into the building and through an old radiator. That way it keeps the fire outside, and has some heat indoors. I did like the concept of wood because I have access to lots for free, but other methods might be even better.

Howdy! I've been slowly working through your thread and I am impressed!

(Congratulations on making it to the front page of the forum, too...go check it out)

Do you have a design background (the sketches and general way you are going about this have a 'designer' feel to them.

Looking forward to getting through the rest of your thread...

Kev

Thanks Kev! Actually I was kinda surprised when I saw it there last week.. Most garages up there are pretty well finished while mine is still a work in progress. I'm happy though if it resonates with people, inspires me to get cracking.

I do have a background in design actually. I'm an Industrial Designer (there's a few of us around. I know Kristofer Henry over at the 44 Bikes Frame Shop is one, and a brilliant one at that). I sketch a lot for work but to be honest, half of my work-journal is full of other sketches and doodles, usually garage/vintage auto inspired. IE:

View media item 34334
View media item 34337(this one is my 1960 Willys Pickup, which has yet to move to this garage)

View media item 34335

 

[Tman]

Thanks! Interesting you should mention oiling the leather, mine looks to have some kind of old clear coat on it that's crumbling off now... maybe a light sanding and oiling would do the trick on the handle..

Mine was a laquer type finish and it sanded off nicely. I think I rubbed it down with Neatsfoot oil and when that dried I topcoated with satin varnish? I forget, it has been a few years. Still looks like new after 7 more years of abuse.

 

[sunsation288]

Very nice garage you have there sir !!

 

[Mr. 360]

Mine was a laquer type finish and it sanded off nicely. I think I rubbed it down with Neatsfoot oil and when that dried I topcoated with satin varnish? I forget, it has been a few years. Still looks like new after 7 more years of abuse.

Good to know, thanks. I'll have to slot this in for that hammer sometime. would be a nice testament to the older gentleman I got the tools from.

Very nice garage you have there sir !!

Thanks a bunch!

 

[rmalkow2]

Adding my compliments to your garage build. Regarding your surprise of being on the front page when you are still a work in progress, that's exactly what we like to see and follow. I know your journey is giving me new ideas. And here I was feeling sorry for myself that after taking over our existing 2 car garage with a hot rod project I did not have enough room. Your build is making me re-think my current situation in light of being more efficient with the space I have. Oh, the dream garage out on the back of our property is still a dream and a goal but for now I have to think small and make the most of current situation. Seeing that attitude in your place has been inspiring. Keep it up!

 

[Mr. 360]

Adding my compliments to your garage build. Regarding your surprise of being on the front page when you are still a work in progress, that's exactly what we like to see and follow. I know your journey is giving me new ideas. And here I was feeling sorry for myself that after taking over our existing 2 car garage with a hot rod project I did not have enough room. Your build is making me re-think my current situation in light of being more efficient with the space I have. Oh, the dream garage out on the back of our property is still a dream and a goal but for now I have to think small and make the most of current situation. Seeing that attitude in your place has been inspiring. Keep it up!

Thanks for the comment! I would tend to agree with you, a 2 car can be very serviceable indeed. One thing this garage is teaching me is an appreciation for bigger workspaces, though for the most part I think I'll be able to work in it just fine. I like to think of it like my leatherman multitool; very compact, yet able to handle as big a variety of tasks as you throw at it. I too have visions of a dream garage down the road, but for now, I'm treating my small shop as if it was that dream garage, makes the interim that much more enjoyable.

 

[nasty_nat77]

Awesome use of space! Looks like its come along way, Im in Ajax as well

 

[jvitez]

your hammer

BTW, your hammer is even cooler than you might know. It's actually a very old English pattern claw hammer. And guess what? Estwing still makes them!

You can tell it's very old because of the small radius curve on the claw. I don't know when the change was made or why, but modern claw hammers have a larger radius to the claw, not counting ripping hammers.

 

[Mr. 360]

Re: your hammer

Awesome use of space! Looks like its come along way, Im in Ajax as well

Thanks! It's getting there slowly, just gotta keep pluggin away.

BTW, your hammer is even cooler than you might know. It's actually a very old English pattern claw hammer. And guess what? Estwing still makes them!

You can tell it's very old because of the small radius curve on the claw. I don't know when the change was made or why, but modern claw hammers have a larger radius to the claw, not counting ripping hammers.

That's pretty interesting, I thought they had all gone to the blue rubber handles now. Personally, I like the tight radius. it allows me to pull a nail without having to push the hammer so far.

 

[L84ARACE]

I love this garage. You have some mad rendering skills. Keep up the good work.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Mr. 360,

Like everyone else I'm very impressed with your sketches. As a long ago draftsman - when such still existed - I marvel at your ability to get the perspective so consistent from, for side to side without using a triangle (I assume) or using graph paper that has the perspective lines ghosted on.

Can you give a short idiot's lesson on how you do this? Its your uniformity/consistency that really impresses, for me.

 

[jvitez]

Drafting? Yeah, showing my age: I took drafting lessons in shop class in junior high. For grade 8 we did metalworking, and for each item we built we had to draft the plan, properly, and the finished drawing was worth 50% of the total mark. I still do plans by hand using my long ago drafting basics. My dad did draftsman training when I was a kid but never used it. Sketchup, smeshup, where's the paper and pencil? But I certainly can't draw freehand even remotely like Mr. 360.

 

[Quarter Life Crisis]

I really love this thread and your shop. Your ingenuity and skill at making the best of what you've got is second to none. I share your love for old tools and nostalgia, too. I'll be following this one for a long time. Did I mention I love your shop?

 

[Thruxton]

In an earlier post I noticed you have a machine stand on casters. I think you will find that this is one of the handiest things in a small shop. Almost all of my equipment is on casters now, and it is one of the biggest improvements I have made. Very much enjoying this thread!

 

[Mr. 360]

I love this garage. You have some mad rendering skills. Keep up the good work.

Thank you very much! Glad you like it.

Drafting? Yeah, showing my age: I took drafting lessons in shop class in junior high. For grade 8 we did metalworking, and for each item we built we had to draft the plan, properly, and the finished drawing was worth 50% of the total mark. I still do plans by hand using my long ago drafting basics. My dad did draftsman training when I was a kid but never used it. Sketchup, smeshup, where's the paper and pencil? But I certainly can't draw freehand even remotely like Mr. 360.

I took manual drafting in my first year at University. Although we ended up using CAD from 2nd year onward, the manual drafting course was to build the understanding of putting a drawing together, and I think instill some element of care and pride in our work. To this day, I still appreciate looking over a nicely composed hand drawn layout. They're always a little different, and works of art in their own right. From time to time I will break out the T-Square and manually draft a bit. It's definitely a lost art.

I really love this thread and your shop. Your ingenuity and skill at making the best of what you've got is second to none. I share your love for old tools and nostalgia, too. I'll be following this one for a long time. Did I mention I love your shop?

Haha, thanks for the compliment. I love older stuff, hopefully there'll always be something old on the go in the shop, whether it's being restored, rebuilt, or running.

In an earlier post I noticed you have a machine stand on casters. I think you will find that this is one of the handiest things in a small shop. Almost all of my equipment is on casters now, and it is one of the biggest improvements I have made. Very much enjoying this thread!

You know, I'm beginning to appreciate that idea more now. I'm pretty set now that my island will be moveable, and possibly a few other things. I did however, give that rolling stand to my father in law, as he had some bench top tools that he could use on it. For me, I think the shape was wrong... in a shop this size, I'll probably make a 'cube' shaped base, to maximize storage below. Thanks for the comment!

 

[Mr. 360]

Mr. 360,

Like everyone else I'm very impressed with your sketches. As a long ago draftsman - when such still existed - I marvel at your ability to get the perspective so consistent from, for side to side without using a triangle (I assume) or using graph paper that has the perspective lines ghosted on.

Can you give a short idiot's lesson on how you do this? Its your uniformity/consistency that really impresses, for me.

Thanks very much Dan,

There was a time when I would lay out a level 'horizon line' on a page and plot 1 or more 'vanishing points' to use as a setup. 1 point drawings would be like, the train tracks vanishing in the distance, 2 point would be a large, square building (if you stood at one corner and looked down 2 sides), while 3 point is more like the large square building, but also very tall (tapers to the sides, as well as up).

The best way to build sketching skills is, rather unsurprisingly, to practice a lot. I went to Uni with a bunch of guys who rented a house, and turned the living room into a studio. They all set up their drafting tables and spent most evenings hanging out, drawing. I would walk in to find stacks of 100pg sketchbooks by each of their desks, and their drawings reflected their hours of dedication and practice. All of them could (and still could) outdraw me in a heartbeat, laying down drool-worthy motorcycle sketches (or, anything) in mere minutes. The rest of us were properly jealous.

If you look in the drawing below, you'll probably be able to count a few boxes ghosted in. I think the vanishing point is faintly to the left of the combine harvester, by the edge of the page. Plotting things out in boxes is a good way to get the feel of it. to be honest, I still use boxes, and 'm pretty sure a lot of other people do too to set up their drawings.

View media item 34433
Of course, you can just draw one big box and kinda guess the rest, like the below image.

View media item 34435
One trick too is to tighten up a few lines once you're done, using a ruler. This just adds a crispness to the drawing edges and can make it pop a bit. Note the rooflines in the drawing below I finished with a ruler (also the railings and windows). The small thumbnails to the left are freehand. This was an Arts and Crafts cabin I designed, with a certain location in mind, where the deck would cantilever out over the edge of a 30' rocky drop for some nice views in the woods.

View media item 34434
Bottom line to sketching, is practice. The drawings that really blow you away are a result of the artist practicing, a lot. Once you get comfortable sketching you can really develop your own sketching style (I probably have way-overused the drop-box in the backgrounds of a lot of my sketches).

Oh, and boxes


On a more garage related note, I purged out several garbage bags of junk from the garage on the weekend, and have more to go. I got my echo in there for the first time on the weekend for an oil change, fits great!

View media item 34436

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Eric, You're killing me man! In a good way of course. You've simply got drawing chops, kid!

I was a pretty good draftsman back in the day (and I mean way back...1977-82 or 83!) but I couldn't carry your jockstrap. LOVE seeing your sketches though. FOrget the garage and start a thread of JUST your miscellaneous sketches! I'd look forward to opening the thread everyday.

P.S. Don't "forget" the garage, I'm loving that too, ha ha.

 

[Mr. 360]

Eric, You're killing me man! In a good way of course. You've simply got drawing chops, kid!

I was a pretty good draftsman back in the day (and I mean way back...1977-82 or 83!) but I couldn't carry your jockstrap. LOVE seeing your sketches though. FOrget the garage and start a thread of JUST your miscellaneous sketches! I'd look forward to opening the thread everyday.

P.S. Don't "forget" the garage, I'm loving that too, ha ha.

Wow, thanks Dan, mighty nice compliment. I think I mentioned at one point that I was kicking around some roughs for some garage art. I was trying my hand at some retro-themed ads (for pistons, spark plugs, etc etc). All I've got on my camera at the moment was a rough thumbnail (1"x2.5") for this (Wilder is one of my middle names).

View media item 34300
Maybe some day I'll get around to working it up and painting it on steel, then leaving it to weather a bit outside so it gets some rust and patina. I've got loads of sketches and doodles, I could probably toss some up somewhere 'round here

The garage has taken back seat for a little bit as I finish up some projects in the house, but I'll be back out there soon. Purged a lot so it's real clean now (for me). In the meantime I pass some time sketching on my breaks.

 

[Attackcammel]

This is a great thread you doing an awesome job in there. I'm working in a small garage also and trying to keep things tight to the wall so I can still fit n car in is starting to get rough.

Keep up the good work I'll be watching

What are you drawing the sketches with it looks like ball point pen. If so how many drawings get thrown out with mess ups till you get there. (I can't draw for my life) great job!!!

 

[seagullplayer]

I really like your thread. I love a garage that is being used to do more than store high gloss over priced whatever...

Great work

 

[CallousedCal]

Subscribed! You and I are of the same mind. Trash to treasure. Some people don't know what they have and some people are just generous when they know you'll appreciate it.

Good luck with the build-up!

 

[Mr. 360]

This is a great thread you doing an awesome job in there. I'm working in a small garage also and trying to keep things tight to the wall so I can still fit n car in is starting to get rough.

Keep up the good work I'll be watching

What are you drawing the sketches with it looks like ball point pen. If so how many drawings get thrown out with mess ups till you get there. (I can't draw for my life) great job!!!

Thanks for the comment! Small garages can be a bit of a pain, but I usually store the car outside so it's not really an issue for me. I do however need to work on cars occasionally (after 360,000 service free km's my echo needs 'minor' love).

A lot of my older sketches are just a standard BIC ball point, nothin fancy (all pics in post 194 are BIC). I also sketch a lot now with a Sharpie pen, mainly because I really like the blue they have (post 179 is all sharpie). I don't typically throw out sketches... usually if I get something wrong i'll just leave it in the drawing and draw over it. Your eye naturally finds the line that looks best anyways. For reference though, any sketch I've posted so far is first shot. If I want it to look better I'll do an overlay and hit it again . I do however, have many, many drawings that just didn't work, and I gave up in the middle of them.

I really like your thread. I love a garage that is being used to do more than store high gloss over priced whatever...

Great work

Thanks! I would tend to agree. I love 'worked in' shops that look great because of their earned character. There is certainly nothing 'high gloss' in here, lots of low gloss though haha

Subscribed! You and I are of the same mind. Trash to treasure. Some people don't know what they have and some people are just generous when they know you'll appreciate it.

Good luck with the build-up!

I completely agree, I've gotten some great stuff (a lot of tools) that way. I once pulled a Craftsman 13" thickness planer from a backwoods dump. all it needed was a cord and new blades. Lots of people know I work on stuff myself, so they'll offer me tools and supplies they're getting rid of. It can be a great resource. Thanks for stopping by!