Workshop 88

[aggierailroad]

What is this white cold stuff that you speak of?

 

[Mr. 360]

What is this white cold stuff that you speak of?

Road grease. It works very well

 

[Mr. 360]

Had a busy Labour Day weekend tackling a few of the bigger pre-snow tasks. Chief among which was building a deck on the house to use up my pile of pressure treated lumber. Real quick with pics.



I marked out my block locations (nope, didn't go the 4' post hole route, this was what I wanted for this particular build).



I set all the blocks on patio stones. the PO had done this on the old deck, and after 20 years it hadn't moved, so I figured it was a good method to duplicate. I made sure it was level front to back, side to side, and corner to corner (slight slope away from the house for drainage).





This is where I got a little nostalgic. for this build, I used almost exclusively tools owned by my or my wife's grandfather's (with the exception of my cordless drill). I used my grandfather's old P.E.T cast aluminum 6 1/4" circ saw, my great grandfather's square, and my wife's grandfather's framing clamps & steel ribbon tape measure.




I built the 'crib' first as the underpinnings for the frame. This crib included the support for a step. I then backfilled a massive pile of earth from my garage trenches underneath the crib (if someone takes the deck out someday, they'll hate me). I did stop short of the house however for grading purposes.




The frame went together without a hitch, using all reclaimed lumber from my old decks (same goes for the crib and the deckblocks/patio stones) which saved me a ton of $$$. I pre-cut all the joists and tapped them in with the help of the mallet I made a few months ago. I knew it would come in handy.

Lastly, I had to figure out how to get 12' 5/4 boards home without renting one of their cargo vans, which would still allow the wood to hang out 4' or so. I also didn't feel like springing the money when I live so close to the store. what to do...



I present, the Echo Supperleggera, sans all but the driver seat. This swallowed up a good 10' of board, and only sips gas. I snapped the pic because I figured if anyone would get it, the guys here would. Time and again, this little car proves its worth, it takes everything I've ever thrown at it and never quits (believe me, I've used it past its designed intentions). I'm a dyed in the wool jeep guy, I'm very fond of my Wagoneer and Willys pickups. However, you will have to pry this car from my cold lifeless hands, I love it that much.



Moving on though, I finished everything up in a little over 2 days of work. All in all I'm pleased, usually I end up making a number of stupid mistakes on a project like this, but this one went off without a hitch. It's even square to within 1/8"


Ok, house projects done, back to our regular scheduled garage program.

 

[dubber]

Nice work on that little deck. I'll be tackling one next summer with the pops-in-law. I definitely will be using some visual knowledge gleaned from yours. It was more daunting in my mind but after looking at that I feel much better, congrats!

 

[evildky]

You ran dirt up to the wood? Is there a reason you want to rot a deck you just built?

 

[1/2 Cup]

That's a fantastic job on the deck, done well.

I love your delivery method for the lumber, very innovative to say the least, we would get a ticket and three demerit points if we tried that here.
Mind you I have seen some try it.

Regards..

 

[Mr. 360]

Nice work on that little deck. I'll be tackling one next summer with the pops-in-law. I definitely will be using some visual knowledge gleaned from yours. It was more daunting in my mind but after looking at that I feel much better, congrats!

Thanks Dubber, decks aren't so bad once you get into it. I used to build decks for a landscaping company during university so I picked up a few tricks along the way. If you can make/find a set of clamps like I have though, they will save your life. Also, plan it ahead on graph paper (to scale), pull your cut lengths etc and there will be less surprises

You ran dirt up to the wood? Is there a reason you want to rot a deck you just built?

Of course not, that would be stupid. The dirt never touches the wood, rather is piled inside leaving a good air gap.

That's a fantastic job on the deck, done well.

I love your delivery method for the lumber, very innovative to say the least, we would get a ticket and three demerit points if we tried that here.
Mind you I have seen some try it.

Regards..

Tickets and points? wow. I never checked around here, I hang stuff out the back of the car all the time though...

 

[Mpower5266]

Tickets and points? wow. I never checked around here, I hang stuff out the back of the car all the time though...

Here in GA I think you can get away with it if you hang and orange flag off the part sticking out.

 

[taumac]

Usually rule of thumb is anything that sticks out 3ft pass back of vehicle needs a red flag at end. I never heard of someone getting points cause of it but give you a warning.

5 Stitches Garage
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=211899
Florida GJ Group
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/group.php?groupid=117

 

[dittle fart around]

I used my MG Midget to bring home some 10 ft 2x4's. It was only a mile or so. That was before rental trucks were available at the big box hardware stores. Heck it was before big box hardware stores.

Another fine use of the smiley face icons.

 

[ajohno]

Top job and good photos.

 

[PanelDeland]

Top notch thread from a youngster who listens and watched. You must have some great craftsmen to have learned from. Your enthusiasm and energy amaze me. Glad to see you got water under control. I have a couple of suggestions that may be good to incorporate.

When you do doors for your cupboards, even if you do pegboard, double side them using a dry erase board. Mount the DE board with steel at each corner and put magnets on the door to hold it.They'll be removable to carry or write on, easily visible to reference and you could even carry the list you wrote on it to the Big Box or lumberyard.

Another idea is to use a piece of the 4 in vent pipe. Run it from the top eve of the roof and bring it down to near the floor. Put a small "Muffin" fan (like an old computer cooling fan) inline. Then when you start to heat the space, what heat rises can be pumped back down to the floor. This should even out the heat and lessen the amount of wood needed to keep the space warm. I used this concept in a building with 30 plus ft. roofs and brought the floor level temps from mid 30's to upper sixties (huge building with a few small heaters but lots of equipment that put out heat). I doubt you'll see that much difference but it's cheap, I'm pretty sure you have the pieces laying around and I already know you got the chops to do it and see if it helps.

And again, I'm impressed with your abilities and energy. Not many young guys will work so hard and repurpose so much to get what they want. Keep up the good work and keep posting the cool projects and garage up dates.

 

[Mr. 360]

Here in GA I think you can get away with it if you hang and orange flag off the part sticking out.

Usually rule of thumb is anything that sticks out 3ft pass back of vehicle needs a red flag at end. I never heard of someone getting points cause of it but give you a warning.

I probably should have added the disclaimer on this one. I keep an old orange reflective vest in the trunk that I just staple or tie wrap to the ends of lumber and steel. I find myself doing this so often that I have a "long load" kit in the trunk. Bungees, rags (for protecting the paint), flags, tie wraps, staple gun, gloves, etc.

I used my MG Midget to bring home some 10 ft 2x4's. It was only a mile or so. That was before rental trucks were available at the big box hardware stores. Heck it was before big box hardware stores.

Another fine use of the smiley face icons.

I knew I wasnt the only one. I think a midget takes the prize for being compact.. I guess the only way you could do better would be one of those people who carry about 60 bushels of hay on their motorcycle.

Top job and good photos.

Thanks very much! Funny thing on the photos is, I have a better camera, but I always seem to use the cell phone. I do miss shooting manual sometimes.

Top notch thread from a youngster who listens and watched. You must have some great craftsmen to have learned from. Your enthusiasm and energy amaze me. Glad to see you got water under control. I have a couple of suggestions that may be good to incorporate.

When you do doors for your cupboards, even if you do pegboard, double side them using a dry erase board. Mount the DE board with steel at each corner and put magnets on the door to hold it.They'll be removable to carry or write on, easily visible to reference and you could even carry the list you wrote on it to the Big Box or lumberyard.

Another idea is to use a piece of the 4 in vent pipe. Run it from the top eve of the roof and bring it down to near the floor. Put a small "Muffin" fan (like an old computer cooling fan) inline. Then when you start to heat the space, what heat rises can be pumped back down to the floor. This should even out the heat and lessen the amount of wood needed to keep the space warm. I used this concept in a building with 30 plus ft. roofs and brought the floor level temps from mid 30's to upper sixties (huge building with a few small heaters but lots of equipment that put out heat). I doubt you'll see that much difference but it's cheap, I'm pretty sure you have the pieces laying around and I already know you got the chops to do it and see if it helps.

And again, I'm impressed with your abilities and energy. Not many young guys will work so hard and repurpose so much to get what they want. Keep up the good work and keep posting the cool projects and garage up dates.

These are some really good ideas. I am certainly a fan of the modular WB idea, that's a great use of space. I'm also really liking this warm air recirc idea. I have a few old 4" computer fans, I could give this a shot in the winter and see if it helps the lower 2' or so of the space.

Thanks for the compliment, I certainly learned a lot from my dad, working with him mostly on home projects like decks, plumbing, electrical, etc. My grandfathers were pretty handy too.

 

[patent pending]

The new deck looks nice. Good work!

 

[Mr. 360]

The new deck looks nice. Good work!

Thanks a bunch Patent!

 

[Mr. 360]

Posting this just for fun... It's garage related.

I saw a delicious looking A-Coupe on the HAMB today, and then realized I had a blank page and a lunch break. Threw together a sketch here.



I sometimes criticize my wife for criticizing the food she makes (she's a tremendous cook btw), because she frequently begins the meal with "I should have ___" or "I hope it's not terrible," which it never is.

Anyways, I'm going to be a bit of a hypocrite, cuz I feel the back tire just didn't work out. Of all things car-drawing related, I find tires the hardest. That back tire is kind of a swirl of about 100 ellipses that just don't look right, though I think the front 2 didn't come out half bad. I've never drawn a car with salt stuck to the tires and body either. Regardless, it was a fun way to spend a lunch break.

For reference, this is Loudpedal's 'Green Grenade' coupe. It was featured in a recent post on the Jalopy Journal.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/?p=23757

 

[Ajustable]

Great drawing keep them coming!

 

[1/2 Cup]

Great drawing keep them coming!

Agree, that's a great drawing.

Regards

 

[Mr. 360]

Great drawing keep them coming!

Agree, that's a great drawing.

Regards

Thanks guys, I'll make sure to throw stuff up here whenever I do them.

 

[Mr. 360]

Once again, I found a nice vintage rod on the HAMB. It's another A, but a roadster this time. Unlike the Green Grenade, I did a rough for this one to get the form down, then did a second copy for the final.



There's the rough.



And there's the final. Not sure if anyone recognizes it, but it's Nick's 28(ish) a roadster. I liked the simple lines and contrast in the shot, so I decided to give it a go. My biggest pet peeve is the misaligned tail lights. Ah well.

In other garage related news, my wife gave me my birthday gift a few days early. Girl has good taste, it's a Ridgid 14" metal cutoff saw. My in house manufacturing capabilities have just jumped a few levels.

View media item 43164

 

[1/2 Cup]

Love your sketches, I wouldn't be too concerned about the tail lights as its what's called Artists Licence.

You wont know yourself having a metal cut off saw, one very thoughtful birthday gift for sure.

Regards..

 

[HSpencer]

The deck project is a good one!! Looks great. I love the metal cutoff saw, and that is certainly a nice gift. You will indeed be in the metal working business big time.
Looks like things are moving right along for you. Hope you have cured your water troubles in the shop.

Best Regards
Herb

 

[PanelDeland]

Nice gift!! You've taught her well and must treat her pretty good to have her think of that when she was shopping. Did she up your hobby budget so you can buy steel to play with?

 

[Mr. 360]

Love your sketches, I wouldn't be too concerned about the tail lights as its what's called Artists Licence.

You wont know yourself having a metal cut off saw, one very thoughtful birthday gift for sure.

Regards..

Thanks, artists license eh? I'll use that one in the future, say I meant to do it. I think one of my first projects with the saw (accompanied by welding) will be a rolling cart for my welder and the saw itself. welder on the bottom, cutoff saw on the top.

The deck project is a good one!! Looks great. I love the metal cutoff saw, and that is certainly a nice gift. You will indeed be in the metal working business big time.
Looks like things are moving right along for you. Hope you have cured your water troubles in the shop.

Best Regards
Herb

Thanks Herb, I really wasn't expecting such a cool gift, but I know it'll get lots of use. Luckily the shop hasn't flooded since I put the eavestroughs on, and we've had some pretty decent rains. I still have some grading work to do but I think I've broken its back (hope I'm not jinx'ing myself saying that)

Nice gift!! You've taught her well and must treat her pretty good to have her think of that when she was shopping. Did she up your hobby budget so you can buy steel to play with?

Haha, well she treats me pretty well herself. I do happen to have a list of "tools to acquire" which I think she snooped. As far as the hobby budget goes, never really had one. I do sell a few unneeded things on Kijiji sometimes, which I can turn into shop money. Otherwise, I have a growing supply of 6' angle iron, which I pick up whenever I see a set of bedrails in someones trash

 

[WarrenJ]

Been following your posting. You are very talented in your use of materials and how you obtain them. I would never thought about old bed frames for angle iron. I'm sure going to keep that in mind. Keep up the great work on your shop.

 

[Mr. 360]

Been following your posting. You are very talented in your use of materials and how you obtain them. I would never thought about old bed frames for angle iron. I'm sure going to keep that in mind. Keep up the great work on your shop.

Thanks very much! The first thing I ever used old bed frames for was a track extension for my bandsaw mill. I didn't know how to weld then so it's only bolted, but welding increases the usability tenfold. I think it's a little harder than mild steel, but maybe stronger in the end. Keep an eye out and you'll soon see these things all over the place.

 

[Mr. 360]

I had about an hour last night so I threw together my 7th and final upper cupboard. This guy may be only 4 cubic feet more, but that's 4 cubic feet I wasn't using before. I now have ample, ample storage space, and would even like to go through my current setup and do a purge of unneeded stuff (which I have quite a bit of).

View media item 43182View media item 43183
Next steps are to thin down, and get the cupboards filled and stuff off the ground.

After that, next steps are to gut the wood I dont need, and then continue my wainscoting and pegboard build-out. Most of my projects in here went on a 4 or 5 month hiatus with all the house work I've been doing. With that out of the way I can turn my attention back to this space.

 

[Nolift911]

Great use of space!!

 

[Mr. 360]

Great use of space!!

Thanks very much. I'm not exactly sure what I'm going to load this cupboard with yet, since nothing bulky will fit. Perhaps things like less commonly used hardware or something.

 

[PanelDeland]

That would be a perfect spot to put a roll of butcher (or similar) paper in a spot just right to grab a sheet to sketch out a project. This gives bonus points since you could post those same sketches for the GJ folk.

 

[wildbill23c]

Well you are far more ahead of me and my shop. My shop has a dirt floor, no insulation, its an old barn 20' x 24' barn, most of the year I can't use it because its either too hot or too cold. So when the weather is right I try and get everything done ASAP. Seems the money always runs out before I get to do anything to finish the shop. Someday maybe LOL.

Keep up the great work. Its really surprising what all you can fit into a small space. Sketches, and computer design software is a great way to help, its usually a lot easier and cheaper to sketch or design something by hand or on the computer than it is to cut, build, tear apart, etc LOL.

I tend to try and reuse what I have or re-purpose stuff as well...otherwise there's no way I'd be able to do anything at all. I picked up a benchtop lathe last November for making pens, which I took an old office desk and mounted the lathe to that, as well as a few other tools I've picked up. No need to build something when I already had a table/desk that wasn't serving any other purpose except at the time being in my way. Now I can either sit or stand and do my pen turning, and this is something I can do all year as my small 10'x12' shed is insulated/finished inside so it is really easy to heat in the winter and if I would have been thinking when I built it, I would have roughed in an opening for a small A/C unit.

 

[Mr. 360]

That would be a perfect spot to put a roll of butcher (or similar) paper in a spot just right to grab a sheet to sketch out a project. This gives bonus points since you could post those same sketches for the GJ folk.

Paper storage, not a bad plan. I certainly have lots of paper kicking around in there, both blank and grid.

Well you are far more ahead of me and my shop. My shop has a dirt floor, no insulation, its an old barn 20' x 24' barn, most of the year I can't use it because its either too hot or too cold. So when the weather is right I try and get everything done ASAP. Seems the money always runs out before I get to do anything to finish the shop. Someday maybe LOL.

Keep up the great work. Its really surprising what all you can fit into a small space. Sketches, and computer design software is a great way to help, its usually a lot easier and cheaper to sketch or design something by hand or on the computer than it is to cut, build, tear apart, etc LOL.

I tend to try and reuse what I have or re-purpose stuff as well...otherwise there's no way I'd be able to do anything at all. I picked up a benchtop lathe last November for making pens, which I took an old office desk and mounted the lathe to that, as well as a few other tools I've picked up. No need to build something when I already had a table/desk that wasn't serving any other purpose except at the time being in my way. Now I can either sit or stand and do my pen turning, and this is something I can do all year as my small 10'x12' shed is insulated/finished inside so it is really easy to heat in the winter and if I would have been thinking when I built it, I would have roughed in an opening for a small A/C unit.

Old dirt floor buildings can have a lot of potential, though they typically require a good deal of work to get them usable. On my family's farm there's an old 12'x16' train shed that has a dirt floor. It was at the local train depot some time ago and I've heard when the station closed it was dragged on a sled on the winter down the roads and set where it is now.

I re-roofed it (same material I used for my garage) a few years back and turned it into a bit of a museum of sorts, but it's just storage now.

https://scontent-b-ord.**.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfa1/v/t1.0-9/1924085_57540015448_5043_n.jpg?oh=f72c5271265ec6b93f0570bbc5e9a646&oe=54CED9F7

It needs to be jacked up and set on a new foundation, as the 12x12 sleepers it sits on are basically soil at this point. Still, it has loads of character and is worthy of a restore. Personally, I think it would make an awesome small woodshop or fab-shop.

 

[Mr. 360]

A little (and I mean little) progress last night. Had a half hour so I stocked the cupboard I recently installed. I got some spools of wire up out of the way and moved some of my flatter containers into the cupboard. These are your typical drill bit set, Plano cases, rotary tool cases, etc. and they are too small to make good use of a big cupboard. I also framed in a little around the door for trim, pegboard, and wainscoting.

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[wildbill23c]

Paper storage, not a bad plan. I certainly have lots of paper kicking around in there, both blank and grid.




Old dirt floor buildings can have a lot of potential, though they typically require a good deal of work to get them usable. On my family's farm there's an old 12'x16' train shed that has a dirt floor. It was at the local train depot some time ago and I've heard when the station closed it was dragged on a sled on the winter down the roads and set where it is now.

I re-roofed it (same material I used for my garage) a few years back and turned it into a bit of a museum of sorts, but it's just storage now.

https://scontent-b-ord.**.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfa1/v/t1.0-9/1924085_57540015448_5043_n.jpg?oh=f72c5271265ec6b93f0570bbc5e9a646&oe=54CED9F7

It needs to be jacked up and set on a new foundation, as the 12x12 sleepers it sits on are basically soil at this point. Still, it has loads of character and is worthy of a restore. Personally, I think it would make an awesome small woodshop or fab-shop.

The dirt floor pretty much prohibits any ability to heat the shop though. Not to mention its anything but level, and extremely compacted due to all the horses that spent many years stomping around in that old barn.

At one point I was actually thinking of installing a wood floor but never got the money to do so. Then I thought about actually digging it out and leveling everything then having a concrete floor poured, but once again no money for that stuff. So...20 years later it is still the same as before. I do have my tools out there, but in the winter and summer its totally useless due to heat/cold.

 

[Mr. 360]

The dirt floor pretty much prohibits any ability to heat the shop though. Not to mention its anything but level, and extremely compacted due to all the horses that spent many years stomping around in that old barn.

At one point I was actually thinking of installing a wood floor but never got the money to do so. Then I thought about actually digging it out and leveling everything then having a concrete floor poured, but once again no money for that stuff. So...20 years later it is still the same as before. I do have my tools out there, but in the winter and summer its totally useless due to heat/cold.

It can be a bummer for sure working in less than suitable conditions. That trainshed was no fun to work in, so I dug it out and levelled the dirt floor, then put down a couple inches of gravel... at least that was a touch better. It still needs a real floor if and when it's renovated. A small woodstove made it bearable in the winters, and summers arent too bad here. I guess it's all about making the most of what you've got or repurposing stuff you can find for cheap/free. Heck, level the floor some, throw down a couple inches of pit-run gravel, and lay down a floor of reclaimed pallet wood on 1/4 of the floor, and at least it's better than it was...

 

[xtremek]

It can be a bummer for sure working in less than suitable conditions. That trainshed was no fun to work in.......

There are times I wish I had a shed like that to work in, and I'll bet the same holds true for you. Having endured those times makes you appreciate what you have. Another thing is that a lack of money usually forces us to become creative, so I'm happy for tough times, in a left handed sort of way.

 

[captain14]

Thanks, artists license eh? I'll use that one in the future, say I meant to do it. I think one of my first projects with the saw (accompanied by welding) will be a rolling cart for my welder and the saw itself. welder on the bottom, cutoff saw on the top.

One of the other members said on his thread the first project for your welder should be a cart to make it more usable. When you mount the cutoff saw on the top, will it have a swing up support on both sides to support long work?
Don't design it to be top heavy so it will tip over when moving it around.

 

[Mr. 360]

There are times I wish I had a shed like that to work in, and I'll bet the same holds true for you. Having endured those times makes you appreciate what you have. Another thing is that a lack of money usually forces us to become creative, so I'm happy for tough times, in a left handed sort of way.

I hear ya on having to be creative when the till isn't too full. All My cupboards for instance cost me $15 all in. I could have sprung more money on nicer plywood, fasteners, etc etc, but I wanted to save as much as I could for longer lasting tools and such. the wainscoting will be free, and 10 sheets of pegboard cost me $40. So, in my mind, completely outfitting the walls for less than $60 is a good deal.

One of the other members said on his thread the first project for your welder should be a cart to make it more usable. When you mount the cutoff saw on the top, will it have a swing up support on both sides to support long work?
Don't design it to be top heavy so it will tip over when moving it around.

I like the swing up supports, shouldn't be hard to do either. Like you said, a nice stable base will be key. I'm thinking of making it the same footprint as the entire underside of the welding table. This gives it max footprint and allows me to incorporate some more storage in it for some welding tools and small cutoff scraps.

 

[wildbill23c]

It can be a bummer for sure working in less than suitable conditions. That trainshed was no fun to work in, so I dug it out and levelled the dirt floor, then put down a couple inches of gravel... at least that was a touch better. It still needs a real floor if and when it's renovated. A small woodstove made it bearable in the winters, and summers arent too bad here. I guess it's all about making the most of what you've got or repurposing stuff you can find for cheap/free. Heck, level the floor some, throw down a couple inches of pit-run gravel, and lay down a floor of reclaimed pallet wood on 1/4 of the floor, and at least it's better than it was...

I've been thinking of doing some sort of floor but as with everything else it comes down to money. As if getting stuck in a part time job wasn't bad enough, they decided to go from 6 days a week to 5 so now I'm losing 10 hours a week so my to-do list is once again cut off LOL.

Trying to get things lined up for a side job in a cabinet shop here locally that the guy needs help all the time, so I may be starting there pretty soon, a few more hours a week, see how it goes, and maybe even step in full time.

 

[Mr. 360]

Did a bit of a purge yesterday, and decided the best way to get the last 3 strips of 1'x8' chipboard out was to install them as shelves, so that's what I did.

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In other news, I finally got my Mtn bike moved from my parents. I clocked a lot of miles on this in my teen years, used to ride 2+ hours a day. I'm hoping to get back into it a bit, mostly for exercise since I have a desk job. This is no 44 Bikes Frame (I would love a fat bike), but it suits my needs just fine for the time being. It's a GT Outpost from 1999 I believe.. It's been so long since I bought it. Planning on stripping a couple things off it and freshening it up a little. The 2.6" tires are just a bit too wide and rub a little on the seat stays, so I'm going to trim a little off the outer lugs so they clear better. I figure these give me the best shot through winter, then I can change to a narrower tread.

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