My 18 x 27 Shop

[John1961]

I broke ground (hope that's all I break) this morning on my shop. Digging the trench for the electric line. I think I have the trench straight enough for the plastic conduit. The feed will be #4 aluminum wire in 2" conduit from the house. The electrician will wire the 100 amp box and the connection to the main box in the basement. I plan to post my progress on a daily basis if you all are interested. Here are the pics.





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[Holescreek]

I always love to see pics of shops being built! I can tell you now though, it's too small.

 

[zekeymonkey]

Best of luck on the building. I love seeing progress on this type of thing.

I use to drive to drive to Gallipolis years ago to get donuts when I went to the University of Rio Grande.

 

[Billh51]

Good luck on the new shop, always nice to build it the way you want. You may want to confirm the wire size you are pulling to the new shop. If you are installing a 100 amp service the #4 aluminum wire is a little light. I am quite sure it should be #2 aluminum to carry a 100 amp service. Your electrician should know what to put in. Hope all works out well.
Bill

 

[John1961]

Thanks for the input guys.

Tomorrow I get to play with a ditch witch for the first time. Looking forward to it. Still have plenty of hand digging up by the house near all the other utilities. Would like to get the water line dug too, however, it is a lower priority. Hope to post pics tomorrow night.


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[John1961]

Here are some pics of my progress. I got the ditches for the electric and water mostly complete on Friday. I still have some hand digging to finish them.

Here is the electric line ditch 24" deep.


I had to find the electric line from the pole to the house to ensure I didn't cut into it. Thanks OUPS for marking the location.


Here is the water line ditch 30" deep.


Funny how machines "talk" to you as you operate them. Just by the vibrations and sounds they make you can tell what adjustments are needed to keep them running efficiently. Took me just a few minutes to figure out the limitations of the ditch witch and her temperament.

This was an enjoyable experience. I'll keep posting if you all show an interest.


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[xalky]

That's a nice ditch witch. Looks like it has some mass to it, which is what you need. I rented one that was half the machine you got. Thank God I only had about 75 ft of ditch to do because that thing nearly pulled my shoulders out of the sockets. It was still easier and quicker than doing it with a pick and shovel, but if I ever to do it again, I'll be renting something like yours.

I'm watching your project, so if I don't always comment, take heed, I'll at least give you a "like" to acknowledge your efforts.

I suggest others do the same. I realize that it takes a lot of effort to post projects online with photos etc... I for one read most of the projects posted here. A simple "like" or "thanks" goes a long way towards encouraging others to keep going and posting. It costs nothing to do so and it really helps the guys posting to keep it up. What would this place be like without project posters?, not much I'm afraid.

Marcel

 

[John1961]

Thanks Marcel!

I rented the machine from 7:30 am to 5:00 pm for under $225. I could have had it the entire 24 hrs at the same price but it gets dark here around 5:00 so no extra advantage. They let me use a trailer since I didn't have my own.

I'm enjoying posting my progress. Actually, I've posted more here than on my Facebook account and I've had it for a few years now. I do realize there are others like me that will read a post and not post a comment or a "like" and that's ok.


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[John1961]

Morning all, now that the rain has let up I can finish digging my ditches and start laying conduit. Spoke with my electrician Friday and he suggested I run #1 aluminum wire from the house to the shop. Looking forward to getting it in the ground & covered. Meeting with my excavator this week to discuss the slab work & a few other concrete projects around here.

i'll keep you posted on the progress.

 

[John1961]

I ran the wire through the conduit piece by piece. Once I was satisfied that I had the proper length of wire on each end I glued the conduit together. I can bury most of it. Will need to finish the dog leg trench to the house today. Then it's wait for the electrician.



It's 37*F here today so it will be a challenge to stay warm when not digging. Spitting snow/sleet with a slight (cold) breeze.

When I'm done with this trench the water line is next. Thinking about using 3/4" PEX. Not sure if I'm gonna run it through conduit or not. Need to talk to a plumber.


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