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New shop! (was: Multiple buildings, ...)
- Thread starter rabler
- Start date
- Joined
- Feb 25, 2021
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- 3,165
Well, I'm at a painful point. Some stuff has been moved, mostly welding and stock. Everything else is in the other building. It is raining today, and I regraded the entrance driveway yesterday, it is just muck and soup in the rain. I gave up running between buildings, and decided it was just not a shop day.
Let me know if anyone needs rain, I'd be happy to send a week's worth their way.
On a brighter note, it is noticeably cooler in the new shop with the attic insulated. This is without running any sort of AC, just the cooler concrete slab.
Let me know if anyone needs rain, I'd be happy to send a week's worth their way.
On a brighter note, it is noticeably cooler in the new shop with the attic insulated. This is without running any sort of AC, just the cooler concrete slab.
- Joined
- Feb 25, 2021
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We've had nearly 2" of rain in the last 2 days, after a lot of rain in the previous week. Things are just turning muddy.
Unfortunately the only way to really fix this mess is to wait for the ground to dry out, then spread 6" of gravel, ideally over geotextile cloth. You can pour yards of gravel into the wet clay and it'll just ooze through it and you still have a mess.
This makes it a challenge to get into the shop, even to walk in. And I'm sort of in that bad spot where things are half moved out of the old shop so it is getting harder to to any machining work (Ok, it's play) until things settle out. It makes me sorry for someone like Keith Fenner, who does this work for a living and has to move their shop.
I did buy 40 bags of concrete today. Need to pour several small pads. And the order went in for the two mini-split systems.
Unfortunately the only way to really fix this mess is to wait for the ground to dry out, then spread 6" of gravel, ideally over geotextile cloth. You can pour yards of gravel into the wet clay and it'll just ooze through it and you still have a mess.
This makes it a challenge to get into the shop, even to walk in. And I'm sort of in that bad spot where things are half moved out of the old shop so it is getting harder to to any machining work (Ok, it's play) until things settle out. It makes me sorry for someone like Keith Fenner, who does this work for a living and has to move their shop.
I did buy 40 bags of concrete today. Need to pour several small pads. And the order went in for the two mini-split systems.
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- Nov 25, 2015
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it looks like you are on the high ground and it's slopes down to the building.
if you can't change that, can you at least put a swale there so the water is sent to the right and down hill.
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- Feb 25, 2021
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Jeff,
Yes, our whole lot is on a pretty consistent grade. I knew drainage was going to be a issue. There are pretty decent ditches on either side of the building, and also buried french drains. The challenge is that it needs to dry out to do effective grading, that hasn't happened yet (since the building was finished). Farmers are also having trouble getting crops in.
Diverting the water left/right is the plan. I'm going to pour a 2' apron in front of the drive-in door slopping away from the door, then build up a crown to the roadway with gravel. In between downpours yesterday I did take the excavator and do some grading to that effect. But of course that also makes everything a muddier mess.
Last edited:
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- Feb 25, 2021
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I've had a couple of rough weeks, I was suppose to go down to Atlanta just before Memorial day weekend for the annual meeting of an educational non-profit I started a few years ago, but some challenges got in the way of that. Then over the weekend my father, in his 80's, flipped his BobCat on a steep hill and was trapped for quite a while before the paramedics could get him out, as the hill was too steep to walk up/down. He suffered some pretty good injuries but nothing permanent. The BobCat, a fancy setup that is only a year old, may need a new engine as it was running when it flipped. Then a couple days later one of our riding horses managed to completely break his jaw and we had to put him down. That precipitated some drama with my wife's niece who occasionally had helped with the horses. So I've been lying low for a while and just keeping busy. But another photo-bomb update is overdue, so here are a bunch of works in progress.
A small project was to brace up my small crane. I added the inside braces going vertically between the top and wheels to stiffen the legs. I also added the plate to the top on both sides to stiffen that a bit. Would have been better to extend the plate full length of the top but the scrap bin didn't have anything longer. Note that the electric hoist is rated for 400lbs, this is not a heavy lifter. Now it is wide enough to span a pallet, which is helpful as I have a 350 lb chuck sitting on a pallet. Necessity drives these little projects.
As you can see behind the little hoist is a pallet of concrete pre-mix bags. I've been working on the back (north) side of the building. Poured a 3' x 6' extension and have been working on closing that in with the matching wainscot theme. That'll house the air compressor. Got a 30A sub-panel out there, and am working on a relay panel rigged to the shop lights so the air compressor runs when the lights are on only. Actually I'm going to rig a switch inside the back door that has a "auto-off-on", so that in auto it tracks the lights. Note "on" and "auto" just enable power to the compressor, obviously it still has the air pressure switch too. I've also ordered two mini-splits, 9000 BTU for the office and 24000 BTU for the general shop. Haven't really needed cooling yet even with the outdoor temp going to the mid 80's, the blown-in attic insulation has made quite a bit of difference. But you can see the two small pads for the outdoor sections and a small outdoor rated breaker box/disconnect.
On the driveway entrance to the shop I did get enough of a dry spell to get some grading done and add gravel. I'm hoping to give it a few rain/dry cycles for the gravel and underlying soil to settle some before putting too much load on it, but that is coming early next month when I rent a 12k telehandler to move the bigger machinery in. Dug up part of the yard to cut a diversion ditch, you can sort of see it in the left lower corner of the 2nd pic below. Threw out some grass seed, hopefully with all the rain we've been getting it'll grow in soon.
I did get the last of the odds and ends moved onto the stock rack. Nice to have that reasonably organized.
The back half of the shop is still a jumble of stuff. The 10EE Monarch is there, the wheelbarrow is full of electrical odds and ends, some scrap metal, etc. The upper part of the wall is still unfinished, waiting for the mini-split installation to run the lines to the office. If you look closely amongst the clutter you'll see a few kittens.
Moving the large machines into the back half at the beginning of next month will also mean moving the huge granite table in. I had found a cheap CMM table that a nearby (Lousiville, KY suburb) machinery dealer was selling on ebay. I made him a low-ball offer and he accepted. That was last fall, but I have a 55" x 84" x 11" granite table that will go in the back part of the shop. I'd like to eventually get it certified and be able to use it as a reference surface for various rebuilding projects. Anyhow, that's something like 7000 lbs of granite. It is currently still sitting on the flat-bed trailer, where it spent the winter, but it will get moved in next month along with the big machines. It did not come with a stand or any sort of support so I have been working on building something suitable. I want to be able to move it about the shop a bit without renting a suitable forklift/telehandler every time (something that heavy isn't going to move that often), so I've been working on building a three legged stand, which is sitting upside down on top my two welding tables in the third pic below.
I am using pallet fork wheels, rated at 5000lbs for a pair, and welded up some holders. Then have cut and tacked up the rest of the supports. Basically a tricycle affair, rear wheels 60" apart, front (steering) wheel 40" forward of that. Need to finish welding that up, then clean it up and paint it yet.. Also need to decide between bronze and nylon for the bearing for the pivoting wheel. But it should give me the ability to move the table (although not casually!), and have something for it to sit on. The legs are not spaced ideally for minimizing the stress in the table, but I was focusing a bit more on overall stability than deviation.
I've also been putting up more shelves and bringing a few more odds and ends into the shop, but I'm not willing to put up pictures of even more clutter
A small project was to brace up my small crane. I added the inside braces going vertically between the top and wheels to stiffen the legs. I also added the plate to the top on both sides to stiffen that a bit. Would have been better to extend the plate full length of the top but the scrap bin didn't have anything longer. Note that the electric hoist is rated for 400lbs, this is not a heavy lifter. Now it is wide enough to span a pallet, which is helpful as I have a 350 lb chuck sitting on a pallet. Necessity drives these little projects.
As you can see behind the little hoist is a pallet of concrete pre-mix bags. I've been working on the back (north) side of the building. Poured a 3' x 6' extension and have been working on closing that in with the matching wainscot theme. That'll house the air compressor. Got a 30A sub-panel out there, and am working on a relay panel rigged to the shop lights so the air compressor runs when the lights are on only. Actually I'm going to rig a switch inside the back door that has a "auto-off-on", so that in auto it tracks the lights. Note "on" and "auto" just enable power to the compressor, obviously it still has the air pressure switch too. I've also ordered two mini-splits, 9000 BTU for the office and 24000 BTU for the general shop. Haven't really needed cooling yet even with the outdoor temp going to the mid 80's, the blown-in attic insulation has made quite a bit of difference. But you can see the two small pads for the outdoor sections and a small outdoor rated breaker box/disconnect.
On the driveway entrance to the shop I did get enough of a dry spell to get some grading done and add gravel. I'm hoping to give it a few rain/dry cycles for the gravel and underlying soil to settle some before putting too much load on it, but that is coming early next month when I rent a 12k telehandler to move the bigger machinery in. Dug up part of the yard to cut a diversion ditch, you can sort of see it in the left lower corner of the 2nd pic below. Threw out some grass seed, hopefully with all the rain we've been getting it'll grow in soon.
I did get the last of the odds and ends moved onto the stock rack. Nice to have that reasonably organized.
The back half of the shop is still a jumble of stuff. The 10EE Monarch is there, the wheelbarrow is full of electrical odds and ends, some scrap metal, etc. The upper part of the wall is still unfinished, waiting for the mini-split installation to run the lines to the office. If you look closely amongst the clutter you'll see a few kittens.
Moving the large machines into the back half at the beginning of next month will also mean moving the huge granite table in. I had found a cheap CMM table that a nearby (Lousiville, KY suburb) machinery dealer was selling on ebay. I made him a low-ball offer and he accepted. That was last fall, but I have a 55" x 84" x 11" granite table that will go in the back part of the shop. I'd like to eventually get it certified and be able to use it as a reference surface for various rebuilding projects. Anyhow, that's something like 7000 lbs of granite. It is currently still sitting on the flat-bed trailer, where it spent the winter, but it will get moved in next month along with the big machines. It did not come with a stand or any sort of support so I have been working on building something suitable. I want to be able to move it about the shop a bit without renting a suitable forklift/telehandler every time (something that heavy isn't going to move that often), so I've been working on building a three legged stand, which is sitting upside down on top my two welding tables in the third pic below.
I am using pallet fork wheels, rated at 5000lbs for a pair, and welded up some holders. Then have cut and tacked up the rest of the supports. Basically a tricycle affair, rear wheels 60" apart, front (steering) wheel 40" forward of that. Need to finish welding that up, then clean it up and paint it yet.. Also need to decide between bronze and nylon for the bearing for the pivoting wheel. But it should give me the ability to move the table (although not casually!), and have something for it to sit on. The legs are not spaced ideally for minimizing the stress in the table, but I was focusing a bit more on overall stability than deviation.
I've also been putting up more shelves and bringing a few more odds and ends into the shop, but I'm not willing to put up pictures of even more clutter
Last edited:
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- Nov 24, 2014
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@rabler
May was not a great month for you but you've made nice progress on the shop.
Glad to hear your Dad's injuries aren't permanent.
Not to minimize the Dad thing, but I'm particularly curious how a horse goes about breaking it's own jaw. Can you share some details?
Regarding the granite/stand: IIRC, there is a granite that, at one time, you intended to put inside the office. Is the new stand for that granite or a different one?
May was not a great month for you but you've made nice progress on the shop.
Glad to hear your Dad's injuries aren't permanent.
Not to minimize the Dad thing, but I'm particularly curious how a horse goes about breaking it's own jaw. Can you share some details?
Regarding the granite/stand: IIRC, there is a granite that, at one time, you intended to put inside the office. Is the new stand for that granite or a different one?
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- Nov 25, 2015
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Across the road, they had to put down their horse because it broke it's shoulder in multiple spots. It apparently hit the fence post. No one was really sure how it happened, but that's what they surmised. They lost 2 horses in a month... they were devastated. They are both gone now, RIP. lovely people.
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Looks like a new litter of cats, I assume they will be your mousers? Man you are tall Randall, that 10ee is a little too tall for me 
... is that up on the frame to work on the bottom?
... is that up on the frame to work on the bottom?
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- May 3, 2017
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Horses are trigger quick and are motivated by fear. I've seen a horse trying to dodge some perceived demon do a right angle spin faster than a blink and slam its head right into a barn post. I've never had one break a jaw, but that horse was pretty dazed for a few minutes. I had to put down my last two mares not too long ago. The older one was thirty; I got her when she was two. The other was pushing thirty; got her when she was four. Sorry about your loss, Randal. I've owned and trained many horses over the years, but those two were like family. Both are buried on the farm.
And, of course, the horse trauma pales into insignificance compared to what could have been a far worse tragedy with your father. Being out a Bobcat engine is a pretty cheap price to pay compared to what it could have been. Glad his injuries are not life-altering.
And if you end up coming to Atlanta, send me a P-M. There are a handful of us down in this area. Maybe some of us could meet face-to-face.
Regards
And, of course, the horse trauma pales into insignificance compared to what could have been a far worse tragedy with your father. Being out a Bobcat engine is a pretty cheap price to pay compared to what it could have been. Glad his injuries are not life-altering.
And if you end up coming to Atlanta, send me a P-M. There are a handful of us down in this area. Maybe some of us could meet face-to-face.
Regards