My new shop

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moke

Member
Joined
Dec 30, 2009
Messages
1,223
Location
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
I wanted to show off what I have been doing the last 10 months. We started the construction last Dec 2. I had the structure built, but had intentions of doing the inside and electrical myself. On the 19th of December I shattered my elbow and was worthless until April 1. So it sat empty for a month and a half after the builders were done. A lot of my friends stepped up to help and with Physical Therapy I got better and better and could do more and more. The "back driveway" was put in mid June, and I had all my equipment in and had the grand opening cook out July 4. We have a 3 stall garage with a "turnaround apron" just a little smaller than this building, I had all this stuff crammed into the 3rd stall, on wheels. I had been planning this for a few years. There were a few hoops I had to jump through for the city, which were frustrating, and lengthy, but it is all behind me now. I pushed all the equipment 90' up the new driveway. This building is 24x40.

As you can see, I have a computer desk and larger TV. As many of you know I owned and operated a photographic studio and camera store for 43 years. We had lots of computers and a server. I installed a computer and the server in the house office, and then ran Cat 6 up to the new building. I have access to the server via the Cat 6. There is a mesh router hardwired to the house router, so there is strong wifi up there too. I also had cable TV, natural gas, and 200 watt service. In order to run water up there is would have been 20k, so I ran professional hose, buried beside the driveway to the side of the building. I asked for a water cooler/heater for my birthday ( in 12 days) I have a 5 gal water container for cleaning purposes. The only thing I'm missing is a toilet. There is a mens' tree behind the shop and the back is a 30" tall berm, with a interstate behind me. I have been thinking of a incinerator toilet, but they are 2500.00 and haven't found anyone that has ever had one, so I may do that some day....I also had a furnace and central air unit installed. I am very happy, I have been retired for 14 months now, and I have two Goldens, so we spend every day up there.
Life is good. I have been working on the grass, even as I type this I have sprinklers going. I just finished a bench, made from ash, but still have the top left to do. My furnace still needs a run, waiting for my neighbor to install that......Let me know what you think, or if you have suggestions.
 

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Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad

moke

Member
Joined
Dec 30, 2009
Messages
1,223
Location
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Thank you! I retired and sold my business and building....that is the only way I had time or money to build this. It's too bad I couldn't have had this at 35 instead of 65! I literally have been working on all day every day.....I take 3 hours a week to go to the gym...but other than that I am here!
Oh cappiccino is not my thing...but I have a dorm fridge for my monster drinks!
 

studioseven

Member
Joined
May 6, 2014
Messages
794
Location
Wisconsin
Emerald, Lime, Jade, Olive-Drab. What I'm trying to say is I am green with envy. Very nice. Happy retirement to you.

Seven
 

KenB259

Member
Joined
Dec 24, 2017
Messages
3,568
Location
Michigan
Awesome, many, many hours of enjoyment and peacefulness ahead of you. Enjoy it, you earned it.
 

NGLJ

Member
Joined
Sep 15, 2021
Messages
301
Location
Surrey BC, Canada
Very nice. Makes my 11 X 17 basement shop look tiny. I built my shop 16 yrs ago after I retired. Mind you I often surprise myself about how much I can get in with a little ingenuity. The usual conversation with my wife goes something like "I could really do with ????". The reply "you mean you don't have one. I thought you had everything down there. Where will you put it?". The most recent conversation was about a drum sander which I use all of the time. That required some major re-arranging but the incentive was there :). I saw a dust collector but didn't see any central dust collection unless my eyes are deceiving me. I had been meaning to do it for my shop for years and eventually got around to it 3 months ago with help from a woodworker friend.
 

jttheclockman

Member
Joined
Feb 22, 2005
Messages
19,132
Location
NJ, USA.
I could do some serious damage in there. Only wish I could have something like that especially when I was younger. Good luck to you and enjoy your time in there.
 

moke

Member
Joined
Dec 30, 2009
Messages
1,223
Location
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
THank you all...

Dale, not sure if I will ever be out of trouble, until they close the lid.....

NGLJ-Thanks....I have that DC I push to piece I'm using.( or stretch the hose)...I have been looking into duct work, but that DC is not really powerful enough to be effective. I do have plans to connect a collection and drop to my Revo, that is pre-set up and I can just wheel the DC unit to the drop an just hook it up. I'm still working out the logistics. I use that unit on both router tables, drum sander, TS, a downdraft table and the BS. All are in range of the two hoses on the DC. I have 6 shop vacs hidden around the shop that are dedicated to some machines. My disc sander and Osc Spindle share one, the sanders have their own, the DP has its own, and the Makita miter saw has its own. Then I have a "follow me" ryobi battery that I use for general cleaning. I also use a hand held blower to clean off tools, and a lower powered leaf blower to do the floor.

Ken...thanks, that is a nice sentiment.

Seven...if you are green, maybe see the doc...lol...thanks for the kind words.
 

moke

Member
Joined
Dec 30, 2009
Messages
1,223
Location
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Earl....no drywall. R19 under visquine..... 8 mil I think....maybe 6. My garage was a warm up for this It has all pegboard, also. So I did it again. Several of my friends criticized me profusely, but I love it and will never look back. I have every pegboard attachment I could find.....it works perfect. The building is nestled into a slight hill. The ground falls 18" from front to back. There is a 2' concrete stub wall around the back half, and it drops to 12" on the front sides and of course the very front wall is ground level.
 
Joined
Dec 22, 2017
Messages
3,053
Location
Wolf Creek Montana
That's one nice looking shop. Love the layout and all the extra room you have. Well done. But wait...what is that I see? A television in your shop? That's an OUTSTANDING idea! My new shop walls are 11 1/2' tall so maybe I can convince my wife to let me get a TV. Really nice set up for sure. Congrats and I hope the elbow is doing well.
 

moke

Member
Joined
Dec 30, 2009
Messages
1,223
Location
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Tony-Thanks, I have her, Gracie 7 yo and Sophie 13 mo wasn't in these. The property has an invisible around the whole property. They are well mannered and no trouble, well most of the day. The mailman disrupts it all...he has treats and is a highlight of their day. Between the Ring doorbell and the Sophie Doorbell I know when the mail is here.

Hank Thanks--it's been along time coming!

Wolf--I have a stereo and speakers on the "lathe" wall. I have bluetooth for my itunes and the radio, but I have the TV on all day. I watch DIY shows through a firestick. It's great. Thanks for asking about the elbow. I had the best surgeon and my PT guy was absolutely awesome. I was released in mud June, but I have been allowed to join their facility as a "member"...I go work on my elbow and my entire health as many times as I want for 30.00 per month. I go three times a week and honestly have mot felt as good as I do now in twenty years. I try to be an optimist, and joining this PT facility is the silver lining to braking my arm! Get a TV Man and wire some speakers....is is far superior to the TV little speakers.
BTW...I love your knives!

Sure Gimpy....never been to PA....Thanks
 
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jttheclockman

Member
Joined
Feb 22, 2005
Messages
19,132
Location
NJ, USA.
Looked through photos again and noticed the sailing ship on the wall shelf. Did you make that?? Is it wood or plastic.?? I did a couple of them many years ago. one wood and two plastic models. When I get time after all my projects and I am still able to get in shop I want to try my hand at trains. The older steam and coal ones. Gotten some of those blueprints and really want to try them.

Anyway I am jealous. I like the idea of alot of pegboard. It is so useful especially the 1/4" stuff. Holds tons. Good luck.
 

moke

Member
Joined
Dec 30, 2009
Messages
1,223
Location
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Rich - is it sharing or bragging? I wasn't sure.....anyway thanks for looking
John T.- No I did not build that....it's not that detailed, except for the rigging. I am fascinated by ships, but live in Iowa, and that about a as far from a Ocean as you can get. I bought it one night in Las Vegas, at Treasure Island, I had been winning and well...drinking a tad to much. It was big bucks, and my wife said it was banished from the Family room after a couple years..... There is a guy in our wood club, that did an entire train out of wood. it was huge....maybe 8 ' long, and amazing. In the end he got some serious kind of cancer. I think it was a race to see if he would get it done. It was extremely well done.
 

howsitwork

Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2016
Messages
2,315
Location
Thirsk
Mike

wonderful youve finished it and can start enjoying it more professionally now!

Only suggestios before you get too involved is to paint the pegboard white to reflect more light about but it sure looks good and beautifully illuminated as it is.

second suggestion allocate an area for dog beds now rather than wait until it gets as crowded as mine ( you've seen photos so I am not going to embarrass myself by putting them up ) . Oh and where the biscuit barrel? Needs to be near the lathe to allow contemplative reflection 😉

Lastly many thanks I have now used the woodpecker shear by hand and it works really well for refining complete barrels before assembly. A you were 100% correct that it needs a VERY delicate touch in the pillar drill but again it worked well.

have fun👍
 

NGLJ

Member
Joined
Sep 15, 2021
Messages
301
Location
Surrey BC, Canada
THank you all...

Dale, not sure if I will ever be out of trouble, until they close the lid.....

NGLJ-Thanks....I have that DC I push to piece I'm using.( or stretch the hose)...I have been looking into duct work, but that DC is not really powerful enough to be effective. I do have plans to connect a collection and drop to my Revo, that is pre-set up and I can just wheel the DC unit to the drop an just hook it up. I'm still working out the logistics. I use that unit on both router tables, drum sander, TS, a downdraft table and the BS. All are in range of the two hoses on the DC. I have 6 shop vacs hidden around the shop that are dedicated to some machines. My disc sander and Osc Spindle share one, the sanders have their own, the DP has its own, and the Makita miter saw has its own. Then I have a "follow me" ryobi battery that I use for general cleaning. I also use a hand held blower to clean off tools, and a lower powered leaf blower to do the floor.

Ken...thanks, that is a nice sentiment.

Seven...if you are green, maybe see the doc...lol...thanks for the kind words.
I had the same situation with 2 dust collectors, one connected to my SawStop table saw and one to move around, but I got fed up with that because I don't have a lot of space, unlike you. I spent more time tripping over things than making sawdust. Also, I wasn't really getting good dust collection. The typical dust collector is HVLP (high volume low pressure) whereas the newer stuff is LVHP (low volume high pressure). When I worked out how much "oomph" that I needed it came out as at least 3HP to get decent collection. To do that you need 220V in the shop. Oneida make good stuff but it is pricey, especially here in Canada. I ended up buying a 2.7HP Record Power dust extractor which is LVHP connected to an Oneida super deputy cyclone, which I already had. This was good but still not great at the ends of the lines (about 25' of 4" PVC), especially at my miter saw and lathe. So I added a 1HP Ricon in parallel and boy together they really suck! I even get decent collection at my miter saw and sanding at my lathe is a huge improvement. Now I get my exercise running around my shop opening and closing blast gates but no more tripping :). Occasionally, I will forget to make sure at least one gate is open (advancing years is my excuse) and then I spend a frustrating time fixing the cyclone where the flange has been sucked in due to the vacuum.
 

moke

Member
Joined
Dec 30, 2009
Messages
1,223
Location
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
NGLJ...
Thanks for the suggestions, I will hang onto this and start working on it this winter. Right now for the time being, I need to play with my toys and make the things I have been asked to do....It intrigues me you have another "booster" DC in line......Thanks for the suggestions, I will PM you next week and kick this around with you.

KEN! My friend, how are you! Thanks for the suggestions. Glad the shear is working well for you. The "girls have beds, they are not really able to be seen in the photos. The little one, Sophie, was gnawing on her bed, so I picked them up. Right now they just want to be outside....(it's in the 70's) I will definitely put them down this winter. As for painting the pegboard....man that sounds like lot of work and I am in here like a tick....
I considered spraying it before I moved up but it was too cold at the time....so it never got done. Working on the lawn, it is really going well! After the snow flies, I will be glad to not have to do any more lawn work!!!!

Writeon- Thanks!!!
 

NGLJ

Member
Joined
Sep 15, 2021
Messages
301
Location
Surrey BC, Canada
NGLJ...
Thanks for the suggestions, I will hang onto this and start working on it this winter. Right now for the time being, I need to play with my toys and make the things I have been asked to do....It intrigues me you have another "booster" DC in line......Thanks for the suggestions, I will PM you next week and kick this around with you.

KEN! My friend, how are you! Thanks for the suggestions. Glad the shear is working well for you. The "girls have beds, they are not really able to be seen in the photos. The little one, Sophie, was gnawing on her bed, so I picked them up. Right now they just want to be outside....(it's in the 70's) I will definitely put them down this winter. As for painting the pegboard....man that sounds like lot of work and I am in here like a tick....
I considered spraying it before I moved up but it was too cold at the time....so it never got done. Working on the lawn, it is really going well! After the snow flies, I will be glad to not have to do any more lawn work!!!!

Writeon- Thanks!!!
I didn't intend to divert you from enjoying your new shop. Go make lots of sawdust before worrying too much about collecting it. We woodworkers aren't always careful enough about how wood working can affect our health. We get engrossed in making stuff!
 
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