# Building a shop from scratch



## Kudzu (Dec 23, 2008)

Title is a bit click-bait but I am about to start building a new free standing shop. It is going to be a temporary shop. I am going to use if for less than 2 years and then it will revert to 'barn'. Storage for my boat and tractor. My final shop will be in the basement of the house we are going to build.

That said, if there is interest I will be glad to document the process and frustrations of building it. I have some ideas for storage units, clamps storage etc. to make best use of the space. It will be smaller than what I have now and alot of things I build will move to the next shop.

Let me know if you interested. A simple like would do. If not I am not going to clutter up the forum.


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## Unfinished Projects (Mar 9, 2021)

No question that there is an interest. Bring it on!


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## stubach (Feb 20, 2021)

Should be fun to watch! Look forward to it


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## Kudzu (Dec 23, 2008)

Not a very encouraging response,  Just 4 people responded out of 100+ that viewed the post. Kind of looks like there isn't much interest??


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## Tool Agnostic (Aug 13, 2017)

Kudzu said:


> Not a very encouraging response,  Just 4 people responded out of 100+ that viewed the post. Kind of looks like there isn't much interest??


Actually six. As of this writing, four likes and two replies, not counting this message. The other 94 are eagerly waiting to see what happens next before they respond.

Besides, it is always helpful to document the process. You never know when you may need photos to use as a future reference for yourself, examples on WoodworkingTalk, show your grandchildren, or give a presentation at the local college or club.

P.S. I would keep an "engineering notebook" with dimensions, measurements and other technical details for future reference, too. Also keep records of where you got supplies, when you bought them, how much you paid, the brand names and model numbers, part numbers, and colors (or options) on them, etc.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

Kudzu said:


> Not a very encouraging response,  Just 4 people responded out of 100+ that viewed the post. Kind of looks like there isn't much interest??


Yeah, but we really mean it. So do a lot of other lurkers, they wouldn't have clicked had they not been interested. JMHO


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## Kudzu (Dec 23, 2008)

Not looking for recognition or pats on the back. Just didn't want to clutter up the forum.

I will start with the history. We built our current home 17+/- years ago because it was so quite here. Not any more. Can't walk to my mailbox without watching for and usually waiting for a car to go by. Used to be I could have walked out there in my underwear, read the paper and still never see a car.

We have been looking for land for 2 year now. Yes, that hard to find here. Well, land that is private and quite. 

We found a rather remote feeling 5 acres at end of a dead end private road. Just one other house on the road. VERY QUITE and can't see that changing much. Draw back is no high speed internet and there was a house... well, double wide trailer ... with a house built on too it ..... and another single wide trailer addition.... with another frame addition... then it burned and was abandon.

It was so grown up when we bought it we didn't actually know what we had bought. I spent last spring cleaning up. Several loads of trash and who knows how much brush/tree's weeds we burned. Weeks of cutting up trailer frames and hauling them out for scrap. Then my spinal tumor hit and all work came to a halt.

This year we are back at it and once cleared there was 5, yes FIVE concrete slabs there. ALL on a different level! There was so much debris on most of them small trees were growing on top! We are placing the house in different location but my wife suggested saving one of the slabs for storage building or barn. We finally settled on the old garage. 24 x 28 feet.

Just had a track hoe out and they demolished the rest of the slabs. Hauled them off and the last of the rocks and trash. I have been busy 'landscaping' around the slab to get the drainage right That brings us to the present.

My plan is to expand the slab 12 feet to give me space for a small office. I can continue to run my business out there and work on the boat too. I need to have a ramp poured on the other end. We are going to move our camper there and live in it while we build. 

I need to find some photos to post and get one of the slab. We just got water and now I can get someone to pour concrete. Still pricing buildings.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

Great location! I have a similar lot, dead end road, 3 acres, State land on two sides, land locked by water etc. 
You have a great opportunity to know all the mistakes others have made IF they contribute? I will say now, Insulate, ventilate, put in enough North facing windows, have a 100 AMP power panel.


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## Kudzu (Dec 23, 2008)

100 amp for sure. It has to provide power to the camper too.

It is a temporary shop so I have to weight some things as to their worth long term. I expect to be in this one for year, two at the outside. Then it will just become a barn. My shop will be in the basement of the house.

I will store the boat in there and keep the tractor, power washer, etc in there. Probably tear down the office since I would rather have the storage space. So I have to keep that in mind as I go. So it is a balancing act and trying to keep the cost down too.


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## Kudzu (Dec 23, 2008)

PHOTOS!
You have to see where I started appreciate this.

This was taken during last winter of 2019 after leaves fell off. I am standing in what I assume was a den at one time. But when I bought this the overgrowth was so thick I didn't know exactly what was in here.









Hard to tell but that is a tractor with a bucket load of.... scrap metal of some sort. Metal sink, trailer frame and misc scrap metal in the photo.









Started scoping up the mess and a slab magically appeared underneath it all.









This is after a good bit of cutting down small trees and brush. Found a fireplace and you can see the rusty trailer frame. ONE of them that is.









One of MANY loads hauled to the scrap yard. And a couple to the land fill.









Jump forward a year, to just a few weeks ago. All the slabs are gone except the old garage. The area is finally clear of 98% of the trash left behind. This is the slab I will start with to build my new shop.

It will probably be a while before I have any updates but next step is more water lines and pouring the additions to the slab.


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## Kudzu (Dec 23, 2008)

Just looking at the photos, have not looked at this in a long time and realized that either:
_ * I am just a glutton for punishment
* I have no common sense._

Just realized how many BIG projects I take on that most people would run away from. Restroing boat. Cleaning up the wreck of a properly. Restoring all my crappy looking WW machines. 

Must be a screw loose somewhere!


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## Tool Agnostic (Aug 13, 2017)

For context, may we assume that the future shop described here will be in northern Alabama?


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## Kudzu (Dec 23, 2008)

Yup. Where summer temps have just hit and the humidity you can cut with knife is just around the corner.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

We are practically neighbors, I live in Chattanooga, you do any fishing over your way?


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## Kudzu (Dec 23, 2008)

BigJim said:


> We are practically neighbors, I live in Chattanooga, you do any fishing over your way?


Not much anymore. I used to fish a lot but not any more. Really anxious to get my Chris Craft back on the river though.


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## Kudzu (Dec 23, 2008)

Man do things move slow! Had to spend some money on my old tractor and it just kept breaking things but since it is 50 years old I can't complain. But I got down and finally got most of the landscaping around the slab done. 

Just for perspective this is a before I shared. The garage slab we saved is behind that big pile of brown in the photo. It was part of the one of the trailers that were built around.










Here is is a year latter. Took this yesterday after i finished up. I was standing in the roughly the same location.










Now it is time to dig some ditches and run some conduit. 

I need to pull power from the (new) building up to where we are going to put our camper. I need to install a water line to the new part of the building as well as run it up the campsite. Then I can get someone out to pour the slab(s)

The slab is roughly 28' x 24' but I am going pour another 10 feet off the back and need to have a ramp built at the front too. 

A couple of more photos.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

Man, what a difference a year makes, all the difference in the world. That was a lot of work though. You got a good start, can't wait to see some wood going up. As high dollar as lumber is, if I were building a shop right now, concrete blocks is the way I would go, it would be cheaper.

By the way, did you save the burl on that tree you took down from the before photo?


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## Kudzu (Dec 23, 2008)

No burl, just damage or maybe a broken limb? Lot of the trees were fire damaged. Honestly don't remember I have cut and burned so much but if there was a burl I would have saved it. I think that was a Paulownia tree. LOTS Of those around here.

And you are absolutely right. It has been a heck of a lot of work!!


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## Kudzu (Dec 23, 2008)

A little shopping this morning. Conduit,6 gauge wire and plumbing and odds and ends. Try to get a trencher tomorrow to run these to the new slab.
Had to go to two different building supplies to get everything I needed. Supplies are low on lots of stuff.


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## Kudzu (Dec 23, 2008)

Supposed to be digging ditches and running conduit and water lines but the only place with ride on trenchers has not available. So we borrowed another tractor with a bucket and hauled off rocks instead. 

Nothing is ever easy or goes as planned.


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## TimPa (Jan 27, 2010)

ummm, more tractor pics please... i'm sure bill will like the green and yellow ones!

you may want to save some of those steel beams, make nice overheads for trolley/chain hoists to work on tractors, btdt!


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## Kudzu (Dec 23, 2008)

FINALLY the ditcher came back to the rental place but it was broken. They got it repaired and I grabbed it.

Nothing like trying to cut ditches through woods! Between the roots and the rocks I took a beating even though I was riding.










Terribly hot and humid but I did finally get a *'new'* waterline installed. There was an existing line but there was a restriction somewhere in it, no volume of water. Rather than try to find it I decided while I had the ditcher to just put in a new one and be done with it.











This line will supply the house as well as the shop and various spigots around the property.










I finally found the old septic tank and tied into it.










More ditches. This is the line to run conduit from the from the shop. 

Not very exciting part of building a shop but and essential part. Hopefully we will move to pouring some concrete soon.


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## cynrich (Mar 27, 2020)

Kudzu said:


> Just looking at the photos, have not looked at this in a long time and realized that either:
> _ * I am just a glutton for punishment
> * I have no common sense._
> 
> ...


lol Jeff you and I must have the same screws loose. I've spent two years in my "new" home and my plan for a woodworking space is still a repair-and-restoration of-tools space. I can now actually pull out the wheeled table saw and get to the other bigger power tools, but most of them are still in not-quite-workable state. The table saw still needs some more work, too. 
I've discovered EvapoRust! That's speeding things up quite a bit, but I'm thinking my woodworking hobby may just become a tool restoration hobby.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

Kudzu said:


> FINALLY the ditcher came back to the rental place but it was broken. They got it repaired and I grabbed it.
> 
> Nothing like trying to cut ditches through woods! Between the roots and the rocks I took a beating even though I was riding.
> 
> ...


Looking good, you should try ditching with a walk behind, now that machine WILL beat you to death. lol Might want to keep concrete and heavy trucks off the lines, been there and done that. You probably are way ahead of that. I love planning and building. Now if price of lumber will just go down.


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## Kudzu (Dec 23, 2008)

There is NO WAY I would have tried this with a walk behind!
_A walk behind would have been pure hell!_


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## Bob95065 (Feb 23, 2019)

Keep the pictures coming. Congratulations on the new shop and great work!


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## Kudzu (Dec 23, 2008)

Rain, rain, rain. I have decided climate change is real and Alabama has decided to identify as a Rain Forest!

Making some progress but with the rain I decided to start working on getting the existing shop ready to move. What a job that will be!!

I started clearing out some scrap wood, boxes and other misc stuff I didn't want to move and could burn. This was just stuff I picked up laying around on the the benches, proped against the wall, etc. First Load one of MANY before this is over. Really dreading sorting through my cutoff bin. But I am going to be ruthless culling it.










Looking around I realized just how much stuff I have to move.










I need to go through all the cabinets. Go through all my liquids and see how much I can get rid of. Plus there are 2-3 big stacks of Chris Craft parts that have to CAREFULLY sorted. boxed and moved and not lost!










My two thrown together gantry cranes will have to be disassembled because they will not fit out the door.
Then there is the plywood rack and all the plywood against the wall. The Boats engine and more interior parts stacked on top of it. 

I am fairly organized in the shop. Most things have a space but moving is going to be a MAJOR undertaking.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

Kudzu said:


> Rain, rain, rain. I have decided climate change is real and Alabama has decided to identify as a Rain Forest!
> 
> Making some progress but with the rain I decided to start working on getting the existing shop ready to move. What a job that will be!!
> 
> ...


I don't envy you, that is going to take some major energy and time.


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## Roybrew (Nov 2, 2016)

I can't wait to see the Chris Craft. Oops sorry, I guess I'm jumping into the future. Looks like your making progress.


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## Kudzu (Dec 23, 2008)

Roybrew said:


> I can't wait to see the Chris Craft. Oops sorry, I guess I'm jumping into the future. Looks like your making progress.



Here you go. Restoring a '62 Chris Craft Sea Skiff

It is on hold right now but once I get moved I will jump back on it. Don't have much time to do much on it for a while.


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## Kudzu (Dec 23, 2008)

Finally seeing some progress!!

Spent yesterday morning _landscaping_. Drove the tractor around moving dirt. Filled in all the trenches and have all the water, electric and misc. lines run.

I had to quit around 11 am. Even riding a tractor it was miserable. 95 degrees +/- and 70% humidity just kills me.

Last night I finally meet with the the concrete guy I wanted. He gave me a price and we told him to go ahead ... even though he really put a hit on my wallet. He said they could be there in a couple of weeks. So finally seeing a little progress!

_PHOTOS TO FOLLOW
Being busy and with the heat I just forgot. _


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## 211569 (Jul 29, 2021)

I am new to this forum, but glad I found this thread. I am going to be setting up shop in a basement. These above-ground photos are already giving me ideas. I think the next phase will be just as good. Thanx for the effort keeping us informed on your progress.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

Kudzu said:


> Finally seeing some progress!!
> 
> Spent yesterday morning _landscaping_. Drove the tractor around moving dirt. Filled in all the trenches and have all the water, electric and misc. lines run.
> 
> ...


The heat was pretty bad yesterday, I am not a cold weather kind of fellow but it will be nice when it gets here. There is a place here in Chattanooga who sold me 3 1/2 inch 4X 8 pollyiso (or how ever it is spelled) for $8 a sheet. When I went out to the shop yesterday and opened the door it was about 3:00 PM, it was way cooler inside the shop than outside and the ac wasn't even on yet. 

I don't know if the guy has any more or if that is still the price but I could see if I could find his number if you like.


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## Kudzu (Dec 23, 2008)

Since this is a just a temporary shop I am only going to insulate the office area. It is shaded for most of the day. 

Once I get the house built this will just be a barn/garage/storage so not going to put more money in it than I have too. I will wish I had latter on but I can suffer through for a year.

Thanks for the offer. That is a good price.


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## Kudzu (Dec 23, 2008)

Nothing moves fast but I have a concrete man lined up and 10 tons of gravel sitting on site. Plus I have a man lined up to build the shop. Meeting with him soon to finalize our plan.

Once we get some concrete poured this will start to move forward!


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## Kudzu (Dec 23, 2008)

OK finally something worth talking about. They poured concrete today!










I went to the gym early this morning and of all days I decided to step everything up a notch.
Got home, fixed breakfast and was trying to decide what to work on when I got the call they were coming.

Ran down and paid for the concrete. Meet the crew on the lot.

I took the cart and raked up and loaded rocks from what will be a grass yard. I have it all preppred and sewn around the shop. I just needed to remove a lot of small rocks the rake on the tractor will not grab. So I hauled rocks for several hours and just cleaned up so I will be able to safely mow when the grass comes up. I needed to be there I wanted to do something useful.

Right now I am so tired and sore I think I will probably not be able to move tomorrow.




























My builder told me he could start probably within a week of them pouring the slab since it was a lightweight building and we were using an existing slab too.

So should have a building going up soon!


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

I'm surprised the truck didn't get stuck with all the rain we have had lately.


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## Roybrew (Nov 2, 2016)

Progress. Awesome!


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## Kudzu (Dec 23, 2008)

BigJim said:


> I'm surprised the truck didn't get stuck with all the rain we have had lately.


*This is the driest piece of land I have ever owned! *

Where we are building is the high ground and everything is down hill so the water drains away fast. I had moved some dirt around last week on the the low side and he left some 2" ruts but that is it.

Where I am living now our land slopes to the rear and I have be careful mowing not to the mower stuck it is so wet. Been that way most all summer.


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## Kudzu (Dec 23, 2008)

Things crawl along and all of sudden they LEAP forward.

With the concrete poured I called my builder and meet with him last night. Put up my deposit and he told me they could be out Monday but more likely would be Wednesday. It would take them 3 days to build. So end of new week I should (may) have a building!

Of course I still have to wire it, get electric connceted and finish off the office space. But it is happening very suddenly.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

I can feel your excitement, I would be the same way, love it. Is your builder roofing it and everything?


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## BigCountry79 (Jun 2, 2021)

Exciting!


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## Kudzu (Dec 23, 2008)

BigJim said:


> I can feel your excitement, I would be the same way, love it. Is your builder roofing it and everything?


Yes, I went with a wood frame pole barn style. A little cheaper but easier for me to alter and hand things on the walls.
Just saw where Ida is probably going to come through with lots of rain so that may stop them. But it will still be soon.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

Hopefully all it is is rain from that bad storm. One good thing, the price of lumber has dropped some.


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## Roybrew (Nov 2, 2016)

Sounds like your moving along now. Hopefully the rain won't be to bad and hinder your progress much. Looking forward to seeing it progress.


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## Kudzu (Dec 23, 2008)

Wanted to repeat this. This is a temporary shop. 

Our new house will have a basement shop that is larger and a much better layout. But to sell our existing house I need a place to work out of now. Once the house s built we needed a place to store my wooden boat, the tractor, etc. so this will become a big barn.

Guys started this morning. When I got there around 9 AM this is what I found.









Then around 11:45 pm.









Again at 1:30 PM









3:15 PM









When I left they were putting the stringers on the roof for the metal. Needless to say these guys know the drill well!


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## Kudzu (Dec 23, 2008)

Since we are going to live in our RV while we build the new house this building has to serve multiple functions for the next year or so.

1. Office for my business.
2. Laundry for us.
3. My workshop
4. Storage for my boat while I restore it.
5. Storage of all the misc. stuff you own that doesn't need to sit outside.

They should finish up the shop this week so I need a layout so I can start on the wiring.

I had this laid out in a 3d software program and everything fit with room to spare. Decided to put it in my 2D CAD software, creating my own outlines of the machines and it looks very different than in the 3D software! Looks like the 3D models I downloaded were not to scale and were on the small side.

I have really had to work to make most of the machines, washer, dryer, etc fit. Going to have store a few machines looks like. Just not room for everything.

Two versions. Either one will work and no huge good or bad points to either. One is easier to wire all the 220v but that is about it. Time to walk away and look at it tomorrow.


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## Kudzu (Dec 23, 2008)

Building is finished. Just waiting on the garage door man. Should be there Monday morning.
I start wiring today.










Started unloading electrical supplies yesterday and found out I all ready have a squatter. Building has been done less an hour.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

That is a nice building. Are you getting a roll up door or track. I have a roll up door on our garage, they both have advantages and disadvantages. The track door is easier to insulate than the roll up.


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## Kudzu (Dec 23, 2008)

Standard sectional door. I wanted roll up but talking to my builder he talked me into this, Said he had much less trouble with standard doors and they sealed better in the winter.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

I totally agree that they seal much better. Our roll up hasn't caused any problems other than not being able to insulate it or to stop the drafts around it. IMHO, I think you made the right choice.


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## Kudzu (Dec 23, 2008)

Busy wiring the building. Expect my meter base today and HOPE to get it installed tommow so I can get some power in here. Been miserable with no air flow. Especially when up on the ladder!

Dripping wet clothes after about an hour. Nice and cool outside.


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## Kudzu (Dec 23, 2008)

What a BEAUTIFUL SIGHT!! 










All goes well I will have power Monday or Tuesday.

I had forgotten how much work there is wrestling cables this size! Not to mention hanging the box. Cutting holes in the metal for all the connections. Wrestling the galvanized conduit through the roof. Driving a ground rod 6 feet in the gound ........ I am pooped!!


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

And just in time for the rain. It looks like rain here for a while and it is coming up from your way toward us. Did you install a 200 amp service? That is some stiff cable to fool with. You have a really nice shop/garage.


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## Kudzu (Dec 23, 2008)

Yea, I went with 200 amp. I was going with 100 amp, more than enough for the shop but found out that I can tie the house into this panel. They used to require a meter on each building and that was my plan. But they pointed out the savings of just one meter and long term it really mounts up.

LOTS of rain last night and this morning. As I was installing the mast and wiring yesterday it start to rain on me. I looked like a drowned rat but I wasn't about to stop. Had to get that installed and hole in the roof covered.


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## Tony B (Jul 30, 2008)

We left Kemah, Tx in 2012 on my boat. Followed the coast to Mobile Bay and hung a left. Then made a right on the Tennessee River and spent about 3 years in Northern Al. on the Tennessee River and a little over a year in Tennessee mostly on Tellico Lake (Thr little Tennessee River. 
Up intil that trip I had no idea how nice it was up there. We spent almost a year at Joe Wheeler State Park and Cant remember the name of a really nice city park in Scottsboro. When we made it up to Joe Wheeler, I took a Gray Hound bus back to the coast and drove my van up to the State Park. I knew we would be spending a lot of time in that area. 
Great place to live, especially on a boat.


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## Kudzu (Dec 23, 2008)

My home waters, know them well. I have lived on the lake from Scottsboro to Guntersville. Have taken my boat up to Joe Wheeler for the antique boat show a couple of times. Went by boat to a BBQ at someones house JUST below the dam Had to hitch a ride back because of barge traffic and couldn't get locked back up. We all went back the next morning to get out boats after breakfast.

The water is why I have never left this area.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

Tony B said:


> We left Kemah, Tx in 2012 on my boat. Followed the coast to Mobile Bay and hung a left. Then made a right on the Tennessee River and spent about 3 years in Northern Al. on the Tennessee River and a little over a year in Tennessee mostly on Tellico Lake (Thr little Tennessee River.
> Up intil that trip I had no idea how nice it was up there. We spent almost a year at Joe Wheeler State Park and Cant remember the name of a really nice city park in Scottsboro. When we made it up to Joe Wheeler, I took a Gray Hound bus back to the coast and drove my van up to the State Park. I knew we would be spending a lot of time in that area.
> Great place to live, especially on a boat.


Tony, was that park around Mud Creek or in that area? Use to be a restaurant there and the frog legs and catfish were really good. I am sure sorry I missed meeting you when you were in Chattanooga.

Jeff, I didn't know you could tie into the electricity from the garage, that is pretty cool, save having to go through installing a mast pole and all again. How close to the shop is your house going to be? Just curious.

By the way, have you ever fished that stump field there on the river at Decatur, looks like a good place for crappie.


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## Kudzu (Dec 23, 2008)

BigJim said:


> Jeff, I didn't know you could tie into the electricity from the garage, that is pretty cool, save having to go through installing a mast pole and all again. How close to the shop is your house going to be? Just curious.


15 or so years ago you had to have a meter on detached buildings. You couldn't have one for both. The fellow that came out said now they don't care and you can run power to extra buildings no problem.

I haven't measured but I am going to say the house will be 150 feet away.


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## Roybrew (Nov 2, 2016)

Will you have to bury your power lines to the house. That is a strange setup.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

Kudzu said:


> 15 or so years ago you had to have a meter on detached buildings. You couldn't have one for both. The fellow that came out said now they don't care and you can run power to extra buildings no problem.
> 
> I haven't measured but I am going to say the house will be 150 feet away.


That is going to take some heavy cable to keep from having a power drop, That stuff isn't cheap. I would check to see which would be less expensive, a separate meter base for home and one for shop or the cable. Just a thought.


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## Kudzu (Dec 23, 2008)

BigJim said:


> That is going to take some heavy cable to keep from having a power drop, That stuff isn't cheap. .....


It is $35 a month just to have a second meter / $420 a year. Then the usage on top of that. Even if the cable and conduit ran $1,000 it is break even after two years. Yes, I did the math. Easy choice.



Roybrew said:


> Will you have to bury your power lines to the house. That is a strange setup.


Underground service is quite normal here. Looks better and no limbs taking down the lines. With new service you have the option of overhead or underground. You furnish the conduit but they take care of the rest.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

Kudzu said:


> It is $35 a month just to have a second meter / $420 a year. Then the usage on top of that. Even if the cable and conduit ran $1,000 it is break even after two years. Yes, I did the math. Easy choice.
> 
> 
> 
> Underground service is quite normal here. Looks better and no limbs taking down the lines. With new service you have the option of overhead or underground. You furnish the conduit but they take care of the rest.


I wasn't aware that they charged a monthly fee for each meter base, I agree, you made the right decision in my book, I would do the same thing. Things change all the time, utility companies have their hand out all the time taking more and more.

It is a really nice sunny cool day for you to work on your shop today. I love it.


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## Kudzu (Dec 23, 2008)

POWER!!!!!!!
No lights yet. I pulled a rookie mistake and have to go back and rewire the lights.
But now I can charge my tools up.

*Latter in the day:*
Now have lights, fixed my mistake and it finally feels like a real place I could work. (finally)


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## Kudzu (Dec 23, 2008)

Spent a couple of hours working in the shop with the new lights.

I went with the UFO style LED light fixtures. Mine are hung around 9' high. They are 100 watt fixtures, 5000K daylight. They have a wide beam so I have 6, evenly spaced in a 24 x 40 space. _Actually I have 5 because I have an office in the corner. _

It will take more time to know how well I really like them but first impressions are very good. Light is a tad harsh, so you are always casting faint shadows around. But with the white walls the lighting is very even and looks good. I was relieved to see the insulation they use had a white background. That will really help bouncing light around the shop.


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## Kudzu (Dec 23, 2008)

MOVING DAY!
Actually just moving in a few tools I could use on the next phase. Table saw, radial arm saw with it's outfeed(?) which will serve as a bench too. Need to put up some plywood on the walls of the office and floor the loft and figure these will sure help make that go faster.

Here is how you move machines by yourself. Engine hoist makes short work of it. I used a chain around the machines or ratchet straps because that was what I had handy. I often use rope but just didn't have any good quality rope. It is easier to work with than anything but I didn't have any at the moment.


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## Kudzu (Dec 23, 2008)

PROGRESS!!
First machines moved in.










Spent the last couple of days flooring the attic space over my office and sheathing the outsides. I couple of men could have done it in a day easy but working alone it took me 2 days.

I had to add some bridging and blocking on the ceiling joists. Their framing of the ceiling joists was about the only complaint I had with my crew. Not that it was wrong but just not like I wanted to see it. Felt like it needed some bridging so not to bounce so bad.

The worst part was trying to shove 3/4" plywood up on the top! Not easy but I did manage not to drop one on my head.










Still have some small things to do but time to start moving in some machines and cleaning out my existing shop. I foresee some EBay auctions in my future. Keep finding stuff in the corners I forgot about and really don't need.


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## Kudzu (Dec 23, 2008)

Second load of machines delivered. I am tired!


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

Tired but happy, I know I would have been. You have some really nice tools there. Is that a 16 inch RAS? I had a 5 hp 1957 16 inch blade like the one you have. Those things just never wear out. Looking good!


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## Kudzu (Dec 23, 2008)

Best I can tell is an early 1950s. Dewalt GP, 12". Just about the perfect size. These are still 110/220 volt. I looked for a long time to find one. Sometimes I wish it was the long arm version but no complaints on this one.

One of these days I need to share the story of how I acquired it. I looked for a long time and found this one 200? miles away. Went to pick it up and ended up bringing home a 1940's cabinet shop (tools) home.


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## Kudzu (Dec 23, 2008)

The only one I was concerened about moving, my bench. 









Turned out to be little problem. Didn't even have to unload it. Just clean off the top and strap the drawers closed.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

Kudzu said:


> Best I can tell is an early 1950s. Dewalt GP, 12". Just about the perfect size. These are still 110/220 volt. I looked for a long time to find one. Sometimes I wish it was the long arm version but no complaints on this one.
> 
> One of these days I need to share the story of how I acquired it. I looked for a long time and found this one 200? miles away. Went to pick it up and ended up bringing home a 1940's cabinet shop (tools) home.


Looking forward to hearing your story. The old tools just seem to keep going.


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## Kudzu (Dec 23, 2008)

MILESTONE MOMENT
For me it now feels like a shop. Cluttered and messy shop but my shop none the less.
Moved my clamps and hand tool cabinet and have them in place. It was a full days work removing, moving in getting all this done too. 
Still have some more clamps to move and have to make some more storage but these are the ones I use most. Just so many things to take care of.










For anyone interested I like to stack my clamps on simple brackets made from shop scraps and some large dowel stock I try to keep in stock. Hang the clamps face to face and I can get a lot in small space.










For the larger, heavier bar clamps I make some brackets from plywood and hang them off the cleat.










As for my clamps I am not brand snob. I would buy whatever I found that was good quality at a good price. Ended up with quite an assortment of brands and styles but I got in these on the cheap too.

Now to build the ships ladder so I can access the storage area and get some semblance of order restored in here so I start back to work.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

Looks really good, I do the same thing, if it is a good tool I don't care what brand it is. I have several of the old cabinet clamps like you have but most of mine are the Jorgensen Pony clamps.
You have a really nice place to work now. Are you going to heat it with wood?


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## Kudzu (Dec 23, 2008)

BigJim said:


> Are you going to heat it with wood?


Not sure since if all goes as planned I will just use it this winter. Still weighing options.


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## Kudzu (Dec 23, 2008)

Interest in this seems to have waned and not a lot to show now that I have started moving in. But yesterday was a big day for me. I moved the gantries I use to lift my boat.
That means it will not be long before I move the boat and can start back to work on it.

To paraphrase Achimedies _*"Give me a lever and I can load anything." *_
When you work by yourself you have to be creative.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

Jeff, that is really nice. It is a good time to be out in the shop having fun. Is that your new place there with the pond? That is really really nice.


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## Kudzu (Dec 23, 2008)

BigJim said:


> You have a really nice place to work now. Are you going to heat it with wood?


Still looking at this but yesterday was our first 'cold' day and got me thinking more on heat. Last night checking Market Place I found an add for dumpster loads of hardwood cutoffs. $5 a load. Fellow says it is just about a pickup bed full. There is not way I can heat the place any cheaper than this and I have LOTS of wood on site still to cut.

Today I am going to look for a place to put a small wood burner. Space is a big issue though. I found a couple of old smaller stoves for sale for $200 or less so wood it looking like the cheapest option by far.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

$5 a load, you can't beat that, you may even find a few pieces that you won't want to burn.


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## Tool Agnostic (Aug 13, 2017)

BigJim said:


> $5 a load, you can't beat that, you may even find a few pieces that you won't want to burn.


There is a woman in my area who earns extra cash salvaging nice pieces of local hardwood at the places that sell chopped up local trees for firewood. She sells the salvaged pieces to local woodworkers and especially woodturners.


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## Kudzu (Dec 23, 2008)

Trying to wrap this up. Here is a few odds and ends about the the shop. Starting to do_ a little work_ there now. Still need to move my wood racks and move the boat in and then I can get serious again.










Didn't take longer after finishing the ships ladder to realize that I needed some hand rails. Nothing heavy duty but just enough to bump into and remind me where the edge was.

Also came to realization I need a way to lift items to the _Upstairs Basement_ as my wife calls it. I have set of blocks that has been laying around for years and they turned out to be the ticket. 










I took a heavy duty tote I had, added some lines to it and I can put things in it. Then lower or raise it to the Upstairs Basement. Works extremely well. Only bad thing is moving in I have had to make a lot of trips up and down the ladder since I work by myself.










In this photo you ca see some of the machines. I have lined everything against the wall. Some of them I pull out when I need them. Added a couple of Bora mobile bases, I prefer fixed machines but man are these nice!!










Hoping in a couple of weeks to have my office moved in and all the lumber and ready to start back to work.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

That is really nice, plenty of room to do all you need to do.


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## Kudzu (Dec 23, 2008)

BigJim said:


> That is really nice, plenty of room to do all you need to do.


It is a good size.
Till I move the boat in. I suspect it is going to_ 'shrink'_ a lot.


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