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The American Craftsman Shop #1: Home Again (JOY!)

Blog entry by Todd A. Clippinger posted 171 days ago 376 reads 0 times favorited 18 comments Add to Favorites
no previous part Part 1 of The American Craftsman Shop series Part 2: Finishing the Shop »

Back in Big Sky Country!

I have been home about three weeks now and I have been quite busy settling back in. I am so happy to be back with my wife, Rita, and my two dogs.

The geography here is so good to see again. Here is the view out my backyard towards the Yellowstone River.

Backyard View

The first thing I had to do was unpack and start settling back into my life at home and in my shop. I have been working for most of the last 4 1/2 years just north of Columbus, OH on some great projects. But I am determined to stay home now and ship or deliver any future projects.

Next I had to start making contacts all over town to let the people of Billings know that I am back and offering my services in my own home town. I have made more contacts than ever before. I know that there will be a delay before calls start coming in so I had to do this immediately.

I have been looking at a few remodel jobs and working on some bids, but I realized that I need to increase efficiency in my shop before I get too much going.

Finishing The Shop Walls

I ran some more circuits and started closing the walls up with sheetrock. I am very excited to see the shop getting brighter already. It will make it easier to heat with the walls properly closed up too.

Things are a bit cramped since I had to pull everything away from the wall to work. I will do this section and even paint it. Then I can move everything back and pull the stuff away from the wall and execute the next section. I will add more circuits and close the walls up with sheetrock and paint. I can’t wait!

Finishing The Shop Walls

I really haven’t had much time to get online and share with the great LJ brothers or to check out the projects and read the blogs.

I just realized that I have not even added my closet into the projects section yet. I blogged it so heavily but I need to add it to the brag board.

Gotta get back out and add another coat of mud. I am so happy to be back in my own shop!

Peace, Love, and Woodworking

-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://amcraftsman.com

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Todd A. Clippinger

2486 posts in 505 days


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18 comments so far

View Russel's profile

Russel

1105 posts in 345 days


posted 171 days ago

I believe it was Dorothy who said, “There’s no place like home”

-- If at first you don't succeed, try again. Then quit. No use being a darn fool about it.

View Todd A. Clippinger's profile

Todd A. Clippinger

2486 posts in 505 days


posted 171 days ago

Dorothy was more right than she knew.

-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://amcraftsman.com

View Greg Wurst's profile

Greg Wurst

313 posts in 238 days


posted 171 days ago

I don’t mind hanging drywall, but I hate taping corners. More of an art than a science. Drywall really brightens-up a shop more than you’d think.

View dustynewt's profile

dustynewt

320 posts in 268 days


posted 171 days ago

There’s no place like home. (who said that?):)

-- http://dustynewt.webs.com/

View Scott Bryan's profile

Scott Bryan

8049 posts in 228 days


posted 171 days ago

Todd, the shop is coming together. I am sure that you are happy to be in your space again. This is your small corner of the world. I assume that once the drywall is up and painted then you will be starting on some shop cabinetry? After all this is a new shop and it sure beats shoveling snow.

By the way keep the snow up there. I haven’t had to shovel my driveways in at least 3 years and I am not a bit sorry.

thanks for the post.

-- With God's help all things are possible- even woodworking. Woodworking is not just a hobby, it is an (expletive deleted) expensive hobby.

View Thos. Angle's profile

Thos. Angle

3243 posts in 368 days


posted 171 days ago

Welcome home, pardner! You deserve to be there. I’m sure you won’t have time to finish the shop before you have to go to work. Glad to hear from you.

-- Thos. Angle, Owyhee Design, Oregon

View gizmodyne's profile

gizmodyne

1455 posts in 496 days


posted 171 days ago

Nothing like drywalling in the winter. Welcome back.

-- -John "Do I have to keep typing a smiley? Just assume it's a joke." www.flickr.com/photos/gizmodyne

View Todd A. Clippinger's profile

Todd A. Clippinger

2486 posts in 505 days


posted 171 days ago

Sheetrock, tape, and mud are some of the least expensive materials but are among the toughest to master to the level of profitable proficiency.

I will do small jobs myself but I hire out the bigger jobs and overhead jobs for sure.

I hung the lid in my shop but I paid someone to tape and finish out the mud on it. My sheetrock jobs are tight and tapers love following after I hang the rock.

-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://amcraftsman.com

View GaryK's profile

GaryK

8274 posts in 394 days


posted 171 days ago

I just returned from almost a week in California so I appreciate being home too.

-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.

View Keni's profile

Keni

35 posts in 290 days


posted 171 days ago

Welcome back! You will never regret finishing your walls!

-- Making Quality Homes Better!

View Todd A. Clippinger's profile

Todd A. Clippinger

2486 posts in 505 days


posted 171 days ago

I certainly have regretted NOT finishing the walls to begin with.

-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://amcraftsman.com

View Grumpy's profile

Grumpy

4131 posts in 257 days


posted 171 days ago

Done something similar with our bathroom before Christmas. I know what dry wall & tiling is all about. Those panel lifters make life much easier. What would we do without modern technology Todd.

-- Grumpy - "Always look on the bright side of life"- Monty Python

View MsDebbieP's profile

MsDebbieP

11043 posts in 567 days


posted 171 days ago

and how comfortable is “your own bed” ? :)

-- "Functional WoodArt" by Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

View frank's profile

frank

1292 posts in 612 days


posted 171 days ago

Hello Todd;
—-glad to see and hear your happy with joy, at being back in your own workspace!

Okay, everyone else is looking inside your shop….while I’m dreaming in that first photo up there. What a beautiful piece of country you reside in. I can tell you I don’t know anything about the Yellowstone River, but that will change shortly since I’m going too Dr. Google and will find out more. Your photo there has got me dreaming of water….white water and canoes//kayaking, which is coming my way soon. I guess I’ll pull a topographic off the shelf and look at the water table around you. I know your a climber, so I’m wondering if you do any canoing or kayaking?

What a pleasant way to start my day as I sit here dreaming about kayaking this spring and summer, as I look out my office window and see fields of snow. Ha….ha, did I ever mention that last year, (winter) I bought our two recent kayaks in the middle of a snowstorm here…..oh well.

Have a great day and keep the mud on the pad and off the head….

Thank you.
GODSPEED,
Frank

-- --frank, NH, http://frank.wordpress.com/

View Douglas Bordner's profile

Douglas Bordner

2302 posts in 470 days


posted 170 days ago

White walls, perfect for, hmmm – video work and photography. Glad you’re home and really moving into the shop. I’m betting with Thos. that you’ll be busy before you get finished tricking things out.

-- "Bordnerizing" perfectly good lumber for over a decade.

View jockmike2's profile

jockmike2

3890 posts in 652 days


posted 170 days ago

Glad to see you back Todd. mike

-- Mike. Profisher50@yahoo.com

View Karson's profile

Karson

12002 posts in 806 days


posted 170 days ago

Grad to see that you have something to fill the days with Todd. After 4 1/2 years I figure that the Honey-do-list would be out the front door.

-- Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com

View Todd A. Clippinger's profile

Todd A. Clippinger

2486 posts in 505 days


posted 170 days ago

Doug you must be reading my mind.

Karson you would not believe the debt I owe my wife!

-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://amcraftsman.com

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