michaelray's Workshop

Been away for a while working on building a new shop among other things. Almost exactly one year ago we set out building a new garage so we could convert our existing attached garage into extra living space for the growing family.

I had to upgrade the electrical service on the house in order to run a 100 amp service out to the new garage. Digging a 70 foot trench past a giant maple tree is something I hope is a once in a lifetime experience.

It was time to build a dedicated shop instead of sharing with everything else in the garage. I took the back 12 feet of the garage and partitioned it off for a 12×24 work area. Wired with 110 and 220v insulated in all the walls and ceiling. Heated with a small electrical heater hanging on the wall. We have a handful of below zero days where I am and the heater works well enough for all but the coldest days.

The floor is 3/4 inch T&G plywood raised on pressure treated 2×4’s and insulated with a vapor barrier. Finished with the cheapest stain I could find and a single coat of water based poly for floors. Just enough to make cleanup easier but not make the floors slick and dangerous. The wood floor is way easier on my feet and tools than the old concrete floor I was used to.

I also installed lots of lights and painted the OSB walls white to make it plenty bright. Some of the cabinets are from leftover or recycled materials, some I purchased new wood to build.

Even though I have more space on the walls to use and I could build some more shelves or cabinets I’m calling it officially done. I accomplished everything I initially set out to do.

-- http://dbcww.wordpress.com