# New Shop building!



## JoeinGa (Nov 26, 2012)

*Yee Haw! I'm so excited!*

How many of you remember that 1962 movie "The Music Man"? (Yes, I'm sure most of you do!)

Remember the scene when the Wells Fargo Wagon is heading into town to deliver the musical instruments, and everyone is singing and dancing in the streets? Sure you do… 
*"Oh ho the Wells Fargo Wagon is'a COMING down the street, and it could be something special for me."*

and now you'll have that dang song stuck in your head for the next few hours!






Well on Friday we had to drive to Ah'Lanna for the wife's "poking, prodding, and blood-letting" appointment (still trying to get her on a kidney transplant list) and while we were up there we went and found the place I've been looking at on Craigslist for almost 6 months. They sell modular office buildings (aka : portable school classrooms).

We looked at about 10 different ones and I finally picked out a 24' X 35' double wide. It's gonna cost as much to have it brought down here as the building costs, but the total price is still WAY LESS than I can have the same size shop built here on my lot. It should be here end of this week or first of next week. Gonna take the tongues and axles off and drop it flat on the ground so it wont look like a "trailer". It's already fully wired (including 220) and has 4' fluorescent light fixtures on the ceiling. I think there was 8 fixtures in each half. It also has a (WORKING) heat/AC unit built in.

FINALLY ! We've been here since June 1 of last year and all the "stuff" that was in my 30' X 40' shop back in 10aSEE has been jam-packed into an 11' X 20' storage closet. I can hardly wait… gonna be like Christmas in May when I get to unpack all my stuff and set up the new place.

No pictures yet but if you squint your eyes and tilt your head to the left, you can picture where it'll be in the back yard on my side of the fence next to the neighbor's barn.


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## patron (Apr 2, 2009)

JoeinGa said:


> *Yee Haw! I'm so excited!*
> 
> How many of you remember that 1962 movie "The Music Man"? (Yes, I'm sure most of you do!)
> 
> ...


sounds real good there guy
and you wont have to 'un-do' 
a bunch of walls to use it

happy for you

prayers for the wife's medical needs
may that happen soon


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## Fish22 (Nov 16, 2009)

JoeinGa said:


> *Yee Haw! I'm so excited!*
> 
> How many of you remember that 1962 movie "The Music Man"? (Yes, I'm sure most of you do!)
> 
> ...


Good luck with the new shop. Have a couple of questions if you don't mind? I am looking at several options, cause doing a renovation to the house and incorporating a 18×28 foot shop is looking to costly.

1) don't you have to place something that size on a concrete pad or foundation? Concerns about sinking into the grass.
2) are you going to do anything so it looks similar to the house and not a trailer?
3) obviously you live in an area different than me, but did you need any zoning of town approvals?


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## gfadvm (Jan 13, 2011)

JoeinGa said:


> *Yee Haw! I'm so excited!*
> 
> How many of you remember that 1962 movie "The Music Man"? (Yes, I'm sure most of you do!)
> 
> ...


Congrats Joe. I didn't have a clue about your wife's problem. She's in our thoughts and prayers.


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## JoeinGa (Nov 26, 2012)

JoeinGa said:


> *Yee Haw! I'm so excited!*
> 
> How many of you remember that 1962 movie "The Music Man"? (Yes, I'm sure most of you do!)
> 
> ...


Thanks David. Prayers are always welcomed here.

Fish22 … I got a bunch of quotes and couldn't find ANYONE who could/or would build a shop for this price. Looking at Craigslist I just "chance luck" ran across a double-wide mobile home that was pretty cheap, but it was also pretty run down. When we went to look at it, I was afraid it might collapse when trying to move it (yes, it was THAT bad). So I started my CL search anew and kept searching for "modular office" / "school portables". Even when I looked at other Georgia cities across the state, I kept seeing the same ad.

I found out that I wouldn't need a permit here, as everyone around has sheds and barns in their yards. This is a VERY SMALL community in a rural farming area and we figured as long as it wasn't a run-down-eyesore, the neighbors wont have any issues with it.

I looked into pouring a footer, but after checking with several mobile home companies, I found out that so long as I brace it up with plenty of concrete blocks, it'll sit on the ground just fine. My yard is typical Georgia land, pretty firm Georgia clay soil. When my father-in-law had the septic tank pumped a few years back, the big pump truck didn't leave hardly any ruts/tracks.

As far as looks, it does have a pitched shingled roof (several of the other choices I looked at had flat roofs) and the siding on the one I chose is corrugated metal instead of vinyl siding. It has 2 walk-thru doors and 2 small windows on the front and only 2 windows and no doors on the back, which suits me fine. I might pull one of the doors out and cut a larger opening and build a 4' wide barn-style door, and I MAY add bars to the back windows but I doubt I'll really need them. It had been painted a battleship gray a few years ago so it's pretty good to go for a few more years. I'll pressure wash it to clean it up when I get it all set up.

Here's one of the CL postings I kept seeing…
http://macon.craigslist.org/bfs/4394344752.html

I'll get pics when they bring it in and I start to set it up.


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## rayman54 (Feb 26, 2014)

JoeinGa said:


> *Yee Haw! I'm so excited!*
> 
> How many of you remember that 1962 movie "The Music Man"? (Yes, I'm sure most of you do!)
> 
> ...


Now that's a great idea! Even to a Damn Yankee!
look forward to pic's


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## woodchuckerNJ (Dec 4, 2013)

JoeinGa said:


> *Yee Haw! I'm so excited!*
> 
> How many of you remember that 1962 movie "The Music Man"? (Yes, I'm sure most of you do!)
> 
> ...


Good luck.

Might as well run lines for gas and water… while you are running electrical.

Cheaper now then later, water for cleanups.. gas for a heater.


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## Texcaster (Oct 26, 2013)

JoeinGa said:


> *Yee Haw! I'm so excited!*
> 
> How many of you remember that 1962 movie "The Music Man"? (Yes, I'm sure most of you do!)
> 
> ...


Less grass to mow! All the best.


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## doubleDD (Oct 21, 2012)

JoeinGa said:


> *Yee Haw! I'm so excited!*
> 
> How many of you remember that 1962 movie "The Music Man"? (Yes, I'm sure most of you do!)
> 
> ...


Sounds like a great deal. Instant shop. I like that. You must be anxious to get those tools out of storage.
Hope your wife's medical needs are met soon.


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## CarlBob (Jul 28, 2011)

JoeinGa said:


> *Yee Haw! I'm so excited!*
> 
> How many of you remember that 1962 movie "The Music Man"? (Yes, I'm sure most of you do!)
> 
> ...


Congrats Joe.. I can't imagine going that long without my tools, shop and the ability to make some sawdust.

Don't forget to add sawdust collection - your lungs will thank you.

Great idea for a shop. Lookin forward to pictures of the progress.

Miss you guys in the neighborhood. Love and hugs to Bonnie.


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## LittleBlackDuck (Feb 26, 2016)

JoeinGa said:


> *Yee Haw! I'm so excited!*
> 
> How many of you remember that 1962 movie "The Music Man"? (Yes, I'm sure most of you do!)
> 
> ...


Joeinga by jinga, you must be warm in all thoose woolie jumpers you must have, as you spin as good a yarn if not better than I do.


> and now you ll have that dang song stuck in your head for the next few hours!
> 
> - JoeinGa


Fortunately I'm immune… I'm colour blind. Not only that, in reply to the adage of "leading a horse to water" my answer remains "a *wells* as *far* as I will *go*".

After 2 years and your odd (I mean in number not content) 6,999 posts, you could at lest have put in at least one piddly little post or a concrete stump and zoomed in with the camera. Or did you just forget to press the button?


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## LittleBlackDuck (Feb 26, 2016)

JoeinGa said:


> *Yee Haw! I'm so excited!*
> 
> How many of you remember that 1962 movie "The Music Man"? (Yes, I'm sure most of you do!)
> 
> ...


Sorry Joe, Gotta lerna reada bouncing ball.. Didn't realise you like to keep your viewers in suspenders and there were more episodes… Gonna read them before I open my beak again.


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

JoeinGa said:


> *Yee Haw! I'm so excited!*
> 
> How many of you remember that 1962 movie "The Music Man"? (Yes, I'm sure most of you do!)
> 
> ...


That's great Joe can't wait to see how it comes together.


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## JoeinGa (Nov 26, 2012)

*It's Here! It's HERE! (heads up. LOTS of pic's to load)*

Well, the original estimate on delivery was "End of next week or maybe the week after". Then on Thursday (5 days) my wife called me at work and said "The guy just called and said your new shop is on it's way here. He's hooking up to it now and they should be here in a few hours." YAHOO! I'm as excited as a kid in a candy store!

So I get home from work and several hours later the mover calls and tells me he's in the next town (12 miles away). I tell him to head my way and I'll meet him on the outskirt of town where they can pull off the side of the road. (this is a VERY SMALL town so we dont have "outskirtS", we only have ONE!) I'll then bring both drivers to the house and show them the lay of the land, and the best way to get into my back yard. I had already cleared it with the neighbors so we can pull both halves thru his back yard. (Told him I'd fix/flatten/reseed any ruts left by the trucks and he's fine with that)

So here it is…. I've been just a few days shy of a year without a shop and *I'M READY *for this!









.
*This side will face the house.*








.








.








.









*Bringing in the back half.*








.
*Lining them up*








.









.
*Yes, we will have heat AND A/C *









.
The rest of the 100 or so pictures I took are just random shots taken during the 4 hour setup. So here it is all blocked up, axles and tongues taken off and ready for me to clean her up and get started. This was as low as they could (safely) get it to sit and it's just at 2' from ground to doorsill. I'll build a 4' X 4' deck at the left door that'll have 2 steps off the front and a ramp to the right side so I can move things in and out easier.

You can see in the pic above that at some point the right door was blown off in a storm and they just set it back in the frame and boarded it in. I may just set it back in the jamb and seal it up with expanding foam rather then have to try to replace the whole door and frame (it's pretty much shot). At least from the outside it will look like it has two doors and not like it was patched with plywood where a door used to be. There are no doors in the back (which suits me fine) and later on I MIGHT take out one of the windows on the left end and put in a four foot barn-style door with a ramp so if I build something big in there I'll have a way to get it out.
.








.








.

*That meter box will be gone. Dont know why they put it so far from the breaker panel which is inside is at the far end (just about where Bonnie's head is)*









.








.
It dont look like it's 35 feet long in these pictures, but it is . And it's pretty darn BIG sitting out there in my back yard!
.









I've got to pressure wash it (the battleship gray paint is actually in very good shape) and then figure out a way to either skirt it or at least landscape around it so it "Looks" like a shop building and not like an old mobile home back there.. But first I gotta get *ELECTRIC *to it! This should prove interesting. It's 125' from my house meter to the breaker panel in the far-right corner of the shop, and if the power company wont let me connect it to my existing meter it'll add about 40 more feet of wire to the nearest power pole.

Cant wait to actually *BUILD SOMETHING *in there !


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## mojapitt (Dec 31, 2011)

JoeinGa said:


> *It's Here! It's HERE! (heads up. LOTS of pic's to load)*
> 
> Well, the original estimate on delivery was "End of next week or maybe the week after". Then on Thursday (5 days) my wife called me at work and said "The guy just called and said your new shop is on it's way here. He's hooking up to it now and they should be here in a few hours." YAHOO! I'm as excited as a kid in a candy store!
> 
> ...


Very cool. Always great to see new shops go up.


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## firefighterontheside (Apr 26, 2013)

JoeinGa said:


> *It's Here! It's HERE! (heads up. LOTS of pic's to load)*
> 
> Well, the original estimate on delivery was "End of next week or maybe the week after". Then on Thursday (5 days) my wife called me at work and said "The guy just called and said your new shop is on it's way here. He's hooking up to it now and they should be here in a few hours." YAHOO! I'm as excited as a kid in a candy store!
> 
> ...


That's exciting Joe. That ought to make a great shop space. I'd like to see it when you're set up in there.


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## doubleDD (Oct 21, 2012)

JoeinGa said:


> *It's Here! It's HERE! (heads up. LOTS of pic's to load)*
> 
> Well, the original estimate on delivery was "End of next week or maybe the week after". Then on Thursday (5 days) my wife called me at work and said "The guy just called and said your new shop is on it's way here. He's hooking up to it now and they should be here in a few hours." YAHOO! I'm as excited as a kid in a candy store!
> 
> ...


I can feel your excitement. When the tools start going in you will be dancing on the roof.


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## gfadvm (Jan 13, 2011)

JoeinGa said:


> *It's Here! It's HERE! (heads up. LOTS of pic's to load)*
> 
> Well, the original estimate on delivery was "End of next week or maybe the week after". Then on Thursday (5 days) my wife called me at work and said "The guy just called and said your new shop is on it's way here. He's hooking up to it now and they should be here in a few hours." YAHOO! I'm as excited as a kid in a candy store!
> 
> ...


Looks like a great workspace from here. Heat and air. You will surely enjoy that.

Getting it set up, wired, and organized will be a "labor of love", I'm sure.

Enjoy and congrats.


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## patron (Apr 2, 2009)

JoeinGa said:


> *It's Here! It's HERE! (heads up. LOTS of pic's to load)*
> 
> Well, the original estimate on delivery was "End of next week or maybe the week after". Then on Thursday (5 days) my wife called me at work and said "The guy just called and said your new shop is on it's way here. He's hooking up to it now and they should be here in a few hours." YAHOO! I'm as excited as a kid in a candy store!
> 
> ...


happy days joe

you done good
and are almost there
skirting and some landscaping sound about right
those critters like to live under there
and can create havoc (don't ask how i know)

we are both about at the same place
doing my temp closing in here myself today
6mil plastic for the doors and windows still to get
so the rain and wind don't trash what i got so far

welcome back !


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## freddy1962 (Feb 27, 2014)

JoeinGa said:


> *It's Here! It's HERE! (heads up. LOTS of pic's to load)*
> 
> Well, the original estimate on delivery was "End of next week or maybe the week after". Then on Thursday (5 days) my wife called me at work and said "The guy just called and said your new shop is on it's way here. He's hooking up to it now and they should be here in a few hours." YAHOO! I'm as excited as a kid in a candy store!
> 
> ...


Good for you, pretty exciting!


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## justoneofme (Aug 11, 2011)

JoeinGa said:


> *It's Here! It's HERE! (heads up. LOTS of pic's to load)*
> 
> Well, the original estimate on delivery was "End of next week or maybe the week after". Then on Thursday (5 days) my wife called me at work and said "The guy just called and said your new shop is on it's way here. He's hooking up to it now and they should be here in a few hours." YAHOO! I'm as excited as a kid in a candy store!
> 
> ...


Wahoo! Instant workshop!! Congratulations Joe … and thanks for the great pictorial too!


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## ikillbugs (Apr 13, 2014)

JoeinGa said:


> *It's Here! It's HERE! (heads up. LOTS of pic's to load)*
> 
> Well, the original estimate on delivery was "End of next week or maybe the week after". Then on Thursday (5 days) my wife called me at work and said "The guy just called and said your new shop is on it's way here. He's hooking up to it now and they should be here in a few hours." YAHOO! I'm as excited as a kid in a candy store!
> 
> ...


I'm excited for you!

As far as coming off the existing meter goes… anything after the meter is yours to do with as you wish. If yours is like mine, there is a breaker panel just under the meter before it goes into the house and into the main panel. I have a DW mobile home though and that may only be a mobile home thing. though.

Good luck getting is set up! I will be watching!


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## Grumpymike (Jan 23, 2012)

JoeinGa said:


> *It's Here! It's HERE! (heads up. LOTS of pic's to load)*
> 
> Well, the original estimate on delivery was "End of next week or maybe the week after". Then on Thursday (5 days) my wife called me at work and said "The guy just called and said your new shop is on it's way here. He's hooking up to it now and they should be here in a few hours." YAHOO! I'm as excited as a kid in a candy store!
> 
> ...


What a great idea to use an older mobile for a shop … Looks like about 700 sq. ft. of open work space with heat and A/c What a winner.
I anxiously await the working shop photos … (I won't say completed 'cause I don't think we are ever "done" with our shops)  
Check closely with the City/ County codes for your electrical, they caused me a big heartache before we resolved the issues. 
Congrats Joe


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## grizzman (May 10, 2009)

JoeinGa said:


> *It's Here! It's HERE! (heads up. LOTS of pic's to load)*
> 
> Well, the original estimate on delivery was "End of next week or maybe the week after". Then on Thursday (5 days) my wife called me at work and said "The guy just called and said your new shop is on it's way here. He's hooking up to it now and they should be here in a few hours." YAHOO! I'm as excited as a kid in a candy store!
> 
> ...


congrats on getting a shop back in your life, you must be very excited, have fun setting it up…


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## oldnovice (Mar 7, 2009)

JoeinGa said:


> *It's Here! It's HERE! (heads up. LOTS of pic's to load)*
> 
> Well, the original estimate on delivery was "End of next week or maybe the week after". Then on Thursday (5 days) my wife called me at work and said "The guy just called and said your new shop is on it's way here. He's hooking up to it now and they should be here in a few hours." YAHOO! I'm as excited as a kid in a candy store!
> 
> ...


What can I say without being jealous? Lots of room, AC, and not connected to the house.
In my opinion, it's one of the best ideas I have seen for a shop in many years!


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## emrhappy (Aug 12, 2012)

JoeinGa said:


> *It's Here! It's HERE! (heads up. LOTS of pic's to load)*
> 
> Well, the original estimate on delivery was "End of next week or maybe the week after". Then on Thursday (5 days) my wife called me at work and said "The guy just called and said your new shop is on it's way here. He's hooking up to it now and they should be here in a few hours." YAHOO! I'm as excited as a kid in a candy store!
> 
> ...


Sweet! Congratulations!


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## hoosier0311 (Nov 8, 2012)

JoeinGa said:


> *It's Here! It's HERE! (heads up. LOTS of pic's to load)*
> 
> Well, the original estimate on delivery was "End of next week or maybe the week after". Then on Thursday (5 days) my wife called me at work and said "The guy just called and said your new shop is on it's way here. He's hooking up to it now and they should be here in a few hours." YAHOO! I'm as excited as a kid in a candy store!
> 
> ...


Heated AND cooled ready to go. awesome. My shop is heated in the summer and cooled in the winter LOL. look forward to seeing the pictures after you are all set up in the new digs.


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## whitebeast88 (May 27, 2012)

JoeinGa said:


> *It's Here! It's HERE! (heads up. LOTS of pic's to load)*
> 
> Well, the original estimate on delivery was "End of next week or maybe the week after". Then on Thursday (5 days) my wife called me at work and said "The guy just called and said your new shop is on it's way here. He's hooking up to it now and they should be here in a few hours." YAHOO! I'm as excited as a kid in a candy store!
> 
> ...


congrats on the new shop!!!

thanks for all the pics and keep us updated on your progress.


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## NormG (Mar 5, 2010)

JoeinGa said:


> *It's Here! It's HERE! (heads up. LOTS of pic's to load)*
> 
> Well, the original estimate on delivery was "End of next week or maybe the week after". Then on Thursday (5 days) my wife called me at work and said "The guy just called and said your new shop is on it's way here. He's hooking up to it now and they should be here in a few hours." YAHOO! I'm as excited as a kid in a candy store!
> 
> ...


Congrats


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## tyvekboy (Feb 24, 2010)

JoeinGa said:


> *It's Here! It's HERE! (heads up. LOTS of pic's to load)*
> 
> Well, the original estimate on delivery was "End of next week or maybe the week after". Then on Thursday (5 days) my wife called me at work and said "The guy just called and said your new shop is on it's way here. He's hooking up to it now and they should be here in a few hours." YAHOO! I'm as excited as a kid in a candy store!
> 
> ...


Nothing like instant shop. Boom. Itʻs there. Pretty nice. Whenʻs the open shop?


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## jinkyjock (Feb 2, 2014)

JoeinGa said:


> *It's Here! It's HERE! (heads up. LOTS of pic's to load)*
> 
> Well, the original estimate on delivery was "End of next week or maybe the week after". Then on Thursday (5 days) my wife called me at work and said "The guy just called and said your new shop is on it's way here. He's hooking up to it now and they should be here in a few hours." YAHOO! I'm as excited as a kid in a candy store!
> 
> ...


Hi Joe,
congrats on your new workshop,
it looks like it will be an awesome space.
I am in the process of finishing the re-furb on my own shop,
final stages and a fresh coat of paint on everything for a fresh start.
Probably a tad envious at the huge space at your disposal in comparison to mine,
but if our hearts are in the space that's all that counts.
Once again, well done and good luck.


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## CarlBob (Jul 28, 2011)

JoeinGa said:


> *It's Here! It's HERE! (heads up. LOTS of pic's to load)*
> 
> Well, the original estimate on delivery was "End of next week or maybe the week after". Then on Thursday (5 days) my wife called me at work and said "The guy just called and said your new shop is on it's way here. He's hooking up to it now and they should be here in a few hours." YAHOO! I'm as excited as a kid in a candy store!
> 
> ...


Very nice Joe!!!! The A/C will be great in the summer heat.. It's on my "Wish List" for my shop.

Looking forward to seeing more "in progress" and "completion" pictures.

Have fun!!!!


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## JoeinGa (Nov 26, 2012)

JoeinGa said:


> *It's Here! It's HERE! (heads up. LOTS of pic's to load)*
> 
> Well, the original estimate on delivery was "End of next week or maybe the week after". Then on Thursday (5 days) my wife called me at work and said "The guy just called and said your new shop is on it's way here. He's hooking up to it now and they should be here in a few hours." YAHOO! I'm as excited as a kid in a candy store!
> 
> ...


Thanks for all the kind comments.

Yesterday after church I cleaned out the inside and took a pickup load to the dump. This thing was last used by the Cobb County school system (up near Ah-Lanna). I found a couple of those big world maps (the kind that pull down and roll up like a window shade) and there was a county asset sticker on one of them. Also the white board mounted on one wall has a list referring to law cases and a note referring to a study guide for the "Scottsboro case" on the final exam. So it musta been a law class of some kind.

I also climbed up on the roof yesterday and sprayed expanding foam (Great Stuff) where the roof peaks meet. The shingles are nothing to write home about, and will likely need replacing in a few years. I'll probably put a tin roof on it when that becomes necessary. Today after work I picked up some ridge vent and I'm gonna put that up tonight to bridge that gap.

Next up, stairs w/ a ramp and a landing of sorts at the door, and then getting the electric hooked up.


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## ikillbugs (Apr 13, 2014)

JoeinGa said:


> *It's Here! It's HERE! (heads up. LOTS of pic's to load)*
> 
> Well, the original estimate on delivery was "End of next week or maybe the week after". Then on Thursday (5 days) my wife called me at work and said "The guy just called and said your new shop is on it's way here. He's hooking up to it now and they should be here in a few hours." YAHOO! I'm as excited as a kid in a candy store!
> 
> ...


This is like the TV series, This Old House. Can't wait to see the next episode  I'll start calling you Bob.


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

JoeinGa said:


> *It's Here! It's HERE! (heads up. LOTS of pic's to load)*
> 
> Well, the original estimate on delivery was "End of next week or maybe the week after". Then on Thursday (5 days) my wife called me at work and said "The guy just called and said your new shop is on it's way here. He's hooking up to it now and they should be here in a few hours." YAHOO! I'm as excited as a kid in a candy store!
> 
> ...


That's great enjoy!


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## woodchuckerNJ (Dec 4, 2013)

JoeinGa said:


> *It's Here! It's HERE! (heads up. LOTS of pic's to load)*
> 
> Well, the original estimate on delivery was "End of next week or maybe the week after". Then on Thursday (5 days) my wife called me at work and said "The guy just called and said your new shop is on it's way here. He's hooking up to it now and they should be here in a few hours." YAHOO! I'm as excited as a kid in a candy store!
> 
> ...


How much of a gap is there all around?

Save that pull down map, you can put plans on it then roll them out of the way when not needed. All you would have to do is glue a couple of rare earth magnets to the back. They would hold the the plans, you would just make some holders using wood and rare earth magnets, so you could pull them off (slide them off).


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## JoeinGa (Nov 26, 2012)

JoeinGa said:


> *It's Here! It's HERE! (heads up. LOTS of pic's to load)*
> 
> Well, the original estimate on delivery was "End of next week or maybe the week after". Then on Thursday (5 days) my wife called me at work and said "The guy just called and said your new shop is on it's way here. He's hooking up to it now and they should be here in a few hours." YAHOO! I'm as excited as a kid in a candy store!
> 
> ...


The gap was LESS THAN an inch all around. In some places I couldn't even get the straw down in it. The two halves actually came together pretty darn tight. I only used 3 cans of the regular Great Stuff. Didn't need the large gap kind at all.

The maps (there's 2) are about 4 foot long each. I mostly build bird houses, bird feeders and small projects like step stools and cutting boards. And since I make these based on the size of the wood I'm using, I never use plans. So insofar as your idea for a "plans holder" sounds like a good one, I dont see myself using them.

I'd gladly give them away, but they're too long and too heavy to ship. I might ask a couple guys at church who do woodworking if they know someone who wants 'em. And I think there's also several school teachers at our church who might want 'em for their classroom. I wouldn't just throw them away.


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## hoss12992 (Mar 20, 2013)

JoeinGa said:


> *It's Here! It's HERE! (heads up. LOTS of pic's to load)*
> 
> Well, the original estimate on delivery was "End of next week or maybe the week after". Then on Thursday (5 days) my wife called me at work and said "The guy just called and said your new shop is on it's way here. He's hooking up to it now and they should be here in a few hours." YAHOO! I'm as excited as a kid in a candy store!
> 
> ...


That is AWESOME! Congrats


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## JoeinGa (Nov 26, 2012)

*Little bit o' progress... Stairway to Heaven (lots of pic's again)*

Well, I've made a LITTLE bit of progress. Started doing some of the trim work on the outside. I noticed the doors were "framed" with some cheap stuff and I figured out a way I can skirt the building by using some 1" X 6" PT boards. I'm using 10-footers and letting them hang almost to the ground. They'll blend in with the door frame trim and give me something to screw the skirting to. Gonna put 'em every 6' and find some 12' skirting. I looked at 12' roofing tin and that "might" work. I also used the same boards to cover where the 2 halves of the building come together. I'll paint 'em all gray and they'll blend right in. I also bought a roll of vapor/moisture barrier (plastic sheeting) and will be pulling it under the whole thing. Should keep any dampness out once it's all skirted in.
.









.
Got the stairs framed out. The landing is 4' X 4' and I put them on some concrete blocks set at ground level. Nice and sturdy. I'll be adding a ramp coming up the right side (against the building) so I can bring heavy stuff in and out easier with my handtruck.

.








.









.









The right door had been blown off in a storm and the frame/jamb was trashed. I decided to make it look like the door is still there, rather than have it LOOK like it was boarded up with a piece of plywood. I used about twenty 4" deck screws all around the door to keep it in the frame, and used the PT 1 X 6's to frame it. I caulked the outside and sealed it up good. Then I went inside and sprayed that Great Stuff expanding foam completely around it. Once that stuff sets up, that door aint NEVER coming out. And once it's painted, no one will ever realize that's a non-functioning door unless they notice there's no door knob.
.









.
Here's basically what the inside looks like now. That gray carpeting will be coming out. Already has a 100 amp panel with two 240 volt circuits. One is dedicated to the HVAC and the other is empty. That one will become my air compressor which I "THINK" I'm gonna put in a small lean-to right outside where the electrical panel is. I'll just run the 220 right thru the wall and put in a dedicated weatherproof outlet.

.









.








.








.








.









.
We really dont have any problems with vandalism or theft around here (small town living…. gotta love it). But I figured I might do SOMETHING with the windows. From the outside anyone can just stand and peek in to check out my "stuff". Not wanting to give anyone TOO EASY a chance to rip me off, I thought about boarding them up but I like being able to open them for the fresh air flow. There is already mini-blinds on all the windows but it's pretty easy to see in thru those. So after a bit of Googling I decided to PAINT just the lower glass. I used flat white Rustoleum spray paint, and adjusted the mini-blinds to only cover the top half. It actually works quite well.

.








.








.









The next MAJOR expense will be getting the electrical hooked up. I gotta get GA Power in here to see if they'll drop a pole right next to the building. They did that for me when we lived across the state a few years back (at NO charge). We put in a separate dedicated meter and we received 2 power bills each month. One was addressed to "Durning Barn". If they still do that at no charge, it'll save me a BUNCH because the nearest power poll now is about 160 feet away from my electrical panel. And at just under 5 bucks a foot, that wire will be EXPENSIVE!

Stay tuned Kids. Next update will hopefully be when I have electricity and the outside skirted and painted. 
Same Bat Time, Same Bat Channel


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## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

JoeinGa said:


> *Little bit o' progress... Stairway to Heaven (lots of pic's again)*
> 
> Well, I've made a LITTLE bit of progress. Started doing some of the trim work on the outside. I noticed the doors were "framed" with some cheap stuff and I figured out a way I can skirt the building by using some 1" X 6" PT boards. I'm using 10-footers and letting them hang almost to the ground. They'll blend in with the door frame trim and give me something to screw the skirting to. Gonna put 'em every 6' and find some 12' skirting. I looked at 12' roofing tin and that "might" work. I also used the same boards to cover where the 2 halves of the building come together. I'll paint 'em all gray and they'll blend right in. I also bought a roll of vapor/moisture barrier (plastic sheeting) and will be pulling it under the whole thing. Should keep any dampness out once it's all skirted in.
> .
> ...


Looks really good and roomy.


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## S4S (Jan 22, 2011)

JoeinGa said:


> *Little bit o' progress... Stairway to Heaven (lots of pic's again)*
> 
> Well, I've made a LITTLE bit of progress. Started doing some of the trim work on the outside. I noticed the doors were "framed" with some cheap stuff and I figured out a way I can skirt the building by using some 1" X 6" PT boards. I'm using 10-footers and letting them hang almost to the ground. They'll blend in with the door frame trim and give me something to screw the skirting to. Gonna put 'em every 6' and find some 12' skirting. I looked at 12' roofing tin and that "might" work. I also used the same boards to cover where the 2 halves of the building come together. I'll paint 'em all gray and they'll blend right in. I also bought a roll of vapor/moisture barrier (plastic sheeting) and will be pulling it under the whole thing. Should keep any dampness out once it's all skirted in.
> .
> ...


Looks like you have everything under control brother . I like that ' stairway to heaven ' line . Hope the 
City does you a solid and drops that pole for free .


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## JoeinGa (Nov 26, 2012)

*Ramping up the efforts. (more pic's again)*

Well, Georgia Power came out this week for their "site inspection". Wow, looks like it might cost me a small arm (and possibly a leg) to get the power hooked up. I mentioned in the last part that back when we lived over on the other side of the state, Georgia Power Company came and dropped a pole in my yard about six feet from my shop. They didn't charge me a thing for doing that and they also put a dedicated meter there for the shop. We always got two bills, one of which was addressed as "Durning Barn". THAT bill only ran me about $15 or $20 a month. (As a reference point, this was back in 1994)

Fast forward to now and the guys that came to the house said they no longer put power poles in at no charge. The now have some convoluted way of figuring out how much power I might "potentially use" over the next 3 years, then they figure out what it's going to COST THEM to bring the power to my shop. I have to cover the difference IN ADVANCE before they'll come and drop the pole in my yard. Based on what I told them I have in equipment, they figure I'll probably use between $40 and $50 a month. I couldn't pin the guy down to a figure because he said he has to go back and get with the engineers to figure it all out. He did tell me that he's been doing this for almost 15 years and "Off the record" he said it could *POSSIBLY *cost me somewhere between *$1200 and $3000 *out of pocket UP FRONT to get the power hooked up.

YIKES! That's gonna take a BIG BITE outta the ol shop budget! So I'm guessing a table saw and a lathe will *NOT *be new additions to my tools any time soon. But I'm in this now, so I GOTTA move forward best I can! 
.

So as to progress… I got the cruddy looking doors painted dark gray. Found a can of Rustoleum marked down half off at Wally World because it was dented. THAT was a great bargain! 









.









.

and I got the rest of the pressure treated 1" X 6" boards put up all around the outside. They'll also be painted the same dark gray as the doors. Their MAIN FUNCTION will be to hold the skirting on (that's why they almost touch the ground), but by doing it this way, they'll blend in as trim pieces. And if I ever need to get under the building, all I'll have to do is unscrew one 12' piece of skirt to gain access. I'll probably re-paint the rest of the building light gray (if I have any budget dollars left).



















.

I got the carpeting pulled out. A guy I work with was thrilled to take it. He also hauled away the 2 trailer tongues to sell as scrap. I dont plan on having to move this thing ever in MY lifetime!

.








.









.

My big success this week was getting the ramp built. It's almost 11' long and it's 4' wide. I used 1 X 10 pressure treated lumber and at the bottom end I put solid cap-blocks below ground level for the stringers to sit on. I could drive a truck up this thing, it's that strong!
.








.









I also noticed how much the stairs/landing has yellowed in just 2 weeks as compared to the new pressure treated ramp wood being so green. 
.
.
Once I get the gap closed up that runs the center of the floor, I can start moving my STUFF in. You can see where I used expanding foam to fill in between the floor joists, but the way it was built the top boards still have a gap. The flooring (yes, REAL plywood, not that particle board crap) is 3/4" thick, and the gap is just under 3". So I'm just gonna slice off any excess foam with a steak knife and use 1" X 3"'s which will work nicely. Then I'll put the aluminum runner back down that covered the carpet seam. 
.








.










.
.
Well that's about it for this update. Stay tuned kids! Same Bat time, same Bat channel


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## mojapitt (Dec 31, 2011)

JoeinGa said:


> *Ramping up the efforts. (more pic's again)*
> 
> Well, Georgia Power came out this week for their "site inspection". Wow, looks like it might cost me a small arm (and possibly a leg) to get the power hooked up. I mentioned in the last part that back when we lived over on the other side of the state, Georgia Power Company came and dropped a pole in my yard about six feet from my shop. They didn't charge me a thing for doing that and they also put a dedicated meter there for the shop. We always got two bills, one of which was addressed as "Durning Barn". THAT bill only ran me about $15 or $20 a month. (As a reference point, this was back in 1994)
> 
> ...


Crazy about the power pole. They still put it in free here (we pay for the power). Everyone wants their share of your money.

Good to see your progress. Hope you get shop running soon.


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## NormG (Mar 5, 2010)

JoeinGa said:


> *Ramping up the efforts. (more pic's again)*
> 
> Well, Georgia Power came out this week for their "site inspection". Wow, looks like it might cost me a small arm (and possibly a leg) to get the power hooked up. I mentioned in the last part that back when we lived over on the other side of the state, Georgia Power Company came and dropped a pole in my yard about six feet from my shop. They didn't charge me a thing for doing that and they also put a dedicated meter there for the shop. We always got two bills, one of which was addressed as "Durning Barn". THAT bill only ran me about $15 or $20 a month. (As a reference point, this was back in 1994)
> 
> ...


DO you have to have a pole?

A friend of mine who lives over in Jesup, purchased a FEMA double wide at auction and they just put the meter on the outside of the building.

Great progress though


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## gfadvm (Jan 13, 2011)

JoeinGa said:


> *Ramping up the efforts. (more pic's again)*
> 
> Well, Georgia Power came out this week for their "site inspection". Wow, looks like it might cost me a small arm (and possibly a leg) to get the power hooked up. I mentioned in the last part that back when we lived over on the other side of the state, Georgia Power Company came and dropped a pole in my yard about six feet from my shop. They didn't charge me a thing for doing that and they also put a dedicated meter there for the shop. We always got two bills, one of which was addressed as "Durning Barn". THAT bill only ran me about $15 or $20 a month. (As a reference point, this was back in 1994)
> 
> ...


Great progress but very disappointing about the cost of getting power to it. Do you have options: run a line from the house? That just seems way high what they quoted you.


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## doubleDD (Oct 21, 2012)

JoeinGa said:


> *Ramping up the efforts. (more pic's again)*
> 
> Well, Georgia Power came out this week for their "site inspection". Wow, looks like it might cost me a small arm (and possibly a leg) to get the power hooked up. I mentioned in the last part that back when we lived over on the other side of the state, Georgia Power Company came and dropped a pole in my yard about six feet from my shop. They didn't charge me a thing for doing that and they also put a dedicated meter there for the shop. We always got two bills, one of which was addressed as "Durning Barn". THAT bill only ran me about $15 or $20 a month. (As a reference point, this was back in 1994)
> 
> ...


I hope the anticipation of moving tools in soon will offset the pressure of the high cost of other things. Can't wait to see the completed set up. Walk slowly and carry a heavy stick.


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## JoeinGa (Nov 26, 2012)

JoeinGa said:


> *Ramping up the efforts. (more pic's again)*
> 
> Well, Georgia Power came out this week for their "site inspection". Wow, looks like it might cost me a small arm (and possibly a leg) to get the power hooked up. I mentioned in the last part that back when we lived over on the other side of the state, Georgia Power Company came and dropped a pole in my yard about six feet from my shop. They didn't charge me a thing for doing that and they also put a dedicated meter there for the shop. We always got two bills, one of which was addressed as "Durning Barn". THAT bill only ran me about $15 or $20 a month. (As a reference point, this was back in 1994)
> 
> ...


Yep, the "cheaper" way is overhead lines. And it's over 160' (in a straight line) from the nearest power source. Have 2 GIANT Pecan trees in the direct line-of-sight that I dont want to take out, so they'll actually put 2 poles in. One will be a straight shot to the corner of my back yard, and the second one will cross to the other side of the property at the building. It's over 260' to go that way. If they go underground, they still cant go "straight line" because they'd be running thru my septic drain field. Underground will be a bit shorter but not too much. They tell me it's much more $$ to go underground, that's why such a large spread in his price guess.

Ga Power will NOT allow me to connect to the existing meter. Says it's "not legal" because the meter on the house cant carry the extra load of woodworking tools …. I'm gonna check with an electrician to see if that's correct.

I'm going to check about renting a DitchWitch and digging the ditch myself. Rent is about $200 for 1/2 day (four hours). Need to see if Ga Power will let me do that myself and how much it'll save me (if any)


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## JoeinGa (Nov 26, 2012)

*ARRR! ARRRGH! MORE POWER! (apologies to Tim the toolman Taylor)*

Woo Hoo! I'm finally getting power to the shop.

Georgia Power finally got back with me and they're telling me it will be *OVER $3000 *(out of MY pocket) for them to get power to my shop. And that's doing it with overhead wires.

They want to drop *TWO *power poles in my yard, one in a direct-line-of-sight to the back corner of the yard, and the other pole will be put right beside my building. The trucks will no doubt do a bunch of damage to my lawn which will be MY responsibility to fix, Plus they will need to butcher my two HUGH pecan trees to run the wires thru them. (Cant have wires touching the trees so they want to "trim" them back 20' from the wire run on all sides) The wires would run pretty much right thru the center of both trees. He's also telling me if they do underground, it'll "Add *CONSIDERABLY *to my cost". I didn't even bother to ask him to define how much "considerably more" is in actual dollars.

I asked about the possibility of me doing some of the work to save a few bucks (like digging the trench and maybe seeing if I could get the wire cheaper at a local electrical distributor), and he said "No, if we do the job, we need to do it ALL. Our lawyers wont let the homeowner do part of the job because if something goes wrong, Ga Power would be responsible and blah, blah, blah."

When I told him I wanted to call a local electrician for a quote, he tried to tell me an electrician would be more expensive than Ga Power, because "Ga Power is a big conglomerate and we have the means and equipment to do jobs like this blah, blah, blah …" I tell him I'll call him back when I save some more money up.

So I check with the folks at our church and they give me the number of a local guy who has done work on the church, plus he's done jobs for several of the folks and they all speak very highly of him. So I make an appointment and when he drives up I swear it was Grizzly Adams (from that old TV show) getting out of the truck!










This guy is a *BIG *friendly teddy bear of a man. I'm 6'2", 230lbs, and he made me feel small standing next to him. When he shook my hand I thought I was grabbing a catcher's mitt!

Amyhoooo, I give him the pencil drawing I did that shows the layout and measurements and we go into the shop so he can see the breaker panel. I ask him to give me 2 quotes. Quote 1. He supplies and does *EVERYTHING *and the only thing I do is write a check. and Quote 2. I buy the wire and conduit, I dig the trench and lay the wire and he just comes back and hooks up both ends.

2 days later he calls me and says "Hey Joe, How bout this. You just dig the trench, and I do EVERYTHING ELSE for $1250. That's $1250 TOTAL price. Tax, tags, title, out the door total including the wire, the conduit and all needed supplies. All you have to do is dig the trench and I can give you the number of a guy who has a trencher he rents at a fair price so you wont have to shovel-dig it."

Now, as a side note, I DID tell him I had GA Power out but I did NOT tell him anything about their price or what they wanted to do.

So I said "Give me a minute to think about this." I waited like TWO SECONDS and said "How soon can you do it?" Unfortunately the holidays have him backed up just a bit but he says he can be here first of next week.

So this morning I called the guy about the trencher and He says "$75 for 1/2 day or $130 for a full day" 
"Can I come get it now? Yep, ok I'm on my way" Less than 1.5 hours later I have it dug and ready.









.








.








.









.
This is where the wire will go up into the shop. You can see the white conduit junction box hanging down from the building. The breaker box inside is directly above this about 3' up.









.

Back in 10aSEE I used to work for the "big orange box" in the Tool Rental Dept. We rented everything from small electric tools like drills, to concrete saws, to stump grinders, plus bobcats and back hoes. So when I called this guy about renting a trencher, I told him I knew what I was getting into and he had o problem renting it to me. THIS baby made short work of that trench. I have all of about *TWO FEET *of shovel work at each end and I'm ready for the electrician. 
.








.


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## tyvekboy (Feb 24, 2010)

JoeinGa said:


> *ARRR! ARRRGH! MORE POWER! (apologies to Tim the toolman Taylor)*
> 
> Woo Hoo! I'm finally getting power to the shop.
> 
> ...


How far down did you dig the trench? I hope about a foot down …. donʻt know how deep it supposed to be but when they ran a new power cable to my house (under ground like yours) I swear it was at least a foot down. Be sure you take pictures of where it is or make you a map of the location of the cable. Donʻt want to be digging in the yard and hit it. Of course if your going to be doing some serious digging, you can get MISS-DIG to come out and mark where it is.

So how is Georgia Power going to connect it up? Are they going to plant a pole and run power to the pole down to a meter box? Then your electrician is going to run the power from that meter box to your shop? Did GP sprinkle holy water on this plan?

Been enjoying the blog on your shop.


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## JoeinGa (Nov 26, 2012)

JoeinGa said:


> *ARRR! ARRRGH! MORE POWER! (apologies to Tim the toolman Taylor)*
> 
> Woo Hoo! I'm finally getting power to the shop.
> 
> ...


Trench is ABOUT 18" deep. The DitchWitch is SUPPOSED to be 24" but the whole bar measured just a tad over that. And there's no way the whole bar can go underground. The electrician said long as long it's OVER 12 or 14 inches deep, I'm good.

And Ga Power wont even be coming back to my house. The Electrician is gonna hook directly into my house power. He's drilling thru the wall and wiring right into my existing breaker box. This house is over 60 years old and everyone says it would have had those "screw in" type fuses when newly built. But we've been told by several neighbors that there was a fire quite a few years back and the electrical was all updated to regular circuit breakers then. It had to have been more than 20 years ago, because that's how long my father-in-law lived here.

I actually live in an area where there's no inspections required. But this guy *IS *a licensed electrician, so we're doing it all to code. He says there's plenty of power in my house to also carry the load of the shop. It's not like I'll be using everything all at once. Plus I'm gonna shut off the power to that 3ton HVAC unit in the shop. I'll use fans and open windows in the summer, and I have a 220volt garage heater I bought back in 10aSEE that I'll use in the winter.


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## patron (Apr 2, 2009)

JoeinGa said:


> *ARRR! ARRRGH! MORE POWER! (apologies to Tim the toolman Taylor)*
> 
> Woo Hoo! I'm finally getting power to the shop.
> 
> ...


now you are talking joe
won't be long now

had the same problem here in new mexico - twice

once to my previous home and shop
and when i moved here

they waited till they had done their estimate
then told me i had to dig the trench 4' deep (got a backhoe)
they came and looked - said i needed to lay in conduit
(i had put some 4" under road coming in already
to use road again)
they came back and said i needed to put a rope in it 
so they could pull the cable 
(i thought they used a ball and string with a vacuum)
borrowed a long snake from a friend

i bought the cable from a different power company

they did their thing - put in a ground box by the house site $2,500
to the meter box i had to hire a contractor for
to a back board i made for that - $750

all together took a full month and a half
the 'contractor' was just an electrician it turned out
the inspector had never heard of him

i explained the problem to him on the phone
then called him a week later
turns out he had put his sticker inside the power box
behind the breaker cover where i couldn't see it
i had to call the power guys back
for final hook-up (he didn't notify them)

i cut all my 4×4 post for the house (29) with a hand saw
before i was able to use the power
why these people don't just have a paper on their counter
with all the options for this
is beyond me

it's all part of the run-around i guess
keeps the 'mystery' in their court

and as much of the money as they can get


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## johnstoneb (Jun 14, 2012)

JoeinGa said:


> *ARRR! ARRRGH! MORE POWER! (apologies to Tim the toolman Taylor)*
> 
> Woo Hoo! I'm finally getting power to the shop.
> 
> ...


Tyvekboy. 36" is what Idaho power requires. They come out and check it before it is covered. They don't want anybody getting into it doing yardwork with a shovel.


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## JoeinGa (Nov 26, 2012)

JoeinGa said:


> *ARRR! ARRRGH! MORE POWER! (apologies to Tim the toolman Taylor)*
> 
> Woo Hoo! I'm finally getting power to the shop.
> 
> ...


That's interesting Bruce. I'm not too sure I could actually DIG 3 feet down with a shovel. Unless it was something BIG … like a grave


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## Tim457 (Jan 11, 2013)

JoeinGa said:


> *ARRR! ARRRGH! MORE POWER! (apologies to Tim the toolman Taylor)*
> 
> Woo Hoo! I'm finally getting power to the shop.
> 
> ...


Very cool you'll have power Joe. I had to dig some trenches for drainage and when I got sick of doing it with the pick axe I rented a trencher like that. I've never been in construction or anything so driving that home was kind of like really, you're going to let me play with this huge dirt chainsaw? I can't remember if it had a 36" or 48" bar on it, but it really went a ways down. It was a lot of fun.


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## Buckethead (Apr 14, 2013)

JoeinGa said:


> *ARRR! ARRRGH! MORE POWER! (apologies to Tim the toolman Taylor)*
> 
> Woo Hoo! I'm finally getting power to the shop.
> 
> ...


Way to go, Joe!

And you stuck it to da man. Added bonus!


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## S4S (Jan 22, 2011)

JoeinGa said:


> *ARRR! ARRRGH! MORE POWER! (apologies to Tim the toolman Taylor)*
> 
> Woo Hoo! I'm finally getting power to the shop.
> 
> ...


How's the….......uh….....guest room situation ?


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## changeoffocus (Dec 21, 2013)

JoeinGa said:


> *ARRR! ARRRGH! MORE POWER! (apologies to Tim the toolman Taylor)*
> 
> Woo Hoo! I'm finally getting power to the shop.
> 
> ...


Joe, 
Looks like your church electrician thought outside the box, IMO there was some divine providence involved. 
Under this scenario you are your side of the meter so they have no concern for what you do. 
Alex's suggestion on documentation is well founded as this line would not be marked by the utility location companies. 
I'm glad you got a break.
Bob


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## gfadvm (Jan 13, 2011)

JoeinGa said:


> *ARRR! ARRRGH! MORE POWER! (apologies to Tim the toolman Taylor)*
> 
> Woo Hoo! I'm finally getting power to the shop.
> 
> ...


Congrats on getting over that hurdle without breaking the bank. You soil looks really sandy and it doesn't look like you dug up too many huge pecan roots.


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## whitebeast88 (May 27, 2012)

JoeinGa said:


> *ARRR! ARRRGH! MORE POWER! (apologies to Tim the toolman Taylor)*
> 
> Woo Hoo! I'm finally getting power to the shop.
> 
> ...


glad to hear its coming along.great save on a lot of money.never hurts to check around.


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## NormG (Mar 5, 2010)

JoeinGa said:


> *ARRR! ARRRGH! MORE POWER! (apologies to Tim the toolman Taylor)*
> 
> Woo Hoo! I'm finally getting power to the shop.
> 
> ...


Congrats


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## freddy1962 (Feb 27, 2014)

JoeinGa said:


> *ARRR! ARRRGH! MORE POWER! (apologies to Tim the toolman Taylor)*
> 
> Woo Hoo! I'm finally getting power to the shop.
> 
> ...


I've been following this and thought it was an awesome idea for a shop. I had to do the same thing when I ran power to my shop. I rented the trencher, had to go down 36" though. My cousin was the electrician, so that helped a bit. I had to hand dig, in the trench, around the main septic line, under the septic laterals, under the propane line and dig the last foot or so to the building and pole. A lot of work, but saved some money. You're almost there, you must be pretty excited.


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## JoeinGa (Nov 26, 2012)

*They cheaped out on wiring connectors!*

Got the electrical all hooked up and turned on. Everything seemed to be working fine till last Saturday. Plugged in my mitersaw and when I hit the switch, the circuit went dead. Checked the circuit breaker box, fully expecting to find one had tripped. Nope. All switches were "On". Started to try a different outlet to be sure the saw was OK and I realized that several other things were off, but not the whole shop.

So I crawled under the shop where the electrical wires connecting the 2 halves of the double-wide together are located and started jiggling on the connectors. Heard the fan in the window above my head come back on so I knew I was on the right track. Sure enough, as I gently pulled on the connector, the fan would stop and then start again. So I went in and shut off the main so I could take a better look.

Things that make you go HMmmmm! They have this thing wired with 10/3 but they use SCOTCH LOCK type connectors! Geeze I haven't used these stupid things in years, ever since I almost burned up the electrical system in a Buick I had years ago.

Here's a pic of the connector with the halves connected:
.









.
And here's a pic of how the metal connectors crimp thru the casing to make contact (just like those automotive "Scotch Locks" ) Notice the black wire at the top is burned where the connector is SUPPOSED to make contact with the copper wire!
.









.
And here is the CHINTZY slip-type connection that was supposed to carry the power from one half of the building to the other half! 
.









Makes me wonder if ALL "double-wides" are wired this way…. these cheap-ass connectors are no where near heavy duty enough to carry this kind of load. No WONDER there's so many electrical fires in mobile homes!


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## patron (Apr 2, 2009)

JoeinGa said:


> *They cheaped out on wiring connectors!*
> 
> Got the electrical all hooked up and turned on. Everything seemed to be working fine till last Saturday. Plugged in my mitersaw and when I hit the switch, the circuit went dead. Checked the circuit breaker box, fully expecting to find one had tripped. Nope. All switches were "On". Started to try a different outlet to be sure the saw was OK and I realized that several other things were off, but not the whole shop.
> 
> ...


glad you caught it joe

after all you been thru with this
good time to get it all working safely

i make shop 'service stations' in the floor
110 and 220 vac and air
every 8'
so i don't have stuff over the floor
or hanging from the ceiling
i can have separate circuits in the quad boxes
in case to many tools are on one line
cut the power boxes in the end box walls
(not the floor joists)
so they don't load with sawdust
the tops can be cut to fit 
whatever comes up thru them
the ones not used just have a full drop in top
ready for some other tool or set-up


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## patron (Apr 2, 2009)

JoeinGa said:


> *They cheaped out on wiring connectors!*
> 
> Got the electrical all hooked up and turned on. Everything seemed to be working fine till last Saturday. Plugged in my mitersaw and when I hit the switch, the circuit went dead. Checked the circuit breaker box, fully expecting to find one had tripped. Nope. All switches were "On". Started to try a different outlet to be sure the saw was OK and I realized that several other things were off, but not the whole shop.
> 
> ...


here is a link to a duplex 220v 20amp receptacle
will except plug for 15 amp's and 20 amp's









https://www.platt.com/platt-electric-supply/Receptacles-Commercial-20-Amp-Duplex/Leviton/5824-I/product.aspx?zpid=35225

if you use just one in a single box
they can be wired separate top and bottom
by taking the tab off between them
i use two in a quad box
and just wire each on a separate line

i will have 12 'service stations' around the shop
each row can go on to one over from it
like 3 across the floor on 1 circuit
and the alternate ones on another
not all single wired
(saves on breakers)

if a tool trips a breaker
just move plug to the other receptacle 
in the same 'service station'

works for the 110v ones too


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## doubleDD (Oct 21, 2012)

JoeinGa said:


> *They cheaped out on wiring connectors!*
> 
> Got the electrical all hooked up and turned on. Everything seemed to be working fine till last Saturday. Plugged in my mitersaw and when I hit the switch, the circuit went dead. Checked the circuit breaker box, fully expecting to find one had tripped. Nope. All switches were "On". Started to try a different outlet to be sure the saw was OK and I realized that several other things were off, but not the whole shop.
> 
> ...


Sort of a wake up call. Glad you picked it apart. I hope you get the wiring back in shape for your needs. Kind of reminds me when I redid my shop. There were a few things that just weren't right.


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## CarlBob (Jul 28, 2011)

JoeinGa said:


> *They cheaped out on wiring connectors!*
> 
> Got the electrical all hooked up and turned on. Everything seemed to be working fine till last Saturday. Plugged in my mitersaw and when I hit the switch, the circuit went dead. Checked the circuit breaker box, fully expecting to find one had tripped. Nope. All switches were "On". Started to try a different outlet to be sure the saw was OK and I realized that several other things were off, but not the whole shop.
> 
> ...


In a previous life, I had a friend who lived in a 'double wide' and those connectors you sent pictures of are 'heavy duty' compared to typical 110 outlet boxes in a standard double wide.. As bad as the wiring was, the plumbing was worse!! Nothing is standard and you had to buy plumbing and electrical supplies from a trailer supply store…. Very frustrating to deal with…

You need to 'hunt down' all of those crap connectors and replace them to ensure you don't lay awake at night wondering if your nice new shop might catch on fire from a short…

Lookin good so far…..


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## mojapitt (Dec 31, 2011)

JoeinGa said:


> *They cheaped out on wiring connectors!*
> 
> Got the electrical all hooked up and turned on. Everything seemed to be working fine till last Saturday. Plugged in my mitersaw and when I hit the switch, the circuit went dead. Checked the circuit breaker box, fully expecting to find one had tripped. Nope. All switches were "On". Started to try a different outlet to be sure the saw was OK and I realized that several other things were off, but not the whole shop.
> 
> ...


It's sad how cheap they make some of these things. Glad you found it.


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## robscastle (May 13, 2012)

JoeinGa said:


> *They cheaped out on wiring connectors!*
> 
> Got the electrical all hooked up and turned on. Everything seemed to be working fine till last Saturday. Plugged in my mitersaw and when I hit the switch, the circuit went dead. Checked the circuit breaker box, fully expecting to find one had tripped. Nope. All switches were "On". Started to try a different outlet to be sure the saw was OK and I realized that several other things were off, but not the whole shop.
> 
> ...


Joe,

From the looks of it somebody has used what is called soft wiring connectors used mainly in portable office partitions.

Not the sort of connector suitable for drawing the currents required for start up in rush conditions.

As Carl W indicates there is a possible risk of fire using them. and as well as being plagued with constant O/C occuring.

I could slip over and do a rewire but you are a bit far away !!


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## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

JoeinGa said:


> *They cheaped out on wiring connectors!*
> 
> Got the electrical all hooked up and turned on. Everything seemed to be working fine till last Saturday. Plugged in my mitersaw and when I hit the switch, the circuit went dead. Checked the circuit breaker box, fully expecting to find one had tripped. Nope. All switches were "On". Started to try a different outlet to be sure the saw was OK and I realized that several other things were off, but not the whole shop.
> 
> ...


Scary. Glad you caught it.


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## Kentuk55 (Sep 21, 2010)

JoeinGa said:


> *They cheaped out on wiring connectors!*
> 
> Got the electrical all hooked up and turned on. Everything seemed to be working fine till last Saturday. Plugged in my mitersaw and when I hit the switch, the circuit went dead. Checked the circuit breaker box, fully expecting to find one had tripped. Nope. All switches were "On". Started to try a different outlet to be sure the saw was OK and I realized that several other things were off, but not the whole shop.
> 
> ...


Crap like that shouldn't even be on the market. Glad you caught it.


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## NoThanks (Mar 19, 2014)

JoeinGa said:


> *They cheaped out on wiring connectors!*
> 
> Got the electrical all hooked up and turned on. Everything seemed to be working fine till last Saturday. Plugged in my mitersaw and when I hit the switch, the circuit went dead. Checked the circuit breaker box, fully expecting to find one had tripped. Nope. All switches were "On". Started to try a different outlet to be sure the saw was OK and I realized that several other things were off, but not the whole shop.
> 
> ...


I've never used that type connector, 
that being said, it's probably not a bad connector, it's just not made to come apart and be re-used.
When they split the building apart whoever did it probably just yanked them apart.

Glad you found it and that's all it was.


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## JoeinGa (Nov 26, 2012)

JoeinGa said:


> *They cheaped out on wiring connectors!*
> 
> Got the electrical all hooked up and turned on. Everything seemed to be working fine till last Saturday. Plugged in my mitersaw and when I hit the switch, the circuit went dead. Checked the circuit breaker box, fully expecting to find one had tripped. Nope. All switches were "On". Started to try a different outlet to be sure the saw was OK and I realized that several other things were off, but not the whole shop.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the comments. I do realize my building was made to be used as a school portable classroom, so the "original intent" was that things like saws and planers wouldn't be used in it. But it is a shame that the industry even ALLOWS things like this to be done. The Romex wiring is plenty heavy enough to carry the loads, but these little snap-connectors are a joke. I did a good search underneath and there was only the 5 connectors where the 2 halves of the building are connected. I cut them all out and spliced all the wires together correctly twisting the ends and using wire nuts, and electrical tape on each connection for added insurance. Luckily, all 5 circuits are in the same place under the building so I was able to do it all at once pretty easily.

David I like your idea of the boxes spaced around the shop, and I really like how you split each outlet to put them on separate circuits. I can see how it would help when it's so easy to overload a circuit in a workshop.


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## HerbC (Jul 28, 2010)

JoeinGa said:


> *They cheaped out on wiring connectors!*
> 
> Got the electrical all hooked up and turned on. Everything seemed to be working fine till last Saturday. Plugged in my mitersaw and when I hit the switch, the circuit went dead. Checked the circuit breaker box, fully expecting to find one had tripped. Nope. All switches were "On". Started to try a different outlet to be sure the saw was OK and I realized that several other things were off, but not the whole shop.
> 
> ...


JoeinGa,

I sure HOPE you made those connections inside an appropriate connection box, using appropriate cable connectors where the cables enter the box(es) and installed a cover on the box. The box(es) and covers are intended to isolate the wiring connections from the structure and limit the spread of fire. The connectors are to minimize chafing of the insulation where the cables enter the box(es)...

Good Luck!

Be Careful!

Herb


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## NormG (Mar 5, 2010)

JoeinGa said:


> *They cheaped out on wiring connectors!*
> 
> Got the electrical all hooked up and turned on. Everything seemed to be working fine till last Saturday. Plugged in my mitersaw and when I hit the switch, the circuit went dead. Checked the circuit breaker box, fully expecting to find one had tripped. Nope. All switches were "On". Started to try a different outlet to be sure the saw was OK and I realized that several other things were off, but not the whole shop.
> 
> ...


Wow, glad to see you found this early and was a relatively easy update to the electric system


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## ajosephg (Aug 25, 2008)

JoeinGa said:


> *They cheaped out on wiring connectors!*
> 
> Got the electrical all hooked up and turned on. Everything seemed to be working fine till last Saturday. Plugged in my mitersaw and when I hit the switch, the circuit went dead. Checked the circuit breaker box, fully expecting to find one had tripped. Nope. All switches were "On". Started to try a different outlet to be sure the saw was OK and I realized that several other things were off, but not the whole shop.
> 
> ...


Hard to believe those connectors meet code.

Second what Herb said.


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## jumbojack (Mar 20, 2011)

JoeinGa said:


> *They cheaped out on wiring connectors!*
> 
> Got the electrical all hooked up and turned on. Everything seemed to be working fine till last Saturday. Plugged in my mitersaw and when I hit the switch, the circuit went dead. Checked the circuit breaker box, fully expecting to find one had tripped. Nope. All switches were "On". Started to try a different outlet to be sure the saw was OK and I realized that several other things were off, but not the whole shop.
> 
> ...


We tried using a few of these in a church building. Inspector tagged them as Unacceptable. Luckily there were not too many. One of the guys doing the electrical had them left over from a job out of state. Apparently they are not allowed in commercial buildings in California.


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## JoeinGa (Nov 26, 2012)

*My take on clamp storage*

Finally getting some stuff set up in the new shop. I retired from the workforce at the end of August (YEA, ME) and have been taking it easy so far (Gotta pace myself you know)

I have been (slowly) unpacking the 11' X 20' storage area that I put up almost 13 months ago. Closed off about 1/2 of a 2-car carport and stuffed everything from my 30' X 40' shop that I brought down here from 10aSEE. It was simple plywood walls on 2X4 frames, put together with decking screws so I could dis-assemble it and re-use the wood. It was stuffed so full I couldn't hardly put a piece of sandpaper in there, much less get anything out that I needed.

About 1/2 of my "wall space" has been taken up with industrial shelving that I've carted thru 4 states, assembling and re-assembling in every place we've lived for the last 25 years.









.









.
On one wall it left me with about 8' of blank space and I decided to make that my clamp storage area. I looked at just about every clamp storage solution I could find here on LJs and used several of your ideas for mine. Take a minute and search "clamp storage" here, it's surprising how MUCH info there is shared here! I used 2X4's and the dado blade on my RAS to space them, so I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

.
The spring clamps are hung on a piece of aluminum angle I screwed to the ceiling.









.









.








.









As you can see I left plenty of extra spaces for growth, because we all know that you can never have too many clamps, right?








.
It was difficult to get a decent picture. The window in that door is painted white, and the slide-up window at the right end actually has a mini-blind over the top half and the lower half is also painted white. Maybe if I wait till night and use the flash I can get a nice clear shot?


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## August (Apr 27, 2014)

JoeinGa said:


> *My take on clamp storage*
> 
> Finally getting some stuff set up in the new shop. I retired from the workforce at the end of August (YEA, ME) and have been taking it easy so far (Gotta pace myself you know)
> 
> ...


That looks very neat and organize.
I love those Jorgensen orange clamp I have the 12" or the next one up.
And they are strong.
Looks like you could use more LOL
Nice set up bud.


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## Racer2007 (Jan 13, 2011)

JoeinGa said:


> *My take on clamp storage*
> 
> Finally getting some stuff set up in the new shop. I retired from the workforce at the end of August (YEA, ME) and have been taking it easy so far (Gotta pace myself you know)
> 
> ...


I like the idea for the spring clamp storage , might have to borrow that one. Can you still use the door with the clamp rack there?


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## doubleDD (Oct 21, 2012)

JoeinGa said:


> *My take on clamp storage*
> 
> Finally getting some stuff set up in the new shop. I retired from the workforce at the end of August (YEA, ME) and have been taking it easy so far (Gotta pace myself you know)
> 
> ...


It looks great, almost too organized. Those clamps will have a home for a longtime. Congrats on your retirement. Now it's time for some serious work. Good to see that shop filling up.


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## chief101 (Oct 30, 2009)

JoeinGa said:


> *My take on clamp storage*
> 
> Finally getting some stuff set up in the new shop. I retired from the workforce at the end of August (YEA, ME) and have been taking it easy so far (Gotta pace myself you know)
> 
> ...


I wouldn't know how to work in such an organized shop!


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## CarlBob (Jul 28, 2011)

JoeinGa said:


> *My take on clamp storage*
> 
> Finally getting some stuff set up in the new shop. I retired from the workforce at the end of August (YEA, ME) and have been taking it easy so far (Gotta pace myself you know)
> 
> ...


Congrats on your retirement.. It's a wonderful way of life…

Shop is looking good and NO! you can never have enough clamps!!!! Recent project in my shop cleared almost the entire clamp wall.. Now I know I have to buy more..


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## firefighterontheside (Apr 26, 2013)

JoeinGa said:


> *My take on clamp storage*
> 
> Finally getting some stuff set up in the new shop. I retired from the workforce at the end of August (YEA, ME) and have been taking it easy so far (Gotta pace myself you know)
> 
> ...


Looks great Joe. Hope you don't need to get out that door in a hurry.


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## JoeinGa (Nov 26, 2012)

JoeinGa said:


> *My take on clamp storage*
> 
> Finally getting some stuff set up in the new shop. I retired from the workforce at the end of August (YEA, ME) and have been taking it easy so far (Gotta pace myself you know)
> 
> ...


Thanks for the comments …

Hey Carl, Do you know anywhere you can get a good deal on some clamps? (insert winking smiley face here)

Dale… "I wouldn't know how to work in such an organized shop!" haha, you'll notice that I did NOT turn the camera around. Trust me, it's NOT an organized shop!

Richard … "I like the idea for the spring clamp storage" - I noticed the 8' piece of aluminum angle standing in the corner and it just came to me to screw it to the ceiling. The ceiling is just at 8' so I can reach them easily.

Richard & Bill M. ... re: the door. When I bought this double-wide they told me the door had blown off in a storm. It was held in place by a board screwed across it. When I took off the board I could see it was not the door that had actually came out of that frame. The hinges were on the wrong side plus I hadn't noticed that the window is different from the other door . So I decided to just screw it into the jamb with about 50 deck screws and seal it up. The door is non-functional now.









.


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## welcon (Dec 3, 2012)

JoeinGa said:


> *My take on clamp storage*
> 
> Finally getting some stuff set up in the new shop. I retired from the workforce at the end of August (YEA, ME) and have been taking it easy so far (Gotta pace myself you know)
> 
> ...


Good for you Joe, retirement is a great thing. One and a half years I can stay home to but then the real work begins, I can't wait. Good Luck.


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## markgrogan1 (Sep 24, 2014)

JoeinGa said:


> *My take on clamp storage*
> 
> Finally getting some stuff set up in the new shop. I retired from the workforce at the end of August (YEA, ME) and have been taking it easy so far (Gotta pace myself you know)
> 
> ...


Job well done mate! I haven't seen a work space look this organized for storage in a long time! I can't wait to see what it looks like when all your stuff has been moved in and properly arranged on the shelves. I'm sure I can pick up a few ideas to implement in my own garage too! Just one question though, why is the door being blocked up by the bar? Aren't you going to use the door at all?


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## JoeinGa (Nov 26, 2012)

JoeinGa said:


> *My take on clamp storage*
> 
> Finally getting some stuff set up in the new shop. I retired from the workforce at the end of August (YEA, ME) and have been taking it easy so far (Gotta pace myself you know)
> 
> ...


Mark, when I bought the building I was told the door had blown off in a storm. They had simply placed it back in the frame and tacked a board over it to hold it in the frame. I actually didn't look close enough to realize the windows didn't match and when I started to "fix" the door, I realized it's not even the door that was original to that frame. The lockset (and hinges) were on the wrong sides and I would have had to buy a new door, which I didn't have the funds for.
Rather than put a piece of plywood over the hole, I used about 30 deck screws to seal the door into the frame, and using "expand-foam" I filled in all the gaps. So from the outside view, it simply looks like a door that I dont use.


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## JoeinGa (Nov 26, 2012)

*...AIR! Gasp! I need AIR!*

Back in 10aSEE I put my air compressor on the inside of the shop. It was in a corner and pretty much out of the way. I wasn't always pleased with the noise, but at least it was out of the weather. And when I got ahold of an old compressor tank (freebie) to double my air capacity, I hung the extra tank using chains up in the rafters right above the compressor. 
.









.
But this new building is smaller than the old one (by almost 400sf) and the ceilings are just barely 8' high, so I cant afford the space inside the shop for the compressor, much less the extra tank. So my latest project was to build a small shed outside the building that would hold both pieces and be pretty much weatherproof.

When I got the double-wide, they had put 2 supports in each half to hold up the ceiling/roof during transport. When they re-assembled the halves, I kept those supports figuring I could use the 2X4s and MDF for something down the road. You can see the framed supports in this pic…
.









.
I had some PT 2×4's left over from something else so I used those for the runners. The I simply took a few measurements and started building a simple framed shed with a pitched roof. When we moved here I carried some of the tin that was left over when they built my shop in 10aSEE so I used that to close it in. 
.









.








.

I didn't have quite enough of the MDF for the doors but I found a half-sheet of 5/8 plywood and made due. I ripped a couple 1X12's into narrower strips and made frames so it looked a bit neater. Used plenty of glue and screws to keep it all together. I put 3 coats of exterior house paint on the doors to seal and protect them from the elements and found a few mismatched hinges that'll do just fine. 
.









.









.
Because of the trim strips I used on the shop's outer walls, this shed sits about 1.5" away from the building. Since hot air rises and the roof is pitched, there's plenty of air flow to keep it from getting too hot in there.

.








.








.
I scrounged thru some of my hoarded "junk -n- stuff" and came up with a few screen-door springs to keep the doors shut. I actually bolted the two tanks to the floor to keep them from vibrating around, but we have ZERO issues with theft/vandalism here so all I'm interested in is protection from the weather. No need for locks here (Gotta LOVE small-town living!)
.








.









.
Daisy-chained the tanks together and ran the air line in thru a hole I drilled thru the wall. I used an old garden hose hanger to coil the hose on. Bolted the air regulator and air drier to the wall and I'm good to go.

.








.









*Next up … .Build one of those lumber racks using 2×4's and EMT conduit *


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## patron (Apr 2, 2009)

JoeinGa said:


> *...AIR! Gasp! I need AIR!*
> 
> Back in 10aSEE I put my air compressor on the inside of the shop. It was in a corner and pretty much out of the way. I wasn't always pleased with the noise, but at least it was out of the weather. And when I got ahold of an old compressor tank (freebie) to double my air capacity, I hung the extra tank using chains up in the rafters right above the compressor.
> .
> ...


perfect joe

all i can see is the paint doesn't mach up
on the trailer panels
to the stuff you brought from 10aSEE
having more room inside
and less noise
make up for that however


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## CarlBob (Jul 28, 2011)

JoeinGa said:


> *...AIR! Gasp! I need AIR!*
> 
> Back in 10aSEE I put my air compressor on the inside of the shop. It was in a corner and pretty much out of the way. I wasn't always pleased with the noise, but at least it was out of the weather. And when I got ahold of an old compressor tank (freebie) to double my air capacity, I hung the extra tank using chains up in the rafters right above the compressor.
> .
> ...


Looks good Joe..

Mine makes a lot of racket and it's located near my saw and bench where I normally work so I still get startled when it kicks on.. I'm thinking about moving the compressor down to the other end of the shop and plumb the entire shop with air drops every 10 feet or so..

Although I like your idea and I'll have to think about doing something like your setup…

Keep up the good work..


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## NormG (Mar 5, 2010)

JoeinGa said:


> *...AIR! Gasp! I need AIR!*
> 
> Back in 10aSEE I put my air compressor on the inside of the shop. It was in a corner and pretty much out of the way. I wasn't always pleased with the noise, but at least it was out of the weather. And when I got ahold of an old compressor tank (freebie) to double my air capacity, I hung the extra tank using chains up in the rafters right above the compressor.
> .
> ...


Great idea for the extra space for the air system. Maybe can do the same for the central vac system


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## doubleDD (Oct 21, 2012)

JoeinGa said:


> *...AIR! Gasp! I need AIR!*
> 
> Back in 10aSEE I put my air compressor on the inside of the shop. It was in a corner and pretty much out of the way. I wasn't always pleased with the noise, but at least it was out of the weather. And when I got ahold of an old compressor tank (freebie) to double my air capacity, I hung the extra tank using chains up in the rafters right above the compressor.
> .
> ...


I like your thinking. Next may be the roof. Wish I could do the same with my dust collector and vac.


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## mojapitt (Dec 31, 2011)

JoeinGa said:


> *...AIR! Gasp! I need AIR!*
> 
> Back in 10aSEE I put my air compressor on the inside of the shop. It was in a corner and pretty much out of the way. I wasn't always pleased with the noise, but at least it was out of the weather. And when I got ahold of an old compressor tank (freebie) to double my air capacity, I hung the extra tank using chains up in the rafters right above the compressor.
> .
> ...


Always a good choice to have the noise level down. It's looking good sir.


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## JoeinGa (Nov 26, 2012)

*... Rack 'em up!*

This was the mess you saw when first entering my shop. (Notice the picture taped to the wall with blue tape)
.








.








.
Bonnie asked me what was that little picture taped to the wall for? I explained that this was the wall where I would build a lumber rack, and that was a print screen I stole from Jay's Custom Creations to remind myself of what I wanted to do there.
.








.









.
.

.

Now it just so happens that I have been tripping over *two * 2" X12" X16' boards that someone was throwing away at the local dumpsters. I couldn't BELIEVE it when I saw them and scooped 'em up, knowing that I'd find a use for them one day. Rather than have to *BUY *2×4's, I ripped these 2×12's to use for my uprights.

Next thing was I priced the 8" lag bolts* (YIKE$ !) *to attach the uprights to the wall, and THAT was some $dollar$ that I knew I could save. So instead of bolting the uprights directly to the wall studs, I came up with a way to use some of the 4" deck screws, which I already have some of those. By doing it this way I can counter-sink the screws into the 2x's and they'll be plenty deep enough to grab hold of the wall studs.
.








.








.

The *ONLY *thing I had to actually buy for this project was the pipes. After searching LJs for a bit I decided to go with the 3/4" EMT conduit. (Do a search here for "lumber rack" you'll be surprised at how much info there is to go thru!) 
Drilled all the holes by hand and used a 15/16" Forstner bit which was the perfect size. I saw where some of you put the holes 4" apart, but I thought that once I set this up I doubt I'll ever bother to change the pipes, so I set the holes at 2', 3', 4', 5', 6', & 7' (measuring from the floor up). 
.









.
Once the holes were all drilled I bolted the uprights to the wall, then cut the EMT into 16" pieces. Used my grinder and wire brush to clean up all the sharp edges, and then pounded the pipes into the uprights.
.









.
Remember the part where I said I drilled the holes by hand? Yeaaah, *big mistake *! I was just a bit too lazy to set up the drill press and figured I could "eyeball them" with my cordless drill. *WRONG !* As you can see my "eyeballing" was NOT QUITE up to par, and some of the pipes are not at the same angle. They're not "TOO FAR OFF" but they're not quite right. Oh well, too late now. Live and learn as they say!

.








.
I also re-routed the 100' extension cord I keep by the door so the cord wont get hung up in any of the lumber (plus it'll be off the floor). That cord is actually clipped UNDER the pipes, and not laying on top of them so it wont get pinched by any boards.
.
As I started to put some of the lumber on the rack I realized that I do as many of you do, that is I save a *BUNCH *of small, short pieces for those "Just in case I ever need this" moments. I didn't want to throw them in a cardboard box or loose on the floor so for now I used up the last piece of that MDF I had used on the air compressor shed doors. I made a "shelf" for the bottom row and I notched the board to slip into the uprights so it can't slide sideways and fall off the pipe. Maybe this will help me to NOT keep so many small pieces if I can see how many I have.

The section of wall I'm using is 7' from the wall to the window. So anything 8' or longer will go on the uppermost rows. That way I can still get at the window to slide it open.
.








.
.
The best part of this project (aside from organizing my lumber) was that my* total cost was only $22.16 * for the EMT pipe. The rest of the stuff I already had. 
.
.


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## doubleDD (Oct 21, 2012)

JoeinGa said:


> *... Rack 'em up!*
> 
> This was the mess you saw when first entering my shop. (Notice the picture taped to the wall with blue tape)
> .
> ...


Wow, that looks great. I wish I had room for something like that. I may have to consider this in a smaller version.


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## freddy1962 (Feb 27, 2014)

JoeinGa said:


> *... Rack 'em up!*
> 
> This was the mess you saw when first entering my shop. (Notice the picture taped to the wall with blue tape)
> .
> ...


Joe, I thought that lumber rack style was a good idea when I saw it too. Nice job, keeps stuff off the floor.


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## whitebeast88 (May 27, 2012)

JoeinGa said:


> *... Rack 'em up!*
> 
> This was the mess you saw when first entering my shop. (Notice the picture taped to the wall with blue tape)
> .
> ...


great looking rack.i've been thinkingof buiding one myself since i seen jay's.nice work,thanks for sharing!!!


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## todd628 (Sep 4, 2013)

JoeinGa said:


> *... Rack 'em up!*
> 
> This was the mess you saw when first entering my shop. (Notice the picture taped to the wall with blue tape)
> .
> ...


Nice Idea Joe,
It looks like you have a good start.
I have used the same idea in the past but drill my holes directly into the wall studs.
Then your rack holds wood tight to the wall.

Have a great Day, Todd


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## Kentuk55 (Sep 21, 2010)

JoeinGa said:


> *... Rack 'em up!*
> 
> This was the mess you saw when first entering my shop. (Notice the picture taped to the wall with blue tape)
> .
> ...


A nice tour from beginning. Wow!


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## LittleBlackDuck (Feb 26, 2016)

JoeinGa said:


> *... Rack 'em up!*
> 
> This was the mess you saw when first entering my shop. (Notice the picture taped to the wall with blue tape)
> .
> ...


Phew JoeinGA, read all your episodes and that's one helluva saga for a birth of a shed. However, where's the happy ending? From your other posts you seem to be an accomplished turner, story teller and picture taker… but still not too many pictures of your workshop. Any chance of a tour??

I thought things were costly here in Australia, but for $3,000 to connect the power I would have just forgot about it and worked in the dark.

*BTW.* You had me in awe when you said you drilled the holes by hand… thinking you're my hero and then you went and spoiled it all buy mentioning that dang cordless drill.


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