In and out of the rain and snow- Shop Progress

[Reddot]

Pat is that post and beam? From the photos it looked like you might have gotten really enthusiastic and done a timberframe. Very nice.

[TCLouis]

PM
Yes "Off Grid" power. Only one piece of machinery at a time, but as you well know current draw is way more than the "Mixmaster" in the house.

Too bad conversion to DC motors would be so expensive, as I understand it, it would be tthe way to go for "Off Grid".

[PatMarlin]

Ha! you are right TC... I've got one DC swap nearly completed, and 2 others in the works.

I'm fortunate to have a friend who has a fitness equipment maintenance and sales co. I get those motors for free!!

When I am all DC with the 3 main machines in my operation, I'll be plenty good but with just myself I'm plenty good now. I've got 65 amps in 120v single phase available.

[PatMarlin]

Pat is that post and beam? From the photos it looked like you might have gotten really enthusiastic and done a timberframe. Very nice.

Yes it's post and beam. Timber frame the lazy man's way.

Or- you could call it -git her done- timber framing....

What I like about this type of building is once you finish your foundation, you get the posts and roof up rather quickly, then you are out of the hot sun or winter elements to finish it. Makes a very nice work enviroment, and you can stop or start when desired without anything getting ruined.

[rebliss]

Beautiful shop; I'm envious! I noticed a nearly identical building behind this shop in picture 2; am I correct? Did you build that one as well?

[PatMarlin]

Thanks RB-

THat other building is a junk pile barn that was on the property, and I can't wait until I can tear the thing down. Gonna build another in it's place like this one but with both complete wings.

[Just Duke]

Nice Job Pat.

[JeffinNZ]

Pat. Looks like you live in paradise no less! Every man needs a shed in the woods. You lucky fellow.

[PatMarlin]

Thanks Jeff-

Well now since Duke drummed up this old thread, I may as well post some newer pics...

[Suo Gan]

Looks real good Pat. Its style fits in good with the surroundings, like that tall bay. What was your first step when you started? Did you sink the tall corner posts and then build around them? It reminds me of the old style breezeway and lean to California barn.

[PatMarlin]

Footers were poured under every post along with a continous poured footer for the incline side, and bay all at one time. Then the shop shed side was cinderblocked between post pillers, then filled and tamped, and the shed side slab poured a second time.

Was a lot of darn work building into the bank but an excellent use of space.

All post brackets were tied into the rebar and set when poured. I've got lots of rebar in that foundation.

[Just Duke]

Heck if you were closer Blake, Barbie and I would come help you finish it up.
How's the lathe doing?

[PatMarlin]

Yaw, yaw... I get offers for help all the time Duke, but when they start working with me they get worn out and never come back...

[TCLouis]

Pat

That shop is beutimous!

[lawboy]

That is spectactular. Just an impressive effort and tremendous outcome.

[geargnasher]

How did you hoist all those beams and rafters? I had a heck of a time stepping and hanging all the poles and beams in my house (largest were only 16' 6x6) by hand, did you have an off-road boom-type forklift or something?

Gear

[PatMarlin]

Easy Gear-

I had a big Doug Fir on each side of the building, so I stung a cable across and we used an old block and tackle and a guide rope. Me and a neighbor kid.



I since cut down one of the trees.

I also bought a gas powered hydraulic manlift for future projects just for that very task. It will lift 400lbs somewheres up to 50 feet maybe a little more I forget. Need to finish a repair on it through.

[PatMarlin]

Another handy trick was this bench I built, solid and big enough to hold my largest double sided ladder securely. It's 14' to the top of the plate so with the ladder on the bench, that allowed us to safely do many tasks from below.

Between the ladder bench and the block and tackle, we had her whipped.






Later it became my bandsaw sharpening bench.

[PatMarlin]

One more item worthwhile for projects like this is an air nailer. A good one.

I get carpel tunnel real bad from hammering nails. It was crippling me every time I would build something, so my Mother-inlaw, bless her heart bought me a Hitachi framer that shoots 3 1/2" nails.

I can't work without it.

[geargnasher]

Thanks for clearing that up, Pat, my back still hurts from building mine, did all the lifting from the top of the poles I set, built the floor for the second storey and built trusses on the deck and stepped them with a winch and notched post. Not fun by myself.

My entire building is put together with 3" treated deck screws, about 325# worth to date, all driven in with a Ryobi cordless impact driver, wouldn't be without it. Actually wore one out, am on the second one now. I had to build without electricity, so all the basic framing was done with hand or cordless tools. One of those propane-powered "impulse" nail guns and some adhesive-coated nails would have been handy a time or two. I gots three-phase now though, by golly!

Gear