Creating a Workshop & Home

[EddieWalker]

Then I cut and installed most of the shelves. I decided to put the shelves in before the front braces because of the way it all ties together. And also I thought it would square up tighter and easier if I put the shelves in and screwd the sides to the shelf first.

Eddie

 

[Bird]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I need to get the workshop cleaned up and organized before Christmas Eve. We're having dinner here in the workshop then )</font>

That sounds familiar. We had a family reunion the end of October; 30 people for dinner. For Thanksgiving, we only had 14, but in our little house, the shop was the only place with enough room to set up tables and chairs for that many. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[EddieWalker]

This picture is about a month old. I've been neglecting this thread until I actually finished my workbench.

Here are the finished shelves.

Eddie

 

[EddieWalker]

This picture shows what it looks like today.

I still have a fair amount of empty shelves and there's still more stuff in my storage area that will go there, but for now, I'm happy with what's done.

The ladder is to reach the taller shelves. They have things that I rarely need, but now I can look and see exactly what I have at a glance.

The 5 gallon buckets are marked to tell me what's in them along with coffee cans and boxes.

Eddie

 

[EddieWalker]

This is the same view, but different side. It gives you a good idea of how easy it is to find things.

Eddie

 

[EddieWalker]

Staying with my theme of having everything out in the open that I need, here's a close up of my wrenches and pliers.

After digging through my tool boxes, I found more odd ball double sizes in wrenches and sockets than I have a clue what to do with. Most have ended up in tool boxes in the tractors. Others are in a bucket on the top shelf for all eternity. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

Now my tool boxes only hold specialty, rarely used, but must have tools.

Eddie

 

[EddieWalker]

This picture is of todays little project. I had piles of screws, nails and bolts laying on my workbench since I built it. They were also in buckets in my storage area, and spread over the floor.

Getting them organized in one location that I could find what I needed and know what I had was my goal.

Being able to put them away and acess them easily was the problem that I've been working over in my brain the last few weeks while running the dozer.

Here's my solution. It's open on both ends and mounted on casters. It fits under the workbench out of the way, but pulls out easily when I need them, or I can just look and see what I have at a glance.

Eddie

 

[Bird]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( piles of screws, nails and bolts )</font>

And nuts, washers, and staples? And if you're like me, every time I need one, I find that I have every size imaginable except the size I need today. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

 

[Holzster]

Eddie

Looking at all your tools I might have to start calling you Norm (as in this old house) He has all the tools also!!

 

[EddieWalker]

<font color="blue">( And nuts, washers, and staples? And if you're like me, every time I need one, I find that I have every size imaginable except the size I need today.</font>

Bird,

I'm the same way, except I find I already have them and didn't know it. I've compbined as many as three different packages of the same sized screw into one. I had two boxes of 5/16 washers. Three unopened packages of 1/4 washers, plus a box!!!!! All the duplicates I found were just amazing.

When I start a project, I just buy a box of what I need, then put them on a shelf with all the others. It seems the only time I really went through the pile was on repair projects, or spur of the moment ones.

For bolts, I organize them into small, med and large, then go through them when I need them. Same with nuts, washers and lock washers. Bins would be allot better, but so far I'm avoiding getting too orgainized. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Staples are with the staplers on the shelf. Same with nailers. Their nails are next to those guns.



Holzter,

Instead of tools for Christmas, I ask for blades!! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Eddie

 

[EddieWalker]

Today was another one of those "It's too muddy to run the dozer" type of days, so I decided to finish off the front wall with OSB.

Working around the ductwork was the tricky part. I was hopeful it would get done on it's own, but after stalling for several months, I ran out of patience. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Eddie

 

[EddieWalker]

When I fist drew up the plans for this place, I was only going to put a half bath upstairs. The main reason was I had a mental block on the roof line. In fact, it wasn't until I was building the truss's that it "clicked" in my head how to tie it all together.

Anyway, the bottom tub was already in place and plumbed up before the upstairs one was even in the idea stage. This delay made it sort of tricky on how to drain the upstairs tub without pulling out the downstairs one. My solustion was runnign the drain outside the wall to the washing machine drain.

That was the long explination as to why those pipes are exposed and will remain that way. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Eddie

 

[EddieWalker]

Here's one more example of my procrastinating.

This is the first wall that I put the OSB up on. All except this one spot. Not that it was very dificult, I was just being lazy.

If you look close, in the bottom of the gap, you can see a yellow and a gray wire. The yellow is a 20 amp 12/2 that supplies power for the front wall. The gray wire is a 14/3 15 amp line for my three way light switch.

Eddie

 

[EddieWalker]

Now it looks allot better. No exposed wires and the collection is back in place. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Eddie

 

[EddieWalker]

The workshop is now basically done. Later I'll do some trim work around the doors and I still have some more tools and equipment for the shelves, but that stuff is never ending.

Here is the last wall.

If you look real close, you can see the layout for the RV park on my freezer. Steph colored it for me, and it's a daily reminder what I need to get done.

Eddie

 

[jinman]

Eddie, your workshop shelves remind me of a place in Denton, TX called Evers Hardware store. It's a classic old store with shelves and cribs from the floor to the ceiling. They had the ladders mounted on rails to roll to the right spot and retrieve hardware off the top shelves as high as 12 feet. Seeing your ladder up there brought back lots of memories of that store and how amazed I always was that they knew where everything was. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[Nat]

Eddie, I don't think anyone will ever accuse you of being lazy. The amount od work you have done there in that peroid if time belies anyone using lazy, and Eddie Walker in the same sentence

 

[Tim_in_IA]

Eddie, I'm sure you've already stated this but what made you pick OSB over other materials for your shop? I am going to be finishing the inside of my garage this spring and I'm looking for ideas. In addition to why, can you describe what thickness and any other special grade qualities or finish? Will you paint or leave unfinished or seal? etc..

Place looks great. Really enjoy your posts. It's an inspiration.

 

[bmac]

<font color="blue"> They had the ladders mounted on rails to roll to the right spot and retrieve hardware off the top shelves as high as 12 feet. Seeing your ladder up there brought back lots of memories of that store and how amazed I always was that they knew where everything was. </font>

When I saw that earlier picture with the ladder, I immediately thought of the same thing, only I was thinking of one used in a library. I was going to suggest Eddie look into one of those. Of course, Eddie could just build one himself.

Eddie, look at the attached picture and imagine tools on the shelves instead of books. I'm giving you 2 days to have one of these up and running in your shop. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[EddieWalker]

Jim and bmac,

Thanks for the suggestions on the slidding ladder. In my dream house, sort of what bmac is doing, I want a library with floor to ceiling bookshelves made of walnut. The sliding ladder would be a must!!!

For the workshop, once I get the rarely used stuff on the top shelf, the ladder will get put away. The other shelves are all easily accessable by standing on the workbench.

Nat,

I really am quite lazy, it's not something I joke about. I just have too much that I have to get done, but when it's all done, I'm gonna sit on my but for a very long time and watch TV all day long!!! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Tim,

I chose 7/16 OSB for its strength and price. I also like it's ability to remain flat compared to plywoods tendancy to curl.

Sheetrock doesn't have the strength I wanted for hanging things from it. But it's the cheapest and easiest to install.

Half inch plywood would work the same, but CDX is still more expensive and it looks like ****. A nice finish grade is way more money with no advantages except for the finish.

I like the look of the OSB. It makes me think rustic thoughts just like it is. Which is how I'm leaving it. Natural. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Eddie