My work shop build in progress

pmsmechanic · Feb 18, 2020

Frank Surber said:
pmsmechanic; Inside of the container is a 1950 Cushman truckster nearly 1000 lbs of lead sheets 200 8 ft 2x4 studs a Miller Bobcat 250, a 1917 16" Leblond lathe a 1951 Leblond 26" lathe a 1953 Cincinnati #2 horizontal mill a 1956 Sheldon 12" lathe a 12 ton shop press a 6x4 band saw and a 7 foot tall Snap-on tool box And I don't know what all else Everything except for the Miller bob cat and the Cushman are in position so I can use them Plus I have a 400 amp main fuse disconnect panel mounted on the wall next to the 250 amp service panel.
With the container sitting on 20or 30 16" square concrete pads moving it will be a royal pain then supporting the floor again under the machines would be next to impossible without removing them from the container first Which is something I need to do to the smaller machines that are along the one side so I can get my Cushman out of there. If I had been thinking when I started I would have built the shop to the south of the container leaving it outside but hind sight improves as life goes along

My comment was made slightly tongue - in - cheek. I kind of figured it would have goods in it. But if you are going to all the work of borrowing a D-8, to my way of thinking it would make more sense to borrow a container lift and move it that way. I also realize that the D-8 would probably be easier to borrow. And then there is the whole power panels issue.... And it's not that you aren't capable of moving the container it's just that you would have saved a lot of extra work by building in a slightly different spot. Hind sight improves for most of us as we get older.

Frank Surber · Feb 18, 2020

pmsmechanic said:
My comment was made slightly tongue - in - cheek. I kind of figured it would have goods in it. But if you are going to all the work of borrowing a D-8, to my way of thinking it would make more sense to borrow a container lift and move it that way. I also realize that the D-8 would probably be easier to borrow. And then there is the whole power panels issue.... And it's not that you aren't capable of moving the container it's just that you would have saved a lot of extra work by building in a slightly different spot. Hind sight improves for most of us as we get older.

Actually, the longer I study this the more I think I may do just that one day. Obviously I'm not going to do it just now.
I used to own a 25,000 Taylor forklift with 8 ft. long forks, it would lift closer to 40,000 lbs by stacking a couple of Mafia blocks on the counter weight. I know who own it now and he is nearly 80 years old and never uses it any more. I gave it to him before I went to Kuwait to work for 10 years, and I can probably get it back, if nothing else borrow it for a while. The container it self is an old intermodal JB Hunt unit and not designed to be lifted from the bottom let alone from the center with 20,000 lbs of machines in it. But before I pour a slab in the shop I could excavate under the container on both sides then slide a pair of house moving beams under the sides I have 2 20 ft long beams that would do the job nicely. then I could disconnect the electric and just move it to where ever I wanted I would probably just temporarily suspend the school buss from the trusses 3 of them would have no problem supporting the mere 7,000 lbs of the buss body before I fill it.
At any rate from this point forward I am going to plan my build of the shop for the eventual relocating of the container

Big Barn · Feb 18, 2020

Frank if you are like me, we realize the only proper way to move it is to empty it.

I’ve spent my entire life with tasks similar. Some with good results. Some, well let’s just say less than good.

ovrszd · Feb 18, 2020

Terry (Big Barn), I'm a bit disappointed in Frank that this early in the build he is already second guessing the location of the milvan…..

Frank Surber · Feb 18, 2020

ovrszd said:
Terry (Big Barn), I'm a bit disappointed in Frank that this early in the build he is already second guessing the location of the milvan…..

LOL that's the way it goes sometimes long term usage plans can change. What started out to be a hobby barn/shop for restoring some of my old trucks escalated into the prospect of it possibly becoming a machine and fabrication facility after a long time friend of mine approached me with the possibility of doing the prototype development of a truck accessory he has licensed the patents from a friend of his. At first I was simply going to refine the unit for him so he could have in manufactured but with every possible potential manufacture here in the USA already experiencing a phenomenal growth and back log. He asked if I'd be willing to at least partially come out of retirement for up to a couple of years to start up production of these units. In the mean time while he completes all of the legalities crossing all of the "T's" and dotting the "I's" and tries to get his home in CT. sold so he can move to Texas I keep slogging along on the shop. When I'm not working on it I am either machining or fabricating parts and modifying from the original working prototype to simplify it for production Every part has to be tested and assemblies with have to be stress load tested as those are fabricated.
So disappointed yeah I can relate to that but like most folks I don't have a functioning crystal ball any more.
I do know one thing I want to have this thing as close to being ready for a slab as possible because as soon as his house sells for his part in enticing me to think about starting up a business will be the slab.
I have been storing his $140,000.00 RV that he plans on living in for a while,here since November

ovrszd · Feb 19, 2020

What an adventure with your friend Frank!!!! Hopefully you'll keep us informed of that progress also!!!

Big Barn · Feb 19, 2020

Exciting prospects ! I’m looking forward to updates

Keriken · Feb 20, 2020

how much time did you need?

Keriken · Feb 20, 2020

What foundation did you make?

Frank Surber · Feb 21, 2020

Keriken said:
What foundation did you make?

Its built pole barn style each column are in the ground between 6 and 8 feet with semi truck rims welded to the bottoms of them vibrated into the ground with my plate packer then back filled with some Portland mixed in with the back fill packed in 6 inch layers