Working in a Tin Shop

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PA41

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 5, 2008
Messages
872
I've been dead in the water since my shop burned bout 4 years ago and I had a metal building erected on the old slab. I am finally getting the building to where it's tolerable to work in. These tin buildings are HOT, and I'm an old spoiled fat guy. Uh--and kinda lazy. The metal building was always extreme inside. Way too hot in summer and colder than outside in winter. I figured out how to hang 4" wide insulation from the ceiling braces without climbing up on a ladder, and put one of those Mini Slit heat pumps in, and I'm looking at just a few loose ends till I have a work space again. Some pics on the process.
 

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Good to see that you are back in the game. Us ol' fat guys need our creature comforts. :D[cl

I ponied up for a 24x24 pole building. It came with the roof insulated. I was lucky to find a huge stack of 2-inch thick Styrofoam insulation for $50 shortly after it was finished. It now has that over all the walls, with floor to ceiling pegboard covering it. It heats up in less than an hour with a couple halogen work lights in the Pacific Northwest winter. It stays comparatively nice in the summer just from being under the biggest walnut tree in the neighborhood.
 
Yeah, insulation is the thing. The roof/walls were pretty easy, but the roll up door was nothing but a 8X8 heater, so I built 2 4x8 insulated foam core doors that sit right up next to the rollup. R10--made a big difference--see pix..The Mini split may be a little undersized, so have to cover all the bases. Also, size does matter in heat & cooling.. In this case little is good. The whole shop is 16X44, but the heated & cooled is 24x16. I use the unheated for storage and cutting etc. It's small, but adequate. Worked in that space for 20 years, so have adjusted. Having a shop is a real luxury, just think about all the guys that don't have Them.
 

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That foam core does work. Like everything else I do, that wasn't my idea, stold it from a buddy. Had a gal come in my shop a few yeas ago while I was building some hot rod and she said "I do crafts too"-- At first I was a little offended, but she was right--I just do 'craft' stuff, just most are big with motors, altho I will make wine, jewelry, guns and atrtsy gadjets if I see something I can imitate. I admire creative people.
 
That foam core does work. Like everything else I do, that wasn't my idea, stold it from a buddy. Had a gal come in my shop a few yeas ago while I was building some hot rod and she said "I do crafts too"-- At first I was a little offended, but she was right--I just do 'craft' stuff, just most are big with motors, altho I will make wine, jewelry, guns and atrtsy gadjets if I see something I can imitate. I admire creative people.
Sharing and stealing idea is how it works. The art is in the execution. :D
 
Painted the FLOOR!!! Never had a shop with a painted floor, Gettin above my rasin..Lot fancier than a shade tree.. Let the paint cure a couple days and guess I'm ready to roll the tool boxes and the A in and get out of shop building and back into 'car building' mode. I do need to add a window--that way I can at least look at a shade tree for inspiration.
 

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It's a rolling elevated work platform to minimize me climbing up and down a ladder putting the lights, wiring and insulation in the shop. Had a friend fall from a ladder putting in a light bulb--broke himself up real bad. He eventually died from it, so I'm motivated to stay away from ladders. The first time my wife saw it she was up on it tap dancing and showing out. She recently broke her hip and had a titanium implant, and thinks she's wonder woman. I've never seen anyone recover so well from hip replacement--some new procedure. I didn't use it as much as I was planning, I hung all the insulation, wiring and lights from cross bracing using poles with hooks, standing on the floor. It would make a fine stage--might put together a Chippendale act together:eek: if this car hobby don't work out..http://www.ratrodsrule.com/forum/images/smilies/redface.gif
 
Stripper pole! Stripper pole! Stripper pole! Video! video! Video![cl

No Chippendales, please.:eek:
 
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I got a 'stripper pole' base sitting on the bench. I have a Ebay drill press deal that went bad on me and I'm trying to figure out what to do, and the suggestion is to use the column as a pole dancing base, or leave it short and hire tiny strippers. maybe this is a message from God that I need to go into the adult entertainment biddness?:D
 

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Wife nixed the tiny pole dancers, so pulled the A in the shop to start the detail work. Did yard drive it for about 30 minutes (benefits of a 5 acre yard). Got that 'illegal smile' that is the payday for this stuff. Loud, nasty, dangerous feeling--(just a FEELING, as this is a pretty mild car, but it was fun.
 

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Looking good, PA. That first drive is unforgettable even if it's a five acre loop.

Thanks Bob--I still have that 'smile' inside. My yard sorta took a beating, still a little wet and soft. Mud and grass on the skinnies, and the slicks gave NO traction at all.
 

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