I'm building a shop

[Kevin Rector]

Nothing happened today?

Actually it did, I just didn't get the pictures uploaded.

[Kevin Rector]

The next step is to get the concrete done. This for me is not a DIY project. I've got a buddy that does concrete for a living and he's taking care of it for me. His son-in-law who I'm also friendly with sells concrete for a living and he's hooking me up too. It's good to have friends. This was done yesterday...

[Kevin Rector]

This morning the forms are going in and the conduit for the electric, and pipes for the water and sewer are getting stubbed out.

To be clear, I'm building the shop DIY but the concrete work, brick work, and aluminum siding is getting contracted out as I have no expertise in these areas and I really want it done well.

Before the concrete comes:

[John A. Callaway]

be sure to plan for a good sized window in front of your bench. Your eyes and your work will thank you.

[Ray Bell]

Actually it did, I just didn't get the pictures uploaded.

Great, I thought you were just goofing off

Looking at the pictures it looks like you are moving right along.

[Ray Bell]

No reports since 5/7. Are you making sawdust yet??

[Steve Kohn]

You might want to consider the one room for all thought. I wish I had put in a potty/wash room, a finishing area, and a compressor/cyclone room when I did my shop.

[Larry Frank]

I just had to replace a 30 year old culvert on my driveway and the county does not supply anything. It cost me $1500 to have the old one taken out and a new one in and to patch the black top.

I saw the question about what type of windows that you will use. I also live in a rural area with low crime. I have a low end window in my garage that has been bothering me as it is a very easy access point to the garage. The garage is at the other end of the house from the bedrooms and so not easy to watch or hear anything. My wife and I decided rather than putting in a better window, we would take the old one out, put in studs and redo the siding on that part of the garage. I do not like to think of making it easy for anyone to steal my tools or lawn equipment.

[Derek Gilmer]

If you need a hand some night let me know. You are only a few mins from me.

[Kevin Rector]

Hey, sorry for the utter lack of updates. I have made a lot of sawdust, but of the shop building not the woodworking variety.

I'll try and get some photos up of what I've got done so far. I didn't update while building because my time was really busy and then I immediately went on vacation. So next post should have some pics.

Oh, and I went with 2 cheap windows that can be seen from the house. The walls on the north and south are solid with no openings. I will have a security system installed.

[Ray Bell]

Whew, I thought you had given up on this already. Looking forward to the pics.

[Kevin Rector]

I contracted out the concrete work. First shot is dirt work done, second the guys pouring the pad and smoothing out the footings, third picture is the finished pad, and the last one shows the pile of wood that would become a building (the pile of wood didn't seem big enough).

[Kevin Rector]

So it turned out that framing was about the easiest part. Having never built a building before my dad and I thought that would be hard, but it really wasn't. We had three walls framed up in the first day and got the last wall up rather quick on the next day.

The best part was the little helpers my dad and I had... slowed us down but great quality time together.

[Kevin Rector]

So, day two we got it all framed up and started putting sheathing on it. Did I mention that it was HOT. I'm sunburned by this point.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

It's looking good Kevin.

I may have started my shop 5 years before you, but you may end up having a finished shop before me. I am still building cabinets.