Pole Barn 40X64X16

[Bruce Page]

All I can think about looking at the last picture is cutting out all the holes for the electrical boxes... then it hits my how much my hands would hurt after doing all the connections. You should never be in want of an outlet!

Yeah, Mike hasn't done anything halfway on his shop build.

[mreza Salav]

Honestly, why do you need so many outlets? Looks like a production factory in multiple levels.
Incredible.

[Ken Grant]

Hey Mike, I have been enjoying all the pics and following the progress of this project, it is looking good!
I have a question for you-if you were building it again, would you still go with the pole barn frame? It looks to me like you have added about the equivalent amount of lumber on the inside that it would have taken to frame up the building conventionally. Just curious what your recommendation would be. Thanks

[Mike Heidrick]

I would Ken as it is the only 2 story structure I know of that I could buy with a minimal initial outlay and have a weather proof shell that would allow me to do all this elec, insulation, and interior work my way, on my own time, and pay cash for it as I go. Zero way I could afford to pay anyone to do the stuff I want to do. Plus it gets built with all the deals I find along the way and allows me to up-cycle and also to teach my girls how to build things and also to demonstrate to them what its like to do things yourself and earn the things we love with sweat and not just money. Its may not be the correct building to build, its just the building I am building.

Its funny that people say "Wow too many outlets" or "Why so many?". Must be a scale thing on many levels. I would love for some folks like you boys/gals to come by and see what I am building if you are actually out in your shop every day working with power tools. I walk over to a 4' span of wall in there and I see 1 240V outlet and 2 120V outlets below 5'. Those are all on different circuits. Maybe there are outlets up high for wall task lighting or in the ceiling out in the room for above tool power needs, maybe a 3 phase outlet in that area. I can honestly not think of a 4' span of my current shop where I don't want at least that. In 8' do you want less than 2 240V outlets and 4 120V outlets available? Maybe the other thing is I did it EVERY 4'/8' that way. I designed my shop like it is a ton of "small shop spaces" powered for multiple people to be able to work in it. Why? Because no matter where I am or what I am doing in there I want it to be exactly what I like power wise. When you do the work yourself it is copper, outlets, boxes, and time to install it. For me that means I am doing it exactly like what I want. No way I am going to be out here working next to kids or my friends, each doing our own thing, and worrying about if we are going to trip a circuit. Now add to that dust collectors for small tools via shop vacs or other power needs while you are working. I just cant see a downside. Larger scale No way I am going to have a buddy using a mill at one end of the shop and me using a table saw and dust collection, and maybe having the CNC running at the same time with its dust collection and vacuum pump, each at opposite ends of the shed and have us worry about issues with each other power wise. I am also going to provide shop storage everywhere and proper surfaces to work on. I am also going to light Everything correctly - I HATE a dim shop. Folks could say well the amount of time to do it is taking too long. Purely perspective. It has not slowed me down as I have another shop to work in while building this one. So like I always say, it is only what I want to do and what is right for me - prob not for anyone else.

[Mike Heidrick]

Finished south west wall tonight.

[Van Huskey]

I certainly wasn't say there were too many electrical outlets I was just thinking about all the work to cut the boxes and finish the connections. I enjoy designing an electrical "system" and enjoy roughing in but the repetative nature of finishing the connections drives me nuts (and makes my hands ache). In the end I probably lean to the idea the electrical system is overbuilt, but I like I assume most people around here really like overbuilt, admittedly less so when I have to do the work. The great thing about building a shop yourself over time is the ability to include all the ideas one has over time, plus you don;t have to deal with subs trying to explain why you don't need something. I salute you and look forward to seeing the maturation of your shop.

[Frederick Skelly]

Coming along great Mike! I like the way you've involved you kids.
Look forward to more pictures as you continue.
Fred

[Mike Heidrick]

Man I sure have a new level of repetitive tolerance developed the last year and a half so far.

My roughing in is quite different than prob anything anyone else has ever done. Ill describe how I build my wall panels.
This is all done on the bench flat:
Each wall panel has four slats typically.
I have laid out the romex such that each outlet can be installed in one of three spots (left, middle, right) of each slat.
Also the position the panel is on the wall determines which slat the box will mount too. I know the lowest outlets all get mounted in the fourth slat up from my baseboard for example.
I look at the panel's wall position, decided which of the three spots the box is going into and take a slat to my cnc machine. The CNC cuts out the box hole exactly. I have jigs set up to repeatedly place the slats in the same spot.
Then I grab a solid wall panel and apply the slats with a pinner using spacers to position them correctly. I also plan for any cuts that will be made to the panel.
When I get to the slat/slats with the outlet holes I lay them on the panel and mark out where that box will be.
I remove that slat and now cut the box holes through the solid 32X48 panel using a small plunge cut circular saw (one of the $80 Rockwell 3" plunge saws). It cuts pretty quickly with minimal over cut due to the round blade and is a very thin kerf.
I then attach that slat.
Then I countersink screw holes with a 611 router and v bit avoiding any imperfections in the wood.
In screw holes that will mount to 2X6s or posts I leave the holes empty. For holes just mounting slats only I install 1 1/4 kreg screws.
I predrill box bracket mounting holes in the back of the panel - this makes mounting my boxes easier on the wall. All my boxes are the adjustable kind you can bring through a 2" thick wall.

I take the panel to the wall resting the lower edge on the panel or board below it. I then mount the box through the hole in the pane, screwing it down to the panel from behind. I then tilt the panel up and hold the panel to the wall while I sink in a couple 2.5" kreg screws into the posts, vertical 2X6 supports, and the horizontal bookcased 2X6. Then I sink in the rest of the mounting screws.

Now that I have a (my 2nd) cnc router in the new shed I may fully automate the whole slat hole cut through and the pre drill for the screws. While it may be a bit slower than doing the cuts through by hand, It may over all be a lot faster and a lot less work. I had not done this before to prevent having to move the whole panel from shop to shop - current way only requires moving on 6X48 slat per panel.

[Jim Becker]

Pretty good idea doing the outlet holes before installing the panels since it's a repeatable process and using boxes that can be installed like "old work" for convenience. And everything is guaranteed to be flush that way.

[Van Huskey]

CNC is cheatin', just sayin'.




Genius non the less.

I hate cutting boxes so much I have decided to pay to have the rock hung and finished in my new shop, it is my least favorite part of building a structure, well except maybe paying for it. This is something I have never done before as I have always taken pride in doing almost every step of building save concrete work.

[Mike Heidrick]

Put the sawstop in the new shed last night to keep from moving wall panels between shops. It was kinda like a christening for the new shop . Also a good excuse to get it cleaned up. I need to spend some time and adjust the extension table flush, its been just off/low for quite a bit.

[Bryan Lisowski]

Mike, calling this a shed is like calling a row boat a battleship! Anyways this build is fantastic, like the updates, hopefully you will wrap it up and start using in all its glory.

[Jim Becker]

I hate cutting boxes so much I have decided to pay to have the rock hung and finished in my new shop, it is my least favorite part of building a structure, well except maybe paying for it. This is something I have never done before as I have always taken pride in doing almost every step of building save concrete work.

I'm with you there, Van...I'll do small drywall jobs around the house when necessary, but I'd rather subcontract rocking to the pros because they are fast and efficient...something I'm not.

[Mike Heidrick]

Took the weekend off to do this - 30rds of 9mm - 10 each at 5 7 and 10 yards. The 16 hour Illinois CCL Class is now complete, test qualified, and my license paid and applied for. Now to wait 90-120 days.

[Von Bickley]

Took the weekend off to do this - 30rds of 9mm - 10 each at 5 7 and 10 yards. The 16 hour Illinois CCL Class is now complete, test qualified, and my license paid and applied for. Now to wait 90-120 days.

Good Shooting..... In SC, it is an 8 hour course, 4 hours for class room and test, then 4 hours on the range. We do 50 rounds.