Birth of a shop

[Marty Walsh]

You and me both, Matt.

How am I supposed to post a gloat about scoring an $80 sawblade on sale for $20, when I show up here and .... oh look, Marty's going to be putting white oak flooring in his shop.

Never mind.

Art,

Should I stop posting?

- Marty -








Hey, a gloat's a gloat. This is gonna be over for me soon enough and then an $80 for $20 will be a score.

[Marty Walsh]

You and me both, Matt.

How am I supposed to post a gloat about scoring an $80 sawblade on sale for $20, when I show up here and .... oh look, Marty's going to be putting white oak flooring in his shop.

Never mind.

Heck, an $80 blade for $20 is a GLOAT NOW!

- Marty -

[Ian Barley]

Marty

Nice work on the timber purchase. Is the Mahogany and the Paduak for a specific project or are you just starting a hoard??

Have you designated some of the shop space for timber storage already? What are you planning on doing about shelving/racking for storage?

I kinda guessed that the mod to the doors might have been something along those lines. Is it worth attaching a handle somewhere along the bar attached to the doors so that you can easily swing them open/closed without having to stand on the edge of the opening? I'm with you on being a height-o-phobic and I will definitely do something along those lines when I get to build an absolutely fantastic dream shop for myself

[Marty Walsh]

Marty

Nice work on the timber purchase. Is the Mahogany and the Paduak for a specific project or are you just starting a hoard??

The Mahagony is for a commission piece that has already been requested...before I even have the shop open. The Paduak and Bubinga just 'jumped out at me', and the price was right. So I guess you can say those are for hoarding...or is that 'boarding'...?

Have you designated some of the shop space for timber storage already? What are you planning on doing about shelving/racking for storage?

My intention all along has been to have both of the large walls on either side of the loading dock wall for lumber racks. I built a nice stout cantilever rack in my shop in Virginia, and intend to do something along the same lines here. The only difference will be more shallow shelving, since I dreaded having to dig for stuff in the widely spaced shelves I built last time.

I'll post sketches of what I plan to do when that time comes, and solicit opinions and ideas.

I kinda guessed that the mod to the doors might have been something along those lines. Is it worth attaching a handle somewhere along the bar attached to the doors so that you can easily swing them open/closed without having to stand on the edge of the opening? I'm with you on being a height-o-phobic and I will definitely do something along those lines when I get to build an absolutely fantastic dream shop for myself

Well, the way I've designed the doors, all I'll need to do is remove the cross bar that holds them closed, then step back and grab the bar on the wall and swing them open, dropping the clevis pin in the bracket when I get them to the point I need.

I don't envision using the doors all that often, so the height shouldn't be a problem. And for whatever reason, I don't feel all that uncomfortable with the height up there. A ladder is a completely different story. I guess it has to do with the stability underfoot.

- Marty -

[Dave Shively]

Frank & Marty,

Last night I reread through just about all of you post on your shops (and it took
quite some time I might add) and I must say I am very impressed as to how well
you two are progressing. It brings back a lot of fond memories as well as quite
a few heartaches, headaches, backaches and another kind of ache you can
think of. You two have my wholehearted sympathy as well as my admiration
on each on your endeavors. If I lived close to either one of you I would be
there in a minute just to help out and get in on some of the fun. Especially
when it cam time to "accessorize" the inside of your shops. Anyway I don't
always respond to your post, but I do read them to see how things are going.

Oh yah, your wives sure deserve a lot of credit too! They go through the same
hardships as well.

Dave

[Marty Walsh]

Frank & Marty,

Last night I reread through just about all of you post on your shops (and it took
quite some time I might add) and I must say I am very impressed as to how well
you two are progressing. It brings back a lot of fond memories as well as quite
a few heartaches, headaches, backaches and another kind of ache you can
think of. You two have my wholehearted sympathy as well as my admiration
on each on your endeavors. If I lived close to either one of you I would be
there in a minute just to help out and get in on some of the fun. Especially
when it cam time to "accessorize" the inside of your shops. Anyway I don't
always respond to your post, but I do read them to see how things are going.

Oh yah, your wives sure deserve a lot of credit too! They go through the same
hardships as well.

Dave

Dave,

Thanks for posting...and a belated congrats on YOUR shop! That's some masterpiece you have there!

Frank'll be finished way before me, and not just because of the size difference. He's doing some fantastic work...and he occasionally gets an extra set of hands. That would make all the difference in the world to me, but alas it's not an option.

I'm getting close though...

- Marty -

[Marty Walsh]

Have I mentioned that I hate soffit and fascia?

With all that Cypress just sitting there calling to me, I'm having a really hard time getting this soffit and fascia done. But it's coming along. Here's a shot of the bird box on the southwest corner I finished last night:

Attachment 47821

It didn't come out too terrible for my first (of three) bird boxes.

Once I got that side of the gable wall done, I moved on to the north west side and ran the soffit down to the (almost) end. Once I got close to the porch, I decided to move on to running soffit along the enitre underneath of the porch:

Attachment 47822

Let me tell you, if you're ever looking for a new punishment for someone you don't care for, assign them the task of putting up soffit under a 36' long, 12' wide porch overhang ALONE! This is truly a task that two people are just about HAVE to do!!!

Think about trying to thread a 10' long piece of al dente linguine into a hole on each end just large enough to accomodate the pasta, all the time standing 8' up on a ladder (being afraid of heights). That's about how it felt all day today. I'd position the ladder next to the shop, bring the 10' section up over my head and get it into the J-channel on the shop. Then I'd have to muscle it up into the J-channel under the porch overhang, 10' away, keeping it in the J-channel over my head. Well, of course the soffit had to be long enough so that it sat WITHIN the J-channel once installed, (longer than the gap between J-channels) so that meant bending the 10' limp noodle just enough to set it into the J-channel, yet not so much that it'd fall out of the J-channel over my head!

Once in the J-channel on each end, I'd set the hook into the flange on the previous section, then drive a screw into the soffit flange near the shop. I'd then climb down the ladder, move the ladder to the edge of the porch, set the hook into the flange along the entire length, making sure things lined up correctly, then drive a pair of screws. Once happy with where things sat, I'd move the ladder across the porch, driving a pair of screws into the nailing flange as I went.

At one point, I actually counted the ladder moves. It was an astonishing EIGHT MOVES PER PIECE!!! And there were THIRTY SEVEN PIECES of soffit today. Oh, and that doesn't include having to use the big extension ladder when I got closer to the edges. That sure was fun!!

Anyway, I got most of the porch done and then I faced a conundrum...how to handle the transition from 5:12 gable end to about 2.5:12 on the porch. Here's how I dealt with it:

Attachment 47824

Against advice and my better judgement, I attempted and suceeded at making a compound miter joint. It's not the prettiest thing I've ever made, but it'll be waterproof and it effected the transition I needed.

Oh, and just in case I wasn't enough "fun" with these 10' lengths of wet noodles, I had to add eletrical boxes to the mix. I'm going to have a pair of ceiling fans on the porch (how can one have a cold beverage on the porch on a summers eve without a cool breeze wafting down... ). Thanks to Denise reminding me, I installed the boxes and ran the conduit as I went:

Attachment 47825

Cutting the holes to line up with the soffit was yet another challenge I only wish on those I don't care for. It's one thing to cut holes for boxes on flat surfaces, but to have to take into consideration how the next panel will engage with the one being cut added insult to disgust. I don't think they came out too bad. But that's largely because I created a template for both of the holes first. Once I was happy with the template, I measured (twice) and used the template to cut the actual 10' long panel.

I hope to have the porch done by tomorrow. All that's left is the small section on the outside of the glue-lam:

Attachment 47823

I have all the cutoffs from the long sections in a stack. I "should" be able to reverse the stack, cut them to proper length and just run across screwing them in. At least that's the plan once I get the J-channel installed along the glue-lam.


I'm going to go make a nice stiff cocktail and relax my poor tired old muscles in the spa. That was TOUGH WORK today!!!

Thanks for following...
- Marty -

[Marty Walsh]

Wiring Begun...

I almost forgot, as I mentioned, I had to install the boxes and run the rolmex for the ceiling fans. Well, I now have the first of hundreds of feet of rolmex run in the shop:

Attachment 47826

If I had done this while I was wiring the entire shop, instead of doing it ahead of everything else, I could have saved about 15' of rolmex. But timing is everything. At least I remembered to do it BEFORE all the soffit and fascia was installed. *(Thanks Denise...)*

- Marty -

[Joe Blankshain]

Marty,

Looking good and you are getting very proficient at soffit and fascia. With all of this experience, I see an additional revenue stream for Fivebraids. Saw that you got a generator from a neighbor, so I do not need to hurry down. Take care and have two cocktails in the spa.

Joe

[Marty Walsh]

Paduak....For Denise...

As some of you know, Denise is on a business trip for a few weeks. Just like you folks do, she keeps up with my progress via my updates to the creek. Well, last night she asked what Paduak was, since she hasn't seen it before. I searched on the web for a picture that would give her an idea, but everything I found was plain and drab looking. And the stock I picked up is anything but! So here, FOR DENISE, (and anyone else interested) are pictures of the Paduak:

Attachment 47827 Attachment 47828

Sorry I didn't move that mahogony out of the way, but that would have been WAY too much work. Hopefully those ends will give you an indication of just how vivid the grain and colors are in the wood. And that's rough...try to imagine it planed!

Thanks for indulging my message to LOML...
- Marty -

[Marty Walsh]

Marty,

Looking good and you are getting very proficient at soffit and fascia. With all of this experience, I see an additional revenue stream for Fivebraids. Saw that you got a generator from a neighbor, so I do not need to hurry down. Take care and have two cocktails in the spa.

Joe

Hey Joe,

Proficiency and desire for additional income are two VERY DIFFFERENT things, let me tell you. If I never had to see or touch another piece of plastic soffit, or razor sharp fascia, again, I'd be just fine with it. And if someone were to approach me and ask me to do soffits/fascia FOR them, they'd get an estimate from me that would make them RUN AWAY from me as fast as they could.

Nope, I don't like this stuff...


Oh, and yeah, got a local generator, but thanks so much for the offer. But hey, you're more than welcome to come on down and help finish the sofft/fasica, or hang siding. I'll even let you play with my spray rig...if you promise to behave...

Now it's off to the spa...
- Marty -

[Jim O'Dell]

I think your transition looks great! I can't imagine another way to do it that would have looked half as good.
Keep it up! I hate working looking up all the time. I did 2 1/2 hours of it yesterday morning putting plugs in LOML's van. (Did the back bank from under the car. At least I had access to a lift at work) Wasn't fun at all. Wait 'til you start hanging sheet rock in the shop...that's a lot of sqauare feet of ceiling!!! Jim.

[Doug Sinjem]

Hi Marty I found your thread on an internet search and spent hours reading your whole thread. So I decided to join the SMC and this is my first post. Very nice project you have going there!

I do cement finish/concrete by trade and a fair amount of framing so I found your thread very interesting to say the least. Can't wat to see how everything develops.

I'm currently doing a major remodel on my shop so I can sympathize with alot of what your doing.

I thought I saw a small rolling scaffold in some of your pics. Wasn't there any way you could have used that to install your porch soffit?

Btw I have relatives in Conyers. Is that close to you?

Regards Doug

[Marty Walsh]

I think your transition looks great! I can't imagine another way to do it that would have looked half as good.
Keep it up! I hate working looking up all the time. I did 2 1/2 hours of it yesterday morning putting plugs in LOML's van. (Did the back bank from under the car. At least I had access to a lift at work) Wasn't fun at all. Wait 'til you start hanging sheet rock in the shop...that's a lot of sqauare feet of ceiling!!! Jim.

Yeah Jim,

Working overhead is really tough on the muscles! Trying to hold a 10' long section of limp soffit, while trying to hold a screw in place and trying to run the driver UP into the screw....a workout I could do without, for sure! I'd say I felt bad for you with 2 1/2 hours of it, but I was at it for OVER TWELVE HOURS today. And I'm not done...


As for hanging rock, I'm probably going to go with OSB since it's HALF the current price of rock. Oh, and I'll be using a lift. Like you say, that's a LOT of ceiling! You think I'm whing now....

- Marty -

[Ben Grunow]

Place is looking great. I have installed vinyl siding myself and it is very easy especially on a structure like yours. I used 4" corner boards, the double 4" course siding and 3" window casings all in Certainteed vinyl. I used Azek boards (PVC) for the cornice work and nailed it with 2 1/2" stainless finish nails and used the mfgrs glue at the joints. I didnt fill the holes because they didnt have a filler that was color matched but now there is one. The gutters covered the fascias that were closer to the ground and the eyes. The azek works just like wood, comes in white and requries no paint.

I thought it was a nice solution because the wood look was retained in the cornice where you notice it (I think vinyl and aluminum cornice can look bad- ripples and kinks over time and not as straight as wood) and no maintenance siding. Plus I did my house for about $2000 in materials (it was about 3/4 the size of your shop) but this was 5 years ago. THe only drawback is that some people do not like the feel of vinyl on a porch such as yours but maybe not an issue for you. Price the material for vinyl before you decide against it. BTW there is a great beadboard in Azek that would be great for your porch ceiling if it doesnt have to be wood (remember-no paint).

The cement siding requires a large expansion gap at the corner boards which is not supposed to be caulked. I have seen a corner board made up from 1x3s (spruce) with another layer of 1x6s (Cedar, pine etc) over the top to cover this joint-something to consider with cement siding.

Lastly- be careful with ladders on tyvek-it is slick and even a slightly out of level footing for a ladder will result in a slide when you get half way up. We make a board with screw tips sticking out (it touches the house and the tips pole through and dig in to the plywood) and attach it to the top of the ladder to prevent this while workin over tyvek.

\Good luck and keep after it. Ben