The making of a woodshop with pictures

[Dave Lessley]

John,

There is existing underground electrical service to the shop. The conduit that feeds the panel is laying over in the ditch. Should be viewable in the earlier photos. When I built my house 5 years ago I had them run a separate circuit to the shop and put in a 200 amp panel. Previously it had been connected with overhead wires from a post next to a mobil home feeding a 60 amp subpanel in the shop.

[Dave Lessley]

In the first picture the back wall is the North wall. There will be four small windows on the North and South walls and two in the West wall. I wanted to have larger windows for more natural light and the view of the forest, but with the shop being on the smaller side I opted for more wall space. Here in the Northwest we lean towards gray skies and I figured I would be using artificial light much of the time anyway.

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[John Keeton]

Pretty good progress for working in a mudhole!! Wet sure slows things down, but it is coming along nicely.

[Dave Lessley]

Made pretty good progress considering the forecast was for slight chance of rain showers and it rained torrents most of the day. The weather is supposed to be improving through Sunday dry with temps in the low 70's. Wednesday they will finish the framing and and get the sheeting on. Hopefully the siding as well. I'm trying to figure out the plumbing (vent and drain) as they will start on the 6' x 6' bump out for the bathroom. We need to pour a slab probably as soon as they are done with the trusses and the roofing.

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[Dave Lessley]

John thanks for the encouraging words. We had actually hoped to be at this point last week. The only delay has been the weather. The builder and his crew have been great.

[Travis Porter]

Are you having any full sized windows installed?

[Dave Lessley]

Travis

I considered it at great length and for a few reasons decided against it. Of course windows can always be added should I regret my decision. It's a small shop and I feel I will need 100% of the wall space (see pictures in first post) I'm trying to re-train myself but see the need for storage, hanging templates on the wall, lumber rack etc. We do get bouts of wind and there was limited concern of branches trashing a lower larger window at least on the north side. I have lived in this area my entire life and we have gray skies probably two thirds of the year. I will be using artificial light anyway. I was not able to afford it this round but in the future I would like to add 12 x 30 addition to the south of the building for a hand tool workbench and finishing room at which point I will put large windows all across the south side. That goal has much to do with current construction high windows etc.

[John Keeton]

Windows are nice, BUT, when I am in the shop (hobby for me) I am "in the zone" and really do not look out to enjoy the views. Don't take me wrong - I have nice views from my shop, and certainly enjoy the outdoors. But, when I am woodworking, I am woodworking. When I am hunting or enjoying the outdoors, then that is what I am doing. Maybe I am just too focused, but I find it hard to mix those things. My windows serve for ventilation, and to let me have some sense of who is coming up my drive - which shouldn't be anyone most of the time. Maybe I'm just gettin' old??!!

[Dave Lessley]

We made it to the sheathing. Expecting trusses I believe at 2:00 PM today (Thursday). Hopefully it will have a Roof by end of Friday my guess is not until Monday. Went shopping yesterday for plumbing parts for the toilet drain and vent.

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[Jim Kirkpatrick]

Putting the windows up high is a wise decision. I made the mistake of putting them at eye level and all they are are wall space hogs. Plus I feel like I'm in a fish bowl at night. My next shop I build (ya right!) they will be up high like yours. I notice the new post offices that are springing up all over have them up high too. Smart. Keep the pictures coming!

[Dave Lessley]

Well shortly after setting about half the trusses the worker guys packed up and went home. Might add they have not shown up yet today.

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Looking at the NE corner . . . . The North Wall

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The SE Corner

[Dave Lessley]

Got a good full day in Monday. They finished setting the trusses and sheeted most of the roof. Tuesday they hope to have the roof on. In the first picture you can see where the windows stop on the left side. This is where the bump out for the bathroom will be. I will be keeping it small 5' x 5' interior space. Just enough room for a stool and a Laundry tub sink.

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Again hopefully Wednesday the concrete guy will be there to do the pad for the bathroom and set the drain and vent for the toilet and sink.

As soon as the roof goes on and we get siding I'm having an electrical firm put the service panel back in. They are some mighty stiff wires. I will do the rest of the the wiring once the service panel is back in.

Now is the time for questions and suggestions. It's easy to discuss and implement before it's done.

[Dave Lessley]

Well the best laid plans of builders. The felt did get put on but no metal roof yet. We are not sure if the concrete guy is coming today or not. The roofer did not want to work yesterday. We don't know about today. Only got one picture today. How ever there was not much change to the front other than some barge boards. We'll catch up on that tomorrow. Oh and we don't know if the electrician is going to show up today to reconnect the service panel or not. So we have a whole lot of we don't knows right now.

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Hopefully by the end of the week some of this will have come together.

[Barry Reade]

Isn't that typical of most subcontractors? It looks nice and should be yours to finish in the next week or so, hopefully.

[John Keeton]

Seems that a lot of trades people only work to get enough beer money so they can fish/hunt/whatever into the weekend. They may have the right plan! The guy who has done electrical work for me for over 20 years has never worked past noon, and rarely on Friday. No employees, lives alone (most of the time!), always has a car or motorcycle project he is working on, and NO stress level. Hey, are you using my electrician??

It will happen in due course! Lookin' good!