My shop.. finally.

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Topic author
candymancan
Posts: 3652
Joined: Tue Mar 22, 2016 11:32 pm

My shop.. finally.

Post by candymancan »

So 15 years.... working in a single townhouse parking space. Two if i move my other car.. Outside.. in the heat.. i would get sunburns on my legs as i was under my Jeeps... if it rains HURRY GRAB THE TOOLS toss em in the Jeep.

If it snows ? Dig a tunnle.. i worked doing a timing chain digging tunnles under the 4.0 ZJ.. fun.... not. Then you have neighbors looking at with with welding goggles.. respirator and dust spark grinding going on..

100 foot extention cable. Have to use bottle jacks.. because the steel jack was too heavy to lug outside down the stairs so i sold it



So a year ago we finally noved to the country.. got 14 acres in a little grove surrounded by trees.. Unfortunatly i needed fencing and pasture for the horses.. so ive spent a year building my own fence cutting down trees etc.


Best part though is i have a barn once a forestry service building built in the 40s. Original owner bought the building in the 60s.. took it apart.. moved it on the property.. rebuilt it. Hes actually passed away in his 80s and buried on the graveyard like 20 feet away from my property at the church..

Its 100x50 feet long. Far end 1.4 section is 6 horse stalls a horse walk in. The middle 1.2 ( 3 large double doors) is dirt unfortunatly. Dusty.. but can fit 6 cars easy..

The other 1.4 section with double doors. Is my shop. Man cave.... finally.. i have my own space.. It has room for only 1 vehicle. But its a 4 inch slab.. curved to the middle with a floor drain.. Nice.. has a sink/water that runs from the house 300 feet away.. So i get fresh clean filtered ( i installed 4 big blue filters in the house) well water.. It has a cinterblock/tile lined chimney for a wood stove.

6 windows. That tilt upward for ventilation. 10 power outlets. 8 are 120v. Two are 220v. One 55amp.. one 25A.

A workbench.. made of solid oak. 6 inchs thick.. 20 feet long. It was made using the old barns 4x6 roof beams left over. I have shelving around the entire shop.. I have PINBOARDS !! LOL for tools... I installed the houses old ceiling fans in the existing boxes already wired on top just empty. So i have fans. The barn is tall.. So in the summer 95f outside it was maybe 78 inside the barn.. So not too bad. Not with fans and shade.

The only thing i noticed is i now need light for under my Jeep haha since i have no outside sun.

I refurbed the 8ft t12 lights new ballasts and 60w 5900 lumen bulbs. ( i love old ligjts its a hobby). Added led shop lights though too. I added the old houses kitchen Led lights above my workbench for more light there.

You dont know how happy i am being near 40 to finally get away from being outside..

Here are pics. Fyi .. yes its messy... i jist did my rear main.. valve covers. Power steering pump.. front axle u joints.. So tools are all over. I gatta clean it uo again. I just got the minig fridge too :-) gonna get a microwave or toaster oven in there haha. I got a radio too. And fyi remember the barn is 80 years old. 60 if you count it being rebuilt.. So yea the drywall has water stains. And it isnt a fancy pretty new shop wood is old .. But i have litterally everything else :-). Who has running water and a stove and ceiling fans. And 220 and 120.. amd a bench this solid not many id assume. :-) i do plan too either pave or concrete the middle section.. the dirt is anoying in there.. just walking kicks dust up.. once thats concreted ill probly remove the drywall/framing on that side to extend the shop to the middle.

Mr Miller the owner who did this.. was quite a dude.. the neighbors said he did this by himself
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Last edited by candymancan on Sun Mar 19, 2023 12:12 am, edited 3 times in total.
1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.9L Limited 219k
1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0 I6 laredo 430k
1990 Jeep Grand Wagoneer 155k
1976 Jeep J10.. 85k(repaired)

Topic author
candymancan
Posts: 3652
Joined: Tue Mar 22, 2016 11:32 pm

Re: My shop.. finally.

Post by candymancan »

More pics
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1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.9L Limited 219k
1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0 I6 laredo 430k
1990 Jeep Grand Wagoneer 155k
1976 Jeep J10.. 85k(repaired)
User avatar

Yeller
Posts: 1521
Joined: Thu Apr 01, 2021 7:54 am
Location: Rogers County Oklahoma

Re: My shop.. finally.

Post by Yeller »

Very cool shop space!
The bus I ride is so short it is a yellow Smart Car full of squirrels, monkeys and clowns.

1970 J2500 Resto Mod
https://www.fsjnetwork.com/forum/viewt ... 12&t=21395

1974 Bronco “Broncno”
https://classicbroncos.com/forums/threa ... st-3411909

Theodore
Posts: 377
Joined: Tue Sep 04, 2018 5:26 pm
Location: East Tennessee

Re: My shop.. finally.

Post by Theodore »

Very nice! Enjoy! Will be a game-changer. It’ll fill up quickly. Grew up wanting a shop like my granddad’s; went from woodworking on saw horses in the front yard, to a small basement - and having to cut boards down outside & finally to a 20x20; still remember not knowing how to act. Now it’s so full of GW parts, woodworking is impossible - looking forward to getting parts installed & the GW painted this year.

Looking forward to seeing posts from progress in the new shop! Had noticed we hadn’t heard much from you for a while. Glad to hear you’re making progress.
1990 Grand Wagoneer - "Theodore" - AMC 360, fuel-injected, TF727, NP229 - Sand Metallic - restoring to stock - Build Thread

Topic author
candymancan
Posts: 3652
Joined: Tue Mar 22, 2016 11:32 pm

Re: My shop.. finally.

Post by candymancan »

Ya i was busy with this the properfy i built 2 acres if fence myself.. had to build railing for the houses wrap around deck.. paint fix the inside of house. New light cmfixtures.. switchs.. receptacles.. i installed outdior lighting in various places. Down the 60pft long driveway. Had to cut two acres of trees brush down.

The fence i made with posts on the lroperty stacked that were still good. And made my own posts out of trees i cut and debarked.. saved money. May not last 20 years but its fine.

Its just so much work doing it all basically alone.
1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.9L Limited 219k
1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0 I6 laredo 430k
1990 Jeep Grand Wagoneer 155k
1976 Jeep J10.. 85k(repaired)

threepiece
Posts: 430
Joined: Mon Apr 20, 2020 8:33 am

Re: My shop.. finally.

Post by threepiece »

Well good for you! Few deserve a decent place to work more than you. I can’t recall seeing anyone accomplish more with less than you have. Your tenacity can now be applied to other areas.
I used to name my FSJ’s after their previous owners, I realized I had too many with five named Rick.

Dang raccoons again!

Rust is a color too.

rocklaurence
Vendor
Posts: 2565
Joined: Sat Mar 30, 2013 6:53 am

Re: My shop.. finally.

Post by rocklaurence »

That is cool! Get a cot and a hot plate and never have to return to the house.
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