Thread: Tinkerer's workshop

Originally Posted by Moph

The first is a thermal image from way back in the middle of summer (40+ degree day) when I fitted the Ametalin Thermalbreak 8. Pretty self explanatory - huge radiant heat load coming off the uninsulated roof, but greatly reduced by the sheet insulation.

Hi Tim,
A bit off topic but i was really intrigued by the thermal image you took.
What camera is that? (I'm guessing it's a FLIR but at what $$$)
I'm actually after one for my house which is too draughty for my liking and I'd like to see both where my heat is escaping in winter and where it is entering in summer.
John.

It's a Testo 885-2 and yeah, it's not cheap (~$15k). FLIR sell some basic models now that attach to Android phones or iPhones ... maybe check them out?

Omg, OK, maybe I won't get one after all!
I assume you Need one for your work?

Yep, I use it (in company with other diagnostic tools) to locate termite damage and water leaks. It's sensitive to 0.03*C which is quite insane - I can track the dogs around the house by the thermal images they leave on carpet and tiles for up to a minute after they've walked by, and a quick hand slap on plastered masonry with as brief a contact period as you can manage will show up a thermal handprint for around 15-20 seconds.

Not strictly part of the shed build but eh, it's what's kept me OUT of the shed for the last three months =)

Palms out, old junky lawn out, lots of new soil + organics in, retic in, shed services in, mow strip and boatport slab (alongside shed) poured, garden wall built and Palmetto turf down. Still a lot of work to do on the garden beds but the boatport roof and shed will be getting bumped back up the priority list.

Finished the carport over Christmas and am pretty chuffed with the way it's turned out. The rear yard actually looks much better with it finished because it makes sense of the shed being where it is, rather than it just sitting obnoxiously in the middle of nowhere.

Picked this up the other day. Bit of a strange beast - body off a Dawn 6" cast iron vice but slide off a (presumably Dawn but unmarked) 6" fabricated vice. The price was right so I wasn't fussed, but it's a curious question as to how it ended up that way.

Stripped it back and gave it a couple of coats of VHT Engine Enamel in Ford Red. Need to hit the handle with a die grinder to tidy up overspray (got slack with masking every coat...) but pretty happy with how it's come up.

Pretty much straight as a die other than a small dab of weld on the outer edge of one of the side mounting holes. I suspect the vice was probably dropped at one point causing a crack through the base at the weak point adjacent to the mounting hole, and totalling the original cast iron slide.

Great shed thread love it.

How do you get machines across that lawn or heavy materials??

Over the last week I have been doubting the way I have set up the new workshop/garage which is drive through 3 door. Change is needed but need to clear the slate of projects first as one is a new bench.

Originally Posted by wheelinround

How do you get machines across that lawn or heavy materials??

Dunno ... I put all the heavy stuff in there before laying the turf

Will likely use my little 5x3 offroad trailer though, as I have in the past. Just let the tyres down to 20psi before driving it across the lawn and it shouldn't do any permanent damage - it didn't damage the old grass that was there previously anyway.

Anyone played with finishing aluminium sheeting before? I have 10-12 sheets that I picked up cheap from a salvage yard due to them being lightly water stained (white swirls). I'd like to use them to line the workshop area of my shed to ~1200 above floor level but need to tidy them up somewhat.

I'm not looking to return them to original bright shiny finish - just get them looking somewhat consistent with a matte random brush finish. Should I hop into them with a Scotchbrite pad on the random orbital sander?

Originally Posted by Moph

Anyone played with finishing aluminium sheeting before?

In the last 12 months I've used more Al than wood.
The white string will be oxidation probably from water.
Scotchbrite is definitely the go.
As well as an ROS Scothcbrite pad I have a Scothcbrite wheel on a bench grinder and it gets more than all of my other grinder wheels because it removes burrs or drilled and cut edges.

What thickness is it? If it's 2 or more mm thick I reckon that it's too valuable to use as a lining.
It's easily worked with standard WW tools and makes great jigs and things for a wood workshop.
We made all the blast gates of the mens shed out of 3mm Al.

It's 2mm thick and the white swirls are definitely oxidation as you say. Picked them up for $20/sheet (1200x1500ish - can't remember) so more than happy to use them as a lining. You can get 1200x2400x6mm sheets on Gumtree atm for $50/sheet so it's easy enough to pick up thicker stuff for jigs later on if needed.

I wouldn't like to use a mill, lathe, welder or grinder with the current poly finished ply lining, so it needs something over that in the work bay area.

Nooby question - I currently only have a 1/4 sheet orbital sander which isn't compatible with hook and loop attachment, so I take it I should pick up a 125mm circular ROS and some of the maroon Scotchbrite pads?

It doesn't look that bad to me - I'd maybe even think of using it as is.
It depends where you are - if you are near the ocean, scotchbriting will remove the existing corrosion and any other coating it might already have only to have it corrode again later anyway.
The only way to stop it corroding again will be to coat it with something.

It will be interesting to see what it does regards noise
Al flat panelling with holes in it is widely used as a sound barrier absorber but I assume you don't want to spend your time drilling lots of holes in it.
Are you planing to put it over existing Ply lining? [EDIT] I see you are which will be good.
If not you may need to provide extra bracing behind the sheets to stop it drumming

1.2m won't be high enough protection for some things. Angle grinders and welders will shoot stuff all over the place.
My hot/metal shed end is lined to full height (2.4m) in miniorb which being corrugated scatters/reduces sound surprisingly well.
I have since found out that miniorb is also widely used for interior acoustical control.

If you have some Al left over I would consider using it to make a vented welding/grinding booth - that way you have at least some full height protected area for hot works.
I had some miniorb left over from lining the shed so I made this vented hood - the bifolding doors fully enclose the space at bench height. I also use it as a small spray booth.
Fumehood12.jpg

That is indeed a splendiferous welding booth, Bob. I don't have room for a dedicated area like that but will see what I can come up with.

As is becoming a common story in this thread, I've barely touched the shed in the last few months. The rugrat is old enough to ride a bike so wifey announced that "something must be done" about the patio. The old one was pretty bad I must admit - midspan skew nailed splices; shear splitting of one of the primary bearers; and the whole thing was drifting laterally away from the fascia. Wasn't unhappy to see it go.

The new one will have a limestone slab (going down tomorrow) and western red cedar lined ceiling, hopefully in lighter honey tones rather than the darker jarrah look that is quite common. The packs are stored out in my shed at the moment but the outer boards are packed face down so haven't had a good gander at the as-delivered colour yet; just the samples.

Also picked up one of the outgoing model Carbatec 18" scroll saws today on clearance - nice to get a few hundred dollars off. Will stay boxed up until I get back out to the shed and finish off the lining. I plan to be 'moving in' this year though lol.