I can't work in here

[Glider]

I may have Australia's smallest shed. Inside it measures 4 x 3 metres and houses the following:

Carbatec Saw Table
Router Table
Jointer
Carbatec 14" Bandsaw
Bench Thicknesser
Disk/Belt Sander
Reciprocating spindle sander
Bench Drill Press
Domino, Tormek, waterstone tank, vises, cramps and assorted hand & power tools.
PLUS our hot water heater, good timber... & no room to work.

The saws, router & jointer are all on wheels and I have to stack all the bench mounted items on one bench or outside so I can assemble & finish on the other one.

Enough is enough. Tomorrow I finish moving everything into the garage & we start demolition. The new shed will be 2 metres longer & 300mm wider. I know it's not much but I am sure it will make a huge difference.

Workshop - a set on Flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/16869272@N05/sets/72157626635580478/)

Mick :)

[BobL]

I am most impressed with your current set up and the fact that even though you have all these machines in it you seem to be able to make what looks like a large cupboard in your shed!

I notice you do not have a DC? While you are at it why not design a place for a DC outside the shed so that when you get one it ejects the fine dust outside your shed.

[Ironwood]

Hi Glider,
I think you have done well with the space you have to get that amount of gear in there.
As you say any extra space will be a bonus.

I have a much larger shed for my woodworking, and its still very cluttered.
I think the key for any workspace is to have good storage, and plenty of it.
Then try to get into the routine of cleaning up and putting everything back in its place at the end of each day. (this is where I fall down )

I remember reading somewhere about a couple in Britton who were both woodturners, they had a shed which measured 10 x 7 feet, they had 2 lathes in there, plus the grinder and other stuff. They both used to work in there at the same time...... Very cosy.

[Glider]

I am most impressed with your current set up and the fact that even though you have all these machines in it you seem to be able to make what looks like a large cupboard in your shed!

I notice you do not have a DC? While you are at it why not design a place for a DC outside the shed so that when you get one it ejects the fine dust outside your shed.

Thanks Bob. The set of shelves underway on the bench required a lot of equipment to be moved outside The DC was hidden behind the door. If I can find a good spot outside I will definitely move it into a weatherproof shelter.

Yesterday afternoon the old shed was demolished. The bobcat comes on Tuesday to take out the old slab & enough earth to lower the new floor 300mm. Here's a pic of the Dead Shed & some of what came out of it.

My Dead Shed | Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/16869272@N05/5688200251/in/photostream)

Mick :U

[Handyjack]

If you are human, given a space you will fill it.

[Glider]

Big day today. The earthmovers turned up with two trucks, a bobcat & a rock hammer. They took out the slabs and enough soil to drop the floor by 300mm to give me more stud and to allow the new roof to fit under the far window. 25 tonnes. :oo: The tipping fees are a killer.

Then the plumber turned up to sort out the dog's breakfast of water & waste pipes. The best news is that he suggested we get rid of the 15 yo electric water heater & replace it with an "on demand" natural gas unit which will be mounted outside on the house wall. More space! :D

Ready for the plumber | Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/16869272@N05/5706363048/in/photostream)

Mick

[Christos]

Looking very nice so far. Are you able to go higher where the doors would be?

[Glider]

Thanks Christos. I am hoping to get another 200mm stud height overall. Hopefully I can use the Domino to add a strip to the bottom of the sliding doors. It took two full days for the plumber to tidy up the water pipes & re-lay the waste water to the new lower levels. Ouch.

The plumber's been | Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/16869272@N05/5722177848/in/photostream)

I still have some stormwater work to do before the concreters arrive to form up Thursday & lay the slab Friday. Sketchup has been working overtime on the framework. With a bit of luck I will be into the fun part in a week's time, building it. :D

Mick :)

[Glider]

It's taken a bit more than a week and two concreters before the slab was finally poured and steel trowelled. Two hours later it started raining but no real damage done. Phew! William the Concreter & his team of Lebanese lads did a fantastic job. He told me he put a fall of 1mm across the 3.5 metre wide slab & the new digital level confirms he was spot on. How do they do that? :?

Half of the wall framing has been cut, notched and assembled ready to go up tomorrow. The other half is ready for nailing together first thing in the morning. The rafters are also cut and notched for the battens to be laid in flush.

Flickr: mick1948's Photostream (http://www.flickr.com/photos/16869272@N05/)

Mick :)

[wun4us]

Woops, when I saw the timber for the rafters, I thought at first that you had the mother of all workbenches undewr way already!!

Looking good though........:2tsup::2tsup:

[Christos]

Still watching with interest. :2tsup:

[Glider]

The last couple of days have ben a write off due to the rain. Finally we were able to get into it today & got most of the frame up. My builder mate who is helping me fell about laughing about my precision. :laughing1: He keeps telling me we are building a shed not a piece of furniture. So we are 2 mm out of square. So what's wrong with being accurate? :-

We'll get the battens on tomorrow & fix the far end rafter to the wall. Then we'll divert the downpipe again in case the rain comes back. With the frame in place we now have accurate dimensions to order the roofing iron.

Flickr: mick1948's Photostream (http://www.flickr.com/photos/16869272@N05/?saved=1)

Looking good.

Mick :)

[Christos]

Yeah it is looking good.

[wun4us]

Getting there, slowly but surely and a fine job!!

How high is it from the floor to the ceiling? perhaps its a visual thing, but compared to the far end door it looks a little lower than usual?

Cheers

[rusel]

Mick
What insulation are you looking at

Russell

[Sawdust Maker]

That's coming along well

How are you storing your tools while the work happens?

[Christos]

If it was me I will be storing them inside the house. :U

Amazing how much space you can make for something inside the house,,,, no need for an ironing board,,, all my labels are wash a wear. Well thats the way I treat them. :lb:

[Glider]

The last of the rafters went up today & all the battens are in and secured. We picked up the sheets of blueboard today ready for fixing on Monday. The roofing & guttering should be ready for pickup sometime on Tuesday.


Mick, What insulation are you looking at Russell

We'll put sarking under the Colorbond but that's about it Russell. I need the 'tween rafter space for the fluoro lights. The stud height runs from 2360 down to 2100mm on the low side so a ceiling would just make it too low for me.

Being on the Eastern side it can get a bit warm on mid-summer mornings but soon cools off in the early afternoon shade. At this stage I'll leave the studs & noggins exposed 'cos they provide a lot of good storage space for clamps, chisels etc.


How are you storing your tools while the work happens?

SWMBO's garage is chock-a-block. No static so far but the cost of the square up is not known at this time. :o


If it was me I will be storing them inside the house. :U


Bilateral negotiations for limited territorial incursions have been stalled since 1972 due to the possibility of war; for which she maintains a high state of readiness. This has proven to be an effective deterrent, however attractive a sortie across her borders may be.

Thanks for your interest guys.

Mick :)

[Christos]

I love the replies. :U

[Glider]

Getting there, slowly but surely and a fine job!! How high is it from the floor to the ceiling? perhaps its a visual thing, but compared to the far end door it looks a little lower than usual? Cheers

Thanks Barry. That little door at the far end is only 1200 high & opens into a concrete floored crawl space. I have it earmarked for either timber racks although the idea of a roll out set of storage shelves has occurred to me.

Mick :)

[Sawdust Maker]

...


SWMBO's garage is chock-a-block. No static so far but the cost of the square up is not known at this time. :o

...


Hmm - I can see this hurting in more ways then one and at the most inopportune moments - good luck :D

[wun4us]

Thanks Barry. That little door at the far end is only 1200 high & opens into a concrete floored crawl space. I have it earmarked for either timber racks although the idea of a roll out set of storage shelves has occurred to me.

Mick :)


Given that its a crawl space, maybe you could even widen the doorway and have a nice widw set of roller racks?

Barry

[Glider]

Those foundation stones are about 450 thick. I think I'll leave them where the Edwardians put them back in 1904. However I have thought about chipping a 100mm hole in the side wall so I can locate the dusty into a sub-floor area with enough height to accomodate it. The guy in the Shawshank Redemption only took about 20 years to do a similar job. :D

Mick :)

[BobL]

Those foundation stones are about 450 thick. I think I'll leave them where the Edwardians put them back in 1904. However I have thought about chipping a 100mm hole in the side wall so I can locate the dusty into a sub-floor area with enough height to accomodate it. The guy in the Shawshank Redemption only took about 20 years to do a similar job. :D

Mick :)

Sounds like a job for the $60 Ozito jack hammer/drlll

[Glider]

I suppose I had better visit the big green shed and have a look. It has to be better than a cold chisel & brickies hammer. :p

I am intrigued by the description, Bob. Is it a jackhammer or a type of impact drill?

Mick :)

[Sawdust Maker]

or hire one from Kennards, maybe

[wun4us]

I suppose I had better visit the big green shed and have a look. It has to be better than a cold chisel & brickies hammer. :p

I am intrigued by the description, Bob. Is it a jackhammer or a type of impact drill?

Mick :)

Methinks a small charge of C4 properly placed and shielded would do the job nicely:oo::oo:...even break the stone down to manageable sizes for ease of removable...collateral damage would be minor...hole would be suitable enlarged to your strict requirement then!!!:D:D:rolleyes::wink:

[BobL]

I suppose I had better visit the big green shed and have a look. It has to be better than a cold chisel & brickies hammer. :p

I am intrigued by the description, Bob. Is it a jackhammer or a type of impact drill?


It's both (and also a non-impact drill).

About 6 years ago I had to demolish a set of red concrete landing (~ 2 x 2 m x 300 mm). Can't be too hard I thought and brought out the trusty sledge hammer but it just bounced off the stuff. I then rang around a couple of hire places and they all wanted ~$50/day to hire a small jack hammer. On my way out to the hire place I stopped off at the local bunnings to buy something else and that's where I saw the Ozito Jackhammer/impact drill combo. It was $59 at the time. I thought even it only lasts for this job thin it's paid for itself.

6 years later it is still going strong. As well as the old step and landing removal I have used it to build a 72 block limestone wall out the front and the 64 limestone block retaining wall for the shed. A few years back I bought a set of 3 cheap chinese 600 mm long impact drill bits (also on special for $29) and have used it to drill up to 500 mm long holes through double brick, and also limestone. I have also used it to build a wooden fence - it drives long spade bits really nicely thru thick timber.

It's next job will be to help me demolish the old shed (5.3 x 3.5 m) floor.

I see there is new model of the drill available

[Sawdust Maker]

$9.84 a year - bargain :2tsup:

[BobL]

$9.84 a year - bargain :2tsup:

~3c a day.

Oh yeah for got to say, its also been loaned out to countless relatives and friends, some of whom I would not normally loan out anything delicate or valuable.

[scottbr]

We'll put sarking under the Colorbond but that's about it Russell. I need the 'tween rafter space for the fluoro lights. The stud height runs from 2360 down to 2100mm on the low side so a ceiling would just make it too low for me.

If you're not using bulk insulation, at least use Air Cell when you do the sarking. Comes in a roll and doesn't cost much. It will be worth doing.

[Glider]

If you're not using bulk insulation, at least use Air Cell when you do the sarking. Comes in a roll and doesn't cost much. It will be worth doing.

Thanks Scott. I went onto the Kingspan website to find out where I can buy their Aircell product. Nothing there other than direct inquiries to WA. Their email link refers to a privacy policy with another link which doesn't work. Not a great start. Doesn't mean their product is dud, just their CEO and Marketing people. :no:

I'll shoot over the Bunnies tomorrow & see what they have to offer.

Mick :)

[wun4us]

Thanks Scott. I went onto the Kingspan website to find out where I can buy their Aircell product. Nothing there other than direct inquiries to WA. Their email link refers to a privacy policy with another link which doesn't work. Not a great start. Doesn't mean their product is dud, just their CEO and Marketing people. :no:

I'll shoot over the Bunnies tomorrow & see what they have to offer.

Mick :)

Bunnings have Aircell, but if you have a Mitre 10 store handy, they are cheaper. I gor mine for (if memory still works) around $30 roll cheaper...Bunnings match and 10% doen't work either as its considered "trade".

[Glider]

Bunnings have Aircell, but if you have a Mitre 10 store handy, they are cheaper. I gor mine for (if memory still works) around $30 roll cheaper...Bunnings match and 10% doen't work either as its considered "trade".

Thanks Barry. Looks like a trip to Mitre 10 for the Aircell & then on to Bunnings for the jackhammer. The wallet moths need a bit of air anyway.

Today I got the header and framing up for the sliding doors. All cut ends have been treated with CCA and the exposed ends have also been coated with bitumenous paint.

I hired a sparky this morning who will give me a 32 amp power supply supplied directly from the mains to a sub-board in the workshop. He assures me this will solve the light dimming voltage drop which happens in the house every time I start the table saw. Two separate power circuits, one for each wall, will have earth leakage/circuit breakers plus a light circuit for the 8 x 2 x 40 watt fluoros to help my failing eyesight.

Workshop - a set on Flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/16869272@N05/sets/72157626635580478/)

Mick :)

[scottbr]

Yeah, 'Air Cell' has become a bit of a a generic product. Loads of people make it. And it's not expensive. It's basically something like bubble wrap sandwiched between thick foil layers. It's good for roofs where bulk insulation won't work. Even with bulk insulation, I would use it whenever sarking is used.

[Glider]

We fixed the blueboard today. The sandstone foundations sit about 55mm proud of the brickwork above, so we had to work out how to seal the cladding over this area which is >50% of the stud height. The problem was solved by using the big angle grinder to cut vertical slots in the stonework which allowed the board a clean edge to seal from top to bottom.

We also picked up the colourbond, fascia & guttering which will be fixed tomorrow arvo. In the meantime the old sliding doors are about 140mm too short so I'll use the Domino to add a plank to the bottom edge.

I'll post some more pics tomorrow.

It's just great to see the space taking shape. :cool:

Mick :)

[Glider]

We fixed the colourbond yesterday but still have to do the weather strips. The sparky wanted a clear run without anyone else working on the job so we'll probably finish off the roof & guttering tomorrow. The lighting is fantastic. Eight double 40W fluoros over the 6 x 3.5 metre footprint provide bright shadow free light. Each set of four has its own switch to save a bit of energy.

Workshop - a set on Flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/16869272@N05/sets/72157626635580478/)

We are getting a lot of fine concrete dust off the steel trowelled floor. Will this ease in time? Or should I think about sealing it? :?

Mick :)

[Boringgeoff]

G'day Mick.

You shouldn't be getting any dust off you're new floor, often caused by concrete that's too wet or in your case perhaps that shower of rain while your concretor was still trowelling?
Go somewhere unobtrusive and give it a scratch with a nail or similar. You should only get a shallow scratch with very little residue but if it gouges pretty easily with a lot of chalky, white dust then the surface may be water affected.
You may have to give it a coat of paint or sealant, but I don't know what's best in that regard.
I have seen badly rain damaged slabs painted with a bonding agent then a thin, high strength, layer of topping mix concrete over laid. That might be a bit radical in your case. Sorry to not be of more help.
Geoff.

[Harry72]

Give the floor a coat of epoxy based paint, it'll fix the dust problem. Finish building the workshop 1st as it will take several weeks for the concrete to dry out enough to be coated.

[wun4us]

Give the floor a coat of epoxy based paint, it'll fix the dust problem. Finish building the workshop 1st as it take several weeks for the concrete to dry out enough to be coated.

Can recommend Berger Jet Dry for the floor....2 coats. Been on my garage floor for about 8 years and still pretty good. No touch up yet!:2tsup:

[Glider]

G'day Mick.

You shouldn't be getting any dust off you're new floor, often caused by concrete that's too wet or in your case perhaps that shower of rain while your concretor was still trowelling?
Go somewhere unobtrusive and give it a scratch with a nail or similar. You should only get a shallow scratch with very little residue but if it gouges pretty easily with a lot of chalky, white dust then the surface may be water affected.
You may have to give it a coat of paint or sealant, but I don't know what's best in that regard.Geoff.

A 2.8mm gal nail will scratch close to half a mill. in three goes. The loose material is a bit chalky so I s'pose the rain within 30 minutes of the boys finishing has affected the surface. Damn. :( Yesterday I broomed in a 6:1 mix of water : Bondcrete which certainly stopped the fine dusting.

I am a bit leery about using any sort of painted finish in case I end up with a slippery surface; especially with sawdust around which I understand is especially slippery on a shiny floor. I'm tempted to put a coat on...but once it's done...

Mick :)

[wun4us]

A 2.8mm gal nail will scratch close to half a mill. in three goes. The loose material is a bit chalky so I s'pose the rain within 30 minutes of the boys finishing has affected the surface. Damn. :( Yesterday I broomed in a 6:1 mix of water : Bondcrete which certainly stopped the fine dusting.

I am a bit leery about using any sort of painted finish in case I end up with a slippery surface; especially with sawdust around which I understand is especially slippery on a shiny floor. I'm tempted to put a coat on...but once it's done...

Mick :)

Food for thought...you can get non-slip floor paint that does work. Trouble is, its a little hard to sweep the sawdust up completely; nonethless, better than bare concrete IMHO.:rolleyes:

[Boringgeoff]

We had a concrete patio floor at our old place that was dangerously slippery when it got wet. I painted it with a paint designed for boat decks and that fixed the problem, but it was hard to sweep after that.

Geoff.

[Glider]

I think I'll leave the floor as it is for a while. If I run out of projects and end up with a case of acute shed fever I'll probably think about some sort of coating. In the meantime, a bit of sawdust on the deck will have to do.

We got the heavy gear in just before the skies opened up.

Flickr: mick1948's Photostream (http://www.flickr.com/photos/16869272@N05/)

Adding the extra plank to the bottom of the doors will have to wait until Huey has finished. There's one more storage bench to move in and HRH will get her garage back again. Then I can finish organising the smaller stuff & get on with some woodwork. The wood racks will be first cab off the rank.

Mick :)

[Glider]

Most of the gear is back in place and ready to be rolled out when needed. I ended up lining the outer walls with villaboard mostly because it was a lot easier to paint. My timber is still elsewhere until I can make some racks for the small room at the far end. The job card still includes a smaller bench on wheels for the thicknesser, disc & spindle sander.

Building a new shed is a bit like renovating...it can go on a lot further than originally anticipated. At least I now have a shed which I can work in! :D:D

Workshop - a set on Flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/16869272@N05/sets/72157626635580478/)

Mick :)

[Glider]

Now that the shed is looking so swept up, the top on the storage bench started to look pretty shabby. A couple of sheets of MDF was a possibility but I kinda like natural wood so I bought a few sticks of 19 mm Merbau decking. After knocking the radiused arris off I used a jointing cutter in the router & stuck them together with polyurethane glue. Awful stuff, but it does the job. Out with the smoothing plane & scaper and a final sand resulted in a beautiful hard surface. O-Cedar liquid polish gave it a final sheen. Now it looks too good for a bench top. :B

Flickr: mick1948's Photostream (http://www.flickr.com/photos/16869272@N05/)

Mick :)

[Sawdust Maker]

Nice shed reno :2tsup: or should I say build :doh:

[Robson Valley]

I sure hope that you like the "on demand" water heater. They are the cat's whazoo.
I had an electric one in my old summer house, nobody ever twigged to the possibility of running out of hot water. I cut a few long showers short by flushing the toilet!!

Too bad you have to build sheds. Lots of Canadian houses have a basement at least 1/2 underground. My downstairs shop is 5m x 8m, more-or-less. Very cozy winter cave.
My great treat is to move power tools outside for the summer and let the sawdust fly.

[wun4us]

A real good job, Mick...inside and outside.

When does the extension start?:oo:

[rusel]

Just having a look thought the photos and notice all the plumbing in the back corner so there fore could you put in a sink even a small one would be very useful.

[Glider]

Thanks guys. The sink is a good idea Rusel. Fortunately I have a tap right outside the door with a big old fashioned grate underneath.

The demand gas heater is terrific especially considering our June electricity price increase of 18%. Hey Robson, any trout or salmon in those rivers around McBride?

Mick :)

[Christos]

Nice to see the final photos of the shed fit out. :2tsup: