Took the first step towards building my shop

[metric_taper]

Hows the cross bracing task? Hope the weather is holding during this fall.

[Frank S]

Hows the cross bracing task? Hope the weather is holding during this fall.

Just picking my battles one at a time.
Will be ordering all of the rest of the roof purlin tomorrow or the next day then to look at cash flow again LOL

[Frank S]

Even after having to take time to change a tire then go to town get fuel have the tire fixed and a few other go to town things that had to be done.
I managed to get 4 purlin installed today these area at the highest part of the trusses so my scaffold was more of a its there as a fall stop than anything else since the center of the trusses are over 6 feet from the bottom of them it meant climbing on them and working while standing on the braces or sitting on top of the truss to weld them in place.

This puts the to the point of either doing the back half of the same side or moving a lot of stuff to do the other side. Or going ahead and sheeting what I have to give me a 30 ft by 36 ft roof over head. On the one hand having a partial roof would be better than no roof but that means having to change up what I am doing. IT would mean I would have a completed area to put the project that is currently under the tent though and the tent has to come down soon anyway. Heck I have almost knocked it down already.
But I think I will carry on and install the other 10 purlin on the second half of the side I am working on then sheet the whole half then move everything from the other side and not have to take a step forward while taking 2 backwards.
The stuff that needs moved is the 3 axle set currently under the tent and the 50 ft trailer that I have on dollies and can only be moved sideways



Once I finish with the roof these bar joists will be used to make a 30 by 40 lean to on the south side of the building

these white standing seam panels will be the roof of the lean to.
originally the bar joists and the panels were used as a cover for a large RV
I have almost enough panels to make a 30 ft wide lean to the full length of the building


This pile of pipes is what I will be using to run my air system throughout the shop I have close to 2000 feet of 1 " 1 1/4" and 1 1/2" pipe in that pile with a smattering of a couple hundred feet of 2 " & 2 1/2" pipe more than enough to plumb an air system with.

[Toolmaker51]

Could chassis be moved better from front; a heavy [2 5/16"] trailer ball on forklift or frontloader, lifting front end so wheels aren't contacting ground? Maybe pull tires and weld up a landing gear?

[Frank S]

Could chassis be moved better from front; a heavy [2 5/16"] trailer ball on forklift or frontloader, lifting front end so wheels aren't contacting ground? Maybe pull tires and weld up a landing gear?

it could providing there was room between where the shop is and where I have my vehicle detention center that I call the dog pound because there are more Mack bull dogs than other critters Also that pencil sharpener is sitting smack in the way of things
Right now it would be difficult to use the receiver on the fork carriage of the front end loader due to having the gin pole and hoist on it. My duel wheeled fork lift spends more time buried in the ground than rolling it is barely maneuverable around as long as I can remain on the area where I have hardened it up with the select fill clay drive of the edge of where that is and it sinks to the frame. hence the pushing and pulling from the rear
one helper who could either drive the pickup or could steer the bus while it was moving would have been a big help.
Jane won't drive the pickup because the size of it and having to push or pull the bus chassis scares her and she surely is not strong enough to steer the bus.

[Frank S]

yesterday and today the wind was almost dead calm Lost yesterday due to having to do the wife wants to go to get groceries thing which could have waited another month or 2 by my estimation of the pantry, freezer and fridge but the boss is the boss.
so this morning started trying to get the back hoe started at around 9 am in 20's something temps. it wasn't having it. the old battery just didn't have enough reserve to get a good crank over speed. Out comes the 30/60/300 Schumacher. Charge a while then spin over a few seconds then charge a while again. repeat and repeat get frustrated go round up a couple electric heaters place one at injector pump the other on the opposite side of the block. Sun's out nice and bright the hours tick by the temps climbing but back hoe parked north side of building shaded from the sun. I refuse to use a starting aid on the old engine last thing I need is to turn it into a drug Addick. It either starts or it don't and I go do something else. So one final attempt flip charger up on the 300 amp setting give it a spin it starts and blows black smoke for several minutes while warming up. By now it is noon half the day gone wasted the rare calm wind.
Fly 4 purlin up weld them in place fly the remaining 6 up weld 2 more in place by now it is getting on past 4 PM all and all a productive day best so far on the roof project but now need to move the mobile scaffold. get everything moved out of the way and say the heck with it I'm supposed to have a new battery come tomorrow or Thursday and Bob may be able to stick around for a couple hours to help steer and move the scaffold Going to be too windy to risk welding tomorrow sparks started a couple of small grass fires today even in the almost calm wind but the Fire marshal wife took care of them with her shovel
4 more purlin, 4 more purlin I keep saying then I can sheet the whole north roof.

Did I say I only have 4 more purlin to put up on that side?
Oh yeah part of yesterday was used in welding in the last crapy brace between the trusses.
This officially uses up every last piece of the old trusses from the building I took down

[Toolmaker51]

A lot of pipe! Run a branch to St. Joseph? I'm not a big consumer of compressed air . . .
Maybe I can find an unfracked reservoir in OK or southwest KS. Never mind, you are busy enough.
Actually, I have a 3ph dual voltage 80 gallon upright and 60 gallon reservoir, in opposite corners. One for quiet, one where the action is. PLENTY!

[Frank S]

A lot of pipe! Run a branch to St. Joseph? I'm not a big consumer of compressed air . . .
Maybe I can find an unfracked reservoir in OK or southwest KS. Never mind, you are busy enough.
Actually, I have a 3ph dual voltage 80 gallon upright and 60 gallon reservoir, in opposite corners. One for quiet, one where the action is. PLENTY!

When it comes to pneumatic tools, I am a firm believer that they are like having fire arms behind every door stashed in every corner hanging on every wall under every place one can be hidden because the walk in closet gun safe will no longer hold any more,you will only have too many air tools when there is not a square foot of work area left unoccupied with one. I plan to have drops water traps and filters with the possibility of also regulators through out the shop many areas will have manifolds of quick disconnects and shut off valves before every manifold. Many of the locations will have the 3/8" and 3/4' inch quick connects
This will hold true for electrical outlets as well. I haven't decided what to do about center bay work stations should the need arise, I might decide to embed recessed conduits for future use. I hate having cords or hoses strung out all over the floor that have to be moved to roll a tool box or drive a forklift or vehicle through an area.

[Toolmaker51]

When it comes to pneumatic tools, I am a firm believer... plan to have drops water traps and filters with the possibility of also regulators through out the shop many areas will have manifolds of quick disconnects and shut off valves before every manifold. Many of the locations will have the 3/8" and 3/4' inch quick connects
This will hold true for electrical outlets as well. I haven't decided what to do about center bay work stations should the need arise, I might decide to embed recessed conduits for future use. I hate having cords or hoses strung out all over the floor that have to be moved to roll a tool box or drive a forklift or vehicle through an area.

In full agreement.
My case;
Pneumatics get 3/4" perimeter line and QD's, keeps 3/8" hoses off lanes of rolling stock.
A pair of lines overhead with reels either side of centerline.

Electrics;
120v perimeter with outlets spaced same as air QD's. Aside vacuuming, 120v doesn't figure big with me. Power feeds and work-lights; small buck transformers already hung on most respective machine tools.
Machine tools [98% are 3ph 60hz 440v] all get drops from the 8" square wireway main or branches(*1), more volume [20% area is 931 12ga THHN conductors and grounds!(2*)] never require fully. Have 360' worth, bought surplus $10 each, to run main plus 3 branches, and elevator style [rectangular 2x4] for 2 or 3 ganged light switch stations at doors.
Have three VFD's for 380v 50hz machines, greatly simplifies wiring scheme.
Still don't have a big amp receptacle/ plug or dedicated disconnect for the Lincoln 250A stick welder, real long pigtail.
Have surplus [excess] lighting fixtures. But they'll work out; 120v LEDs pendants into conduit receptacles, flush + 1/2" for drywall, to enable work at night. After wireway is up I have many 12' fluorescent T8 277v fixtures. Via 3-way switches, allow whatever lighting for work at hand, including night lights for egress.
Now equipped with shear/ punch/ beader/ brake/ bender, I'll fabricate separators for each branch of wireway, to further enhance cooling, tracing, adding circuits.

Yes, there will be a build thread, once family things are done in CA, around 1st of February. A brick structure, 6500 sq ft, 16' ceiling free span, loading dock high, 1 ramp, needs one more though. Machinery [except grinding and sawing] all in place and leveled.
Yes. IT HAS TAKEN FOREVER GETTING THIS FAR!



*1 https://www.google.com/search?client...w=1600&bih=736
*2 https://www.hoffmanonline.com/stream...6140&pRID=2123

[Frank S]

Talking about using acetylene as start aid for a diesel can be a very bad thing but it can be done the problem is the acetylene's explosive reaction to high pressures. Just a whiff OK but flood the breather and watch the head bolts stretch or a con rod pretzel like too much nitrous in a street racer.
Propane is not as bad but still dicey same with starting fluid the only engines that were actually designed to be started with ether was the old 2 stroke Detroit's they even had a port or a chamber where you could place ether balls an puncture them to get the engine to start ether balls looked a little like paint balls only larger. Drop one in slam the lid and spin the engine over if you didn't get white smoke , do it again soon it would start and eventually it would become so addicted to the stuff you advanced to using cans of starting fluid.
Once while I had my old Dodge welding rig I ran out of gas way down around Langtree, South of Ozona Tx. my welder was diesel and the truck was gas I laid the tip of my torch in the throat of the carb used a wire to spin the engine over then turned on the act. until it started I adjusted the flow until the engine was running around 2000 RPM closed the hood to the safety catch then drove the 45 miles to the nearest gas station, dodgy at best but better than walking in the middle of the night.
My dad was working on an old Autocar that had an air starter we had several inches of snow on the ground went out to start it up whirrll went the starter but no start rolled the air compressor out filled the start tank gave it another go still no go dad came out with a shop rag soaked in gasoline, shoved it in the breather and said start it boy. I gave it a whirll this time it caught and ran. My dad said a little bit of ethel will do it every time always remember that son.
Todays water gas doesn't work quite as well but I've found that the premix chain saw fuel you spent 20.00 a qt for works great pour a little on a rag and shove it in the breather tube the vapors will be enough to kick off an older engine that doesn't have an intake warmer if you have those it must be disconnected or risk exploding the intake don't ask me how I learned this.