I'm building a shop!


Robert Morse

Recommended Posts

Are you using offset snips-the kind where the handles stay above the surface?   Wiss snips require some fine tuning to cut nicely.  On a recent large, complicated job, I discovered Milwaukee snips, and will keep using those. 

If you really want to take the easy way out, get an Irwin metal cutting blade, and a cheap circular saw.  I use that with some sheets of pink styro board ripped to fit in between the ribs when the sheet is upside down.   The styro goes on top of a sheet of plywood, that's on top of 2x4's on sawhorses.  You need ear plugs under muffs though.

https://www.amazon.com/IRWIN-Metal-Cutting-Circular-Blade-4935560/dp/B0030XMFHK/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1531506638&sr=8-3&keywords=irwin+metal+cutting+blade

I put 24 gauge standing seam hip roofs on two small porches, on an old house I worked on.   The pitch was so low, I wanted to give the roof planes every chance to stay straight, so used the thick stuff.  There was no way I was going to cut that with hand tools.  You can't even see the top of the porch roofs from the street.  All the cutting was with that circular saw blade.  It's surprising how fast, and clean it cuts.

 

DSC_0006.JPG

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Tom King said:

Are you using offset snips-the kind where the handles stay above the surface?   Wiss snips require some fine tuning to cut nicely.  On a recent large, complicated job, I discovered Milwaukee snips, and will keep using those. 

If you really want to take the easy way out, get an Irwin metal cutting blade, and a cheap circular saw. 

I picked up a pair of the offset Milwaukee snips - they're pretty nice, but were still getting stuck in the middle on long rips.  If I ever do it again, I'll pick up the metal blade for the circ saw, but I've only got a few rips left... I should be able to make due at this point.  Thanks again for the tips. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good luck.   I know you'll be glad to be finished.

Try having your helper gently lift the near side piece (or whichever side is the part above the jaws as the cut is being made) as you are cutting it.  Is the weight of that piece causing the sticking?  There should be no weight of material down on the snips. If so, that might take care of it.  We do so much stuff without thinking about it, that I forget all the details.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good news! My Dad and I finished the ceiling this weekend, and I finished up the upper wall steel panels on Monday and Tuesday.  We got the last of the main lights installed as well, and I spent some time last night shortening the cords and running them in cable keepers (second picture), so they look WAY less crappy.  I love the way the steel looks on the walls and ceiling. I'm also pleased with the LED lights - they're plenty bright, and the 5000k color temp is quite nice when the garage door is open. 

The only metal left to install is a single strip to cover a gap between the garage door and the center post (see the red arrow in the image below). 

I also made a home depot run for materials to case the windows - pre-primed, finger jointed 1x6 pine boards to the rescue! I got a coat of white paint on them last night, and they'll get installed tonight.  After that, I'm enclosing the bottom of the exposed beams with quarter inch ply (you can see insulation and framing thru them).

I picked up 4 more lights so I can have separately switched lights over the center of the shop where the table saw is going, as well as over the bay just to the right of the garage door where I'm planning to do finish and hand tool work. It's going to be brighter than the sun in there when I'm done.

The rented lift goes back a week from today, and it will be nice to work standing on the ground again.

metalDone.thumb.jpg.8a430f79a735f3d5bd0cc4ca8a48ef31.jpgcordMgmt.jpg.d5e0802c6a61cfcaec7b56b7aa360585.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had a busy weekend:

First: I installed and caulked the 3 window casings (1x6 finger jointed primed boards FTW)!

windowsCased.thumb.jpg.3adfa223d50d8e0edbb803228035f808.jpg

Once that was done, I cut and installed some 1/4" plywood panels over the bottom of the beams to dress them up a little.  I cut these about 1/2" wider than the beam and then hit them with a flush trim bit in the Trim Router to match them up to the sides.  After taking the pictures below, I also applied just a bit of stain to darken the white-ish edge of the ply.  I think it looks pretty sharp.  

BeamsEnclosed.thumb.jpg.0d77d0c23acc3994bc5b29c92edbf594.jpg

Last night, I spent a couple of hours cleaning up the mountain of metal scraps and cut offs, and sweeping up all the chips from flush trimming the edges of the ply. The lift is ready to go back, and the shop is looking pretty good.  The final project for last night was to tie all the outlets together on the north, west and south walls so I could test the circuits before I put up the wall coverings... Both circuits tested good, and I spent the evening in front of the TV adding pigtails to all the outlets so I can install them faster once the walls are done. 

On to drywall!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 5 weeks later...

Thanks all - the floor turned out well and I'm super pleased with it. There's a section where the repaired bubbles look like the little dark inclusions you see in maple burl... and there's chatoyance in the floor too, neither of which I have been able to capture in photos yet. I like it.  After a day of boyscout popcorn sales, and kids birthday parties, I'm headed out to work on the drywall shortly.  Only 10 sheets left!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Robert I just finished reading this whole thread and I'm very happy for you! I used to live in Magnolia, and have a good friend up in your town. That shop will be wonderful to work in and serve you very well for many years. I'm proud of you for all the work you've put into it and admire the finished product. I imagine by now you've moved tools into it and have started making sawdust :) 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Who's Online   1 Member, 0 Anonymous, 34 Guests (See full list)

  • Forum Statistics

    31.2k
    Total Topics
    421.8k
    Total Posts
  • Member Statistics

    23,759
    Total Members
    3,644
    Most Online
    R Parekh
    Newest Member
    R Parekh
    Joined