Converting a Backyard Shed into a Model Workshop

[Hank]

Went out this a.m. and got a couple pix of the ceiling - almost done. I'll cut the center panel today to size but until I actually have the lite fixtures in hand, I don't know where the opening for the elec. connection needs to be made. So, that paneling will be left off until later. I'll probably begin primer paint early this afternoon, once one final piece of trim is in place and that's a very minor task at this point. So, here's the progress:

So far today, the weather isn't too warm yet, so I think I'll be able to get the trim primed (brushed) and all cut in work done. Probably begin rolling out the primer tomorrow.

 

[Hank]

I just came in from touching up a bit on small trim & corner paint. Done!!! Tomorrow, I will rearrange "stuff" yet again, and then begin drilling out the screw holes, countersunk for the flooring panels. I only have 4 at the moment and need probably another 16, but that's all the local Lowe's had on hand. They expect the mule drawn buckboard with more products sometime next week, ya'll!! E-e-e-e-Haw!!!!! I might just have to hitch up the Caddywagon and make a river crossing to the big city w/CeeMent Ponds and buy a few more before next week. So, here's the shop:

The center section is painted and once I've got my new LED Lite fixtures in hand, I'll know where the elec. wiring will go and then can put that panel in place. So, it's slowly taking shape!

[Nirvana]

Hank, 

Are the models crying for attention?
You must be so close to get done so you can start modeling again.

[Hank]

Dr. Per,

Yes, in the distance I hear a steam whistle blowing forlornly as if calling to me...…"build me, glue me, cut me, treat me bad"....OOPS, What??? 

[Hank]

I did finally get some work done yesterday/today - although other things were occurring, etc. I've got 19 plywood panels (2'x4'x15/32") - 1 as a master and 18 ready for installation. All are drilled/countersunk and ready to be put down. So, after an early holiday cook-out, I managed to get two installed before the last episode of The Roosevelts was aired on PBS. So, here is the floor as of right now:

I hope to get out early morning (well, 8:30am or so...) tomorrow and continue while it's still fairly cool in the shop. I've glued a narrow lathing strip along the front/side walls which gets the panels closer to level in both directions; not 100%, but closer. I may actually have enough panels on hand to do the front area, although I haven't actually taken measurement. In any event, any progress each day is that much closer to the end goal.

Happy 4th everyone!

Hank

 

[Nirvana]

Hank, are you to staggering the "planks"?

You may run into problems if not.

Also, make sure you have space between the floor planks. They need to move to "breath" humidity, heat and cold will make material expand and contract.

Planks drilled into place, never seen that installation before. 

[thibaultron]

Yes, do stagger the rows!

[Hank]

Thanks for the advice, BTW....Today, In spite of the heat (low 90s) I got out and after a quick run to Lowe's, began working again on the flooring. with the exception of a master 2x4 and 2x2 which have all the holes drilled/countersunk, I've used almost everything I had on hand and have the flooring around 50% done. Will check Lowe's again in the morning, but if they aren't restock, I'll just finish a couple other odds & ends that need doing. Here is what things look like this evening:

Notice the reddish colored panels? - well, those I bought at a different Lowe's and they aren't worth a crap IMHO. They tend to spinter and the top or "good" side isn't really much better than the bottom or "bad" side. So, I will go back to the local Lowe's and purchase what I can when it's available. Same item #, same price, but not the same product. Oh well, what can you do when you're not head of quality control, right?

 

OK, time to watch Marie Antoinette and the headless Queen, or something like that....

[thibaultron]

Buy 4X8 sheets and have them cut them down to 2x4 or 2x8 for you, much cheaper.

[Charles Green]

Plywood comes in different degrees of quality, each made for a specific use.  The ply sold at Lowe's and Home Depot is termed CDX.  Its intended use is exterior sheeting, to be covered with siding or roofing.  The "C" indicates the grade of the good side and the other side is D grade.  What makes up the middle plys is quite variable.  Some sheets of CDX I've bought were so full of voids they were more like very narrow boxes than solid sheets.

 

At this point in your construction its too late to change, but what you want is AC ply.  It's about 30% more expensive than CDX, but the "A" side is good enough for paint as-is and the back side will be better that the front of what you have now.  Around here Ace Hardware stores with lumber departments sell AC ply, as do stand-alone lumber yards.

[Nirvana]

I bought the AC quality for my work bench top. Ace Carrie's the cdx as well, but they explained the difference. The AC is used for cabinets as well and interior in general. Higher price yes, but huge difference. Then they said something very interesting. If you want real good quality we can order airplane birch plywood any thickness twice the price of AC, but it's a beautiful plywood.

Best part with a local ACE store, they care for the customers, they will know you by name. What they don't have at the moment they can order.

And you are supporting a local business.

[Hank]

All good advice, thanks! At the current time I'm basically committed to the 2x4 & 2x2 panels (as needed) - I was able to buy 10 more today locally - all in very good condition - so, this afternoon (at least until Mr. Sol runs me back into the a/c of the house) I'll be back out getting these prepared for laying down. I spoke with my C/R/F about covering the screw holes and he said "yes" - so, I'll mix up a batch of Durham's Hard as Rock and fill in all the screw holes, as well as any cracks, holes, etc. in the panels as needed. Once sanded, they will be unnoticeable when I roll out the epoxy paint on the floor.

FYI, we do have an ACE nearby, but it is not one that has the lumber dept. and also - they are exceptionally friendly to customers.

[Nirvana]

49 minutes ago, Hank said:

 

FYI, we do have an ACE nearby, but it is not one that has the lumber dept. and also - they are exceptionally friendly to customers.

To bad they don't have lumber - I live in an area where lumber is a huge business.  But customer service is what makes them so much more better.

My ACE has been in business for 45 years, true name is Lincoln Creek Lumber - Ace.

Anyway, you're so close now and I heard through the grapevine your models are waiting for you. 

[Roger Pellett]

In normal times, I like to browse in hardware stores and often end up buying stuff that strikes me as being useful to my model building activities.  Sometimes it can be used to advantage for purposes known only to me.  There is a Menards big box store near out local Target Store. I can often spend an enjoyable hour at Menards while my wife is at the Target analyizing the toilet paper selection.

 

Unfortunately, Ace Hardware’s business strategy seems to be “extreme helpfulness.”  They pounce on you as soon as you enter to select the product that in their opinion works best for the problem that you are trying to solve.  This hovering prevents browsing.  For this reason I seldom go there.

 

With the virus, am following my Doctor’s advice to wear a mask, and spend as little time as possible in the confined public space of a store.  This makes the local Ace Hardware store more attractive.  I tell them what I want and they go get it.  

 

Roger

[Hank]

One thing I've noticed since moving from close to a city to just outside a small town, the folks are friendlier; sometimes to the point of (dare I say it??) wasting my time with all the fussing about this and that - but, certainly more welcome than what you find in the metro areas - I'll leave it at that.

So, tonight I finished using what paneling I had on hand and may begin tomorrow by mixing up some Durham's and filling in screw holes and other imperfections. Here's the shop tonight:

I've used 29 of the 2x4 panels and 8 of the 2x2 panels - my orig. estimate was for 40 of the 2x4 panels; we'll see how many it actually takes.

[Maury S]

Who's law says that your stuff expands to fill the space you have?  Looks like you're on your way to filling the shed.

Maury

[Hank]

Maury, Maury....where have you been??? The shed has been full all along!!! I have to move "stuff" in order to do construction. So, now more stuff would only compound the already existing problem!!

 

Tues. noon update - I've filled all the "visible" screw holes/cracks (not joints, BTW!) - I still have many that are covered by "stuff" and will move things around this afternoon in order to fill those in before beginning another assault on the remaining paneling.

 

Tues. evening update - Well, no panels to be had today. The woodcutters at Lowe's must be out with the COVIDs or something along those lines. Maybe tomorrow; however got screws and Liq. Nails, so I'm only lacking the boards! Worked on a couple other areas of interest this evening before calling it quits. All the putty in the floor should be hard by tomorrow a.m. 

[Hank]

Tues. evening (one week later) - Still about 14 panels short of being able to complete the flooring. However, I now have all the screw holes/wood cracks/blemishes/etc. filled in with Durham's Rock Hard filler so tomorrow a.m. I'll be out belt sanding and prepping for paint. Once the 2nd coat is dry, I will then move 2 bookshelves into place and once again re-arrange "stuff" in order to leave the back area without flooring ready to go without obstructions. My old full size drafting table is in place and I've refurbed the board with new vinyl board cover and replaced the straightedge & cabling. I may get the board mated to the table also tomorrow; I'm only one small renovation task away from having the board ready to go out to the shop. Today I also received the large corkboard and hung it on the wall in front of the drafting table for a direct reference area (pinning large drawings, etc.); a smaller one for the side wall should be here tomorrow or Friday. I hope to get a couple updated photos to share tomorrow, as well.

[Nirvana]

Hank, creating a work space takes longer than you think.
Besides there is a lot of planning involved too.
When do you think you will be done?

[Hank]

Dr. Per,

Yes, your comments are very true - and, things change. Basically, I'm fairly close to ending up with what I originally planned to build, but with a few changes. If I can get the needed flooring panels in a day or so, I think I will be able to finish the floor by mid-next week. I've got my 2 lite fixtures but will wait to install them after the floor is finished completely. After that it is mainly painting odds & ends and then moving a couple items around to their perm. positions AND finding space in my smaller shed for storage of wood scrapes/pieces, building supplies not needed (can't be returned, etc.), and then moving PEACOCK, NEW JERSEY, and AVS to their new homes. Oh, I also need to build a 2 tier 24" wide bookshelf/base for PEACOCK (Case - 60"x26"x42") which I've already got simple ideas in my mind as to how to do that without a large amount of fuss/time. I'm going to incorporate my small refrigerator into one end of the unit under the model!

So, I'm hoping that sometime in early August I will actually be able to do some maintenance on NEW JERSEY and then clear the decks for beginning USS STODDARD (DD-566). At least, that's my intent. Outside painting and possible roof replacement will come when I have time/money. I have the paint, but won't worry about it at the moment. Also, the HVAC will need to be purchased and that may come next. We'll see!!!

Hank

[Hank]

Well, today has been a mixed bag - got a couple things accomplished, but not what I had intended to do. So, realizing that there is no actual schedule, I guess progress is progress regardless, right?

 

With the help of my nautical neighbor, we got the drafting table mated to the board and then I put up my 2nd cork board and some small pen & ink sketches of sailing ships:

I have once again moved "stuff" out of the way in order to belt sand the unpainted floor panels tonight after supper and then prep for painting. An earlier trip to Lowe's today was a total bust; I guess I'll have to break down and actually cross the river to visit stores in W-S in hopes of securing the necessary panels to finish the job. So it goes.....🥵

[Hank]

Thursday Evening Update:

Well, I DID get the remaining installed floor panels sanded tonight, found a couple screw holes I'd missed, and puttied them. So-o-o, tomorrow a.m. I will vacuum the floor and then paint. I've decided to go to Lowe's and get them to cut enough of their 4'x4' panels into 2'x4' for me to finish the job. I've resisted this simply on a time basis, but will bit the time clock bullet and if it takes an hour or so, so be it. I'll have my wood and be somewhat ahead on the cost. So, here's tonight's work:

I will also re-roll a couple small portions of the floor where dirty spots have developed from tracking in stuff from outside. With weather in the 90s I don't think it will take long for the paint (2 coats) to dry solid. Anyhow, that's the "plan"!!!

[Roger Pellett]

Looks nice!

 

Roger

[Hank]

Thanks, Roger!!! Always good to have a pat on the back!!!

Fri. Afternoon - Well, my 2 hour mission to Lowe's for flooring panels was a success!! So, I now have 14 more 2'x4' panels ** ready to be sized, drilled, and installed. This morning, as noted above, I did get the remainder of the floor painted with both coats of paint after vacuuming, etc. I now have paper rolled out to keep my feet from gumming up the works! I plan to start on the remainder of the floor panels this evening. It's in the 90s, somewhat showery (nice!), but extreme humidity and I need to cool down a bit. So, perhaps after grilled chops & fresh white corn on the cob I'll be stoked for more work! Will post pix sometime tomorrow.

 

** By purchasing the 4'x4' panels (@ $17.78) I saved $4.90 over buying (2) 2'x4' panels (@11.34) - this is also before deducting my 10% military discount. I should have been buying the 4'x4' panels all along!!! I also had Lowe's cut the panels in half at no charge!!! What a deal!!!!

[BANYAN]

Your 'cave' is starting to look very plush Hank.  I have been a lurker watching your progress with some interest, and I am impressed with the forethought and finish going into your project.  I went through this some years back and it has paid dividends having a well laid out and comfortable place to work - only one problem, as I am a 'toolaholic', the 'shop' started to get cluttered again and undergoing a thinning out exercise at the moment - so beware - the more space you have the more you want to put in there  

cheers

 

Pat

[Hank]

Pat,

Thanks! Well, unlike yours that was empty and then gradually got filled, mine was "stuffed" from the outset and I'm trying to thin out "stuff" while having to deal with it during construction!!! If it were up to ME.....that entire loft would be Deep Sixed tomorrow!!! 😪, But, alas it is not up to me.....

I too like tools, gadgets, instruments, anything that has moving parts, etc. and makes a noise, so I know what you're up against. The new sell-it-yourself apps for smart phones really come in handy when it's time to cull the herd!

 

Tonight I got baseboards cut & installed all around to the back (workbench). The humidity drove me back to the house and I'll pick up tomorrow a.m. with flooring, etc. I may even get the Kelvinator located and cranked up and see if she still works!!

 

[mtaylor]

I think that old saying "mother nature abhors a vacuum" applies to workshops.  Seems that one day, you turn around and suddenly... stuff.  Everywhere with no room for more stuff.

[Bob Cleek]

It's certainly coming along nicely!  It's good you buttoned her up with plenty of insulation and "creature comforts." It always pays to have a workshop that you can use to sleep in on those occasions when you're thrown out of the house.  

 

[Hank]

Mark, Bob -

Thanks for the nice comments, etc. Well, it won't have a whole lot of creature comforts, but is a haven for getting out of the rain!

Today - way too humid to work in the shop, so I started putting together shelving to build my unit to house PEACOCK, etc. The garage was equally an oven, but I've been in there off & on for the afternoon and did get some items assembled, etc. Since most of this unit is lesser lumber, I'm debating whether or not to simply sand it smooth, prime it, and then paint either a med. satin brown or satin dk. red (burgundy) - either color might look good with the white walls & lt. gray floor. I don't think a stain/varnish treatment is really worth the effort; a solid color would probably work best.

[Hank]

Monday - worked in the garage on the book shelf/model stand off & on as heat/humidity was rather intense. Short late afternoon shower cooled things down a bit. Got out to the shop and installed 3 more floor panels. Will be taking Lt. Smokey to the vet in the a.m. and hope to get work done as weather permits. Will probably also pull coxswain duty to retrieve said LT. in the late afternoon.