Sad Day at the shop

[Donny Lawson]

I got a phone call on the way home today and this is what I came home to.It's burnt. I saw smoke about a 1/4 mile away from the house.Where do you go from here????????
Donny

[brian watts]

donny i donot what to say buddy .did it get the whole house? or just your shop. iam out of town working but when i get home. if you need ANY help please let me know .

[Mike Stephens]

Wow! That really sucks. Glad no one was hurt though.

What caused the fire.

Where to go from there. Straight to the liquor store.

Good luck to you.

[George Guadiane]

Sounds like no one was hurt... I hope you have insurance and that it doesn't take too long to get back up an running.

BIG BUMMER!:(

[John Keeton]

Donny, I am so glad there were no injuries, and that at least the fire was confined to the building. Looks like the structure is OK, though a mess.

Hopefully, you have good insurance coverage, and sufficient documentation for a loss claim. I have been meaning to go out and take a bunch of pics of all my tools, open drawers, cabinets, etc. I could never make a list without pics. This will motivate me to get that done asap.

I hope the best for you on this!:(:(

[Mark Hubl]

I am very sorry for your loss and damage to your shop and home. Don't wish this sort of thing on anybody, hope all works out for you.

[Doug Thompson]

Sorry to see this... I'll start it out... I have some tools here that I don't need. PM your address and they will be sent. Doug

[David E Keller]

Good grief.:(. I'm happy no one was hurt, and tools can be replaced.

If somebody here has the time to organize a little pass the hat, I'm in. I'm afraid I don't have the time to organize it, but I'll happily contribute.

[James Combs]

I would be in sever withdrawal by the time I got it back into shape if it happen to me. Best of luck getting everything back into operation.

[Dennis Ford]

I know this is very painful right now but you are OK and you can build it back better than before. Don't let this keep you down!

[Roger Chandler]

First, our condolences on the fire,:( I am so glad no one was physically injured. We will pray for you as you work to put the pieces back together....

Let us know the cause when you can......... do they think it might have been electrical or maybe oily shop rags, or have they even speculated as of yet?

[James Combs]

Good grief.:(. I'm happy no one was hurt, and tools can be replaced.

If somebody here has the time to organize a little pass the hat, I'm in. I'm afraid I don't have the time to organize it, but I'll happily contribute.

Ditto on providing what I can. If you have a PayPal account PM your PP email address.

[Thomas Canfield]

Sorry for your loss. I hope that you can post some possible warnings that might help us avoid a similar experience. It looks like it was put out befoe total destruction, but a little fire goes a long way with the water and other damage of putting out the fire.

[Tom Sherman]

Donny you have my sympathies tough loss.

[Donny Lawson]

Thanks,I'm just at loss for words for all your kindness.My shop is my biggest pasttime and hobby.I'm usually out there 4-5 nights a week turning bowls or pens.My new Delta 46-460 is melted along with everything else.There was no power at the shop at the time of the fire.There was a storm yesterday and I turnned the power off because of lightning.The fire dept. said it looks like lightning hit the shop and smoldered until today.I do have ins. but I don't know how much it will cover.
Thanks so much,
Donny

[Joe Shinall]

Donny, I am really sorry for your misfortune today. I don't even know where to start. I am also in if you need any help. I am in Savannah, not sure how far it is from Chatsworth, but anything you need, you have a large community here willing to help.

[Donny Lawson]

Here are a few more of what's left.
Donny

[Gary Herrmann]

Very sorry about that, Donny. Hopefully someone will organize something for you.

[David Christopher]

Donny, Im sorry about your shop, but Im in also, I have a few tool I can send and some funds

[Jon Lanier]

Donny, at first glance of the picture I thought you were just showing off how much cleaner your shop is than mine. And it still is.

You've got that much going for you. :eek:

Patience and Endurance is the character traits you might learn a little more of during this time of transition. So glad nobody was hurt.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Donny sorry to hear about your loss. Glad no one was hurt. I have some tools I could send also if insurance doesn't cover it all. Is the shop itself going to be ok or is it a loss?

[Steve Schlumpf]

Donny - sorry to hear about this! Please keep us informed as you start your rebuild. As mentioned by others - very thankful no one was injured!

[Michael James]

Good grief.:(. I'm happy no one was hurt, and tools can be replaced.

If somebody here has the time to organize a little pass the hat, I'm in. I'm afraid I don't have the time to organize it, but I'll happily contribute.

Donny you're one of the good guys and I appreciate how you ponied up the wood when I was looking. Just finished a pen out of a piece of the box elder for a friend.

Let us know how it goes and if you get stuck... holler out.
Michael

Ps- Im with David and the others on the hat thang........

[Aaron Wingert]

Donny I'm so sorry this happened to you. Tools and contents can be replaced, and I'm glad nobody was hurt. Please keep us apprised of your cleanup and rebuilding progress.

[gary Zimmel]

Sorry to hear of your loss Donny. I feel for you..

[Karl Card]

wow. I hate fire when it does what it wants to. Dont even know what to say other than what has been said. Being laid off if I were closer at least I would of helped clean up the debris.

I wish you luck in dealing with insurance, some do whats right and some dont..

I will keep my fingers crossed for ya and I am glad noone was hurt.

[Tony Wheeler]

sorry for your loss

[charlie knighton]

sorry for your loss

[Jon McElwain]

Wow, so sorry for the loss. I had a flood a couple of years ago and learned a thing or two about insurance and tools. For all those who have home owners insurance, please check your policy and be sure that it has "replacement value" coverage. If not, insurance will only pay what they estimate that the destroyed item was worth prior to the incident. If you have a replacement value policy, they will actually buy you a brand new replacement item. The price of the policy will be a little more, but let me assure you from my personal experience, it is well worth the cost!!

Again, so sorry for the loss. I've been there and can feel the pain...

[neil mackay]

My worst nightmare, a lightning strike.

But the up side is that nobody got hurt and looks like the structure is Ok. So its tools and a lathe, hopefuly your Ins will cover the loss.

[Jeff Nicol]

Donny, As has been said by all we are so glad that no one was hurt in the fire. It looks as though some of the things could be salvaged by a guy like me who loves to tinker with stuff. The things that the plastic is melted on can get rebuilt, but that is a lot of work for most. I hope your insurance covers everything and you can get it all back going better than before. No matter what it sucks bad! I am in if you need any support, wood, or just moral support from a fellow shop lover!

Not to take away from your fire and loss, but when I was a senior in high school one of the neighbor kids came and got me at my girlfriends basketball games. He was a young kid about 10 and he was kind of laughing and I was not sure if he was serious when he told me my house was on fire. But as soon as I went out the door I could see the flashing lights and I took off running home. As I got about 100 feet from home the windows in my bedroom blew out and my mother was standing on the sidewalk across the street, when I walked up to her she broke down and hugged me so tight. She and everyone thought I was still in my room! IT was surreal to see it all happen and to feel the loss. I had been collecting antique bottles and beer cans for 10 years and had a pretty nice collection. I also had 25 -30 old beer signs, clocks and memorabilia that I had gotten from my Grandfather and other places. We were renting and had no insurance at all. I lost all my clothes, my hunting stuff, guns, bows everything. All I had left was the clothes on my back and it was December. Just like with us willing to help, everyone gave and gave untill the pain and loss went away. We eventually worked with the land lord and got to rebuild the place for a 1/2 years free rent and we could redo it the way we wanted, and that was a fun and great learning experience for all!

It started in the old wires of a over 100 year old structure so no one to blame but fate I guess.

May God bless you and yours on a speedy rebuild and that now you are pre disastered ,that this will never happen again from this time forward!

Jeff

[Matt Ranum]

As was said before, thankfully no one was hurt. I pray your ins will cover most if not all for you. This is one of my worst fears as well, not that it matters but every time I leave my shop everything is unplugged and turned off.








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[bob svoboda]

Donny, so sorry to hear this. I know how devastated you must feel right now. Hang in there buddy.

[Jim Underwood]

Ooooweee! That's just awful! I'm so sorry for your loss. Glad no one was hurt though.

This hits us all close to home, since our shops are all precious to us. We realize it could happen to us.

Take a few days/weeks to grieve over it, then get back in the saddle and make it newer and better.

Keep us posted!

[Curt Harms]

I too am sorry to hear about your loss and am thankful no one was injured. Things can be replaced, loved ones cannot. It looks from the pics that the structure is not too badly damaged but I bet it stinks to high heaven. Hang in there, I hope your insurance is fair to you and build it back better than before!

[John Shuk]

First you go to church and thank him that nobody was hurt. Then insurance company then to the Toolnut to get back up and running.
So sorry you are going through this.

[Derek Voigt]

I would cry... I had a close call last year when a storm knocked down a power line over my garage. Unlucky the business end of the line landed in the driveway, it was arcing as tall as the garage and really tore up the driveway. Sorry that you have to deal with it, but maybe this is the time you try to rebuild and remodel?

[Paul Douglass]

WOW, sorry this happened. I'd be pretty devastated because some of my tools have sentimental value also. Hope you get back up and running soon.

[Frank Sornson]

I lost everything to a fire three years ago. I know what you are going through. My fire started in the garage, and spread to the house. All tools were totally destroyed, most were not recognizable. We had pretty good insurance, and great neighbors. We received stuff from many strangers. I didn't know people could be so generous to strangers. We are still known in the area as the house that burned down.

Good luck, and if there is anything I can do to help, just let me know.

[Sean Ackerman NY]

So sorry, glad everyone is alright!

[Steven DeMars]

Here are a few more of what's left.
Donny

DO NOT ! ! ! UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE MENTION or ACKNOWLEDGE TO YOUR ADJUSTER THAT YOU EVER SELL ANYTHING THAT YOU MAKE OR THAT IT SUPPLEMENTS YOUR INCOME IN ANY WAY ! ! ! !

Adjusters do not like shop fires . . . They stay open to long and their first response is to find a way to deny the claim. Doing business out of your shop unless specifically listed in your policy is an easy way out.

If this is not applicable to your situation, please ignore. Just did not want to let time slip by before someone warned you.

Looking at the pictures, all I can say " sorry this happened" . . .

Don't forget, pictures of you in your shop with tools, booklets, manuals and even signed affidavits from woodworking friends are acceptable prove of ownership. Also check if your insurance is full replacement or actual cash value.

Steve:)

[Rob Cunningham]

Donny, sorry to hear of your loss. Hopefully some things can be saved and the insurance company comes through for you.

[Donny Lawson]

I did get with the Ins. agent today and it will be the 30th before someone will be out here.My ins. should cover most of my tools but only about half of my shop.Looks like it might be a longer process than I had hoped for.I will keep you informed on how it comes out.Thanks again to everyone here for all your kind words and geneorsity.
Donny

[Thom Sturgill]

Donny, it may take years to get over, but be thankful nobody was hurt. I have lost everything I owned from a fire that occurred while I was on vacation 10 years ago. No insurance as the company had cancelled the policy due to the age and construction of the building. I was in the process of remodeling - tearing out beadboard and replacing it with sheetrock.

I also lost much of what I owned when a kid burned down the garage about 35 yrs ago. That was a rental and we had only been in the house a couple of months and all of our winter clothes were still in packing crates stored in the garage. No insurance, new in town. It still hurts when I think of some of what was lost.

Nobody that hasn't been through such a loss would understand how much it can affect you.

[David DeCristoforo]

I should have replied to this long ago but it's almost unbearable! I have a friend who's shop was gutted by fire not once but twice and it's heartbreaking. So sorry you have to go through this, Donny. There is little most of us can offer beyond heartfelt sympathy and moral support. But you can count on those in abundance! I do hope you had adequate insurance coverage.

[David Woodruff]

Donny, Profoundly sorry for your loss. The only thing is to move forward after the grieving.
I worry about fire constantly and un-plug all major machinery as I leave the shop during storm season. It is amazing the flammable materials in a shop. I do have very adequate insurance but we all would be amazed at the little things done at random, that makes our shops. A huge time investment
When you are up to it make a list of some items needed to start over. The Creekers are a generous bunch and we all have redundancy in our tools.
John has good idea with photographic documentation. It has been a few years since I updated. With the amount of lightning in North Carolina this year, I Need to get it done.


Good Luck, David Woodruff

[Neal Wells]

Sorry for your loss. You might want to gather up the steel hand tools like chisels, planes, wrenches, etc. and consider soaking them in oil. Many years ago a close friend lost his shop and we did that. Later we were able to salvage a lot of it but the things that were left out in the open rusted beyond use. The combination of heat and water damage makes for rust city. It doesn't look like it got enough to draw the temper on the tools, especially those that were down low. Good luck with rebuilding.

[Baxter Smith]

Donny, sorry for your loss. I hope the only things lost were the replaceable kind.

[Jerome Hanby]

Donny, I'm not sure how close you are to Birmingham or how often you get out this way, but I've got an extra Dewalt RAS that's all yours if you need it. Needs a stand and a table, but otherwise is in pretty good shape.

[David Helm]

Donny, I feel your pain. Last November my shop was destroyed by, of all things, a hit and run driver. When it happened I was devastated. Got on the horn with my insurance agent. They acted fast. The hardest part was the inventory of destroyed tools. Just this week got my last replacement tool (tablesaw). The shop was rebuilt better than before. It feels like a long haul but recovery can happen. Good luck to you.

[wes murphy]

Donny, I'm sorry to hear about your losses. Fires are terrible things at any level.

[Kirk Miller]

Donny,
I don't know what to say. My shop is a special place for me where I can go to take my mind off all my troubles. If I lost my shop I would be devastated so my hear trully goes out to you. I wish I lived closer to help you out. I am sure you will find all kinds of help, and some firends you didn't know you had before this experience is finished.
I am glad nobody was hurt.
My best wishes for you Donny

[William Hutchinson]

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y66/wlhutch/Flood/Wilma-2005.jpg, that ain't snow and the waters reached the bottom of the car windows, BTW that was a new car. The shed was my first shop, it's still there and is now an artist studio.

I know from personal experience that loosing your shop is depressing, not just for the monetary loss but also for the loss of enrichment to your life. It's a private retreat where your time was your own, a respite from life's pressing demands and where crafting woods was an pleasurable endeavor.

In my case, after the waters receded and the mud had caked, I'd go to the shop and try to clean up the mess but ended up shutting the door and walking back to the house- I did that for months. Finally the realization hit that now I could rebuild a better shop with what I now knew and getting new and better tools was also a bonus. It took several years, but it did happen and I had a more efficient, better organized shop. I now enjoy the hobby more, because I know what a loss it is without it. For me the hardest part was getting the motivation to sort out the mess. Once started the rebuilding came easier.

My heart is with you, brother.

[David E Keller]

Hutch, they got palm trees in Eastern Tennessee?

[James Roberts]

Donny, so sorry to hear of your loss, hope your insurance can get you back on your feet soon. Perhaps, as Mr. Keeton said earlier, this will be an incentive to others to get an itemized list of tooling and equipment and photos as well for insurance purposes. I know how much my measly little basement shop means to me I can't imagine losing it. Glad no one was hurt.

[Cathy Schaewe]

I went away for a few days, and came back to this - I'm very, very sorry. If you would (when you can manage it) post a list of the tools you lost, I'd bet you'd see some replacements in a hurry. My thoughts are with you. :(

And when you're ready for some wood, I'll send you some of that, too.

[William Hutchinson]

Hutch, they got palm trees in Eastern Tennessee?

No and they don't have hurricanes either-- And I now live on the high side of a hill. The photo was taken on Saddle Bunch Key, (near Key West, FL). That was the last of four hurricanes we suffered and was the germination for the Northward move.

Disasters come in many forms and severity. I am grateful that Mr. Lawson, his family or the firefighters were not harmed. Rebuilding can be like an emotional rebirth to build a new home for your passion.

[David Hullum]

Sorry about your shop Donny. Man that is devastating. I hope you get a chance to rebuild soon. I am also glad no one was hurt.

[Donny Lawson]

Words just cannot say how much I appreciate the support and help from all of you.I know the next few weeks are going to be long and hard waiting to see the outcome of this whole thing.I would not wish this on anybody.I've lost sleep,shed a few tears,and worried myself to death about this, but the people on this forum are the best friends anyone could ever ask for.When I get back up and running again I just hope I can help others like they have helped me.I was walking around up there today just thinking of all the roughed out bowls and pen blanks that are lying over the floor and destroyed.I've got my daughter an entertainment center that was 90% complete and other projects that in time will get rebuilt.I will come back and have a nice shop again.If things go right I would like to be in it by Christmas.So THANKS to each and every one of you.I will take pictures and keep you posted of the process.
God Bless you all, Donny

[John Keeton]

Donny, sounds like you have reached a turning point emotionally on this, and that is the most important part! All of the "stuff" can be replaced, even the partially finished entertainment center. But, your physical and emotional health are the real concerns here. A year from now, you will look back on this and while seemingly devastating now, I am betting there is a blessing in here somewhere!

[Vince Welch]

Hi Donny,
Sorry to hear about your shop! PM me your address and I will be happy to send some sanding discs your way to help you through your transition!!!!

Vince

[Tony Kent]

Donny, My condolences on the fire. I am glad though that no one was injured.
The only thing I know about being at a bottom of some kind is that there is only one way to go and that's up. My thoughts are with you and your Family.
Hang in there,
Tony

[Van Huskey]

Very sorry, hope all ends up well. Do NOT give up!

[Neil Strong]

Having been through one house fire I know something of the trauma you are going through Donny.

From my experience I would be compiling a detailed inventory of your contents while you are waiting for the insurance people to turn up. The more time you have to do a thorough job of that the better. The small things that you can miss all add up and are an unwelcome reminder if you go looking for them later after the insurance claim is settled.

Even with a smooth insurance settlement, it's still a very traumatic time. There are some things that can't be replaced or money buy. But it is also an opportunity to replace everything with the benefit of hindsight.

A tip for the future: create a visual inventory of everything in your house and workshop. It's easy with a digital camera. I update mine annually and send a copy of it on CD to my insurer. That way there will be no argument should it happen again, which I hope never happens again to you, or me.

All the best

.....

[Donny Lawson]

Well, more bad news. The Ins. agent just left and the estimates we recieved compared to the amount of ins. coverage I have is NOT good.It's not going to cover even half of my shop.Any ideas of which way to go now?I feel like I'm in a sinking boat.........
Donny

[David E Keller]

That's too bad. Are you saying that your policy only allows for a certain dollar amount? If that's the case, you may want to try and do some of the work yourself and save the insurance money for things that you can't do or for tool purchases.

[Donny Lawson]

My Ins. is in 2 parts. One part covers the "contents"(Tools etc..) and the other covers the (Building itself).The one for the building was the one that came today:mad:. The "Contents" adjuster will not be here until Friday and then I will find out how I stand on the rest of it.
Donny

[Michael James]

Donny,
Give it your best sell and take what you can get. There have been over 3,000 views to your original post and I know a lot of folks are willing to step up here.
Yes, you lost some of your favorite stuff and it's gone. But if you're like me, you probably had stuff you never used. All your experiences will have made you a better, and smarter shopper.
Take care of your lathe and shop and big ticket stuff and we can fill in with some of the small stuff. I don't think I'm talking out of place here.
Remeber, no one got hurt, and your here to turn another day!
Michael

[Keith Westfall]

If you have been with the insurance company for a while, go in and see the owner/manager. Often an adjuster will come in from 'outside' the company to deal with the claim. And they are ALWAYS lowballing!

At least in Canada they do. And they have done that with every claim I have ever had!

If you yell enough, and don't give up early, you might do better. We all hear stories of the "automatic refusals" to start, just to see what you will do.

Hoping it works OK for you.

Keith

[Jack Wilson]

Hello Donny,

I too am sorry to hear about your loss. I do a lot of fire restoration work, & I want to let you know that the estimate is just that, an estimate. Many times there are ways to get that increased, not always a lot, but some. What I have learned is that it depends on the company you are dealing with, and who stands on your behalf. I work with a small outfit here, and I don't get into the paperwork, but I do often see my pay increase as I uncover additional areas of unseen damage, photograph them and present them to the office. Then those guys contact the insurance company on the customers behalf and get more funds for them so that they are not out of pocket for additional work and materials.
Anyway, I and I know others here, will be praying for you, and that you find God works this out for you in a better way than you could have ever foreseen.

[Don Orr]

Sorry I have not been to the forum in a while and even more sorry for the trouble you are having. I wouldn't wish this on anyone. Hopefully you will recover and move forward and end up OK. Insurance is a tough situation.

If I can be of any help, please don't hesitate to let me know.

Hang in there,

[Jim Burr]

Hey Donny, If you do pens, I have a box of very nice blanks with your name on it already...gotta start somewhere! ;)