Finally started on my new dream shop

[david blakelock]

Well work finally started on my dream workshop/garage/man cave. It is 25x40 with a full bath in one corner. Still working on the layout of the tools as well as which new tools I need to buy to go into the new workshop. I will continue to post pictures as work progresses. Next step is the framing which should start this week as well.

This is also a test to see if I am smart enough to actually post pictures. Hopefully this works, if not I guess I need to go back and read the instructions again...

David

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Congrats David on the shop! Enjoy the process.

[david blakelock]

Congrats David on the shop! Enjoy the process.

Thanks Ken! I have been trying to work in a very small garage that is overflowing with stuff. So this will be my first real workshop that will have dust collection and proper power. The process has been pretty painless, as once we had the design all I have had to do is write checks. It has been fun playing around with layouts and what should go where. This site has been a great source of ideas.

David

[Joe A Faulkner]

Looks like you have a very nice foot print to start from. Look forward to watching your progress.

[david blakelock]

Thanks Joe. The hardest part of this will be that I work from home and my home office looks out over the workshop. It is going to be hard not to slip out during the day and spend time in the new shop.

[Jim Becker]

David, that's going to be a very nice space. It's just a bit larger than the building I have my shop in, but you get to use the whole thing!

Oh, and my new office at home (since our addition was built) looks direct at the front door of my shop if I look slightly to the right out the window, so I can appreciate what you'll be going through! LOL Wireless headsets are your friend...hee hee...

[david blakelock]

Jim, I think I need to make sure I have wireless internet connection out there as well as phone connection. One of the nice things about working at the home office is nobody needs to know which office you are in..

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Jim, I think I need to make sure I have wireless internet connection out there as well as phone connection. One of the nice things about working at the home office is nobody needs to know which office you are in..


A word of advice....the DC noise gives it away...;)

[Don Bullock]

I still recall how excited I was when my 24'x40' shop/garage got to that stage. Enjoy the build and dreaming about what you'll be creating in there.:)

[Mike Wilkins]

Congrats on the new fun house construction. Funny how you should mention looking out the house window and looking at the front door of your shop. I am writing this while working from home today, and look out the sunroom window, what do I see: the front door of the shop. And the sun is shining. Temptations, temptations.

[david blakelock]

Thanks guys. It will be very tempting to sneak away and visit the new shop once it is done. As with most of us, time is precious and having a new shop with everything that needs to be done it is going to be very hard to not spend every waking moment in the new space. But that would not go over well with the wife and kiddo. The framing should get started later this week and I will post more pictures as work progresses.

[Charlie Barnes]

Congratulations! As someone who is doing the same thing, I can tell you it's a great adventure. I don't work at home, but that doesn't seem to lessen the daydreaming of how soon I can get out there and get working on the next phase. As others have mentioned, enjoy the process!

Charlie

[Chip Lindley]

It's a Happy Day David! Getting the concrete down is a big step. Hopefully you can get your shop under roof soon! Dallas ain't that cold in winter, but still, working inside is nicer than outside work. Git Er Dun!

Times(and labels) change. When I grew up, a "Man Cave" was more aptly referred to as "The Dog House"! Either way, it's nice to have a refuge. I want mine as comfy as possible, for an unanticipated "extended siege".

[Jim Becker]

Jim, I think I need to make sure I have wireless internet connection out there as well as phone connection. One of the nice things about working at the home office is nobody needs to know which office you are in..

And with the kewel communication stuff I sell to business and government..."anywhere" can be your office; the 16th tee, your shop, err...the local tavern...LOL :D Even your real office somewhere. :p

Seriously, having wireless access and some form of phone in the shop is pretty much becoming PC these days. I get reasonable coverage in the shop for WiFi from the AP that is at this end of the house and have one handset from our multi-handset wireless land-line phone system out there, too. And the microcell that's here in my office carries into the shop, too, so my iPhone has both WiFi and cell service. (We're in a dead spot here)

[mreza Salav]

Congrat's! I can imagine how exciting that can be. Some day I hope I can build something like that... some day...
Enjoy it!

[david blakelock]

And with the kewel communication stuff I sell to business and government..."anywhere" can be your office; the 16th tee, your shop, err...the local tavern...LOL :D Even your real office somewhere. :p

Seriously, having wireless access and some form of phone in the shop is pretty much becoming PC these days. I get reasonable coverage in the shop for WiFi from the AP that is at this end of the house and have one handset from our multi-handset wireless land-line phone system out there, too. And the microcell that's here in my office carries into the shop, too, so my iPhone has both WiFi and cell service. (We're in a dead spot here)

Jim, being in the telecom business myself, I totally agree. I have a WAP in my home office and I should be able to get a good signal in the new office, err workshop. Not sure about the phone though. We are in a dead spot here as well (thanks AT&T) so might have to give the Femto cell a try in the workshop. Or use the iPhone to make calls over WiFi, there is a free app that lets you do that now.

By the way, much progress has been made on the shop, more pictures to come shortly.

[Greg Scull]

. We are in a dead spot here as well (thanks AT&T) so might have to give the Femto cell a try in the workshop. Or use the iPhone to make calls over WiFi, there is a free app that lets you do that now.

I Hear that. AT&T did give me a Micro cell to get the iphone working at our house. I say give but it took hours of time begging for it for free :). Now I have 5 bars :)

Some of my most productive organization time in the shop has been while working from home during conference calls. Mute button enabled :). Thats when I get to clean up from last weekends mess.


Shop looks like its going to be very nice.
enjoy!

[david blakelock]

I Hear that. AT&T did give me a Micro cell to get the iphone working at our house. I say give but it took hours of time begging for it for free :). Now I have 5 bars :)

Some of my most productive organization time in the shop has been while working from home during conference calls. Mute button enabled :). Thats when I get to clean up from last weekends mess.


Shop looks like its going to be very nice.
enjoy!

I might have to try that. Our cell phone service in and around the house is horrible. We have an almost 100% drop call rate, usually after only a few minutes. I have friends at AT&T Mobility that did the initial testing for them, so I will chat with them and see if they will help.

I hear you on the conference calls. While I have been watching the new shop get built I spend my time on boring conference calls reading this forum and looking at various tools that I need/what/should have in the new shop.

[david blakelock]

Here are a few more pictures of my dream shop under construction. The framing is all 2x6. The builder is adding a few touches to match the main house, hence the cupola and the over hangs on the roof. The pitch of the roof is the same as our main house and the shingles will match it as well. The siding will be Hardy board, as brick was out of the budget. The interior walls were going to be OSB, but based on comments on another thread here I decided to go with plywood instead. The walls will be insulated. Heat will most likely be an old pot belly stove as we don't need a lot of heat here in Dallas. I will add A/C next spring when the budget allows, probably going to go with several split units as it does get rather warm here in the summer.