workshop build: 1 man/2 hammers, saws, ladders,shovels, pick-axe, squares, etc.,etc.

[greg Forster]

290108290107290109290110290111290112290113

I guess a Workshop can be considered as the ultimate tool and this one will be used for mostly Neander' woodworking.


The house I bought last Summer came without any usable outbuildings; the wash-house pictured above was eaten up by termites, so I tore
it down. I'm doing everything myself (only have a few weekends a month free and I'm a little slower than I used to be), from mixing 1-1/2
tons of concrete in a wheelbarrow to driving every nail by hand ( no nail gun)

I hit a rock ledge at the upper end, so block piers go with the terrain.


More to follow...

[Jim Matthews]

You dug those piers by hand?
Wow.

You related to this guy?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCvx5gSnfW4

[Andrew Fleck]

As my Dad would say, that is some good character building. I look forward to seeing the completion.

[greg Forster]

You're not the only one...

[Joe Bailey]

Awesome work, Greg
That there's real neandering!

Keep those progress pictures coming

[Shawn Pixley]

Nice work! If you didn't have character before, you will when done.

[greg Forster]

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slowly, slowly; next time I'll hire better help; but building is dried in. ...wished I'd spaced the windows a little different, and the propane tank is finally gone!!

290224 the neighbors are nosey, but not much help

[Steve Voigt]

Hey Greg, looking good!
I'd like to know a little more about the piers. How deep down did you dig? Shovel, or did you rent a power auger? Did you just pour by hand, from a wheelbarrow, or did the concrete truck pay you a visit? You made your own forms, I assume?
Sorry for all the nosy questions. :D Love the cows!

[greg Forster]

Steve:
Mostly about 2' deep
I have an 18" frost line here in NC
Unlike the 42-48" I grew up with in
WNY
I dealing with red clay + a lot of white flint mixed in, plus some layers of
"Near Rock"; so shovel, pickaxe and
4' wrecking bar

I mixed the concrete in a wheelbarrow
With 80lb bags of Quikcrete with
Some Portland cement added to richen the mix. It was 1-1/2 tons dry mix, so with water probably over 2-1/2
tons of mixing in the wheel barrow

I could barely lift the last few bags, if you go this route add a few 50# bags
For when you get too tired

[greg Forster]

290544
rough-sawn yellow pine I bought wet ( 24%)from a country sawmill; dried for 2 months brought it down to 11-12%
290545 face planed with a lunchbox planer

290546 some planed to 1/2" for siding- similar to what's on my 1840s house

290547 I did hand plane one edge- on 800 lnft of this siding290548

[greg Forster]

siding finished; reglazed a pr of 9 lite sash, I bought at auction, with wavy glass; also have a pair of 4 over 4 double hung sash from an
1830s farm house to flank the entry door (with original early glass- lots of character)

290916 290917 290918

still have the overhang to shingle, stairs to build, painting exterior, and etc

[Bob Jones]

Slow? We have very different standards for speed. Nice work!

[greg Forster]

haven't had much time since August, but exterior finished -minus the door(which I have material for) and steps- which I haven't decided on yet, and how to "dress-up" concrete block piers

I'm really happy with the way the siding turned out; (partly neander; I ran the face side thru the planer, but the edge was trued with a cambered Stanley #5 and a 22" wooden try plane; it took about 3 minutes to edge plane each 8-9 foot piece of siding ) 302758 and the shop fits in with my 1840s house, which was the goal302762

[Bruce Page]

Shop looks great. It looks like you have been busy on the house too.

[Mike Holbrook]

Very nice Greg. There is nothing quite like building your own building. I had help along the way on the building I made for my business. It started as a simple pole barn built into the side of a hill to get it out of flood plain. I just wanted a place to train dogs out of the weather. As luck would have it we ran into a spring in the side of the hill, then lots of rain. It took a year of clearing wet mud out of the area with a tractor just to get something dry enough to build on. I had to build a french drain at the bottom of the hill and around the two sides to drain water off into two small ponds. We piped a truck load of concrete about 200' through the woods, down a steep hill to get a slab to put blocks on. The original block structure was only 60' x 20'x 8', built to give dogs an inside area in cold weather. We built a 60x40' deck on top of the blocks. The original 2'x5' footer holes to support the deck protruding out from the cinder block building were dug with a two man auger. I found out the hard way that one of those things could pick me right off the ground and sling me around. The holes we dug filled almost to the top with water while we were digging them.....

Remind me not to build the foundation for a building in the side of a hill with a spring in it, at the edge of a flood plain again.

[Maurice Ungaro]

Greg,
for the piers, I recommend stucco. Actually, I've used thin set, mixed up on the stiff side. Put it on in two layers, one as a "scratch" coat, and a final coat. You can tint it as you mix it, so it never needs painting, and lasts for ever.

[greg Forster]

added an outhouse (garden tool shed) and a fence

340954 340955

[Mel Fulks]

=greg Forster;2271460]290217290218290219290220290221290222290223


slowly, slowly; next time I'll hire better help; but building is dried in. ...wished I'd spaced the windows a little different, and the propane tank is finally gone!!

290224 the neighbors are nosey, but not much help[/QUOTE]

[Stew Denton]

Hi Greg,

Things are really looking up, it is starting to look pretty good, and the SYP siding should make for an excellent siding. I like the way you are working at it to match the house, but it may be more work than I would have wanted to do, don't know.

I hope you will be able to work "in" the shop instead of "on" the shop pretty soon.

Stew

[Reinis Kanders]

Looks great! Outhouse makes it look like a little house on the prairie:)

[Trevor Howard]

Curious Greg, over 2 years and no inside pictures :rolleyes:

[greg Forster]

34099634099734099134099234099334099434099534098534 0986340987340988340989340990 I will get some current shots showing tools this Sunday; door is cypress, strap hinges by Seven Pines Forge, flooring 1x6 T&G yellow pine- unfinished as historically correct, nailed with Tremont cut nails; backband is 1/8" lattice plus base cap. If you look thru the open door is pic #7, you can see the board and batten building 14x22 plus 8x12- on slab,pic #1,#2, built this after the white clapboard building . alot of interior shots didn't come out to well-lighting

[greg Forster]

340999341000341001341002341003341004 few more

[Phillip Mitchell]

Looks awesome! Where do you live in NC? Looks a little flatter than where I live in NC ;)

[greg Forster]

Ramseur; yes a little bit flatter

[greg Forster]

few more interior pics 341464 341465 341466

[Malcolm Schweizer]

Love it, and especially love the windows. Lots of natural light, and you can gaze out at the yard as you woodwork.

[Reinis Kanders]

Sweet woodshop. Just the right size for handtools. Door looks great as well.

[Jerry Olexa]

VERY nice work!! You should be proud> I love building small buildings!!

[greg Forster]

Love it, and especially love the windows. Lots of natural light, and you can gaze out at the yard as you woodwork.

Thanks, but the view rather pales compared to yours! The two nine pane sash over the bench face compass North and are 50% early cylinder glass(see left window-Center row, center and right pane distortion) the four over four sash came from an 1830 house and only have 2 replaced panes- very early cylinder glass.