Coolmeadow Creations Shop Rehab

[Jim O'Dell]

Well, today was supposed to be a milestone for my shop. TXU is scheduled to come out to reconnect the power lines at the weather head for the shop. Rioght now the wind is blowing 25 to 30 mph with gusts in the 40 to 45 reange, and is supposed to get worse. I'm sure the electric company will have to have all available personel for downed power lines and emergency repairs. I agree with that! But still it's a little dissappointing.
So the saga continues. I did get the exhaust outlet on the Clear View built to exhaust directly outside. I've got the holes marked on the wall where to cut. Sure wish I had a 6 1/8" hole saw!! I've got 3/4 wood siding, with a layer of 1" foam insulation board, then the Hardiboard siding on top of that. Could make for a really fun cut!
I'll keep you posted in case a miracle happens! Jim.

[Jim Becker]

I've got the holes marked on the wall where to cut. Sure wish I had a 6 1/8" hole saw!! I've got 3/4 wood siding, with a layer of 1" foam insulation board, then the Hardiboard siding on top of that. Could make for a really fun cut!

"Sawsall" or equivalent.

And I hear you on the weather. I think my septic testing is going to get quashed tomorrow due to the weather you are sending this way...

[Jim O'Dell]

UPDATE!!
LOML called about 9:30, said TXU was there. I hustled home, took about 10 minutes.....no TXU truck. As I pulled into the side driveway, I could see the shop's weather head. Wires still disconnected. LOML raises the garage door and said she tried to catch me before I left, but just missed me. The work order had been written wrong. He didn't have the tools to reconnect the wires, could only turn on at the meter. So, here I sit, broken hearted.

Jim, I thought of my PC Tigersaw. While it would no doubt do the work, it might be hard to cut that tight of a circle, at least with the blaqdes AI have. I'll look to see if there are some narrower blades that would help. I think I can get the original wood siding from the inside with my jig saw, then drill a starter/center hole and go to the outside to finish it. I'll hopefully have time to do that this weekend. Jim.

[glenn bradley]

Go Jim, go! I'm jealous.

[Jim O'Dell]

It's On!!!
and nothing has burned down yet!! LOML called me about 2:30 to say the right person had come back to do the work, but she didn't think they needed me here. She was fine with helping him in the back yard. I couldn't leave at that moment because my co-worker on the drive had not gotten back from a meeting in Dallas, that he failed to tell me about. When he came in a little later, I called my last customer and updated her on her repair, then took my lunch hour and went home. I just forgot to go back is all, HONEST!! Everything seemed to work except 1 110 circuit. I had the GFCI on it wired backwards. Redid that, and turned the Clear Vue on for 1.5 seconds. FFFFrooooommmmpt, rattle/scratchey/rattle, ppfffooooottttt. I forgot about the paper under the chip discharge at the bottom of the cyclone (don't have the chip barrel finished yet). Paper went everywhere! But it worked. I also tried my Mini Max E16. Fired right up the first time, seemed very smooth. Might have a blade rubbing a blade guide somewhere a little. But man that thing sounded nice!! (I've exchanged emails with and missed a phone message from Sam Blasco at MM. I would have called him this afternoon while I was off, but he said he would not be in this afternoon. So I'll find a time in the next week or so to talk to him.)
I'm stoked, though. I started this rehab 23 months ago, almost to the day. I still have a good ways to go, but having power is going to make it soooooo much easier to accomplish what needs to be done. Hope ya'll have a great remainder of the week. I'ts going to be real hard to drag myself to work! Jim.

[Jim Becker]

Woo, hoo!! He has THE POWER! Congrats, Jim...you're cruisin' now!

[Jim O'Dell]

Well, I got to spend a few hours in the shop today after working 8 to 1 at the real job. Cut the holes in the wall for the cyclone exhaust, built a spacer cut to fit the siding angles so the 2 vent plates can mount flush to something. Also brought a new chip barrel home from work. This one is smooth sided and the top will be easier to make fit a wooden lid for. How have you secured your lid to your barrel. I know some are commercially built units that come made with a mounting device. The cam lock units for a metal 55 gallon barrel won't work on either of these units. Some sort of spring latch that I can bolt on the outside would be ideal. Probably use small stove bolts from the inside to keep everything smooth for emptying. Or do you just let the suction handle it?
Hopefully I will have time tomorrow to mount the 2 exhaust plates. I'd like to hook the flex pipe up, but we have part of the day sectioned off to help a friend in need, so may not have much other time to play with.
Have I mentioned how nice it is to not be playing "pick an extension" game in the shop for tools?? I was starting to go nuts with only 2 110 outlets to work with for everything.
Have a great 2nd half of the weekend! Jim.

[Jim O'Dell]

Here's a picture of how the vents turned out.
DSCN1300.jpg
Then a picture of the inside view of the vents with the exhaust wye on the right.
DSCN1303.jpg
I still need to cut the flex hose, make four more bridge clamps, and assemble everything. The vents are already in position, it's just the inside stuff that needs to be secured
And finally a picture, a very blurry picture of the shop lights. I took 2, but neither turned out well. I know I needed to give proof that I had electricity!!
DSCN1305.jpg
Here's hoping that everyone travelling this week has a safe trip, and that we all get to spend some quality time with our families!! Jim.

[Jim O'Dell]

IT REALLY WORKS!!!!!
Finished up the cyclone chip barrel lid about 1:00, turned it on with all of the blast gates closed, then opened the one for the TS since I had some dust collected in the pipe from use, and it looked exactly like the Clear Vue video! It's not near as loud as I had expected, and the closet is not even enclosed yet. In fact, I don't think it's any louder than my TS, and should be much quieter once I get the closet finished up. I'm sure having the exhaust go outside is a plus in the noise department, though we'll see if the neighbors think so. I was surprised at how long it took for the motor to quit turning after I killed the power. Must have spun for 3 minutes.
I had a little trouble with the seal this am. It didn't want to stick well. Had to use some spray adhesive on it. And I had to replace the flex hose that came on the Clear Vue with some I had bought. Don't know if it is the difference in brand, or if it was just out of shape, but it would not stretch over the PVC even after using a hair dryer on it several times. I finally got frustrated after about 45 minutes and just cut a piece I had and put on. Now if I can get the 4" in, I'll be able to try out the BS.
And I think I should have milked it a little longer, LOML has already asked if I was through with my weekend project.... Guess I'll find out if she has anything she's going to have me do. She already knows the Cowboys don't play again today.....
I will need to modify the front left lid tie down to make it easier to get the barrel out from under the lid. I've got an idea already. Should have made the lid a little wider. Oh well, maybe I'll remember next time.
The picture attached shows how I used the turn buckles to secure the lid to the barrel. DSCN1323.jpg The wood blocks have a curve on the barrel side to loosely match the curve of the barrel. Rough shaped on the TS, then hand filed to fit. Sure wish I had a spindle sander though. Need to get some sleeves to be able to use on the drill press until I get the sander. I had 1 eye bolt for the turnbuckle that was shorter than the others (left in picture), it will go to the rear where it isn't noticeable. Used a forstner bit to recess a hole for T-nuts to fit in to, then the eye bolts thread into that. Each block is held on by 4 Kreg coarse 1 1/2" screws on 1/4" fender washers from the inside of the barrel, with silicone in the hole that also squeezed out and sealed the washer and screw heads. Worked great.
Thanks for sharing in my excitement! Jim.

[Jim O'Dell]

Gee, I haven't been very good at updating this thread. I have been working on the shop some, tho. I have insulated all the walls in both the main shop and the finishing room. Vapor barrier is all up in the main shop. Will have to get some more for the finishing room. May dig out some of the old stuff I've used for drop cloth in the past...we'll see. That 6 mil stuff ain't cheap!!
I also finished up the 3 light fixture reflectors. Still need to get the light fixtures purchased. The bottom half of the OSB is now installed, as is about 25 linear feet or so of the reclaimed slatwall material. A lot more of it is damaged beyond use than I thought woud be. I may try to salvage a little more to use on the left side of the cyclone closet, and the adjacent wall. We'll see.
I also had some problems on the New Year's weekend. We had lot's of rain that Friday. I had gone to the shop for some tools, it started raining real hard, so I decided to stay and piddle around for a bit and wait for a break. Glad I did because water started coming in the shop. I ended up digging a trench and breaking up the concrete sidewalk to get the water to flow away from the shop. Took about 2 hours to dry things out. Finally figured out what caused it, I think. LOML had used the blower on the leaves and sent everything toward the shop. I had looked at it several weeks and failed to get my hiney in gear to pick them up. They created a dam that backed water up in the back yard, causing the problem. Now I have a drainage problem to work on, and a sidewalk to repair. That is a project for this spring. Also, there is a small leak where the roof for the finishing room joins the shops main roof. When they added the covered porch, they didn't take the old roof off where it joins, and water is getting in somewhere in the valley and coming right down the shingles. I've got a plastic trough that funnels the water to a carbage can to catch it. works fine for now, but I'll have to pull the shingles off and reroof that section with proper valley flashing this spring also. I'll do that at the same time I install the ridge vent.
Was going to start cutting OSB for the ceiling this weekend, but the 30 year old Craftsman circular saw started dropping these little round steel balls out of it, and got very noisey!! The new Hitachi is supposed to be here Tuesday. Glad I had the jointer to work on today!!
Here are some pictures to prove what I've been doing!
Pic 1 and 2 are of the west wall,left and right sides. (sorry for the fuzzy picture)DSCN1362.jpgDSCN1367.jpg
Pic 3 is a bump up area so I can get sheet goods to stand up. My ceiling is 7' 8" here.DSCN1364.jpg
And this is a picture of the jointer. DSCN1372.jpgThe background also shows some of the OSB and slatwall on the east wall.
Sorry for the long time between updates. Thanks for looking! Jim.

[Jim Becker]

Progress, Jim, progress!!!

[Bob Michaels]

Lookin' good, Jim.

[John Miliunas]

Awright...Positive progress! Bummer about the water, though. At least you figured out what needs to be done and maybe the LOYL will also pay a bit more attention next time, now that she knows what might happen. BTW, what flavor jointer is that? Anyhow, will be looking forward to subsequent updates!

[Jim O'Dell]

Thanks guys. John, it is a Shop Master. DSCN1371.jpg It was given to me Sat. From the little I've spent on OWWM, it looks to have been made in mid 50's, maybe the year I was born!! It has a Craftsman 1/2 hp motor on it that has seen better days. No tag for a serial number on the jointer, but there are casting numbers on all the parts. It came on a metal stand with a wooden box on top with the jointer mounted to it, motor on a shelf below. There was also a makeshift mobility system under it. All in all, the beds were about 50" off the floor. Way too tall. The guy that gave it to me put new bearings in it and cleaned it up pretty well. Not factory color paint, but it will be fine. I've got it remounted on my old RAS base with a Herc-U-Lift on it for mobility. Both of the ones I've read about on OWWM were green, with red knobs and blade cover. Mine has green parts, and some signs that it may have been red at one time. Need to get some angle iron and make a shelf to put the motor on, then get a shorter belt, and it should be good to go. My first old 'arn! One of these days I want to get something I can rebuild...maybe a TS. Jim.

[Chris Bolton]

Heck of a nice job so far. Can't wait to see the finished interior photos