Birth of a shop

[Marty Walsh]

Yes, you need/want a 4wd for a loader. But just about every "rent-a-center" in the country has small tractor/loader combinations available for a reasonable fee if you want to save your backs!

Jim,

Our local rent-a-center, for what it's worth, only has a small backhoe for rent. We were planning to rent it to excavate the holes before a buddy of mine supplied me with his large one, along with one of his crew to operate it. The problem with the small backhoe is the rate for rental. They want $175/day, with a minimum one day charge.

The good news is that we're already through that first load of gravel. The bad news is that I'll be ordering a few more tons first thing in the morning. Checking my reciept, I realized I had only gotten 7 ton, not 9 as stated above. I'll probably need at least two more ton.

And of course, you're right. We're both SORE!!! But I have to get the aditional gravel down quickly since my LVL's and I-Joists are scheduled to arrive at sun-up tomorrow.

Too bad I don't know anyone with a loader...

- Marty -

[Corey Hallagan]

Man is that going to be a big shop! Can't wait to see it go together.

Corey

[Marty Walsh]

I love it when a supplier delivers as promised! The material for the floor system showed up first thing this morning as expected.

Here's the LVL's and I-Joists waiting to be put in place:
Attachment 40189 Attachment 40190

There are twenty 32' long pieces, and six 14' long pieces of 1 3/4" LVL. These get doubled up around the perimeter, and tripled up in the center two rows. Then there are forty seven 40' long I-Joists. These sit on top of the two center rows of beams, and sit in hangers on the end two rows.

And here's the insulation for the floor as well as the hangers, hanger nails, adhesive and insulation hangers:
Attachment 40191

Now if only I didn't have to go get another couple ton of gravel and spread it before I can get to work on this pile of materials...

What was I thinking letting Denise go on that business trip this morning??

I'll update before I break the wrapper on the materials...which I hope to be either later today or first thing in the morning...
- Marty -

[Frank Pellow]

It's a good step when you finally get to use some wood when building a woodworking shop.

I am enjoying this thread Marty. For the next month or so, I will not be able to get to Saw Mill Creek very much but, the few times that I am able to, I will certainly be checking your progress. So, keep up the good work!

[Marty Walsh]

Thanks for the words of encouragement Frank. I can't imagine where I'll be in the project if you don't get to check in for a month. I'm really happy with the pace I've been keeping. Although, these old muscles would probably disagree.

One thing that's interesting, comparing this build to yours, is the shear volume difference in the steps. I reminded Denise about your '37 wheelbarrows' full of gravel while I was hauling ours. I asked if she could estimate how many I had toted. She laughed...saying that I had hauled 37 that one morning alone...and it took me almost three days to haul the total of just over 11 ton! I need maybe a ton or two more to finish it off, but that can wait for a while. I'm really not getting along too well with my shovel lately!

Well, I'll keep posting updates on my progress Frank...hope you enjoy seeing where I am in the process.

- Marty -

[tod evans]

keep `em comming marty! ya`ll are kicking butt...tod

[Marty Walsh]

I'm taking a "heat of the midday" break, so I thought I'd post an update on what I've been up to...

Yesterday started out with the delivery of the floor materials. I then went and got another four ton of gravel delivered, for a total of just over ELEVEN TON! I shovelled, wheelbarrowed, and spread that. I'm still short about a ton or so, but I've had it with shovels, so I'll finish it at a later date. I got the main field covered well, I just lack a little around the perimeter and on one end.

Then I FINALLY got to cut some wood!!! I made the pier caps, which are 12" long pieces of pressure treated 2x10. After cutting them to size, I walked them around and drilled holes for the Simpson brackets to pass through.

While fitting the caps, I noticed that the columns weren't flat. Denise was rushed badly while trying to screed them, and had left lumps and tips that had to be removed for the caps to sit level and flat. We should have been better prepared for the cement truck. I didn't even remember to bring out a trowel, so Denise had to make the best of it using a piece of 2x4. As a result, this morning I spent four hours with an angle grinder flatenning the pier tops.

Attachment 40282

Once I got all 28 piers flat, I walked around bending the Simpson MAB23's down and nailing them. Yeah, a hammer instead of a shovel!!!

Attachment 40283 Attachment 40284

Although, after 448 nails, my forearms aren't so sure the hammer is that much better than the shovel. There are 16 nails per bracket and I couldn't shoot them with my nailgun...

So, here I am taking a break with the field of piers ready for the floor system:

Attachment 40285

Hopefully, my next update will show the floor system going in...

- Marty -

[Marty Walsh]

Busy and productive afternoon...

I started working to get the beams (LVLs) installed. Boy, is that gonna be a challenge, and a slow going one at that! Trus Joist puts some sort of wax-like coating on their LVLs to help protect them from the elements. (That's one of the reasons I chose them.) Well, trying to man-handle 200lb 32' long beams onto a set of forks, and then stand them up and assemble three of them isn't the easiest thing I've ever done!

I got the three stood up and lined up, put four quick clamps on the end I was working on and was about to drive a few nails to start the assembly. Just as I pressed the gun into the beam, over it went, and since they're 'waxed' they slid off the forks!!

I thought the beams were going to be closer to 300-350 lbs each, but when they toppled over and I was able to lift them and right them on the forks, I had to investigate. Trus Joist's web site shows them as 6.1 lb/lft, which works out to just under 200 lbs each. I didn't think I was lifting 300+!!!

I went and got over a dozen more quick-clamps and held the whole thing together so I could get it nailed without having it topple over again.

Assembly consisted of 3" nails every 16 inches, two inches from the edges, and from both sides of the assembly. Those LVLs are some dense material! My Paslode could only drive the 3" nails in about 3/4 of the way. I had to finish with a hammer.

Then the fun began! I had a heck of time positioning the assemebled beam onto the piers. I drove a forklift for a few years when I was in college...but that was about 30 years ago! And I don't recall ever having to maneuver anything 32' long, and position it to within 1/4". It probably took me the better part of an hour to get this sucker in place:

Attachment 40306 Attachment 40307

Initial results are pretty promising. I have to tweak the positioning tomorrow. The beam needs to move west about an inch. But so far it looks like I did a passable job with the piers:

Attachment 40308

Here's one of the reasons it took me so long to get the assembly in place:

Attachment 40309

There isn't a whole lot of wiggle room to maneuver!!

Well, I'm probably starting to bore some (or most) of you. So I'll try to refrain from posting until after I get the rest of the beams in place. That could take me a few days though...unless I find a better assembly system, and get a WHOLE lot better with that tractor!

Thanks for following...hope you're enjoying my adventure...
- Marty -

[Andy Hoyt]

Boring? Nope!

Bring it on and git 'r done.

[Frank Pellow]

Marty, you certainly are not boring me.

In a lot of ways, I look upon your shop project as my shop project done all over again but this time done BIG, and I find it fascinating.

Keep up the good work!

[Ben Grunow]

Marty- those floor joists should be available in one piece (you can get 48' LVLs and TJI's I believe, they come on an 18 wheeler though-I hired a framing contractor who wanted full lengths so we got 'em, what a side show unloading by hand-lull and his 40 men made it easy but I think 5 able bodied carpenters could manage a 40' joist,maybe I'm nuts). Installing these full length would reduce labor slightly and help stiffen the floor. Also nice when floor sheathing goes down because layout for cutting and nailing is consistent instead of off setting every 13'. Might also be nice for underfloor ductwork. You could also install solid bridging every 8' or so to add a little stiffness. Just thinking out loud.

BTW I finally read your description and looked at your SU plans and I now see that you don't need diagonal bracing on your piers since they are in fact concrete.

[Marty Walsh]

Marty- those floor joists should be available in one piece (you can get 48' LVLs and TJI's I believe, they come on an 18 wheeler though-I hired a framing contractor who wanted full lengths so we got 'em, what a side show unloading by hand-lull and his 40 men made it easy but I think 5 able bodied carpenters could manage a 40' joist,maybe I'm nuts). Installing these full length would reduce labor slightly and help stiffen the floor. Also nice when floor sheathing goes down because layout for cutting and nailing is consistent instead of off setting every 13'. Might also be nice for underfloor ductwork. You could also install solid bridging every 8' or so to add a little stiffness. Just thinking out loud.

BTW I finally read your description and looked at your SU plans and I now see that you don't need diagonal bracing on your piers since they are in fact concrete.

Ben,

The LVL's are 32' long, since the shop will be 64' long. I couldn't get 64' long LVLs, nor would I have wanted to since handling them alone on site would have been next to impossible!!! The 'assembly' I'm creating is tripling up the LVLs to make a 5 1/4" thick beam. Two of these assemblies run the length of the shop on the center two rows of columns. The outer two rows get doubled up LVL assemblies.

You're right that you can get 40' long I-Joists. Look at my pictures to see them. They'll span the width of the shop, so there won't be any offsets for the flooring install. And since they'll be sitting on top of, and supported by the triple beams in the center two rows, I think the floor will be plenty rigidi!!!

FIVE men to install the 40' joists???

I'll be doing it ALONE! Watch for updates when I get to that stage in the next few days.

- Marty -

[Jim Becker]

Ok...I see a shiny new New Holland with forks on it lifting the beams. (good idea) And a nice blue Ford in the previous pics. Too bad the NH wasn't available when the stone was getting thrown about...should be a bucket lying around that fits that quick-attach!

Good progress, Mary! That's gonna be an outstanding shop!

[Marty Walsh]

Marty, you certainly are not boring me.

In a lot of ways, I look upon your shop project as my shop project done all over again but this time done BIG, and I find it fascinating.

Keep up the good work!

Frank,

You and your shop project have been a tremendous inspiration to me. I really appreciate all the work you put into your shop, and the way you so generously shared it for the world to see. I'm attempting to do the same here...in part to return the favor to those that come after me...

You should see a LOT of similarities between our shops, since I 'borrowed' quite a few of your good ideas. I just had to scale them up a little...

Glad you're enjoying the adventure...
- Marty -

[Marty Walsh]

Ok...I see a shiny new New Holland with forks on it lifting the beams. (good idea) And a nice blue Ford in the previous pics. Too bad the NH wasn't available when the stone was getting thrown about...should be a bucket lying around that fits that quick-attach!

Good progress, Mary! That's gonna be an outstanding shop!

Jim,

It sure is nice to have friends with kewl toys

Unfortunatley, he doesn't have a bucket for the NH. It's his hay baler...you should see the computer control panel for baling that's in it. I can take a pic if you wanna see.

- Marty -