My Shop Remodel/Upgrade...

[Dumpstick]

Bare wood absolutely drinks primer. But, it does the same with paint, and paint costs more than primer.

I have learned over the years to use a primer. Not only is it cheaper, but it seems the paint job lasts longer with a good primer. I prefer an oil base myself, but many use a water base with good results.

Looking good.

 

[Parks 788]

Bare wood absolutely drinks primer. But, it does the same with paint, and paint costs more than primer.

I have learned over the years to use a primer. Not only is it cheaper, but it seems the paint job lasts longer with a good primer. I prefer an oil base myself, but many use a water base with good results.

Looking good.

It's been more than a couple years since I've bought any gallon cans of paint and was shocked at the price. After reading the three levels of Valspar paint I thought I'd go with the highest end they offered. Walked over to the rack at Lowes and saw it was $54/gallon. Nope! not doing that. Ended up getting their $26/gallon and a $14/gallon primer. It's only a shop afterall. It'll be worth it in the end with the additional organization and utility I'll get from the shop and it will increase the value of our property.

 

[Parks 788]

Finished up the painting a week and a half a go but been busy. Turned out really nice and go teh electrical conduit and outlets back in place. THere are some spots that could probably use another coat but not sure i have it in me or the patients to do it. It is only a shop afterall. Going to be working on sketching out my work bench. Gotta make it long and heavey duty. Probably minimum of 16' long, 30" deep and about 42" tall. Looking at making out of 4x4 legs, 2x6, 2x4 and 2x12 for the top bench. Plan is to either put a light stain on the bare wood or maybe some type of linseed oil.

Here it is with all the wall buttoned back up and painted.

 

[dennishoddy]

Finished up the painting a week and a half a go but been busy. Turned out really nice and go teh electrical conduit and outlets back in place. THere are some spots that could probably use another coat but not sure i have it in me or the patients to do it. It is only a shop afterall. Going to be working on sketching out my work bench. Gotta make it long and heavey duty. Probably minimum of 16' long, 30" deep and about 42" tall. Looking at making out of 4x4 legs, 2x6, 2x4 and 2x12 for the top bench. Plan is to either put a light stain on the bare wood or maybe some type of linseed oil.

Here it is with all the wall buttoned back up and painted.

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Good for you putting in that many electrical outlets, but I hate to tell you this, in about a year, you will wish you had twice that many.
It's amazing how many outlets are used in a shop that is also a hobby shop vs a storage building.
The work is going on very nice. You've done a great job getting that wainscoting up.

 

[Big House]

Did you do the conduit bends? I worked a little electrical work back in the day and mine always looked like the roads in Arkansas. After a couple of tries, I was banned from bending conduit.

 

[crrcboatz]

Very nice work indeed

 

[Dumpstick]

Looks very good. I know this was an expensive and time-consuming project, but it will pay off over the years.

Good choice with the white paint, especially over good primer. The white is deeper when it was primed before painting. More light (even reflected light) is better.

 

[Parks 788]

Good for you putting in that many electrical outlets, but I hate to tell you this, in about a year, you will wish you had twice that many.
It's amazing how many outlets are used in a shop that is also a hobby shop vs a storage building.
The work is going on very nice. You've done a great job getting that wainscoting up.

Thanks Dennis but gotta be honest. The prior owners put in the electrical. Considering the half-azzed things they did on a lot of other aspects of the property they did a pretty good job with the electrical. I ended up putting in a second 220V outlet so I have two now in the shop. Some quality power strips will be important in some areas where I'll be charging my power tools and using battery tenders. It'll work with what I got but if I had one more box per wall it'd probably be perfect. Can't wait until it's back and organized.

Did you do the conduit bends? I worked a little electrical work back in the day and mine always looked like the roads in Arkansas. After a couple of tries, I was banned from bending conduit.

Prior owner put them in as they used the shop for their goat milking business. Seems they had a decent amount of equipment/machines in here that required outlets. Pretty sure I don't have the patients for that sort of "precision" work. I'm more of a demo and rough carpentry guy.

Looks very good. I know this was an expensive and time-consuming project, but it will pay off over the years.

Good choice with the white paint, especially over good primer. The white is deeper when it was primed before painting. More light (even reflected light) is better.

Thanks D'stick. My original plan was to go with a light grey but changed to a bright white at the last minute. One thing my wife mentioned was that the painter who did our interior of our house remodel advised her to do was if you have dogs, to use a satin finish. This allows you to easily wipe the walls clean of our dogs slobbery jowels and where they rub against the walls. Thought this was excellent advice to clean up any liquid splatter from my carelessness. Apparently wiping walls with flat or eggshell finish affects the finished paint much more.

 

[Parks 788]

A little update and I'm excited about it.

Finally got my AC installed in the shop! My neighbor across the Hwy is a commercial Mechanical Contractor and has helped me with some related projects. Saved my arse a few times from my self-imposed screwups. He gave me a bunch of options to cool my insulated shop. Went back and forth on mini splits and the standard type of residenital AC package units. For my 30x40 by 12' tall shop he recommended a 3-4 ton unit. He called me last week and worked out a deal for me i felt was fair so we proceeded.

I got two 2 ton mini splits installed. He had to do a fair amount of electrical work pulling out old wiring, running new conduit and proper gauge wires, a bunch of junction boxes and other stuff to prep for the install. He finished up today about mid day.

I got home today about 5:30 and walked into the shop. It was freakin cold. Both units going and the temps on the head units were showing a shop temp of 68*. I was amazed how cool and dry it was on one of the hottest days of the year so far. When i went back outside my glasses fogged up. Going to make a nice place to work and tinker during the summer months. These mini splits also have heating capability for the winter which will be nice.

In the pics you can see the head unit on the far wall on the left and right sides about 7' up. I know some will be curious and will ask so I'll put it out there. Total cost for everything was $6500. IMO and for my needs it will be totally worth the costs.

 

[HoLeChit]

I’m just here to say that I’m awful bent out of shape about this.

Don't forget to add a Swampratt shop heater. Since you work for an equipment rental house you probably have one of these laying around, well the excavator bucket anyway...

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WHO THE HELL JUST RUINS A GOOD BUCKET AND 4 BRAND NEW DOUBLE TIGER TEETH ON A STOVE!? MUST BE MADE OF MONEY.