Thread: Project POND

2021 was something of a year I’d probably rather forget for a number of reasons. I’ll spare you the details because it’s done and dusted now, but to set the background, the incident with the sheet folder not only broke me, but it also broke my relationship. I did manage to end the year on a high though. Decided I would embark on the tree change I’d been promising myself for quite some time but never managed to get across the line with the ex. I found a house a bit over two hours north of Adelaide in the southern Flinders Ranges that came with a 15x7 5 bay workshop with 3m gutter height and 4 roller doors…..
Settlement was just under two weeks ago (it was leased and I wasn’t interested in taking on the lease so some waiting was in order). I’ve been beavering away since moving everything, and haemorrhaging cash because the cost of diesel went through the roof precisely four days before I started burning it at a frightening rate.

I thought it might be fun to do a build thread on it, so welcome to the misadventures of turning it into my working and fabrication space.

The first challenge was getting all the tools and equipment up here from Adelaide. I had rented a large truck with a 2000kg beaver tail lift with the intention of doing one load with household stuff and one with workshop stuff and dropping the machinery under the outdoor area and getting the local earthmoving outfit to bring a skid steer down with forks on it but… on arriving with the household stuff I found the truck wouldn’t fit between the house and the fence…

Plan B..
Put as much as could be moved safely on pallets and contact Robinson Brothers Transport in Adelaide and have them move it for me. Their trucks tow small Tonka size telehandlers around with them so loading and unloading is sorted.. Cost wise it worked out about the same as what I paid for two days truck hire with mileage and fuel, and frankly, was way easier.

Having moved everything into the workshop and dumped it, it now looks somewhat more like a weapons testing area than anything functional at the moment, but, as always I have a plan..

The first stage of the plan is to paint the floor with a coloured sealer.
There should be 40 litres of paint, degreaser and thinning agent turning up mid next week. My plan is to move everything into the first two bays whilst I paint the other three, then swap everything over and paint the first two. Yes, not an insignificant amount of expense and work, but I have come to realise a painted floor is so much easier to keep clean, and because it looks the part it kind of self regulates you into keeping it clean.

Enough tappy tap tap.. pictures or it never happened..

The truck being loaded.. the folder roughly middle of frame is the one I ended up underneath

And the workshop..

Good to see you got bigger and better shop, congratulations.

We had 2 houses I got screwed 10 years ago with a $60.000 solicitor and barrister bill as well as loosing out on the overall settlement, and ended up with a smaller shop. This is why I disappeared from the forum.

But I have happily remarried a 17 year younger lady several years later and taken on 4 kids, bought another house and I don't care, as I'm really happy in life 8 years in.

Keep the pictures coming, it looks great.

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Oh Mate, really sorry to hear of your extra travails, ending up under that folder was both really bad and also really good in that you lived to tell the tale, (but got pretty banged up in the process). Failures in relationships are always very painful, leaving scars that only heal very slowly, and friendships tested and sometimes broken not to mention bank balances obliterated.
I wish you all the best in reorganising your life, and hope that the move works out well and your new neighbours turn out to be great people.
The floor tart up will pay good dividends particularly if you have some hard wearing coating like epoxy or polyester,— as you say the dust will positively scoot away from the broom. Just don't test it with any more blood, take good care and all the very best.
Rob.

Hi Tadpole,

Mate I missed your post regarding the incident with the folder. I have since read it and feel bad for not reading it. I tend to only read the projects and metalwork pages but now I realise I miss things that are important.

I'm glad to hear you are on the mend (belated message)

Also sad to hear of your relationship breakdown. That must have been very stressful. I knew that Dave J. would have chimed in on this as I do remember when a similar thing happened to him. He disappeared for quite a while and was very happy when he came back.

Anyway, you sound like a very resourceful and resilient person. Your new diggs look like they will provide you with a nice new start, a place to heal and a place to continue your projects!

Thanks for posting and sharing.

Oh BTW, the southern Flinders Ranges, a beautiful place in the world. I'm jealous!

Simon

For those of us confined to a small or regular garage/workshop, that new 5 bay number of yours is a real source of envy. All the best with creating your new man cave.

S

My last two workshops have both been single and a bit car garage size, both under 30sqm. To now have 100+ certainly gives me some scope to do a few things I previously couldn’t.
My thanks also for the empathetic comments, on the relationship front.

A bit over 2 hours North puts you almost half way to work. Will you drive to work or drive to ADL and fly up there now?
(Envy over shed space...)

Michael

I’m still manifested for flights.

Originally Posted by Ropetangler

Oh Mate, really sorry to hear of your extra travails, ending up under that folder was both really bad and also really good in that you lived to tell the tale, (but got pretty banged up in the process). Failures in relationships are always very painful, leaving scars that only heal very slowly, and friendships tested and sometimes broken not to mention bank balances obliterated.
I wish you all the best in reorganising your life, and hope that the move works out well and your new neighbours turn out to be great people.
The floor tart up will pay good dividends particularly if you have some hard wearing coating like epoxy or polyester,— as you say the dust will positively scoot away from the broom. Just don't test it with any more blood, take good care and all the very best.
Rob.

Totally agree,
In my 7x7m shop, then 10x8m shop I've always wanted a nicely epoxied light grey floor and I still don't have one today, lol.

I think it brightens the shop giving reflection from lights, as well as easy cleaning from other shops I've seen epoxied.

Well worth the time and expense if you have it, and I know your not even thinking of it like me, but it would valuate the place as well.

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I’m not putting epoxy on the floor, too expensive for that size area, and I’m considering buying a MIG, which will mean spatter on the floor, so I want easy to touch up when required.

This is what I ordered, reviews seem alright

https://concretecoatingsealers.com.a...ncrete-sealer/

That sealer will be fine I reckon, and anything is better than nothing.
I did mine with a polyurethane paving paint and its soooo much better than bare concrete. Spills can be wiped up, easier to sweep, easier to find stuff - but an unexpected benefit was how much easier it is to slide yourself under vehicles or structures you're building on the floor.

One thing that gives mine a hard time is big chips from the shaper. The lathe and mill are smaller chips so I think they cool down a bit quicker, but the shaper ones have more mass and tend to melt themselves into the paint!

Other than that I find its pretty durable, and the main damage is from dropping bits of steel on it.
I'd suggest to seal the cracks and joints in the concrete too. Small parts roll much further on the painted surface when you drop them and will always find the cracks

Sorry to hear the relationship went south, but good that you're moving in a positive direction. And as Simon said - you've picked an awesome part of the planet to move to.

Steve

Originally Posted by racingtadpole

I’m not putting epoxy on the floor, too expensive for that size area, and I’m considering buying a MIG, which will mean spatter on the floor, so I want easy to touch up when required.

This is what I ordered, reviews seem alright

https://concretecoatingsealers.com.a...ncrete-sealer/

Congrats on the shed it's massive !! I've used the black coloured concrete sealer on a commercial concrete driveway and it looked great , goes dull after a while but easy enough to recoat. I used a few paint rollers to apply it.

That looks like great stuff without the expense, might look into myself when I'm ready as I also have a decent slab of concrete out the back waiting for a woodworking shop to be built on.

I'm going on 55 now and thought I was settled for life.
At any time if you want to shoot me a message, or have a chat about shops or anything else I'm here and have been through similar things to what your going through.
The sun is shining bright for you mate, take care.

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sorry to hear Adam and congrats on getting your new home

guessing you must be close to the Broughton river

Close, bit further inland around Gladstone/Laura way