I'd like to hear that thing on the dyno, too bad about the deer strike, that's fairly common at our track. That's making pretty good power for that boost. Should last forever.
NXCoupe's Shop Build
- Thread starter Nxcoupe
- Start date
I started on the air lines, picked up a pipe threader tool at HF and used it to get the first stretch of pipe done.
Tuesday the concrete guy came out and started on the berm for the garage. It's going to be 20x60, and gents, this is the end of my bankroll. I have sold all I can sell, used every cent I'd saved and made over the past 2 years, and I just don't have more. Damn good thing what's left is small enough I can buy a little each paycheck. Anyone who builds a shop like this right now is nuts or has no choice. I'm a little of both. Hard to believe that this much dirt needed to be moved, it's going to require a lot of grading to get it to look right and meet up with the pad. Before:
After:
Tuesday the concrete guy came out and started on the berm for the garage. It's going to be 20x60, and gents, this is the end of my bankroll. I have sold all I can sell, used every cent I'd saved and made over the past 2 years, and I just don't have more. Damn good thing what's left is small enough I can buy a little each paycheck. Anyone who builds a shop like this right now is nuts or has no choice. I'm a little of both. Hard to believe that this much dirt needed to be moved, it's going to require a lot of grading to get it to look right and meet up with the pad. Before:
After:
Tonight we got the main airline roughed in, added another 20 amp outlet and connected wires up to their breakers in the panel. Progress none the less. I need to go buy some 1/2" pipe to run the connection lines over to the dyno and rack.
Yesterday they came out to start on the concrete pad. They had to cut out a bunch of dirt to get the pad to have a slight slope down away from the building. They are doing half today and the other half tomorrow. Won't be able to get a car in or out til next week sometime.
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ckessel
Well-Known Member
Maybe in the future some car guys who do construction related work for a living may want to do some trading to help you along.
Few and far between around here, but maybe? I remodeled a shop about 14 years ago and had all kinds of car guys coming to help. Now, it's just my close friends. I don't do fb and that seems to limit people wanting to come check out the place.
Hemirunner
Well-Known Member
How much a yard in your area? I need to pour 10 yards here shortly and it’s probably gonna shock me!
I think he said around 165? Not sure. I just write one big ck. Lol.
Before he started pouring yesterday, he moved my tool boxes down from my house garage into the shop. He used the forks on his skid steer and gently lifted and moved them. We used an old blanket to protect the boxes.
I went to the nats today and he was here with his crew before I left. I opened the garage door up for them and then took off. This is what I came home to. Pretty stoked. The last big part of the puzzle is finished. It's 20x60 btw.
Stevearino
Well-Known Member
Great looking building. I know it is only half the size of what you wanted but it will be easier to heat and cool if that is a consideration. Are you planning any insulation?
Did not intend on stepping on your toes about the electrical. Just wanted to point out a few things. Looks like you have it under control and a good electrician. Some people tap into their house power and don't figure the load there going to pull for the shop. Most homes are 200-amp service and not three phases. Lock rotor load's due draw a bunch of power to start motors. So, glad you are about done and can use the new building. Would love to have a lift but my celling is not tall enough for that. Looking at putting a roof over next to my garage so I can put one in. Keep us tuned in on what you are working on in the future. 
Thank you! Yes, that is something that went into the plus column. Eventually it will be added onto, but for now I am quite content with what I have.
Yes, my friend Sean owns an insulation company and I buy a bed full of insulation rolls from him and sometimes he comes and helps me put it up. Next, I will finish the rooms and put the ceiling up, and have him blow the insulation into the attic. I believe we are going with about 3 feet, but he's the expert, and he'll ultimately decide.
I'm studding walls and building rooms, first and second floors, then insulation. That'll start in the late fall when it gets cold. Easier to work in that metal sweatbox, lol.
Did I come off that way? Not what I intended at all! Thanks for yours and everyone's input on this project. I really try to be thorough and put a lot of thought and research into everything I've done with this project, but I am no expert at all on any of this. Thanks for looking out.
Of course I will post up projects and I'll keep this thread updated too.
Ok, it's time for an update. We got a lot done since the concrete pour. We started on the airlines so we could get air to the dyno and the 4 post lift. We also needed to get electric over to the brake and to an outlet for the dyno electronics to plug into on one side and on the other side we needed electric for the rack itself to work. I laid out a sketch and got to work. I decided on 1" pipe for the main trunk and 1/2" for the branches. Pipe is damned expensive now and I wish I would have removed all the pipe I had in my old shop. Just not enough time to get it all out.
So we got the main trunk mounted and then moved onto the 2 branches. Then we ran conduit along with one branch for the brake and the outlets, and that armored romex for the other side for the lift power.
So we got the main trunk mounted and then moved onto the 2 branches. Then we ran conduit along with one branch for the brake and the outlets, and that armored romex for the other side for the lift power.
Today, I went to the Parker store and got the fittings for the air lines to connect to the compressors. I also got pushlock hose for the supply fittings so I could hook up the reel. I also hot a hose made for one of the compressors to hook to the main trunk. I already had the long one from the old shop.
Neil and I worked on finishing up and detailing everything for the lines and wiring. I hooked up the hose reel and connected the rack air. The regulator it came with had leaked for years so we had to unplug it when we weren't using it. I went to HF and bought one, it isn't an exact match but it will work to regulate air to the release system. It's all together and working. System holds pressure and only leak was Orings in the reel center. Took it apart and replaced them with some AC orings I had, and now it'll work with R134a too, lol. Top pic is the old setup, bottom pic is the new.
After going thru boxes and boxes of personal household keepsakes, junk and items, I finally was able to get back to the shop. Neil climbed the ladder and I worked from the floor, cutting conduit, pushing wire, gluing, etc. We were able to get the feeder cable hooked to tge box and ran about half way to the main panel. I have a bunch more household boxes to sort thru and out into the totes I emptied with car parts. Long story, but tgis is all stuff out of the basements of our 2 houses when we moved into this one that was about 1/2 the size, so this crap ended up in my shop, then storage unit, now this shop. It has to go up to the house garage as there just isn't enough room to store it in my shop and I am SICK of moving it and tripping over it, and we can't finish running the cable til it's gone. We can't get a ladder back there.
I spent 3 days unpacking, sorting and repacking stuff. It's all in totes now and easier to manage than busted up, broken down boxes. Anyway I got everything cleared out and we had room to get a ladder on that North wall. Neil got there and we moved a few more things I couldn't get on my own and he climbed the ladder and got started. We ran it along the header, then down into conduit. I turned off the power and we connected it up. I turned it back on afterwards and the dyno rack worked. Score!
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My buddy Sonny had his flunkie come out and dump loads of gravel off so he could finish the driveway and concrete pad. He dumped it in the middle of the driveway on Monday. I went out and asked him to dump to the right of where he had dumped before and he said sure, no problem. I came out and he had dumped to the left and completely blocked the way back to my shop. Lol. Normally, this wouldn't be an issue, but I had a guy dropping off his car for my first paying job that day and we ended up having to put it in my house garage, which kept me from moving the personal stuff in there, yadayadayada. Sos. So today my daughter and I pushed his car out and we were able to move stuff in and still get his car back inside.
Anyway, Sonny did his usual fantastic job. He was here for about 5 hours and got everything excavated and looking good. My "yellow brick road" of a driveway is now relatively straight. He's a great guy, I like spending money with him, but this is all I got, shot my wad. I'm dine until I can make some money.
Anyway, Sonny did his usual fantastic job. He was here for about 5 hours and got everything excavated and looking good. My "yellow brick road" of a driveway is now relatively straight. He's a great guy, I like spending money with him, but this is all I got, shot my wad. I'm dine until I can make some money.
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