It’s been a year in the new garage/shop

For what it is worth, about two years ago I was doing some TIG welding and stopped for a moment to hit a piece with the 4.5 inch grinder. Went back to welding and after a minute I started to smell something burning. Lifted the helmet and sure enough, a large cardboard box was in flames. I was happy I had my welding gear on, just a matter of picking it up and running to the door. That was a wake up call for me. No grinding in the shop. Ever.
 
7milesup said:
For what it is worth, about two years ago I was doing some TIG welding and stopped for a moment to hit a piece with the 4.5 inch grinder. Went back to welding and after a minute I started to smell something burning. Lifted the helmet and sure enough, a large cardboard box was in flames. I was happy I had my welding gear on, just a matter of picking it up and running to the door. That was a wake up call for me. No grinding in the shop. Ever.
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That's definitely a sobering wake-up call!
I think this is a real challenge for small home shops. How do we do the work we want to do while maintaining safe working conditions?
Easy enough to grind outside but plasma cutting seems less portable. Stick seems like a non-starter also. I have zero experience with plasma as I don't have a plasma cutter.
 
It's something I do before I start up the welding or the plasma is look for anything that will burn. It's not uncommon to see a rag on fire or a piece of paper.
I don't want any fire.
 
Janderso said:
Have you broken ground on the shop Bob?
How's the new home coming along?
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Not breaking ground yet, Jeff, but we are drawing plans. My wife's brother (also named Bob) is a recently retired architect who is doing the plans, which makes it relatively dead easy to get them past the county building department. We are working out the details now. We want to get the shop closed in before the rains start if at all possible... We are still settling in to our new home and are getting there, but there are still items that need to find their permanent places. That will be helped tremendously when we can move the machine shop stuff out of our 2 car garage, which is jammed full...
 
Bob Korves said:
Not breaking ground yet, Jeff, but we are drawing plans. My wife's brother (also named Bob) is a recently retired architect who is doing the plans, which makes it relatively dead easy to get them past the county building department. We are working out the details now. We want to get the shop closed in before the rains start if at all possible... We are still settling in to our new home and are getting there, but there are still items that need to find their permanent places. That will be helped tremendously when we can move the machine shop stuff out of our 2 car garage, which is jammed full...
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An architect? Just make it the same as mine...36x36. Wait, maybe 36x46 because mine is too small. Dangit... on second thought at least 40x66 with a loft and theater room. Don't forget the wet bar, bathroom and and and...
 
Jeff, I never said it but my heart broke for you and your family when you showed us pics of that devastating fire. It's nice to know you're back on your feet and building towards the future again. I don't know that I would be able to do nearly as well.
 
Bob Korves said:
Not breaking ground yet, Jeff, but we are drawing plans. My wife's brother (also named Bob) is a recently retired architect who is doing the plans, which makes it relatively dead easy to get them past the county building department. We are working out the details now. We want to get the shop closed in before the rains start if at all possible... We are still settling in to our new home and are getting there, but there are still items that need to find their permanent places. That will be helped tremendously when we can move the machine shop stuff out of our 2 car garage, which is jammed full...
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Awesome new, Bob, and it's good to hear you're doing well with your new life/new wife. My very best to you!
 
7milesup said:
An architect? Just make it the same as mine...36x36. Wait, maybe 36x46 because mine is too small. Dangit... on second thought at least 40x66 with a loft and theater room. Don't forget the wet bar, bathroom and and and...
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This one will more likely end up at about 400 square feet or a little more (20'x20' as an example), plus loft storage, and the existing 2 car garage will try to stay mostly a garage. A registered architect can get away with things in the plans that the average person would not be allowed to do. The architect assumes some of the responsibility for the design and plans, so the county often goes easier on toeing the line with the rules. I was once an architecture student (didn't finish it) and brother-in-law Bob and I were in the some of the same classes together...
 
I would suppose that things are a little different in California as far as zoning goes. I had to get a permit for the house and a set of plans (didn't matter who drew them) to the county and that was about it. I didn't need a permit for my shop. In fact, my 22 acres is zoned agricultural, even though it is nothing but solid woods, which allows me to put up as many out buildings as I want without any permits.
Was Bob your B-i-L when you were in school or did life just circle around and you found each other again?
 
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