My kingdom for a heated workspace! (Or: why I've been scarce around here lately)
 

I've been spending less time than usual on EM recently, and here's a big reason why. It's both good and bad. But mostly good...

http://ecomodder.com/forum/attachmen...1&d=1285791568

(Google Streetview image of "the shack")

Some of you may recall my perennial, bitter complaining about how my various projects grind to a halt each year once autumn sets in and winter looms: I wished I had an insulated, heated workspace. Wah, wah, wah.

Well, the good news is my problem is solved! :D And simultaneously, many new problems were acquired! :mad:

I bought a piece of property in town with an old garage on it, part of which is insulated and has a wood stove. And get this: it's large enough to park 5 (five!) Suzukiclone-sized objects inside! And theoretically many more outside! (But hopefully I won't go there.)

The newly acquired and truly ironic problem is that now I find myself spending my tinkering time tinkering on the building itself, instead of on the vehicles.


http://ecomodder.com/forum/attachmen...1&d=1285793680

The garage is pretty old (guessing ~60 years), not particularly well-built, with several additions glommed on over the years. It's not quite in immediate danger of falling down, yet without exception, every person I've met in the neighbourhood has asked, "Oh - you bought the old Lavergne garage. When are you going to tear it down?" :p

(I'm guessing their concerns are more aesthetic and property value-related than structural.)

While it may not be about to fall over in the next wind storm, it's definitely in need of plenty of first aid, which I've been administering, slowly.

So once the leaks in the roof are patched, and some windows replaced, and the stove relocated, and the issue of no electricity sorted out, and the "porch" straightened, and some wall sill plates replaced, and several doors moved, and the asphalt driveway cracks sealed, the soffits and fascias fixed, the mice evicted, and the siding repainted, and the brush trimmed back, and the grass cut & leaves raked ... well you get the picture.

Once all those things are done, I'll be able to once again spend my tinkering time on vehiclular modding!!!

(That is, if I quit buying junk that I can park inside the shack. Like this. And this. And several other things I haven't photographed yet...)

...an electric space heater (with suitably sized extension cord) is one possibility.

MetroMPG -

If they want you to tear it down, get them to pay for a steel garage that is oh, maybe TWICE the square footage.

CarloSW2

Hey Darin,

I'm kinda in the same boat as you are. I've been visiting EM daily, but have mostly been a lurker ever since I got my house a bit more than a month ago. The property related projects list grows faster than I can get the projects done. There's a whole lot of shoveling involved and I'm dreaming about getting blisters from wrenching instead of from moving dirt around.

I guess I'll come around eventually. I have a nice little garage to work in with a lot of potential, but I just don't see myself wrenching in it anytime soon.

Good luck in fixing the garage. It's gonna make a nice stable for your trophy cars! You're starting to get quite a collection you know.

take care,

Martin

Martin - congrats on getting your house built! My war cry lately has been "TMP!" (too many projects). Feel free to use it if you like.

I really am looking forward to getting the shack sorted out. But I'm a slow worker, so who knows how long it'll take. I put in an hour or so every day or two - just came down from the roof with my tar bucket.

I assume you're alluding to a 48v space heater? :)

Good idea - come for a visit and you can be my negotiator!

Believe it or not, earlier this summer one of my neighbours actually offered to help me repaint (part of) it - the part she can see from her back porch.

MetroMPG -

I hear you, that's why I created this YouTube :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JR9KRBooSyU
(third time I've used it on this forum)

Ha ha ha, it's like a movie facade to her.

CarloSW2

When you get enough projects started, things will go well until you find that you have filled all available space. Then entropy sets in.

That's just funny :)

Darin, I bet you could get half the neighborhood to pitch in helping you out on working on the garage, so you're not doing it all yourself.

Plus, it's a good opportunity for Q&A about the ForkenSwift and other projects you have there, and to teach the neighbors about insulation, heating, etc.

If you ask, I'm sure they'll be willing to help you, if only to increase their respective properties' attractiveness or value.

If the lady wants to paint your garage, oblige her. :)

Too late! I already re-did the part she looks at :D

But you're right: I showed the ForkenSwift to one neighbour, and then got a phone call a week later from one of the other neighbours I hadn't yet met:

"I hear you have an electric car in that garage! I want to see it!"

I ended up bringing it to his model RC airplane club meeting this week. They're mostly using electric motors these days, so are familiar and interested in the whole EV thing. Spent an hour showing the car, answering questions and giving rides in a coffee shop parking lot.

So precient!

One of the neighbours offered to rake my leaves!! (So he can have them for his garden & composter.)

I gave him permission. :p

This is why, when I finally get my own home, I want to install both an outdoor boiler and a biomass incinerator/generator.

Leaves and grass clippings, etc, are abundant here in the country. Free fuel!

And it'll be better for me to burn them in an incinerator, than have the neighbors burning them in the open.

Would painting it bright pink score you any points with the neighbors?

The location looks sunny, so maybe a solar-air heater for starters? Did the building come with any tools/machines that may be of help when modding?

We are all willing to pitch in (virtually) - just start a thread on EcoRenovator:)

It gets better! Another neighbour offered to clear snow this winter in exchange for a place to park a vehicle (there's room at the end of my driveway). Leaf raking: check! Snow clearing: check! Now just need someone to offer to mow the grass...

---

Yeah - I'll probably start a thread on ER.

It is relatively sunny. I'm adding a small array for photovoltaic power this week. I don't have grid power, and had most of the parts for a basic PV system, so figured why not?

I have extra batteries from project ForkenSwift, and I picked up a 1500 watt inverter on sale last week. I'll be able to run almost all my tools except the welder. Actually, I should be able to run it on everything but the highest power setting.

I think the simple solution for this is a North American EcoModder House-Fix-Up-Meet-Up!

Unfortunately I already know I can't make it, but I'll offer to buy some sort of foodstuff for the helpers :p

MetroMPG -

Leave that to the Google-Goats :

Google hires goats to cut grass - Telegraph

CarloSW2

MetroMPG -- sounds like you've read too many "white-washing fences" stories by riverboat Captain, Samuel Clemens.

I've got 2000sq ft (13 full size cars!) rented at the moment..

All that seems to have happened is that both myself and my mate (with whom I share the rent) have parked various cars there, awaiting the glory of the "Completed project!"

I have, at the moment..

1x 320 Bmw e30, awaiting a complete overhaul- sitting on tyres

1x 325 BMW e30 awaiting a 3.5 m30 conversion (it'll be my drift/track car)

The Saab as a daily driver (need to get cracking on a WAI before winter arrives!)

The Burd's Clio

The Burd asking for mk 1 Golf/rabbit cabrio...

Not to mention the unit is 180 mile round trip from my new flat..


Therefore I know what you mean about "too many projects!"

We lost almost 2 months cleaning and painting the unit before we moved stuff in- nice to have a pleasant workplace-

we have electricity, running watter , sink and a fridge in the unit, plus a toilet at the end of the access corridor. I'm tempted to get a cheap caravan and stay there over the weekends..

There is no such thing as too many projects! :) There is such thing as not enough free time and money though.

There is such a thing..

I currently have 4x the projects my income can support!

although the superduper hypermiletastic scab is saving me some pennies:eek:

Carlos: I want a goat! :D

I'm not sure who's getting the better end of the deal: The neighbour I traded a parking spot for snow clearing "for the winter" has apparently decided it's winter! His car was there today. Have to talk to the man...

Ouch. I'm in a better spot: 15 minute bike ride round trip.

I did some basic cleaning (dead critter count: 3), but it's still got a long way to go before I'd call it a pleasant workspace.

I've had several people joke that that's what I need to do too!

However, I do now have limited electricity. Next post...

The shack has powah!

This photo taken about 45 minutes ago:

http://ecomodder.com/forum/attachmen...1&d=1287608511

On the nearest corner of the roof, 130 watts of photovoltaic panels: one rated 80w, the other 50w.

Connected to four (maybe six, later) surplus 225 Ah 6v used batteries from project ForkenSwift... they're probably about 50% worn out, so more like 112 Ah...

http://forkenswift.com/album/14-batts-from-sue-l.jpg

Which are in turn connected to a 1500 watt (not 1000, as shown) inverter I got on sale last week:

http://ecomodder.com/forum/attachmen...1&d=1287608841

Still need to sort everything out (battery location, proper interconnects, fuses, wiring - like how the p.v. wires dangle off the roof and through the window?) But at least now I have juice for lights and small power tools. Meaning I can spend some productive time there in the evenings, since it's now dark after supper.

New storage system at the shack!

http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:A...paxwy9n9jmAq0=

Just last night I was thinking it would be good to have some old kitchen cupboards to put on the walls in the garage to store tools/junk & keep them out of sight.

And this morning, what do I see? Kitchen reno guys at the neighbour's place, with freshly removed old cupboards piled on the driveway.

I'm getting closer to actually doing an ecomodding-related vehicle project inside...

Wooohoo, now you can store canned goods in the shack.

Yup. Could it be more awesome? :)

I'm going to be bold, and predict one of my fleet will be inside this insulated/heated side of the garage within a week or 2.

bigger slower better, more ECOMODDED

I remember hearing the white house used sheep to keep the lawn mowed back in the day before mowers.

I tried the same approach, which lasted until the fussy neighbor objected to the racket of a homesick goat.

.....and enviromentally friendly to boot! Isn't recycling one of the premises of the Forken Swift?

Oh yeah, the list of recycled parts in the ForkenSwift is long. See it here, if you really want to.

Things are moving along slowly but surely at EcoModder World Headquarters (Canadian branch) ...

• I'm predicting that the heated/insulated side will be open for business this weekend. Meaning: a car will be inside that part of the building for the first time in a couple of (maybe 3) decades.
  
  The previous owner covered over the car-sized doors a long time ago. He used it as a workshop for his gun repair / restoration business.

• The solar panels are just keeping the old batteries up with the limited amount of power I'm using: mostly lights (CFL of course), radio, laptop, and some light power tool use.

• And I've got wifi access from the house next door! I offered to pay half the Internet amount for the neighbours and they were happy to oblige.

• And I believe the pair of squirrels that had taken up temporary residence in the non-insulated side of the garage finally got sick of me scaring the crap out of them every time I opened the door and started moving stuff around, and have vacated the premises! Now I just have to fix up the rotten fascia/soffit where they were getting in & out.

Mission accomplished
 

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

Photo shows the ForkenSwift nestled inside its cocoon... I mean inside the heated & insulated side of the shack, accomplished on the weekend:

http://ecomodder.com/forum/attachmen...1&d=1291147187

I've already done a couple of little repairs to it that have been on my list for a few weeks. In warm... dry ... comfort.

It's fantastic to have wrested control of my projects from the whims of the weather gods. Weather gods, my emoticon sticks out its tongue at you! :p Ecomodding is no longer a seasonal activity!

Of course, there remains much, much more work to be done to the building itself. But at least now I can sprinkle some vehicular tinkering among the shack-related chores.

I hope your wife and new baby don't mind you being gone so much. Spending time with my family is alway a pleasant foul weather activity.

Congrats on the workshop though, I envy you!

I think Darin would find himself quite surprised to find he has a wife let alone a child! :D

I have a wife and new baby? :eek:

Why am I always the last to hear about these things!?

Just kidding. You might be thinking about one of our Electric Metro Club's other members though. (Ben N - he & his wife just had a Ben Jr.) Or tasdrouille - new house, new baby.

And so now I return to the workshop with impunity...

*jealous*

What did you heat and insulate it with, again?

The cool part is it came fully equipped: fiberglass (fairly minimal thickness) in the walls and ceiling. Ancient wood stove for heat.

PS - you're welcome to come use it!

...I was waiting for the punch line: "...but, bring your own WOOD..." (ha,ha)!

True, true!

Though LESS wood will be needed now.

I replaced the stove yesterday with a larger, yet more efficient one donated by a friend. (Replaced his cottage stove.)

Doggone it there are too many of these electric Metros floating around to keep track of!!!

Ah, to be young, single, and to have a heated workspace.....I truly envy you even more now!

I've ripped apart the drivetrain out in the driveway to replace the diff carrier bearings in -30 deg winter weather. It's amazing how much heat those yellow halogen worklamps put out. I set my wrenches and stuff on em to keep them warm. Frequent trips inside to thaw the fingers are necessary too.

Frank: I fully expect this warm space to ruin me forever, making me even more of a wimp about wrenching in the cold.

I thought wintering in California last year would ruin winter for me forever, but I haven't bailed out on the frozen north yet...