Council Circle Shop Build

 

In 1987 I decided to build a shop in the back yard. I knew virtually nothing about construction, but I was eager and I had a friend, Bernard, who had worked with a construction crew the previous summer so he was our technical advisor.

This was before I owned an air compressor or air guns...we hand hammered every last nail.

We did have a Remington Powder Actuated Tool that fires our sole plates to the slab.

 
Prepping for the slab, we had a slope to cope with...Built a level area with compressed red clay sand...then added a frame.
Then we dug a deeper footing on the edges...

 

Laid out a vapor barrier and then rolled out wire mesh...
Overlaid the mesh...wired it off.
The 3 Amigos for the first shop build...ready for concrete...
Big truck...long boom...had Jerry, a football guy from Millsaps drop by to help spread concrete.

Dave, the constant "Good Dude", was there to help.

 

Floating the slab...I borrowed a serious float with extensions from the Millsaps maintenance shop.

Raising up the first wall.

 
Framing the walls, putting on the top plate...Bernard giving instructions...plus James...
Bernard nailing off the top plates...
Securing the garage door front wall...
Nailing down the purlins across the rafters.
Brother Tom and I sitting on the purlins...
Framing is done...a sheet good goes up...

Adding the treated T111 siding...
Screwing down the 5v metal panels...we got out the climbing gear and James held me on belay from the far side.
This was back when my body would still bend...

Putting in a window and trimming out...with Frank Jacobs, Cheri's father.
Brother Tom and friend John helping do high sheet work on the back side.
Skinned...and roofed...and a light...
Garage door in...landscaping, bricks laid...just needs a little trim and the outside is complete.

The interior starts to take shape...James had access to some recycled lab cabinets from St. Dom's...he got some for his shop and I got the units shown here...they moved to the next shop on Sheridan...and they exist in some form in the Sun Shop.

66 Dodge Engine Overhaul

James and I became friends in 1986 when he taught me about engines...we tore apart the slant 6 in my 66 Dodge pickup.
The overhaul...
Spread all over the lower yard...the shop had not been built at this point...I only had the little building to hold tools...Renee is eyeing the spread with James.

 

Sheridan Shop Build

 

In ???? I purchased a house on Sheridan Drive. It had a covered car port. James and I closed it in one long three day period...there are no pictures of this build...we worked too hard and I did not own a camera at that particular time.

As far as the build went...the biggest problem was that there was a dramatic down hill run along the side of the shop...it made squaring the wall panels very difficult.

The one improvement over the Council shop build was that we now had an Air compressor and a Thunka Wunka.

 

 

This is the back of the shop...enclosed with a door and the air conditioner...we put up a sloping roof to keep out the rain.

The 3 Amigos again...

 

 

 

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