# My shop in Colorado



## Steelart99

Well, since we started talking about shops ... I designed a shop that my wife and I built over about two years of weekends (when not skiing or hiking). We did get some help from my father and mother in-law several times. Below is a short series showing the shop going up. For some reason, I don't have inside pics, but will add those at some point. Downstairs is 34x40, and upstairs is 24x40. The upstairs turned into a combination art studio for my wife and kids "apartment" for our niece and nephew who could not come into our house because of cat allergies. Downstairs is all mine. A shop for woodworking, metal working, lapidary, sculpting, clay work, etc. 

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## Steelart99

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## waterboy12

Very nice. I like it. I would love to have an upstairs.


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## DKMD

So jealous! I can't wait to see inside...


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## BangleGuy

That is awesome! Do you like having an upstairs? I like the idea of a softer/warmer floor than concrete, but climbing stairs might be a pain. Lets see some pics inside!


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## BarbS

What a great shop! I'll bet it was lots of fun to do together, too. Nice work!


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## Mike1950

Nice shop!!!!!!!  I got a feelin you get a lot of the white stuff there???


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## Steelart99

Okay here are some interior shots of my shop. 

This is my 10x16 finish room ... something I can keep warm lots easier than the whole shop. 
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Hot area - Forge, Power Hammer, 30 Ton Hydraulic Press, Anvil, Heat-treatment area
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Storage, drill press, arbor press, buffing wheel
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Several kilns, diamond saw, hardness tester, plating equipment, metal casting
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Bandsaws (metal and wood), surface grinder
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Wood lathe, metal lathe
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Variety of disc and belt sanders
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Upstairs - Aspen beds, Black walnut bar on wine barrel, sitting area, art studio
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## Steelart99

More upstairs

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View out the front door of the shop

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## NYWoodturner

I would never come out of there. I would mail order in my food and beer !


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## BangleGuy

Now that is what I call Santa's workshop:wacko1:! You have all the toys and more 

Thanks for the pics!


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## woodtickgreg

What a great looking shop. I built a 12' x 24' shed once with trusses like you did, it went up real fast. I need.....want a shop like that but have no room on my residential lot and I just can't get my wife to move! GRRRR. Maybe if I just keep filling the house with tools she'll give in.


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## barry richardson

I believe that is the most delux hobby shop I've ever seen! I think we all dream of a shop like that, but you got it! Now I know who to bug when I need some exotic metal fabrication


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## Steelart99

Guys (gals), this was a first project for my new wife and I and it was great fun doing it. We both love living in nature and don't mind the remoteness. It evolved so that we could have little visitors. Originally, the upstairs was to be my storage area, but as an art studio it is even better. The walnut for the bar upstairs came from my Dad, so special meaning. We are going to add a deck off the back which will overlook an area called the Bijou Basin. We know that we are very lucky. Many evenings, we go over there to sip wine and watch movie ... date night. We actually don't get as much snow as we'd like. We are considered a high plains desert. 7200 feet.


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## gvwp

Wow what a setting! Beautiful and a beautiful shop as well!


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## taylor23

Your shop looks beautiful. It shows great working and good finising. 
One question from me is how you manuafacture door for shop.
Whar kind of material you use and how it fit to shop.



London shutters


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## davidgiul

A beautiful shop and setting. But it is too clean. You are going to give Mike1950 a complex and make Kenbo jealous.:davidguil:


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## Steelart99

taylor23 said:


> Your shop looks beautiful. It shows great working and good finising.
> One question from me is how you manuafacture door for shop.
> Whar kind of material you use and how it fit to shop.



I just used prefab steel doors on the outside and solid 6 panel prefab pine doors on the inside. I've not made any furniture nor doots ... just turned bowls. Well, and knives and sculptues and chainmail jewelry and some other stuff.


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## Steelart99

davidgiul said:


> A beautiful shop and setting. But it is too clean. You are going to give Mike1950 a complex and make Kenbo jealous.:davidguil:



CLEAN ...:wacko1:
I must take lousy pictures


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## Twig Man

Now thats a shop!!


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## LoneStar

You're living the dream right there!


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## davidgiul

Steelart99 said:


> davidgiul said:
> 
> 
> 
> A beautiful shop and setting. But it is too clean. You are going to give Mike1950 a complex and make Kenbo jealous.:davidguil:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> CLEAN ...:wacko1:
> I must take lousy pictures
Click to expand...

Your pictures are just fine. I posted a picture of what a clean shop could look like and the picture sent Kenbo into a catatonic shock.:davidguil:


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## Steelart99

davidgiul said:


> Steelart99 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> davidgiul said:
> 
> 
> 
> A beautiful shop and setting. But it is too clean. You are going to give Mike1950 a complex and make Kenbo jealous.:davidguil:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> CLEAN ...:wacko1:
> I must take lousy pictures
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Your pictures are just fine. I posted a picture of what a clean shop could look like and the picture sent Kenbo into a catatonic shock.:davidguil:
Click to expand...


 It turns out that not only am I now addicted to, and collecting wood, I've done the same with tools, fossils, meteorites, metals, stones ... sigh ... fortunately my wife is a saint ... and I make her lots of cool stuff so she wont dump me.


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## davidgiul

Steelart99 said:


> davidgiul said:
> 
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> 
> Steelart99 said:
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> 
> 
> davidgiul said:
> 
> 
> 
> A beautiful shop and setting. But it is too clean. You are going to give Mike1950 a complex and make Kenbo jealous.:davidguil:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> CLEAN ...:wacko1:
> I must take lousy pictures
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Your pictures are just fine. I posted a picture of what a clean shop could look like and the picture sent Kenbo into a catatonic shock.:davidguil:
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> It turns out that not only am I now addicted to, and collecting wood, I've done the same with tools, fossils, meteorites, metals, stones ... sigh ... fortunately my wife is a saint ... and I make her lots of cool stuff so she wont dump me.
Click to expand...

I can think of way worse addictions than the ones you just listed. Wood and tools seem to be my weakness for the moment.


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## Steelart99

davidgiul said:


> Steelart99 said:
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> davidgiul said:
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> Steelart99 said:
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> davidgiul said:
> 
> 
> 
> A beautiful shop and setting. But it is too clean. You are going to give Mike1950 a complex and make Kenbo jealous.:davidguil:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> CLEAN ...:wacko1:
> I must take lousy pictures
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Your pictures are just fine. I posted a picture of what a clean shop could look like and the picture sent Kenbo into a catatonic shock.:davidguil:
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> It turns out that not only am I now addicted to, and collecting wood, I've done the same with tools, fossils, meteorites, metals, stones ... sigh ... fortunately my wife is a saint ... and I make her lots of cool stuff so she wont dump me.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> I can think of way worse addictions than the ones you just listed. Wood and tools seem to be my weakness for the moment.
Click to expand...

:rofl2: What??? I'm not the ONLY  one???


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## davduckman2010

thats beutiful dan i got to build me somthing just like that right in the middle of my honey hole next door. where did you get the planes for that building. or is it a kit ? thats perfect for what i need . iv been clearing a spot in there but i got these dam big maples in the way but i got a an idea for them :csnut: they will look better in the house than out side of it yep duck


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## Steelart99

davduckman2010 said:


> thats beutiful dan i got to build me somthing just like that right in the middle of my honey hole next door. where did you get the planes for that building. or is it a kit ? thats perfect for what i need . iv been clearing a spot in there but i got these dam big maples in the way but i got a an idea for them :csnut: they will look better in the house than out side of it yep duck



Dave, no plans, I designed it myself and drew it up on AutoCad. I wanted to use what is called Socket Systems, the black steel angles at the beam interfaces. That way, I could build it on the ground and raise the beams as a single unit. No crane required. 8x8 Doug fir beams cut to length, bolted together and raised with a winch attached to my jeep. A bit hairy at times. I just used 2' dia x 4' deep concrete pillars under the beams. No other foundation required but I added a concrete pad too. The entire downstairs interior is blue pine T&G which was actually cheaper than anything else. I have 8 wooded acres and great views. You should build one yourself. I'll help ... from here.:i_dunno:


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## woodtickgreg

Steelart99 said:


> davduckman2010 said:
> 
> 
> 
> thats beutiful dan i got to build me somthing just like that right in the middle of my honey hole next door. where did you get the planes for that building. or is it a kit ? thats perfect for what i need . iv been clearing a spot in there but i got these dam big maples in the way but i got a an idea for them :csnut: they will look better in the house than out side of it yep duck
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Dave, no plans, I designed it myself and drew it up on AutoCad. I wanted to use what is called Socket Systems, the black steel angles at the beam interfaces. That way, I could build it on the ground and raise the beams as a single unit. No crane required. 8x8 Doug fir beams cut to length, bolted together and raised with a winch attached to my jeep. A bit hairy at times. I just used 2' dia x 4' deep concrete pillars under the beams. No other foundation required but I added a concrete pad too. The entire downstairs interior is blue pine T&G which was actually cheaper than anything else. I have 8 wooded acres and great views. You should build one yourself. I'll help ... from here.:i_dunno:
Click to expand...


I'd show up for the raising!


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## davduckman2010

thats awsome great design too . just raise and bolt to the pillars great idea i still got some planing to do iv only cleared the road and an acre of under brush it will take me some time. that would look great back in there its a five acre lot joining my lot and its zoned commercial. all my buddys are in the trades so that will help greatly. duck


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