New Years resolutions...... No BS!

[AlbertaFarmer5]

Great discussion, I spent many winter hours in a 1988 model shop. Till combine got too big, did all the "greenlites" there. Nothing like SF, but maintenance. I enjoyed wood work for 20 years, in the winter, kids were in school, then kids grew up. Now less of that, age changes all, NOTHING is forever. Do what you can, but a heated shop can save marriages too. The words about absence...and hearts. Enjoy while you can. It's an investment.

I know a lot of welders, rig workers, siesmographers, pipeliners etc, whose careers keep them away from home for long periods of time.
Then something changes ( like a lock down or industry crash, or career change), and they start spending time with their families. Wifes say they are in the way, cramping their usual routine, it is hard on marriages.

There is a joke to the effect of this:

The internet failed, the power was off, too dark to read, too cold to go outside etc, so I had nothing else to do but to talk to my wife, She seems like a nice lady.

[AlbertaFarmer5]

No thanks. I can deal with men around a lot easier than small children. If they arrived via stork somewhere between 6 and 8 and could get their own Cheerios and turn the cartoons on then I’d be fine.

Funny, most guys would agree with that. Perhaps a business opportunity beckons?

[Partners]

Well everyone's situation is different.
Surprising what happens when a man does the dishes..washes the clothes..vacuum the house..cooks dinner.
Then the wife is super happy too drive the combine..haul grain..haul water to the sprayer.do the books.etc..
For us never built a heated shop cuz winter is a form of stress relief..every possible day on the skidoos..and yes..100% of the time together. After 42 yrs we are still newly weds. Can't imagine it any other way..

[tubs]

Just built a new shop 60x100 well insulated with floor heat. We will do more projects in house get pats and work at it overtime. In the spring always in a rush to get thing ready and not always the nicest weather, Then you need a part and have to wait 2 weeks for it.I am going to order some parts from the states as the are a lot cheaper there and get it done.

[LEP]

Another thing that I noticed was once the shop was built, there was a big backlog of projects to get done.

We were motivated to get them done, then overtime the list gets shorter and now we are quite abit more on top of things and not really looking for jobs. It just shows all the way through the season as there is less to get ready for each upcoming job.

Often in July the harvest equipment is ready, so we do our major work on the drills and have them ready before we harvest. We try to fix many things right after we use them while it is fresh in our memory what needs fixing.

Not always being behind is worth alot.

[Taiga]

I was thinking in floor heat, care to share the total cost of a 60x100 build?

[furrowtickler]

Just built ice shack .. will do family time outside farm work

[Guest]

a lot of people don't realize how cheap shops can be
ours is 48 x 60 , 18' ceiling , was built completely finished , 26' bifold , 16 ' overhead , lots of insulation for $68k , labour and all , 2 1/2 yrs ago
groundwork, cement, electrical, heat and NG. brought it up to $120k
diesel 3/4 tons going for $100 k
its a pole shed (goodon) , had got a quote on framed one on foundation , was $50k more
really like it

[Sheepwheat]

a lot of people don't realize how cheap shops can be
ours is 48 x 60 , 18' ceiling , was built completely finished , 26' bifold , 16 ' overhead , lots of insulation for $68k , labour and all , 2 1/2 yrs ago
groundwork, cement, electrical, heat and NG. brought it up to $120k
diesel 3/4 tons going for $100 k
its a pole shed (goodon) , had got a quote on framed one on foundation , was $50k more
really like it

Yeah I’m one of those guys. Much more reasonable than I thought. Haven’t even done any pricing. Considering what other stuff costs, that’s not hideous.

[Taiga]

a lot of people don't realize how cheap shops can be
ours is 48 x 60 , 18' ceiling , was built completely finished , 26' bifold , 16 ' overhead , lots of insulation for $68k , labour and all , 2 1/2 yrs ago
groundwork, cement, electrical, heat and NG. brought it up to $120k
diesel 3/4 tons going for $100 k
its a pole shed (goodon) , had got a quote on framed one on foundation , was $50k more
really like it

Holy cow, major differences between areas, my basic dirt floor pole sheds 60x80, one end open on one of them, other building has wide O/H door, were both over $80k. Goodon quote was high on those and not used.

[helmsdale]

I poured a 24x36 6" pad in front of our "shop". Its an old 16x24 uninsulated wooden grain bin with concrete floor.

It's been liberating! You're not constantly dragging magnets through clumps of grass to find nuts and bolts, and I can actually use floor Jack's and vehicle ramps now😍.

Better yet I can actually use a creeper to slide from one end of the Peterbilt to the other!

If I could ever swing a decent shop, I'd like a 50ton press, steel lathe, a fully stocked rack of steel, and a hotsy.

Then I'd really be "Livin the Dream"™️

[tubs]

60 x100 building 2x8 walls r28 ceiling r50 2 overhead doors electrical and concrete total finish 305k. Did not do anywork ourselves and it is on a insulated foundation.

[GDR]

I dont know but after 6 months of farming the shop is the last place I want to be in the winter. My head needs a break from it.

.

Jazz as a kid I used to take everything I could find apart to see how it worked and loved helping someone doing a mechanical project. But I completely get what you mean, after fixing breakdowns and servicing, usually while you are under stress and in a hurry all the fun is gone. I dread the next shoe to drop. With a space in the shop where you can take something apart without the pressure and can tinker as you have time it's a whole bunch more fun.

[Guest]

I poured a 24x36 6" pad in front of our "shop". Its an old 16x24 uninsulated wooden grain bin with concrete floor.

It's been liberating! You're not constantly dragging magnets through clumps of grass to find nuts and bolts, and I can actually use floor Jack's and vehicle ramps now😍.

Better yet I can actually use a creeper to slide from one end of the Peterbilt to the other!

If I could ever swing a decent shop, I'd like a 50ton press, steel lathe, a fully stocked rack of steel, and a hotsy.

Then I'd really be "Livin the Dream"™️

7347
we had this old van we used to put leaf cutter blocks into
so i made this steel rack inside , sure nice to have steel undercover
iron is from a 5000 gal diesel tank and stand we bought years ago
put tank on ground and got more dollars worth of iron out of stand than we paid for tank
can't imagine having a 5000 gal tank on a ten ft high stand ? those uprights are 5" angle iron 3/8" thick , can't imagine what that would cost now

[GDR]

My shop is not near as fancy or as big as lots. Tools older, basic and cheap but often suprise myself what I can do. 40x60 I did all labour so only materials and done in stages over 15yrs, has cost me 50g or less total.

Have a joke with my wife she has to text first before coming to the shop to make sure I'm working when she opens the door. I've got an old recliner next to a woodstove, sure is nice to sit down for a break in the warmth when you are working outside in the winter without having to take off your coveralls. I just have to share with the pooch.