Workshop Renovation

March 1, 2003

Well, here it is ... March already.  Time to install the front door light !  I will be drilling from the outside, but I need to know EXACTLY where to drill, so I created a template in Excel the exact size of the outlet box, with lines crossing in the center.  Then I put a nail in the center to mark the wall, then drilled a pilot hole all the way through so I would be able to drill from the outside.  Notice the right side is folded in a bit.  This is because the round outlet box has a lip that will have to fit into a slot I chiseled out earlier in order for the box to fit flush to the stud.  Now I am ready to drill the 4" diameter hole.

Here is the hole drilled with the outlet box installed.  Not a bad job for an amateur electrician !

And here is the front light installed ... well, sort of ... still have to make the electrical connections.  Looks like a fairly good weekend, so hopefully will get the front and back lights hooked up to power.

Later that same day ...

Removed the three-switch box and rewired all the lights, including the new outside light, to the four-switch box.  And it actually works too !  Plan on getting power hooked up to the back door outside light tomorrow.

March 2, 2003

FINALLY got this wall back up.  Actually I had to take it down three more times before I was totally successful.  The four switch outlet box had a flange designed to help hold the box in place, but it was designed for 3/8" wallboard, and we are using 1/2", so I had to cut it off to allow the switch plate to fit flush.  Whew, what a wall !

Today was mostly a wiring day.  Here is the three-switch outlet box finished.  All the wiring is done, with the right switch now controlling the two ceiling lights at the back, the middle switch is for the backdoor outside light (see it working below !), and the left switch is for a floodlight (yet to be purchased) that will also go outside the backdoor.

As you can see from the picture above, I actually wired everything correctly !  Now there will be light when I step out the backdoor at night (now why would I even want to do that ? ).  But it sure looks great !

The outlet you see near the top of the ladder was added today because I ended up with an extra wire connected to a switch.  This is the switch wire that used to control the two lights at the back (you can see one of them above), but since I moved that light control to the backdoor switchplate, I had an extra one floating around, so I put in an outlet.  This may change in the future, but for now it can be an outlet.

March 2, 2003

Gorgeous weekend !  Found this to be a good opportunity to fix the back corner of my workshop.  The concrete pad was not touching the ground here, making it appear that one day the corner would drop and crack the floor, not to mention a few other things! So I dug out under it and poured some concrete to give it the support it needs.  Not a bad job too .... almost looks professional ! 

March 14, 2003

Got my hand dispenser installed this morning .. now I can actually clean my hands when they get dirty !

March 31, 2003

I added this to the outside of my workshop so I could enjoy the summer breezes ... oops, I lied.  This is a terrace from one of the hotels during our recent trip to Costa Rica.  I was inspired by some of the things I saw, and plan on adding a smaller version of this to my workshop at some point in the future. 

This is another inspiration I received while in Costa Rica.  Now I am going to have to build a stone coffee area in my workshop too !  Mine will be bigger and better though !