• Hi all and welcome to TheWoodHaven2 brought into the 21st Century, kicking and screaming! We all have Alasdair to thank for the vast bulk of the heavy lifting to get us here, no more so than me because he's taken away a huge burden of responsibility from my shoulders and brought us to this new shiny home, with all your previous content (hopefully) still intact! Please peruse and feed back. There is still plenty to do, like changing the colour scheme, adding the banner graphic, tweaking the odd setting here and there so I have added a new thread in the 'Technical Issues, Bugs and Feature Requests' forum for you to add any issues you find, any missing settings or just anything you'd like to see added/removed from the feature set that Xenforo offers. We will get to everything over the coming weeks so please be patient, but add anything at all to the thread I mention above and we promise to get to them over the next few days/weeks/months. In the meantime, please enjoy!

Ian’s new workshop. The Wonky Donkey. Starting to fit the lintels.

Hard hot work, but the last stage has provided me with a clever idea. Followed by a huge amount of fun when I was expecting trouble instead.

I fitted all the six full size panels, all levelled up and the piles of ply etc all splodged with no nails to keep them in their place in the future.
You may notice that the piles stick out sideways quite a bit, that’s so that when the insulation is dropped into the holes it stays where I need it instead of it hitting the floor.

IMG_3390.jpeg

Cutting the insulation which I thought was going to be a pleasant enough easy job turned out to be a pain - literally. I’m good with a handsaw but didn’t want all that sawdust. So I bought myself a new snap off knife, really good one that takes 1” wide wavy edged blades held in place with a thumb wheel, I thought this is the boyo for me!
It was really hard going needing two hands to pull it through and I seem to have a tendon in my arm that doesn’t like that action, it was such hard work that the blade was unbelievably hot to the touch!
Inspiration!!!! I was doing another little job with a Multitool, like the proverbial knife through hot butter. Superb with hardly any dust.EDIT not a good idea, it was dim and I couldn’t see the very fine particles in the air!


IMG_3405.jpeg

The fun part.
BIG thank you to @Mike G “cut the insulation 5 mm smaller all round” made the job a pleasure, the insulation dropped Into place and the gun came with plastic nozzles with a 3mm hole, with judicial undoing and closing down the valve on the gun the double layers were sealed into place one after the other. And that was the bit of the job that I thought was going to be difficult, absolutely a doddle! And I didn’t get the slightest bit on me.
Edit, the plastic nozzles are disposable and need taping on otherwise they are forced off with the pressure.

IMG_3406.jpeg

Another job which was quicker than expected was varnishing the 9 sheets of ply, I’ve always liked paint pads and it made short work of these.
I used water based poly floor varnish which doesn’t seem to be as good as Johnstones in the uk but I think the 3rd coat should do it. Impressed with the ply though I think it will look great when it’s down.

IMG_3395.jpeg
 
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You are not the only one having difficulty in getting good finishing products. Here in France the paint is both v expensive and v poor. Anything decent (Dulux satin, €40/2.5l) is eyewatering. A friend of ours came back from the UK with 32 cans paint in a trailer.
S
 
Cabinetman said:
Hard hot work, but the last stage has provided me with a clever idea. Followed by a huge amount of fun when I was expecting trouble instead.

I fitted all the six full size panels, all levelled up and the piles of ply etc all splodged with no nails to keep them in their place in the future.
You may notice that the piles stick out sideways quite a bit, that’s so that when the insulation is dropped into the holes it stays where I need it instead of it hitting the floor.

View attachment 34513

Cutting the insulation which I thought was going to be a pleasant enough easy job turned out to be a pain - literally. I’m good with a handsaw but didn’t want all that sawdust. So I bought myself a new snap off knife, really good one that takes 1” wide wavy edged blades held in place with a thumb wheel, I thought this is the boyo for me!
It was really hard going needing two hands to pull it through and I seem to have a tendon in my arm that doesn’t like that action, it was such hard work that the blade was unbelievably hot to the touch!
Inspiration!!!! I was doing another little job with a Multitool, like the proverbial knife through hot butter. Superb with hardly any dust.

View attachment 34515

The fun part.
BIG thank you to @Mike G “cut the insulation 5 mm smaller all round” made the job a pleasure, the insulation dropped Into place and the gun came with plastic nozzles with a 3mm hole, with judicial undoing and closing down the valve on the gun the double layers were sealed into place one after the other. And that was the bit of the job that I thought was going to be difficult, absolutely a doddle! And I didn’t get the slightest bit on me.

View attachment 34516

Another job which was quicker than expected was varnishing the 9 sheets of ply, I’ve always liked paint pads and it made short work of these.
I used water based poly varnish which doesn’t seem to be as good as Johnstones in the uk but I think the 3rd coat should do it. Impressed with the ply though I think it will look great when it’s down.

View attachment 34517
Click to expand...
Good progress Ian, the nice plywood will be scuffed up in no time.
 
Steve Maskery said:
You are not the only one having difficulty in getting good finishing products. Here in France the paint is both v expensive and v poor. Anything decent (Dulux satin, €40/2.5l) is eyewatering. A friend of ours came back from the UK with 32 cans paint in a trailer.
S
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Hells teeth, mind you an abiding memory from my youth, I was in France and was shocked at the state of so many houses’s paintwork. Maybe it’s the poor quality paint as you say.
And no @duke if it’s even half as good as the floor varnish in the uk it will be virtually indestructible, but I may go to 4 coats of varnish on the heavy wear areas.
 
Steve Maskery said:
You are not the only one having difficulty in getting good finishing products. Here in France the paint is both v expensive and v poor. Anything decent (Dulux satin, €40/2.5l) is eyewatering. A friend of ours came back from the UK with 32 cans paint in a trailer.
S
Click to expand...
Yep, paint is another one of those “essentials” that fill my car on my trips back from UK
 
In Sweden they do have good paint for normal prices, so I don't need to bring it with me. But, going by what I am used to seeing around here in the countryside, maintenance is just not high on the list of Swedes. When you see a house that is properly painted, you immediately notice it.
 
HdV said:
In Sweden they do have good paint for normal prices, so I don't need to bring it with me. But, going by what I am used to seeing around here in the countryside, maintenance is just not high on the list of Swedes. When you see a house that is properly painted, you immediately notice it.
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Now that surprises me, the National stereotype of Swedes in my head is of industrious efficient ,do things properly people who would have spick and span houses.
 
I previously said what a good idea it was to cut the insulation with a Multitool, it was dim and I hadn’t noticed the very fine particles floating in the air. Back to the knife and snapping it. Sorry.
 
Oh, Swedish companies are generally industrious and efficient. But at home Swedes are often quite different. Not so much when it comes to cleaning, but definitely when it comes to maintenance.
 
Another step down the road.
Just completed the insulation in the majority of the floor, plywood going on next, this will allow me to get my Combination machine onto the floor where the power is, and that will be a big step in itself.
IMG_3409.jpeg
 
Looking great, Ian.

If you can, keep the insulation tight to the inside face so that there aren't voids between the insulation and the flooring or wall covering. It's not always easy.
 
Do you remember
Mike G said:
Looking great, Ian.

If you can, keep the insulation tight to the inside face so that there aren't voids between the insulation and the flooring or wall covering. It's not always easy.
Click to expand...
whoops, oh well I shall have to live with it now.
I now find out that plywood in America isn’t necessarily square or anything else! I’ve been trying to screw the ply onto the frames I made, remember how I cramped the 2x4’s to a sheet to make sure the frames were square? Well it seems that the ply wasn’t or isn’t. I read now that some is more of a parallelogram, as is mine. It’s all gone tits up. So I started with the central panel and worked outwards from there some edges are an inch out! Two sheets where they meet end to end touch at the corners but have a 2mm gap in the middle.
The front edge where the door is going is most annoyingly showing the underframe so it will have a bit of a threshold added.
Turning a parallelogram end to end doesn’t help, turning it over does but then it’s the not nice side up and full of knots.
They even sell sheets measuring 49 x 97”. On Lumberjocks they are all saying that all ply needs cutting on all 4 edges prior to use. Things you find out when you move abroad.
Addendum. Thinking back I turned the sheet of ply over to protect the face when I made up the frames on it, that has compounded all the errors grrrr.
 
Cabinetman said:
Do you remember
whoops, oh well I shall have to live with it now.
I now find out that plywood in America isn’t necessarily square or anything else! I’ve been trying to screw the ply onto the frames I made, remember how I cramped the 2x4’s to a sheet to make sure the frames were square? Well it seems that the ply wasn’t or isn’t. I read now that some is more of a parallelogram, as is mine. It’s all gone tits up. So I started with the central panel and worked outwards from there some edges are an inch out! Two sheets where they meet end to end touch at the corners but have a 2mm gap in the middle.
The front edge where the door is going is most annoyingly showing the underframe so it will have a bit of a threshold added.
Turning a parallelogram end to end doesn’t help, turning it over does but then it’s the not nice side up and full of knots.
They even sell sheets measuring 49 x 97”. On Lumberjocks they are all saying that all ply needs cutting on all 4 edges prior to use. Things you find out when you move abroad.
Addendum. Thinking back I turned the sheet of ply over to protect the face when I made up the frames on it, that has compounded all the errors grrrr.
Click to expand...
That sounds bizarre, considering how much ply is used in house building over there, you would of thought they have automated cutting at the factory. I dont think I've had a wonky sheet over here.
 
You can buy over sized none square plywood back in Blighty but they usually tell you it is over sized for you to square up.
 
Cabinetman said:
I previously said what a good idea it was to cut the insulation with a Multitool, it was dim and I hadn’t noticed the very fine particles floating in the air. Back to the knife and snapping it. Sorry.
Click to expand...
Too late now Ian but I used an old stiff bread knife to cut insulation. That solution was needed when I had several hundred sheets to cut for a stable conversion when previously I used a snap off knife like yours.

I'm not sure my wife ever noticed it was gone, It's still there in a drawer in the workshop if she wants it. :ROFLMAO:
 
Cabinetman said:
Do you remember
whoops, oh well I shall have to live with it now.
I now find out that plywood in America isn’t necessarily square or anything else! I’ve been trying to screw the ply onto the frames I made, remember how I cramped the 2x4’s to a sheet to make sure the frames were square? Well it seems that the ply wasn’t or isn’t. I read now that some is more of a parallelogram, as is mine. It’s all gone tits up. So I started with the central panel and worked outwards from there some edges are an inch out! Two sheets where they meet end to end touch at the corners but have a 2mm gap in the middle.
The front edge where the door is going is most annoyingly showing the underframe so it will have a bit of a threshold added.
Turning a parallelogram end to end doesn’t help, turning it over does but then it’s the not nice side up and full of knots.
They even sell sheets measuring 49 x 97”. On Lumberjocks they are all saying that all ply needs cutting on all 4 edges prior to use. Things you find out when you move abroad.
Addendum. Thinking back I turned the sheet of ply over to protect the face when I made up the frames on it, that has compounded all the errors grrrr.
Click to expand...
Must have been a bad batch of plywood, I have never come across this here.
Ply needing cut square on sides and ends doesn't make sense, you wouldn't do this with T&G ply.
I hope this stuff isn't coming from your neighbours to the North.
 
Lons said:
Too late now Ian but I used an old stiff bread knife to cut insulation. That solution was needed when I had several hundred sheets to cut for a stable conversion when previously I used a snap off knife like yours.

I'm not sure my wife ever noticed it was gone, It's still there in a drawer in the workshop if she wants it. :ROFLMAO:
Click to expand...
What made all the difference @Lons was the surface, thick paper but impregnated with a resin? Really tough. Funnily enough the snap off I bought had a wavy serrated edge just like a bread knife.
No @duke your countries reputation is safe, just looked at the label and it’s made in Chile!
 
Thanks, yes up in the 90’s again, just got to learn to take things slowly- something I find difficult to do. Sunday is only going to be 75 so will plan on an early start and a full day.
That table WAS going to have all the semi moveable equipment on it but (drill stand, morticer, chop saw, even a lathe, - silly idea for a lathe but now I have a permanent space that bench may be a bit large for what I want, but no point in being hasty! Yes a good solid bit of kit.
 
Ian my wife says I am thick I cannot argue with her but when you said you will remove the pool stuff are you to relocate it, is the pool usable?
 
duke said:
Ian my wife says I am thick I cannot argue with her but when you said you will remove the pool stuff are you to relocate it, is the pool usable?
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Hi, no the pool is fine if a little old, but the equipment as you can see is in my way and as it’s in need of several new main parts we are just moving it to the other side of that wall, needs a concrete pad to sit on and that work starts at the end of the month.
I would have to disagree with your wife ( if it’s safe to do so) , you are obviously not at all dim, but their brains work in a totally different way, as you no doubt know lol.
 
So, Furring Strips.
Today I started to add the two layers of 1 1/2” Kingspan type insulation. This is being put on in continuous layers and not in between studs.
The first layer I put the board on vertically and the next Horizontally but with a short piece first, this was to ensure that none of the joints overlapped, they were all filled with expanding foam.
IMG_3440.jpegIMG_3441.jpeg
Then came an interesting problem, the sheets which I thought were reasonably flat, when put together on a not very flat wooden surface meant that the 5” screws weren’t long enough to pull everything down. Luckily I had some 7” for the wall opposite and used those to start with. Just how I’m going to do it on the other side with 3 sheets and trying to find the studs will be taxing I fear, I will know where the studs are but if the screw isn’t perfectly perpendicular going in it could easily miss.
IMG_3443.jpeg
But when it all went well it was very satisfying to pull it all down tight, the Furring strips worked well to spread the load from the screws.
 
I'm surprised that the surface of the panel didn't pop around the screw head. We usually use a 1" cup like washer behind the screw head.
Nice to see the walls going up Ian!
 
duke said:
I'm surprised that the surface of the panel didn't pop around the screw head. We usually use a 1" cup like washer behind the screw head.
Nice to see the walls going up Ian!
Click to expand...
Thank you, yes that would have happened, I only used the screws through the Furring strips, I tried to buy those washers but Home Depot didn’t have them so I thought maybe they weren’t a thing here? Will try again as that would be good later
 
Cabinetman said:
Another step down the road.
Just completed the insulation in the majority of the floor, plywood going on next, this will allow me to get my Combination machine onto the floor where the power is, and that will be a big step in itself.
View attachment 34521
Click to expand...
I'm about to floor my workshop after I put the steel roof on it. I was going to use 22mm chipboard over 2" polystyrene. With only a 2x2 each side to hold it together whilst the glue drys do I need the frame work as above?!

Will do a thread sometime.
 
You probably have the benefit of a flat level surface, as to the best way to do it, I’m sorry I’m not expert at that method.
Best of luck with your build, we would love to see some pics.
Ian
 
Finally managed to get a little time together in between unpacking.
The plastic framed D/Glazed sash windows I’ve bought are designed for installing in new builds so they come with a flange all round for fastening to the studs of the walls, referred to as the rough opening. I didn’t have a lot of choice so I have to work with them. This means fitting them to studs that are too far apart.
IMG_3922.jpeg
This is the old window

All the internal liners that the old sashes fitted into have to be removed— no great loss. But the old exterior trim I can’t touch as we haven’t found a good enough paint match and I don’t want to have to paint the whole blooming building!
So after stripping back to bare studs it’s a case of offering up the window and deciding just how to fit it in place.
Being the Wonky Donkey Workshop means that nothing is vertical, flat, level, or anything else, so the frame was wedged to be level and vertical. Stand back and consult with my visual acceptability manager. No looks terrible the vertical is out by an inch over the height of the window.
There’s only one thing for it it has to be fitted leaning outwards the same as the wall

IMG_3930.jpeg
Then comes the actual fixing using individually cut to fit blocks, 4 per window and marked so they go in the right places, the window has to come out and screw the blocks on, then the whole thing goes back into position and level, then large screws through the studs and into the blocks,

IMG_3929.jpeg
Then it’s go around with spray foam and sheep’s wool insulation and move onto the next one.
IMG_3933.jpeg

The next step is to fit plywood liners and cill, these have to be the same depth as the insulation which on a wonky building is a bit of a guessing game.
Perhaps I should fit the insulation roughly to size around the windows and cut it back for the ply?
 
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Wow, I have never come across such an out of plumb vertical wall as yours, cill and header I have.

Bring a sample chip of the exterior colour to a paint store so they can scan for a close match, or have you done that already.
 
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duke said:
Wow, I have never come across such an out of plumb vertical wall as yours, cill and header I have.

Bring a sample chip of the exterior colour to a paint store so they can scan for a close match, or have you done that already.
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Yes thanks, I think the paint has faded differently on different bits of the building.
Yep it certainly is wonky lol.
 
Ian, how many new windows are you installing for your shop?
Are all your walls out of level?
I can remember having to do tapered returns on all 15 new windows I installed ranging from an 1" to 1/4", a lot of tapered rips on the table saw.
Real pain in my arse. :cry:
 
duke said:
Ian, how many new windows are you installing for your shop?
Are all your walls out of level?
I can remember having to do tapered returns on all 15 new windows I installed ranging from an 1" to 1/4", a lot of tapered rips on the table saw.
Real pain in my arse. :cry:
Click to expand...
Haha 15 x 2 that’s a real pain! Only three and all fitted now, I was certainly going to do as you did with long bits of tapered wood but as I said it was vetoed by the visual acceptability manager (must say I agreed with her) So now the windows lean outwards the same as the walls.
Starting on the interior insulation again tomorrow.
 
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