Renovation Phase 2

theworkshop.ca Renovations Phase 2...

Moving the Foundry to it's new home...

I think this picture was taken in the spring of 1990, when I could drink all-night, work all day, sleep anywhere and nothing upset my stomach.

Though I'd like to think that I can still do the above, it's limited to a few times a year now and I find I pay dearly for the week long bender known as Deer Season.

In this image I opened up the blocked in bay of a two car garage that is attached to the farmhouse.

The 32 X 32 ft space was split into 2 (two) long rooms, one was a bay for mechanical repairs to trucks, tractors, and general gas powered devices. The other became theworkshop.ca that most of the web site is pictured in.

This is the most recent chaos that is theworkshop.ca

Now that the drive-shed is done, I can start to separate the various functions into different buildings.

Phase 3 (three) will see theworkshop,ca expand into the 2nd bay of the garage and gain a few hundred square feet.

This has been a long drawn out process, that began back in June of this year (2004).

This is the "soon-to-be" vacated bay into which theworkshop.ca will expand.

Most of the tools are already moved out and a truck and trailer load of crap has made it's way to the dump.

I carefully picked through my metal pile several times and even agonized over a few pieces, but eventually sorted treasures from trash.

The Foundry equipment is in a sad state of dis-use as it's been months since I even fired-up the furnace.

The work on the drive-shed has had me so busy, I haven't even been out here except to raid the area for tools.

If you happen to be following this web-site as it's evolving, you'll note that there are actually several projects all underway at the same time, the truck's dumping-box, the pond, the drive-shed (though largely done) and now setting-up the foundry.

This space is the room that is just off of the drive-shed. I just removed 2 more indoor dog kennels that measured 8 X 6ft, though I just dumped the lumber into the burn pile as I have had my fill of pulling nails.

The rest of this room is full of all the sheeting material, 2x4's & insulation recovered from the earlier renovations that made the drive-shed.

These materials will be used for theworkshop.ca renovations over the next few weeks.

Another load that is quickly filling the drive-shed and foundry room.

Things are moving a bit slower than I'd hoped as I've had to stop and find permanent homes for equipment and materials as the shed would become impassible due to the congestion.

This is a good start for the foundry area, as I'd always just worked out of the sand bin and the floor when setting up patterns to cast.

All my scrap is sorted and ready for melting below the bench, while the sand has just been sifted through and the pots and casting boxes are ready for action on the top shelf of the bench.

My last melting pot was prematurely decommissioned when a chunk of Magnesium found it's way into the melt and let-loose burning a hole in the side.

So to keep production moving (should it ever resume...) I've opted to make 3 (three) melting pots at the same time.

A buddy of mine just got a Plasma cutter and was used to cut out the discs that will be welded to the base of these tanks once the tops are cut away.

It's late at night and I've found a few minutes to start welding-up the bottom of the pots.

I'd like to finish-up these pots as I still have 3 castings in foam since the spring that need to be fired off.

Once their done I'll clear-out the last of theworkshop.ca and start taking down the wall, and build new ones.

This all started in March when I was about to start a new CNC Mill, and realized I didn't have enough space to build it let alone give it a permanent home.

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