Underground Shop Expansion

[glenn-k]

Well --- the troglodyte is at it again. :-/

I have used my shop so much lately I am getting more tools and things in the way.  I consolidated a bunch of the junk and took it down to my storage area below the saw mill, but I still have too much stuff I need to keep there, so it is time to expand -- underground.  Sassy doesn't want me to block her view so back behind the existing shop and greenhouse is the only way I can go and still have it under one continuous roof.

This is going to be a covered slot in the top of the ridge that goes to the other side of the mountain.  I am making it crooked so people will not be able to see from one side to the other.  More impressive that way as it looks much longer.  Its only about 60 to 80 feet.  I will have rooms off to the side and 12 foot minimum width so I have room to get the Bobcat through if necessary to move something big.

[MountainDon]

A regular tunnel rat, you are.

Will there be another garden plot on top?

Where do you put/store all the excavated earth?

[glenn-k]

A regular tunnel rat, you are.

Will there be another garden plot on top?

Where do you put/store all the excavated earth?

No kidding --  at least a gopher.  

This one will have a light covering of soil - maybe 6 inches or less.

Where do I put the earth :-? --- I have it everywhere.  Note that every yard removed turns into about 3 by the time you get it loosened up and out of there.  I am currently using the Bobcat and jackhammer -- it is almost too hard for the backhoe.

I break it all up with the jackhammer about a foot deep then put the bucket on and clean it out - 1 yard at a time.

I have a 12' deep excavation on the other end of the tunnel - in front of the John Deere.  It was excavated for a homesite before we bought it.  The dirt will become a bigger flat area  about 100 feet north near the sawmill and the other side of where a bigger shop section will be - past the end of the tunnel.  That is on the north slope of the ridge a little down from the top.  Cabin is on the South slope - tunnel is between.

[Redoverfarm]

I am glad to hear that someone else out there has ideal digging conditions as I did.  When I dug the foundation and footings I would start with a 18" bucket (desired width) and by the time I got it to the depth I wanted it ended up 24-30" wide.  Ended up putting form boards to save on concrete expense.  Then there was the chore of building forms for  3 steps in the footings.  You can't use wooden stakes to hold anything.  Tried rebar but that still didn't work so well.  I ended up using some scrap bed rail (angle) iron which would hold in the shale after it was drove in.

Putting in the waste lines in the basement was a real treat as well. Spent 3-4 days digging with a pick and digging iron before I was finished. Only about 24' ( T's and Y's) two directions. Thank god that is over and covered with concrete.

[glenn-k]

Yeah, hard ground has it's problems, but benefits too.  No retaining walls are necessary because it is self supporting.  What I have would be considered a claystone with rocks and boulders in it.  Most of this has only a foot to a little more of soil on the top.

I use a jack hammer with no bit to drive 3/4 round stakes in the ground when I want to anchor a post of something.  I drive the stake directly with the jack hammer.  

Another method for the hard stuff is to drill a 1/4 inch hole through wood as desired and into the claystone or rock with a rotohammer then drive a 60d nail through it.

[Jimmy_Cason]

A regular tunnel rat, you are.

Will there be another garden plot on top?

Where do you put/store all the excavated earth?

No kidding --  at least a gopher.  

[size=16]Maybe he is a C.H.U.D.[/size]

[glenn-k]

I hadn't heard that one before Jimmy.  Had to look it up. :-?

Time for breakfast.  Gotta go .  Think I'll run up topside and see if I can rustle up something to eat.

[glenn-k]

Here is the reason I need to expand the shop.  No --- not because my spare tire is getting bigger. :-/



Because I am starting to bring more of my stuff from the other shop and there is too much stuff that can't go out in the rain.

The press is a 100,000 lb press I built in 1974.  I am bending the steel step plates with it.

The dugout slot for the tunnel is getting much larger - probably moved about 150 yards of porphyry claystone and rock by now -- jackhammer for all of it.  I am down around 10 feet deep in the first section.  Had to stop to make a little money to finance this project though.  I am building a steel attic access stair for a customer in Fresno now.  Note that nearly all of the welding was done with solar power w/generator backup - on this project.  The welder is running off of my regular inverters.

[Redoverfarm]

Glenn I need one of them. I mean the steps.  I recently built a 2500 ft addition onto my 1800 ft house.  I ended up with a 26 X 44 garage which has a 12X44 room over it. I needed an outside entrance/exit so there would be two seperate in case of fire and etc.  The regular one  leads to a mudroom.  I decided to cantelever a 14' walkway to one side and then planned to use a stairway with a 90 deg turn to the ground.  I am not one to use PT lumber and I try to use concrete where ever I can like sidewalks, ramps, steps and the like. So I was toying with the idea on the landing/walkway of aluminum and PT. I had a local welder work up the cost and wow$$$.   So on the way to the lumberyard with my material list of PT to do the job. Said I could always wrap it in coil stock but then remembered that aluminum and PT do not coexist.  

As I was driving down the road I glanced at the guardrail.  I worked about a year after I retired supervising a 6 man crew installing guardrail. Well as I am not the type of person to throw anything away I managed to salvage several 6" I-beam galvanized post ( and several 18" bearing plates and 200 ft of rail, bolts and 3/4" cable)which were almost new.  So I cut pockets into the sheeting and inserted the post through letting it rest on the top plate and then lagged it to the floor joist(2nd floor).  The same local welder welded plated on one end and drilled two holes for the lags.  Turned out great but thats as far as I have gotten. 9  painted I-beams sticking out of one end of my garage.  My plan was to put composite decking and then the steps. Been watching around for a set of salvage steps to use just haven't run into them yet.

I wish I could figure out how to post a photo I think you would enjoy the Injuneering.  I been trying to figure out the "photobucket thing" but as they say "It's hard to teach an old dog new tricks". Did try posting one from my computer but it was too large.  I don't have any trouble just sending them out but can't get it together to post.

[glenn-k]

The Photobucket thing is easy.  If you have digital photos on your computer, it will look on your computer - let you pick the one you want and upload it.  When done there are tags ready to go under the photo.  You just copy paste the tag into your message and it will show up here.  Check out the tutorial Don did in the forum news section and it will be easy to understand.  Looking forward to seeing it.

If you can find them to send out you will be able to find them for Photobucket.

You could make the cast concrete steps  like I posted in the spiral stair thread.

[Redoverfarm]

I'll see if I can find it.  Nice sketch. Is that your handy work?  Sometime I'll tell you how I addressed a lisping retaining wall with "of course guardrail".  A real neat product that does more than "deflect and redirect".

[glenn-k]

That is from Ken Kern's book, The Owner Built Home.  Lots of nice stuff in it.

Isn't it interesting how we can always find other things to do with salvaged materials.  My entire shop is salvaged materials.

[desdawg]

Wow, welding with solar panels! No wonder you built the house underground. You must have needed the entire topside for panels aimed south. Sounds like it would be right up there with air conditioning demand wise except the welder wouldn't run constantly.

[glenn-k]

I does pull things down a bit.  Oh yeah - you reminded me that I need to get up on the roof and build racks for the panels.  Laying on the roof right now -- I could have a lot more power If I got up there and did it right.  About 2000 watts of panels.

I can weld off and on with the flux cored 035 wire for most of the day but need to add a bit with the generator at night  after a days use.  Still good though.

A/C really sucks juice -- constantly while on.  The welder probably pulls around 2000 watts while welding only and not much while standing by-- like a microwave.

I also run the 50 ton press and 5 HP rock crusher off solar with no problem as long as it's not for too long.

[glenn kangiser]

I have spent quite a bit of time digging and jackhammering solid rock behind the shop -- the area where the backhoe bucket is above is a good 10 feet deep now to be level with the shop floor.  It is also where the rock dike comes through about 4 feet underground.

It's really a neat feeling to walk between the walls of solid rock and claystone after it has been removed.  Just kind of makes you want to go up and bang your head on it to see how solid it is.

Tonight I just finished pulling in a 20 foot large diameter salvaged power pole and put it near the right tree by the backhoe bucket across the trench then I put a 6 foot x 26 foot boat dock on top of it and over the opening roof of the garage wall so it will use the existing posts for support.  I will put posts under the power pole beam but used it as is across the trench to get things set up.  It was almost too short.  Dodn't get any pix yet.