Wow! You’re moving right along!
-
Enjoy XS650.com? Consider making a donation to help support the site.
XS650.com receives a small share of sales from some links on this page, but direct donations have a much greater impact on keeping this site going.
Real Estate Update
- Thread starter Downeaster
- Start date
Wow! You’re moving right along!
Man, you guys sure have big grains of sand up there.
jpdevol
Hacker of Frames,Wires and other things
Driveway done.....
Well……anything added to that bare slab yet? 
In order to move the Lathe in and accommodate all the tools and tooling that comes with it something had to drastically change. I had my clamps stored on a mobile stand but that’s valuable floor space. Every wall in the garage has cabinets or shelving so the only available real estate was overhead. I had a few gallons of White House paint so I painted the ceiling(not an easy task) and whipped up some pieces, laid them out and proceeded to drill holes.(117 to be exact!) I have to use a ladder to get them but when not needed they are totally out of the way.
disassembled my main workbench that I’ve used for years, it was a piece of 1 1/4” Lexan that came out of an old party store remodel I was on many years ago. The panels were from the bullet proof enclosures you typically see in Detroit. The welding table will be a much better work surface as long as I keep it cleared lol. Got the vise mounted and storage underneath resolved.
disassembled my main workbench that I’ve used for years, it was a piece of 1 1/4” Lexan that came out of an old party store remodel I was on many years ago. The panels were from the bullet proof enclosures you typically see in Detroit. The welding table will be a much better work surface as long as I keep it cleared lol. Got the vise mounted and storage underneath resolved.
This box had always been around as far as I can remember and it still has great rollers and drawer guides. I like the old car badges that have always been on it as well. I don’t know if I’ll leave as is or refinish. Looks like Craftsman boxes may have been some type of green in the late 50’s?
That there's got character, yes Sir. Wouldn't want to lose all that so I wouldn't paint it - just maybe clean it up a little bit, p'raps wipe down with a kerosene rag, little bit of steel wool action here 'n' there? Your call, of course.
DON'T TOUCH IT!!! That patina is priceless. That paint looks like what was called "hammertone" very popular industrial paint and was also used on heavy truck interiors in the 50's and 60's. The colors I remember were light green, a couple of shades of brown and grey and a champagne color. I always liked it
Last edited:
46G you are right about the color. I looked up some older boxes and that is exactly what they used on this box in the 50’s. Raymond it is cleaned up lol. The top box was painted black already
So, are you going to leave the top box alone or because it's already not original, respray it? I believe you can get hammertone from Zolatone.
I don’t need to use this box for Mechanics tools because I have that covered with another semi vintage box. 
The Craftsman boxes will be used for machine tooling. My Lathe stand cabinets have the greenish hammer tone on them.
The Craftsman boxes will be used for machine tooling. My Lathe stand cabinets have the greenish hammer tone on them.
Pete, it’s been pretty quiet up in your neck of the woods. Did you ever get your shop finished? How have you been?
jpdevol
Hacker of Frames,Wires and other things
Yep......(sorry haven't been paying attention lately)Well……anything added to that bare slab yet?
What are your interior wall plan?
jpdevol
Hacker of Frames,Wires and other things
sheetrock
Walled off paint and powder room?
jpdevol
Hacker of Frames,Wires and other things
Yes to paint room - it'll be a luxury. Powder stays where it's at (close to oven)
Howdy @Mailman / All:
Yeah, I have been falling down on my social duties recently - work has been nuts. Why the heck didn't I stay retired last Sept?
The key thing is that while I am not yet winning, I think that I have stopped loosing - so that is a plus.
Anyhow, the Great Canadian Pole Barn project is reaching a climax - the exterior is complete except for two lights on the south and east walls, and the interior is nearly done as well. The latest project involved hanging about 15-16 4'x8' sheets of 1/2" G1S plywood on their long edges around the walls and then putting up 28 sheets of the same material vertically above the horizontal sheets (the walls are 12' high - see the photo).
All of this had to be done with the barn crammed full of bikes, parts, machine tools, and general crapola so it involved a fair bit of shuffling stuff around.
I will put up some better photos likely tomorrow showing the whole interior, but for now, here are a couple of in-process views to give you an idea of what I was blathering about above....
The next big step will come next year after my wallet has cooled down - I will be installing a 24,000 BTU / 2 ton mini-split AC unit.
Between now and then, Daughter #3 is getting married in mid-Sept. and I have a lot of other stuff on the go - including getting my 1976 XS650C, the redoubtable Lucille
, going again (alternator and voltage regulator issues) and building the 1981 XS650SG cafe bike - Demi, using those beautiful tins that Jim painted for me so very long ago.....Pete
Last edited:
Howdy @Mailman / All:
Yeah, I have been falling down on my social duties recently - work has been nuts. Why the heck didn't I stay retired last Sept?
The key thing is that while I am not yet winning, I think that I have stopped loosing - so that is a plus.
Anyhow, the Great Canadian Pole Barn project is reaching a climax - the exterior is complete except for two lights on the south and east walls, and the interior is nearly done as well. The latest project involved hanging about 15-16 4'x8' sheets of 1/2" G1S plywood on their long edges around the walls and then putting up 28 sheets of the same material vertically above the horizontal sheets (the walls are 12' high - see the photo).
All of this had to be done with the barn crammed full of bikes, parts, machine tools, and general crapola so it involved a fair bit of shuffling stuff around.
I will put up some better photos likely tomorrow showing the whole interior, but for now, here are a couple of in-process views to give you an idea of what I was blathering about above....
View attachment 247838
View attachment 247839
The next big step will come next year after my wallet has cooled down - I will be installing a 24,000 BTU / 2 ton mini-split AC unit. Between now and then, Daughter #3 is getting married in mid-Sept. and I have a lot of other stuff on the go - including getting the redoubtable Lucille
Pete
Well, hang in there Pete. Sounds like you’ve got a lot on your plate. Thanks for the update.
