35 Years in the Making!

[knuckle47]

Thank you to @Michael B for suggesting that I post in this section:


My house garage was the site of nearly 50 vintage American motorcycle restorations from 1925 to 1965 and was a very tight squeeze for 40 plus years. A 40 year long story, .. short. Money always went for so many other things as you all know, especially for the kids. I’ve lived in the same house on 10 acres for over 4 decades and always wanted a bigger garage but despite my best efforts, a ton of procrastination and the permit process , it wound up getting tossed aside regularly. Here is a brief photo layout of its development which started in March ‘22 clearing the area and going on until now. The doors get installed this week coming. I should add, once the materials were dropped off…it took 1 week to get to this stage!

 

[Michael B]

You’re welcome sir! Will you be completing the inside yourself or will the contractor handle that for you? Pole barns are quick when the contractor focuses on your project.

 

[knuckle47]

The concrete is done and a week old so I’ve investigated the cost of an epoxy floor. Around here it runs between $5.00 and $6.50 a sq.ft. So I was surprised when they told me over $4500-$5600. Has anyone used the DIY versions with good success? The cost difference is about 1/5 of theirs

 

[Waorani]

I did my first shop w/ 2 part epoxy from Lowes and it held up for 20yrs. Not sure what the available products are like these days.

 

[knuckle47]

At 69 years old, 20 years could be fine…

 

[knuckle47]

For what it’s worth, I did a bad number on my back over the last 8 weeks with the new building and 15 yards of mulch. I called a few contractors in to quote the epoxy floor in order to minimize my aches and pains.

It ranges from $4400 to 5800 for 1100 sq ft. So, I’m going to do it myself after the concrete cures (30 days) for about $1000.00 +/-. Hoping the back shapes up by then. And the spray foam insulation…6” ceiling 4” walls. As high as $9,000 and signed up for $4000.00 . All of this has been so much more than I would have thought since I’d priced it all out a year ago with so very different numbers

 

[knuckle47]

Here’s another update: I called the power company about adding another meter to feed the pole barn. They said we’ll send a guy from engineering out in 2-3 days. The entire week has gone by and then some but no one ever came. Called them on Friday and got a message “ all representatives are currently busy with other customers. You call is Important to us. Your current wait times are between 6 hours and 10 Minutes to 10 hours and 25 minutes.” Click…music on hold

if my permit is ready before the guy shows up…it is sub-panel time!

 

[Hojack]

Here’s another update: I called the power company about adding another meter to feed the pole barn. They said we’ll send a guy from engineering out in 2-3 days. The entire week has gone by and then some but no one ever came. Called them on Friday and got a message “ all representatives are currently busy with other customers. You call is Important to us. Your current wait times are between 6 hours and 10 Minutes to 10 hours and 25 minutes.” Click…music on hold

if my permit is ready before the guy shows up…it is sub-panel time!

How many amps do you have available if you install a sub panel? Here in Oregon your charged a basic charge for the meter. That’s $30 here in Oregon so that’d be $60 every month if I had 2 meters not including energy consumption…

 

[1911]

How many amps do you have available if you install a sub panel? Here in Oregon your charged a basic charge for the meter. That’s $30 here in Oregon so that’d be $60 every month if I had 2 meters not including energy consumption…

Only $15/month/meter in my electric co-op here.

 

[knuckle47]

@Hojack and @1911 crazy series of events. I did not hear anything about the electrical permit so I stopped by the town building departmen. The woman there told me ..it’s ready you just need to pay the fee. “check or money order only”. So I went back home to get a check. As I am walking out the door the power truck pulls in and I showed him the spot. He said, why put the meter by the house…you have a pole in the front, just run a trench 24” deep. We will put the meter on your building …Once your ready for inspection, tell the town, they call us and the next day we connect it.

Sure seems simple enough so I went and paid for the permit. The power guy said. ‘200 amps?’ I said no, I barely need 50 but 100 is fine. Ok he said “ run 4/0 wire 10’ up the pole in conduit with about 20’ rolled up for us to run to the connection. Well, that works for me until I THINK I saw the cost of 345’ of 4/0 wire. Going to call the power company tomorrow again. Not sure where this is going yet

August 30 EDIT: turns out the length of the wire was 3 160foot lengths 480’ $$$$ thank goodness it’s aluminum and not copper

 

[Michael B]

Is that 4/0 copper or aluminum?

 

[knuckle47]

@Michael B …I have not yet found that out yet… I don’t know if they insist on copper or not. Town said THHN but I believe that to be coated wire

 

[1911]

... Ok he said “ run 4/0 wire 10’ up the pole in conduit with about 20’ rolled up for us to run to the connection. Well, that works for me until I THINK I saw the cost of 345’ of 4/0 wire.

The cost of wire has gone crazy like everything else. It cost me $80 just for 10' of 2/0 copper wire to connect my meter base and 200-amp disconnect. Don't think I can afford to run copper from the disconnect into the house; about 100' (x3) . The only good news is, the price of copper has been dropping, so maybe eventually that will work its way down to consumer prices.

 

[EWheeler]

@knuckle47 Great looking shop you have going up there, a proper home for your new FJ40!

Does the name Danny McCoy from Ohio mean anything to you being in the vintage motorcycle world? I bought a half cab for my scout 80 while driving through Ohio from Danny. He was such a cool cat I way overpaid for the top as he wouldn't budge on price - he had a few decades of picking and negotiating on me. After eating some fried chicken with him and his partner then BSing for a couple more hours, we settled at his asking price and I went on my way knowing that experience with Danny would always remain as a highlight of that period of my life and it was worth the 100% markup on the real value of goods I purchased. He said he had the record sale price for some Indian bike at auction for $250k. This is a man I would not take for stretching the truth, but I searched and couldn't find any articles or literature on the specific bike he mentioned.

 

[Michael B]

Last August I bought 200’ of 3/2 copper and the 2” conduit for my shop. It set me back 3k.

 

[knuckle47]

@knuckle47 Great looking shop you have going up there, a proper home for your new FJ40!

Does the name Danny McCoy from Ohio mean anything to you being in the vintage motorcycle world? I bought a half cab for my scout 80 while driving through Ohio from Danny. He was such a cool cat I way overpaid for the top as he wouldn't budge on price - he had a few decades of picking and negotiating on me. After eating some fried chicken with him and his partner then BSing for a couple more hours, we settled at his asking price and I went on my way knowing that experience with Danny would always remain as a highlight of that period of my life and it was worth the 100% markup on the real value of goods I purchased. He said he had the record sale price for some Indian bike at auction for $250k. This is a man I would not take for stretching the truth, but I searched and couldn't find any articles or literature on the specific bike he mentioned.

Thanks for the compliment….No, I don’t know of Danny but he may know Mort Wood down in Maryland if he’s still around. Mort was president of the Antique Motorcycle Club of America years back and had some huge Indian collection including the 4x8’ blue print of the Indian princess side car back in 1908? He and his wife rode 1940’s Indian 4’s.

we used to follow the circuit of swap meets and shows. Went to Maumee? In Ohio near Toledo the chief Blackhawk in Iowa, Oley, Pa even here in NJ
I know the pain of overpaying but when you gotta have it…

 

[Hugh Heifer]

I love the colors on the garage. I also went with green wainscoting.

 

[knuckle47]

Started on all of the interior wiring with 12ga and all 20Amp breakers. My greatest dilemma is still the cost of 4/0 wire to run from the new meter pan and under the driveway 24” deep. It’s also 150’ from the pole so the cost is over 3000.00. A generator may be my most immediate solution… I have one of those

since the wire is going to take more time…another week is the epoxy floor… gray with gray flake with some black and white.

 

[Hugh Heifer]

I have not priced it yet. Is that 3000 installed or are you digging the ditch and running it?
I think I am about 50 yards to the pole and I have a trenching bucket for the Kubota.

 

[knuckle47]

No that’s me doing it all…. I have a Stanley shovel …. I went to Home Depot to ask about renting a machine…. All in all it runs about $375 a day… the inspector told me he’d make it a point to look at it the same day but if that fails….and I don;t count on the optimistic side, it’s a 2 day rental plus…schedule 80 conduit is 80.00 a ten foot length …times 14