Shop2a.jpg
298 hits | 32.96 KB | Posted: 11/4/16
The plan...
IF THE IMAGE IS TOO SMALL, click it.

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245 hits | 103.68 KB | Posted: 11/4/16
The guy who built the driveway did the initial clearing for the shop, but he left some stumps and de...

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200 hits | 108.73 KB | Posted: 11/4/16
We removed a few more trees (unfortunately), dug up the mud, and pushed it out to the sides to dry.

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246 hits | 121.13 KB | Posted: 11/4/16
We removed a few more trees (unfortunately), dug up the mud, and pushed it out to the sides to dry.

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225 hits | 110.17 KB | Posted: 11/4/16
Then we started bringing in good clay.

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240 hits | 123.99 KB | Posted: 11/4/16
It took about a dozen well-packed loads to bring it up to grade

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229 hits | 128.53 KB | Posted: 11/4/16
It took about a dozen well-packed loads to bring it up to grade.

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185 hits | 110.96 KB | Posted: 11/4/16
After a couple of months settling, we set forms & started digging.

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201 hits | 109.31 KB | Posted: 11/4/16
After a couple of months settling, we set forms & started digging.

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203 hits | 138.45 KB | Posted: 11/4/16
The plumber started tearing up the pad, bringing in water from the well, and running a septic line b...

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189 hits | 107.29 KB | Posted: 11/4/16
The plumber started tearing up the pad, bringing in water from the well, and running a septic line b...

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189 hits | 116.86 KB | Posted: 11/4/16
Then the turn-down was dug...

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214 hits | 115.99 KB | Posted: 11/4/16
...followed by the seven 4x4x4' column footers.

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217 hits | 122.75 KB | Posted: 11/4/16
The trench drain was set in, and a grease trap was built before it dumps outside.

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227 hits | 129.88 KB | Posted: 11/4/16
The green pipe is a valve box for future expansion of my water system.

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229 hits | 118.05 KB | Posted: 11/4/16
The anchor bolts are hanging, and the first of a LOT of rebar is going in.

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219 hits | 138.47 KB | Posted: 11/4/16
They're working on the 7th footer, for the inside mezzanine column.

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205 hits | 104.56 KB | Posted: 11/4/16
We poured the footers & some of the turn-down the first day.

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189 hits | 117.92 KB | Posted: 11/4/16
We poured the footers & some of the turn-down the first day.

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204 hits | 107.75 KB | Posted: 11/4/16
Afterward, we set up for the rest of the turn-down & the main slab.

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210 hits | 91.56 KB | Posted: 11/4/16
Ready for tomorrow...

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181 hits | 114.05 KB | Posted: 11/4/16
The slab foreman forgot to order the concrete, so we got a really-late start. It took about 2 truck...

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222 hits | 133.92 KB | Posted: 11/4/16
The last truck cleaned out around 3PM, which is ridiculously late for such a small slab, and it put ...

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217 hits | 67.71 KB | Posted: 11/4/16
4 hours later, it was barely tight enough to start trowelling.

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262 hits | 50.16 KB | Posted: 11/4/16
They finished around 10PM, but they did a helluva job. This slab looks better than the house slab d...

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204 hits | 105.36 KB | Posted: 11/4/16
It was sawcut the following morning, and then I hosed it off.

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206 hits | 117.9 KB | Posted: 11/4/16
Three days after the slab was finished, we took delivery of the building.

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213 hits | 126.03 KB | Posted: 11/4/16
I have an erection...

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232 hits | 113.65 KB | Posted: 11/4/16
The main structure went up relatively quickly, but we found several small errors that the manufactur...

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233 hits | 103.21 KB | Posted: 11/4/16
Even though it wasn't part of their contract, they set some of the mezzanine beams for me.

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213 hits | 110.11 KB | Posted: 11/4/16
The East wall sheeting went on quickly because there's only 1 framed opening in it.

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224 hits | 119.62 KB | Posted: 11/4/16
The North sheets went up next.

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238 hits | 112.31 KB | Posted: 11/12/16
These windows were left over from the house, so I decided to use them here. That caused some proble...

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234 hits | 106.16 KB | Posted: 11/12/16
The South sheeting took a lot longer than the others because of the 3 framed openings (1 sheeted ove...

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230 hits | 138.78 KB | Posted: 11/12/16
With the South sheets up, the cantilevers could go on.

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220 hits | 148.97 KB | Posted: 11/12/16
The pile in the foreground is the mezzanine, which I'll put up later.

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249 hits | 105.23 KB | Posted: 11/12/16
West sheeting is started, and the roof is complete. They plan to finish tomorrow.

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274 hits | 106.28 KB | Posted: 11/15/16
It's almost finished, but that rake trim wasn't shipped, so it'll have to be ordered in. The fan is...

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147 hits | 59.14 KB | Posted: 5/11/17
The replacement fan arrived in better condition than the first.

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156 hits | 55.75 KB | Posted: 5/11/17
I moved the mezzanine framing inside, but I'm not looking forward to lifting the 4 large beams.

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162 hits | 61.84 KB | Posted: 5/11/17
The rake trim arrived, and the erectors came back one evening to put it on.

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164 hits | 69.87 KB | Posted: 5/11/17
My neighbor offered to lift the beams with his tractor, so it took a lot less time & effort than I e...

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183 hits | 75.8 KB | Posted: 5/11/17
We also set the fan, but it's not wired up yet, or even screwed in. I just put some straps around i...

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159 hits | 111.58 KB | Posted: 5/11/17
The electrical inspector required that a ground wire be added (even though I put a local ground rod ...

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159 hits | 91.41 KB | Posted: 5/11/17
The electricians returned to tie the shop wiring into the meter base.

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155 hits | 106.18 KB | Posted: 5/11/17
It took a while, but the overhead doors are installed, so I can start moving junk inside.

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160 hits | 53.79 KB | Posted: 5/11/17
The installers didn't put the tracks where they belong, so they had to come back & re-do 2 of the do...

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183 hits | 64.06 KB | Posted: 5/11/17
I started laying out the stairs (which the building company refused to design, but they did supply t...

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213 hits | 59.61 KB | Posted: 5/11/17
I had to re-hang one of the mezzanine beams, and cut a little off its flanges to make room for the s...

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193 hits | 65.9 KB | Posted: 5/11/17
After a lot of careful measuring, they're in & solid.

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194 hits | 43.16 KB | Posted: 5/11/17
My welds came out pretty good - even the verticals & overheads. I'll clean & re-prime them later.

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225 hits | 79.17 KB | Posted: 5/11/17
I had to negotiate with Lowe's for a while to get them to send a delivery driver who'd drive the for...

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191 hits | 77.08 KB | Posted: 5/11/17
I had to negotiate with Lowe's for a while to get them to send a delivery driver who'd drive the for...

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203 hits | 66.28 KB | Posted: 5/11/17
The stairs came out just the way I imagined - large enough to carry big stuff up here, but still out...

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224 hits | 67.06 KB | Posted: 5/11/17
I found a 60' roll of 2" grip tape for $24, so this is 2 strips on each tread. I even managed ...

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215 hits | 77.24 KB | Posted: 5/11/17
I thought about making this height-adjustable, but I couldn't think of a way to do it that I thought...

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221 hits | 83.03 KB | Posted: 5/11/17
Moving such a big compressor alone over rough ground was challenging, but it worked out.

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235 hits | 70.82 KB | Posted: 5/11/17
The [url=https://www.northerntool.com/products/quincy-qt-7-5-splash-lubricated-reciprocating-air-com...

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388 hits | 63.28 KB | Posted: 5/11/17
The $32 (shipped) 4' compressor hose (PN: [url=https://www.mcmaster.com/catalog/130/296/54075K57]540...

SpeedAirM7500.jpg
260 hits | 66.96 KB | Posted: 6/7/17
This RapidAir Maxline M7500 kit is lower-priced (per...

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311 hits | 84.17 KB | Posted: 6/8/17
I carefully sloped all the air lines so most of the condensate will drain back to the tank, which th...

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238 hits | 118.8 KB | Posted: 6/7/17
It took a long time, but I found a concrete finisher to put the aprons around the shop, spread grave...

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228 hits | 86.51 KB | Posted: 6/7/17
It took a long time, but I found a concrete finisher to put the aprons around the shop, spread grave...

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217 hits | 117.55 KB | Posted: 6/7/17
This driver had no trouble getting this truck backed in along the building & turned for the first po...

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221 hits | 81.8 KB | Posted: 6/7/17
While the concrete was curing, the gravel arrived. There's also a large gravel turning/parking area...

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226 hits | 99.13 KB | Posted: 6/7/17
After a couple of hours spreading gravel, the track broke. It took the rental company a couple more ...

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239 hits | 82.57 KB | Posted: 6/7/17
This ~$50 dusk-to-dawn LED from Sam's (above the fan louver) lights up the whole area, all the way t...

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114 hits | 59.64 KB | Posted: 10/5/18
I've been dreading cutting all this cement board for the shower/toilet, but it was overdue. Now, I ...

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123 hits | 54.52 KB | Posted: 10/5/18
These [url=https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/jobsmart-3-8-in-x-75-ft-spring-driven-air-hose-...

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132 hits | 56.85 KB | Posted: 2/28/19
I modified this [url=https://www.tptools.com/Skat-Blast-USA-SKAT-CAT-34-Abrasive-Blast-Cabinet,8891....

Jack_20171221.jpg
115 hits | 93.07 KB | Posted: 10/5/18
Another Christmas sale item from TSC!

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117 hits | 74.29 KB | Posted: 10/5/18
Sam's online had this 10-pack of shop lights on sale, so I ordered a box to go with the ~6 similar o...

SumpVent.jpg
110 hits | 130.65 KB | Posted: 10/5/18
I backed into the sump vent pipe with the excavator, so I hole-sawed out the broken bung, and replac...

RotaryTrailer04.JPG
161 hits | 113.84 KB | Posted: 11/30/18
This is where my Rotary SM122-122 sat behind my friend's house for about 3 years after taking it dow...

RotaryTrailer09.jpg
201 hits | 138.16 KB | Posted: 10/5/18
This Rotary 4-post lift was installed outdoors many years ago, and used there for at least a decade....

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157 hits | 110.37 KB | Posted: 10/5/18
My original plan was to clean & paint it outdoors, and then figure a way to move it inside and insta...

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156 hits | 102.32 KB | Posted: 10/5/18
This column is relatively thin, and something apparently ran into it. With some lumber bracing, I f...

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162 hits | 85.75 KB | Posted: 10/5/18
The runways were apparently lowered onto solid objects a few times, so they have several bends in th...

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145 hits | 78.92 KB | Posted: 10/5/18
This floor jack hasn't even lifted a car yet, but it was perfect for un-bending the runways.

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160 hits | 78.04 KB | Posted: 10/5/18
Everything was filthy; both from years of use, and from sitting in the woods for a few years. So af...

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145 hits | 90.47 KB | Posted: 10/5/18
I flipped the runways back & forth a few times for pressure washing over several weeks before painti...

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200 hits | 103.26 KB | Posted: 10/5/18
The yokes & columns got pressure washed again before painting inside (the columns) & out.

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160 hits | 119.53 KB | Posted: 10/5/18
I wirewheeled the threads clean before painting the latch bars.

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159 hits | 130.09 KB | Posted: 10/5/18
The ram had been pressure-washed earlier, but I scuffed & washed it again before painting it gloss b...

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167 hits | 76.88 KB | Posted: 10/5/18
I had already cleaned the sheaves & cables months ago, but all these little pieces got wirewheeled &...

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169 hits | 69.38 KB | Posted: 10/5/18
Using the Bronco, the POS trailer, the engine hoist, some furniture dollies, some chain, and a few r...

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150 hits | 79.94 KB | Posted: 10/5/18
It wasn't easy getting all the pieces in, arranged, and attached - working alone. But it was probab...

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169 hits | 88.93 KB | Posted: 10/5/18
After squaring it, centering each column on its yoke end, marking them on the floor, and removing th...

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161 hits | 86.82 KB | Posted: 10/5/18
The shop isn't actually as clean as it looks here.

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159 hits | 76.63 KB | Posted: 10/5/18
I goofed...

When I designed the shop, this lift was in the woods, and I didn't feel like measuring ...

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156 hits | 72.32 KB | Posted: 10/6/18
I used a long prybar & wood blocks to raise the lift enough to get the floor jack under it, to raise...

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176 hits | 53.32 KB | Posted: 11/8/18
I made the other 2 yoke covers by hand from some sheet plastic.

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165 hits | 62.51 KB | Posted: 11/8/18
Parts arrived, including a hose 4' longer, 2 new sheaves, anchor bolts & shims, and a few plastic p...

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160 hits | 90.52 KB | Posted: 11/8/18
With the new sheaves, I could make the final adjustments on the cables so the lift is suspended ~3/1...

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180 hits | 71.35 KB | Posted: 11/9/18
It's liftivating...

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148 hits | 114.04 KB | Posted: 11/30/18
After stealing back its pump, the lift is back in action. But the lock-release air valve leaks badl...

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149 hits | 84.88 KB | Posted: 11/30/18
This is only about half its capacity, but I needed to check it with something.

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142 hits | 76.11 KB | Posted: 11/30/18
View from the 2nd floor.

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160 hits | 83.76 KB | Posted: 12/27/18
To free up my flashlight hand, I added these 110VAC LEDs to the lift. They're attached to flexible ...

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97 hits | 62.31 KB | Posted: 5/16/20
To make the LEDs automatic, I wired them to this paddle switch. When I lower the lift onto the locks...

LiftArea.jpg
162 hits | 86.52 KB | Posted: 1/27/19
I found 2 of these cans on sale, but it looks like I need one more.

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87 hits | 80.17 KB | Posted: 5/16/20
To stop the cylinder dumping the fluid that leaks by the piston onto the floor when the lift is full...

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152 hits | 60.22 KB | Posted: 11/8/18
Grouting the shower wasn't fun, which is why my friend who did the tile didn't want to do it. But a...

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125 hits | 84.75 KB | Posted: 11/30/18
I ended up grouting the floor & setting the toilet myself, but it came out pretty well.

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143 hits | 55.23 KB | Posted: 11/30/18
This might be my best shop equipment. And since it's also a shower, I'll never have to scrub it to ...

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165 hits | 61.55 KB | Posted: 11/8/18
Since these 4' shop LEDs are becoming common & affordable, and they come with 6' cords, I put up swi...

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164 hits | 112.52 KB | Posted: 11/9/18
The 2nd welder outlet is in the stair stringer.

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146 hits | 93.02 KB | Posted: 11/8/18
The upstairs lights are on a switch slaved to the main lighting circuit (which has 2 3-way switches)...

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165 hits | 55.01 KB | Posted: 11/8/18
The wall outlets are welded high so they won't get wet if I have to wash the floor, and I've started...

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160 hits | 69.48 KB | Posted: 11/8/18
The light above the fan is a dusk-to-dawn LED flood, which is MUCH brighter than it appears here. T...

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141 hits | 65.14 KB | Posted: 2/19/19
The ramps were bent years before I got the lift, and I decided to fix them today. I used the lift (...

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196 hits | 70.35 KB | Posted: 2/19/19
A local business is moving out of a leased building, and they couldn't move or store all the lifts, ...

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139 hits | 80.35 KB | Posted: 10/13/20
After a few months, I bolted it down. It works, but now I have to get the '93EB out of there to use...

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117 hits | 71.04 KB | Posted: 1/1/22
The same business was clearing out some parts cabinets & shelving, so I brought a couple home.

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174 hits | 54.85 KB | Posted: 3/22/19
This light-duty pivoting boom should be strong enough for skinning deer & lifting lawn mowers, AFTER...

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178 hits | 97.77 KB | Posted: 1/1/22
I had thought this couldn't happen for years, but it turned out to be easier & quicker than I expect...

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257 hits | 92.01 KB | Posted: 7/27/19
The first lift was a light load.

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190 hits | 123.62 KB | Posted: 1/1/22
This cheapo 300kg (660 lbs) winch on a cheapo 1-ton beam trolley will make lifting & loading easier....

ExhaustHosePort.jpg
147 hits | 31.76 KB | Posted: 1/1/22
After a lot of thought about its position, I decided to cut the [url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001O...