Progress Report 23 – 30×48′ Pole Barn build

 in 30x48 Pole Barn Shop Build / Shop Tours!  tagged 2 post lift / Breezeway / EPS / Foam / Garage / Heat / heated Floor / House / Hydronic / List / Manifold / Oxygen Barrier / Parts / Pex / Pole Barn / Post Frame / Radiant / Shop / Staple / Welding / XPS by

Lots of updates. I drug home and set up two fun new shop toys and made some progress on my custom future mezzanine storage solution.

Steps to building a pole barn
Lets start with a new fun toy. 3D printers were on sale so my buddy John and I each picked up one. Sank some hours into setting these things up and understanding how to run them.
Steps to building a pole barn
This was my very first print after the basic alignment prints were done. I very quickly learned that I should double check the scale before printing. This was supposed to be a keychain but came out more like an Olympic medallion. Maybe I will paint it gold and wear it around my neck while driving my Mr2 😉
Steps to building a pole barn
On to more useful prints. I wanted some hooks for my french cleat system so I could hang future products and cool stuff. Started out with some basic Fusion 360
Steps to building a pole barn
And blammo! we have our first ever hook.
Steps to building a pole barn
Used to hang one of my yet to be painted KC signs. Came out pretty good but I did end up tweaking the dimensions to get it to fit better on subsequent versions.

Custom movable french cleat whiteboard hangers

3D Printed Whiteboard Brackets and Marker Holder
From there, I designed and printed some prototype whiteboard French hook holders.
3D Printed Whiteboard Brackets and Marker Holder
And once you have a whiteboard holder, you quickly realize you need a pen holder too. Spent some more time in Fusion and viola!
3D Printed Whiteboard Brackets and Marker Holder
These came out cool but took like 7 hours to print. Might need to do some tuning on future versions so they take less time/material being that there isn’t a lot of weight here. The backside extends out to touch the wall for support.
3D Printed Whiteboard Brackets and Marker Holder
I also modified V2 to have screw holes built in. A small screw in each one keeps the brackets from moving.
3D Printed Whiteboard Brackets and Marker Holder
Final product in use! I REALLY wanted my whiteboards to be mobile but not require a stand that takes up floorspace. I can now move either of my two 4×4′ whiteboards to almost anywhere in the shop in seconds.
3D Printed Whiteboard Brackets and Marker Holder
I have already relocated the whiteboards multiple times since building them. This one is currently in a sweet spot between our desks.

Want some white board hangers for your shop?

We made a quick product listing for these if anybody is interested in some for their shop.

Setting up the new saw

Bought a horizontal band saw off a long time buddy. I’m excited to have a quieter and less messy option for cutting long metal stock.

Steps to building a pole barn
Time to set up my new to me saw. I ended up getting it back on the stand using an intricate combination of cribbing and my pallet jack. Actually worked pretty well.
Steps to building a pole barn
First up though, I had to clean the sludge out of the bottom of my new to me saw’s water cooling tank.

This is my first ever liquid cooled saw. I wanted to do it right so I cleaned the tank inside and out very thoroughly. I then invested in some actual saw lubricant which has worked out really well so far. Here is what I got:

Check price and reviews on Amazon

Making shelving for the mezzanine

I have an intricate plan developed for storage on the mezzanine above the bathroom. I want to be able to store long metal stock on it but also have shelving units with drawers so I can store my less frequently used tools.

The solution I ended up with was a short shelving unit that I could stick long stock in underneath then put filing cabinets on top of it so I had closed storage drawers. Being that I only want to do this once, I’m trying to do it right the first time and make it look good because it will probably be up there for the next 20+ years.

Steps to building a pole barn
Current state of the shop. Time to work on my future shelving units. Note the white one on the left which is about to get chopped up.
Steps to building a pole barn
Testing out the saw and cutting fluid. Cuts like buttah!
As a bonus, I can chuck multiple pieces in this saw and cut it all at once.
Steps to building a pole barn
My new shorter shelving units. Only ~2ft tall now.
Steps to building a pole barn
Everything got blown apart and cleaned up for paint.
Steps to building a pole barn
Lots of semigloss rustoleum. I still like to use the quart cans and roll it on with a brush. Puts it on nice and thick and doesn’t make a mess.
Steps to building a pole barn
More painting. I decided these parts were too small for rolling so I ended up spraying the rest… Improvise as you go I guess.
Steps to building a pole barn
Prepping the shelves with an orbital sander.
Steps to building a pole barn
Rolled on Smoke Grey Rustoleum. This plywood was THIRSTY. Took an entire gallon to do 8 boards.
Steps to building a pole barn
Finished shelving unit!

I’ve been practicing my CAD skills for when I get the CNC plasma cutter back out

My poor man’s Ferrari (My 1985 MR2 lovingliny named ‘Rainbow’ by my daughter) was missing some lug nut covers. I couldn’t find them anywhere online so I took measurements from a factory one and made some myself.

Toyota MR2 Lug Nut Covers
Rainbow glamour shot. The missing lug nut covers were bugging me. Can’t really see it in this pic though.
Toyota MR2 Lug Nut Covers
Taking measurements and drawing it out so I could make some replacements.
Toyota MR2 Lug Nut Covers
I love new toys…
Toyota MR2 Lug Nut Covers
Exact replica. Won’t even be able to tell it isn’t factory once it gets dirty like the other ones.

Need some MR2 lug nut covers for yours? Check them out at our new store:

Offroad video bonus from my first trip to RayRocks just North East of Kansas City

That’s all for now. Next time we work on finishing the bathroom and start on putting the ceiling panels up!

Now YOU, go outside and work on something!

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