Workshop Revamp #1: Powerwash!

Posted by Nick  | 28 Jul 2017  | 2 comments

This farm came with a few old haphazardly-put-together outbuildings, one of which is a carport with an attached workshop. At least we suspect it was a workshop at one point, on account of all the masterpieces of grease.

When we visited the property for the first time, the “workshop” was housing the kind of odds-‘n’-ends and mucky miscellany one might expect to find on a farm. But really, let’s be honest, it was a storage room for junk. Not anymore!

This post is the first in a series following the course of our workshop revamp. It’s not the largest of areas, but it will do for most of our DIY projects, like building our furniture. We intend to construct new doors for the workshop, replace its dilapidated window, outfit it with workbenches and tables, as well as install power outlets and lights (which will involve digging a twenty-five metre powerline trench from the house, ugh).

But first, this unloved, unclean, greasy mofo needs a good wash.

There are two entrances into the workshop. The one you see above, through which much rain comes due to the poorly-constructed doors, and another accessed through the carport (a door of equal quality, but at least sheltered).

The “deck” above needs to be replaced. It’s slimy and rotting, and there are no gaps in the boards for rain to go, so pooling water has begun rotting the interior floor. This isn’t helped by the overflowing gutter above.

Inside you can see this place has had little love over the years, with layers of oil, grease, mud, blood, shit, and general organic debris strewn throughout.

After we got the keys to this place, there was still a bunch of stuff left behind by the previous owner. Most of it was junk, but there were a few potentially useful bobs, including this here botch-welded table for a grinding wheel.

Just needs a little motor and some TLC and it’ll be a quick way to sharpen most hand tools, or remove bits of metal from various objects, which is done more frequently than you’d imagine on a farm.

The best part of this workshop is the view. A vista of rolling farmland, native forest, and tall hills is framed by the double doorway.

There’s no pictures of me foaming up this place and using the pressure washer to blast it all out (cameras don’t like that amount of water), but I can tell you it sure was satisfying stripping away the layers of grime, scum, and detritus. It’s still stained in places, like really stained, but that adds character… right?

Here’s a shot after the water-blasting:

A little lighter and now it doesn’t feel like something creepy is going to drop down on you from above, or you’re going to put your hand in tar. It was even clean enough to hide my easter egg basket without grossing anyone out! (Yes, this was done last year… I’m behind on posts, all right?)

Next up in our workshop revamp series, building a new door and replacing this shitty entrance “ramp” with an actual step:

Stay tuned!

2 comments Leave a comment

Claire
| Reply

Love all your posts.

Dad
| Reply

Love it. What a cool post about a cool shed. ❤️

Leave a comment

*