The weather extremes have been taking a toll on my ability to work, so decided it was time to do something about it.
I started off when I joined here with a piece of MDF board on an old fruit crate in the backyard and I would have to cart the welder, gas bottle, grinders, tools etc out to work each time, and if it was raining, well it didn't happen:
When RRBBO#08 rolled around I stepped up to a work trailer to hold all the tools while we were travelling around Australia, now I could set up a work bench on some saw horses next to the trailer, open up the sides and work:
Of course when we got home, I was still working in the open air, but at least it was easier to set up and pack up tools:
Eventually I decided that I would prefer my car sat in the rain so I could set up a work area in the car port, including a free standing walled off area and a steel workbench!
This was much better, but I still needed to set up and pack up the tools each time, locking them away in the trailer, forced to leave whatever project I was working on in the open, on the bench.
Still got rained out on windy/stormy days and while it was better on cold days, it was sometimes still way too cold and windy to work.
If it was a "total fire ban" day I couldn't do any cutting/grinding or welding because my work area was still classed as being in the open, so sparks would be a fire risk.
Decided the time had come to do it properly...
Started saving money for steel...
Got permission from the house owners for a little "upgrade"...
Bought some sheet iron for a cheap price from a fence that was being torn down...
Bought lengths of steel square and rectangle tube as I could afford them...
Started off by walling off a side and a half of the carport, which kept me happy for a while with the free standing L shaped wall on the other side, but it was only the first step!
Finally after about 18 months everything was coming together and my Father-In-Law was visiting so he could hold steel while it was welded in place, so the first welds were done!
After the frame was up we got some really crazy hot weather, so work stalled a bit until I decided enough was enough and dragged out a portable air-conditioner to blow on me while I hung the first sheets!
Decided to extend that steel workbench before the last sheets were up and there was still access, so 4' was added taking it out to 9 feet total:
Also figured that it would be much easier to get the flooring down before all the walls were up too, seeing as the bench needed moving while doing it, so scoured Facebook marketplace for some conveyor belt rubber, ended up getting some 1/2" thick stuff at a good price:
Much nicer to walk and work on than dirt and gravel, plus bonus can now find the stuff I drop!
The steel top for the bench also came from Facebook Marketplace, got 1/2 a sheet of 1/8th" thick steel for $20...
Today saw the last of the wall sheets go up:
I only have the doors and shelving to build, mesh in that area between the purlins on one side plus rehang the lights and it will be ready to move in!
Looking forward to having a completely weather proof work area with all the tools already set up and I can leave projects on the bench without fear of them disappearing.
The portable air-conditioner will stay in there, not a perfect solution but at least it can blow on me during the really hot days, the rest of the time I will just use an electric fan, I'm sure there will still be days when it will be just too hot no matter what I do, but I can live with that.
On the cold winter days I can light the firepit and just leave whichever door is out of the breeze open for a little airflow.
Hopefully this will start getting more productive days happening again!
