UGH ! You're not kidding not only is it going slower than expected I'm getting dangerously close to the limit on funds that I had set at the beginning of the build ! :( No chance of me not completing but may go over budget........... gee that never happens :rolleyes: As of yesterday's door purchase for the compressor room I have spent $25,085.00 out of a budget of 26 K . The big purchases I have left is the ceiling metal , ventilated soffits and gutters . There will be misc. electrical items when I install the ceiling lights ( already have lights ) and piddly stuff here and there but that's about it . I will purchase a storm door for the entry door and the very last item is the retaining wall . Crap I just remembered I'll have to pay an HVAC dude to complete my rough install of the mini split . Oh well it is what it is I just want to get her done !

Not to side track the cave build but my wife has been feeling better the past few days . Still taking all her meds and screening her urine each time she goes to catch the big one :D We went to the urologist yesterday for a follow up exam and x-ray in anticipation of blasting the stone next Tuesday . X-ray was taken in the morning and we were told we should go home it will take a while for the doc to get to and read the images , they will call in the afternoon . Sure enough around 3:30 they call and the stone is GONE !!! So apparently she passed it and it somehow got passed the " urine screen defense system ;) " . While a little puzzling we are happy this saga is over . SmileWavy

Got a call last night from my buddy he's coming over this morning to help me lift the top connecting channel onto the two posts of the lift . I'm not looking forward to each of us climbing a ladder with this hunk of iron in our hands but there is no other way . I just hope all my install measurements are correct and it fits and neither of us get hurt . So this afternoon I'll either post a pic of the completed top rail or me in the ER :D

You could rent the type of lift normally used by air-conditioning contractors for raising ducts and lift those beams into place without killing your backs...

You can rent them from tool rental places. I think even Home Depot has them.

Genie lift?

That's one brand. Generically, they are called material lifts.

I am happy to report I am typing this from my house vs. the ER :D My buddy came over , we took a few dimensions and positioned the ladders . Aprox. 45 seconds later the top connecting rail was lowered into place . All bolt holes lined up perfectly I was impressed with my work ;) While the cross channel is cumbersome it was not back breaking in any way . So the cross bar is now 100 % done and all bolts tight . Now I have to run the cables then the hydraulic lines . I hope to get that done this afternoon . Then tomorrow I'll install the pump/motor assembly and complete the wiring . Next will be to install the lift arms , at that point it should be a working lift . Last item I need to run are the air lines because one line goes to the lift to actuate the safety locks . Anyway here are two pics of this mornings progress . I'm going to hoist a few cold ones to celebrate ! :D

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1527956991.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1527956991.jpg

Well done!

You should always hoist a few once you’re successful at hoisting one!

Outstanding.

That doesn't sound quite right to me. I hope there is a lock out switch if no air pressure present.

Milt on both sides of the lift are air lock mechanisms . With no air to them the default position is each time the lift passes a " detent " the mechanisms click into place to hold the lift up . When you apply air to these mechanisms they push out away from the locking detent to allow the lift to be lowered . I hope that makes sense .

So after I posted with the success of the cross beam I went back out to the garage . I installed all the pre-bent hydraulic hardlines . Then I lifted the pump/motor into place and finalized that part of the install . Ran the last hardline to the pump . I was really wanting to see if she would work so I rigged up the power lines and tried it .......... hey it goes up and down ! :D It doesn't look like any lines are leaking so that's good . I also installed the overhead safety bar this is so if you have too many beers in you :D and you lift a vehicle so high in the air that the roof makes contact with the safety bar it shuts off the pump .

So tomorrow I will finalize the cables , after that I just need to run the air lines for the safety locks . I am feeling really good about today's progress . Plus it gets a bunch of crap out of my basement ;) . And I will complete the final electric install and tidy that up . Now I can't wait to lift something :D

Thanks for all the updates, Rick. Very inspirational! Go go go! :)

Woohoo !!! The lift is 99 % installed . Today I finalized the wiring , double checked all hydraulic connections , completed the cable install and added the lift arms......... I am pooped :D Those lift arms especially the rear/longer ones are HEAVY ;) So far no leaks and the arms are locked once the lift is an inch off the concrete and free swinging in the fully down position which is how it's supposed to work .

The overhead safety bar is not working :( , I think the mercury switch is kaput . So for now the bar is bypassed it's not that big a deal , if I'm too stupid to keep an eye out when lifting a vehicle then shame on me :rolleyes: . So all I have left to do is run the air lines for the safety latches and do one more torquing of the base mounting bolts .

By dumb luck when I ran the cables I just started the nuts on the ends , I could see where they had been tightened to before by dirt/grime lines on the cable ends . I cranked up the air compressor and with an air ratchet cranked them down . I did this one time on each side . The " test " to see if both sides are in sync is to raise the lift and listen for the safety latches on both sides to click . If they click at the same time you have the cables adjusted properly . First shot at it they were dead nuts perfect :D , it may be time to buy another lottery ticket !!!

This is a big step forward for the completion of the man cave , still have quite a ways to go but today felt great ! Oh yeah I'm already on my 4th adult beverage in celebration !!! :D

Woohoo! A celebration well earned too!

And not too big of a cost overrun either, well done.

Cheers Richard

Haha we'll see on the cost over run ! I am at a point now where I am REALLY watching the pennies we'll just have to see where I end up . But make no mistake about it the man cave WILL be completed !!! :D

Today I decided to figure out what I needed for 3/4 " black iron pipe/fittings for the compressor room so out I went . Took a few dimensions and off to HD I went . Got home and started putting it together . So here is the iron layout .

1.A 8 " nipple angled down will be where the rubber hose from the compressor will hook into .

2.A 12 " nipple heading into an elbow transitions from the back wall to the sidewall of the compressor room .

3.A 40 " piece goes through the wall into the man cave .

4.A tee is installed at the end of the pipe coming out of the wall . The tee has another short nipple facing down with a ball valve to allow for draining moisture . The top of the tee has a straight Rapid Air fitting . So will start running the RA pipe soon . I also put together the three manifolds with supplied plugs/ball valves/RA straight fittings . Pipe dope on every thread I am hoping for no leaks .

Doesn't look like a lot of work but took me a while then I had to peel off to mow the lawn . Here are two pics of today's progress .

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1528142610.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1528142610.jpg

I was ready to head out to the man cave this morning to start running the Rapid Air compressor lines . But had to finish off some coffee so did a little surfing on Craigslist . Found a company selling off used metal framed work benches . After looking them over on the ad and calling the seller the air lines would wait :D . Bought three of these for $75.00 each they measure 32 " deep x 73 " wide x 32 1/2 " tall with a 1 " thick particle board top . I just set them into place to see how they fit......... 18 ' 3 " of manly workbench !!! ;) Now I have to decide keep the metal frames blue , paint them red to match the lift , paint them black or silver to match my Gladiator wall cabinets ? I'll make up my mind and will bolt them end to end and probably will put one more layer of plywood/particle board/masonite to cover the seams which will make it even stronger . So a good day and another item checked off the list , there is no way I could have made these for 75.00 and be as strong as these are .


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http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1528231709.jpg

That wall could use another window, or a skylight above, for some more natural sunshine. imho.

Yer probably going to be doing fine assembly exceptional creations or some other fancy craftsmanship on that table there.

I built a small table in front of my only window on the east side but unless it's early morning blaze sun I can't see a dang thing without turning on the overhead lights. Of course everything is run off one leg from the house (still grr), so using a grinder etc affects the overhead lights. Danger will robinson. Without me pulling the noisy work outside and ticking off my neighbors, which I won't do on off hours, my work times become somewhat limited.

Ummm the garage is basically done so NO I am not installing additional windows or skylights . Lighting is cheap . But thanks for the feedback .

Today I decided to first clean up some outdoor stuff that I was delayed on by all the rain we had . When I ran the radiant barrier I left it long and flapping in the breeze on the outside of the building :D No rain for the past 5 days dried up the ground so I grabbed my ladder , pulled tight the barrier and stapled to the lower perlon . Cut it off flush looking good ! Both sides are done and I'm getting closer to installing soffit and gutters .

Then I decided to get the compressor room door hung as I'm tired of moving it ;) Darn thing is quite heavy being solid core but I mortised in the hinges on the door and decided to install it with the hinges surface mounted on the jamb to " see how it looks " . You gotta be kidding me it missed closing by 1/16th of an inch !!! :mad: So while the door was up made pencil lines around the hinges then removed the door . Grabbed my sharpest chisel and started working the three hinge locations . After about 30 minutes it looked good to my eye back to hanging the door .

I'm happy to report the door fits perfect , is plumb and level and closes great . There is a gap at the top that I have to fill aprox. 1 " I was excessive on the height until I knew the compressor would fit . Once the filler piece is in then I will reinstall the moulding and install stops with weatherstripping on them . Will finish off the door with at least one door sweep at the bottom and I'm going to staple one layer of radiant barrier on the compressor side of the door along with some 1/2 " foam as the final noise reduction . I did close the door with the compressor running and I am happy with just the dull sound of the compressor .

I found some 3 " long screws so all 9 screws into the jamb are 3 " and 6 of the 9 on the door side are 3 " I don't think she's going anywhere :D Not sure what I'm going to do for a handle/latch but will come up with something . Another step closer .



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