These little helpers have made installing the siding on the shop a breeze. They attach to the row below and give you a shelf for the next row, leaving the proper reveal. Sweet!
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I’m pretty sure those black wires used to be white!
I’m pretty sure those black wires used to be white! 😳 So glad I found this before it turned disastrous.
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Dodged that bullet
Wow. I am amazed this house didn’t burn down. I never noticed this before. But the sub panel in my basement, the very panel that I plan to feed that work shop from, was hiding a problem that had developed over the last 2 years.
Before and After
Here’s a picture of the inside of that panel I took when the house was being inspected. This was 2 years ago.
Very simple panel, nothing mysterious. All work either done or supervised by a licensed electrician.
Here’s a close up of the same panel today. Notice anything different?
Several of the neutral connections have charred/melted insulation and the plastic bracket holding the neutral bar is partially melted. The problem, missed by the inspector (as good and thorough as he was) is that second screw from the bottom. It was looser than the others. This created a gap, which allowed the current to arc, which generated a lot of heat. I have no other explanation. This panel is only fed from a 50 amp breaker and there was no other damage in this box or the main box.
I was able source a new load center from Menard’s and pulled the insert from it. After disconnecting the power to this sub panel, I removed everything from it and replaced the damaged insert as well as any damaged wire.
A little paranoid
That panel cover is going to stay off for a while, with a fire extinguisher close at hand. Even though I am positive I won’t need it, I’m a little on the paranoid side right now.
I also went through and checked and tightened every neutral wire in the both breaker boxes.
Need to go back to Moab again some day.
Need to go back to Moab again some day. But I think next year is for a different adventure. Maybe Colorado or the Rubicon.
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I added these downspout diverters to the workshop.
I added these downspout diverters to the workshop. Since I had the trencher, I dug some shallower ones for these. Read my blog post (link in bio) for more!
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Downspout diverter
One of the things about this house that I didn’t really like, is we don’t have storm drains for the downspouts. The rainwater just hits the ground and is diverted away from the side of the house. Not very effective. A while back, I installed these underground diverters on the house and wanted to add them to the shop as well.
The come in two parts, one, a collector that you place under the downspout. It has an angled face on it that screens the large leaves and such from the entering the drain. The second part is a popup that you place in your yard an appropriate distance from the structure. They work incredibly well and it was a no brainer for me to put these in.
I didn’t get the popup buried. I need to get a different connector to attach the drain line to it.
Getting the trench dug for the workshop power.
Getting the trench dug for the workshop power. 6″ wide by 36″ deep. This thing is a beast. Read my blog post (link in bio) for more!
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Workshop Power
I rented a 6″ x 36″ trencher to dig for th power line I need to run to the shop. The shop is attached to the garage, which is attached to the family room of the house. Both of those are on slabs, which means I have no way of running any kind of wire through the main structure from the basement.
My only option was to trench. Code requires 24″ deep trench for direct burial wire. This is about 30″ deep in most places. Once it passes inspection, I’ll get the wire in the ground and go from there.
While I had the trencher, I went ahead and dug for some downspout drains. I don’t have storm drains here, so the rain water leaves the downspout right to the ground. I don’t want it next to the building, so I am adding some underground pipes that will lead to a popup in the yard.
Compressor Rebuild Part 2
I took the rest of the compressor pump apart. It was a mess. I figured that the piston seals had probably failed, and decided to replace those along with all of the gaskets. Everything was available on eBay. I also gave the tank a fresh coat of paint and replaced the wheels.
Once I got it all back together, it rand and filled up to 135 PSI and shut off as expected. I ran it for a while without issue. And then all of a sudden, it started making a horrible noise. I shut it off and took the head off, only to notice a blown gasket.
I don’t think I tightened the head bolts down enough. Another gasket is already on the way. Once that’s in, we should be good to go.
I am still hearing a small leak next to the tool pressure regulator. I’m not sure what I can do about that. I tried some teflon tape, but that didn’t help. It could be a crack in the plastic. I ordered a new regulator valve off eBay. That should take care of it.
I met Jessi Combs a couple of times out in Moab.
I met @thejessicombs a couple of times out in Moab. Not a nicer bad ass on the planet. RIP, Jessi. The off road world will miss you. .
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