# Another Go at the BIG Warehouse



## yutzk (Jan 2, 2008)

Some of you guys might remember the about just over 6 foot long warehouse I built about 2 years ago. Well since that time the warehouse was outside and essentially disintegrated. I used wood that I thought would've held up fine but it warped and cracked all over and eventually fell apart. Ive been searching ever since then for something I can build to get the same sort of vibe that I had with the warehouse but alas nothing commercially available except piecing together stuff that will take me way over my budget for what I put into the old whse.


Last attempt at this was really an all wood frame and a hollow inside with NO base affixed to it. I want the re-incarnation of this thing to last without having to store it all the time. My layout gets heavy sun almost all day and my ground is clay ( read really freakin WET!).

Any insights from the masters would be helpful as I really want to get my industries back together on my layout since as of right now i have ZERO!

Heres some pics of the old beast when i was making it. I cant seem to remember how to make these links....lol









http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/yutzk/whse0003.JPG 
http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/yutzk/whse0004.JPG 











I really love Eaglewings stuff and I would so buy some of that in a heartbeat( i friggin love their grain complex!) but i just cant swallow the several hundred bucks per building, at least at this point.... unless of course anyone wants to chip into the " get kevin a grain complex" fund.. 


Thanks ahead of time for the insight, pointers, comments, etc.


----------



## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Looks like the problem with posting pics is you let your 1st class membership expire. Now you need an off site host to store your pics and then link to them. 
John


----------



## armorsmith (Jun 1, 2008)

After copy/clipping the URL's into a blank tab in my browser I was able to view the pics. 

To answer you original question, I would use a poured concrete base for the building. Depending on the look you are trying to achieve, build the structure either out of marine grade plywood painted with a good exterior enamel paint, or cedar fence boards ripped to the material size required. For a roof, corrugated aluminum affixed with a good quality silicon RTV. 

My tuppence worth. 

Bob C.


----------



## daniel9ds (Dec 4, 2010)

I am a newbie here and just wanna say Hi to everyone. I am Daniel from Pennsylvania, US. 


__________________ 
free photoshop tutorials


----------



## SE18 (Feb 21, 2008)

I did what Bob did and could see photo. Wow, I'm surprised at wood disintegrating. I use Cedar and stain and have seen not the least sign of deterioration; going on 7 years now. Also, some wood houses have been outside (real houses) for hundred of years. 

Dave


----------



## Doug C (Jan 14, 2008)

Yep ! I'm not one of those "masters", but if any wood structure is sitting directly on a "wet" surface as you described it shall wick up the moisture as fast as a hummingbird ! And alas, you'll get all that we've seen happen ! 

Look at the olde (historical) houses that were not up off the ground on concrete foundations they rotted away, some faster than others. 

That looked like a nice finished wood you used but unless it was mkd exterior grade, and even if sealed properly, you didn't have a chance ! If it had been cedar sealed with a couple coats of exterior grade paint (or maybe exterior stain) it may have done well if planted on a coarse gravel base (or drainable concrete foundation) for enhanced drainage. 


Try again . . .

doug c 

p.s. personally i've got a attempt lined up for a 'warehouse' too, but using pieced together salvaged plastic drawers sets as the interior bldg. ribs and then plexi mounted to them for the ext. walls, and some aluminum siding for a curved roof (on th eribs which wee originially the front of those drawer sets, just got to schedule some time ! 


ex. salvaged drawer ribs, http://rona.ca/shop/~storage-chest-5-drawer-storage-chest-g.s.c.-technology-170365_!storage_shop I salvaged enough of these from reisdnetial construction dumpsters if the plan works I could build a warehouse 10' long but that would make it awkward for one person to move even to its final spot trackside LOL


----------



## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

A sign board called Dio-bond is real good. Aluminum on both sides, with a corrugated plastic core. Cut with a saw or router(wear goggles!). Sign suppliers have several types of real durable material. You do want a good base of gravel/concrete/plastic or block though.


----------



## scubaroo (Mar 19, 2009)

Hi Daniel,

Welcome!

Try again in a new thread introducing yourself.
You may get lost in the middle of this thread.
Enjoy this fun & interesting forum.

Craig


----------



## Bruce Chandler (Jan 2, 2008)

My large building is only 4 feet long...but built out of acrylic. 










No problem with rotting. I covered mine with Precision Products plastic brick sheets.


----------



## tom h (Jan 2, 2008)

Hey Kevin, if you want something easy and you can do anything with, check out Yogi Wallaces site about that styrafoam for concrete forms, real easy to cut doors and you can run a steel brush along the sides to rough it up, you could use a wood frame, or not, here is what I did

inside










Outside, hard to see texture, will add door and other stuff










Painted it with outside paint, been holding up great so far.

Hey Jerry, I used that aluminum with plastic inside for a sign my company did, real nice solid stuff to work with, they made a sign 5x8 with 2 pieces, would love to work with it someday.

Tom H


----------



## Dick Friedman (Aug 19, 2008)

Lot's of good (if conflicting) advise. I've got heavy clay soil that seems to be damp about 10 months of the year, then it's like armor plate the other two. My work around for wood buildings is to dig a hole under where the building will be and fill it up with pea gravel. Make the hole about six inches deep. Water will then drain away from the base of the building. I then put a foundation under the buillding of Trex or other wood-like substance. It works like wood, but it's mostly plastic bottles and won't rot. 

I use recycled redwood fence boards because they hold up well to water. And, as others have said, paint everything good with exterior paint. If your wood is thin, I'd paint inside and out to reduce warping.


----------



## Curmudgeon (Jan 11, 2008)

If you dig a hole in clay, fill it with pea-gravel, you will probably end up with a pea-gravel filled swimming pool. 
You are going to have to dig a drain off the hole to a lower spot and put some perf pipe in the trench and hole prior to covering with said pea-gravel, methinks.


----------



## williep99 (Sep 19, 2008)

Bruce, did you hand make these beautiful windows or do you have a commercial source. They would be perfect on my warehouse building.

Thanks, Bill


----------



## Bruce Chandler (Jan 2, 2008)

Bill,
I made them, but they weren't that hard. I used hardware cloth - with 1/2" grids, cut to the size I wanted. 










I framed them with styrene and painted them black.









When using acrylic sheet for the building, you don't need to cut openings, so these are just glued in place.


----------



## SE18 (Feb 21, 2008)

Nice. Is that soldered. if so, did you do each joint separately and apply heat sink or just quickly heat it all up in a jig and solder at one time? 

Dave


----------



## Bruce Chandler (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By SE18 on 13 Dec 2010 09:34 AM 
Nice. Is that soldered. if so, did you do each joint separately and apply heat sink or just quickly heat it all up in a jig and solder at one time? 

Dave 
Dave,


That's the way the stuff comes...I don't know how it's attached. No soldering needed. No jig needed. The last roll I got was 2' x 5' and about $7 at Home Depot. I stretch the roll out to flatten them a bit, and then cut to size.


----------



## SE18 (Feb 21, 2008)

Oh, I know what they are; seen em before. Great idea! Thanks


----------



## Bruce Chandler (Jan 2, 2008)

For my current large building (24" x 18") I'm making the windows set back a bit. I made some channel using .100" angle pieces glued together. This gives me a nice channel that helps hold the window straight. I back this up with some clear acrylic and hold it in place with some 1/8" angle glued to the window sides.


----------



## williep99 (Sep 19, 2008)

Thanks for the info Bruce. I think I can manage this project!!


----------



## dieseldude (Apr 21, 2009)

Bruce- what tyre of adhesive did you use to glue the Precision brick sheets to the acrylic? Thanks. -Kevin.


----------



## Bruce Chandler (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By dieseldude on 22 Dec 2010 01:21 PM 
Bruce- what tyre of adhesive did you use to glue the Precision brick sheets to the acrylic? Thanks. -Kevin. 


For the large warehouse, I used Welder Contact cement. For the current one, I'm using E-6000 adhesive.


----------



## mgilger (Feb 22, 2008)

I have also switched over to E-6000 and so far so good. Give it 12 months or so and that will tell the true story.
Mark


----------



## Ron Hill (Sep 25, 2008)

Bruce, how did you work the brick around the corner and side concrete post on your building? Do you have any pictures you could send me on how you worked the brick. What did you use to fill in the space where the plastic was cut away to make the corner? I used Duco cement the last time I used plastic siding, but I have not tried making corner like you did on the warehouse. 
Thanks, 
Ron 
[email protected]


----------



## Bruce Chandler (Jan 2, 2008)

Ron,

On Buchanan Tool and Die, I did not wrap the bricks around the posts, but instead carved the mortar lines with a Dremel. Glue and paint filled in the holes of the cut brick. Well, most of them, at least.








There's a lot more pictures and a log over here.

When I built Matheson Textiles I DID wrap the brick around the posts and it was a major PITA, so that's when I knew I had to do something different this time around.


However, on the corners of both buildings, I did bend a 90 degree angle in the brick, but those were large enough pieces to be OK. Still, a bit of a pain, but nothing like bending around a 1/4" thick piece.


Hope that helps. Let me know if it doesn't and I can take more pictures, or something.


----------



## docwatsonva (Jan 2, 2008)

Ron,

When I built my bridge abutments, I used one of those small sheet metal benders (from Micromark) to create a 90 deg. bend. While I was slowly bending the plastic sheet I applied a little heat from a heat gun to help. It seemed to work fine with almost no cracking of the sheet. It took a little practice, with scrap pieces to get it right.

Here's a photo of the sheet (Precision Products) next to the form.










Here's a photo of the finished product.












Hope this helps.

Doc


----------



## JackM (Jul 29, 2008)

I've seen numerous mentions of "E-6000". What is it (CA, rubber cement, epoxy, etc.) and who sells it? I spent a lot of time looking for it at Home Depot yesterday and got nowhere.


----------



## mgilger (Feb 22, 2008)

HD and Lowes does not sell this. I get mine at Pat Catans, Hobby Lobby, or Michaels stores. You can find many places on-line to order, including Amazon. 


http://www.michaels.com/E-6000%C2%A...lt,pd.html 

Regards,
Mark
http://mmg-garden-rr.webs.com/


----------



## dieseldude (Apr 21, 2009)

Jack- E-6000 is also available at Walmart. It's in the craft department. Its kind of an all purpose glue. It sticks to just about everything. -Kevin.


----------



## JackM (Jul 29, 2008)

I would've been spinning my wheels some more; I didn't consider it could be a hobby item. H.L. is three miles from home. Thanks!


----------



## mgilger (Feb 22, 2008)

I did not know Wall Mart sold it. Do you remember the price? I just bought some at Hobby Lobby for about $5 as I recall. 
Mark


----------



## wchasr (Jan 2, 2008)

There is a HL in Sheektovegas? Hmmm? Since Niagara Hobby is not a Hobby Shop anymore (John Kavulich sr is spinning in his grave I'm sure) and they really don't have the crafts my wife is looking for or my mother, I've been looking for reasons to travel to "the big city"...other than for my mother's health problems. 

Chas


----------



## dieseldude (Apr 21, 2009)

Mark- I don't remember the exact price, but I seemed to remember seeing it in the shoe department as well as the craft department. I think they had the best price at the time I bought it. -Kevin.


----------



## JackM (Jul 29, 2008)

There is a HL in Sheektovegas? 

I wouldn't know. I've been in Rochester (Rochster, to the natives) the past twenty years.


----------



## wchasr (Jan 2, 2008)

AH! My bad! Still where is the Hobby Lobby up there? We will be making a trek up in that area next weekend I think? 

Chas


----------



## JackM (Jul 29, 2008)

I fear I led you astray with the name of mmy railroad. I grew up five blocks north of the Truway (correct) Plaaaza back when Walder & Harlem met directly above the tracks. Waiting for the Sigmore bus up there was great for trainwatching. 

Anyway, HL is in Webster, Holt Rd exit off 104, in the Wegman's plaza where Chase-Pitkin used to was. Not in the shopping center across Holt. Remember they are not open on Sundays so that their employees can spend time with their families, or watch the Bills lose, depending what time of year. (How quickly we forget they went to four Super Consecutive Bowls.) 

I'd invite you to visit the CCRR but it'll be under snow again by then. 

JackM


----------



## dieseldude (Apr 21, 2009)

Chas- Hobby Lobby is in the old 'Ames' plaza, behind Wegmans on the corner of Dick Road and George Urban Blvd. -Kevin.


----------



## dieseldude (Apr 21, 2009)

Mark- I was at Walmart today. E-6000 $2.97 in the craft department. -Kevin.


----------

