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Posted by: Jake Raby Jan 12 2005, 02:00 PM

There it is!



(This is an excerpt from the post I made on my forum)

A gallery of pics including before and after shots are posted on my site at www.aircooledtechnology.com for many, pics of what I have been doing since July! The new facility is 100% up and running and we built the first engine inside its doors last week!

I would like to thank all of those friends and family that have helped me make this happen. The two people who helped me most were my Dad and my "Significant Other", Beth. Beth has also been an instrumental player in setting up my systems to make this place run smoother and correctly and I want to thank her for both her understanding as well as her belief in me and what I can do!

These two had to deal with me on a daily basis while I racked up thousands of hours building this place and did most of it myself with the exception of just the erection of the structure. I utilized many abilities of friends and a pretty much open budget to build this facility which I have dreamed about for many years, actually since I was just a kid.

From start to finish this entire facility was built in less than 51 days!!! To do this we had to drastically cut down on the engine builds, thus effecting the schedule. Our old shop is located just next door and now it houses the DTM manufacturing area as well as our complete machine shop and an area dedicated to only the teardown of engines as well as a "Prep shop" for the dirtier parts of assembling an engine. This way when the new, cleaned parts are introduced to the spotless assembly area they stay that way.

The building is constructed from insulated metal panels that are 8" THICK! Due to this we have not needed any heat at all! It also helps to keep a dust free assembly area since everything can easily be wiped down. All those decks are coated with Epoxy, Thanks to the assistance of a forum Member who was very generous with some materials for the process

BTW- I now have someone with a full time position of cleaning this place as a primary job description.

Just wait till you get to see the rest of the pics on February 1 when I will unveil my "Plan" to the world and hopefully take the Type IV engine yet again to the next level! What I have been up to is much more than just this shop- The things that will fill the other half of this shop and the plans I have for their incorporation is a totally different spectrum!

Be ready for everything to change on February 1, 2005! Even the way we are going to introduce the "Endeavor" are going to be extra special!

So what do you think??

Posted by: MXMARK Jan 12 2005, 02:06 PM

Wow Jake. that looks great. Congrats. I like Steve's web cam poster up in the back. I can't wait for the new details. Thank you Mark

Posted by: Jeroen Jan 12 2005, 02:24 PM

Looks awesome! Congrats!!!

Posted by: Root_Werks Jan 12 2005, 02:31 PM

Posted by: mikerose Jan 12 2005, 02:32 PM

looks like a awesome place to work in. Great job.

Mike

Posted by: Headrage Jan 12 2005, 02:32 PM

Nice Jake. Looks like a NASA clean room. Hey, T-4 powered mars lander?

Posted by: Jake Raby Jan 12 2005, 03:14 PM

Thanks guys!

Its so bright in the shop that everything looks magnified! We already found a cracked part that slipped past our eyes in the old shop because of the lighting!

Posted by: Pnambic Jan 12 2005, 03:19 PM

Setting up guided tours yet?

Posted by: Jake Raby Jan 12 2005, 03:32 PM

Nope! Closed to the public 100%

We have work to do and people get in the way.. Plus last year some chick slipped in the yard and tried to sue me, so my insurance company gave me an ultimatum...

I will have a guided tour of the entire shop on video in the spring and will give it to potential engine customers that show heavy interest in what we do..... This way I can also go over some details and show some parts and explain the dyno and other equipment much better.

90% of everything I do goes to individuals very far away, so it will be a great added benefit.

Posted by: Mark Henry Jan 12 2005, 03:38 PM

Too cool bud!!

QUOTE

Plus last year some chick slipped in the yard and tried to sue me

Don't you love it "I'm a dumbass klutz so I'm going to sue you!"

Posted by: aircooledboy Jan 12 2005, 03:53 PM

Looks great Jake. Congrats.

We anxiously await February 2nd.

Posted by: URY914 Jan 12 2005, 04:30 PM

You need to get the Discovery Channel to dump Boyd, Jesse James and OCC and do a show about your shop.

I want to see Jake ride his guys!!

"Hey, that's not clean enough!!!"
"Get out of the way and let me show you how it's done..."
"I love the smell of race gas in the morning"

Posted by: Jake Raby Jan 12 2005, 05:07 PM

Actually the only thing this place smells like in the morning is Alkyhol!! Thats what the clean up crew uses at night to wipe the entire place down!

I ain't playin boyz!

Posted by: Rob Ways Jan 12 2005, 06:29 PM

Congratulations! Nothing like success- well deserved!

Posted by: ewdysar Jan 12 2005, 06:30 PM

Beautiful place, Jake!!!
Shouldn't there be sticky floormats at the doorways, especially towards the shop?

You know, even JPL opens their facilities for tours 1 day per year, I'd sign a liability waiver in an instant to check your place out.

I'm already laying a little ground work with the wife, to get a second teener, just so I can put in one of your engines. This is a loooong range plan.... she's still pretty wary of my current project (even though it predates her by 12 years).

Way to go on the new OR.

Eric

Posted by: Jake Raby Jan 12 2005, 06:37 PM

Thanks guys!

I was looking for those sticky floormats with no luck. Anyone know where you get them?

As for the tours...

I have also experienced customers that wanted to come see my shop, that really were not customers, but rather spies for a competitor. I found it out when I tore down one of their engines and found some of my stuff... It came right back to haunt me.

The video will be cool- it'll be a way I can show things off without hassles and I don't have to show what i don't want to..

Posted by: Mueller Jan 12 2005, 07:03 PM

QUOTE (Jake Raby @ Jan 12 2005, 05:37 PM)

I was looking for those sticky floormats with no luck.

http://www.adhesivemats.com/

I'll see if we still carry them and compare prices.....

Posted by: Gint Jan 12 2005, 07:44 PM

Grats on the new digs. Looks great!

Put up some vendor swag posters.

Posted by: Jake Raby Jan 12 2005, 07:45 PM

Cool!

I don't know what the going rate is!

Posted by: SpecialK Jan 12 2005, 07:46 PM

We've got mats laid down for our sub-assembly jigs. About 1/2" thick and cushy, makes it a lot easier on your back than standing on concrete all day. Boeing gets them from W.W. Grainger.

Posted by: Jake Raby Jan 12 2005, 09:57 PM

I have some of those too, now that we have all this space and my main business office is way in front of the building and the old engine admin office is way back by the dyno I spend all day walking back and forth- Its killing my back..

Posted by: chunger Jan 12 2005, 11:35 PM

Poor you, walking back and forth all day between all that prestinely clean and well-lit square footage.

51 days from start to opening? You guys are nuts. Looks like some hard-earned expansion space. Looking forward to seeing the February fireworks.

-'Chung

Posted by: Jake Raby Jan 13 2005, 12:23 AM

Thanks man!

It was 51 days of pure hell!

Its my dream come true.....

To think that some 50n years ago there were about 15,000 Turkeys living right here!

(Our property is an old Poultry farm that really was a cover up for my grandpas Liquor making)

Posted by: DJsRepS Jan 13 2005, 10:18 AM

I wish that first test motor was getting tested in my tub. I would take a couple of weeks off criss crossing the country for that one. If the doc opened up my foot in your place Im sure i would have not gotten a Staff Infection. You must look foward to going to work in a place that nice. I know I would!

Posted by: kafermeister Jan 13 2005, 10:24 AM

..izzat a Karmann Ghia nose hanging from the ceiling just inside the door?

Posted by: Jake Raby Jan 14 2005, 05:58 PM

Yes, thats a fiberglass Ghia nose from my old drag car hanging above the door...

The guys were real disappointed today when they had to sweep and swab mop the decks before they got their paychecks..... and one got the fun of wiping down all the walls with alcohol too!

But thats the only way to make things happen!

I'm away from the shop, but watching them through a web cam from a remote connection to my desktop in the main office through my wireless laptop!


That was cool...