Here at the museum, we're always drumming up new ideas and exhibits to make the experience of visiting even better.  Some of the updates are merely cosmetic and some are implemented to give visitors a better idea of how life was like on a motorcycle way back when.  Many of these improvements are done on the fly, during the season or during regular operating hours, often with the help of visitors who are on site that day.

However, during the winter, when the museum is not open for regular hours, its a perfect time to put in a little (or a lot) of work in order to maximize our own working space.  Recently, I started working on a very underutilized area of the museum in order to make it a little more functional, with a vision of turning the space into an operable workshop. 

About a month ago, the room was overflowing with parts and project bikes -- kind of a catch-all area for the parts and machines not in use or under the restoration process.  First step, was to clear the room and choose a direction.  I wanted the new "shop" to be a time-warp, much like the rest of the museum interior, so only "aged and patinaed" materials were used.  The room measures about 20' X 25', which is plenty of space, and has a full garage door for easy outside access. 

Over the past week, we've installed a whole wall of shelving and oak siding, all with old reclaimed barn wood from the area.  Tin roofing from a barn that was originally on the museum property was also used as siding, giving the room the look as if you were pulling into an old warehouse.  Parts were organized and put into cubbies, and within no time, the room was starting to come together.  With the addition of a tool box, a new work table, and an air compressor, we'll have the new space fully functional by the beginning of spring.

Just the other day I pulled in the old 1928 Model A that Dale found up at the Lee Hartung Auction.  Up on blocks she went, off came the wheels.  A two-day brake rebuild ensued, and currently we're onto bolting on the new engine head. 

I'm really digging this space, and as soon as I get that Model A out of there, I'll be onto the finishing touches.  I'm dreaming up projects as fast as I can, and the new workshop will be perfect for putting many of them into motion.