DIYbanter - View Single Post

(Too_Many_Tools) wrote:

Good thread.

Absolutely. I'm building a shop next fall so this is really good
timing.

If I were building again, I would do a few things different.

First, build as BIG as you can. Shop floor square area is a finite
number in an universe of infinite number of machine tools...you will
never have enough space but you can lessen the pain of having too
little.

I'm at 32 x 48 split in half to make two 32 x 24 foot shops - one for
wood, one for metal. I do have a 16' x 48' concrete slab on one side
of it, 6" thick, 18" edge footings, so I can do all my welding
outside. It its raining, I'll weld another day. I'll be retired,
Nothing Is Urgent.

Second, I have found that I like to work outside if the weather
allows, especially if the job is dusty (woodworking), dirty (cleaning
the recent machine purchase) or dangerous (welding or foundry work).
In the current shop, I can raise a garage door and roll whatever I am
working out on the driveway. Now this may seem simple but it requires
you to plan on easy access out to the great outdoors aka a door
suitable for this purpose.

I ended up with garage doors (one in each shop) 10' wide x 8' tall
(the shop has a 10' ceiling).

Make it bigger than you think you will need
and a FLAT surface under the door so you have nothing to roll over.

I was showing an inch drop - that is probably a mistake. I'll adjust
the drawing.

Next you need a surface that will work for what you are rolling out. I
have asphalt for a driveway and one needs to be careful with solvents.

Concrete.

In addition, any platform carrying significant weight will sink into
the asphalt on hot days...a real pain. I may replace the first ten
feet of the driveway in front of the shop with concrete for this
reason. Having external hookups to air and electricity along with
external lighting for those times when the job lasts longer than the
daylight is also very handy.

Yup. That's the plan.

Third, the shop I use is in a residential area with LARGE acreages,
the building is set back from the road a considerable distance and is
located in an area with LIBERAL zoning laws.

Mine will be also - 2 acre minimum lot size.

With that said, one
"problem" I have had is with neighbors and the general public checking
out what I am doing.

I have the shop turned so that it's back is to the street. The garage
doors open on the house side of the shop - the house doesn't face the
road either.

snip

Fourth, I would also emphasize that insulating WELL in any climate is
likely to be the best money that you can spend. It limits temperature
swings that promote condensation on equipment which then leads to the
infamous rusting that we are all familar with. When I say insulate, I
also mean to include a vapor barrier in the floor. I have buildings
with and without vapor barriers and the difference in the rust
potential between them is like night and day.

Yup - 6" walls, 6 mil poly under the slab, 8" raised plate to keep the
moisture out.

Finally, I would build with resale in mind.

Good point. My shop looks like the house, and it will have its own
heating and air conditioning (geothermal heat pump), and it could be
converted to a pair of guest apartments or Mother-In-Law quarters if
one wanted to do that.

Fitch