"Peter Corbett" wrote in message
news:0jx1c.659214$JQ1.469994@pd7tw1no...
Good Day Everyone

I am one of the silent ones that read the postings in this newsgroup.....I
am building my garage/shop as soon as the snow disappears.Many of you
have
gone thru this..I am trying to think of what I should plan into this
garage
before I build it...I am a Machinist and Millwright by trade and I also
enjoy woodworking and welding. I am open to all suggestions ....here are a
few ...but please feel free to add more..

-what to paint the concrete with?
-what type of exhaust system?
-which is better drywall or plywood interior ?
-different hoist systems?
-what seems to be the common electrical requirements?

Thats kind of a start...but as I said please feel free to suggest things
to
put in or do......I finally talked the warden into the size...She was a
tough sell but I did it.It will be 28 x 32....the only clause is to save
room for her to park her van in the winter.I would like to try and
implement improvements to my design before its built and try to have no
regrets after its done.

Thank You in advance

Pete

Hi Pete,

I've had two *very* nice home shops in my days. The one thing I'd suggest
to you is to NOT paint the floor where you intend to do your welding. I
had an epoxy painted concrete floor in the first shop and loved it, but
anywhere you drop slag or spatter it burns it brown, making it look terrible
in short order. Mine was painted a very nice light gray color.

I'm not nuts about the appearance of concrete, so when we built the current
shop, I chose to dye the concrete instead of paint it. I use a generous
amount of Oil-Dri, so my floor stays very clean, not oily. I also have a
built in vacuum cleaner system so it doesn't get dusty.

If the idea of dying the concrete appeals to you, dying it gray is not very
expensive, especially if you ask them to halve the lowest formulation they
show for gray. It turns out a very nice light gray and doesn't cost more
than a couple bucks/yard for the color. They use lamp black for gray, but
other colors are made from expensive additives, so the cost could turn ugly
in a hurry. Talk to your concrete supply people to see what they have to
offer if you like the idea.

I heat hydronically and wouldn't have it any other way. The floor is
6-1/4" thick, so the hoses are deep enough to permit anchoring things if
necessary.

Think about installing your airlines and electrical in the walls, not on the
surface. That makes for much easier house keeping. I think I'd recommend
copper air lines, although mine are PVC. We all know how bad that can be.

Good luck with the new shop. Be sure to post some pics for us when you're
finished.

Harold