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Thread: Soliciting Suggestions for Shop

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Minot, ND
    Posts
    558

    Soliciting Suggestions for Shop

    Good day to all.

    We, me and the wife, are being forced from our home of the last 34 years so the city can improve their flood protection. They are, at least, giving us a “fair” amount for our place. I had a decent shop setup there other than not Having enough room.

    Finding a new place with either a shop, or enough room to build, has been a trying experience. We finally found a place and will close on it today. The new residence has plenty of room in the house for the two of us as well as the following options for my new shop.

    There is a 28’ x 28’ double car garage attached to the house. It is insulated and has an adequately sized gas heater that should be able to keep it comfortable, even during the winter, (negative 30s or colder). We want to be able to use this for our vehicles, needless to say, but it can/could be used in the meantime.

    There is a 50’ x 28’ pole barn on the property as well. It has two sets of large sliding doors as well as a personnel door. Probably 14’ to the bottom of the trusses. No insulation here, and it has only the original dirt floor. There is no electrical to the building, other than an extension cord that was fed through a PVC pipe from the garage. There is a bit of two level storage at the back that could use some reinforcing to make it viable for my use.

    We are considering building a new structure as well. Current zoning would allow me to construct up to an 800 sq ft “shop” in addition to the existing pole barn. I would most likely incorporate radiant floor heating in such a building as well as sufficient windows to allow natural lighting.

    Part of our “buyout” provides that up to $25K is available to re-establish my business at the new residence. This can only be used on existing facilities, and not for use on new construction.

    As such, this is the current thought on how to go forward.

    Pour a concrete floor in the pole barn, run electrical to it, and install a large enough service to suit any shop needs. Probably means a 200A panel, as 3-phase is not available here. My improvements here should be able to reimbursed as part of my business relocation. Depending on funds availability, may also spray foam the inside of the walls/ceiling to facilitate heating in the the future. The pole barn would be used for storage of wood and other items, and I would position some of the larger machines out there such as the table saw, jointer/planer, and shaper. Some type of dust collection would be installed, (I’m bringing a 2hp Oneida cyclone from the old shop), and this area would be used for shaping and milling operations. It would, however, also be used for storage of a small Kubota tractor with associated implements and whatever else may need to come in out of the elements.

    Build a “new” 32’ x 25’ shop as well. This would house the hand tools, the Festools and Mafells, and some power tools such as my two wood lathes and bandsaw. My Roubo workbench, along with the stable of MFTs would live here as well. Some form of dust collection would be in order, but would probably not need the capabilities of that used in the milling area. This area would be well insulated with in-floor heat planned, but I am still in the air on what, if any any A/C.

    The existing garage will be used until the new areas are established. The power available there is lacking, but not totally non-existent. It should be able to tide me over.

    If you’re still with me after all this, I’d appreciate any comments, suggestions, and/or improvements.

    Thanks in advance.

    Clint

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
    Location
    Crozet, VA
    Posts
    645
    Clint — Would you be able to connect the pole barn to the new building and/or add-on to the pole barn footprint? Just thinking about having to move back and forth between the buildings might not be optimal depending on your workflow.
    There is a very fine line between “hobby” and “mental illness.” - Dave Barry

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    SE PA - Central Bucks County
    Posts
    65,685
    Personally, I'd put all my effort and money into using that pole barn shell to create a wonderful (conditioned) shop environment as well as (unconditioned) storage rather than erect an additional structure. At 50x28, that's a generous size structure and given it's likely wide open, it gives you a lot of flexibility.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  4. #4
    Based on info you provided, I'm in Mr Becker's camp on this. Floored, insulated, wired, plumbed, HVAC'd and that 50' x 28' is all I'd need. Sounds as if it would be easy to add these things at this point - - even in-floor heat, and under-floor power and dust collection runs.

    However, your work product, storage requirements, and future plans might leave me begging for the new shop space. - - Carefully, plan your space requirements. Then double it while building!
    Last edited by Malcolm McLeod; 08-07-2020 at 12:57 PM. Reason: typo

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2020
    Location
    Elizabethtown, PA
    Posts
    124
    I also feel with the size of the existing pole building that would be effort better suited to make into a shop. You could also build a small pole building for your tractor if monies are available.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    Black Oak Ark.
    Posts
    254
    If the money allow's , I'm in the pole barn/ shop only camp . 50 x 28 ! I'd build the smaller building for the tractor and the other gear , and woodshop overflow .

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Cedar Park, TX - Boulder Creek, CA
    Posts
    832
    Pole barn. In addition to convenience, it also has your materials acclimating in the same, or nearly so, environment as where you're working them.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Dec 2019
    Location
    The old pueblo in el norte.
    Posts
    1,844
    I'd go with pole barn (insulated, and heated .. pellet stove? to avoid a gas line too) for woodworking and keep the garage for cars. Then again, I have a thing for both and you'd probably not be surprised how quickly that makes a 30x30 area seem.. small.
    ~mike

    happy in my mud hut

  9. #9
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Alberta
    Posts
    2,162
    I think you should consider adding on to the pole barn instead of another building for part of your shop. I know not having it all in one place would drive me nuts. Also your tools are going to rust from frost forming on the cast iron if they are not in a heated building. ( I dealt with that very problem for years). My shop is 40x70 but the cabinet/woodworking end is 36'x40'. It never ceases to amaze me how quickly this HUGE space filled up. My biggest regret is not building it 10 years sooner.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Apr 2017
    Location
    Michigan
    Posts
    2,758
    Another approach
    It will cost about as much to make a beautiful shop out of a barn as it would to build new. If the barn is inconveniently located as barns often are, you could rent it out for storage and move on.

    Spend the $25,000 on the house/garage and site work to accommodate your temporary business needs. Maybe a little on the barn (a new roof?)

    Then build that new shop as and where you really want it.

    You are going to love that heated garage.

  11. #11
    I think the OP said he had 25k to spend on modifications but it cannot be used for a new building. If that is the case, I agree with Jim Becker, modify the pole building. Even if it costs more than new construction I doubt it will be more than 25k more. 50x28 seems huge to me. I have only 14x24 and am happy to have that. It seems like you could have a nice shop in half of the pole barn and use the other half for storage. I do volunteer work at my church on Mondays and there is a guy converting a pole barn to his shop right now. He is going slow because of the SC heat but he is convinced it will be a nice shop when he is done. I would probably put in a split system for heat and AC but I am thinking of where I live, where AC is a lot more important than heat. My thought of finishing part of the pole barn is concrete floor, possibly with foam under it is you have really harsh winders, Some framing in the walls to hold insulations and wiring and hold up interior sheet goods on walls. I used waferboard skimmed with drywall compound and painted white. Plywood would be nicer but it is more expensive. Spray foam is good insulation but fiberglass is probably a lot cheaper.

    I'd be laying out options for the pole bard to determine how much goes to shop and how much stays covered storage.

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