Page 3 of 61 FirstFirst 12345671353 ... LastLast
Results 31 to 45 of 906

Thread: Shop Build...should be a fun journey...

  1. #31
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    South Dakota
    Posts
    1,627
    I built my shop without a budget. I got everything I wanted. It’s great. I like it much better than the money it cost. And it has value so it’s not like the money is really gone. Well, some of it is…
    The Plane Anarchist

  2. #32
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    SE PA - Central Bucks County
    Posts
    65,685
    Quote Originally Posted by Leigh Betsch View Post
    I built my shop without a budget. I got everything I wanted. It’s great. I like it much better than the money it cost. And it has value so it’s not like the money is really gone. Well, some of it is…
    I'm more flexible than it might appear, but the reality is that we got $250K less for our previous property than we originally anticipated due to the foibles of the market and that means I have to be a lot more careful about what I put into this shop building. If I'm careful with costs for the structure, it means I'll have to do less dancing for other things I would like to accomplish with it with some tool replacements, etc. Professor Dr SWMBO also put in for retirement at the end of the next academic year on a "step down" program, so monthly income will be a little less starting in the fall. It's just a balancing act, honestly. It really does help that I do almost all of my own work for stuff relative to the house and property and will be able to take on some of the work with the shop, too.
    --

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

  3. Question...are you able to pour a level floor in a shop like this vs the ridiculous slope that was required by code in my house garage?

  4. #34
    Join Date
    Feb 2018
    Location
    N CA
    Posts
    1,279
    I believe that a “shop” would not require the sloped slab the would be required by a “garage”. In my case the inspector asked if I had graded the floor. I replied that it was graded “as much as I wanted it to be.” As to the lack of plumbing, I could not include it in my location due to well clearances with the neighbor and grade issues to my septic. My solution was to be able to anticipate the need for the can sufficient to make the 100’ to the house. As to the other priorities, I built a return on the end of the fence to conceal my other needs No complaints so far.

  5. Another shop question I don't see addressed is fire suppression. I have a small and medium extinguisher at two locations in my 3 car garage shop.

  6. #36
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    SE PA - Central Bucks County
    Posts
    65,685
    Fortunately, for a Residential Accessory Building, which this is classified in our jurisdiction, that isn't a garage, I don't need to worry about the sloped floor thing. While it "might" get a simple 8x8 overhead door, I'm more inclined to make a hinged double carriage/shed type door setup that I can insulate to the same spec as the building. There is no way I would accept a sloped floor for this building, especially after having to deal with it for the last 22+ years at the old shop! There will be no driveway to this building, either, at least in the current plan.
    --

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

  7. #37
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    South Dakota
    Posts
    1,627
    My new shop is 33x40. Which is attached to another 1500 ft^2 of actual vehicle garage space. Everybody says to make it as big as possible. I believe this to be true but I can say that even just working in my shop I do a lot of walking. I think there is some advantages to a smaller shop where things are closer together.
    The Plane Anarchist

  8. #38
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    SE PA - Central Bucks County
    Posts
    65,685
    Your space would be a "dream" to me, Leigh, and if I could do that financially as well as zoning wise, I'd be following you in your footsteps. Our property wouldn't allow anything adjacent to the garage space for sure. I could physically go up to a 40' or so length in the available space in the backyard, but I'd been banging up against both budget and impermeable/structure maximus for the lot at that point. I'd rather put the money "inside" the building that would get sucked up by making it "more bigger". The new shop will be almost four feet deeper and and a few feet longer than my previous space at least! And it will not have the obstruction of a stairway smack in the middle of the back wall, either, so it will look and feel even bigger. One thing I'll have more flexibility about is being able to define areas for purpose in the new space. In the old shop, despite multiple rearrangements over two decades, the bottom line remains, "where can it actually fit". That will be less of an issue with a big, open space and with a taller ceiling. There will still be a small chunk of space taken by a DC/compressor closet, but the space over it will be usable for storage...may do a broader "mezzanine" type thing for that, but that's a decision for later.
    --

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

  9. Jim what are you doing for lighting? I saw some high bay 2x2 LED panels recently that were probably the brightest thing I ever saw. Not cheap though about $100 each. The older I get the more extreme lighting I need.

  10. #40
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    SE PA - Central Bucks County
    Posts
    65,685
    I'm leaning towards the 8' LED units that Matt Cremona uses, but what format the building ends up being will also affect that. But for a 10' ceiling I probably do not need to opt for a high-bay solution. At any rate, whatever it does turn out to be, it will be, um...bright. I'd rather have "too much" light than not enough.
    --

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

  11. #41
    Join Date
    Mar 2018
    Location
    Piercefield, NY
    Posts
    1,659
    My current shop is equipped with 6 porcelain lampholders in the ceiling for general lighting. I have two desk lamps that live on work tables and are used for up close lighting, and two more desk lamps hung on the backs of my bandsaws to illuminate the cutting area, and a sewing machine light on the drill press. They're all LEDs now, which is much better than when I had incandescents in there years ago. I've found that having localized light where I need it is more manageable than trying to light the whole shop up brilliantly, but I may be in the minority in that regard.

  12. #42
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Collegeville PA (30 min west of Philly)
    Posts
    1,143
    Blog Entries
    1
    So happy for you on this Jim!! I think it's finally time for us to meet up and say hello in person... Once upon a time, sold post-frame construction for a living, and I enjoy the same hobby in my outbuilding now... so perhaps I will serve as a good sounding board. Message me if you're up for a brainstorming session, and I will happily make the trip.

    Thanks!

    Bob R.
    - Bob R.
    Collegeville PA (30 minutes west of Philly)

  13. #43
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    Somewhere in the Land of Lincoln
    Posts
    2,546
    I'm in total agreement on lighting. Make it bright and never regret it. I never wanted to wish I'd put in better lighting and I don't. You have to work to create a shadow. The light radiates off the walls so well that there really isn't a dark spot. With mine having 14' ceiling height high bays were the obvious choice and they are great. 10' not so much even though they are only about $100 per unit.

  14. Ronald speaking of which I painted my entire shop semi gloss bright white last summer, it was even brighter after. Paint store, "that's going to be way too bright you are making a mistake" LOL

  15. #45
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    SE PA - Central Bucks County
    Posts
    65,685
    Quote Originally Posted by Bob Riefer View Post
    So happy for you on this Jim!! I think it's finally time for us to meet up and say hello in person... Once upon a time, sold post-frame construction for a living, and I enjoy the same hobby in my outbuilding now... so perhaps I will serve as a good sounding board. Message me if you're up for a brainstorming session, and I will happily make the trip.
    Might just take you up on that, Bob.

    ----

    Ronald, the lighting in my old shop, at least at the CNC and bench end was like being on the surface of the sun when I switched over to LED. I plan on continuing that tradition in the new shop. One of the wonderful things about starting from scratch...literally...is that there will be nothing in the way of setting up really good lighting even before anything takes up space on the floor. All the interior "finishes" will be completed before I move any tools in including lighting.
    --

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

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •