Starting to design a Shop.

[Mr. Goatman]

This will not be a car parking garage. It is a place to keep and use tools and work on the never ending jeep problems. So post up your design thoughts. Most pressing in my mind is How tall should the ceiling be? Then I would like to hear opinions on size and arrangement. I have 3 welders, torch, a big lathe, a small mill (hope to upgrade to a bigger one) and will buy a big air compressor when I have a place to put it.

[carnuck]

will you be pulling motors? Have a lift? DON'T put the compressor in the shop! Your ears will thank you, believe me!

[nc wagoneer]

If your going with a lift, I would do 1.5 to 2 times the height of your jeep. Me and my dad are finishing up our kawnzit hut style bolt together garage. It's 16x36 with a peak of 12 feet, We could fit a small lift in the center at some point but I like the width since there is room for a smaller car/ATV/motorcycle etc and a jeep (even my 7ft wide flatbed) or truck side by side and room to work. 16-20 feet ought to be good for the length.

[carnuck]

Quonset? (fat fingers and no Rockstar today)

[hutcho]

We used to have one of those half round hut thingys (not gonna attempt to spell it) my current shop is 24x36 with a 12 foot ceiling. I have a car lift in it but its not bolted together yet. Not done building yet and it already feels too small. I think $$ will determine the size for you in the end. Going 12' ceilings was a lot of added cost and with a few other additions I went way over budget.

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[Mr. Goatman]

Here is what I have been thinking about. I don't even have to build it.

http://www.farmhandbuildingsupply.com/# ... arns/30x40

[Dirtfarmer]

Two things to consider that I wish I would have done when I built mine. When pouring the cement floor I wish I would have anchored a couple of heavy pieces of chain coming out of the cement about a foot. They would be awesome when needing to straighten something by chaining something down and jacking etc. The other thing that would be handy is to bury a pipe of pipe in the cement vertically under where you are putting a press so when you need to press bearings off longer shafts you can put the shaft down the hole if its longer than your press will raise to.

[ferox]

At my next place I want to put in a bump out to house an air compressor, bag-house dust collector with overhead movable snorkel in the work area (can also be used to vent car exhaust), and a fume hood so I can clean parts with solvent and spray paint small to medium things inside during the winter with out fuming out the shop.

[Blazer3664]

This, if you can......

DON'T put the compressor in the shop! Your ears will thank you, believe me!

and everything Ferox said.........

At my next place I want to put in a bump out to house an air compressor, bag-house dust collector with overhead movable snorkel in the work area (can also be used to vent car exhaust), and a fume hood so I can clean parts with solvent and spray paint small to medium things inside during the winter with out fuming out the shop.

With the exception that I would use a dedicated exhaust fan for the exhaust and fan. Add a large oven for powder coating to the fumes too.

Build as big as you can afford, even if it means certain things will have to wait. You can always upgrade the bells and whistles later. No such thing as too much room. Especially if you packrat and collect all sorts of neat tools.

(thinking to self---50T press, tube bender, cnc mill, lathe, cnc plasma table, and all my wood working stuff........man I need to hit the loto)

Back in the real world.....

I keep wishing I had one of those hoists on I-beams, the ones that move sideways as well as front to back. Or maybe a gantry crane.

For a lift, you can always do like my dad did, split level with the lift "down stairs" to keep costs down for the main part. It also kinda designates that area for working on vehicles, and the up stairs for machining and other work.

[carnuck]

I wish I had $200K to build the house/shop I want where my cabin is.

[srobertsfsj]

My buddy just finished his shop and he went with 12ft ceilings. He doesnt have a lift in yet so I cant tell you if its a good height for the Jeep. He isnt in to lifted vehicles either but I think its a good height.

[hutcho]

I think I should have went a little higher than 12 feet. I know its gonna clear but its gonna be really really close.

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[theonetruegreg]

A number of good ideas here http://12-gaugegarage.com/index.html

[jaber]

If you could get 16' you could put a loft in the back half for parts storage to keep the bottom open for the power tools.

[blue beast j10]

IMPO I would go 50x80 16 to 20' celling and internally separate metal from wood from paint put in to bays one trench like oil change shops have and one lift and insulate well and as previously stated build a little room for air compressor on the out side those two car ports I would either close in completely or at least three wall for extra parts and some kind of celling crane to move the big parts around.

[Bostonbob]

I had cleary bldg [they s-ck]build me 30x40x12'high w/ 12' lean on one side a few years ago . I scored a 9000lb lift used ,it needs a 12'3" ceiling,no problem w/that ,just had to rework some ceiling insulation [bought used ,4x8 panels ] My biggest down fall is rhe 10x10 door,if you strip a van of it's running gear and try to haul it out your door your trailer better be low . I also have a gas heater [ given to me free , very expensive to run 60 yr old pile ] so I then had Frankenstove III built for the garage free heat and a place to get rid of undesireable things [ rags & cardboard ] also bought used lighting [waste of money,but worked for a while , don't skimp on lights or outlets I have a 100 amp service in it welder plasma lift lights and any hand tool can be run and no popped breakers . The next garage will be bigger 40x 60 at least thats my 2 and a half cents worth

[Bostonbob]

I had cleary bldg [they s-ck]build me 30x40x12'high w/ 12' lean on one side a few years ago . I scored a 9000lb lift used ,it needs a 12'3" ceiling,no problem w/that ,just had to rework some ceiling insulation [bought used ,4x8 panels ] My biggest down fall is rhe 10x10 door,if you strip a van of it's running gear and try to haul it out your door your trailer better be low . I also have a gas heater [ given to me free , very expensive to run 60 yr old pile ] so I then had Frankenstove III built for the garage free heat and a place to get rid of undesireable things [ rags & cardboard ] also bought used lighting [waste of money,but worked for a while , don't skimp on lights or outlets I have a 100 amp service in it welder plasma lift lights and any hand tool can be run and no popped breakers . The next garage will be bigger 40x 60 at least thats my 2 and a half cents worth