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new shop ideas

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mcinfantry

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im teearing down my 20x30.

im building a 20x30 addition to my 2 car garage (20 x 26) which will have a 18x20 office, and a 22 x20 bay with an 8 x 12 door. im also adding a 20 x 60 shop with a 14x 14 foot door (16 foot ceiling). does anyone have any suggestions/ideas while im doing it? besides i need 220, and air lines.... any concrete tips? im also adding an ice maker, toilet, urinal and shower. best of all. it is going to be AIR CONDITIONED. the entire thing!
 
Put in connectors for everything all over.

Electrical: Put 110 receps every 4 feet or so (or quads every 8'). And 50V 220 plugs several on each wall, no more than 20' or so between any 2, with several in the "main machine area" where compressor, welder, and heavy machines are likely to go. Put in extra capacity junction/gang boxes so you can easily add capacity as needed later. Put receps along side each light and retractable cords mounted near the center of the shop to reduce extension cord problems. (I’m running conduit with 110 and 220 to the center of my shop tomorrow). Plenty of lights on multiple circuits independently controlled. Maybe even larger conduit so it’s easy to pull CAT5 or whatever unforeseen thing you need in the future.

Air: Plumb the shop with 1" copper and drops every 15-20 feet along the walls, with verticals extending below the quick connects to act as water traps. Prefer to put the compressor in a location so it can have it's own separate enclosure. Darn things are noisy, I’ve been trying to figure out how to do that for mine, but heat and air circulation become a problem, so you’ll need venting to the outside and maybe a thermo controlled fan to keep the compressor room cool. I might also use this as the main electrical room.

Water: Bibs on each wall, maybe more than one. And stub out for a bathroom (maybe including shower?) before porting concrete whether you think you want it now or not (just noticed, you already are, but why extra money and (more importantly) space for a urinal?).

Temp Control: A/C or not, put in a larger powered fan up high. If you get noxious fumes, or go out to work after a day of baking in the summer sun, it will be handy to suck the hot air out of the rafters. Maybe even put it on a 110* thermostat or something so it keeps temps reasonable and reduces damage to solvents, electronics and other stuff stored out there. Might also be rigged/double for an exhaust for a paint booth.

Storage: Add perimeter shelving up high all the way around unless prohibited by other plans. Upper wall space is often wasted. Also plan for hanging storage above so you can store 20’ lengths of tubing, full length lumber, and other such things that otherwise take up too much room overhead. Also go ahead and add an I or H beam for gantry use in the appropriate location. With that much room, plan a smallish “office” and “clean room” type location where you can put a computer (to browse CK5, run CAD software, browse “adult sites”, whatever) and metrology equipment as well as anything else you don’t really want out in the dusty/messy shop.

General: Natural lighting panels in the ceiling are a big plus and provide a nice “airy” feeling in the shop, less like a dungeon. Epoxy the floor to reduce oil soak in and dust problems. Add some anchor points in “guestimate” locations around the shop, then plug threaded holes with grub screws to keep clean until needed. VERY cheap and easy when the floor is poured, real PIA and less effective afterward, so don’t be stingy (thinking of a vehicle lift? Add mounts just in case...). Insulate it well for both temp control AND sound deadening; probably 1” high tech foam and battening at a minimum.

That’s all I can think of for now...
 
i quit my previous job, and am starting a new construction buisness. we are using structural insulated paneling (SIP's) for construction.

http://actechpanel.com/products.php

we are building this at my house and a residential home also.

ill look into anchor points. i know ill add a bender, cnc table, air compressor, etc. i like the shelving ideas too.
 
If your clear height is tall enough, make those shelves into a walk-around mezzanine. Then you can put more shelves up there. :waytogo:

If you are going to be cleaning/washing vehicles inside, slope the slab and put in a drainage system with removable iron grates.

Plan for the sand/bead blaster to live outside. They're just too messy to want inside. Wouldn't hurt if any grinding equipment had it's own enclosed space. This to help keep the grit out of everthing else.


Second the copper air lines. Some further thots on the air system:

At the location of each drop come off of the main or branch from the top. Then do a 180* down to the QD & past it to a drain.

If the main's run is really long, put a second tank at the far end of it. Doesn't need to be huge.

The Main & branches want to have a slope (approximately sewer drain slope or less), the main may want to be a very shallow 'V' depending on it'a length. Put a drain below the point where the comp is plumbed in, and at the far end (below where the 2nd tank is plumbed in if it exists).

McMaster sells a self-discharging moisture drain. Could put one of those at each end, or if two are too costly, one at the comp's end. Will need power to function.

Size the main & branches large. Slightly larger than you think you'll need b/c it isn't likely it'll ever get re-done.

An electrician friend just told me a story an old timer in the trade told him. "If you're in an airplane that's about to go down and you see a parachute and an extension cord, grab the cord. The parachute might not open, but it's an absolute that the cord will get tangled in something."

On the I or W beam for a gantry, plan for the hoist to need either air or power, maybe both.
 
i run an auto moisture drain on my 60gal. i never thought of a second auto drain....!. instead of a larger 80~10gal compressor upgrade, you think an additional 30 to 40 gal tank on the other end would help?

im SUPPOSED to be getting a CNC table and blast cabinet for free. i should wall those off seperately? say a 20 x 20 sectioned off area to cut/ grind etc?
 
height...

How high will the shop be??...I wish my garage was a bit taller,I could have had an "upstairs" ,and lots more storage ,and a room to kick back and watch TV in,etc--maybe even an apartment!...my quonset garage was originally supposed to be 18' high at the peak,but I had the arches cut down to 13' at the peak,so it would not overshadow the house (it would have been taller than the house!)...but now I wish I had the extra space,and the hell with what it looks like!..:doah: :mad: ....going "up" is cheaper than making the shop wider or longer....

All the other ideas are good ones..one thing I should have had put in while the floor was being poured was a U bolt at the far end,so I'd have an anchor spot for a winch cable,so I could drag "dead" vehicles in the shop,instead of pushing them.....that and the shower, and toilet..garden hose and outhouse is ok during summer months..but winter,forget it!..radiant heat tubes in the floor would have been smart too...:crazy:
 
16 feet total, not including eaves, but 14 feet unencumbered. its going to be an "L" shape shop
 
Would only need the second drain if you go with another tank. When the main is a long run having a tank at the far end helps keep the pressure consistant during a big draw somewhere in the middle. Becomes almost a requirement with CNC equipment. That, or a really large main, say 2".

Given the room to do so you want any abrasives walled off from the rest of the shop. Any precision tools (mills, lathes, etc.) will thank you for it by not wearing out nearly as fast.
 
I agree on the abrasives. I've recently put all my grinders and belt sanders on a single independently wired industrial "cart" (about 3' x 6'+ or so) in order to roll it outside to reduce the mess in the shop.
 
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