If you could build your shop from scratch, what one thing...

Jason, I have been told I need to remove everything from my shop so I can get it insulated with spray-in rigid foam. It will be a nightmare to clear out my shop. I advise that you suck it up now and do any of the stuff that you are thinking you'll get to later that might involve moving a lot of equipment. Things like pouring concrete over the gravel or insulating. One trick I'll add is I've been switching all my storage shelving over to the black industrial wire shelf units sold at Lowes. The thread size for the leveling feet is the same as the heavy duty casters they sell a few aisles over. I now have rolling storage shelves and it has made cleaning and reorganizing much easier.

Bob
 
I would have a large 2/3 compartment stainless steel sink with sideboards. I'm thankful for my utility sink but it's to small. Especially when acid etching.
 
I've got a sink and a couple of propane wall heaters in there already.

I'd love to concrete that gravel floor, alright, but $$$ is too tight right now. I just bought a house, remember? Haven't sold the other house yet, could get even tighter by October or so. Hopefully I'll do well at ICCE and get the cash flow flowing again.
 
Ric has a really cool one. I have agreed to buy one, just need to find a way to move it. Total weight is 48k, it's a pneumatic. And I need a bigger shop to put it in.

Hoss
 
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Jason Fry said:
I've got a sink and a couple of propane wall heaters in there already.

I'd love to concrete that gravel floor, alright, but $$$ is too tight right now. I just bought a house, remember? Haven't sold the other house yet, could get even tighter by October or so. Hopefully I'll do well at ICCE and get the cash flow flowing again.
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Just remember that where there is exposed soil there is moisture coming in the shop. That gravel will be a constant source of rust in the shop. Invest in a 55 gallon drum of WD-40.

If you are not going to concrete the floor - As much work as it would be, dig out the gravel ( toss it on the concrete slab) and put down a heavy tarp. Put the gravel back over that. this will greatly control the moisture. Also, look at the footings around the gravel and see if there will be a flooding/water problem with heavy rain or snow melt.
 
Yeah, the gravel floor would not work for me at all!!! I've been around a few shops like that and they were just down right nasty!
 
I live in dry country, maybe 20" of rain a year on a wet year. 1-3 "snow" events per year, with maybe a 6" snow every five years. Concrete footings all the way around.

I don't like the gravel, but it's what I have for now. Haven't had a chance to dig and see what's under it yet. For now, I'm putting most of the power tools in the concrete side, with hot work tools on the gravel.
 
Don Hanson III said:
Hot forge work on the gravel I could do, but the rest of the shop would need a floor.
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Yeah, I'm in the process of getting shop builds started on my mountain property, and instead of building one central shop, I've decided to go with 2-3 buildings. One of which will be the forge with gravel/dirt floors. Power hammers/press/rolling mill etc will live here, which make everything dirty anyway, and since this area isn't in an actual fire dept zone, and you can't get fire insurance, if the forge burns down, I won't be screwed.


Everybody tells me to pour twice as much concrete as I think I'll need, and that's probably sound advice considering all the machine tools, but I'm going to try to get by with a reasonable minimum for machinery, and build my grinding/finishing rooms, framed on wood floors. It's much easier on the knees, and the wallet, also keeps the abrasives away from the ways of the other machines.


Power company is pulling in 400 amps. 3 phase unfortunately wasn't an option without major $$$.
 
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