Technical So, if you could build the dream shop what would you incorporate

Heat, good heat. Seems that now I have gotten older, putting up with the summer heat isn't near as tough as putting up with the winter cold.

 

The garage attached to the house is 30'x30' and I'm having that same issue with it...they are all on the same circuit. I've run multiple extension cords out to the new garage. With the short days it's dark by the time I get home to work on it. With all the lights plugged in... my miter box runs, but the skill saw trips the breaker. Had to run a cord from another part of the house just for the skill saw.

On the new garage, I'm going to wire the outlets in groups of 8 max. I think code allows up to 13. Also going to split the main workbench so that all of the outlets along that bench are not on the same circuit.

 

That’s -40 Celsius, but yes it gets damn cold!


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Ok! That’s a little better! I was shivering, just reading that! Lol

( about ten minutes later)
Hey! Wait a minute! I got to thinking about Celsius vs Farinhiet and comparing the degrees and 40 below zero is the exact some temperatures in both scales! Really!
Celsius starts at freezing temp of water 32degrees Farinhiet, 0 In Farinhiet starts 32 degrees below the freezing point of water. But there are only 100 degrees in Celsius vs 212 in Farinhiet..... they catch each other at 40 below! Odd isn’t it!


Bones

 

Wondering if someone would catch that!


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I've always dreamed of a nice insulated quonset hut with a living quarter in the back, loft style. Front set up as my shop, paint booth outside.

 

When I retired I wanted to build my "garagemahal", a huge shop with all kinds of equipment. Then I realized I really didn't need that much and would rather spend money on cars than the shop.
I bought a place on 5 acres with no garage at all so bought a couple shipping containers for temporary storage. Then decided to build this. Ground was prepped, containers set and a 6" slab (24' x 40') poured between them. The floor of the containers are even with the slab so I can roll stuff in and out. I've cut out a couple openings in the container but still have to cut out a couple more.
I built another smaller garage just for parking cars and will build a few more small one car size building for completed cars so that way the shop is used only for working on stuff and not storage. I keep all tool boxes, equipment, work benches, parts shelving and other stuff in the containers and try to keep the slab open (hard to keep from cluttering it up though).
I just picked up a QuickJack and will also be installing a two post lift. I'm debating the placement of the lift between in the center or to one side of the slab as well as the front door configuration. One single center 16' wide door (I'd like to do sliding barn doors) or tow smaller doors on each side. I'm leaning towards installing the lift all the way to one side so it will take up less room. If I do that then I'll probably go with two smaller doors (one 8' and one 12') so I can drive cars straight on the lift without have to jockey them around.

 

If it is a dream shop,I,d have all my friends back that have died.
We would be bullshitting,drinking a beer and working on stuff again

 

How hot do the inside of the containers get in the summer? I assume you keep tools/equipment/parts and stuff in them? I like that

I bet if you put a second roof over the entire thing, with a few feet of air gap inbetween that and the existing roof/containers, that would help out alot with heat

 

Looks good! How did you address the rain runoff on the containers?






Bones

 

The tan container on the south side is insulated on the inside with 2&1/2" polyiso rigid foam. I may build a sloped roof over the container though and extend it out over the edge about four feet for some extra shade.
I have a swamp cooler for summer and wood stove for winter.

 

Good idea,,,I like this.
Also,,,being in Nevada,,,and judging from those sparsely covered hills in the background,,,probably not a ton of rain there I guess. ?

Also,,,plenty of room to add more if needed.

Tommy

 

Thanks. The containers were set level so I get some pooling of water but because I'm in northern NV at almost 5K feet elevation it is very dry and sunny so it evaporates off pretty quickly. We don't get a lot of precipitation here. If I were to do it again I'd probably slope the containers an inch or two to the outside. Because I just use the containers for workbench and storage the slope wouldn't be noticeable.

 

I haven't read the entire thread but what I did was tell my electrical contractor friend to "go nuts". I have quad plugs about every 10 to 12' around the inside and a whole bunch at the workbench area. I even put some up at the 12' area on the walls. All are on several breakers. I have 2 - 220v outlets inside and 1 outside.

I put my compressor outside and plumbed air around the inside with QD's every 10' with several near the workbench.

So far, it has worked out just fine.

 

Yeah, not much rain/snow here. I removed the corral on the north side so I can expand from the blue container side.

 

You could, when you are not doing anything ( insert laugh here) put the sloping roof on both containers and cut the existing side wall and create another place to store long skinny stuff, such as drive shafts, chrome trim, boards, stuff like that on top of the containers, while reducing the temperature!







Bones

 

what would my dream shop have? employees.

 

Car lift and plenty of air. The rest is bling.....

 

That was my thinking. I'd cut out a couple doors because the metal panels are actually structural.

 

Nightmares

 

they would be cool employees. I would only do the fun stuff. leave all the filthy dirty greasy metal in your eye stuff for them, i'd paint stuff and put it all together like a giant model car

 

I've read this thread carefully and dont see placement of lifts. On a building 2 cars deep, (40 feet) Would you want the lift by the door? You would have to drive thru it to put a car at the back. That doesnt sound good. Would you put the lift at the back? The back wall would be work benches. Where would you put the lift if the building is also 40 feet wide with one drive in door?

 

At the shop in town, I put the life by the door. But it gets more in and out work done with it.

 

I had a guy come buy something off Craigslist, then come back a few weeks later and steal about $6K of welding stuff.
I have lots more lights now that simply go on at dusk. I bought a security camera set up with 6 cameras and set it up inside and outside. If someone enters my shop, the motion sensor lights are placed so they don't come on until the thief is totally inside a ways. When the lights kick on and he looks up at them, he's looking right at a camera. At the same time the light kicks on, it also activates a siren. I don't care how many lights you have, get a siren....NOTHING beats loud noise. Many of the new camera systems have a link to your cell phone and they will immediately notify you if someone enters your premises. Be sure to check the cameras before buying. Many have good resolution reasonably close, but 50 ft away the quality falls off badly. You can see someone but the police cannot identify them. Also, at night you probably won't get a clear picture. I bought a couple higher quality cameras to add to the system. I have a hidden camera that records every license plate that enters my driveway and I added an LED light that kicks on with a motion sensor so the camera can get the license plate at night. For forty years I did not lock my shop door. Once someone enters your shop and steals from you, things change. Today, you really need to put at least some kind of motion activated unit in place that lights up and makes NOISE. I cobbled one up with a cheap light from lowes, and a siren and voltage changer from Ebay. Throw in some small wire and a couple switches and you have less than $100 in the whole thing. I don't care if you never had a problem before, make something .............

 

After working on overhead cranes 20 ft in the air, I can verify exactly what Bone is saying and to add to the heat rising, when you end up above the door openings you get dead air and it can get stifling in a hurry!

 

Damn right it hotter up higher. And hot air kinda sucks.
Rising heat needs to be dealt with. In the summer you want it to escape. Cupola or high Windows just under the rafters. Monitor style roof with windows on the barn is the old way as well. In the winter you want to capture the high level heat. That’s where the r49 ceiling insulation get mentioned.

In my former shop 21 foot ceiling I had a nice Reznor heater that did well. At ear level the temp was 65, up stairs, or on a ladder it was well over 80 and on the mezzanine in the corner it was always 90 while the floor was 55 at best usually colder in a typical Ohio winter. We usually get a few weeks of double digit below zero and it never shut off. Ceiling fans helped some but I’d say minimally at best. That 80 plus temp costs money to make and is in the wrong place. It will go right out the roof without insulation and the greater difference in temp between inside and outside the faster it goes.

If the temperature differential (delta T) is less then the heat transfer (escaping) is slower. The sun pounding on steel roof or siding will get it to over 125 surface temp. The hot air rising is stopping at the deck where it’s even hotter so it doesn’t rise anymore. The air gets heat soaked and stifling.


Here’s the thing about insulation and heating, your goal is to capture the heat however any heat that’s escaping thru must be gotten rid of quickly once it’s beyond the insulation. In the summer you can condition the air and capture it while preventing radiant heat gain or simply allow the heat to escape via natural methods. Without an escape the heat will continue to gain. Without delta T the heat will stay put and with delta T the cooler side will suck the heat up.

 

Roothawg
You have had some awesome suggestions in the replies. I finished my shop about 1-1/2 years ago. Things I love, more outlets than you would ever need, bathroom with a “laundry tub” deep sink in vanity from Lowes, covered entrance over from main door, outside GFI outlets and water hose outlets, closed cell spray in insulation, roll up doors both ends, out back is a 30’x 8’ slab for dirty work and ventilation thru the shop. I agree with as much lighting as possible. My building is on 30X40 due to the HOA nazi’s but I love it. I put in a two post lift so as to not interfere with floor space, I did a loft with staircase for the wife’s stuff. I also mounted several of my dirty tools on a roll out work table to use out doors, built a large rolling work table with a carpet top when working on doors, or large body pieces. No 80” TV, but did do a 70” and awesome stereo system. Windows on 3 sides, security, automatic dead bolts on roll up doors than electrically lock when the door goes down, so I never forget. Mounted heaters from the ceiling to take the chill off( inexpensive Northern tool)
Here’s some photos from south of you.




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When I built my garage I put up Kemlite on the walls, which is a fiberglass liner that is used in refrigerated semi trailers and it is bright white so it reflects light very well and has a slick surface that doesn't get dirty but if it does I can simply rinse it off with a garden hose.

 

Nice shop! @Pgaines

 

Heat rising to the ceiling was an issue in my shop with 14 foot ceilings in the Minnesota winter. Ceiling fans are a crappy solution in the winter. When it's cold out and your trying to warm yourself up, you don't want a breeze blowing on you. The solution is an airdrop. Get yourself a piece of duct 8 to 12 inch diameter, put a duct fan in it, and mount it vertically so it draws air off of the ceiling and blows it out on the floor. They work great to equalize the temperature from floor to ceiling. Without creating a significant breeze