# Building my dream shop



## Blindhog (Jul 13, 2015)

After struggling in a 10×12 portable building for the last 20 years, I've been given the opportunity to construct a shop to help indulge my passions. All the kids are gone and we decided to sell our home and move to a space that will allow us to pursue our interests. My wife gave me permission to turn the 3-car garage in our new-to-us home into a workspace for wood, metal and other stuff. This forum has provided me with a LOT of information and help so I thought I'd share my journey of construction.
I'll continue to post the progress with pics and comments. Hope this is of interest to some.

Here's what I started out with….................




























Started with an empty 3-car garage with and attached 11×12 side room that is shown below:










First order of business; clean out and repair trusses…...................

More to follow


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## RonAylor1760 (Aug 17, 2016)

Congrats! I look forward to seeing what you come up with. You're not going to wire it for electricity are you? LOL!


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## canadianchips (Mar 12, 2010)

WOW….awesome space to start with.
I am in process of finishong my 24×32 footprint building.
I have already added on to drive in 8×12 !
It seems a shop is never big enough !
Good luck reno ing your new space ! Keep us posted.


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## wapakfred (Jul 29, 2011)

That's great! Be interested to see how things progress from here.


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## BillWhite (Jul 23, 2007)

Insulate, insulate, electrify, insulate, add more electricity. You will be one happy puppy.
Good on you.
Bill


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## RonAylor1760 (Aug 17, 2016)

> Insulate, insulate, electrify, insulate, add more electricity. You will be one happy puppy.
> Good on you.
> Bill
> 
> - Bill White


Bill, Bill, Bill …


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## Blindhog (Jul 13, 2015)

Some of the trusses had been damaged/cracked. Beefed up those that needed it and applied gusset plates to help strengthen existing for s/r to come…....................



















Next up, level the floor for plywood flooring…...............


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## BurlyBob (Mar 13, 2012)

Lots of lighting. Consider a light colored epoxy floor finish. It really helps brighten the room and greatly improves clean up.


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## Unknowncraftsman (Jun 23, 2013)

Man that's great I hope your not thinking of trying to make a business out of your new space.It will take all the fun and love out.
I used to build Hal trusses and they great for holding up roofs but the bottom cord really has very little strength hold up a load.So go easy hanging stuff off them.Esp after drywall.

Aj


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## BigYin (Oct 14, 2011)

insulate, insulate, paint walls and ceilings white, insulate and draftproof, 
all power points above 4 foot 6 inches (So sheet goods dont cover them)
Light - lots of light, more than you think you need and dont forget the corners and edges
ceiling electric sockets for air cleaner and electric robo reel
plumbed in airline (air robo reel) in mid ceiling
more insulation and heating


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## Blindhog (Jul 13, 2015)

Framed walls for DC/AC room and separation for metal working area.



















The concrete floor had a slope of 3 1/4" back to front so I cut long tapers to carry the plywood flooring. I used SPF for sleepers. I checked the moisture transmission using 18×18 plastic and tape; not a single drop after a week. Really didn't want to use wolm unless I had to. Laid 1 1/8 plytanium for floor. That stuff is great. Glued and scxrewed the sleepers using PL400 and Tapcons.
Provided electrical outlet for machines in the middle of the floor as shown.




























Here's the jig I used to cut tapers…............


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## Blindhog (Jul 13, 2015)

Insulate, Insulate and electrical….....................
Coming up!

Definitely NOT a business idea. Been there and done that! Lots of stuff for the grand-kids and family with the ultimate goal of learning furniture creation. Got some ideas for mesquite tables and chairs.


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## sawdustdad (Dec 23, 2015)

Great idea on the wood floor-so much easier on the feet than concrete. I built my dream shop last year. Love it. I'll reiterate the other comments-electricity, insulation and lighting. I nearly filled a 200A panel with circuits-I have 8 separate 220V 30A circuits, about 10 20A circuits around the room and in the ceilings, plus lighting, garage doors, etc. R19 in the walls and R38 in the ceiling with R18 roll up garage doors. The 28×46 space only needs a 1.5 ton heat pump. I put up sixteen 4 foot, four-tube fluorescent fixtures.


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## moke (Oct 19, 2010)

Blindhog--what a thrill for you…...it looks like you are approaching this build it in a great, commonsense manner. I have a 28×38 3 stall, but not dedicated. We live in Iowa, so it is heated and cooled…..and at the wifes suggestion it never goes below 45 degrees in the winter….this is much easier on tools and she never gets in a very cold car. We have two Ford Expeditions, so I have to clean up after every session…and they are huge…..which I hate and am very envious of you.

I did do a variation on Bill's suggestion, for insulation and electricity, or at least I thought I did. I have a duplex outlet every 4 feet and three 220 outlets. I thought that was adequate…..and in most cases it is….but be sure to separate the circuits more than you think…...in the summer when the air is on, I blow circiut breakers and end up moving stuff around on three different circuits. Buy a labelmaker and number the circuits at the outlets…it's a simple thing and so handy.

I bought simple, but insulated garage doors from the big box store. Buy the best insulated door you can find….that is a huge source of leakage…and it looks like yours have no insulation at all.

I love your floor, and without any experience, are you able to move heavy machinery with out sags and joint issues? My planer is 700 lbs., Lathe 500, sawstop 400 etc…. with having to move vehicles in and out and having a ton of stuff EVERYTHING is on wheels…..and even if I didn't have to move stuff around I still think I would have all the stuff on wheels. I set me shop up different for what ever task I am doing….I have a flat work set up, a turning set up, and a general around the house set up for repair of stuff….it allows me more flexibility.

I was greatly criticized by some of my peers and even the older fellow that mentored me, but all my wall covering are peg board…..I love it, and would not go back…when it gets dirty though and I decide to paint it, it will need to be sprayed I assume…that means emptying the building!!!!

Keep us posted…..you have a great start!
Mike


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## Blindhog (Jul 13, 2015)

I didn't want to have a concrete walk surface and with the slope, using tapers with plywood worked out great. The Plytanium 1 1/8 is T&G and pretty darn heavy. I glued and screwed the sheets to the sleepers and used a Sherwin-Williams ArmorSeal flooring coating. Turned out to be a very choice as it has held up well to abuse and maintains its finish.



















Insulated the walls and installed a new 200 amp electrical panel on a separate feed from the main house.


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## Blindhog (Jul 13, 2015)

After s/r, blow insulation in the attic…............










I choose a Clearvue DC but the room was not tall enough for the motor so I built a high-hat to house the motor.



















Installed a RA to vent the air back into the shop…..........



















Finished DC/AC room…............










Shop space after s/r, paint, lighting and DC duct install…...........














































Modified a Paulk table and added a hydraulic lift to adjust the table height….......










End result….......... One happy camper!!!!!
The wood is for loft beds for grandkids.

Thanks for watching.

Hog


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## moke (Oct 19, 2010)

Awesome….great job!!!!


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## GR8HUNTER (Jun 13, 2016)

looks like a very nice shop you have built …..... cant wait to see your projects out of there


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## helluvawreck (Jul 21, 2010)

This will make a wonderful shop. I hope that your work will go very well and when you are finished please post the results.

helluvawreck aka Charles
http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com


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