# Rookie in need of guidance with shop space



## chrisbryson (Jan 23, 2014)

Hey everyone,

Recently I was lucky enough to purchase a new house with a detached 24×24 shop. Crazy. I never thought I would be so lucky to have so much space. I am hoping to turn this shop into a mostly woodworking/DIY space. The shop seems fairly new and well built.

Please remember I am a rookie when it comes to woodworking or DIY. Where I keep running into questions is what to do with the walls? Instead of vertical studs I have these lateral 2×6 beams that attached to 6×6 beams every 6-7 feet. Most of the videos I watch about building cabinets/workbenches/etc require building off vertical studs, and the lateral studs I have aren't exactly where I need them to be at times. Please see the pics and let me know what you all think I should do. I want to do things right in the cheapest way possible. Any guidance on if I should just put up walls of OSB? Regardless, would you just use a french cleat system on the lateral beams and hang everything on them? Any and all advice is welcome. Thanks in advance.


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## Blackie_ (Jul 10, 2011)

Chris you need to have floor support for added strength on anything you hang on the wall, those horizontal beams might be enough but with added support you wouldn't have to worry, if you ran vertical studs and anchored them to the cross beams that would give you the support you need for hanging things. OSB as you mentioned would work as well as long as it's also resting on the floor.

Randy


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## chrisbryson (Jan 23, 2014)

Thanks Randy. How would you anchor the vertical studs?

I ask because I tried to do this on a different section of my wall and it was difficult to get the studs flush against the beams. So, I had this uneven row of 2×4's that weren't very strong. I just tried to use 3.5 inch screws and pre-drill.

I appreciate your help!


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## BigYin (Oct 14, 2011)

vertical studs - lots of insulation - and faced with OSB will give you a sound base for a workshop


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## Blackie_ (Jul 10, 2011)

I also thought of insulation that Bigyin mentioned but wasn't sure what the budget was, 2 1/2" 6.35 cm screws should be plenty.


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## chrisbryson (Jan 23, 2014)

So where I struggle is the actual attachment method for the 2×4's into the 2×6's. I am not sure how to do this correctly.

If I place a 2×4 up against the lateral beams should I be putting screws diagonally threw the wood? Or should I be going all the way through the 2×4 from one end to the other? Also, should I attach the bottom of the 2×4 to the floor somehow?


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## Blackie_ (Jul 10, 2011)

Chris the correct way and best support would be to notch out the 2×4 so that it over laps the beam but this means a lot of work, if I were doing it I would just lay the 2×4 up against the beams and pre-drill the holes 1/8" or 3/32" drill bit should be big enough them just run the screws through, also you need to counter sink the screw heads by using 1/4" drill bit and just barely breaking the surface so that the head sinks into the wood.


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## chrisbryson (Jan 23, 2014)

I appreciate all the help Randy. This is a really dumb question but because I just have no experience I have to ask it.

Would you pre-drill your holes from one skinny end of the 2×4 to the the side and just countersink a little? Or, would you pre-drill your holes diagnolly on the flat wide sides of each 2×4?

If I were to notch the 2×4's could I cut the notches out with a dado blade or would I be doing that with a jigsaw? I also have a router/router table if that would be the right tool to use? Thanks again


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## gamygeezer (Jan 22, 2014)

In this area, this construction is called a "pole barn". Quick and cheap to build.

You could just build 2×4 wall sections to fit between the 6×6s. This would make the wall flush all the way around. Then hang OSB on that. This would give you room to use 6 inch batts for best insulation.

For how-to, look at http://wayneofthewoods.com/Tiphowtoframeawall.htm.

Ken


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## Blackie_ (Jul 10, 2011)

Put two screws at each intersection diagonal from each other, you can add 3 for even more support if you like but 2 should be good enough.

Chris forget about the notching you don't need to do that just but the 2×4 up against the beams.

Measure where the 2×4 intersects with the beams then pre drill the holes all the way through the 2×4 they don't have to enter the beam just the 2×4 then where the holes were drilled you then make your counter sink hole just barely deep enough to sink the head of the screw.


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## mikeevens45 (Jan 31, 2014)

build in bookcase style shelves in the openings you gain 6 inches of depth space per wall, top, 2 sides, and a bottom with shelves inside use existing outside wall for back…screw it into 6×6 s and angle brackets on 2×6s place or build your workbench first so you can build them above the surface top of the bench. many options for storage..plus less inexpensive than sheeting the walls after putting in 2×6 studs to match the 6×6 depth…less trouble too

mike


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## Sunstealer73 (Sep 2, 2012)

I have a similarly built shop and studded it out with 2×6's instead of 2×4's. That made the face of the studs even with the inside edge of the 6×6 posts so that I can fully cover all the walls. It also let me get lots of insulation in the walls (R24 I think).


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## Grandpa (Jan 28, 2011)

I think you should have a base plate on the floor. Even if you use OSB to cover the studs, the edge is weak and you will bump it. OOPS! the edge just broke and you have a hole in the wall. Anchor a 2×6 to the floor (or a 2×4 if you use 2×4 studs). Use TapCon screws for this. You will want a hammer drill for drilling the holes in the concrete. TapCon is a brand name. I am sure there are others but these are the screws I have seen and used. Drill the pilot hole then they will tap their own threads in the concrete. Toe nail your studs to the plate. Now you can attach the bottom edge of the wall board to the bottom place so it has more strength. You will need to add extensions to the receptacle boxes or move them out. The code tells you can't have combustible material around the edge of the box.


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## gamygeezer (Jan 22, 2014)

I would like to add to this discussion a couple of other important details.

First, I see an electrical circuit breaker box, a light switch, and two outlets in your pictures. Before you do anything to the walls, add at least a dozen 20 amp outlets around the shop on as many different circuits as your breaker box will allow. Twenty would be better for that size shop.

Second, all the insulation you can put in the walls will be useless unless you put even more in the ceiling. That will be a project, since your joists appear to be 2×6 on 4 foot centers. There is not a lot of load bearing capability there, so you might need professional help.

I see you live in Arkansas, so your winters might not be too bad. Still, my experience in Alabama is that a warm shop adds 30% to your time in the shop.

Sorry if we seem to be snowballing your question into a huge effort, but been there, done that.

Ken


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## camps764 (Dec 9, 2011)

plenty of great advice in this thread. Good luck and make sure you post pictures along the way. Everyone on this site loves seeing shops come together.


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## Blackie_ (Jul 10, 2011)

Grandpa is correct about the base plate, sorry I failed to mention that, but… you don't necessarily need a hammer drill or concrete screws, liquid nail will work for what you are doing, liquid nail is very, very… strong.

Note: I tested the strength of liquid nail once when building a trailer we had made a bad glue up using liquid nail and with a 4 pound sledge hammer we weren't able to break the bond it was permanent.

Chris, I was instructing you to lay the 2×4's flat against the 2×6's which I feel would work well in your application but.. the correct way to build a wall let's say you didn't have the horizontal 2×6's already in place then you would want your 2×4's with edge facing out not the face of the 2×4 facing out.

Ken has great points as well.


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## Blackie_ (Jul 10, 2011)

Chris send PM's to both http://lumberjocks.com/helluvawreck and http://lumberjocks.com/patron they are currently building shops now and should be able to give you great advise on your project.

Tell them I sent you.


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## chrisbryson (Jan 23, 2014)

You guys are awesome! Thanks again for all the help.

It makes much m sense to me about laying the 2×4's flat instead of on their edge. I get the idea of running 2×6's to make them flush with the larger beams but I don't think I will be putting in insulation at this point. I know this is the time to do it if I am going to and it would definitely be nice .. but all this stuff quickly adds up. Plus … like Ken said .. unless I do something about the ceiling all that wall insulation is nice but not that effective so maybe someday. I wish I could but it just can't be a priority.

As for the electrical .. I have 2 outlets on 3 of 4 walls. That is definitely not 20. I was thinking of just running power strips on a long workbench from one of the outlets and then extension cords. There are only 2 breakers in the shop .. one for all of the outlets and one for the shop lights. There are a lot of places for more breakers. You guys can probably tell at this point about my lack of experience .. and that includes electricity too. When I had an electrician come out to do some work on the house he looked at the shop for me and encouraged new lighting. He said I have enough power for a one man shop right now so I just thought I would leave it at that. If I get a bunch of kiddo's running around and I ended up with the financial flexibility someday I would run more power out to the shop but for right now I think I am just going to use the outlets/power I have.

Last .. as for the base of the studs. On the end of the concrete at the base of the wall there is what looks like the edge of 2×4's. What I did when I put up paneling was rip a 2×4 in half .. and just drill little blocks into that 2×4 edging in the concrete so I could attach the paneling at the base too. Is this a good plan? Or .. should I go with a more indepth plan like the liquid nail thing?

Thanks again for all the help/advice. Even if I can't afford it right now it makes me think about plans down the road.


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## Blackie_ (Jul 10, 2011)

The main thing is to have the base plate secured to the concrete so it can't move, then you can attach the upright studs to it by using small blocks.

Chris I just went back over your pictures again, I must have been hasty on first look, I didn't take into consideration you have 4×4's that the 2×6's were tied too, you can either follow my previous instructions are just do it the normal way of framing in walls since you have the room and clearance as Ken suggested, that would be the correct and right way to do it, meaning you would throw out everything I mentioned above.


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## chrisbryson (Jan 23, 2014)

Alright I think I am going to give this a shot. I will provide updates (aka questions about mistakes I have made) as I go!


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