Help Me Design/ Build a Shop

[LittleBittyBigJohn]

I have an unlimited supply of dirt. Topsoil, heavy clay, shale... I'm only limited by imagination.

 

[LittleBittyBigJohn]

Uh oh.... anybody ever hear about a million RPMs from a dozer? Apparently the turbo has blown the seals and force fed engine oil into the intake. Had a bit of a runaway situation. I don't think the engine blew but it scared the mess outa me.

 

[deezler]

Yikes. Diesel runaways are no joke, very scary and dangerous if the engine starts grenading and throwing parts out the side of the block. Did you have to stop it by choking off the intake, or did it eventually run out of surplus oil and quit?

If you ran at way overspeed for more than a few minutes, you might have a lot of issues now. Does it turn over freely? If you have glow plugs you can remove, I would pull them and inspect the cylinders with a bore-scope.

 

[LittleBittyBigJohn]

It only ran away for a few seconds and stopped on its own. There is still plenty of oil. It's showing low now but nowhere near dangerously low.

I did re-start it (like an idiot) at low idle for a few seconds after and it sounded fine. Hopefully it was not long enough to cause more damage.

 

[LittleBittyBigJohn]

Been a while...

Finally getting around to hanging lights. I bought 28 - 5000lm 4' LED light fixtures. Hopefully that's plenty of light.

 

[Gord Baker]

I just started building my house, and all but decided to wait on the shop. My wife and parents are on me about going ahead and building it while the house is going up.... They have a point, I really want a shop and need indoor storage for several things. We are planning on this being our retirement spot. I'm 40 and My wife is 44 so it needs to last for many decades.

My dream was a 50x60x12 red iron framed building. With inflation driving the price of the house so high, not to mention the shop price, that is not in the cards. Now hoping for at least 40x50x12. I know I can get 40' wood trusses, potentially 45'.

Proposed shop use:

1) Honey house/ bathroom with shower/ kitchenette for canning etc. This will likely be a framed out room 15x15 - 20x20 no set size but large enough for chores with A/C and ideally set up like an efficiency apartment. Initially I will rough in the plumbing for the shop construction and build out the rest over time.
2) General shop related tasks. light/ medium wood work, wrenching on random stuff, tractors, mowers, etc.
3) storage/ I bought a big shelf system from Bed Bath and Beyond when they went under. 12' tall and probably 40' long. lightish duty. no pallets but great for totes.
4) Motorcycle, mower and additional vehicle parking.

Proposed style.

A) Red iron frame - too expensive
B) Post Frame - Wood in the ground, Rot, Termites etc. Longevity? Much worry.
C) Stick built - Looks like potentially the best option for me.

I plan on getting the pad ready myslef, hiring concrete finishers, hiring framers and hiring out the metal skin installation. Planning on pulling power to a sub-panel from the house and wiring myself. I don't know anything about foundation requirements. Would prefer to add any required footing type things and pour all at once as opposed to digging footers, laying blocks, filling, then pouring the slab. There is probably around a 2' fall on the pad location so I would need to build up with the fill I set aside from my pond. It's clay and Shale, it was almost all shale but when I dug it back out for the driveway lots of the shale has broken down into clay.

I might could do a lot of the framing myself but I don't know the requirements for door headers and anchoring to the floor etc. Basically I'm not scared of hard work and can follow a plan but I don't have the knowledge for what's required.

Planning on 2 man doors and 2-3 overhead doors. At least one of those being about 18' wide.

Please help me with this. I know there have probably been several threads about this exact thing so links would likely also be helpful.

What do you have that you need an 18' wide OH door? Paving machine? 12'x12' OH Door at each end adjacent to corner of end and side wall with man door around the Corner. Possibly one side door in the centre of long wall. Dig and pour a suitable Foundation 3 blocks above grade. Build up from there from Engineered drawings. Keep Windows 8' high. No windows in Steel doors - designed to keep prowlers out. 200 Amp Service, Duplex outlets every 10' 3' above grade. Work on 25' x 40'.
2' of Fill is problematic, proceed carefully on this or reduce size to suit.
You may run afoul of Local Codes if you include living quarters. 10'x 15' max if you are being practical. Who will stay there and for how long?You will need a 3 piece bath and sewer or septic connections. Best to forget the Honey house. Small office with toilet, Heating and AC and wired for www. Big lazyboy and 70" TV. Run 1" waterline with tape marker and put Water Heater in Utility Room beside the office.
Lots of outdoor cameras, solar lighting. Don't mention Attic Storage or even build a stairway up there until after Local Final Inspection and Approval
It will cost 3x what you think and take 2x the time to build it.
Also consider Floor Drains and water line to both ends of shop depending on if you are in Winter environment.

 

[TimberFarm]

Been a while...

Finally getting around to hanging lights. I bought 28 - 5000lm 4' LED light fixtures. Hopefully that's plenty of light.
View attachment 865786

Umm, is that a "custom" step ladder?

 

[Doorman63]

Umm, is that a "custom" step ladder?

Custom
Engineered
Safety third
Field expedient
Never “sketchy”……

 

[bigtiller]

Umm, is that a "custom" step ladder?

Jeff Foxworthy thinks he may be a redneck.

 

[LittleBittyBigJohn]

Umm, is that a "custom" step ladder?

Very custom.... I still need to go about 6' higher than that for the next 2 rows...

 

[EddieWalker]

Love the ladder setup!!!

I usually just rent a lift when doing things like that for clients. It's not just the safety issue, it's so much faster to get it all done too.

 

[bigtiller]

When my lights were installed, a 3 man crew set up a scaffold with wheels. 2 guys did the high work and the ground-man pushed the high men & scaffold around and fed them parts.

I bet it would have been faster and cheaper to rent a lift and just pay one man to do the job.

 

[LittleBittyBigJohn]

I am planning on renting a lift. I've just been piddling after work in the evenings. I will probably try to get the row I'm working on done and make sure i have all the parts i need first. I want to have everything i can done before i rent it so i can get it all done in a weekend.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

One of the best things I ever bought was scaffolding. I got the outriggers for stability and with wheels locked it's very stable. Last use was putting a 36" fan up in cupola.
It's versatile because in sections you can make it different heights. When not in use I have it against a wall and it's rolling storage shelving.
I figured if I fell I'd pay more than it's cost in medical bills!

 

[TimberFarm]

One of the best things I ever bought was scaffolding. I got the outriggers for stability and with wheels locked it's very stable. Last use was putting a 36" fan up in cupola.
It's versatile because in sections you can make it different heights. When not in use I have it against a wall and it's rolling storage shelving.
I figured if I fell I'd pay more than it's cost in medical bills!View attachment 867281

Have the same thing. Nice small set up for tight spaces.

 

[EddieWalker]

One of the best things I ever bought was scaffolding. I got the outriggers for stability and with wheels locked it's very stable. Last use was putting a 36" fan up in cupola.
It's versatile because in sections you can make it different heights. When not in use I have it against a wall and it's rolling storage shelving.
I figured if I fell I'd pay more than it's cost in medical bills!View attachment 867281

I bought two sections of this type of scaffolding almost two decades ago. The wood platform was so thin that I could feel it bending while I stood on it, so I replaced it with 3/4 plywood. Huge improvement!!!

I don't have the outriggers, but at the height I use it at, I haven't had any issues. I hate climbing up the ends, so I set it up and then put a step ladder next to it to get on it. To me, this is easier and safer.

There is a plastic tool holder that mounts to it that is very handy. I forget what t costs, but it's a must have!!!!

If I was buying again, I would get regular sized scaffolding. I keep telling myself to start buying it, but then I always end up using what I have, or renting a lift.

 

[dstig1]

I agree on using a ladder to get on scaffold. I have done it both ways, and it is far safer/easier to use a ladder, but sometimes less convenient.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

Whenever I climb up mine, Johnny Weissmuller pops into my head...I guess I'm old...

 

[LittleBittyBigJohn]

So... apparently I'm cheap... Or it's the principle at this point... I'm going to do the stupid lights with what I have I guess...

 

[EddieWalker]

Is the ladder in the back of the truck?

For me, the more the ladder bounces, the more terrified I get!!!!!