Garage for Power Trac and Shop

[BobRip]

I am finally going to build a garage and wondered what others have and if it's enough. I basically plan to have metal working, welding, wood working, and black smithing as well as automotive repair in this garage. The Power Trac 422 will be parked in my garage that is attached to the house. I wll use a wood stove to heat the garage. The garage will be 24 X 48 feet. I will have a second floor room that will be about 12 X 48. Is this big enough (I know, it's never big enough? This is a rather open question, but let's see what happens.

What size garage do you have and is it adequate?

 

[Gravy]

Bob,

That sounds like a very nice size. I've actually come to believe that there is such a thing as too much. For me, when I get too much space, I get too much stuff. Then I spend more time maintaining the stuff than I spend using it. Not my idea of fun.

That said, I'll be a bit envious, since my present garage is a smallish 2-car garage and has to handle woodworking/carpentry, welding, automotive/motorcycle repair, machine tools & my wife's stained glass studio. It gets a bit tight in there. I think somewhere from 1000 to 2000 square feet would be a good range for us.

In my opinion, the one thing missing from nearly all garage/shops is adequate lighting. I got a bunch of free fixtures, so my garage has twelve 4 foot 2-tube fluorescent fixtures plus four of the old green enameled barn lights with high wattage compact fluorescent bulbs. I consider it just barely adequate for general working light. I wouldn't mind at least twice the light. Light make a huge difference for doing quality work. If I ever get to build the kind of shop I really want, I will get really serious about the lighting.

You might want to consider having walls between the metal working area and the woodworking area. I also like the idea of having a concrete floor for metalworking & automotive, and wooden flooring for woodworking. Also, figure out how many electrical outlets you think you might ever need. Then double the number. Then add some more. It still won't be enough.

For working on cars & tractors, a grease pit would be nice. most under-chassis work can be done without jack stands or a creeper (I HATE creepers). An overhead hoist is useful, too.

Who's next?

Gravy

 

[woodlandfarms]

In my head it seems small. I get a pickup and PT with implements in a 35X35.. and that is it...

Fun things...

A door in the back to pull out your implements you have stacked on a special built frame.. A door up top to winch things up to your second floor.

Man, Ask Ken. His shop is loaded to the brim and he works out of it somehow..

 

[BobRip]

Bob,

That sounds like a very nice size. I've actually come to believe that there is such a thing as too much. For me, when I get too much space, I get too much stuff. Then I spend more time maintaining the stuff than I spend using it. Not my idea of fun.

That said, I'll be a bit envious, since my present garage is a smallish 2-car garage and has to handle woodworking/carpentry, welding, automotive/motorcycle repair, machine tools & my wife's stained glass studio. It gets a bit tight in there. I think somewhere from 1000 to 2000 square feet would be a good range for us.

In my opinion, the one thing missing from nearly all garage/shops is adequate lighting. I got a bunch of free fixtures, so my garage has twelve 4 foot 2-tube fluorescent fixtures plus four of the old green enameled barn lights with high wattage compact fluorescent bulbs. I consider it just barely adequate for general working light. I wouldn't mind at least twice the light. Light make a huge difference for doing quality work. If I ever get to build the kind of shop I really want, I will get really serious about the lighting.

You might want to consider having walls between the metal working area and the woodworking area. I also like the idea of having a concrete floor for metalworking & automotive, and wooden flooring for woodworking. Also, figure out how many electrical outlets you think you might ever need. Then double the number. Then add some more. It still won't be enough.

For working on cars & tractors, a grease pit would be nice. most under-chassis work can be done without jack stands or a creeper (I HATE creepers). An overhead hoist is useful, too.

Who's next?

Gravy

Gravy, thanks for the well thought out comments. I will have about 1700 sq ft total when I am done, so I am in your range.

For lighting, I plan to use 12 florescent double bulb 4 foot fixtures, with electronic ballast. I have found that these lights put out a lot more than the old ballast. I have upgraded some in my house and notice a big difference. I will put rows of 3, with 6 in each 24 X 24 section. I think this is enough.

I was intentionally not having walls between automotive and wood working. Why is that needed, as it takes away the ability to use some space for both?

I would like the pit and have not thought about doing that. Maybe it can be done cheaply. I will discuss this with the builder. The hoist is good to.

I will have lots of outlets. I plan to put them every 6 feet with alternate ones on different circuits. I will also put some 220 volt outlets. I was thinking 20 amp, with 10 guage wire so I can switch to 30 if needed. Any comments on that? I will have a 200 amp panel, but fed with 100 amp service.

 

[Red Zebra]

I have 25x25 with concrete floor. 25 x 50 (about your size) would be choice!
I plan on extending through the back (one day) to give me 25 x 40...or something like that.

I just use the barn now for the PT and my projects. There is a 4' wide
balcony along the back and one side....lots of stuff up there. (Wonder if I really that junk up there... )

 

[MossRoad]

....
What size garage do you have and is it adequate?

I have a two car garage that is 24 x 32 and has 10' walls. The double wide overhead door is about 9' when open.

I have another single car garage that is 12 x 18.

I have a rented 10 x 20 storage shed, too.

I have no vehicles inside any of them...

So, to answer your question, no, they are not adequate!

 

[toy]

I am finally going to build a garage and wondered what others have and if it's enough. I basically plan to have metal working, welding, wood working, and black smithing as well as automotive repair in this garage. The Power Trac 422 will be parked in my garage that is attached to the house. I wll use a wood stove to heat the garage. The garage will be 24 X 48 feet. I will have a second floor room that will be about 12 X 48. Is this big enough (I know, it's never big enough? This is a rather open question, but let's see what happens.

What size garage do you have and is it adequate?

I built a 12x16 soon I realized it wasn't big enough so I built a 20x24 foot soon I realized it wasn't big enough [wish instead of using 4/12 roof pitch I had used 5/12 or 6/12 pitch that would have given me a lot more overhead storage room and instead of the walls being 8' high I had built it 10 or 12' foot high] , soon I realized that this wasn't big enough so I built a 28' x36' with 10' ceilings and 5/12 roof pitch. Soon I decided I needed more room so I built a 20x24' carport to go with a 28x20' carport that I already have and added 22' by 36' to the 28x36' and soon I decided that I needed to get a truck trailer 48' long by ? width by ten' tall that I could get pretty cheap, I figured that I would crib it up high enough to have storage underneath it, so I took my last decision and ran it by the wife and she ran her decision by me [you don't need any more buildings]. Now I'm trying to convince her that we do need just one more building but really i KNOW SHE IS RIGHT on this. I have a renter on the lot that is next to my house he is intending on moving this summer and he built a garrage on my property and rather than taking it down and moving it he told me he would let me have it real cheap, I would rather have him as a neighbor than for him to move and sell me that garrage he's a real friend. A lot of rambling just to say you can't have too much storrage work area.

 

[BobRip]

Toy, my wife has given me a limit of two out bulidings. I already have two tool sheds, but I "hid" one behind the other. I had better build this one big enough.

I am planning on a 9/12 roof pitch and a stairway up the back to access it. That should give me a room about 12 X 48 feet. I hope that is enough.

Thanks for the comments.

 

[woodlandfarms]

About the walls and woodworking. It kills 3 things. You know how it is in a garage with a PT. Dirt, Dust, Oil. Last thing you want is a nice wood project that you have to take time away from getting dinged up. It also keeps wood dust out of metal projects which is killer.

Second is that it keeps your gear and raw lumber clean. Nothing sucks more than a fine layer of gunk on your table saw.

Finally, and for me the most important. It seperates church and state. I have a real problem with just grabbing any tool. If my wood tools are away from my eyes and hands I am less likely to try something I shouldn't.

 

[Gravy]

For lighting, I plan to use 12 florescent double bulb 4 foot fixtures, with electronic ballast. I have found that these lights put out a lot more than the old ballast. I have upgraded some in my house and notice a big difference. I will put rows of 3, with 6 in each 24 X 24 section. I think this is enough.

I was intentionally not having walls between automotive and wood working. Why is that needed, as it takes away the ability to use some space for both?

I would like the pit and have not thought about doing that. Maybe it can be done cheaply. I will discuss this with the builder. The hoist is good to.

I will have lots of outlets. I plan to put them every 6 feet with alternate ones on different circuits. I will also put some 220 volt outlets. I was thinking 20 amp, with 10 guage wire so I can switch to 30 if needed. Any comments on that? I will have a 200 amp panel, but fed with 100 amp service.

Bob,

If you paint the ceiling & walls white I'd guess you will have about the same light levels I do with my unfinished plywood surfaces. Windows and skylights or light tubes can help a lot, too.

Carl covered most of the reasons for a wall. I'll also add fire safety - sparks & sawdust don't go well together. Some sort of heavy curtain or folding partition might work well.

I have duplex outlets spaced at 4 feet, and already wish I'd installed quads.

Since a big arc welder isn't in the plans, the only reason I can think of for any circuits heavier than 30 amps would be for a big generator or industrial equipment. If you might be going that way, I'd wire the service for 200 amps.

A dust collection system and air filtration would be nice. My house has a central vacuum that we love, and I'm thinking of rigging one up in the garage using a shop vac.

Gravy