New workshop!

[4570tc]

OK! I finally did it! been working in my basement for 33 years, and I am going to retire in a coupla years. so I ordered the material to build me a New work shop! not big just 12' X 20". gotta set it up on post cause it floods now a then in the back yard.
just need room to put a nice bench, metal lathe, table saw, band saw, planer, drill press and a grinder - polisher. ( make me wonder how I get through my basement?)
And maybe some space overhead for storing some planks?

I started a boring - rifling machine a few years ago but never got far with it, maybe turn it into the base of my bench?

Any how I start digging post holes on the 4th of July, (vacation)
:thumbsup:

 

[Roy]

:thumbsup: Must be a small lathe lol I need to pour a slab for mine haha:
That will be a nice sized shop, hope everything goes well with it :thumbsup:

 

[bob243]

I built mine on blocks due to flooding as well. It was intended to be a 10x16 shed which I converted into a shop. However I have concerns about weight on the floor. It has a decent bow in the middle. I am in the situation now where I am deciding what to do. I can fill it with concrete, or pull up the floor and add more blocks and beams across. Concrete is ideal, but I am stuck with the problem of where to put everything for a week while the concrete cures.

I can also pull up the floor and run double 2x8s for each joist. This way I can move everything to one side, do the first half, then then other.

Origionally I wanted concrete because I plan on finding a Bridgeport, but quite honestly I would have to add onto it anyway. It would be too cramped.

I guess my point is, learn from my goofup and whatever you think you need for a floor.. double it :surrender:

 

[4570tc]

The lathe is an old South Bend with a 32" bed.

The floor in the shop will be well posted, and be covered with 2 layers of 3/4" plywood, on top of 2" X 12" put down at 16" on center.

Come to think of it: i also have a 10" OLD! OLD! tooling lathe , it needs a moter. Mabey I'll set it up in a corner too!!!

 

[Lonstar]

You will really enjoy the shop. Good size. Mine is a 20’ x 20’ with a concrete floor. Believe it or not, you will wind up with more usable space than what I have. Rectangle is always better than square. Wall space makes a huge difference. You got plenty of room to hang a few peg boards and put in some fold down work stations. (These are nice) Put as much as you can on wheels. It helps in making more workspace. Good luck and enjoy. Send some pics when you get it done.

 

[MSW]

congrats on your upcomming shop... send pix!

 

[ohio ramrod]

Just make sure the floor is solid under the lathe. To do precision work a lathe must be level. I know I am a little bit ( all right a lot ) extreme but I use a spirit level (accurate to .001 over 10 inches ) to level my metal lathe and mill. The wood lathe isn't as critical but it still needs to be solid and level.

 

[Tommy Bruce]

Good for you!! That's one of the things I'd like to have when I start building more, a dedicated work shop and not a corner of the garage or basement. I figure I'm a few years away yet.

 

[Vaino]

My shop is 12'x20' and the only "modern equipment" is a self standing drill press, a disk sander and a bench grinder. In the center of the floor space is a 3'x5' table which somehow surprisingly "collects" all the "stuff" that doesn't have an exact "home" and periodically has to be "purged" so the next "homeless items" have a spot. Of course, my 2'x9' work bench is the "centerpiece" and has helped in the building of many MLers. Your floor space w/ the equipment you mentioned should be very "cozy" and in my space wouldn't be possible because of the 2 in the wall gun racks that preclude having equipment to their front. Sounds good and hopefully you'll have many enjoyable hours in your "inner sanctum"....Fred

 

[Philip Lebow]

Colleagues,

A decent shop makes all the difference in the world.
A few years ago i closed my commercial job shop and built
a smaller shop on my property that is 20 x 35.
It has a few too many machines it, but good bench space.

My 2 cents: build a solid bench and get a good vise, and
a good set of files, and some decent chisels.

The rest get as you need.

Reboundspring.

 

[mr.flintlock]

You are going to really enjoy your new shop. I had mine built 2 years ago. It is 20X20 and has a concrete floor. I have 100 amp service and running water. I put all of my electrical outlets half way up the wall and in the ceiling. I have a 12 gauge 40 ft retractable drop cord hung from the ceiling. I bought a 8000 BTU window air condition unit and I have a portable electric heater for winter. It is well insulated. I put sheet rock on the lower half of the wall and pegboard on the upper hald and sheet rock ceiling.

Before the shop I had to pull our vehicles out of the garage and set up my equipment for how ever long it took to finish the project. My wife has been a good sport about it but she was glad to see me get the shop also. It is nice to have a dedicated place to work. I can put on my Ernest tubb music)( did I mention my wife cannot stand Ernest Tubb music)and work as long as I like.

I believe that rocking chairs kill more senior citizens than strokes and heart attacks combined.

 

[4570tc]

Hey thats a selling point with the wife!! I love CLASSICAL!!! The 1812 oveture is the only thing that I will engrave to!