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Bad, I did wonder about stuff discoloring and spatter sticking, thank for your feedback. What did you end up with instead?

Good stuff, guys, thanks. I was considering putting up hardy board around the lower perimeter of my shop due to welding/plasma/grinding sparks; sounds like galvanized could be an interesting alternative.

Sure, to each this own - I don't even mind it, I was wondering if there was a functional reason.

I have seen a few folks mention putting in metal ceilings, which sounds really odd to me. What's the attraction?

Started framing out the last wall in my garage build: dividing wall between the parking and the workshop.

My dad used a bunch of reclaimed scaffolding on one wall of his shop here in Arizona:

Thanks for all the input folks!!!

Ok, final word from the electrician: pull from the 100A circuit in the panel and fuggedaboutit. He corrected some of my calcs and we ended up with a demand load of 150. The cost of upgrading service to 400 btw was going to be in the $3000+ range.

Oooooor, 400.

Yeah I'm hoping to see if I can push the house panel to 300.

The welder is a Miller 210 MIg, the plasma is a thermal dynamics PakMaster 100xl. Given the reins the plasma can draw 80A by itself trying to cut 1", but I won't be doing anywhere near that - more in the 30 - 40A range.

(Facepalm) Biggest load will be the welder (40-50A) and plasma (40A), plus 20A circuits for power tools (2or 3) and 15A or so for lights. Not sure if could use that same spreadsheet for the loads?

Meh, made a copy and it seems to have worked. Far as I can tell: Demand load: 163A Neutral demand: 94A Min Service Req: 175A Min Feeder size: 1/0 Min Neutral size: 4 What does this tell you smart folks (no sarcasm) about the viability of pulling a sub panel off of this for the garage?

Wylie - Stupid question - no number I put in "electric clothes dryers" works - it always says I entered an invalid load. Have you made it work?

Good find, Stuart. Will save it out for later. What section was that in?

I know, and I'm already using that exact spreadsheet. But it's also been educational when comparing the NEC guidelines with our panel and our actual appliances (like it explains why the 11.5A blender blows a circuit when the dishwasher is running!)

Hey JP, Sounds great. PM me with whatever you find :-)

Because I'm impatient, and I'm curious. I'm going to wait on calling the power company unless it's necessary. But now you guys have me all curious about the load calc, and my wife is having fun running around the house gathering power draw needs for all the appliances. ;-)

Kevin, Thanks for the info - I was beginning to get the impression anyway that that route would be cost-prohibitive, this is another data point.

Hey PF, Encouraging to hear I'm not the only one with breakers out the ying-yang. That 410A doesn't even include the currently disconnected 100A circuit that I think used to power a roof-top HVAC with supplemental heat strip.