I spent two years in Tech School and a third of My Life in Dealership Shops. In the better organized Shops; work areas were kept clean for appearance and safety reasons. Tools and equipment were put back after use. These better organized shops also had tool rooms with racks and shelves for special tools. The floors were pressure washed at least once a week. Every Tech had their own tool box that was locked at the end of the day. The benches were cleared upon completion of a repair job.. Working in these well organized shops was a joy compared to the """less organized""" ( to be polite) shops where shop supplied special tools were hidden in some old grumps shitcastle tool box that was not capable of being closed and locked. His stuff was just piled into the drawers. Throw things aside, toss them under a bench, or pile it in the corner were three common ways to organize most anything. Floor dry vs a weekly pressure wash.
I favor a cleaner, organized shop.
My main shop is 28' X 56'. I built it with two tool rooms: one is 10' X 10', and holds 3 welders, a sandblaster, table saw, and a folding miter saw. The second room currently holds three large file cabinets, two sets of top and bottom tool chests dedicated to new bolt and small parts storage, a large battery charger, and carry type bool boxes holding special tools and equipment. The loft above these rooms is 10' X 26', and is used for lumber, building supplies, and new lengths of steel.
The downstairs is divided into four rooms. The small woodworking shop is 12' X 28' and holds allot of equipment, but fortunately has a storage room that is 9' X 14', which has shelf units the length of one wall. There is also a valve grinder, a folding cherry picker, a 36" 27 drawer parts cabinet, cases of oil, and portable tool boxes in that storage room. The workshop (playshop) for the toy trains is 12' X 20'. The 12' X 22' utility room houses two large air compressors, in addition to more storage shelves.
The 24' X 30' pole shed for tractors has the only workbench that is permanently fastened to a wall. There is a wall rack for tools above the bench, and a small shelf to hold a drill, a small 120 volt heater, and a battery charger. A portable air compressor sits next to the bench, and the shelf under the bench holds jugs of oil, anti freeze, a couple jacks and blocking, and chains. This shed also holds 28 wall mounted lockers and a 12' bench which are used to store old tractor and auto parts, relics, and bicycle parts. Six mountain bikes hang from the rafters. This shed tends to hold the extra cobble stuff, but there WILL be parking room kept for the tractors and Bobcat. If a simple repair or adjustment is needed on this equipment, that humble rack of tools comes in handy. I wired this shed with a sub-panel and 240 Volt outlet, so the options for larger projects exist..
I built a 12' X 14' shed for lawn and garden equipment, and fuel can storage back in 1976. This shed has a sub-panel, lights, and outlets, but other than hooking up a battery maintainer or minor maintenance, little it done in there..
With over 3600 square feet available; I claim 1200 or less for actual Work space..
If I want to STORE (park) a vehicle and tractor in the heated shop during cold weather, it will be blocking the WORK area unless it is moved out of the way. So here I sit in violation of one of My Prized Rules: There will be a dedicated Work Area and an assigned Storage Room..
But it gets worse.. Those 12 ton/pair jack stands will not fit in the large lovely file cabinets, That prized 6000 pound capacity cherry picker looks like a mother hen with smaller equipment parked under it, the 40 ton hydraulic press is still within sight, My ladders and parts washer are still in view. That eleven foot bench on rollers is holding enough hydraulic jacks and port-a-powers to lift a six axle locomotive.
I have to make this stuff disappear so I can tile the floor.. Come to think of it,, ??
Would a loaded semi trailer ruin the tiles when I dolly it down... I have to do some welding, so I hope the tile can handle that.. Those Road-Ranger transmissions can weigh in around 900 pounds, so those steel casters on the transmission jack will have to float on the tile. Opps, I left the tire chains on the tractor again.
It is good the equipment is on casters; as the stuff parked by the north wall will have to be moved when the basketball backboard and hoop go up.
There is one thing I really enjoy doing . I will walk in with a hot cup of coffee, sit down on a folding chair in the middle of of the Shop; and enjoy the view.
It is definitely not a work of Art.. Art did not build My shop; I did.
But organized and valuable **** I might add.
