Opinions wanted

[yetisas]

After reading and looking through a lot of the posts on this site I've realized I'm in the right place. So I'm soliciting the opinions from the various disciplines that are evident on this site. I have enjoyed reading all the posts, and there sure is a heck of a lot of them.

Need some help in deciding how to split up my barn. I've built a 44x30x10 barn. I'm now trying to decide how to divide the inside space. I'm pretty much a jack of all trades but a master at none. I originally built this to give the garage back to my wife so she could park her car indoors, besides every time I wanted to do something I'd almost have to clear out the garage to give myself room to do any work, between all the toys I've collected. So what do you all think is a good size for a woodworking shop? along with a mechanic shop with a lift? If I split it in half I'd have 22x30 for each enough, you think? I also was thinking of concrete on the mechanic side and a wood floor on the shop side. They would be separate rooms the wood shop would have a roof over it so the second floor area can be used as a storage area.

So what do you all think? When I find some pics I'll post them up. Have done all the work on my own so far with some help from my brother and cousin erecting the metal girders.

Any and all comments or suggestions will be appreciated.

 

[larry_g]

I would have to know what you have for toys before I would answer. Are they model cars, real cars, neat tools or ??? I also would have you look real hard at what you do most and divide the builsing accordingly. If you build cabinets and lots of wood work and only change the oil and spark plugs on the rigs then bias the split toward the woodshop. If more auto and metal fab and a couple of birdhouses with the kids then bias the other way. look at what I did in my build. I divided with a clean area for the machine shop and the rest I consider dirty metal fab. I only do wood if I have to.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[Daniel Dudley]

Sixteen is pretty wide for a wood shop. 22 is pretty narrow for a garage. What is the widest project you would be apt to build from wood anyway ? I would have big sliding doors between the sides. With windows.

 

[walrus]

If you are going to have a lift you have to have room to walk around it, lifts take up space. Plus you have to be able to move around a car comfortably. I'd say at least 24, 26 feet wide for a place to work on a car. Which side would use more

 

[willymakeit]

16' would be max for wood. That would be 8' from centerline of the table saw each way. Very few people need this ,unless you have a sliding table saw. 24 to 26 as noted above for auto.

 

[RPH]

I have a 15 x 32' foot area in the old barn for woodwork. By the time the tools get in there and the bench it gets tight. Another reason why I went for the new building.
I would leave it one space and have the tools mobile. As you use the space it will be easier to define it.