Outfitting a new Race Shop

[fsts2k]

I am moving into a new shop that is ~35' x 80' with the primary purpose of storing and maintaining race cars. It already has a number of four post lifts and I am working to procure a new 2 post.

Currently I am struggling with workbench and tool storage. For reference, today I have two other work areas:

1. A Sonic cabinet array in "L" shaped workbench in a small workshop used for light work. There, the drawers are fine and I am happy with how it operates and looks.
2. A "Steevo" tool bench that I built with a friend which uses a Harbor Freight box in my garage. Works great and is quite sturdy, I love how I can beat the crud out of it and it doesn't move. It took ~three days to build, paint, and outfit.

In the race shop I am challenged by time so I am going to purchase a new workbench vs building a new one. Currently I am considering three options which all seem similar in cost:
- Sonic
- Rousseau
- Stor-Loc

Requirements which each can provide:
- Stainless steel top
- Substantial drawers with high load ability (Sonic = 270 lbs per drawer, Rousseau and Stor-Loc = 400 lbs per drawer)
- Some bulk storage for fluids (e.g. oil, lubricants, etc)

The wall I would like to build my workbench against is 176" wide. There is an electrical box ~5 feet from the floor on the far left side leaving 169" total width. I would like to mount a TV in the center but a bit higher so that I can watch races (these are streamed) throughout race days. Therefore I have been considering a layout similar to this (note it is only inspiration, specific designs below):


This is a picture of the wall I am looking to build the workbench on, note the electrical box on the left side here behind the drill press. Please ignore the temporary workbench and sand blast cabinet, these will be moved:




Current rendering for Sonic array:


Current rendering for Rousseau:


Initial drawing from Stor-Loc



Would appreciate thoughts on the following:

- Workbench height: for Stor-Loc it is 43", the others are 40". I am 5'11". I believe I like the 43" but I am not sure if I should be considering 40". Stor-Loc is customizable. Thoughts on height?

- Drawers vs. Bulk Storage: I have a lot of other wall space available in the shop (an abundance) so I am not opposed to separating and putting a cabinet for liquids/bulk storage elsewhere. Would you maximize drawers?

- Drawer Layout: I like a mix of shallow and deep boxes to hold hand tools, power tools, hardware storage. That said, any opinions on drawer size would be helpful.

- Wheel'd vs Non-Wheel'd: I have a wheeled toolbox (relatively cheap Craftsman) which I have most of my tools in today. I am going to keep a set of hand tools in there so that I can wheel it near the lifts and cars as there will be multiple places throughout the shop. I will keep a set of hand tools in the non-wheel'd box as well as tools that see less than daily use.

Size of the Non-Wheel'd Box(s): The Stor-Loc will be one large piece. The pro is it will be solid and able to moved with a forklift. The con is that it will be fit to the space. I will be at this shop for at least 5 years but something this size is going to have a limited market elsewhere. I am challenged if this is a big deal or not.

- Layout / Other opinions: Open to other ideas on overall layout of the bench or thoughts.

I am currently leaning Stor-Loc because they are close, all US made, and appear quite sturdy. That said, everyone has been wonderful to work with.

Thank you for your thoughts

 

[runit]

building racecars for personal hobby or for business?

looking forward to the buildout pics!

 

[fsts2k]

Only a hobby

 

[badmatt]

If budget allows

Rousseau > the rest

 

[NUTTSGT]

What is the lead time for what you have listed ? If time is of the essence and you need to get set up, I'd seriously consider US General and wait till things are going well and upgrade as the $$ and time meet.

 

[fsts2k]

What is the lead time for what you have listed ? If time is of the essence and you need to get set up, I'd seriously consider US General and wait till things are going well and upgrade as the $$ and time meet.

It is not urgent and I am ok waiting a month or two. I am trying to put the order in by Monday so I can get progress on this while I work on the lift and other build-out projects.

My only comment related to "time" is that I don't have the time today (or the medium term) to build something myself. I really enjoyed building my current bench but I can't go that route at this point.

 

[finn]

I wouldn’t want cabinets above the workbench, unless you have a secondary workbench that either rolls to the middle of the floor or otherwise has four sided access.

 

[kngelv]

We have Sonic at work and I have a Tekton/Rousseau at home. The Tekton/Rousseau is much better than the Sonic. Never used Stor-Loc so can't comment there.

James

 

[Lumpy102]

I have a pair of Rousseau cabinets in my shop, I acquired them well used, they are pretty incredible. Another thought, you can adjust (raise) the height of your lower cabinets to suit

 

[Torque&Recoil]

I know nothing about the 3 brands which you are considering. But here are a few thoughts for your consideration:

In my race car shop, I have everything (I do mean everything) on wheels, and my shop gets re-organized about every six months. Literally the only item which is fixed, is the 2 post lift. Every time I get a new tool, things move around. Not to mention, cleaning the floor,

Regarding workbench height - I learned a long time ago that the key is "what is the size of the items which you will be working on?" I made some loudspeakers a few years ago. Imagine how much fun it was holding a full size Porter Cable sander at almost head height. Obviously, you won't be doing that, but 43" is like 7" higher than typical kitchen countertops. The vise on a stand, that I use more than any others, seems very low - except when you clamp something a foot tall in it, it isn't so low anymore. Well, now that I think about it, I wouldn't try rebuilding a transmission on a built-in workbench countertop, so maybe it doesn't matter so much. I would use the "temporary" workbench in your second picture. It's often nice to be able to walk around to the backside of a workbench to get a different access on something. If I did own a built in unit like you are considering, I think the countertop space would be mostly for setting tools down or holding cans of brake cleaner. My current workbench is free-standing and I really like that setup.

Anyway, best of luck in whatever you choose. And, please keep posting pics ! Including whatever you are building in that dream shop of yours.

 

[cvairwerks]

Bulk liquids should go in a flammable style cabinet, even if they are not flammable.

 

[drmarkr]

What cars and what series??

 

[CraigStu]

The first one has no toe kick area at the floor so for me that is out of consideration right away.

 

[fsts2k]

I know nothing about the 3 brands which you are considering. But here are a few thoughts for your consideration:

In my race car shop, I have everything (I do mean everything) on wheels, and my shop gets re-organized about every six months. Literally the only item which is fixed, is the 2 post lift. Every time I get a new tool, things move around. Not to mention, cleaning the floor,

Regarding workbench height - I learned a long time ago that the key is "what is the size of the items which you will be working on?" I made some loudspeakers a few years ago. Imagine how much fun it was holding a full size Porter Cable sander at almost head height. Obviously, you won't be doing that, but 43" is like 7" higher than typical kitchen countertops. The vise on a stand, that I use more than any others, seems very low - except when you clamp something a foot tall in it, it isn't so low anymore. Well, now that I think about it, I wouldn't try rebuilding a transmission on a built-in workbench countertop, so maybe it doesn't matter so much. I would use the "temporary" workbench in your second picture. It's often nice to be able to walk around to the backside of a workbench to get a different access on something. If I did own a built in unit like you are considering, I think the countertop space would be mostly for setting tools down or holding cans of brake cleaner. My current workbench is free-standing and I really like that setup.

Anyway, best of luck in whatever you choose. And, please keep posting pics ! Including whatever you are building in that dream shop of yours.

Thanks, helpful. I am planning for the large table on wheels to be rolled next to the cars so that I can R&R most of the larger items and get all around access.

Same situation with my current roller toolbox, it is valuable to be able to move it to the bay where the car was. I will keep my primary handtools there.

At this point I think I am heading in the direction of a bench that doesn't have cabinets on either end, just a lot of countertop space with drawers below. I will use other walls for the flamable cabinets and other bulk storage. Note, I laughed about the "countertop space would be mostly used for setting tools down or holding cans of brake clearner".... it is a fair possibility.

Currently leaning Rousseau so it will look similar to the above rendering but with another drawer cabinet on the right with the workbench extending to the end. Counter height of 40"

 

[got2boostit2]

Nice start.

 

[Stuart in MN]

Does the building have a nice flat and level area where you can do car setup? Alignment, corner weight, that sort of thing.

 

[pi_guy]

In my shop and every other one I have worked out of every thing moves. If you have a separate machine machine area that can be stationary.
But keep the car work space able to roll. The more flexabilty you have the happier you will be.
All my shops we didn't have lifts so I guess you work on tin tops.

 

[fsts2k]

It does have a flat and seemingly level surface. I have scale platforms with adjustable legs to ensure everything can get dead level.

Re: movable items in the shop. It makes sense to have most things movable and I am going to work on most items able to move around. I do think I want a bit of a “base” to land when I get there and have a place to store things not used every day. I hope that doesn’t become a mistake but time will tell.

Currently I have a spec Miata, radical, and a GT1 series car. I have the radical on a wheeled stand when I am doing more than changing tires. It is a nice working height and I can get access to most areas. I still use a lift to get it on the stand and I will use the stand for any other open wheel cars that come through.

I believe the other cars can benefit from a two post. I have been using a four for the past two years and while it works, having more underside access seems attractive.

 

[Chris F]

Would like to see/hear more about the cars.

 

[Joemctag]

I wouldn’t want cabinets above the workbench, unless you have a secondary workbench that either rolls to the middle of the floor or otherwise has four sided access.

Yeah, a workbench ( nothing but a flat surface ) that you can roll around might be good for you. Could be made of wood. It’s really nice to get aroundto all four sides of whatever you’re working on. Most commercial shops are like this.
Well, good luck.

 

[fsts2k]

Rousseau has been ordered. I ended up not having any cabinets at the end, just going with one long bench; new rendering below. I added two 36" cabinets to locate elsewhere, one with the vertical shelf pulls and one with open space. There will be more outlets included and a few other tricks. Note the rendering isn't showing the correct drawer selection due to rendering limitations. That said, I probably ordered more than I need but....

Re the workbench. I will use that grey steel workbench on wheels (currently standing in as the temp workbench). It can be rolled to the cars and moved around the shop. I may mount a vice to that one as well. The current vice is mounted to a smaller bench which is on temporary casters... these are easy things to solve as I figure out the space.

Re: the cars. Will share more when I show the pictures of the cabinet build. I am currently disassembling the Radical for inspection. I need to open the fuel cell to check why I am losing fuel pressure on high G corners, rebuild the air shifting manifold (it is leaking) repair the front fiberglass splitter (normal wear/tear), do a fluid replacement, and nut/bolt the car. Miata will follow

 

[cvairwerks]

Re: Fuel pressure loss in high G corners... Probably need to do a baffle around the pickup so that it stays under fuel at all times. I would suspect that under certain g loads, the fuel is running away from the pickup and you start sucking air. It's partly why in aerobatic aircraft, we use flop tubes in the tanks. The tube flops between top and bottom of the tank as the aircraft cycles between upright and upside down and it also moves around in the tank under the g loads, with orientation.

 

[fsts2k]

Thanks, agree. It is a new thing this year so obviously something changed. I am hoping it is simply that a piece of foam moved which is holding the baffle open. Another issue I have seen from others is that their fuel pump hold down bolts can loosen causing it to create pickup issues.

As often is the case, I suspect the solution will be straight-forward once I get to the tank but getting to the tank requires some work. Nothing hard, just a bit of time.

 

[Chris F]

That said, I probably ordered more than I need but....

Future you will probably wonder why you didn't order more! I don't know about others but I would be interested in a thread about the cars, at the shop and track. Looking forward to the cabinet build.

 

[PhantomEB]

I belong to the I rather have shitload of tool boxes (US General or Husky) and the ultimate 4x8 welding table.

 

[fsts2k]

Shop Updates:
- Air Compressor: The shop came with an inoperable ALUP Combi II screw type air compressor.

The issue turned out to be one of the time delay fuses, shown on the top left, had failed.


It is not clear to me why it failed but since replacing it the compressor has been working well. Once I verified the compressor was working I did maintenance on it replacing the oil, oil / air sperator, oil filter, and air filter. I still need to change the drive belts, once done it should be good for another 2K hours. It is nice to have near limitless supply of clean dry air.


- New Two Post Lift: I had a new Rotary SPO10-AV put in this week. The shop came with five 4 post lifts. While it was great for storage, I wanted a bit more open floor space and thus sold two of the 4 post storage lifts and added the Rotary.



- Organzing: I have spend a few days moving things around the shop but I would not say I am at a place that I am finalized with layout (other than the lift that was bolted down).

 

[fsts2k]

Car Updates:

I was able to dig into the Radical over the past few weeks and get it ready for spring. As shown in pictures, the Radical is easiest to work on from a stand vs. a lift and the car has provisions to be lifted onto the stand via roll bars, see blue straps.



Service included general maintance (fluid changes) as well as replacing wear pads, fiberglass repair on the front splitter (typical wear from the season), cleaning, and nut/bolt.


In additon we pulled the fuel cell to investigate the fuel starvation issue. Unfortunatly I would not say a smoking gun was found. We did find the fuel pump was loose from its hold down which could have contibuted to starvation. We also found the fuel return line was routed to the side of the cell, not pointed at the fuel sump area. We fixed both of these issues as well as trimming some fuel cell foam to enable the tank to take in fuel faster and will test when we can get the car on the track again. While not a hard job, it was 3-4 hours to pull the cell out, repair, and put it back together.

The air leak for the shifting unit was traced back to the manifold. It simply needed to be taken of the car, split open, and then tighten each of the screws retaining the electric solonoids.


Miata is next on the list.. nothing wrong with it, just needs off season run through. I will start with leak down test and dyno to ensure it didn't lose much power in the last season and then do a fluid change and nut/bolt. We will then do an alignment and it should be ready.


Cabinets are tentativly scheduled to be delivered second week of January.

 

[zimman]

Holy shop buildout. I'm in.
Zim

 

[pi_guy]

Car Updates:

I was able to dig into the Radical over the past few weeks and get it ready for spring. As shown in pictures, the Radical is easiest to work on from a stand vs. a lift and the car has provisions to be lifted onto the stand via roll bars, see blue straps.



Service included general maintance (fluid changes) as well as replacing wear pads, fiberglass repair on the front splitter (typical wear from the season), cleaning, and nut/bolt.


In additon we pulled the fuel cell to investigate the fuel starvation issue. Unfortunatly I would not say a smoking gun was found. We did find the fuel pump was loose from its hold down which could have contibuted to starvation. We also found the fuel return line was routed to the side of the cell, not pointed at the fuel sump area. We fixed both of these issues as well as trimming some fuel cell foam to enable the tank to take in fuel faster and will test when we can get the car on the track again. While not a hard job, it was 3-4 hours to pull the cell out, repair, and put it back together.

The air leak for the shifting unit was traced back to the manifold. It simply needed to be taken of the car, split open, and then tighten each of the screws retaining the electric solonoids.


My friend ran a couple of radicals and he had no fuel issues. He did ask size of motor as they had a few options. I had asked him if he had any issues with it. He is kind of couch locked recovering from his burns at Baha. My other buddy Anze Suspension is at Homestead running F2000 cars

 

[fsts2k]

Cabinets were delivered mid-Jan, took about a month to get them together. They are quite nice and I am very happy with them.

Getting them together took a bit of time. The upper cabinets and rear wall are mounted using uprights. The only thing I would have done different during install would have been to use the horizontal braces to space the uprights. I had one that I placed 1/8” too wide requiring me to slot the hole,

Next step is tool organization.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Cabinets look nice.

Might I suggest a new location for that extinguisher. . . maybe even a couple of CO extinguishers since you are working on race cars and the dry chem residue is terrible when used on auto stuff. . . .

 

[zimman]

Those are beautiful. Can't wait for the tool drawer pics. LOL
I just got a small kit of Toolbox Widgets and can't wait to try them.
Zim

 

[fsts2k]

Cabinets look nice.

Might I suggest a new location for that extinguisher. . . maybe even a couple of CO extinguishers since you are working on race cars and the dry chem residue is terrible when used on auto stuff. . . .

Thank you

Yes, excellent suggestion on the fire extinguisher. I appreciate you making it.

 

[fsts2k]

Was looking

Those are beautiful. Can't wait for the tool drawer pics. LOL
I just got a small kit of Toolbox Widgets and can't wait to try them.
Zim

Thank you


On the widgets, I have been looking at these.. what is the verdict on usefulness?

The toolbox organization is going to be a process that will evolve as I get more time to work on the cars and find how I want items laid out.

Side note, I am liking these Gator Magnets. They are expensive but my interior walls are metal so these enable me to move things around without using self-tapping screws all over.

Overall on the shop I was able to redo the lounge area over the past 6 weeks as well (new floor, paint, hot water heater, washer/dryer, sink/vanity, fill in spray foam insulation, and furniture). With the tool boxes in, lift in, and lounges renovated I get to say I am "done" and focus on using the place.

Next big project is going to be organzing scale platforms, jacks, alignment tooling, etc. but that is far less critical to get right. All of of those items will continue to be movable.

With weather turning I feel like timing has worked out well.

 

[zimman]

Was looking


Thank you


On the widgets, I have been looking at these.. what is the verdict on usefulness?

The toolbox organization is going to be a process that will evolve as I get more time to work on the cars and find how I want items laid out.

Side note, I am liking these Gator Magnets. They are expensive but my interior walls are metal so these enable me to move things around without using self-tapping screws all over.

Overall on the shop I was able to redo the lounge area over the past 6 weeks as well (new floor, paint, hot water heater, washer/dryer, sink/vanity, fill in spray foam insulation, and furniture). With the tool boxes in, lift in, and lounges renovated I get to say I am "done" and focus on using the place.

Next big project is going to be organzing scale platforms, jacks, alignment tooling, etc. but that is far less critical to get right. All of of those items will continue to be movable.

With weather turning I feel like timing has worked out well.

I watched a "Tool Box Tour" video and the guy loved them. I have not used them yet but I'm excited. Hope they work well.
Zim