Second story workspace

[ckucia]

Little background...

We lived in NE OH for several decades. Had a small two car detached that served as a workshop. Thanks to this site, I was able to make the most of the small space.

I got a job in rural WV 3 years ago. Moved to a small cabin with no outside buildings and no storage space. Got rid of a lot, but managed to keep a good amount of tools by putting them in bins and renting a storage unit. I've been maintaining the vehicles as best I can outside on a gravel driveway. It's not been fun.

Fast forward to today. We found a new house we're in the process of buying. It has a detached garage that's about 32x64 with a barn (gambrel) roof and a second story with almost as much footprint as the first. Assuming it goes through, I'm going to have more space than I know what to do with (at first). Closing probably won't happen until sometime in February, and the house needs a few things done to it, but I'm looking at having a great building sometime in March.

So on to my question...

We have two cars and a tractor that are going to have to live in the first story. I'm contemplating the possibility of a lean-to addition in front to try and get the cars out of the main garage area, but the tractor will still have to live in there. There are two garage doors on the long wall, offset slightly for a stairwell to the second story. Under the stairwell are two well accumulator tanks, and a fuse panel.

I maintain our vehicles and the tractor. Most of the work I do will be mechanical/automotive. The house is basically done, but I can see doing the occasional woodworking project or building a small structure.

What I'm thinking of doing is putting a shallow workbench the entire long wall of the first floor with cabinets above and below and make that the "dirty work" area. Since that's where the cars are, I figure I can move stuff right from the car to the bench and back for repairs. Ditto the tractor.

If I need to do woodworking or painting, I'll pull the cars and tractor out as necessary to free up the space. Probably build some sort of plastic "curtain" that will drop down to close off the bench area from sawdust or paint spray and maybe do something similar between garage bays.

The second story would then be for "clean work" and storage. The roof is trussed but leaves a square box area that I could wall off. Between the roof and the long walls is potentially a lot of storage space. I figure I can do things like electronics repair, finish work, assembly work (engines, transmission) up there and it will be easier to heat/cool once I've insulated it and walled in the studs. Would also eventually like to try upholstery work so that would be an upstairs activity.

That all sounds good, except for getting things between the stories. Specifically, I'm thinking engines/transmissions that I would really like to assemble in a clean, conditioned area. Not a problem (generally) hauling the pieces up the stairs, but once the whole thing is assembled, I'll need to get it back to the first story to install.

So I'm looking for ideas that have worked. Thinking of maybe a trap door with a winch of some sort and a platform I can raise and lower. Maybe building an addition just for that purpose that serves as an "elevator shaft" between the two floors but doesn't take up any floor space.

I don't see this happening a lot so maybe just a chainfall is sufficient rather than some sort of powered device?

I tend to work on modern engines/transmissions which are usually aluminum, but I wouldn't rule out some old school stuff down the road and those are typically heavier. Might want to get a rear end upstairs and back down too.

Anyone have a similar problem? How'd you solve it?

 

[Hardworkinguy]

My second story is a semi-open mezzanine. I have plenty of engine stuff stored up there,and I use a cheap-o Harbor Freight winch to get it up there. I used a piece of pipe with old GM wheel bearings welded to each end so it will pivot. I welded a boom onto the pipe and braced it,and then mounted the winch onto the boom.

This allows me to swing it out over the garage floor below,winch up whatever I want upstairs,and then swing it over onto the upstairs floor and set it down. It's a little crude,but it works great.

 

[firebirdparts]

If the building really is 36 by 64, you'll never need to remove anything to make space for any other thing, if all you have in there is your tools, two cars and a tractor. The building will still be 2/3 empty. You might want to move your cars outside so you don't get paint on them, but you have room to build a full size spray booth and your cars and tractor would not be in the way. If you want to build an elevator, there are some threads in GJ about that. Several people have built them. They make trolleys to fit unistrut which could be used, but I am sure there are other options. You would not, however, really need to work upstairs because the building is so big.

 

[ckucia]

My second story is a semi-open mezzanine. I have plenty of engine stuff stored up there,and I use a cheap-o Harbor Freight winch to get it up there. I used a piece of pipe with old GM wheel bearings welded to each end so it will pivot. I welded a boom onto the pipe and braced it,and then mounted the winch onto the boom.

This allows me to swing it out over the garage floor below,winch up whatever I want upstairs,and then swing it over onto the upstairs floor and set it down. It's a little crude,but it works great.

That's a nice bit of machinery.

 

[ckucia]

If the building really is 36 by 64, you'll never need to remove anything to make space for any other thing, if all you have in there is your tools, two cars and a tractor. The building will still be 2/3 empty. You might want to move your cars outside so you don't get paint on them, but you have room to build a full size spray booth and your cars and tractor would not be in the way. If you want to build an elevator, there are some threads in GJ about that. Several people have built them. They make trolleys to fit unistrut which could be used, but I am sure there are other options. You would not, however, really need to work upstairs because the building is so big.

It sounds big now, but I suspect in a few years, it will be full of stuff.

Consider just one "project" car disassembled and how much space that could take up. Throw in a "parts" car and the space really will start to shrink.

But what typically will happen is the project and parts car will both be partially disassembled and immobile and some other project will come along that needs attention - tractor dies, one of the daily drivers needs major work, wife wants all the kitchen cabinets pulled out and refinished... That's when having a lot of space might still seem like not enough. Stuff happens and rarely on a convenient schedule.

 

[CraigStu]

My first question is whether the second floor is strong enough to do what you are thinking. I know gambrel is different but is it like regular trusses where you have them specced just to hold up the roof vs a much different spec to to use the second floor? Is a gambrel roof automatically specced so the second floor is useable? I don't know so I hope someone will chime in w/ more educated info.

 

[apollo11]

Why does a tractor need to be inside?

 

[ckucia]

Why does a tractor need to be inside?

To keep critters from chewing the wiring.

 

[Bad Eye Bill]

My second story is a semi-open mezzanine. I have plenty of engine stuff stored up there,and I use a cheap-o Harbor Freight winch to get it up there. I used a piece of pipe with old GM wheel bearings welded to each end so it will pivot. I welded a boom onto the pipe and braced it,and then mounted the winch onto the boom.

This allows me to swing it out over the garage floor below,winch up whatever I want upstairs,and then swing it over onto the upstairs floor and set it down. It's a little crude,but it works great.

Nothing crude about that. Good looking setup.

 

[astroracer]

I wouldn't plan on assembling engines and transmissions upstairs. Build a clean room on the ground floor. Much easier to work with.
Going up and down those stairs 10 or 15 times a day is going to get old REAL fast.
Use the upstairs to store and organize your "stuff". Do the work down stairs where it is easily accessed and won't become a chore to get to.
I know you are excited, I know I would be! But, settle down, get into the place and do some work out there before you make any big decisions...
As an example:
My BIL built a beautiful 30 x 40 gambrel roofed barn with all kinds of plans to use the upstairs... It became a catch all. Unorganized storage for junk and Xmas ornaments. I asked him about it before he sold the place and he said after about a year it was to much of a hassle to climb the stairs... Just sayin'.
Mark

 

[ckucia]

Are you the same Astroracer as on Hotrodders.com?

Been reading through historical posts on the board. I'm thinking I may cover the long back wall with french cleats. Then anything I build for workspace/storage can be moved. It's going to take some time anyway and likely projects and priorities will change.

If I do the same to the second story, it's not much of an investment and I have the option to easily transport a workspace up and back down as needed.

I still like the idea of a lift. I don't need it now, but 15 years from now, I have a feeling it will be very useful (I'm 50 this year, so Father Time's starting to knock on the door). Been studying the threads and I think I have a pretty good idea of what I want to build.

I'm also really liking unistrut trolleys. Thinking that will help make the workspace more flexible.

One of the biggest goals I have is to keep stuff up off the floor, both for easy cleaning and for chasing stray dropped parts. Only exception being a BFH pounding bench that I'd like to firmly anchor. Ditto with a vice station. I can't think of too much else that absolutely has to be floor mounted.

 

[ckucia]

I also have a second goal, and that is to make everything closed up. When I took apart my old shop, a bunch of stuff was just coated with years of dust, things flung off the grinder, paint spray, etc. I can avoid a lot of that by containing the workspace, but I'd also like things closed up with doors/drawers that can be wiped down occasionally to keep things looking tidy. We're in a rural area off a dirt road. Dust and mud are part of the "lifestyle".

 

[astroracer]

Are you the same Astroracer as on Hotrodders.com?

Yes I am, I use the same name on all of the boards I am on.
Keeping everything in cabinets is a good move also. I got away from pegboard when I rebuilt my shop 12 years ago. I have one piece over my bench but everything hanging is used often.
Mark

 

[ckucia]

One thing I realized perusing the board with all the great examples and clever ideas. It's like a candy store. It's really easy, at least for me, out of awe or maybe even sometimes envy, to get caught up in wanting to build an awesome garage as an end in itself.

And while that's great if that's what you're into, I find myself having to sorta keep things in perspective for myself - the whole point of a garage (for me) is that it's another tool to accomplish other tasks/projects. I really need to sort out the ideas that are cool because they help make the garage more functional, from ideas that are just cool for cool's sake. Don't want to spend all my time and resources making a garage that's so awesome that I can't or won't use it to actually get stuff done.

Anyone else have this problem?

 

[2level]

ckucia - I use my 2nd story for similar purposes: engine assembly, parts storage, less frequently used tools and excess supplies, keeping most of the mess downstairs. Freeing up floor space downstairs also makes it easier to clean both areas. I even put my hydraulic press up there. Stairs are good exercise.

I use an electric hoist hung from a 6x10 beam that crosses one corner of the upstairs. The beam rests on 6x6 posts that are buried in the walls. I created a 3.5'x6'5' floor plug instead of a hinged hatch door. A section of floor, with the joists and drywall attached, gets lifted out with the hoist first. Two sheets of 3/4 plywood get tilted over the floor opening, then I lower the floor plug onto a furniture dolly and roll it out of the way. Tilt the plywood panels back against the wall, then raise or lower whatever item.

 

[apollo11]

To keep critters from chewing the wiring.

so they will not chew car wiring?
I don't understand.

 

[ckucia]

My tractor is a '62 IH. It gets used maybe every two weeks in the summer and far less frequently the rest of the year - primarily for field mowing.

Critters are a big problem. They get up inside the dash and chew on the gauge wiring, making a real mess of things. Don't know why they're so attracted to it, but given that and given that I kind of need to know the tractor is ready when I need it, storing it inside is one of my goals. I don't mind leaving the implements outside, but I'd like to keep the tractor itself inside if possible.