Shop floor

[Jackfre]

I'm fixin to build a shop/garage. It will have a metal fabrication side or corner, wood working corner and fore and aft garage door on half or so. Saying it that way makes it sound pretty large, but it isn't going to be. There will be a bit of over-lap of the space depending upon the project. Having just finished the house remodel the budget is slim currently. My wife said, "I really like the house now". I replied that was good as for what we spent on it we are going to be spending a lot of time in it

The floor will be concrete, but the part that is the wood shop is going to have a raised floor to accommodate dust collection (I like wood work, but I hate the dust), power, air, gas and water lines. When compete the floor will be one level. I figure a 2x6-8 PT sub-floor structure with appropriate cut-outs for the works with maybe 2-3/4" plywood layers will make a good floor. I may carry that plan over to the welding corner and cover that floor and 4' of wall with 1/8-3/16 plate. Suggestions?

 

[Steevo]

I don't think I would cover the floor of the welding area with steel.
Concrete is durable enough, and slag, spatters and hot metal drops won't stick to it.

Also, if you can separate the welding area from the wood area by as far as possible, and maybe even have a short concrete or block wall around it, you can keep the sparks from skittering across the floor and dropping down under your wood deck woodshop area, which would be a disaster. I don't even like the idea of sawdust and fire/sparks in the same building.

 

[zkling]

I think you are over complicating this. A good epoxy or even paint would go along ways coupled with a at floor dust collector or central vac system.

 

[gregtwojeeps]

I have to agree with the others, the raised woodworking floor sounds complicated and a fire hazard. You will probably tire of the up/down/up/down in differing floor elevations quickly...

The commercial wood supplier that I use has a large woodworking /mill shop. All of the dust collection duct drops/electrical etc, drops down from the ceiling to the machines. The floors are just plain concrete and kept sealed well for easier sweeping. good luck. jmo

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

You don't want to be in bed wondering if an ember, which is more likely to be from a grinder than a welder, is smoldering under that wood floor.

My limited welding/grinding is always done outside so I can sleep.

 

[ascott172]

Static electricity in a dust collection system improperly installed could create an explosion like a grain elevator or a fire. Having the dust collection pipes in a wood floor doesn't sound like the best option.

 

[Jackfre]

All good points. Thank you. I am trying to eliminate the drops for power and DC. This is not going to be a large space and as little overhead obstruction as possible is highly desirable. If I go forward with this the deck will be a uniform height. The Dust collection system will be well sealed joints on metal pipe and will be properly grounded. If I do this, and I can kinda sorta permanently locate the big items (Unisaw, Band saw, jointer, planer), I would bond the DC pipe to the units as well. Fire is the issue mixing the welding/wood area. I have curtains but will examine ways to separate the space.

The other option is to just do the slab, locate the Dust Collector in a shed outside the wood area and individually connect the equipment as needed. It is unlikely that more than one piece of equipment will be operating at once.