Shop in ground pit

[c39er]

I`ll attempt to show you guys some pics of my pit. I`m new at this. I designed and built this dry clean work pit. 12'x3'x6'deep.12" of 2" drain rock all around walls and under floor to keep all water away. Has a floor 4" drain too. Can never fill with water. Has Lots of lighting/air line for air tools. Wall pockets for tools /beer. Hard wired phone and most important outside forced fresh air to prevent carbon monoxide/ or dangerous fumes from poisoning me. They can sink into a pit! I`ll post more pics later.
Bob

 

[trackwelder]

Sweet!! My uncle had one in his shop It was very handy.

 

[blkhonda1991]

nice...im assuming there is penty of room to climb up and down while a car is there? did you get a permit for that or did you just do it?

 

[c39er]

Made it safe- NO permit. Live out of the city. Pit should have been 16-20' long. But works out ok. Also have a 4 post Rotary 12,000lb lift and a in-ground hyd. single post hoist. to cover all my needs.

 

[jay50]

I`ll attempt to show you guys some pics of my pit. I`m new at this. I designed and built this dry clean work pit. 12'x3'x6'deep.12" of 2" drain rock all around walls and under floor to keep all water away. Has a floor 4" drain too. Can never fill with water. Has Lots of lighting/air line for air tools. Wall pockets for tools /beer. Hard wired phone and most important outside forced fresh air to prevent carbon monoxide/ or dangerous fumes from poisoning me. They can sink into a pit! I`ll post more pics later.
Bob

How did you reinforce the walls to prevent cave in?
BTW, nice item for have spot for a cold brew while working...

 

[RWD]

How about adding a fire extinguisher?

 

[Rickster]

How about adding a fire extinguisher?

... and cable TV.

 

[e-tek]

..and a pisser, pool table and microwave!

 

[e-tek]

I have a pit as well - not as technically complete as yours though! Mine's just a hole in the ground. I like the grates - I just have 2x8's. It was handy before I got my lift, but hard to get in and out for tools and beers. Yours is very cool (esp. if you put in our ideas above!)

 

[Matti]

Looks good but just be careful of carbon monoxide.

 

[c39er]

I do have a 5' high urinal! Maybe I could put that down there too. No room for the TV though. Fire extiguisher- good idea. Small fridge good for the beer. No need for microwave-just beer cooler.
Seriously though the carbon monoxide is the dangerous situation in a below ground level pit.I do have a 4" pipe pushing outside fresh air into the pit.I know about that kind of poisoning. Was on a boat and 2 people passed out from carbon monoxide fumes. Had to do the CPR on both. They both lived. Happens real quick-you don`t know it- you just pass out!

 

[Bolt11]

Nice pit, I thought about one for a long time, but ended up just going with a Rotary lift, 10K. It's better for allot of things. But for farm equipment, tractors, machinery, I wish I had a pit to work under them, but it's not too bad, as you can usually sit up under them.

 

[c39er]

Forgot to say the block walls are tied to the pit floor slab w/ rebar and same to the shop floor. #4 rebar was pushed through the holes in the block walls. The pit has survived both a 6.9 and a 4.0 earthquake here in the Seattle area in the last 12 years with no cracking . Shop floor is 6"thick/and 6x6 wire mesh with fiber mesh 5 sack mix concrete.
Bob

 

[PAToyota]

Made it safe- NO permit. Live out of the city.

Two things to consider are if there is every any problem or if you go to sell it - your insurance carrier (in the first case) and potential buyers (in the second case) are definitely going to have an issue with that.

 

[e-tek]

Two things to consider are if there is every any problem or if you go to sell it - your insurance carrier (in the first case) and potential buyers (in the second case) are definitely going to have an issue with that.

Oh ya....I HAD AN ISSUE WITH THE PIT FOR SURE - I wouldn't have bought the house UNTIL I SAW IT!!! Definitely a sell feature!

 

[PAToyota]

Definitely a sell feature!

I meant more an issue of not having the permit - which could cause problems with financing or for them insuring it.

 

[W-Cummins]

I meant more an issue of not having the permit - which could cause problems with financing or for them insuring it.

Just fill it in when he moves and pour the new slab over it. I'm sure that updating it to codes would cost a lot $$. All the electrical stuff in it, is required to be explosion proof $$chaaa-ching$$

William...

 

[c39er]

I have a backhoe too- so I could fill er up and cover----But maybe I could be buried in it with a plexigass cover -kinda like Lenin! I don`t really use it much, but I really do like it. I have a big 4 poster Rotary hoist in front of the pit also which I use. I like to build my own stuff with a lot of thought. If and when I ever sell I guess I better tear all the stuff out a real car guy would like to have in his garage. Now days the county- fire dept-insurance agency and on and on and on seems to be in our pockets/design plans a tad too much and not always for our safety and own good. I do respect these folks though. I don`t need to be baby sat by all these agencies for the time being. I protect the enviroment and myself and friends too.Maybe some of these agencies might want to help me out when I end up in the old folks home?????

 

[HOTFR8]

Many things you can do with a pit and not a hoist. A pit is great for setting up exhausts sytems whilst the car is at ride height.

 

[slghmmr88]

I think I have seen some in ground tornado shelters that they put in garages here in the midwest that could easily be converted to a work pit.

http://www.flatsafe.com/AboutFlatSafe/tabid/54/Default.aspx

http://www.twistthis.com/shelter/pages/shelterwelcome.htm

 

[dreamingmuscle]

I think you would want to push the air out of the pit not into it. Any air brought into the pit would go up leaving the CO2 in the pit. Me thinks atleast.
________
Honda CM series

 

[c39er]

The fan that is for the pit is reversable for push/ pull of air into and out of the pit.

 

[e-tek]

Many things you can do with a pit and not a hoist. A pit is great for setting up exhausts sytems whilst the car is at ride height.

While I agree with you somewhat - you picked a poor exapmle as you are at ride height with a four poster...I guess two posters kift on the frame. What other things can you think of?

 

[Insomnya3AM]

While I agree with you somewhat - you picked a poor exapmle as you are at ride height with a four poster...I guess two posters kift on the frame. What other things can you think of?

Working on super-heavy stuff is the only benefit that I can think of.