What do I need in my Shop?

[KPSquared]

So I'm trying to slowly lay out and plan my shop space.

I have an 18x40 space that I'm aiming to use for vehicle repair, engine building, and steel fab. Hope to add a mill and lathe at some point.

Right now it's just a bunch of my stuff piled in there.

What should I focus on? I'd like to do some benches, a tear down table etc. Just need to figure out how to make it all flow. Wheels and castors on everything seems like the smart plan.

Any advice or ideas you have will be much appreciated.

 

[matt_i]

Machine shop and welding are bottomless pits of possibility.

A lathe and mill are a very good start, probably at least one more cabinet to hold tooling and edge tools, not sure where you are at in the precision measurement tree. If you had simple tightly woven cloth covers (throw over loosely, but the weave of the actual cloth should be tight) it would help preserve their lifespan if the area is going to be shared with angle grinding or belt sanding.

 

[larry_g]

I have an 18x40 space that I'm aiming to use for vehicle repair, engine building, and steel fab. Hope to add a mill and lathe at some point.



Any advice or ideas you have will be much appreciated.

I read the above as engine building and mill/lathe needing a clean area to work in. Steel fab is dirty work, and vehicle repair can go either way. In my build below I split the shop into clean and dirty areas because of the machining work and tools. You will have to figure out how to separate the clean from the dirty.

I would suggest that you figure out what your priorities and work ethics are. Then allot space according to those priorities. What is your personality, clean and neat freak where everything is in it's place, or are you one who has every flat space piled with stuff? I'm guessing that your a bit of a procrastinator since you posted these pictures a couple of years ago and still trying to figure it out. I recognize the trait, I'm one.

You also mentioned that part of the area is a 7' ceiling. Should your first priority be raising the low ceiling to a better working height for the purpose you have for the building? I would think that 7' would be tight for the jobs you list.

Just some of my ramblings

lg
no neat sig line

 

[NUTTSGT]

How about some pallet racking for some storage above some lower areas ? Great way to create storage yet still have useable floor space.

 

[orangeblood]

a heater, more cars and tools and some guys standing around giving you advice

 

[Garett]

Like he said, some ceiling height would be good. Then add a 2 post lift. Is there anything in the attic now?

And because you're in Canada, get it well insulated if it isn't already.

 

[Steevo]

a heater, more cars and tools and some guys standing around giving you advice

^ This . . . . AND BEER!

 

[Richard Cranium]

a good first aid kit and fire ext.

 

[TractorJeff]

Partition off the 7ft ceiling area for your clean room. Do your engine teardown and machining in there. You don't need a lift, You need something to take out/put in the engines you are working on.
I notice part of the GJ mantra is "you need a lift"!

 

[kenners]

I would second on the pallet racks if you have the space/height. Also a good fire extinguisher and a shop rag can - the kind with a self closing lid/flammable trash can.

 

[KPSquared]

Partition off the 7ft ceiling area for your clean room. Do your engine teardown and machining in there. You don't need a lift, You need something to take out/put in the engines you are working on.
I notice part of the GJ mantra is "you need a lift"!

Thinking the 7' will be a clean space for sure. It's really well suited. I have a cherry picker for lifting engines. Not to fired up about a hoist. Maybe one day but I'd better own a lathe and a mill and a TIG first...at a minimum.

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[KPSquared]

Fire alarm also. [emoji481]

No one's gonna hear it lol.

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[ddawg16]

With an 18' width, no room for more than one car at a time in front. Putting in a 4 post lift might let you put one up and one under it.

Just looked at your pics again....doesn't look like you have room for a lift

40' length is good....but welding is dirty work and needs to be as far away from tear down/rebuild as possible. Dirt is NOT your friend.

I would do storage only on one side....benches on the other...with maybe cabinets above.

 

[jetnow1]

Lot of auto machine shops closing, machinists retiring. Keep an eye open, there are deals out there. I bought a triple Kennedy chest from a widow for $400. the told me to keep the tools in there as well. Snap On tap and Die set, depth gauges, micrometers, etc. I told her she could sell it all off but she said she would not be bothered, anything I did not take would be thrown out.

 

[astroracer]

All of my tear down and welding benches are built out of repurposed kitchen and bathroom cabinets. Here are a couple I have rebuilt and put on casters.

This is the grinding bench. I put this one on a Harbor Freight furniture cart.

I have less then a hundred bucks into both of them, including the steel plate tops...
The bonus is they roll wherever you need them to be, even outside on a nice day.
Mark

 

[vtcat]

At least 3 fire extinguishers

 

[BTL-A4]

I would suggest organizing your space based on work flow. For example, say you buy some metal or a car door (or other big part). You gotta put it somewhere, so have storage close to the door. No use dragging it back to the back, then dragging it back to the tool to work on it. Have your tool cart/work space nearby.

Drive the car in the space and see how much room you need to work on all sides. Leave space and locate tools and equipment around that.

Having everything on wheels is a great idea. You can move stuff around until you find a good place for it.

Are you going to have compressed air? It might be good to have an air line running all around the perimeter, with outlets every few feet. You could have a reel or two as well. Maybe hang them from the ceiling.

Get the electrical set up. Can you hang those reels from the ceiling? You could also have electrical lines and plugs running around the perimeter.

 

[KPSquared]

I would suggest organizing your space based on work flow. For example, say you buy some metal or a car door (or other big part). You gotta put it somewhere, so have storage close to the door. No use dragging it back to the back, then dragging it back to the tool to work on it. Have your tool cart/work space nearby.

Drive the car in the space and see how much room you need to work on all sides. Leave space and locate tools and equipment around that.

Having everything on wheels is a great idea. You can move stuff around until you find a good place for it.

Are you going to have compressed air? It might be good to have an air line running all around the perimeter, with outlets every few feet. You could have a reel or two as well. Maybe hang them from the ceiling.

Get the electrical set up. Can you hang those reels from the ceiling? You could also have electrical lines and plugs running around the perimeter.

Great ideas! I like it.

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[Streetbu]

If you put casters on things, plan on spending some $ to buy good ones. Make sure to get ones that can lock. Nothing worse than the whole table moving while trying to work on something. A set of four quality casters will set you back $150...

 

[KPSquared]

If you put casters on things, plan on spending some $ to buy good ones. Make sure to get ones that can lock. Nothing worse than the whole table moving while trying to work on something. A set of four quality casters will set you back $150...

Where do you buy quality castors? We have the Canadian versions of places like Tractor Supply and Harbor Freight but outside of those I wouldn't know where to look

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[crewchief888]

All you need is a light bulb and an outlet, what you want is a different story.
What I'd probably do is build/furnish as your needs change. I think I'd do my clean work in the rear of the building. Welding/fab work out near the door, easily moved outside on a nice day and easier to keep clean

If you need more electrical power, but a larger conduit than you currently need, for future power needs.