Need a bigger shop

[Bearskinner]

We moved to the ranch full time about 7 years ago, built a 72’x24’ shop thinking it would be large enough for everything I would ever need. Now I need another one at least a 40x30’ just to park equipment and RV. I’m not a hoarder but it’s too easy to run out of room. If your planning on building an out building, go twice as large as you think you need!

 

[axeman79]

We moved to the ranch full time about 7 years ago, built a 72’x24’ shop thinking it would be large enough for everything I would ever need. Now I need another one at least a 40x30’ just to park equipment and RV. I’m not a hoarder but it’s too easy to run out of room. If your planning on building an out building, go twice as large as you think you need!

The story of my life! there is never enough room. I used the rule of 3. Whatever I think I need, I make it 3 time larger. Think about high ceilings as well...for the car/truck lift!

 

[Bearskinner]

The basic shop was built (24x48’) with no door, gravel floors, no electrical. I needed to extend it, so added 24’ more to the front, a wide roll up door, window, trenches in electrical, and concreted the floors. It’s still a work in progress, but running out of room quick. Got the lift installed on 8” of reinforced concrete.

 

[mrbearski]

I tend to believe shops and storage building follow Boyles Law of Gases. No matter the size of the container, the gas (your stuff), expands to fill it.

 

[PILOON]

LOL, who doesn't need a new and bigger shop.
That or less hobbies and projects.

My problem is that I have mixed wood working (cabinet work etc) as well as all the metal/tractor related projects in my one available shop.
Plus I did years of renovations along with those related tools and I don't like to sell things that I will/might need.
In the projects field I DIY'd my heated tractor cab and snow blade as an example plus fabricate most of my furniture as well as for clients.
Have also contracted tourist signs for the city plus cabinet work for clients.

Added to that I produced a few hundred fireplace bellows that I sold over the net.
LOL I almost forgot welded garden art from old shovels, coil springs etc.

Now I did want a bigger shop but the city refused me so due to the proximity of my septic drainage field and even so I had to lie and claim it was a garage and not a shop. (garage door is a sham, never been opened and permantly insulated).
Not helping is I hate throwing out things as for sure I'll need it next week.
Oh well, I do like to keep busy and never at a loss for something to do.
Just a few too many projects on the go.

 

[Bearskinner]

LOL, who doesn't need a new and bigger shop.
That or less hobbies and projects.

My problem is that I have mixed wood working (cabinet work etc) as well as all the metal/tractor related projects in my one available shop.
Plus I did years of renovations along with those related tools and I don't like to sell things that I will/might need.
Oh well, I do like to keep busy and never at a loss for something to do.
Just a few too many projects on the go.

That is the problem, different projects require different spaces. I don’t have room to divide off the area into a wood working shop and a metal working shop/ welding shop. An additional shop with room to have a dedicated wood shop, and leave the saws, lathes, gluing tables in place.
Then I could leave my welding table, cutters and welders in the original shop with the lift.

 

[CA_Bgrwldr]

That is the problem, different projects require different spaces. I don’t have room to divide off the area into a wood working shop and a metal working shop/ welding shop. An additional shop with room to have a dedicated wood shop, and leave the saws, lathes, gluing tables in place.
Then I could leave my welding table, cutters and welders in the original shop with the lift.

Sounds like you could use your own industrial park, like me.lol

 

[Bearskinner]

Sounds like you could use your own industrial park, like me.lol

I have the room to build another shop, there’s just that pesky little thing called lots of money to build another one!

 

[CA_Bgrwldr]

I have the room to build another shop, there’s just that pesky little thing called lots of money to build another one!

Ah, the nemesis that tends to ruin most of a man's plans, that his wife hasn't already said no too.lol I would like to build about a 10k sq ft shop split into three work areas and a clean room, but fortunately, the layout of my property and slope of the land would make a shop that size a PITA, so money doesn't ruin my dream shop. Probably for the good, it keeps me from having more projects than I have time for.

Is there room on one of the sides to build a shed roof off of, that you could eventually enclose for your RV, and equipmentt, or maybe one off of each side, if the snow load would be too much for the slope of the additional roof?

 

[Bearskinner]

I am looking at adding a lean also, it would be convienent to have some room on the side, but it would pretty much only be large enough to put all the tractor implements in. It would be a good temporary help

 

[PILOON]

In my case the landscape is the big hurdle. My property is VERY uneven and that due to solid rock .
I'd actually need an elevator to reach my other half.
As it is I pump 20 ft uphill for my septic drainage field, however being lakeside I would not trade it. (like I'm 30 ft from a spring fed lake that is at the head of a watershed.) And surrounded by wildlife galore.
But I make do. Most major projects are warm weather outside designated anyway.
In fact my neighbor has better usage of 50% of my land out back while I use some of his up front on lakeside.
Main problem was the gov't surveyors that subdivided this lakeside when it was crown land.
Yes, gov't land that U 'pioneered' back then.
Free, like all those adds in back of the old Popular Mechanic magazines.(and 1 hour north of Canada's 2nd largest city!
Most call it 'Paradise'.

 

[tmechanic]

My shop came with the property, 35'x60' with 12' side walls in the front and 14' side walls in the back, it was a machine shed complete with dirt floors, but a 12'x24' concrete pad by the garage door in front. I'd like to extend it, but I don't have enough land to build the shop I have, let alone a bigger one. I am trying to save up for a concrete floor for the entire shop, including filling in the 2' drop from front to back, with heated floors, if I can swing it.

 

[Bearskinner]

I spent the first winter working on cold frozen gravel floors, that’s when I decided concrete was going to happen no matter what. Laid down a vapor barrier, compacted gravel, rebar in place then poured. I framed up the interior walls and insulated as I went. A little at s time, took 2 years to finish it all out

 

[Gary Fowler]

We moved to the ranch full time about 7 years ago, built a 72’x24’ shop thinking it would be large enough for everything I would ever need. Now I need another one at least a 40x30’ just to park equipment and RV. I’m not a hoarder but it’s too easy to run out of room. If your planning on building an out building, go twice as large as you think you need!

Just my opinion, but it you filled up a 72x24 with "stuff" , then you need to get rid of some stuff or your "toys" that you seldom use. I have a 30x30 main shop with 12x 30 leanto sheds on each side for my tractors and a 14 x 30 addition for my boat and lawnmowers and I have plenty of room for my hobbies. I need to sell my boat and motorcycle since I dont have time or ability to use them any more. The older I get the less stuff I need.

 

[Bearskinner]

Fortunately most of that room is for keeping vehicles, tractor and implements under cover. I like to keep the lift open too, so it’s usually just the SxS parked on the lift area in case I need to work on something.

 

[PILOON]

Stuff will expand to the available space!

 

[Bearskinner]

Not only that, but it’s nice to be able to walk around the parked vehicles also.

 

[PILOON]

Just my opinion, but it you filled up a 72x24 with "stuff" , then you need to get rid of some stuff or your "toys" that you seldom use. I have a 30x30 main shop with 12x 30 leanto sheds on each side for my tractors and a 14 x 30 addition for my boat and lawnmowers and I have plenty of room for my hobbies. I need to sell my boat and motorcycle since I dont have time or ability to use them any more. The older I get the less stuff I need.

Problem is whenever U toss out something it is guaranteed that one week later it'll be the exact thing you need .
Ask me how I know. LOL.

 

[Gary Fowler]

That is true but if you never throw away anything, you have no excuse to buy new stuff.