uses for a silo, and a barn for a shop

I'm am considering making on offer on a very nice farm near us. It has a wonderful old timberframed bank barn with concrete silo.

I always figured the best shop would be built on a heated slab. But this barn is built well enough that I think I could make a raised floor in the upstairs part (ground level on the high side) and it should be plenty strong enough to handle my machines.

I could run ducting and wiring under the raised floor, and this would provide a smooth level surface as well. Currently the floor is big old oak planks and quite uneven. Eventually I could wall off a section or sections and heat them. The structure underneath is super beefy and in good shape. It was designed to hold the weight of a barn full of hay.

There is an old concrete silo there. aybe 10 or 12' in diameter with 12" thich walls. The tall kind- not the short squat kind. I've always figured these should be good for something. About the best I can think of is to put the air compressor and cyclone in there. Eventually maybe put some floors in and a ladder or spiral stairs to access, and use for storage of, I don't know what.

I have no idea if we'll end up gettign this place- I'm just trying to figure how appropriate it would be for my needs.

Lynn, our resident expert is Bill "Five Barns" Grumbine. If he sees this thread, he can tell you everything you need to know about barns and their uses.

You might check out his website for some info, and if he does not see this thread, you can PM him.

If you have not met him, you should. He is a great guy.

Hey Lynn, if you make a lot of sawdust, that silo would make a really nice compost bin.

Seems to me that a silo is the perfect place to setup a convection based air-drying chamber for green lumber.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Rob Russell

Seems to me that a silo is the perfect place to setup a convection based air-drying chamber for green lumber.

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yeah, I was thinking of something like that. You see, I have a mobile dimension quasi-portable sawmill, so I've been thinking of drying kilns anyway. The hassle would be snaking long, heavy timbers into vertical racks.

And I wonder if they would have more of a tendency to twist if standed verticaly.

Interesting...

Hi Lynn

I have a barn and silo very much similar to what you describe. The barn is great for storing wood, but it needs a new roof and some new walls before I could even think of anything else besides tractors and other related items going into it. I would love to convert it to shop space, but I already have my current property zoned for the business. Since the barn is on a separate lot across the road, I would have to get it rezoned or switch to hobby status to be able to use it.

We are using the silo to store dead birds right now. :D I don't know if anything will ever go in it other than that. I fantasized for a while of mounting a .50 machine gun at the top for use on all the snowmobilers who felt they had the right to cross the property at all hours of the day or night, but that wouldn't have worked out for long anyway. :eek:

Good luck with your decision. Barns are neat things to have.

Bill

Put the shop in the barn

Put the corn in the silo

:D :D :D

Bill: If you go back to the anti-snowmobiler project I'd be glad to contribute to your ammunition fund. If it "wouldn't work" out because you ran out of snowmobilers that would be just fine with me. There should be no closed season on them - except July and August. Carl

Lynn,

Maybe you should start a business selling rocker chair runners. Clamp 'em to your walls green and just let them dry. :rolleyes:

Rob

How about putting in that spiral staircase all the way up and then put a room up there with windows all around. It would be a great place to go and relax when you're finished making sawdust for the day.

Maybe plumb water out there and put in a refrigerator for the cold refreshments.

Some guy did that near Madison, WI about 20 years ago. Well, he used the barn as his house. John might remember more details about that.

I did a little snooping and found that there is a guy near Woodstock who converted a silo into a kaleidoscope .

Seal up the silo and make it a giant storage area for your air compressor