Can a shop be too big? 25'x50' shop recomendations

[Mike Cruz]

It took you 2 days and how many posts to realize that your humor wasn't obvious, and that no one was answering your real question?....

Well, all I can say is that you can't have too many outlets. Not every 220 needs to be on its own circuit. You can have multiples on each. Just be careful not to run two machines at once that are both plugged into the same outlet. Putting some overhead outlets in the general areas where you might be putting machines (in the middle of the room) is helpful, too.

Good luck with your new tangent!

[Bob Slater]

You could always take up another hobby , like motorcycle restoration, or buy a CNC machine. Sounds like a good size.

[Joe Shinall]

Man, I see all you saying your 25x50, etc. is too cramped! Here I am in a 17x18 and about to run myself nuts because I can't find a place for my dust collector! 25x50 would be awesome! I just want 20x20 right now. That is until I add my bandsaw. Then I want 22x22. Then when i add a shaper, 24x24....

[Bill Blackburn]

I'm 25 x 50 and cramped. I may purge some little used equipment. I do have a large Felder slider that takes up a chunk of the space though.

I keep most of my equipment in 2/3 of the shop, and the other 1/3 holds incoming/outgoing supplies and projects. It was supposed to be an area where I could put two assembly tables, but that hasn't worked out yet.

I have some sort of radiant heat. It is a tube that runs about 35' across the ceiling and runs off natural gas. It is dirt cheap to heat my place. I keep it at 38-degrees when I am not there, and 68-70 when I am working (heats up fairly fast). I am about 16-20' in height and have gaps around my doors leaking air. Last months bill was only $30 despite a cold snap and alot of shop time. Gas service is about $8 before usage and I have a hot water heater running off it too.

Greg

We just filled up tanks --- close to $655 for 33 days to heat house and shop. Near record setting cold spells and gail-ish winds way to often but sheesh. It's getting ridiculous in cost.

Good friend is Realtor in area and keeping some of the places that are larger sized and empty heated to show...and ensure pipes don't freeze up...have been costing more than $500 a month also. He's got the listing for comedian Larry the Cable Guy's place over in Sarona, WI --- better than $700/mo. Not that big either and well built.
http://lakehomes-nwwimls.panosys.com...8&proptype=res

Think this okay to linky to???

Heat costs --- it's what busts ones chops nowadays

[Callan Campbell]

Apparently my sarcasm did not come across very well in my title posting. As most of the comments have implied (some more directly than others), there is no such thing as too big of a shop.

What I'm really looking for is a few sample shop layouts so that I can use the space efficiently. In addition to the main shop there is dedicated finishing room, so I don't have to include finishing space in the floor plan.

The reason I am concerned about laying it out before I move in is that all of the electric in the warehouse is getting reworked. If I have a good idea where my tools are going to go I can have my dedicated lines and lighting run before I move in. I know I will likely make some revisions to the layout over time, but I am just looking for a good starting point.

Thanks again for all your help,

Andrew

Sounds like you use a table saw alot for larger case/plywood work. If so, I would plan on a layout that keeps your flat/sheet stock behind your table saws front, so that you walk the sheet goods to the front of the table saw from your storage system, and not have to walk around from the rear of the saw holding a full 4x8 sheet.
RAS and Miter saws always seem to gravitate nicely to a long wall, so you'll end up doing that for sure, building a cut-off station no doubt.
Plan on installing way more outlets than you think you need, or at least allowing for future expansion done EASILY if you're holding off on cost of electrical work for now. Use 20 amp circuits more than 15 amps ones, there are many tools out there that may only run at 11-13 amps, but surge above a 15 amp breaker's limit either at start-up or under a full load that you've never experienced regularly since you're now cutting some 'new-to-you' wood that is dense.
Plan also on laying out 220 volt circuits to parallel your 120 volt ones, this way you have options on dual voltage machines, and this also allows for buying used or new machinery that's 220 only and not dual voltage like some smaller machines. Running 220 also allows smaller wiring to be used, and while your electric meter probably won't run any less due to the kilowatt usage of a motor being the same on either voltage, it does seem to make motors last longer and run with less heat.
Lighting, ah lighting. A very subjective subject, your choice, and easy to get wrong, or, not quite right. Lots of good info from Grainger or electrical distributors on shop lighting layouts based on standard light output from known fixtures and bulb types/color ranges. My guess is you'll end up with some type of flourescent lighting, mixed with a few task lights here and there. Seems to be where we mostly end up based on installation cost of the fixtures and running them for 8 hours a day.
Even with that much space, think of mobile bases for things at first, this way you learn what you like and aren't locked into anything just yet. You can play with layout as you like.
HVAC-I'm not qualified to speak on that, I'd check with a decent HVAC guy in your area if the building/shop doesn't already have some type still working. If it's an older forced-air system , get the duct work cleaned BEFORE you move anything in. Body shops are notorious for dust, and lots of toxic compounds that don't really breakdown with age much. Yeah, you'll be putting fine wood dust into the air, even with good dust collection, but you really don't want to breathe what way too many body shops were never good about catching with dust collection to speak of.
Have fun with your space

[Chad Easterling]

I had a similar sized space when I ran a woodshop for a company in Atlanta. One thing I would suggest is building a "room" for the DC. That cut down the noise in the shop significantly.