What would you add to a "new" shop?

[Leigh Betsch]

Are you getting snow there? A blizzard just roared through here.

Yeah, I29 has been closed since 4:00 pm Thursday, just got it open to the south, say they will get it open to the north my morning. Gotta go to Fargo tomorrow so it looks like it will be a slippery drive.
Don't forget the AC. I have two motel heater/air conditioner combo units plus a forced air natural gas furnace in my shop. I run the AC almost all summer to keep the humidity down as well as to keep things cool.
I have a plastic curtain around my metal working machines to keep the dust out and another plastic curtain around my paint booth Both work well, maybe a plastic curtain wall to separate the L's? Maybe a urinal? Depending on which way the back door faces! For sure you want two exit doors in case of fire. Air cleaner, outlet on the ceiling. Window in the paint room to pull clean air in, and exhaust out the fan. Hot water heater, comes in handy for cleaning up. I have a mechanic bench separate from the WW bench for doing "dirty" stuff on. Floor drain for the dehumidifier. Sanding area with a downdraft table plumbed into the dust collector. Clamp rack close to the assembly bench. Bird cleaning station, oops that's the other Hobby.
Yeah picking up a few planes, making a lot of my own, lost count probably around 20 or so. I like the feel of woodies and transitionals.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

20 or so, and making your own!? Leigh, you dove headlong down the slippery slope!! Any pics posted here? Maybe send me a pic of one if not, I love homebrew planes!

What do you think of those heat/cool units? While i have it down to the studs, it would be easy to add ducts, so I planned on that, but the cost of the self contained units sure looks good.

[Leigh Betsch]

I got the heating and cooling combo units free from a heating and cooling friend of mine. They have never been used, they were supposed to go to a motel but they got mice in them. Ok with me I like mice. The AC works good, don't use the heaters much, I have forced air natural gas in the shop for the main furnace. Yeah 25 miles from town and I have natural gas, live along a pipeline, cheaper than propane, I'll probably blow up some day. I probably should have bought a new heat pump with the Oboma money last year but I bought a new snow blower instead, good move so far. I'd go with a central system and duct work if I were you and can install the ducts since the studs are open. Of course in floor heat is the best but not always easy. I think you would get more even heat distributed around your shop with a central system rather than the heat/cool units. I always worry about the wood dust getting on the heating element of the combo units. I can smell them when I have used the heater part.
There are a few plane pics posted in the Neander forum. I've got a 36" chunk of mesquite just temping me to make a long jointer plane. I built a mesquite block and a mesquite scraper plane already. I built a little metal apron plane and an infill that I did for another guy. I've got 4 or 5 transitional planes stacked up, and another one in the mail, waiting to be cleaned up and re-soled. I resoled a Stanley 26 with lignum vitae, it works so well I just have to do a few more. A couple of Steve Knight coffins and a Knight Jointer, a few Stanleys and a few Stanleys in parts (doesn't everyone?). I built a nice 22" jointer out of beech and purpleheat, made my own blade and blade adjuster mechanism. Once the mesquite jointer is done I'm going to build another infill smoother. I've got the CAD drawing, just need to program the mill and buy some metal. I didn't dive, I was pushed, thanks....

[Josiah Bartlett]

Radiant heat so you don't have to worry about dust impacting the air handler, and pipe for an air compressor. Also, a bunch of 240V outlets and joists on 12" centers.

[David Thompson 27577]

[you sadi some stuuf, then you said.....]

What I'm thinking right now of doing is to open it up completely, and frame for higher ceilings .......

[then you said some other stuff]

If the old house was originally framed using balloon framing, then your idea might work. If it was built using platform framing (like just about every house since the early 20th century), then you won't be able to raise the ceilings, without HUGE costs and structural issues. In platform-framed houses, the floor/ceiling systems (the platforms) are structural, and should not be moved or removed.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

David, here is my plan for raising the ceilings. First, the house has 14 little rooms. I want two, so I'm removing all drywall and non supporting walls, I can easily tell the difference because I can see the structure with no drywall. Second, after removing the non supporting walls, I'm being left with two supporting walls that I would like altered, and open 2x4 "trusses" on 24" centers, at 8' high. I want more insulation, and to change the window and door placements, so at this time I'll also reframe for them, and add furing to allow 6" wall insulation. The ceiling can be raised two ways, I think I'll add in scissor trusses, built in place, then remove the current framing after a new structure is in. This gives me an aditional 3' roughly of ceiling height in the peak, and a nice space left for good insulation under the roof. It also fixes one supporting wall issue.

I can completely open the big "L" shaped room, if when I'm framing in new scissor trusses, I frame the joining of the two wings different. I haven't decided if this is worth the work yet, I may just frame in another big door in that supporting wall.

The cost of the supplies to do this is really pretty reasonable. A contractor would charge a fortune to do it because of the labor. I have the luxury of no deadline to finish, my own labor, a crew of guys that I can borrow from the farm when needed, and some really good tools to get it done. This will take a long time, but we've already got a great start.

I apologize for the lack of knowlege of terms, but I think my plan is sound. Thoughts?

[Bryan Hopfensperger]

Hard to get the picture of your scenario in my head - but in my dream shop I'd like to have a pair of big sliding doors for moving in lumber, etc. and moving out projects, etc. -Big enough, even, that you could unload lumber right inside the shop. (That's my dream, anyway.)

What I'd really like to have is an old barn to turn into a shop - one that had a drive bay on the side. Nice, heavy wooden floors, HIGH (really high) ceilings…*a fellow can dream.

[Jim Andrew]

Steve, I did a rebuilding of the roof framing on the building I made into a shop. The trusses weren't strong enough to add a ceiling to, so I knocked out one at a time and reframed them heavier. Lots of work and time. But it didn't cost that much. Just wish the building was oriented east and west so I had more windows. Natural light beats flourescent lights. If you can lay out where your machines will go, I'd think about adding some extra joists under the heavy equipment. A 900 lb sander puts a lot of weight on just a couple joists.

[Bob Winkler]

You might consider also running some copper lines in the walls to distribute compressed air throughout the shop/house. Saves tripping over air hoses. And consider a nice home for the air compressor that is away from your working area, or else sound isolate a room.

[Kurt Keeler]

I had the same deal,,, bought a place with a spare house. Really run down and hardly worth saving. I burnt it down, bulldozed the old pole barn and had a new one built. It's only money!

[Ole Anderson]

I would definitely set up a portion of my finishing room as a spray booth. And I would find a way to put in a toilet and sink.