Clear span shop, or posts? What say you?

[Todd Burch]

My old shop was a 3 car garage, with a 16' wide and an 8' wide door, with a 20' extension on the back, making it a 30x40 workshop. 8' ceiling. In it, I built an "L" shaped wall, dividing the 16' door space from the 8' door space, traveling 1/2 way towards the back, and then making the L to effectively square off the 16' door "2-car garage" area to park and store stock in (~400 sq ft), leaving the larger "L" work area (800 sq ft) for tools and working. The L shaped wall held a ton of electrical, jigs, moldings, cabinets, etc. It was very useful, but in some ways limiting, mostly likely due to the number of machines I tried to cram in there.

My new shop is a 28 year old 30X40 barn with a 12' ceiling. Free span - no posts, no walls.

Back when I was contemplating building and designing a timber frame shop, I frowned at the idea of posts. But, alas, as I am setting up this "free span" shop, I find myself adding posts to accommodate electrical drops and duct collection piping/hoses.

So, I am now in the camp that posts are a good thing. I guess you can have too many posts, but the three that I have installed are certainly non-obtrusive and quite functional.

Do you have a free span shop? What do you do with electrical and dust collection? I have too many machines to just be able to put them around the perimeter walls.

Todd

[John Sanford]

Methinks the key is that you get to pick where the posts are.... and can theoretically move them without great difficulty. Too often in garages/shops/basements with posts, they are smack dab in the middle of work areas and can't be moved.

[Marty Tippin]

40x40 clear-span pole barn with insulated/finished walls. About half is available as my shop, the other half for storage and the boat. Outlets around the perimeter plus about 4 ceiling-mounted outlets with extension cord drops (using SJOOW cabling and proper strain relief via Kellems support grips http://www.zoro.com/g/Single%20Eye%2...rips/00060117/). Still pushing the portable dust collector around for now, but have plans for a 3HP cyclone and will mount permanent piping overhead with vertical drops where needed.

It's all working fine for me so far, just wish I had run a few more circuits before finishing the walls and ceiling... I have no plans to ever add any walls or posts, it's just way too convenient to be able to move around without restriction.

[Keith Outten]

If you have to install posts I suggest that you use steel pipe instead of wood 6 by 6's. I recently removed one of my wood posts and replaced it with 6" pipe and I have a second pipe to replace the second wood post when I can find the time. The first thing I did was to weld a 2" receiver on the first steel post and now several machines can be mounted on steel square tubing and inserted into the receiver. Things like a vise, buffing motors, benders, etc. You can weld plate from one steel post to a second one and create a T beam that you can use for lifting chores. You can weld a swing arm on the pipe and install an electric lift that is very handy for lots of jobs.

I run electrical wire inside the pipe then drilled a hole for the wire access into a metal box that I welded to the pipe for electrical receptacles.

[Mike Heidrick]

Keith whaere did you get the steel 6" pipe and how did you mount it to ceiling and floor?

[Todd Burch]

Keith, got any pictures?

[Keith Outten]

These are the pictures I found in my photo list that I have uploaded before. I can get a few more if anyone is interested.
I welded 3/8" plate to the top and bottom of the pipe so it could be fastened to the floor with concrete anchors and to the wood beam in the ceiling with large lag bolts.
I purchased the pipe from a local Steel Supply company in Newport News VA. I measured the height of the existing wooden posts and had the Steel Supplier cut the pipe to length when I bought the pipe. At the time I didn't have a means to cut 6" schedule 40 pipe.

I have an aluminum table that I often put in the vise so I have a table that is suspended a considerable distance from the pipe and I have a 6 foot long extender as well. When the need arises I will add more receivers at various locations to suit the project. Lots of stuff can be welded to the pipe even if the need is for something temporary as its pretty easy to remove temporary welds with a plasma torch.

The machinists vise and woodworking vises I have can be used in this receiver, on the hitch on my truck, on my trailer, lawnmower, garden tractor, golf cart, etc. I have one of the lifting booms that people use in pickup truck beds that I modified the base so it can be used in a receiver hitch as well.
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[Todd Burch]

That looks very useful. I have open trusses, with no large beam, but I suspect 3 of these, set in a triangle, with some large plate tying them all together (already have that), and anchored into the floor, would be a nice setup for lifting, mounting items.

And, I suppose if I did 4 of these posts, they could form the corner posts for a temp spray booth when needed too… I could make plastic walls with sheet plastic and magnets… Very handy indeed.

Hummmm…. might have to poke around some with the locals to see if anyone's got any old pipe laying around.

If I put mine up, Keith, would you come paint it for me? (Very nice paint job) (Nicer than the weld job on that vise - but it looks like it's holding just fine!)

[Todd Burch]

I need to clarify too. When I said "posts", I guess I didn't mean a "post" literally. More of a column I suppose, but the end result is the same. Here are a couple pics of two of the "posts" I installed. Merely two vertical 2X4's with a 1X12 tying them together, ramset into the floor with 2.5" nails.

IMG_1336.jpg IMG_1335.jpg

[Malcolm Schweizer]

I am still a free spanner. (New term!)Even if you have to add drops, you add them where you want them and not where some structural factor dictates.

[Keith Outten]

If I put mine up, Keith, would you come paint it for me? (Very nice paint job) (Nicer than the weld job on that vise - but it looks like it's holding just fine!)

Todd,

I brush painted the pipe, the pictures look better then the paint job in this case
The vise was my Dad's, someone gave it to him when it broke and he brazed the repair. It doesn't look very good but its probably stronger then the vise was originally.

If you have to have a vertical support you may as well have something that offers more features.
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[Don Jarvie]

What type of floor do you have? If you have a wood floor you can run the wires under it.

I have no posts either but I added a wood floor and put in an assembly table that acts as an outfeed table. I put outlets around the table and Two 30 amp outlets for the planet and TS.

[Keith Weber]

Todd,

It looks like you just installed a post on the outfeed end of your jointer. I take it that there's a plan there? I do see pallet truck tips sticking out from the base.

[Sam Murdoch]

Back when I was contemplating building and designing a timber frame shop, I frowned at the idea of posts. But, alas, as I am setting up this "free span" shop, I find myself adding posts to accommodate electrical drops and duct collection piping/hoses.

So, I am now in the camp that posts are a good thing. I guess you can have too many posts, but the three that I have installed are certainly non-obtrusive and quite functional.

Todd

This is my take on the idea of "posts" in a shop space though I must say that Keith has taken it to a more refined and functional level. I like your column too Todd.

[Todd Burch]

Todd,

It looks like you just installed a post on the outfeed end of your jointer. I take it that there's a plan there? I do see pallet truck tips sticking out from the base.

Keith, you win the prize. I was wondering if anyone would comment on that. Yes, I had to pull the J/P out of the way to do high work there. When finally positioned, it will be at a slight angle so I can maximize my board length.