Need ideas for new shop floor, ceiling and walls.

[Jim Dwight]

My current and previous shop have 7/16 OSB with a skim coat of drywall mud and painted white. The skim coat makes the OSB look better and makes it more easily painted. I prefer to be able to hang things anywhere and it is not easily damaged. Takes less time/effort than drywall too. The ceiling of both have 5/8 fire rated drywall because there is living space above them. I don't hang things from the ceiling so no advantage to OSB up there. The floor of both is concrete. It doesn't bother me but I wouldn't mind a wood floor sometime. If you use the subfloor as the finish floor, I would put on a few coats of poly to make it easier to clean.

My outlets are about 4 feet off the floor. If I had a crawl space, I would put some in the floor - table saw for sure. That would also permit easier moves. I have only two circuits but that wouldn't be enough for most people. I have a 20A 110V for tools and a 15A light circuit I also have a few outlets on. For lights I have 4 cheap double bulb ceiling fixtures with CFLs in them (shop garage is 14x24). At least one 220V would probably be good idea. I don't see a need for a lot of circuits for a one person shop. I can only use one tool at a time (plus possibly a DC).

I have one 24 foot wall with no windows set up with a long bench for the CMS and RAS that share a fence and flip stops. The router table, shop vac, and a few other things are along this wall at the same height as the CMS and RAS. I made the bench 30 inches tall and then put wood under the saws to lift them to 38 inches. The benches have drawers for tool storage. Above the tools, I have drywall conduit in double 2x4s supporting hardwood lumber. Where the saws are not, there is a Paulk style work surface that has the flip stops in it (the flush style he uses on his 3x6 worksurface). More tools live inside this dual layer surface. This wall is the only finished wall right now. Other long wall has two windows so it is less useful. The 3x7 rolling workbench can be pushed against it but it needs cabinets or something above. The existing wall has given me enough storage to get the tools into the shop and get somewhat organized. So I can take a little time figuring out what goes on the other wall.

[Jim Andrew]

I like the idea of a crawl space under the shop. Make sure you allow enough room under the floor to easily work underneath. Being able to wire your machines from under the floor, and having your DC under would be cool. First thing I would do, would be to glue 2" closed cell styrofoam to the inside of the stem walls, so you could get by without putting insulation between your floor joists.

[Randy Red Bemont]

Great ideas! Thanks.

Red