Shop dilemma, use existing farm buidings or build a new shop

[Adam Cook WV]

Shop Dilemma

Hi, I'm new to posting, but I have been reading great advice on here for a couple of years. My problem is several different choices for a shop building.
I am currently working in a 13' x 13' log cabin beside my house with a 5x13' porch, about 12 foot from my house. That's option 1: pluses are wood floor, natural light, 10' from panel box with plenty of spaces, already wired in lights' its close enough to my house to let my kids play in the yard while I work. I can still see them ages 3 and 6, my wife works till 6pm and on Saturdays. Its easy to heat / cool, disadvantages are small size. Currently I have a 14" band saw, BT drill press, miter saw, workbench and assembly table along with the regular hand tools and power tools. My not so great bench top table saw stays on the porch unless its supposed to rain.

On my family's farm where I live the other options would be #2: my no longer used milking parlor, 12x20' block 8 ' ceiling 2 windows, concrete floor, and about 1500 feet from my house but out of site.
Option 3: the bottom of a bank barn, kind of like a basement with one side out of the ground, it is probably 100 years old but had new concrete floor about 10 years ago. the available part is about 16 x 40', with the old milk house attached is another block room about 10' by 12'. ceiling is about 7' max and room has 1 small widow and 1 - 4' door it was wired for lights and basic receptacles about 10 years ago it is also about 1500 feet away. disadvantages are it is really hard to heat in the winter, always seems damp, low ceiling, little natural light and I work on concrete all day and doing my fun work on concrete takes some of the fun out of it. Also I would have to pay a baby sitter in the evenings and on Saturday on days I wood work or not start till night time when my Wife is home. I get home from my real job at 3:30 or so, so I usually have time a few days a week to get some woodworking done.

I mostly build solid wood furniture one piece at a time, currently I have a mill plane for me, 10 cents a foot, and I edge joint with a Lie-Nielson #8 hand plane. I have been building furniture as a hobby / extra money for three years.

I recently solved my table saw problem getting a delta 5hp table saw on ebay for 218.00 after watching for two years fairly regularly. now I have a shop problem because I don't know where to put it. That's always the way, solve one problem create 10 more. I could expand the cabin porch to say 10 x 16 and close it in or go with one of the other options or do something temporary and start saving to build like a 24x24' or so new shop. I can build, wire etc. so I would have to save for materials only. So far I have sold enough furniture to pay for all of my tools and small cabin upgrades, a new shop would have to be mostly a fund as you go also. I apologize for such a long 1st post but I thought background info would be helpful. Any experience and advice would be greatly appreciated.

[Bill ThompsonNM]

Not liking damp concrete and appreciating proximity, I would expand the cabin. Consider using the milking parlor as wood storage and prep someday if you start processing rough lumber. You'll get more shop time if it's easy to watch the kids or to pop out for 30 min in the evening for a second coat . . .

[Adam Cook WV]

Thanks Bill, Great idea on the parlor that would alleviate feeling like I have to have room for milling and rough sizing in my current setup which is what I've been thinking. You nailed my work habits I cant remember how many times I have got home from work put the kids in the sandbox and put on that next coat of poly, cut out those tapered legs or whatever for an hour before dinner.

[Joe A Faulkner]

Adam, when I saw the dimensions of your cabin, I was reminded of this shop tour.

http://thewoodwhisperer.com/james-man-cave-shop-tour/

If you click on the first picture, it opens in a larger window and you can simply browse the photos. The size of this shop is 12x18. I think the layout is extremely efficient and it features a large table saw in the center of the shop. I think if you could expand your cabin to 13x18 or even 13x16 that would be your best option. Let us know what you decide to do.
Tell me about the delta table saw. Is it a single phase, or did you buy a phase converter? I've seen alot of 3 phase stuff but it seems that most of the single phase machines in this class that I've seen have been in the $1,000+ range.

[Adam Cook WV]

Joe,

Thanks for that great link, as for the table saw, It is 3 phase, 34-806 delta, best I can tell no deals on single phase with that kind of power, I think its late 80s 90s but thats a guess. I dont know which years different models were produced. Its from a school in Baltimore about an hour and 40 mins. from me. I pick it up this week. I'm leaning towards single phase 5hp new motor from griz $360 or static phase converter I'll still get 3hp continuous from the saw $216. I researched this a lot before I bid and rotary or vsd are out of my budget. I have a friend that did a lot of industrial electric and phase conversion work that said he would help me with rewiring the switch with the single phase motor. It was also missing the right side extension wing and fence. My plan is to get a cast iron benchdog extension wing to hold my router for the right side. My uncle has an extra 30" biesemeyer fence and rails he upgraded to a 52", that he said he would part with for cheap or trade. I figure with the new motor and upgrades I'll be a little over half the price of the 5hp 1023 griz. with the router table and shipping. I've used grizzly stuff and have no problems with it, I just personally prefer delta if I can get it reasonable.

[Dale Probst]

I'd add on to the cabin, from your description it only has the disadvantage of size. For me the other locations would be too inconvenient for anything but storage. You might convert the porch first and then later on add on to the end. Having built a couple of shops, I found it always cost more and takes longer than you think to get setup and going.
DP

[Joe A Faulkner]

Sounds like you will have a great set up at great value. Post some pictures once you move your saw into the cabin.

[Adam Cook WV]

I will definitely post some before and after pictures. could be a little while till I get everything together.

[Matt Kestenbaum]

+1 for the cabin...I"d think that with Mobile bases and making some stations work double duty (like modifying the assembly table to work as outfeed support too) 13" x 13" would work just fine. As my shop is in a basement with less than 7'6" ceilings, concrete floors, masonry walls and a too few windows peeking up through window wells...I'd trade a some square footage for more natural light, a view of the yard and warm/forgiving floors any day.

[Curt Harms]

Another 3 phase possibility http://grizzly.com/products/searchre...onverter&new=1. I know Bruce Page here uses static phase converters on metal working machines. An unused milking parlor seems like it'd be tough to repurpose-you'd have to fill the pit in, tear out the stalls if they're still there, knock down any curbs etc. It'd probably work fine for storage. If the bank barn is damp it doesn't sounds like that'd be great for wood or machines.

[Adam Cook WV]

Thanks everyone for your input. I am definitely going to add on to my log cabin (extend and close in the porch). I think for summer I will extend the roof and floor and frame in the end walls, as it gets colder in the fall I'll finish closing in the front. I always liked working in the cabin best, just been agonizing over whether I was shooting myself in the foot giving up a huge space in an inconvenient and dank location. I want to get a dust collector and wire in some more plugs. It seams like all that kind of stuff is a lot cheaper in a small space. Thanks again for ending the agony! It will be a while but I'll post some before after pictures once I start working on it.