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Shop ‘requirements’

AviatorJ

Well Known Member
While I have the experience of slamming together a 10, I have the opportunity to get a new garage/shop customized to my liking. Below is what I already am thinking but looking for additional things to contemplate.

* 24x30 detached garage, with loft - this is about all that will fit in the space.
* 8’ garage door - my 10 barely fit under my door so going taller.
* Sprayfoam insulation - have it on my current garage which really help keep the space workable.
* mini split unit - workable is still hot Or cold depending on season. Instead of using my portable AC or heater this will work for climate control.
* 220 volt - I want a larger compressor that runs 220.
* hard-mount compressor lines - instead of wrangling with the lines.
* LED lighting - Those generic Overhead lights aren’t the best. I used stand lighting on my 10.
* built in cabinets - I’ll build these myself and have space for all my existing stuff.
* shelving - Wide deep shelves for parts are a must have.
* wifi - Plan to put an AP out there
* Solid color epoxy floor - I want to protect the floor without having it camouflage dropped bolts, screws, ect.
* ventilation - need something to ventilate, still need to research some options.
* cameras - I have something like 8 cameras on my house. What’s a few more.

That’s about what I got now. Any input would be appreciated!
 
exhaust fan and more

I'd want an exhaust fan in an area that I would use for painting/priming/sanding fiberglass and maybe the ability to close off this area


A good vacuum system making it easy to clean up

A big sink

Couple of extension cords on reels

Consider a floor drain
 
Joist winch

As long as your making a list.
Add a joist winch. A friend of mine had one. So handy. Just roll it over and winch whatever up and out.
 
Running water, bathroom, floor drain. Dirty floors drive me nuts, would love to be able to rinse mine down. Like the winch idea also.
 
Paint Booth

Dan Horton has an amazing shop (any surprise there?). If I recall correctly, there are pictures somewhere on this site which show a wall of filters floor-to-ceiling that he could install, or remove as needed. He had a double filtered exhaust air box on either side of the garage door with a squirrel cage fan in each.

Enjoy the new shop!

Mike
 
Electric outlets at just above workshop height, located every 4' or 5' apart, all around all the walls. Extra outlets near the large door.

Dave
 
Laugh if you must, but I love my workshop Roboroc robot vacuum. Cleans three nights a week. Corners, under the benches and shelves. Picks up the stripped wire insulation, errant rivets, the occasional cleco, and dust and dirt of course.

Hardly ever have to grab the broom or dust pan, or leaf blower! Keeps the shop floor tidy. Thinking about one for the hangar.

Been extremely impressed with Roboroc. (Repurposed the first house one to the shop)

Also, I used ArmorPoxy II job-on-a-pallet floor coating. Comes with pretty much all you need to do a real epoxy floor. I went light gray, no flakes! (part hiders) Expensive, but good stuff.
https://armorpoxy.com/products/job-pallet-complete-ready-install-system-armorpoxy-ii-per-sq-ft/
 

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As Mike said, using a robot vacuum is a definite shop aid. It's in addition to your regular shop vac, which you'll also need. The thing about the robot vacuum is that you need to allow for it to go under the tables. My table bottoms are a hair too low and the robovac gets jammed in there.

Dave
 
Somewhere in the process decide if the shop will be "show" or "go".

Flooring is a good example. Mine sees the whole spectrum...cutting, grinding, welding, woodwork, painting, fabric cover, composites, and a few off the wall things I've forgotten. The floor has to withstand hot sparks, abrasive dust, spilled solvents, dropped tools, grease, and heavy machines on wheels. I've dripped more epoxy on the floor than most folks have put on an airplane. About half the floor has a coat of GM Silver Birch and Mitsubishi pearl. The other half got a lot of white overspray when my daughter painted a bed frame, and the rest is just mystery stains.

Nothing wrong with a show shop. I admire 'em too, and they are a great way to increase property values. However, serious shop work ain't always pretty, and there not much point in giving yourself a bad case of angst about screwing up a nice floor just to do the work you want. A good floor paint to seal the concrete may be plenty.
 
Agree

I agree with DanH...pretty floors are nice for show.

That said, I have tried several different floor coatings over the years, from DIY to professionally installed. As a data point, I have found that moving rubber tire around seems to be the worst for lifting paint. Also, spilled solvents aren't good either. The color chip epoxy looks nice but try and find an AN3 washer or nut on it!

If cost was no object, the next floor I would do would be polished concrete...expensive but very durable and easy to sweep.
 
This shop will be very much a 'go'. My concern on the flooring is bare concrete seems to hide everything I drop. I've spent countless hours of my life on my belly side looking for dropped screws or washers. Not overly concerned about stains. In fact I still have my wheel pant alignment lines from the 10 build all over my other garage.
 
Don't forget...

....Music!

Also, as flooring goes, I did the first build with some inexpensive indoor/outdoor carpet. The second build was on stained concrete. The carpet was WAY better for a lot of reasons...the primary one is that if you dropped something, it wouldn't find the far reaches of the shop corner! Also, carpet was easy to vacuum, easy on the feet, and was comfortable in winter. You just might want to think twice before doing any welding...!

2 cents worth
 
Good lighting
Air conditioning and insulation
A 240V outlet suitable for welding and/or powering an oven
Good wifi (for research)
Outlets everywhere, on a couple of different circuits. Put them up high enough that ypu can lean a 4ft wide sheet of something against the wall below them and not cover them up.

A sink and/or bathroom would be nice
 
Whole hangar surge protector wired into the panel.

Industrial sized/deep sink. Don't get the one at Costco right now, the spigot tilts outward towards you and always sprays me when I wash my hands.

Eyewash station next to sink?

Sonos wireless music system with hd drive attached to the router with burned music from ~3,000 cds we collected over the years. (we've been using the eero mesh internet system at home and love it.)

Desk area with wireless laser printer.

Magnetic dry erase board for sketching out ideas or to-do lists.

Sign on outside with contact phone numbers for emergencies? I have one, came in handy one day when the smoke alarm was going off and I was on the road and the airport wanted to get in. (false alarm.)

Multiple fire extinguishers.

Small galvanized trash can for oily rags, etc.

HazMat paint locker for chemicals.

Keyless/keypad lock for door. It's not if, but when you lock yourself out.

Overhead fan on timer. Mine runs 2x/day to help circulate the air. Probably overkill, but I'm gone a lot, and if something is smoldering the fan will distribute the smoke to (hopefully) a detector and set off an alarm.

Any shelving should be on wheels. Workbenches, too.

re: Joist winch. Had a Harbor Freight one at my first hangar, really miss it at my new hangar. https://www.harborfreight.com/automotive/winches/1500-lb-capacity-120v-ac-electric-winch-61672.html

re: overhead lighting, here's my thread with some good input (and what I ended up with) https://vansairforce.net/community/showthread.php?t=202069&page=2

Traeger.
 
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1. Everything on wheels
2. Ceiling chain hoist
3. Single color epoxy floor (high solids from SW or similar - not the Home Depot thing)
4. Plumb hard lines for air with lots of drops
5. More electrical boxes than you expect to need
6. More overhead light than you think you will need
 
On the compressor, think seriously about spending an extra $1000-$1500 and spring for either the rotary screw or Hydrovane type compressors. So much quieter than the piston type. There is also the Easton scroll type compressor that I think is a bit over $2000 which is also much quieter than a piston type compressor.

I have agonized over this same decision several times over and have never been able to swing it based on priorities. I'm just starting a new business rebuilding diesel injection pumps so the compressor was just sized to what was needed for the wet blasting cabinet and not $1 more...
 
1. The heavy duty compressor is an obvious one, but what would really set it apart is to have an outdoor space for it. Perhaps a closet or something built along the exterior wall. Those things are so freaking loud, and having it plumbed and wired to an area outside of your work environment would be amazing.

2. Wire and air drops in the ceiling, or through the floor. Especially if you plan to have a 4x8 walkaround workbench in a permanent location. You can add outlets and air to the "island workbench" Nothing is better than being able to effortlessly walk around the workbench with no wires or hoses to trip over.

3. Windows. You will be very thankful for the natural light during the countless hours spent in the shop.

4. Whole house fan. These things are amazing in your house after you cook fish, and even more amazing for your shop after a quick primer spritz or fart from a friend. Especially if you start to get into composites and the epoxy smells they produce. These things can exchange all the air in the entire shop in about a minute.

5. White floors.

6. Exposed ceiling beams. I know, sounds weird, but knowing where the hardpoints are makes it so much easier to hoist things, hang things, mount things, add wiring, etc. Just have them paint everything white.

7. Make all your workshop bench tops out of MDF or melemine, and replaceable. That way you can drill, paint, spill, whatever on them, and it's a quick home depot trip to refresh them to brand new.

8. Bathrooms are nice, but expensive. A pvc tube on the wall that flows out into the garden can work just as well at a fraction of the cost. ;-)
 
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One thing, tho. I know you want a working hangar, but don't neglect the small luxuries. A lot of times I'll come home from a trip, tired, grumpy, and jetlagged, and I just won't want to be around anyone (and when I'm like that my wife doesn't want me around, either!!). Many times I'll go out to my hangar, sweep the floor or turn on music or a movie and just chill. Maybe look at a problem that's been bugging me, take a nap, go for a walk, and sometimes I find the answer to a problem just by letting go of it but being near it, staring at it from across the room.

It's not just a workshop, it's a refuge.

Apologies to Maj Brian Shul said:
The hanger was my refuge. It was a place where I experienced many emotions and learned many lessons. It was a place of work, but also a keeper of dreams. It was a place of deadly serious building, yet there I discovered much about myself. I learned about joy and sorrow, pride and humility, making and correcting mistakes. I did much in my hangar that most people would never do. At times it terrified me, yet I could always feel at home there. It was my place, at that time in space, and the world would turn off for those moments. Though it was a place where I could quickly lose an eye, the hangar was a place where I built my dream. — (with apologies to Brian Shul, 'Sled Driver; Flying The World's Fastest Jet,' 1992.)
 
Dug around in the can stack.

This stuff (photo below) has been down 15 years and shows no wear. I tried it after someone on a homebuilt forum said their employer was using it on loading docks, and the forklifts didn't budge it.

It's not solvent proof, but that has not been a problem. I would use it again.

Old label. I think the current product is:

https://diy.hcconcrete.com/product/hc-concrete-sealer-solid-color-exterior/

My plan is to empty the shop when I sell the place, run a floor sander for scuff, and roll on a fresh coat.
.
 

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Fridge

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned a fridge/freezer. Great for keeping those beers cold for after a good work day. Secondary use is freezing sealants, paint, primer and other things for extending pot life.

I just have a mini-fridge and that's plenty big enough.
 
Speaking of utility sinks, I:
  • Hung mine from the wall for sweeping access under rather than giving it legs and put it at bench height because it is next to a bench.
  • Used a kitchen type pull down faucet.
  • Added a pipe on a ball valve hanging into the sink in order to fill a bucket fast.
 

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shop wants

Ok OK OK Having been in construction for 40 plus years I will say I would never build a shop without putting 6 mil visqueen under the concrete floor.
And don't let anybody tell you that you can't do it as we have done it hundreds of times. Oh ya rebar/wire in slab would be nice as it reduces cracking.
While you are at it put a few hard points in the floor for pulling things.
I absolutely would put the compressor outside with all lines plumbed on the surface of the walls NOT inside the walls. This is mandatory as we have put lines internally in the walls and had failures. That blue aluminum lined piping is the best way to go.

I would never use spray foam as you have no access to the inside of the walls for future ???? If you sheet rock the inside just seal the rock to the floor to reduce air infiltration.
I would use power trowel finished concrete with a good sealer. A person can add a color to it real easy.
All the plugs on the walls would be three gang (six outlets) and all of #12 wire minimum. Yes you will want some of those outlets in the lid also.
I used all LED lights with plugs on a switched circuit.
220 outlets as you might think needed.
Everybody else has already talked about he other stuff.
My three cents worth Art
 
I'd like a floor drain, hot and cold running water...softened even. And the lower walls of brick or in some way protected against splashing....basically A place to wash cars out of the sun...useful even for other stuff even if not cars.

Just theorizing, but I'd like a comfortable place to do paper work, review plans, research, etc.... a good desk, or perhaps an old fashioned drafting table.

A comfy seating area like some folks have in their hangars...a lazyboy or sofa, etc... just comfy enough to "take 5" while enjoying a cold drink between tasks or while reading some instructions.

For kits/homebuilding I'm surprised more hasn't been suggested for things such as a very level area for jigging up things, overhead chain hoists &/or lifts, etc...
 
Hardware bins

I like having the multi-tray storage bins hanging from the wall for hardware. Spend $100 on common rivets, washers, nuts, screws, cotter pins, etc. and put them in their bin. Very little work to set up, and though I hate paying $7 to ship $0.45 of hardware, I hate having to stop working for a few days while waiting on $0.45 of hardware even more.

I’ll second a fridge. A recliner is nice, as sometimes I like to sit down and peruse the prints to understand better what I’m doing.

This may seem weird, but I keep spare shoes and a change of clothes there. If things get messy, or are going to get messy, I have grubby clothes right there. So perhaps a coat hook or 2?
 
Necessity: a good internet connection. We switched cell phones to T-Mobile in April and I added their 5G Wi-Fi Gateway service for $50/month. Unlimited service, occasionally spotty in thunderstorms, and getting 31 Mbps today. Also works with the metal hangar door closed, surprisingly.

Luxury: I was gifted an extra shopvac, I keep the hangar a lot cleaner now because I don't have to drag it around from one side of the airplane to the other.
 
One thing, tho. I know you want a working hangar, but don't neglect the small luxuries. A lot of times I'll come home from a trip, tired, grumpy, and jetlagged, and I just won't want to be around anyone (and when I'm like that my wife doesn't want me around, either!!). Many times I'll go out to my hangar, sweep the floor or turn on music or a movie and just chill. Maybe look at a problem that's been bugging me, take a nap, go for a walk, and sometimes I find the answer to a problem just by letting go of it but being near it, staring at it from across the room.

It's not just a workshop, it's a refuge.

Right. So...add a beer fridge.
 
Concrete

If you are going to color your concrete floor have them add the color in the trucks when they arrive or better yet at the batch plant (then the color can be matched between the trucks although timing of the trucks can be an issue). That way if you chip the floor or the contractor saw cuts the stress reliefs, the color is the same all the way thru.
 
TV?

Heck, might as well include a large-screen smart TV hung up high. There are so many great instructional videos available, as well as super cool aviation content.
 
This building which I thought was going to take about 5-6 months ended up taking 14 months for occupancy and another month or so for me to build out the shop area.

I stuck with most my original ideas along with a few ideas thrown out here. Some differences are that I had a professional epoxy job done. This was driven by the slab just looking rough and cracking a bit. I'm glad I did it as it looks amazing! The downside is what I thought it would be and if I drop something, especially a metal screw I get down and assume the position to look flat across the area to find it. When that doesn't work I break out the broom until I get it into a pile.

I also decided not to build my own cabinets. I saw these white/platinum New Age Pros and went with them. They're really nice and should be durable. I had planned to do the countertop with Baubuche (awesome stuff) but my local supplier is out and didn't think they were getting anymore. I ended up buying a 10' piece of butcher block which I had to cut and seal.

Then a few minor things such as the compressor reel vs hardlines, slatewall, etc.

Really excited to get started on my next project in here. Should be a great space to trash up!
 

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Ahh, we're back to this! The shop build is fun and all, but the magic happens therein.

I built an amazing 1200sqft space, but it took me many months to transition my brain from "shop build" to actually spending time there and doing good stuff. Of course, today, it is my second living room.

With all the thought and prep, allow the space to be completely flexible. I have work spaces that are as they landed many years ago just on accident with no thought. Sometimes things just work (or we just get used to) as they are.

Then a major project changes and you flex and push things around.
 
Heat

AIR CONDITIONING.

Heating is easily. Cooling takes a bit more work.

Funny. At 7,500' air conditioning is a non issue but heating is a big deal. Our house doesn't even have an air conditioner. I can get down to 65 just opening windows at night. Close in the morning and it holds all day. House has a big honkin' heater. Hydronic system. The furnace pumps hot antifreeze through pipes in the slab and joists. No forced air. Floors are warm. The hot water heater is also a zone. Typically 68 year round.
My shop has a propane heater.
I rarely see more than 75 in the shop in Summer. Winter? That's when things get interesting. I usually turn on the heater as soon as I get up. A couple hours later it's 50 and tolerable.
 
Larry, The original poster is in Oklahoma City. It’s 102F at 6:23 right now.
 
Larry, The original poster is in Oklahoma City. It’s 102F at 6:23 right now.

These minisplits are doing a fantastic job. Before I got the installation done it was easily over 90 degrees in the loft and miserably humid.
 
Heat

Larry, The original poster is in Oklahoma City. It’s 102F at 6:23 right now.

I know, that's why the first word in my post is "Funny". No one gets my sense of humor. Oh bother!

If you want serious, I managed six Data Centers in ATX. One had two 12 ton air handlers. N+1. They rotated every 24 hours. I never could get network people to understand every amp they installed generated an equivalent in heat. If one air handler crashed, they switched. One time both crashed, it zoomed over 100 in five minutes and servers started to crowbar. Thankfully, it was Winter and we brought in fans and moved cold air in till the units were up. It was a five 9s data center. 911 traffic. Millions in transactions.

No more seriousness. Back to myself.
 
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