T

TShort

Well Known Member
I've finished putting up the studs in the new shop and am ready to do the electrical before insulating and drywalling.

Anyone have any good tips or ideas for stuff before I close the walls? Other than lots of outlets and coax for TV, is there anything else that I should not forget or any little tips / tricks people have done? I'm not gonna "hard wire" the air lines as that is a little too much work and not enough benefit for me now - gotta get back to building.

Thomas
-8 wings
 
Thomas, this plastic stuff is probably easier to install now, before the walls are closed in because you won't have to clip it into place. Just drill the studs and pop it out where you want it.

DSCN1491.jpg


It is cheap and good for 90 psi... and it hasn't blown on me yet.

Aside from that... power, lights and coax and you should be good!

:) CJ
 
I just hung a glued together 1/2" PVC manifold for my air line, all the parts at OSH for <$50. The most expensive were the $4 a piece "M" type quick disconnect Male thread female quick disconnect.
 
BE VERY careful using PVC for airlines. I had a fitting come apart and sent a 2 ft. piece of 3/4 PVC 50 ft. across my shop. When it hit the wall it shattered into a million pieces. It was an absolute missle. I now use only black pipe for air. The PVC sure is easier but in 30 years I have never had a black pipe air line come apart.

One other point: I think it is also against OSHA Regs to use galvanized pipe for air lines. Supposedly the galvanize can flake off the inside walls and become tiny projectiles that could be imbedded in what ever body part was in the air stream. That's why I have always used black pipe. I bought a used air dryer on E-bay that came out of a dentist's office and boy does that work great. I have totally dry air now.
 
Last edited:
We recently plumed my son's metal fab shop for air. Used the green stuff. Thought it was a type of PVC but found out that it is ABS. Also found out that OSHA requires it because if you hit PVC under pressure it shatters (like one of the prior posts).

I've heard a lot of people using PVC without problems and OSHA is probably not a problem in your private shop. Also, the green stuff is a lot more expensive than PVC.

Whatever you use be sure to put a low spot in it and a drain.

Also, have you thought about a phone line?

Have fun dry walling.
 
Rigging the workshop

I am in a "slow" process of rigging my workshop. Some garajmahal things I am going to put in include telephone, cable TV, ethernet line for the computer.
 
I know the BIG shop that employ me is using some gray plastic stuff, I assume since it is well over 30 years old it can't be any better than the PVC. I didn't know that about PVC however, and when I get a chance I will change it. I'm not too worried about my glue joints for the moment however, since I pressured it up 15 minutes after it was glued with no problems.
 
I just used threaded copper tubing to make my setup. And ditto what everyone's saying about PVC....totally not what you want on the air line.
 
I will refrain from repeating my exploding PVC story, search the old posts if you are interested in reading it.

For Phone and Internet... how about wireless?
I was going to wire mine in, but my house is old and running any new wires is a total PITA, so I went wireless for for both phone and network (internet). Got myself a wireless router/hub and card for $30, and got one of these new 5.8 GHz phone systems that requires only the one base station to be connected to the phone line. Just food for thought.

Oh... suggestion... a few overhead outlets for lots of lighting.
 
Last edited:
RV7Factory said:
got one of these new 5.8 GHz phone systems that requires only the one base station to be connected to the phone line.
Click to expand...

Brad, I just talked the wife into buying one of those yesterday so she would have better reception when roaming around the house. Of course it came with three handset so one is in the airplane factory which is about 200 feet from the house. :D I also bought her a new office chair and nabbed the old one for the shop.

I aready had the wireless network for work stuff so am pretty well set now. :)
 
My PVC Air lines lasted for several months before exploding. I'm sure it was a weak glue joint by the way it came apart. I don't know how it lasted that long. Anyway that's my story and I'm stickin to it. Now I'm done! ;)
 
Metal pipe for me

One of the biggest reasons to use metal pipe is to get the moisture, that will surely be in the compressed air, to condense back to it's liquid state. That said, the heat transfer in any plastic, be it PVC or ABS isn't nearly as good as either copper or black pipe. It must be condensed before getting to any water trap as only the very, very expensive kind, will even begin to take out water vapor. I used copper and soldered all the joints, which is easier at home than trying to get just the "right" length of pipe threaded. Galvanized pipe is bad due to the zinc flaking off of the inside of the pipes.
Just my .02 worth. Take it for what it cost.

Paul
91300
9A wings on the way.
 
overhead pull down air hose, and electrical cord

and of course, if you can get it hooked up, a bathroom would be nice

mike
 
Internet connection

I found it's very useful to have an internet connection next to my project. When I'm looking for ideas on how to do something, I look it up on other builders' project Web sites.

If you have wireless, great, otherwise a telephone line or cable modem will be needed.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.