Mixing processes (machining, welding, wood) in a 1200 sqft shop?

[sansbury]

Bear in mind your shop will be bigger than most European houses,

Appreciate all the advice on safety with dust. I will keep that in mind as I get into the ventilation/HVAC.

Make sure to mind the flock flying from polishing operations.

not currently planning on doing large scale spraying or polishing, or powder coat. Would love to do anodizing but that’s a whole other pile of problems I don’t want to deal with.

Hope it goes well, and don’t skimp on safety,

Haven’t got permits yet but my builder and engineer have been talking to the local inspector so hopefully no surprises. They both say the problems mostly come when you need a special permit or variance. Ask me again in a week!

 

[lucky7]

Sansbury, you’re going thru the same process I did about twenty years ago. My shop is slightly smaller than yours. I have an insulated but removable wall between woodworking/grinding/welding side which is unheated/unused from Dec thru Feb yearly. I know you said you didn’t want walls, but they do offer advantages. Some of the dirty side equipment seeks refuge inside the heated machine shop side over winter to avoid rust but doesn’t get used over winter. Have separate woodworking dust and grinding dust extraction. Probably should get welding fume/smoke removal as well- tried to buy some locally at big auction but got outbid.

My place no longer does commercial work so works well for me. And my wife’s car fits in the welding side over winter which makes her happy…

If you can swing it, radiant in floor heat is the cat’s ass! Heating a smaller area is also great.

Are you planning lifting equipment? Much easier to install when at building stage.

 

[surplusjohn]

a good dust collector for the wood dust should leave practically nothing behind. I once saw a shop that had fitted canvases covers made for his mill and lathe. he was just being fussy but that could be a good way to protect them from metal dust

 

[SteveF]

My shop is the same size as yours but has a 12' wide second floor. Easy to design the trusses for that. Most of my heavy tools are on custom pallets and have a "parking space". If I need more room for cutting some long stock on the bandsaw I have a pallet jack and roll it out. Table saw and band saw have connections to nice Oneida dust collection system. Large planer gets rolled outside when I need to use it.

 

[mjk]

2nd on the 1/2 hour rule, don't leave for any reason if you have done a spark creating process
In fact for the little bit I do, I stopped doing stick welding inside as its easier for me to just run the cables outside.

 

[aribert]

My shop is the same size as yours but has a 12' wide second floor. Easy to design the trusses for that.......

What is the roof height restriction for you location? I would consider a second story for wood working. I went to a retirement/living estate sale a few years ago and the owner had his business wood shop on the second story of an oversize residential garage. He fabricated a 6 x 6 ft (or possibly larger) platform that was a plug in the first floor ceiling and could raise/lower material, projects and heavier tools to/from the 2nd floor.

I'm in the process of building a pole barn shop (first wood load delivered this week and construction scheduled to start on Monday. About 1950 sq ft with 13.5 ft wall height with a 12 x 31 ft open lean-to. The front half of the building will have 12.5 ft high ceilings with trusses. The back half of the building will have a stick built roof with a mezzanine (underside/ceiling at 9 ft) for storage. I will have a walled off grinding/welding/compressor room along with a walled off 1/2 bath. Under the 9 ft ceiling will be the welding/grinding room, the machining area, the bath and small area for desk / clean work. The welding room will have a second man door to access the "welding patio" (under the lean-to roof). In the 12.5 ft ceiling area, one side will be a 2-post car lift and the other side will have parallel I-beams with an under slung 3rd I-beam traveling back and forth on trolleys with a trolley on the moving beam. I did the same "crane" concept in my current workshop garage but with the limit of a 9.5 ft ceiling height - I am so looking forward at having more ceiling height under the crane. I intend to inherit a wheelchair lift my mother bought for my late father. My mother is now in a nursing home. I intend to modify the wheel chair lift from about 42 inch lift to 10 ft lift to be the elevator to get into my mezzanine.

 

[sansbury]

What is the roof height restriction for you location? I would consider a second story for wood working.

25' unfortunately, so not really practical. That's why I'm putting in a basement section. I might put the woodworking in there. I'm going to have internal stairs going down to it and with the bridge crane it would be practical to lower materials into it using the stairway.

Your pole barn sounds like a great build. Good luck with it!

 

[aribert]

25' unfortunately, so not really practical. That's why I'm putting in a basement section. I might put the woodworking in there. I'm going to have internal stairs going down to it and with the bridge crane it would be practical to lower materials into it using the stairway.

Your pole barn sounds like a great build. Good luck with it!

Is the 25 ft height to the roof ridge? Here in Michigan, I have seen roof height called out as the midpoint between the facia and the ridge.

 

[sansbury]

Yeah, it’s to the ridge.