Projects Shop maintenance, getting organized. It's about time.

I bought my pole barn off my dad when he got sick. Dad was a hoarder, but I didn't know how bad till I started cleaning it out. And I don't mean he hoarded useful stuff. Junk. He saved every rusty naiil he ever pulled from a 2x4. I've hauled 10 truckloads of junk out, and I'm just getting started....

When I bought it mom said "I'll cut you a deal on the price, but the contents are YOUR problem".

 

^^^^ Did you dad tell you the same as my dad did?

“This is all going to be yours some day”.

It was a running joke between he and I for many a year.

 

I have 5 years. I can't wait that long....I need space now. I'll do the deep dive purge, once I retire.

 

Hose reel was bought before I built the shop and installed first thing. Didn't help with the mess, still have one.

 

I have decided to go out every night after work and work for at least an hour on organizing. It usually turns into 4, but getting out there is the hardest part.

 

you’ll have to do it again in 5 years…..

John

 

I think what most people don't take advantage of is the space above the floor. Look up ^^^^^^^ and see all the unused space in many shops. I found that picking up old pallet racking creates much more space than you lose. You can use one level to make a workbench. On another thread you mentioned your shop fan taking up room. I had one and it was a pain in the butt. Too noisy and too much air. I'd sell yours and shop for a couple of column mounted fans. They make a nice breeze and the slower the rpm, the better. Anything you can store or mount up high means additional floor space. My son bought a house with a 1 1/2 car attached garage. He's a neat shop kinda guy. He had stuff sitting everywhere. Told him I'd give him a section of racking. He didn't want it. Said he didn't have the room. Twisted his arm and shamed him into trying it.

By the time he was done, he had virtually everything neatly stored on the rack, and now had room to park a vehicle and work on it. I still razz him about it. He has a lot of racking in his new homes shop.





You can still keep a lot of treasures and you won't be tripping over them. Also, mount fans up on the uprights of your lift or the pallet racking.

 

I'm on the fence between adding onto my garage or having a new one built. I need to separate out the machine shop stuff, that is in a separate 10' x 16' room which is stuffed.

 

Ok, here it is in all it’s glory. My hose.

And here is the mod to the cherry picker. First time in 30 years this thing has been folded up.

 

I need to do that to my cherry picker. It’s always in the way.

 

Took me about an hour, saves about 10 sf.

 

I like the low casters too. Fits better under the vehicle. Hmmm.

 

I have an extra set of casters if you want em. Swing by when you're in town.

 

This is just 3 of the 4 drawers in one of my 30 + filing cabinets. It`s under my pallet rack. You gotta be organized.

 

LOL, no, but when he was laying there dying he said "it's OK,, you can sell the barn and the boat. You don't have to keep um to make me happy." One of the last things he said to me. He knew both were a mess, lol.

 

I need one! I busted one caster wheel while yang my cherry picker to lift a boat lift last fall. Long story, don't ask, lol

 

I cleaned my shed after reading the same thread, threw out heaps of shit, found lots of forgotten stuff and even made a little trolly for my new plasma cutter ( that I purchased 18 months ago and never used due to having to set up and figure out how to use every time )

 

you know if i start to look like i'm cleaning my garage, the next thing is somebody will be asking when i will start it in the house.
you guys are out of line...

 

Depending on what your current setup is, I'd look into adding a lean-to onto the back(?) . If your current building is high enough to suit you, then you don't need a high ceiling in the add on. You can build a lot more room for the money with just straight rafters off the existing building. You have the convenience of being able to walk thru a doorway and into the additional section. You can put a lot of shop tools on wheels/casters and store them....and then roll them into the main shop when needed. Heat from the main shop will bleed into the leanto and help keep rust off things. Put an overhead door in one end of the leanto to load heavy things in and out. Maybe use it as a paint booth by draping plastic. You can probably run wiring from your existing power panel ($$).

Build a separate garage and you are always needing something in the other building...........

 

Back when I did the massive straighten/clean/dumpster party at my shop and out buildings, (in preparation for my future OT build), I mentioned to the kid that had wandered in years before (and seems to have adopted me), that it would be nice if it stayed that way. Redid the electrical and air hook ups to a 4ft. level. Overhead hose and electrical reels along with the two corner mounted jib cranes keep everything off the floor that doesn't need to be there. Everything but the massive work table, Bridgeport, and Ironworker are on wheels with a designated spot against the wall when not in use. Parts storage and the diesel compressor with air tanks stay in one of the outbuildings. All future projects (mostly his) stay in another out building. Best part now is all I have to do is poke my head in the door when the kid's working on one of his sand toys and say something like, "Jesus wept, a bomb go off in here?" and two hours later it's like Molly's Maids paid the shop a visit. I figure sooner or later he'll get the message that an organized and well kept shop make projects easier, faster and more fun to complete.

 

Mostly a blank canvas start. The end inside shed is 430 sq ft for a couple of 32s. My old shop of 40 plus years is behind me and has a double door walkway, that’s 581sq ft. All up now 2281 sq ft. Loading gear in today. Lift lathe and other gear to follow.Just trying to work out the best place to install equipment. A small gathering to welcome the new space.

 

Got my hose reel 5 years ago, hung it in the rafters 2 years ago, still no air hooked up to it. To many different projects.

 

Just built 4 of these and I love them. No more tripping over and manhandling air hoses. And I have taught myself over the years to be anal about always putting all tools and materials away in their designated places every night. this shop design is my third rendition, Last 3 houses have had upgraded versions, this is the final best design. Shop has been a dream to work in.

 

I'm considering the lean to. I have some CAD sketches made up, I have to see how wide I can make it. The existing garage is 24' wide, so I'd be happy with 18' wide x 12' deep. I have to see what pitch I can get out of the roof line. I plan on a 6' or 8' pass thru between structures.

I'm going to scrap or donate my Bridgeport and get something newer with a DRO. The Clausing lathe will be up for grabs and I want something a tad smaller. My engine stand and crane are loaned out right now which helps a lot.

The electric is no problem, I have an 100 amp sub panel with space. I need mainly lighting and some outlets, which can be re-strung from the old machine shop. The big deal will be permits. I can get someone in to do the footing and floor, maybe splurge on having someone do the basic structure. My BIL is an electrician and I know a carpenter who has helped me in the past.

 

I've posted them before, but I'll do it again. The lean-to is super simple. Just put some 4x4 posts in the ground next to your building and screw them to the building with lag screws. May need to counterbore a hole part way thru and need to hit a stud in the buildings wall. Then put a double plate on top of the 4x4s to set the rafters on.

Build a 2x4 wall on the ground and stand it up for the outside wall. When the floor is poured, put some threaded rod in place to anchor the outside wall. The wall should be just high enough to allow water to run off. 8' outer wall and a 10' or whatever the building allows for the inner support.

I used 16 foot 2x6s for a roof and put 2x4s every 2 feet as cross supports for the metal roof. Takes time, but works good. In NY if you have heavier snow loads, you might scab two 2x6s together every 3rd rafter for a little extra strength. Electric outlets are cheap. I put them on every stud about 4' off the ground. You can buy the box and outlets and have your BIL show you how. Then each box only costs a few ($5) for parts. Later you will find that you always have a convenient outlet no matter where you put a power tool.

The eight foot door is good between buildings. You might consider one on the end as well. You can put a car in if needed.

I'd keep that lathe and put it in the lean-to. Thats a nice lathe for a shop. If the mill isn't scrap, just buy an aftermarket DRO for it.



You can see how simple the framing is here.


How that one end looks now.

Part of the opposite end. Notice the simple 4x4 posts to support the roof. Don't need high ceiling that lets the heat rise up.

 

Looks organized. I like it.

 

Isn't that the truth.... I like finding my extea engine tools, last week I found 4x piston ring spreaders.. I gave one set to a young hot rodder we teaching how to rebuild his first sbc engine.

 

Since retiring I have been tweaking my workshop to make it more friendly to work in by getting rid of about 40 odd years of junk and spares which I will probably never use, and finally installing an evaporative cooler (I had to treat the family to a new unit in the house, so then I picked up a second hand evap unit for the workshop.)
Every time I'm about to start on my new project, I find something else which needs to be "permanently repaired", so the build gets pushed back that little bit further. There is light at the end of the tunnel though, yesterday I saw the floor which I lost in the mid 80's.

 

I can't go out the side, but like what you have done. I did some measuring yesterday and the only way out the back is to extend the existing structure. Which is cinder block. Nothing is easy over here. I could also extend it out the front, but would lose driveway space. Unless I rip some bushes out and widen the driveway another 10'.

 

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There just bushes......... Honestly, once you add something like a lean-to, it just transforms a shop. All those things that are in the way can be put on wheels, and heavy things like lathes and mills can be put in there permanently. The thing is that its much easier and cheaper to build a leanto than a complete building. When I built my pole barn, it had 40' trusses. They would be difficult to lift in place and take several people. Guy around the corner was building one and wind blew all his trsses over and damaged them. I took mine and put purlins between them so they were in pairs. Then had a crane come lift them in place. Only took about an hour to set all of them on the walls............but still it was a lot more costly and involved than laying 2x6s in place by myself. Thats why I push for guys to look at lean-tos. They really add space cheaply and easily. If the zoning is a problem or finances are low, one can build a car port. Then later on add the walls .......





Once you have a basic structure, adding a lean-to is so much easier than building another structure.