Garage Build

[Cruzn620]

well guys, hopefully soon i will be starting on my garage, and after santa left...i at least have an awesome jump in the tool department. I will post my cad drawings up here soon, as soon as i get done drawing all the equipment i plan on having in there. right now the equipment list is as follows: 2 15 drawer tool boxes, creeper board, jack and stands, utility work cart, retractable LED work light and reel, then my hand tools, a few air and electric tools and various drain pans and such. The plan right now is to have a 60 gallon air compressor (waiting for a sale on those) small blast cabinet, parts washer, drill press, welder, torch, chop saw, then work table with vise. after i have all of those basics in there, i am hoping to have room left for a fridge and a motorcycle lift. my dream is to have one of those storage lifts in it so i can put 1 truck up high and park another truck under that, save some space. the garage is going to be 24x30 (largest i could fit on my lot) and i am going to have a nice storage area "upstairs" which one day i could turn into a hang out spot if i needed it. i'll keep ya'll updated!

[Cruzn620]

here is a real quick sketch i did of the plan i have right now. please help me with input because i have never tackled anything like this, and though i dont have a lot of space, i want to have a shop that can serve its purpose for many years (and many projects) thanks!!

 

[flyerdan]

Make sure that you have plenty of electrical service, don't want to have extension cords running everywhere and limited 220. Seal the concrete floor with Johnson & Johnson Fortify, or similar, makes all the difference. You might also think about putting the compressor outside, for more room and less noise, Kitchen tearouts are great shop benches, available on craigslist for free quite often. Metal shelving can often be gotten for cheap and it is very handy. If you can score some lockers, they are great for keeping all the parts for tools together, like all the grinder stuff, air die grinders and bits, etc. Put your parts washer at the end of a bench, makes things much easier. Oh, and pegboard.

 

[Cruzn620]

thank you SO MUCH for your input. i think the only 220 stuff i'll have is my compressor and my welder. i thought about putting the compressor outside, but i live in a subdivision that has been burgularized before, and im just afraid that they would snatch it off the pad one night. its only 74db running anyway, i can handle that. i'll keep in mind the electrical thing when i am doing the electrical layout! that work bench that i have, im going to have it open on the bottom so i can roll my welder cart under it, and also keep the chop saw and stuff like that under there. genius idea on parts washer location. thanks!

[BEEBANI]

Wow Dan, the place looks really good since I was there last! You must have gotten rid of some stuff? I wish my garage looked like that!

 

Tyler, you suck, I wish I could build my own garage! I hate having to drive 15-20 minutes to go work on my truck!

[Cruzn620]

well jason...im driving 50 minutes each way to work on my truck now...so i don't have it very easy right now at all!!!

[BEEBANI]

I hear ya on that!

[yello620]

My two suggestion are LOTS of electrical outlets. 110v and 220v. Code around here is three 110v outlets in the entire garage. Mine will have around 20 outlets when it is done. I also wired in a plug up high near the workbench for mounting a retractable shoplight. 220v outlets are the most inconvenient when not available for use. Put a couple in now, before it gets sheetrocked.

 

My second suggestion is TALL ceilings. I want in the worst way a 2 post hoist. Could install a very small one, but that is pointless. Want one that will pick up a full size truck.

 

Jason

[flyerdan]

Yeah Jason, I did get rid of a bunch of stuff, the whole purpose of my 'vacation workfest' last summer. Brings me to another suggestion, Do not become SUCH A PACKRAT that you cannot move in the shop. :D

[Cruzn620]

Right now, i plan on 10ft. ceilings. I want to eventually get a storage lift to put my s-10 and datsun on. my s-10 is lowered 6" and my datsun will be laying frame, so i think 10ft. can handle both of them stacked up. and i THINK 2 220v outlets will serve me ok, one with 2 plugs for my air compressor, then another one with 2 plugs for somewhere around my work bench. the only other 220v equipment i plan on having is my welder. I am planning on having a couple of outlets in the ceiling for work lights and such. what do you all think about plumbing the place for air? at my cousin's bike shop, he has like 6 air stations hanging down from the ceiling at various places and its pretty handy, just plug and play right where you are working

[flyerdan]

Plumbing for air is always a good idea, especially during the construction phase when everything's open. I'm going to do that eventually. I've got an air regulator mounted next to the parts washer, 5psi percolating through a coffee can of solvent cleans bearings and such pretty good while you're off doing other things.

Once again - don't skimp on the 220 outlets because you don't need them right now, down the line you might get a lathe or decide to try powder coating and need an oven in there. It's a whole lot easier to put them in at the beginning, and the components aren't that much at the box stores.

[BEEBANI]

Yeah Tyler, I totally agree with Dan on that one. I would put at least 4 220 outlets in. If you get a welder, mill, or possibly a big pressure washer, all these things run on 220.

 

I also agree with plumbing air in, just don't make the mistake of using PVC pipe, very bad idea! I would use black pipe, it's cheap and easy to modify, and doesn't crack out in a couple of years!

 

We have hose reals in our shop that are on swinging booms, each one has 100ft. of electrical cord and 50ft. of 3/8" air hose. they are very handy.

[pope_face]

Well seeing as you're plumbing air in, you may as well try for some ventilation as well... If you're ever going to weld/paint/run the truck inside and you want to keep the door closed, then it's a good idea.

 

I'd suggest bigger garage doors... I can't tell how wide those are, but they look like single doors. You might want to try the wide ones... I don't know if it'll make much of a difference, but the extra size might come in handy.

 

Just out of curiosity, is 24x30 the largest you could fit size wise or square footage wise? If you could, I'd suggest going a little bit shorter and wider... My 521 is about 15 feet long, and if you put in those stairs you're going to lose about 3' or 4', which leaves you with less than 3' in front and behind the car to work on... Personally I prefer a bit more room than that, although at my current setup I don't have that luxury...

 

Looks like a good build though. Are you doing it yourself, or are you hiring someone to build it?

[]2eDeYe]

I agree with everthing said...lot's of electrical and the compressor outside. You can even build a sound resistant lockable case around it and hardline it.

[Cruzn620]

ok, so here are pics of the location where i am putting the location. The little group of trees there are going away in a few weeks, then when the ground gets a little better, i'll get my excavation done. I'm going to have to pay for the concrete work, but the rest of it, my dad and i are doing. Because of money issues, i am just going to get it dried in and electrical and water hooked up first, then do my insulation, hvac and stairs at a later time. for the time being, a ladder will get you upstairs! most of this project depends on how good uncle sam is to me this year! LOL! the doors i used in the drawing are 9ft. doors. Those are plenty big for what i need. i have a full size truck that will be parked on the left, and if i can't hit a 9ft. opening with it...i dont need to be driving! the boat stays at my dad's house (close to the lake...fuel savings! LOL) and i can save money with a 9ft. door. i also want the dual doors, no big single door. that size is the biggest i can go with it still looking correct on my lot. my lot is pie shaped and according to code, i have to stay 6ft. off of property lines...the left rear corner of the garage will clear the property line by 6'-4" so i am very limited on what i can do. i really think this shop will be plenty big for my projects. after i get my datto built i plan on putting that lift storage thing in, and i have a 12'x22' spot under my house that i plan on finishing out to work on my motorcycles and small projects. for the time being, i think im going to wait on plumbing air in, i was just going to do it along my ceiling, not plumbed into the walls or anything, so i could add that when i had the money. my uncle just built what i call the "garage-ma-hal" and it looks like a nascar shop in there. one thing he did was use white metal roofing along the walls instead of dry wall, easy to put up and reflects a TON of light. i plan on doing the same thing eventually because it looks so much brighter in there. i will try to snap pics of his shop next time i am down that way. you guys will salivate, but he won't let me bring my datto in there because its not good enough (bit of a prick)

North Elevation

West Elevation

[Cruzn620]

did i mention that this shop is going to REALLY cut down on my mowing time??? LOL!!!

[kiznook]

Looks like it could use some more windows. and a toilet :D

 

you could always build a box for the compressor to live in outside the shop, cut down on noise, save some floor space, and lock it up secure

[tiltnose510]

If you want to do a lift later, make sure the design is rafter or at least scissor truss. I have 10' walls in mine with 4/12 rafter and I can stack cars with no problem but if it were a truss design I wouldn't be able to lift the car high enough. One thing I miss on my shop is that I didn't put electrical outlets on the south wall but I did a number othem about every 4 feet on the others. I wish I would have put a couple on the wall that I thought was not going to need them. Also be sure to put one between the two bay doors for motion light wiring and that work you do outside. It makes it a whole lot easier. I also did my main beam for the roof out of w14x22 I beam and have a trolley and hoist up there now. The beam (880 lbs) was less than a thousand dollars and made all the difference. I ran my rafter setup on top of it and have a 14' peak to work under now with a hoist that runs all the way across to the upper loft. Engineering was a bit of money but I only wanted to build it once. I did it all myself and the 24 x 40 with 12 x 12 office off the front ran me a bit over 11k to complete it four years ago.

[Cruzn620]

windows? puhhhleaze! just gives burgalars something to see through! also...not very efficient! think...MAN CAVE!! i would like to have a toilet in there, but space is just too limited and my house is like 5 steps away. i tried putting a toilet in my plans several times, and it just didnt work out. you have to make a few sacrifices! the more it gets mentioned, the more i think that im gonig to build a spot on the outside for the air compressor. what do you do with that, have a switch on the interior to turn it on and off? what about pressure relieving the tank when you are done to clean out your moisture? i just don't really want to have to go outside to do that. and yes, the design is rafter...good idea on the trolly, but i think i am going to build a roll around a-frame at some point when i get to the lifting stuff. the only thing im going to need to lift is the body and stuff off of my datsun when i do that restoration, so i can get by with like a 7ft. tall frame and i could still roll it in and out of the shop. since i am thinking about this a-frame, i could build it so that it can be dissasembled when im not using it. thoughts on that?

[flyerdan]

An outside compressor shack will be good to have, it can be made secure and well ventilated to keep it from overheating. As for the tank drain, there are electric solenoid valves that are made for that, or salvage a gas control valve from an old wire feeder or something similar. It can run off one leg of the compressor circuit and have a push button right on the shutoff box. Just hit the button for a couple seconds when you shut it down and it's drained. I'm a lazy bastard, me.:P

[pope_face]

If you're not inclined to put the compressor outside right away, you might be able to get away with building an insulated box for it inside the garage, right next to one of the exterior walls, then just put one or two vent caps in the exterior wall to allow for ventilation and most of the noise to escape outside. You might be able to just enclose a space underneath your workbench and use styrofoam insulation to deaden the sound. Think subwoofer box that vents directly to the outside. If you put a little door on the inside of the garage you can have easy access to the compressor from inside, yet it's hidden and hopefully somewhat quieter.

[datsunhead]

move the compressor.i listen to mine run all the time...no fun can't even hear the phone ring.what...did you say something?

[yello620]

One other thing that i really like about my garage(and the last two garages that i had), was that i built them with 8ft tall doors rather than the standard 7ft tall doors. Pain in the ass to be walking into the garage carrying a sheet of plywood or ladder or something long/large and bash it right into the house above the door. That extra 12 inches make all the difference. I also have two truck that would only clear the 7ft door by 2 inches.

 

Jason

[Cruzn620]

well guys, the compressor i am wanting is just 74db and honestly, most of my work doesnt require air tools. im getting a 60gal. oil lubed compressor, so they are reasonably quiet. i will consider putting it outside if i can figure out how to drain it from the inside (thanks for the tips dan!)

[DanielC]

Ok, I also own three Fords, and sometimes visit this site, here is their Garage category:

http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/forum20/

That should give you some more ideas.