The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Tool Chest My new shop space.

I just rented a new garage/shop space to work on my projects. It is about 28 feet wide and 34 feet deep, it has an 8x8 foot roll up door. The ceiling slopes from 12 feet at the entrance to about 16 feet at the rear. I am looking for tips to better plan the layout and use of the space. Are there any good sites or forums on setting up, organizing garages? Any tips from fellow stovebolters?
Thanks,
Chris

Try garagejournal.com

I am guessing you want to go for that perfect set up and get it right the first time?? I have never been able to do this because of two reasons, first there is never enough space and second, projects make you move things around to accommodate their needs. Good luck and I would like to see your plan, maybe even steal a good idea if you don't mind

Hank

Put everything on wheels or have a forklift. You will never stop switching stuff around.

Dan Bentler

Thanks guys,
I have started looking at garagejournal, its very helpful.Having things on wheels will be helpful, where is the best place to buy the dollies that go under car wheels?
Thanks,
Chris

I bought a set on sale at Northern Tool for under $100. I can move my truck around by myself with ease. The only problem is getting something under one of the wheels. Something as small as a cotter pin will stop it dead in its tracks.

My only suggestion is to purchase the dolly's with the hard plastic wheels they seem to not get hung up on every tiny pc. of debri like the steel wheeled set I had prior to the ones I use I got from Eastwood.
Tim

I got some of the plastic wheeled dollies and the plastic wheels would get hung up on some small stone and break. THen the dolly tray would be bent up on the corner. I won't get the hard plastic wheels again.

What are your plans for the area? Are you going to be just using it to rebuild this truck or are we looking long term? You might talk your way into a re-builders shop to have a look. If you need to plumb an air compressor TPTools has a nice diagram online. Sounds like a nice size shop. I have to roll my truck to one side to blow my nose. Fortunately I picked up some Harbor Freight wheel jacks for 90% off. I am not sure I would have paid the $100 but ten bucks was to good to pass up. http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/tips-shop-layouts-tool-purchases-133146.html This link has some good general info.

One other issue you may wish to address is security. Buy some good locks ( I like Medco) and cover any windows to prevent prying eyes from checking out your tools and equipment. I just used some film and tinted them real dark. You can also put a screw through the window sash to stop it from opening. Might sound a little overkill, but I want to keep all my toys and equipment safe.

There is not a lower feeling like getting a phone call at 5am telling you that your shop has been broken into. Got that call about 3 yrs ago, shop truck gone with all my tools, Miller trail balzer, Miller wire welder 251 Lincoln 170 and a lot of he hand tools were my grandfathers from 1964. The truck was found about 6 blks away with the clutch out along with the rear diff and they tried to burn it. My shop was empty. My office was trashed, file cabinets were opened and hands full of files were just thrown in the air to fall all over the place 30 yrs of records. Took 6 months to get them sorted out. Alarm Co. had went out of business and they didn't inform anyone, no alarm report no insurance. Been working on that problem since with no results yet. You cant be to protected. Makes me mad just thinking about it. I am done venting for now.

When I was setting up my garage, my buddy said that the key item was power...electricity....We wired the area with what I thought was overkill...multiple circuits and plugs everywhere...Now that I have used my shop for 5 years, I know that the wiring was the most important item...because I (like others have stated) rearrange my shop basis current job...you do not want to make those decision basis where you can plug in your tools...

I ran a seperate circuit down the center of my shop between the work bays and dropped 2 12-3 SO cords with female plugs on the ends every 6 feet 6'4" off the floor, that saves me countless steps and the mess of extensions cords laying all over the floor. Don't know about you guys but if I got an air line and a couple of extensions cords on the floor they will be a tangeled mess before the project is done. Thinking about running a air line right beside the electric line.

More power is always better..like Tim the toolman Taylor used to say. But seriously, these guys are right, don't let your buddy on a do it yourself or an electrician on a hired job put the outlets at residential height unless you like crawling around on the floor like a reptile. I put mine in at just above waist height, makes for less stooping over, crawling, etc.

Over wire it, over secure it, over build it and over enjoy it.

When I built my shop I didn't put in any windows for security and both of my roll up doors have no outside handles. I shut off the power to the electric openers when I'm away from home, so far nothing taken when closed up and I've been in it 12 years. I have had several things stolen when the door was open, so now I close it when leaving even for a few minutes. I wired my electric plugs every 8 feet all around the perimeter of the shop, all 20 amp plugs with 12 ga. wire. I also put in 2 plugs for 220 volts. wish I had plumbed air on the walls as well so I still have my compressor on wheels.

When I built my shop I also have no outside door handles on the garage doors use power openers and only have 2 windows that face the house that is 75' away and installed motion lights at the man doors and garage door area's so I can see real quick if someone is poking around in the dark.

I have windows placed near the top of the shop walls for light only. A ladder is needed to get to them. I am going to place bars on the inside of them and my service doors have bars across them and electronic locks that I can change codes on and change keys. One of my overhead doors has rail clamps on both sides and the other has an electric opener. I hope I inadvertantly don't lock myself out.

I guess I am not thankful enough that I live in an area the is pretty safe. I have found over the years that a good alarm sign is almost as good as a good alarm. You can buy a sign and window stickers for national companies on ebay for a few dollars.

I feel relatively safe in my area, but that doesn't mean that my area isn't the home to crooks and theives.

I trust in God, load my guns and lock the doors. There is still a competition of my free will vs. a criminals free will.

i just built my shop this last year. everybody thought i was crazy for not putting any windows in. both doors face the house. i have a new lock for the drive through door and i can also put a extra bar on the rails then go out thru the walk thru door.
the whole garage is behind a privacy fence that has the drive though gates locked. the mote is will have to wait till the end of the year with the insulation. i also put in just as many 22 outlets as 110. i also built it just as big as the city would allow. i also built lots of storage, shelves around the upper couple of feet of the wall, and lots of free standing storage. over build and over enjoy is so true!

Just a tip,
In my shop I installed 8' foot floresents on the wall horizontally 6' of the floor and shimmed them to bought a 10 degree down angle, where the front end of my vehicles set when parked ....the extra light ya get when the hood is up is FANTASTIC!...i just installed plug in cords on them and when I'm doin under hood work I can just plug them in and light up the work area.
Tim