building suggestions

[gitractorman]

Another nice suggestion, if you are finishing the inside, consider white rib steel sheeting, just like the outside. It is easy to put up, already painted, and you can hose it down to clean it up. We are building a new shop at my dad's place, (80 x 250) and the inside of the show room, inside of the parts room, and inside of the service area are all being finished with steel. The paint on steel panels is rated for 30-year service, outside, so they should last forever inside. It also makes a nice ceiling, and the bright white panels are almost reflective, making it quite easy to light a big area with few lights.

Just another suggestion.
Bill

[Rudi]

John,
I helped a friend finish a 24x32 pole barn, and it did fill up fast, but he has a 21' boat that takes up way too much space. One thing I tried to talk him into, at the time he did not think it was worth investigating, was installing a single piece of I-beam across one section of the shop at the ceiling level. He now regrets not listening to me, as it is near impossible to add once the building is finished.

The single piece of I-beam can later have a trolly and simple chain fall added and can be used for many things like an engine hoist, wheel weight lift, lift for getting heavy objects in/out of a truck or car, etc. You can also, if you plan according, install a heavy set of shelving, similar to what you see in Home Depot, at one end of the beam. There you can store extremely heavy things, up off of the floor, on shelves, where they take up much less space. One friend has 3-snow mobiles that he stores on shelving like this, and uses a chain fall to lift them in place. Works great and he now has 3 sleds sitting in one 4' x 8' floor area. This would be a great idea for storage of implements, wheel weights, extra tires, parts, etc. All could be lifted easily and placed up on shelves out of the way.

Best of luck,
Bill

Bill:

Great minds think alike I guess.

Not having a shop crane has meant Jethro's block is still where it was almost when I had my heart surgery. Still can't lift that much.. So my b-i-l and I were talking, and in my pole barn that is exactly what we are going to do.. plus, it is a nice way to lighten the snow load.. requirements.

Also, I am planining on using old stainless steel bakers racks (they really are heavy duty and we have em), to store MY IMPLEMENTS ON.. definitely will be able to store the Cub-22, the Danco C-2, the reel mowers, the McCormick/54/54-a blade, a couple of spring harrows and other assorted stuff in an area only 4 feet deep but like 12 feet high! Also, since I am not going to be pouring concrete.. a shop crane still is not feasible because it is difficult to roll one on crushed rock.. but with an I-Beam and an electric winch plus a chain fall, you got it made in the shade.

When one becomes unable to manhandle stuff around, one must use what is between one's ears to make up for the lack of muscle.. Will also be great for loading and un-loading my super electrolysis tank...

[double R]

windows let people look in.

[kinelbor]

I found this metal building site today, it allows you to get an accurate online quote for a building. You enter all the details that you want.
http://www.metalbuildingdepot.com/aspx/instantzone.aspx

[Little Indy]

If you are going to have a concrete floor, put extra rebar in. Nebraska is having a drought which is cracking foundations that were built just to pass code. On my new barn I put in wire with 6 inch squares in the middle and two lines of rebar at the edges.

Last edited by Little Indy on Sun Sep 17, 2006 8:22 am, edited 1 time in total.

[Jeff Silvey]

I agree the BIGGER the more STUFF you aquire .
50 x 100 x 12 would possibliy do you alright . Just remember the taxes,elec., gas or what ever I didn't mention.
Jeff

[John *.?-!.* cub owner]

Thanks for all your suggestions fellas. I have for years dreamed of building a shop with a travelling crane in it. One with rails along each side and a center rail on dollys at each side , with a hoist hanging on a dolly from it. That way it could be used anywhere and pick up an item and move it to any part of the shop. However, reality has reared it's ugly head, both as to financial concerns, and as to my health. I am no longer able to do serious work on anything, just routine stuff and minor maintenance. Doing something as simple as removing and reinstalling an engien, or lpaaing the valves has become a major undertaking, requiring a farily large amount of time and pain medicine. that has takne the fun out of workign on them. This building will be used primarily to park my cubs with their implements, etc. I have about decided on either a 24x32 or 24x40 building with an 8 foot lean-to on the upper side for small trailers, implements, maybe lawnmower, etc. and a 10 foot lean-to on the lower side to get my hauling trailer out of the weather, as well as other things. Plan is for a 10x10 sliding door at each end, and one walk-in door. any heating done will be short term and via a kerosen space heater.

One of my concerns is lightitng. I am considering the fiberglass panels, but am concerned about them deteriorating with age. I have seen several of them on older buildings that were beginning to leak. What are your personal experiences with them. A second question is electrical lighting. What ype of lights do many of you have? I am considering some mercury vapor or halogen lights close to the ceilings. It will only be about 30 yards or so from the house, so I can get electricity to it by extending my existing welding circuit, though will be using heavier wire. Water will be to an outside faucet.

[Little Indy]

John, I posted this same suggestion on a different thread. But if one of the ends is non-load bearing to expand will not be hard. Just add the addition and remove the wall. I too am going to use a fiberglas skylight but I am placing it in a way where it can be easily replaced. Probably by my son. I am using lots of flouresent bulbs one of which will have low tempreture ballast, so that I will have light before I get the woodburning stove going.

Richard

[Rudi]

John:

any heating done will be short term and via a kerosen space heater.

Have you looked into a wood stove. Many of the modern ones are well suited to applications such as this, and are a great way to gain heat from surprisingly small pieces of wood such as tree limbs etc.. Even alder (what we call local alder) with main trunks less than 2 or 3 inches provide a lot of heat in small stoves.

I managed to save the old stove that came in the house that was originally on this property. I am thinking I might go get it from my father in law. Also, his brother has an airtight for me if I want it and can get it out of the basement..

Just a thought.. and it will be cheaper than kerosene..

Not sure of the insurance liabilities in your area, but here, they are allowed with proper heat shields etc...

[Eugene]

Flourescent shop lights can be purchased for around $10- each. I use them for area lighting in my basement. When I wired the basement instead of a socket for a light bulb I put in a 120 V. outlet.

If you can wait for several minutes for the light to come on, mercury vapor out door lights make very good area lighting. When I wired my shop in Iowa I put in a mercury vapor light in the ceiling and one incandecent bulb for a work space of about 30' x 20'. The incandecent bulb came on immediately. Mercury vapor lights cost around $30-. I have one that was installed about 15 years ago. Still has the original bulb.

Most of the time you will need light on your task. One or two trouble lights should do the job.

Eugene

[jakeesspoo]

Being a heating contractor I also would put in the radiant in floor heating if I poured a shop floor. You would have to put wire mesh in with the concrete to fasten the tubing loops to, otherwishe I hate having to pour over wire and rebar. I have poured hundreds of yards of mud also with my friends who have a concrete business and I believe if everything is poured correctly with the correct mud and conditions you shouldnt need any rebar. Put fiber mesh in if you want and lay off the calcium.