40x60 shop

Ok guys, looking for input on a 40x60 shop.
It'll be a pole barn construction, at least 16' from top of slab to the bottom of the rafters.

It will be fully enclosed but the enclosed space may not be the full 40x60, we may leave 15'x40' on one end to park our 5th wheel toy hauler.

We want a 2 post lift, 4 post would also be nice.
we have 2 welders (220 AC arc welder, 110/220 MIG welder) to run off of the power along with a 220 air compressor, outside we would also have the 30 amp RV plug.

For the air compressor we are thinking of putting it in the same area as the trailer in it's own little shed with the air piped into the shop and a hose reel near the trailer also.

Anybody have any other ideas they want to throw around?

It's gonna be a multi use shop, I have a '65 C10 I need to restore, my dad has a '53 3100 to restore, and we both have a handful of tractors to restore, not to mention maintenance on our current tractors, trailers, and bulldozer.

 

install some floor drains...if you are to concrete the whole thing.. also install a toilet and sink minimum. Go with LED shop lights.

 

Heated slab

 

Or those infrared heaters

 

Nah , slab heat , utilize the thermal mass of the concrete

 

Water or water / glycol mix

 

Yes, I forgot about those, we plan on running drains and water inside to make cleanup easier.

We are also thinking about toilet, sink, and a shower in the shop.


I like the sound of LED lighting, is it similar to the tube style fluorescent or are they more like can lights?

That would be nice, but we wouldn't use it very much down here in the south, maybe 1 month out of a year.

 

Cooled slab

 

You can actually do both with the same set up

 

All the major DIY stores have 4' LED strip lights that are similar to fluorescent. Might cost 20%-50% more, but no more light bulbs to change so they actually save $$ over the long haul.

If you want to compare LED with fluorescent, look for the "lumen" output on the package. A bare T8 fluorescent puts out about 2300 lumens. So of you see an LED with 4000 lumens output, it's about the same as a 2-light fluorescent strip light.

 

Costco has led shop lights. $22 each. Use them in all my garages.

Depending on budget, pour slab with fiber filament to help prevent crack. Or do a pre tensioned slab.. But you won't be able to cut it or drill into it later...

Definitely run plumbing for water and sewer..

Consider solar for the roof. Insulate the roof and walls. I would use corrugated exterior and put in some Windows and possibly sky lights.

There are a ton of options and depending on what you're going to use it for, make sure to plan and go through the plans twice before you build. Do it once and do it right. That's been my business strategy and I've been pretty successful.

 

And since it's going to have heavy equipment in it, pour a thick slab with 1/2 or better 5/8 rebar..

 

Definetly gonna look into the options for lighting, I don't like fluorescent lights.

That's cool, I'll have to look into it.

 

They are coming out with more options all the time, I looked up some on Home Depot and they look like the shop lights only LED...and from what I looked at they were cheaper than the Fluorescent..I guess Costco has them cheap..

I'll have to check them out thats $18 cheaper than Home depot!

 

Anyone have an item number for the $22 light at Costco? Website shows only 1 shop light and its $59.99

 

Superbrightleds.com has an offering of LED shop lights available. Not sure how prices compare but it's worth a look.

I would consider closing off a small area in the corner or against a wall for an office/library. Run an internet connection in there as well. It will come in serious handy for vehicle restoration, parts ordering, any sort of manuals, and keeping files or pictures on it for future reference. In that same office, you can keep your security camera system, a stereo unit for the entire building (an absolute must), and a library of manuals, parts catalogs, etc.

Four post lift would be nice, but consider the benefits of a 2 post, i.e. having the wheels off the ground for suspension work, that sort of thing. For alignments and such, a 4 post would definitely be more beneficial. If you go 4 post, maybe try for one of the units that can be rolled around so when it's not in use, you can keep it in a corner with a vehicle underneath and a vehicle stored up on the lift.

If this is going to be a serious shop, build a pit into the concrete floor. Could make things a whole lot easier. Then you might not even need a 4 post lift. With a pit you have similar access that a 4 post lift provides.

Considering you can find a whole ton of how-to's on Youtube these days, you could also look into a rolling cart for a laptop that also connects wirelessly to the internet. That way you can share files between the office computer and mobile unit, but also maintain the convenience of entering part numbers, logging work, watching how-to's, or having electronic manuals right at your workstation.

And yes, toilet and sink are a must. Shower may not be necessary, but I would consider an eye wash station and maybe even an emergency shower like you might find in a science or chemistry lab. Some couches or seats made from old vehicle bench seats are always a cool touch too.

Make sure there are plenty of air connections, outlets for both 220 and 110, usable workbench spaces with anti-fatigue mats in front of them.

If you want to go bigger, look into making a parts and supplies storage attic with some sort of elevator system to get things up and down. This will help de-clutter your floor space as it sounds like you have a lot of toys to fit in.

In my opinion, if you're going to go all out, then go all out. I would love to build my own shop/man cave someday, so I'm more than willing to help you brainstorm on this.

 

Gonna run ethernet from the house to a router in the shop, I want a computer in a nook (Maybe in a office area) and a computer in a cart to run diagnostics and put notes in.
Also thinking about a backup battery with surge protector in the cart to move it from plug to plug in the shop.
Also thinking a small sound system in the cart because I probably won't get a full system in the shop very soon.

Also remembered that we will need a refrigerator, full size of course.

 

Whats the budget for this 2400 sqft shop ?

 

No particular numbers, build it right for as cheap as we can keep quality.

 

Do you have a ball park ? I'm only asking because I see a lot of people start jobs like this that they can't finish because they had no idea how expensive it would be to build .