- Joined
- Jun 15, 2017
- Messages
- 531
Now that my shop is becoming orderly and functional, I am trying to think of ways to increase floor and wall space. I have considered welding up some shelves, but it occurred to me that they would take up floor area and be in the way. I am now thinking of building a loft with an elevator instead.
The idea is to use wasted space over my head, including wall space. I could use the floor of the loft to hold things like my portable table saw, pressure washer, jack hammer, and generator. I could put shelves on the wall in the space from 7 feet up to the 12-foot ceiling, and I could use the shelves for things that are rarely used but too good to throw out.
I started looking at loft videos, and then I realized a loft is the same thing as a deck, so I looked at deck videos, too.
I was expecting to have to anchor one side of the loft to the wall, but I just saw a video featuring a freestanding loft. This seems like a great idea. It's easier to put legs on a loft than to bolt it to a concrete wall, and I can't think of any reason why a wall would be better. I would also have the option of moving the loft with my tractor if I decided to rearrange the shop.
I want an elevator because a staircase would take up over 30 square feet, it would be in the way, and it would stick out into the area where I want to put things like vehicles and the tractor. I have seen a bunch of videos about shopmade elevators, and they are surprisingly easy to build.
Has anyone here done a freestanding loft or an elevator? Seems like genius to me. I have seen people complain about safety issues with the elevator, but then my shop contains a lathe which can roll an arm up like a sock, grinders that can throw disks through a face, a table saw that can make several fingers disappear in an instant, and various other things that are scarier than a slow-moving platform.
If I built this thing, I would have around 70 square feet of room under it for an electronics area, and the elevator itself would serve as a workbench when not in use.
The idea is to use wasted space over my head, including wall space. I could use the floor of the loft to hold things like my portable table saw, pressure washer, jack hammer, and generator. I could put shelves on the wall in the space from 7 feet up to the 12-foot ceiling, and I could use the shelves for things that are rarely used but too good to throw out.
I started looking at loft videos, and then I realized a loft is the same thing as a deck, so I looked at deck videos, too.
I was expecting to have to anchor one side of the loft to the wall, but I just saw a video featuring a freestanding loft. This seems like a great idea. It's easier to put legs on a loft than to bolt it to a concrete wall, and I can't think of any reason why a wall would be better. I would also have the option of moving the loft with my tractor if I decided to rearrange the shop.
I want an elevator because a staircase would take up over 30 square feet, it would be in the way, and it would stick out into the area where I want to put things like vehicles and the tractor. I have seen a bunch of videos about shopmade elevators, and they are surprisingly easy to build.
Has anyone here done a freestanding loft or an elevator? Seems like genius to me. I have seen people complain about safety issues with the elevator, but then my shop contains a lathe which can roll an arm up like a sock, grinders that can throw disks through a face, a table saw that can make several fingers disappear in an instant, and various other things that are scarier than a slow-moving platform.
If I built this thing, I would have around 70 square feet of room under it for an electronics area, and the elevator itself would serve as a workbench when not in use.