How did you achieve your dream workshop?

[CNC Dude]

I have space issues. I bet everybody here HAS space issues, but realistically speaking, some of us have a more serious problem than others. In my case, I was conceited when I lived in Rochester NY because up in the north most houses have a basement. I was lucky that my basement was quite reachable (very little steps) and I was able to have all sorts of equipment including a bench mill and a 12 x 37 lathe. Here in Texas, however, space inside of a house is a joke. Which is preposterously odd as land space is superbly spacious! Still, my garage is 20 x 19, which leads to instant depression.

I have been tinkering with the acquisition of the ultimate workshop. At first I thought of buying a property with some kind of a metal building large enough to be my workshop, but those are not easy to find here in North Texas. On the other hand I cannot just buy a property with a workshop because it also has to look pretty. Most importantly, it needs to have a royal kitchen. Any property with an impressive workshop and a paltry looking home will need to be surgically removed from my entrails once my wife decides to... I think most of you know where the house is going...

At the end, the only plausible solution will be to build a home with a workshop. I am anticipating this is going to cost me through the beejezus so this is not going to happen any time soon. I think two years into the future, if at all.

So I would like to know how you lucky guys managed to obtain your spacious man cave? Is it something that I can attain while I am 40, or should I wait until I retire? Is it based on luck or vicious hard work? Or should I assume that 400 SQFT is an amazingly awesome piece of lot? Surely doesn't feel that way...

 

[itsme_Bernie]

I had to move from a 24x24 outbuilding to about 1-1/2 of a two car garage. That was hard. But I will also say that I have benefitted from a new more "focused" group of projects.

I would lean toward getting the shop set up sooner in life than later, given a choice, since it can be such a big project. This is absolutely NOT discouragement for anyone, any age, to jump in. But I am 42 and have moved my £}€~%# shop three times! This was the last damn time! Each time months of setting up shop instead of cutting metal.

What is it about Texas that you can't dig a basement? Ground too hard? I didn't think there were water issues there? Here in the Northeast most houses have them, except in communities where groundwater would be a problem, or building a slab house is beneficial some other way.

I have had a basement shop, with a hurricane door. 5 steps. Besides the move of a few bigger machines, it was fine. But ground level access (or something close) is sure nice now.


Bernie

 

[CNC Dude]

I don't know the exact details on why basements are non existent here in TX, but I can assure you there are close to none. The only underground facilities are holes dug down to make small shelter to use during tornado season. Rare, but the only hole in the ground I know about.

The only plausible solution down here would be to get me an acre worth of land, build a decent house to keep my family happy and then attach some sort of a garage building. I will have to keep the respective HOA and neighbors happy as well, not to mention try to stay as close to work as possible, so there is plenty of ways to make this harder than easy. With $400K this would be piece of cake, but $400K are not that much piece of cake ;-)

 

[itsme_Bernie]

I guess extending your current garage is not an option?

It's not an option for me, but I am on a pretty small plot now.

Bernie

 

[CNC Dude]

This house is pretty much stuck. I have a huge backyard, which is odd in my community, but there is nothing I can construct as the sides are pretty much nil. It requires a leap of faith to walk a lawn mower back and forth. When I tried moving a sheet metal bender, I almost ended up in the ER. This house was meant to be inhabited by those who can spend the rest of their lives watching TV, browsing the web and parking their cars inside of a garage. Not the optimal implementation for a tinkerer.

The only plausible way is to move and so I must! I might as well do it only once, though, as this is not one of those things I want to experiment until I get it right. I have one shot, so it will take a while, no doubt.

 

[Ray C]

I can't say it's a "dream shop" but, I have a 2.25 car garage totally dedicated for the shop. Epoxy floors, insulated walls, 9.5' ceiling, plenty of light, three dedicated power circuits, two 220 lines, propane heat in the winter, several square-tube steel benches and heavy duty shelving. I did all the work myself pretty much in one shot about 2 years ago. Prior to that, I occupied half the garage under some difficult conditions. I'm happy with it but, it's tight quarters with all the equipment and gets messy quickly. I applied to the community council to extend the garage 8x15' and for something like this, they would not accept an approximate sketch and want a scale drawing -which I just haven't gotten around to. They will probably approve it because other properties in the area have done the same thing.

I would love to be just a little more remote but, I'm not going to relocate inside this State and out of State relocation is just not likely -but if it happens, I'll be on at least an acre with a dedicated 30x40 unattached shop. In the mean time, I will appreciate and enjoy the castle I've built thus far.


Ray

 

[fastback]

I think that most of us wish we had something bigger and better. Like Ray, I use my garage as a workshop. Mine is strictly for woodworking it's not really big enough, 22 x22, but I make due. I have a second location I use just for working on cars, tractors, welding, steel storage and fabrication. This one is a 2 story 30 x 30. It has a wood stove for winter use and a built in AC unit for summer. It is all insulated with paneled walls and suspended ceilings. The electrical service is 100 amps with a sub main on the second floor incase I want to expand. The second floor is not finished so it's a catch all.

Now the last shop area is the machine shop and is located in a section on my basement. It's a walk out with double doors, my design. This is on the small side 14 x 20 but I still can enjoy some machining. I have enough land to expand 1.78 ac but have no plans to do so due to age and definitely taxes. I am now on a fixed income.

If moving is in the cards make sure you plan well and make sure you have adequate space for growth. Most of us get carried away with this stuff always looking for a new piece of equipment etc. One other thing is make sure your neighbors don't have a problem with you doing stuff. I don't have this problem, but I know others that do.

Good luck

Paul

 

[Ray C]

Fastback raised a good point... Most of my neighbors don't care one bit about my "habit" and many have benefitted from having a "handy guy" around. The next door neighbor lady who is about 20 feet away is a prude and does nothing but complain. I installed a stationary generator (since we lose power a lot for 1-2 days at a time) and she threw a fit when I started it up. I told her it was only for emergency power and as in the past, I'd run a wire to her place to keep the refrigerator going... I did that once for her for 5 straight days... -No Soap. She said if she ever heard it, she'd call the police. -Go figure...

Ray

 

[itsme_Bernie]

Fastback raised a good point... Most of my neighbors don't care one bit about my "habit" and many have benefitted from having a "handy guy" around. The next door neighbor lady who is about 20 feet away is a prude and does nothing but complain. I installed a stationary generator (since we lose power a lot for 1-2 days at a time) and she threw a fit when I started it up. I told her it was only for emergency power and as in the past, I'd run a wire to her place to keep the refrigerator going... I did that once for her for 5 straight days... -No Soap. She said if she ever heard it, she'd call the police. -Go figure...

Ray

Holy Crow! What a nut! You aren't allowed to run it anyway?

Bernie

 

[Ray C]

Yeah, I could run it anytime I want. No rules against it but, she's in her mid 70's and I'm not big on antagonizing folks who are older than me. One of these days, I'll relocate the thing. For now, I just run it for 15 minutes every few months when she's not around.

What really bugs me is for the last 14 years, I used to shovel her sidewalk in the winter... That ain't happening anymore and she'll need to bug her son to come and do it.

Holy Crow! What a nut! You aren't allowed to run it anyway?

Bernie