Multi function shops

I got into metal working and machining mainly to make parts for my old woodworking machine habit. I enjoy both hobbies but I will always be a woodworker at heart! I do believe that my metal working investment has surpassed my woodworking investment though.

Keeping the saw dust separated from the metal dust does pose quite a challenge!
 
One thing my Dad taught me about setting up a shop is "Go vertical, it gives you free square footage". By that he meant hang things from the ceiling or use shelves. I hang bikes from the ceiling in the garage, it helps that I have a10 ft. ceiling. We also made an 8 ft. by 8 ft. overhead mezzanine in one corner about 7 ft. above the floor, works great for storing things that we don't use a lot. I also store almost all of my materials in the rafters in the basement. It is however a little hard to store the machines overhead! :grin:
 
My garage has 8' ceiling and has a flat roof therefore my rafter space is a bit limited. But I do use it to store long items to get them out of the way.
 
@Ken from ontario
I liked the bandsaw and grinder on the pillar idea, not sure why you deleted the pics...


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I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around a post in the middle of the shop. Why did they do that? Because of the flat roof? I'd definitely explore how strong it is and how to use it. I remember somebody suggesting mounting a jib crane and definitely a grinder or some other stationary machine to it. What kind of work do you see yourself doing?
 
DavidR8 said:
I think we need to see pictures of your machine ‘cozies’!
Click to expand...

I dunno....my machines will get jealous....and then they'll always give me that sad look when I walk out there....
-brino
 
Im somewhat hesitant to post pics because they are out of well used cloth and purple :) So I'm not sure anybody's machines will be jealous but I'm just throwing out ideas and my low buck solutions.
 
C-Bag said:
I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around a post in the middle of the shop. Why did they do that? Because of the flat roof? I'd definitely explore how strong it is and how to use it. I remember somebody suggesting mounting a jib crane and definitely a grinder or some other stationary machine to it. What kind of work do you see yourself doing?
Click to expand...

My garage is 23’ 3”L and 18’5”W
The roof joists run widthways and so are each ~10” long. They meet in the middle and rest on a beam made of two sets of three 2x12s that run end to end down the centre.
Because of the length they need centre support so they rest on a 6x6 wooden pillar.

I’ve investigated putting long steel plates on each side of the beam and through bolting it but I’d need an engineer to look at it before I’d be comfortable doing that.
Also toyed with replacing the 2x12s with a steel beam.
Haven’t done anything about either idea.

Right now my lathe and mill sort of cluster around the pillar. In the cluster that is my garage.
You can see the pillar in this photo.
6a5d186766c27b4dca9609a236a5d90a.jpg

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