# 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...


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## 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


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## 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 ;-)


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## 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


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## 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.


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## 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


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## 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


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## 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


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## itsme_Bernie

Ray C said:


> 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


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## 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.




itsme_Bernie said:


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


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## Hawkeye

My 'dream house' would be a three-bay garage on a suspended slab, with the house above the garage. 1/3 shop/storage, 1/3 garage, 1/3 living space. It would, of course, need to have level access to both the garage and basement (a corner lot on a slope would be ideal). I have no desire to lower a 3200 pound mill down the stairs.


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## pestilence

I live in a large metropolitan area, but I was fortunate to have chosen an older house with no HOA on a corner culdesac lot.  We built a decent size insulated shop building next to the house this spring.  It has its own sub-panel and four 220 outlets and a bunch of 110, a 7 foot insulated roll-open door, a patio for the pool, and plenty of space for my machines.  I put the compressor in an un-insulated closet space with its own door to the outside and it even has an air conditioner.  

My wife is a saint.


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## RandyM

avayan said:


> 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...



You do raise some interesting questions and it is real easy to compare our own situations to others. The problem is that everyone's situation is different. We are all at different stages in life, we all have different backgrounds and historys and families, financial situations and most of all priorities. The last is the most important. You have to ask yourself where on your priority list is your shop. For me, it was number one. I am not married and have no kids. And I made a life decision to make my life a happy one and this is the core of making my shop my paradise. You know you answered your own question? "*based on luck or vicious hard work*". The two of these things go hand in hand, I think with hard work you can achieve some good luck as well. I am sure that some of us have had some luck and some have to work hard to acquire what we have. And some have had a little of both. I do not know if any of this helps in answering your question and am sorry if I got a little philosophical. But, the point I am trying to make is that it is really under your controll to make it happen. The key is what do you want and at what priority do you want to achieve it. And then set forth and make it happen. I myself am fortunate to have what I have. And it has taken a little of both, luck and hard work. I just knew it was most important to me to make it happen. Oh, and it didn't just happen over night, it has been a 20+ year happening. I am so looking forward to retirement. And thank you for making me realize how fortunate I am. Good luck on your dreams.


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## itsme_Bernie

RandyM said:


> You do raise some interesting questions and it is real easy to compare our own situations to others. The problem is that everyone's situation is different. We are all at different stages in life, we all have different backgrounds and historys and families, financial situations and most of all priorities. The last is the most important. You have to ask yourself where on your priority list is your shop. For me, it was number one. I am not married and have no kids. And I made a life decision to make my life a happy one and this is the core of making my shop my paradise. You know you answered your own question? "*based on luck or vicious hard work*". The two of these things go hand in hand, I think with hard work you can achieve some good luck as well. I am sure that some of us have had some luck and some have to work hard to acquire what we have. And some have had a little of both. I do not know if any of this helps in answering your question and am sorry if I got a little philosophical. But, the point I am trying to make is that it is really under your controll to make it happen. The key is what do you want and at what priority do you want to achieve it. And then set forth and make it happen. I myself am fortunate to have what I have. And it has taken a little of both, luck and hard work. I just knew it was most important to me to make it happen. Oh, and it didn't just happen over night, it has been a 20+ year happening. I am so looking forward to retirement. And thank you for making me realize how fortunate I am. Good luck on your dreams.



Wow Randy- couldn't have been better said.

I would like to expand a little on something you said- 

"it didn't just happen over night, it has been a 20+ year happening."

I think many people starting out get freaked out thinking: "how am I ever going to get all this stuff?"  

We keep reading about each other acquiring our "new" old machines, which is great to see!  But I can say, most of the time, when I post these, I am almost always saying:

"I have been looking for 10 years and finally found it [new machine]!!!"

...  To be clear, I have already BEEN ENJOYING machining for 10 years without this item.  My point being- we don't WAIT to enjoy this hobby UNTIL we acquire all the dream machines.   We have fun working with what we have, while enjoying the PROCESS of acquiring the others that we want or 'need'.

ALSO, ***acquiring less perfect versions of machines, and starting work with "what I got" has worked out fantastically for me***.  
When fantastic opportunities comes along, and they do over time, I have been replacing the less perfect specimens with the ones I wished for in the first place.

I guess I am just trying to reenforce the idea of the PROCESS of creating the shop.  And a process we can decide to enjoy.


Bernie


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## SteveM

I'm 67 and always interested in machining but time and responsibilities didn't permit that sort of extravagance. A couple years ago I purchased a large building to house my business and set aside about 700 sq/ft for my shop. 220/3-phase, plenty of outlets, lighting, large overhead door already in place, etc. Since moving in I purchased a used Atlas 6" lathe(worn out), a HF 8.5x18 lathe(since sold), a HF mill drill(dedicated drill press), 12x36 ShenWai Lathe currently for sale, new 9x49 Shop Fox Knee Mill w/DRO, and slightly used 12x36 Shop Fox Lathe, and lots of accessory items. I'll also mention........I'm divorced and only responsible to my banker and customers
My skills are coming SLOWLY but having a great time and plan to build a 30x50 shop in the next couple years!




avayan said:


> 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...


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## DamicoTileCo

This is my story.
I'm 57 and I bought this 1050 sq ft house in 93'. It has a detached 20x20 shop in the back by the alley and was just used for storage for my work supplies and toys.
Business was good so we bought a 3400 sq ft house in a gated community on a golf course right at the height of the market. We rented the old house.
The market tanked, work just stopped and I was stuck with this monster home I couldn't afford. I planned to make the 3 car garage a shop, my dream shop.
My neighbors wrote letters to the HOA complaining that my garage doors were open all the time. or I would be making too much noise or my hose wasn't coiled up or whatever.
I freaking hated living there. I did that for almost 8 years until we short sold the home this last april.

Now I am back in the old place which we kept. My wife divorced me, glad she did, gave me the kids, glad she did, and now I have my dream shop all set up and organized.
The best thing that happened to me was losing the wife and getting the kids.
Business has picked up this past year to the point I will have to hire again. 
Now I have a place to do my hobby's like woodworking, metal working, building racing VW engines and my Norton's.

Me and the kids spend a lot of time out there just puttering around and being together. Life is good.
Guy


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## xalky

It's taken me 30 yrs to get my shop the way it is. I'm 48 now and i started on this quest when i was 18. For me it started while working on cars I went out and bought the biggest craftsman rolling toolbox and chest that I could afford. Then I bought an 800pc craftsmen tool set. Then a compressor and air tools, Then a Jack, then a drill press, then a vice then a $2800 mig welder.  Then you find deals, people are looking to get rid of stuff and I grab it. It's really only in the last 2-3 yrs that I've really been able to ramp up my tool acquisitions. Before that life got in the way. Getting married, buying a house, having kids, the struggle to make enough money just to support all of those things, then a divorce, then child support. My child support ended 2 years ago and that freed up a lot of funds for me. In the past 2 yrs I've a acquired 2 lathes, a milling machine, a shop press and blasting cabinet, a tig welder, a plasma cutter, plus all the toolings and accessories for these things. I built a cnc plasma table too.   I still have most of the tools I had when i was 18 and built up along the way. The cool thing about tools is they don't go out of style and they don't "go bad" over time.

Here's a shortcut: Don't get married when your young, and don't have kids. You'll save yourself 20 yrs of postponement.  :rofl: I gotta laugh, because if i don't, I'll cry. Where's that darn "crying" emoticon when you need it!

My current wife is just awesome. She lets me buy whatever i want when it comes to tooling, but I make most of the money too.  I wish I had a bigger space, I'm in a 20x24 detached garage. A 30x40 or even bigger shop would suit my needs much better. Currently that's not in the realm of possibility.

Marcel


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## LJP

I bought my house before I was married, I was about 30 (53 now). I bought it because it had a detached barn, with horse stalls and all. It looked big at the time, 24 x 32 with 10' ceilings. The walls and ceiling are paneled with 1920s beadboard. I had insulation blown in, a 100 amp subpanel brought out from the house, propane heat and a big window AC unit, it is nice to work in there. I have been in the custom furniture making business in there for over 20 years. It is pretty tight now, with big machines for a 1 man shop. 24" 7.5hp thickness planer, 12" 5hp jointer, 5 hp shaper, 9 hp sliding table saw, 20" bandsaw, all 3ph with ph converters, etc, etc, etc, and on and on. The basement of my house is storage for lumber and veneer, again a lot for a 1 man shop, probably 5000' of solid and 20,000' of veneer. I have a 4x8 vacuum press down there as well, for veneer jobs.
About 10 years ago I built another detached garage (I am on 2.5 acres, neighbors are no problem), for a convertable. The car is gone, so last year I brought out another 100 amp sub panel, this year I hired 2 guys to insulate the 2 stories and put up 1/2" plywood on all the walls. Put in a top of the line Rannai propane heater as well. This has become the machine shop. Bridgeport mill, 13" SB lathe, 9" SB lathe, Wells band saw. Many tool boxes and this is only the beginning I have feeling.
The wife complains once in a while, but not much really. I am in business, and the government allows a business to write off tools and machinery. I take advantage of that in a big way. I spend it on tools so I don't have to pay taxes, works out well if you ask me!
I would love more space, but I can't imagine moving all this stuff. I will die in this house, someone else will have to move it.
Larry


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## RandyM

FANTASTIC stories guys. Isn't life good? Keep 'em coming. :thumbsup:


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## Rbeckett

Avayan,
Took me many years of vicious hard work and ruthless saving to get my shop built.  It is only 20X20, but has plenty of electrical, air and water as well as how I have the work flow set up to progress through the shop in a natural pregression.  I ate a ton of PB&J sammiches and sacrificed on other toys and pursuits to get there.  Now that the building is done, the floor cured and all the fixtures are in I actually have enough room to work without having to move stuff out of the way.  I used all kinds of space saving ideas like receiver hitches for grindrs and chop saws, an overhead track system for the plasma table computer and a small pot belly stove made out of two semi front brake drums welded together for heat.  The hardest part for me was to remember that the machines do not stay static but do move so you need to leave a little space for wiggle room when you first lay it all out,  I did the Architect thing and drew the building to scale as well as each machine and all of the service lines for Air, etc.   Now I can see on paper exactly how much room I have between machines and whether they are likely to interfere with each other or not.  That allows me to plan and paint the walk way areas onto the floor and further reduce any possibility of getting it cluttered up again.  Getting it cleared out took me 5 years and was an embarrassment when anybody asked if I still had my shop.  I would definitely shoot for 36 inch walkways and as much distance between the machines as you can get.  That way a long piece of material may overhang the machines table, but you can stil work it down to a smaller size later.  Also while you are in the planning stages you might want to pay some particular attention to ventilation because Momma isn't gonna stand for stinky sulfur based cutting oil odors before she puts a stop to that.  Also make sure you have an area that you can swap clothing and shoes in before returning inside of the house to keep the splinters and slag out of the bottoms of her feet.  They are especially unappreciative of digging out metal slinters after a shower...Shops do evolve over time and your grand plan needs to have a plan for the future growth of your hobby soo that you don't end up  having multipls buildings in multiple locations around your property.  My next growth spurt is going that direction since II am as close to the line as I can get and closer to the house is unacceptable to momma's landscaping theme for the yard. I'm thinking maybe a 14X20 Handi House just for tool and equipment storage and keep the shop for actually working inside of.   That would effectively triple my usable space for not too much money. and the Handi Houses are pretty neutral color wise so it can be blended into the background and made to virtually disappear.  Hope this help a bit.

Bob


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## valleyboy101

Hi Avayan,
I don't think that I would feel bad about 19 x 20.  When I lived in Oakville, ON I had about 350 sq ft and I had a complete woodworking shop as well as a 12" shaper, 10" South Bend, a knee mill, arbour press, 3 grinders, and a horizontal band saw. My welder was in the 1 car garage.  To get machines in I had 2 steps up from the garage, around a corner, across the den and down about 11 steps.  With really heavy things like the 12" Hendey shaper it took it partially apart, reinforced the stairs and used all my ingenuity.  That was when I was in my 40's.
I started acquiring wood working machinery when I was  23, as I need to build furniture.  When I was 38 I bought my first lathe and knee mill.  With the exception of my table saw which I bought new in 1981 evverything has been traded up at least once.
I've moved 18 times due to training and moving up in my company.
In my new and final house which I built myself beginning in 2007 I have a 1600 sq ft basement with an entrance from the garage.  Now I can lower and raise the heavy stuff with the loader on my tractor.
Michael
Final word - if you have any choice do not wait until you retire to buy machines.  You likely won't have as much money after you retire and if you buy a machine when your 40 you will get to enjoy it for maybe 40 years - not likely so when you are 60.


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## schor

As soon as you've achieved your dream shop your ready to aquire a better one or your too old to continue. Does it ever end while your capable still?

Hi, I'm Steve and I'm a workshop junkie.


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## GK1918

Ray C said:


> 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.



first thing I'd do is remove the muffler!!!   Last hurricane here the sound of gen sets echoed for weeks as well as chain saws 24/7

correct shovel your snow over the fence!!!   whats she gonna do arrest the whole east coast?????????


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## Intheshop

I built it from the ground up....with very marginal help.The struggle now is the justification to "keep it",WRT money.Taxes,maintenance vs the enjoyment and livelyhood.

I just don't need the space now,we have more than needed.I could survive(very nicely)in a two car garage...maybe a little less.Doing more with less is not a problem.


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## Uncle Buck

Ray C said:


> 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.



I think I would have told the old fool to go pound sand.....:nuts:


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## richl

I dont want to say its a dream shop, but it keeps my tools dry... 3 car garage,  basically L shaped, 1 bay is 2 deep and the other is a single set back. no heat right now, dirty, disorganized... many would not be happy with it, but it is better than what it has been for the last 15 years or so:nuts:. If business picks up and i can manage to keep making a living she will slowly evolve into the shop that i envision her being. In the mean time I'll keep learning machining, sheetmetal frabrication and custom building (throw in architectural metalworking and woodworking)... for some the journey is as important as the destination!)

rich


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## CNC Dude

Fascinating and very inspiring stories. Thanks for sharing! Our experiences are all unique and hardly repeatable, but there is plenty of very useful knowledge which can definitely help me in my search towards the ultimate shop. I think it will basically happen two years from now when I can move to a larger house. The house that I am in is just not worth while to expand and the two car garage is just too small. I have a shed in the back where I can store materials but at the moment is so muddy I have not been able to wheel a bunch of the tools I use the least back there. 

The curious thing is I would prefer to have everything in one place not because I am lazy and don't want to walk back and forth but because I am super positive once I use the shed just for storage, in a few months I won't even remember what I have. And hence I will end up buying the same stuff over and over! Believe me, I am not "thinking" this is going to happen. I KNOW it will happen!


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## bdman

It's all relative. I grew up dirt poor on a corn farm in Ohio and even after moving to Atlanta, Ga for better opportunities my family and circumstances just weren't able to afford me much of a head start that would put me in a position of now owning the house and shop I'd love to have. But wouldn't we all love to have a bigger and better shop I guess. Before we had indoor plumbing and long before central heat we were laying block to build my grandpa's blacksmith and machine shop which where I learned most of what I know today. That shop fed our family and built a heritage since nearly the day he retired from the Navy and Merchant Marines though. So to get to the point, I may not have much, I've slowly built up my inventory of tools and equipment over the years with hard work, just inherited a few of my grandpas things, and very proudly opened Rampant Iron Works two weeks ago out of my two car garage and 10x12 metal shed. I may not have much compared to many, but I have a lot compared to some and I've worked dang hard for what I've got and I'm proud to have it, my own shop, business, and the heritage that was passed down to me.


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## itsme_Bernie

This is probably a good place to mention that I have had to move my shop four times, including into and out-of storage while surviving a tough divorce.  All I can say is if you love it, it is worth working hard for!

And if anyone is wondering if it is worth storing machines, as opposed to selling them and buying again "someday", I would say that for me, storin them, as expensive as it was, was worth every penny.  Besides the money, all the trouble I went through finding all the small parts, accessories, etc etc etc...  I sure don't have that time again right now.  After three years, every bin I re-opened was like Christmas- and exactly what I wanted!  Because I put it there myself!  

I can't imagine ever having to move it again, and won't have to  , but if I did have to, I would.  And it would be worth it.  You gotta find a way to do the things that matter to you.  


Bernie


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## FanMan

My shop is a 2 car heated garage... it's been probably 15 years since I got a car more than halfway into the garage to work on it, and I miss that.  My project for this spring is to extend it about 12' out the back, with the addition being dedicated strictly to woodworking, keep the machine tools in one side of the garage (sawdust and oil/grease don't mix very nicely), and have the other garage half for car repairs or moving big projects around.  The rafters of the new addition will also give me room to store all the R/C airplanes and stuff I inherited from my Dad... I don't fly them much any more but we flew them a lot together and I can't part with them.

I told my wife I needed to build the workshop before the major kitchen/living room remodeling, so I can properly build cabinets, etc., and she agreed... but I have to finish the house before I can start building an airplane...


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## Bill Gruby

You never achieve it. Every time you get close you see something else that will make it better.

 "Billy G"


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## chuckorlando

I'm simply a tool guy. If I have any free cash, I'm on craigslist searching for anything that might strike my fancy. I want what I want and dont have a whole lot of patients about it. If I cant afford the one I want, I make what I want or change a cheaper made version to be what I want. I always say theres 2 ways to have things. Mae enough to buy them, or learn enough to make them.

My fiirst "shop" was a single car garage in a duplex. Did not take long to fill that. Then we moved on to a house with a 2 car garage. My dad got me a little lincoln welder. I came home from work every day and welded scrap till it stuck. That welder was the biggest down fall my wallet ever met. Started making things "I needed" Tire rakes, work benches, tv stands, fish tanks stands... I took a liking to steel in a big way. That 2 car became full to the gills between tools and our off road mini buggies.

Currently we are on 2.5ac. The wife now has the 2car. I have a 30x30 with two 10ft tall bay doors. This is bout half the size I need in truth. I could make due with a 40x40 with a 50x50 slab under it. 10ft slap off one side and the front. After building my off road suspension and buying so many machined and cnc cut parts, my love of metal got that much deeper.

So the end result for me is to finish my manual/cnc schooling. Then buy my bridgeport knee mill or the like and a fairly large lath, 4x4 or 4x8 plasma table and a surface grinder to start off with. I want to be set up when I'm older and retired. at 35yr I figure I got 25yr to set the old man up to tool around his tools


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## ricbor

avayan said:


> 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 ;-)



The main reason we don't see a lot of basements here in North Texas is that the frost line is about 4-6" worst case. So, you really don't need basements like you do up north. There are some people that have basements here (rare, but not unheard of) and there are a lot of commercial buildings that used to be built with basements before tilt-wall construction took over. It's mostly an economic decision, but also, there are a lot of problems with the clay soil. Reinforced Concrete Slab foundations are the norm, sometimes with concrete piers to bedrock. I grew up on the Texas coast where the elevation was about 3' above sea level, so there were hardly any basements there either due to the high water table and flooding. As for my shop, when I built my current house about 12 years ago, I built it with a connected 3 car garage thinking I would have all the space in the world. Well, if I was ever able to do it over again, I would make that a 5 car garage so I could use one or two bays for actually parking a car or two, and one for storing all the stuff that I swear I am going to use one day and then the last two bays for the shop. There is never enough space.


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## John Hasler

Bill Gruby said:


> You never achieve it. Every time you get close you see something else that will make it better.
> 
> "Billy G"



Heat, for example.  Heat would be nice (I'm in Wisconsin).


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## furpo

104 days till retirement and counting!
Keep my machine tools tucked away in the basement where it nice and warm for the winter in northern Wisconsin.  
16/24 x 120” SB Lathe sits right under the living room. Series I Bridgeport under the bed room next to the skid steer between the garage doors.
This is where I spend my winters


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## toag

John Hasler said:


> Heat, for example.  Heat would be nice (I'm in Wisconsin).



i'm just working on insulation!


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## RandyM

toag said:


> i'm just working on insulation!



We sure would like to see the project and follow along. :thumbsup:


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## JimDawson

I started acquiring tools when I was about 12 or so and I still have most of them.  I bought my first lathe and mill back in the 70's along with most of my measuring tools.  At that time I was not married and no kids and my equipment was my priority.  I got married around '84 had a couple of kids so that put a lot of stuff on hold for a few years.  Also I bought a floating home (houseboat, depending on what part of the country you're in) so I didn't have a lot of space to devote to shop equipment and weight is an issue when you are floating in the river.  But I did have a 13x40 Jet Lathe, and a Bridgeport Mill on board.  Owned that houseboat for close to 25 years.

About 6 years ago I finally bought some property in the country with a nice 30x40 shop already built.  The bottom line is that it took me about 40 years to get set up like I always wanted to.  If you don't have unlimited resources it takes time and a goal.  Now I'm semi retired and pretty much have things set up as I want them so I can putter around in the shop.  I put the money I make with the shop equipment back into the shop and don't go into debt buying equipment.

The down side of having a shop that size and a son who works on cars is that I only get to use about 1/4 of my shop, we are continuously fighting for space

Jim

Eagle 3-axis CNC Mill, w/ DawsonControls CNC controller. 
Jet 13x40 lathe
Harvel 6x18 surface grinder
Miller SyncroWave 250 welder w/TIG
Lincoln 135 Wirefeed welder
And a bunch of the other tools and supporting equipment needed to have fun in the shop.

Every new project requires a new tool, even if that tool has nothing to do with the project.

http://www.dawsoncontrols.com/


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## FanMan

A houseboat with a Bridgeport, I love it.


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## chuckorlando

That is pretty hard core.


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## leadunderpressure

I'd like to have this hobby at least partially self supporting. What type of work did you do to fund the new tooling? Prototypes? Did you have some basic designs of your own that you created for sale?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD


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## JimDawson

leadunderpressure said:


> I'd like to have this hobby at least partially self supporting. What type of work did you do to fund the new tooling? Prototypes? Did you have some basic designs of your own that you created for sale?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD



My 'real' job is controls engineering and software development, this is what keeps food on the table.  If a manufacturer has a big chunk of iron with a computer connected to it, I'll work on it.  My machine shop is really there to support my machine design and fabrication for various applications.

Most of the machining I do is prototype or repair work for various customers.  I also do some tool & die work because that is a lot of my background.  I like the jobs that nobody else will touch.  I know a lot of people that are potential customers and they know if they need something I can usually supply it.  Today, I use CraigsList for finding a lot of jobs.  There is always someone that needs some kind of a widget built.    I am crazy enough to bid a job without any idea of how I am going to do it, or if it can even be built.  I have pretty much made a career out of doing it like this.

For a hobby to be self-supporting, you just have to get the word out to anyone that may be in need of your skills.  I do just about everything from repairing lawnmowers to heavy equipment.


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## CNC Dude

leadunderpressure said:


> I'd like to have this hobby at least partially self supporting. What type of work did you do to fund the new tooling? Prototypes? Did you have some basic designs of your own that you created for sale?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD



On my case, I think I have made about $100 with all of my machine tools, if I don't count the laser engraver. With the laser engraver I have been able to half pay for it, and this is a $18K piece of equipment. The rest of the equipment has been funded with my actual job, mostly annual bonuses.

I too would love to be able to fund my tool acquisitions, but that implies I need to spend the very limited amount of spare time I have, doing somebody else's project. The only other mechanism that I can think of is coming up with some kind of a trinket but as of today that hasn't happened.

It is tough supporting this hobby by spending most of my money on tools. It has taken close to 20 years, to amass my "tool army". I am just supremely lucky my wife hasn't kicked my butt out of the house... Although, there is so much iron on my blood stream, that could truly pulverize her foot ;-)


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## mgalusha

Can't quite call it a dream workshop but likely as close as I'll get since I'm 53 now. For years just a little space in part of a garage where ever I was living and for the last 7 years I had one space of a 3 car garage but when we bought this house my part of the location choice was enough room for something larger, so we bought a house on 2 acres with no HOA. Last spring I finally had enough to get started and had a 24 x 36 slab poured and the main structure put up. I did all the interior work and electrical (except for drywall, I hate drywall ))  and tried to put in (hopefully) enough power for future needs. I put in a 100A panel, ran 6 240V circuits to various spots around the building and put in about 40 120V receptacles, basically 2 duplex's every 6ft. I hate tripping over cords, so having an outlet close at hand is great. 

Still very much a work in progress but it's usable. I insulated the walls and the roll up door and had the attic blown in about month ago. Finally getting a handle on the heating situation, picked up a lightly used 125,000 BTU Modine "Hot Dawg" propane heater last weekend, so soon cold will no longer be an issue. The shop is split, 24 x 24 is mostly general purpose and wood working, the back is 12 x 20 and has space for the lathe, mill, drill press, hydraulic press and a couple bench grinders. This isn't the full width as I used a 4 x 12 space for a storage closet and a room for the air compressor and dust collector. At some point a rotary phase convertor will find a home in there, at least if I end up with any 3 phase tools, which seems likely. I used pocket doors on the partition wall, that way I have a 6ft opening to get machines through but don't have to give up floor space for them to swing and I can close them to keep the wood dust away from the machines. My wife is amazing, we're old enough to not have any kids at home and she even helped with the epoxy for the floor. 

mike


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## Dubbie

Man, you guys have it lucky! I am living in a house with no shed at the moment. When funds permit, we'll knock the house down and build a new one with a nice shed. Until then, I have my shop set up in a 20' container! Inside I have two big benches, an engine lathe, a mill, a surface grinder, a 20 ton press, a ht oven, metal bandsaw, welder, large compressor and a bunch of other junk. It's surprisingly comfortable to work in and I get a lot done in there. Gets pretty hot in summer tho!

Rhys.


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## CNC Dude

To have a home with a 2 acre lot where I can build an external building that becomes my shed, is precisely what I have been envisioning as my Dream Workshop.

You would imagine it is easy to do, but as I have found on the last year, apparently not that much. There are a few "details" which makes it harder than it needs to be, at least here in Northern Dallas TX.

For starters, homes with 1 acre lots are extremely rare. We found a place farther from where we live which would have been ideal, but then my commute would have gone from 35 minutes to an hour. To spend 2 hours of my day on a car is not that appealing...

I could buy a 2 acre lot and build, but I just don't feel it is the time to do so. Maybe in 5 years?

If I had a million dollars lying around, options open up like crazy! Well, back to the dreaming board....


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## zmotorsports

Awesome stories everyone.  I am in the camp of the worked my ass off as well as had some luck (or blessings however you want to look at it) involved.  I eat, sleep and drink motorcycles and automotive and have all my life.  I wanted to make that my career/job but seeing some family and friends and how they struggled in the automotive industry I chose a slightly different path to use my mechanical skillset.  I was able to land a job as an industrial maintenance apprentice at the age of 19 for a large warehouse/distribution center.  I thought this is where I could make enough money and have health care benefits to fulfill my financial requirements as a job and still be able to make motorcycles and automotive my LIFE.  I have been here for going on 26 years now and have worked into a shop foreman/supervisor position, actually kind of stupid on my part as I enjoyed wrenching SOOO much more.

My wife and I got married early, I was 20 she 19, and we rented a home near my parent's house where I had a small 25'x26' shop to work out of on my parent's farm.  Early in 1991 we had saved up quite a bit of money and decided to start looking for a house to purchase with enough of a yard to build a detached shop in the back.  My wife had some specifics on what she wanted in a house and she knew the #1 priority was a large enough lot to build my workshop.  I also wanted a two car garage attached to the house but it would not be to work out of.

We purchased our home just after it was completed in spring of 1991 and within a few weeks my wife found out we were pregnant.  The shop got put on hold until after our son was born and glad I did because our son was born 3-months premature and had a lot of health expenses even though we had pretty good insurance at the time.  It wiped out our shop savings and we had to start all over again once getting caught up on medical bills.  Many of my co-workers tried telling me to file bankruptcy but I just couldn't do that.  I picked up extra shifts at work and grabbed any and every side job I could and worked on them in my little shop at my parents farm.  It sucked driving back and forth to home and shop and work but we were able to save up and in 1995 I finished building a street rod for a guy and had enough money to commence building out home shop.

I broke ground on 4th of July weekend in 1995 on our 34'x34' shop in the backyard with 14' ceilings.  I started moving my toolbox and the small amount of equipment that was mine and not my dad's from the shop at their farm on Halloween weekend 1995.  My entire summer and every waking minute that was not spent at work was spend building my shop.  My older brother and my dad helped a little bit but my father's health was not good so he was there more for moral support.

My wife has been absolutely fantastic throughout our entire marriage when it comes to the shop and tools/equipment.  She knows and understands that is how I make a living and the benefits it has brought to our life together.  I have always insisted on purchasing quality over quantity and simply would not buy junk tools or equipment.  Some of my tools and equipment I had purchased used form either pawn shops or the local ads and upgrade as money would allow but over the past ten years or so I have been in a position to buy new equipment with the intention of it lasting well through retirement and have something to leave to my son.  I would always set a small amount from every job aside to a tool/equipment budget and was amazed at how quickly I was able to fill my shop.  I also was able to throw a lot of extra money at our mortgage over the years as well as we wanted to have our home paid off to be able to help our son with college once he got to that age.  We paid our home off in 1996 as my son was a junior in high school.

My wife and I have been extremely blessed in our life together.  Even with our setbacks we kept pushing forward.  We have built some amazing cars and bikes for clients as well as a few for ourselves that we have enjoyed.  We have had some magazine features done on some of our toys and have thoroughly enjoyed life.  Our shop and the work that I have done in it has played an integral part in that and my son now @ 22 years old has had experiences building bikes, cars, sandrails and quads that some people only dream of.  Our shop has opened up a vast array of experiences for both my son as well as myself.

Now my wife and I are in our mid-40's and looking towards retirement.  As we both are getting tired of the corporate games we play in our full-time jobs we are leaning towards positioning ourselves to be able to retire within the next 8-10 years and work from our home shop and still have time and money to be able to travel in our motorhome and enjoy life.  We have contemplated multiple times over the past three or four years about selling our home and buying one with a little more property to be able to build a 50'x80' shop divided in half.  40'x50' to work out of and 40'x50' to store our coach and trailer in but neither of us are fond of the idea of going back to having a mortgage payment again.

We are simply going to be happy with what we have and enjoy it now as well as into retirement.

Mike.


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## ronboley

Well I ran across this thread and it invoke so many memories I just had to write something.  My first "shop" was my dad's garage where I managed a small space next to the chevy for a cobbled together bench big enough to put my pride and joy craftsman three drawer tool box on.  I could move the car out of the garage, bring in my dirt bike and bust my knuckles.  Later my dad and I built a 10'x10' shed in the back yard that was "mine".  It was 2x4's and plywood and not much else, but it had a plywood bench across one side and I even put some old carpet down on the slab that I rescued from a house down the street.  My friends and I could work on the bikes, get grease all over and no one bothered us.  My machines at that time were an old black and decker 1/4" drill and,,,well that was it.

When I moved out, got married and had my own place, the "shop" was again a spot next to the car...if there was a garage at all  After several rentals, we finally bought a tract home and it had this "huge" two car garage.  Twenty feet by nineteen point five feet never looked so big.  It was so big I sub divided it into a wash room, a full length work bench/shop and room for one car (my wife's of course).  Many moves later and many garage/shops later my wife and I came to the point where we felt we had the means to build our own "dream" home and shop.  Not that we already hadn't built a "dream" home  (and shop) while we raised three kids over a 20 year period, but it was patched together from pieces and parts from someone else's "dream" home, and not really ideal.  So the idea was that as we came towards retirement age, we would sell out, build a small home and a large shop where we both could persue our hobbies and crafts.  A 1500 sq. ft. modular home and a 6,000 sq. ft. metal building shop on a few acres was the vision.

After a long search, two years of building and now five years of settling in...the reality is different, not better or worse just different.  It turns out that modular homes and  large metal buildings are ok in many places, but not where the land is valuable and the views are "pretty", or so it happened.  We ended up with a beautiful site, a beautiful home and a beautiful shop.  Beautiful meaning the home got bigger and the shop got smaller.  I shouldn't complain, my shop is a finished 2500 sq. ft. space with epoxy coated floors, high ceilings, cabinets everywhere, 400amp service, 110v and 220v outlets every were and work benches for miles. The shop has areas for lapidary work, wood work, metal work and automotive/motorcycle building.  I have more machines than I can count...although many a compromise on cost and capacity, I feel like I can build just about anything.  So it takes a while.  I'm 61 years young. It takes a LOT of hard work.  It takes a wife that's willing to go along with it, (she also has her 25'x25' "craft room" by the way).  Getting your "dream shop" means getting the best you can achieve with the means and resources you can muster and then being happy with it.  I still remember how thrilled I was with that first shed I built with my dad...and how greasy that darn carpet got.


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## SteveM

I'm 68 years old and it's taken me most of that time to get my life on an even keel. Planning to turn my business over to my (step)son in the next couple years and have a nice acreage under contract with 30x60 shop. I'm still very active and have plans for several different business ventures but REALLY looking forward to setting my own schedule!


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