Shop Layout Questions

I have a 20'x20' shop that I am remodeling and am seeking suggestions
for an optimum layout for building. Currently it is wired basically,
and I know I (read electrician) will adding a plurality of shop lights
and higher voltage outlets. Other than that, what else should I
consider?

I will be building with aluminum (no composites) so temperature, other
than my personal comfort, won't be an issue.

Should I just build a big workbench down one side, put tools on
another, put a compressor outside, and leave the floor space for
building?

TIA.

From: (GreenPilot)
Date: 6/30/2004 3:43 PM Central Daylight Time
Message-id:

I have a 20'x20' shop that I am remodeling and am seeking suggestions
for an optimum layout for building. Currently it is wired basically,
and I know I (read electrician) will adding a plurality of shop lights
and higher voltage outlets. Other than that, what else should I
consider?

I will be building with aluminum (no composites) so temperature, other
than my personal comfort, won't be an issue.

Should I just build a big workbench down one side, put tools on
another, put a compressor outside, and leave the floor space for
building?

TIA.

The bench should be in or near the middle or far enough from a wall so you can
work from both sides. The compressor is more prone to corrosion if outside.

A rolling tool box as well as shelves and pegboards on a wall should suffice.
The tools only have to be easily reached, not in the way. A rolling tool box
also has the advantage of having a flat top so you lay tools and parts out and
handy.

If I were me I'd walk around the open floor trying to visualize the best layout
for YOU.

Resiliant floor matts near your bench will make standing for long periods
easier.

You are going to make a mess so however you lay your shop out think of ways to
make clean up as simple as possible.

Good luck with your project.

Dan, U.S. Air Force, retired

B2431 wrote:

From: (GreenPilot)
Date: 6/30/2004 3:43 PM Central Daylight Time
Message-id:

I have a 20'x20' shop that I am remodeling and am seeking suggestions
for an optimum layout for building. Currently it is wired basically,
and I know I (read electrician) will adding a plurality of shop lights
and higher voltage outlets. Other than that, what else should I
consider?

I will be building with aluminum (no composites) so temperature, other
than my personal comfort, won't be an issue.

Should I just build a big workbench down one side, put tools on
another, put a compressor outside, and leave the floor space for
building?

TIA.

The bench should be in or near the middle or far enough from a wall so you can
work from both sides. The compressor is more prone to corrosion if outside.

A rolling tool box as well as shelves and pegboards on a wall should suffice.
The tools only have to be easily reached, not in the way. A rolling tool box
also has the advantage of having a flat top so you lay tools and parts out and
handy.

If I were me I'd walk around the open floor trying to visualize the best layout
for YOU.

Resiliant floor matts near your bench will make standing for long periods
easier.

You are going to make a mess so however you lay your shop out think of ways to
make clean up as simple as possible.

Good luck with your project.

Dan, U.S. Air Force, retired

OUTSIDE air compressor room(!), and air piped around the shop?
Some people use PVC pipe for that, but I'm too chicken.
Mine is iron gas pipe.

I would protect yourself with ground fault interrupters. One GCF can
protect several outlets.
If you have any fuel burning heaters, get a CO detector.
--
Cy Galley - Chair, Emergency Aircraft Repair
Safety Programs Editor - TC
EAA Sport Pilot

"Richard Lamb" wrote in message
...
B2431 wrote:

From: (GreenPilot)
Date: 6/30/2004 3:43 PM Central Daylight Time
Message-id:

I have a 20'x20' shop that I am remodeling and am seeking suggestions
for an optimum layout for building. Currently it is wired basically,
and I know I (read electrician) will adding a plurality of shop lights
and higher voltage outlets. Other than that, what else should I
consider?

I will be building with aluminum (no composites) so temperature, other
than my personal comfort, won't be an issue.

Should I just build a big workbench down one side, put tools on
another, put a compressor outside, and leave the floor space for
building?

TIA.

The bench should be in or near the middle or far enough from a wall so
you can
work from both sides. The compressor is more prone to corrosion if
outside.

A rolling tool box as well as shelves and pegboards on a wall should
suffice.
The tools only have to be easily reached, not in the way. A rolling tool
box
also has the advantage of having a flat top so you lay tools and parts
out and
handy.

If I were me I'd walk around the open floor trying to visualize the best
layout
for YOU.

Resiliant floor matts near your bench will make standing for long
periods
easier.

You are going to make a mess so however you lay your shop out think of
ways to
make clean up as simple as possible.

Good luck with your project.

Dan, U.S. Air Force, retired

OUTSIDE air compressor room(!), and air piped around the shop?
Some people use PVC pipe for that, but I'm too chicken.
Mine is iron gas pipe.

On Thu, 01 Jul 2004 01:17:00 GMT, "Cy Galley"
wrote:

I would protect yourself with ground fault interrupters. One GCF can
protect several outlets.

I think the NEC now requires them. Making the first outlet a GFI can
eliminate the need for a GFI circuit breaker back at the panel and is
one whale of a lot cheaper. I used surface mount thin wall conduit
with a GFI outlet on each circuit. I have 6 circuits just for 110 VAC
outlets and three for 220.

The circuits for the outlets are arranged so if a breaker pops you can
pull the plug and still have power in the outlet beside it.

I saw a guy trip one with his fingers. Said he didn't feel it, but I
think I'll pass on that test myself. :-))

If you have any fuel burning heaters, get a CO detector.

I use one powered off the AC instead of straight batter power.
Only one in the shop but three in the house.

I decided to keep the compressor in the shop where it's warm with a
blow down line running outside. I need to plant some barberry bushes
around the outlet so no one will walk up in front of it although it is
pretty well protected...but junk.

Eventually I plan on building a sound proofed enclosure around the
compressor. Galvanized pipe for air lines around the inside of the
shop instead of having to pull a hose around.

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com

"Roger Halstead" wrote


Eventually I plan on building a sound proofed enclosure around the
compressor. Galvanized pipe for air lines around the inside of the
shop instead of having to pull a hose around.

Roger Halstead Not galvanized pipe. It is illegal to use as gas pipe,
cause the plate can flake off, and plug stuff up. It could be bad for your
power tools.
--
Jim in NC


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"Richard Lamb" wrote Dan, U.S. Air Force, retired

OUTSIDE air compressor room(!), and air piped around the shop?
Some people use PVC pipe for that, but I'm too chicken.
Mine is iron gas pipe.

I'll take my noise maker (compressor) outside any day. Also make note of
the use of _iron_ pipe, not galvanized. Put your air disconnect in a "T",
with a foot of pipe below the "T", with a petcock to drain off water.
--
Jim in NC


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Richard Lamb wrote in message news:


OUTSIDE air compressor room(!), and air piped around the shop?
Some people use PVC pipe for that, but I'm too chicken.
Mine is iron gas pipe.

I'll second putting the compressor outside the normal work area.

As to using PVC....well use it only if you like playing with bombs
with random length fuses... when it lets go, it becomes a shrapnel
generating machine. Also, let us know your shop location so we can
avoid being close to it.

The PVC and CPVC pressure ratings are for incompessible fluids only.
When you rerate the pipe using the correct formulas and apply the
correction factors for compressible fluid service and for operating
temps, you will find that the stamped 200 psi working pressure is now
about 4 psi.....

Now lots of people will pooh-pooh this and tell you that they have
been using it for years without a problem....just means that they
haven't had a failure yet. Take the time and read the exact working
of the ASTM rating stamped on that piece of PVC or CPVC as well as run
the numbers for yourself. I'll gladly point you to the specs and codes
as well as numerous vendor sites.

If you don't like this answer, then do a Google search on air and PVC
over in rec.crafts.metalworking. Lots of real world experience with
the failure side of PVC used as air lines over there.

Craig C.

(Craig) wrote in message . com...
Richard Lamb wrote in message news:


OUTSIDE air compressor room(!), and air piped around the shop?
Some people use PVC pipe for that, but I'm too chicken.
Mine is iron gas pipe.

I'll second putting the compressor outside the normal work area.

As to using PVC....well use it only if you like playing with bombs
with random length fuses... when it lets go, it becomes a shrapnel
generating machine. Also, let us know your shop location so we can
avoid being close to it.

The PVC and CPVC pressure ratings are for incompessible fluids only.
When you rerate the pipe using the correct formulas and apply the
correction factors for compressible fluid service and for operating
temps, you will find that the stamped 200 psi working pressure is now
about 4 psi.....

Now lots of people will pooh-pooh this and tell you that they have
been using it for years without a problem....just means that they
haven't had a failure yet. Take the time and read the exact working
of the ASTM rating stamped on that piece of PVC or CPVC as well as run
the numbers for yourself. I'll gladly point you to the specs and codes
as well as numerous vendor sites.

If you don't like this answer, then do a Google search on air and PVC
over in rec.crafts.metalworking. Lots of real world experience with
the failure side of PVC used as air lines over there.

Craig C.


Craig's right. We put pvc all through my hangar and forgot to glue
one joint after dry fit. It went off like a pipe bomb with a sharp
peice hitting me in the face after whizzing by the eyes of my friend
and bouncing off a wall. Close call. You don't want to use this idea
unless it's good new schedule 40 stuff and you put it in the wall
behind sheetrock on purlings or something. Even then you may have
just built yourself a ticking sheetrock bomb (I don't know.) If it
sits out in the sun with the door open, you're getting UV damage and
the failure will happen a lot sooner. Also we discovered that the
straight sections are only schedule 125: they were sitting in the
Schedule 40 bin at Home Depot. I can't believe that I fell for that.
I thought it was a new thin-wall formulation or something (no legible
markings on the pipes.) But the nice new looking extruded stuff is
just 125psi sprinkler pipe and I'm at about 110psi in the shop.
Between that and the green lumber I don't think I'm going to go back
to Home Depot. IMHO use iron water pipe. And don't screw around with
those cheap oil-less air compressors. They just never recover,
running up your power bill and making your neighbors deaf.

pacplyer wrote:

(snipped - because Jim will bite my ass if I don't!)

IMHO use iron water pipe. And don't screw around with
those cheap oil-less air compressors. They just never recover,
running up your power bill and making your neighbors deaf.


NOW he tells me...