Building a home machine shop what did you wish you had?

[Jonnyofalltrades]

This is going to sound idiotic, but I moved an old kitchen stove into my shop, mostly for doing European skulls(animals, not people).
I find myself using the stupid thing constantly. Stress-relieving springs after winding, tempering parts, preheating shafts before building up with weld, rust bluing small parts, warming up wood stocks so that epoxy penetrates better, you name it.
I am married to the sort of woman who doesn't mind me boiling a moose skull in the kitchen, but that old stove has still saved plenty of wear and tear on the marriage.

Oh, yeah! Warming up sleeves before shrink fitting. The list goes on....

 

[msalm]

I used standard OSB for the interior walls of my shop, painted white and electrical was ran in conduit on the surface. Works well as it’s easy to pull another wire for different equipment/changes. I don’t think I’d use drywall for a shop…tin maybe, I have tin on the ceiling.

 

[WSnyder]

I was thinking a wall-mounted AC unit for the summertime, and a pellet stove for the winter time.

I’d install a mini-split. A little more expensive up front but way more efficient and you can also use it for heat.

 

[RCE1]

Another 1000 sq ft.

 

[LVLAaron]

If your shop is big enough, I'd consider an actual central heating/cooling type unit. These are still inverter driven, but you can run a duct or two, which makes a big difference. These are still DIY

High Efficiency Heat Pump Extreme Heat Series - ACIQ

aciq.com

 

[padom]

* Figure out a healthy amount of electrical outlets; then double it. Especially 220 outlets.
* Take one of those stalls and make it a "dirty" room. Sanding, grinding, etc in there and in there only.
* Figure out a way to be able to wash your hands. Even if it's a utility sink and a 55 gallon drum of water you keep upstairs.
* Lighting; LOTS of lighting. Lots.

Regarding the Mini split - Absolutely. Best money I've ever spent. However, in the super cold months, they do struggle. I'm just south of you in Louisville and there are about 3 months where in the winter where I really wish I had a pellet heater or other source of heat.

https://www.amazon.com/ComfortBilt-HP50S-Pellet-Stove-Arctic/dp/B09JWW71DN

These are a small investment... but there are government rebates and energy credits etc... I plan on getting one this fall.

Interesting. I put a mini split in my new shop 2yr ago now at the recommendation of my HVAC contractor over a traditional duct hvac system. He raved about them.

I put one in that's rated about twice as big as I needed for my space because the price difference wasn't a ton more. Figured it would just run less.


I've been impressed. Zero heating or cooling issues. Heats and cools super fast and never had an issue of wishing for more heat in the dead of winter and I'm in the northeast..

They are also crazy efficient and have excellent warranties. Mine has a 10yr warranty

 

[LVLAaron]

I have a mini split that I LOVE. My shop is 36 feet long and the mini split is at one end of it... I need to run a floor fan to move air around the shop. In hindsight, I would have gotten one with two heads instead of just one.

Plus... a real "central" type system, you can get a true filter carrier. I dont know about you guys, but my shop can get dusty/oily and a real filter would have been a nice feature, too.

 

[Walt Krafft]

I really liked the minisplit when I first got it. The one I had, had a LOT of electronics to do things that never needed to be done automatically like move the vents. It was great, although marginal in capacity, and then it quit working. They could not get the correct circut boards because of constant manufacturing changes. Lost a month of work because the inside of the shop was in the 90's. I replaced it with a conventional hvac unit. My electric bill has been lower each month since the change. On the coldest day in the winter it was as warm as I wanted. Today it is 96 outside and 68 in the shop. The mini would struggle to keep it down to 80 on a day like today. If you can't tell, I am no longer a fan of minisplits. And the full hvac system was less than 20% more than the mini system was.

 

[LVLAaron]

I really liked the minisplit when I first got it. The one I had, had a LOT of electronics to do things that never needed to be done automatically like move the vents. It was great, although marginal in capacity, and then it quit working. They could not get the correct circut boards because of constant manufacturing changes. Lost a month of work because the inside of the shop was in the 90's. I replaced it with a conventional hvac unit. My electric bill has been lower each month since the change. On the coldest day in the winter it was as warm as I wanted. Today it is 96 outside and 68 in the shop. The mini would struggle to keep it down to 80 on a day like today. If you can't tell, I am no longer a fan of minisplits. And the full hvac system was less than 20% more than the mini system was.

I believe the mini-split "tonnage" numbers are a bit inflated, or are only true in certain outdoor temp ranges. Sure they "heat" down to 20f outdoor.. but only for 5 minutes an hour because it's defrosting and struggling the other 55 minutes.

They're throw away for me... If the one I have dies (24k) I'd get two 12k's and put them on each end of the shop.

 

[STOMP442]

I plumbed air hose into my shop every where I thought I would need it and I wish I had doubled the amount and put at least one stub outside. I did put a 220 outlet about every six feet and thats been money. I am able to rearrange or move stuff to any location I want and still have power at arms length. I put in a utility sink and wish I would have added a toilet to make a half bath.

 

[Walt Krafft]

I would plumb my air system to to a better job of controlling and draining condensate. Nothing worse than blowing something off but getting a big slug of water instead.

 

[msalm]

I built my shop from scratch, so I poured the foundation w/ pex and 2” foam surrounding. Added plumbing/water. Put in a bathroom, sink, in floor heat (on demand water boiler/LP). Shop is 36x58’, 9’ ceiling…should have done 10, maybe even 12, but oh well. Still need to add the air plumbing as a hose from the utility room to the lathe and mill sucks. Have a dirty room w/ grinders, sanders, bandsaw. Separate storage and a reloading room. The ‘working’ shop is 36x36 w/ a wall separating two sides and a double door between. Overhead door on other side. I have a eve side entry and built the roof with a 4’ overhang along the entire side…that was a great thing.

Things I would do again
In floor heat
Bathroom
OSB wall coverings
Exposed conduit wiring
Separate rooms
Lots of 8’ ceiling light fixtures
Shooting window in reloading room w/ bench


Things I would do differently
Not move a thing in until completely finished (I was under a time crunch)
Epoxy floor finish
Taller ceiling (elk head hangs very low)
Plumb air lines w/ good air dryer (it will still happen)
Still need an air conditioner of some type
44yds of insulated concrete keeps it really good til the tail end of summer, then it get hot/muggy til I can open windows and turn on a fan at night to cool things off.

 

[LVLAaron]

In floor heat....

 

[STORM2]

Just curious, what would you use this for?

The internet shows many prefabricate. Northern Tools has low end version. If you can build the building, I would bet you could build the one in the photo. I think it would be the coolest tool in the building.

 

[nwmnbowhunter]

This is going to sound idiotic, but I moved an old kitchen stove into my shop, mostly for doing European skulls(animals, not people).
I find myself using the stupid thing constantly. Stress-relieving springs after winding, tempering parts, preheating shafts before building up with weld, rust bluing small parts, warming up wood stocks so that epoxy penetrates better, you name it.
I am married to the sort of woman who doesn't mind me boiling a moose skull in the kitchen, but that old stove has still saved plenty of wear and tear on the marriage.

Oh, yeah! Warming up sleeves before shrink fitting. The list goes on....

My dad was a shop teacher and they had ovens for pre heating metal and welding rods.... and then we'd cook a pizza.

He also had 20 yard archery range set up and kids were able to shoot.

Great times... thanks for the memory!!!

 

[DHuffman]

Being from South Dakota, I'm interested in those super cold months you speak of....

Just kidding. -Al

LOL I have a home in NW SD and work in NW ND and I chuckled over "the super cold months"

 

[Jonnyofalltrades]

In floor heat....

My previous shop was small, but had in floor heat. I really miss it!
Unbelievably efficient.

LOL I have a home in NW SD and work in NW ND and I chuckled over "the super cold months"

I live about 10 hours north of you. Thought that was pretty funny, too.
At least I don't have to worry about AC.

 

[AlNyhus]

LOL I have a home in NW SD and work in NW ND and I chuckled over "the super cold months"

My Dad would talk about an old guy that lived on the S.D./N.D. border. His address was technically in N.D. One day, the Post Office informed him that his address was incorrect and he was technically now in S.D.

"Great news!" said the old guy. "No more cold N.D. winters!"

 

[DHuffman]

My Dad would talk about an old guy that lived on the S.D./N.D. border. His address was technically in N.D. One day, the Post Office informed him that his address was incorrect and he was technically now in S.D.

"Great news!" said the old guy. "No more cold N.D. winters!"

My home is in Lemmon, part of the town lays across the line in ND.
I've also got a place in Powers Lake ND where I spend most of my time. 20 miles from Canada and maybe 60 from MT.
In the winter I keep 2 townships and a couple hundred oil wells open.

-20 is pretty regular up here -30 to -40 not uncommon

 

[Jeff Buchanan]

The dry/clean air is a must. If you paint stocks or Cerakote, definitely a paint room with exhaust fan, waterproof walls for easy clean-up and plumbed heat/air.

And LED lighting.

Two things I don’t have in my shop that would make a huge improvement. And if you run a rotary phase converter wire it outside the shop so you don’t have to listen to it.