My Plans To Build a SHOP!!!

[UGLYTRUK]

Well, my dream, I should say...

My wife and I are considering moving out of our house of 18 years, due to the crappy noisy slumy college student neighborhood we live in. I have an old (1900) 1 1/2 story barn, 25x40, and if we sell the house instead of renting it out, I'll have to empty the 2nd floor of TONS of car parts!

Anyhow, we have our eye on a very nice house w 8 attached apartments on the Lake, 8 miles south of town... If this happens, I'll need to build something to replace what I'll be losing....

There was a building trade show today, and I spoke to a couple of guys that specialize in smalll buildings. Neither boss was around, so no quotes. 1 was advertising a 24x24 shop with concrete for $10,000. Prolly 8' side walls, cheapy...

But what I'd want is maybe 40x40? 14 foot ceilings, no columns, in floor heat, insulated, full 2nd floor, and Gambrel, or Dutch Colonial roof. (I have a big barn in the country I'd like to copy, pix attached)

Anyhow, obviously budget concerns will scale this down, prolly to a garden shed -:)))

What's the widest span laminate beams will do? Maybe I'll have to use a giant I beam held up by the gable wall, between the doors...

My Big Barn 30'x60'(?) 15 miles away...

[Scott H]

A 3.125" x 16.5" GLB will span 40'-0. However, you will need to know roof load and snow load. The arch/eng will figure it all out. Or if you get pre/-engineered drawings, which you most likely will they will have a material/cutlist already made for you.

[UGLYTRUK]

But I'll need one of these very 12 or 16"??? Sounds $$$...

I'll be using ribbed (corrugated) steel roofing, so minimal snow load, it should all slide off

[Scott H]

no this would be a ridge beam.

[UGLYTRUK]

So this would hold up my floor joists... therefore they would span 1/2 the width???

[4carbcorvair]

It's amazing the technology that is out there in bulding now. :)

Sounds like a great shop! Good luck with it and keep us updated.

Oh yea, if you need a home for Corvair parts or cars, let me know.

[UGLYTRUK]

As wife and I were just discussing this she laffed... guess it'll have ta wait 20 years...

[Scott H]

So this would hold up my floor joists... therefore they would span 1/2 the width???

No, a ridge beam goes in the top of the roof and carries the roof rafters.

[Am-Iron]

Why not rent it out and NOT the barn? Then you could keep the shop and also have an additional income? If you need more room finance it with the rent. Just a thought. That way you can also keep a good eye on the tenants. It should rent easily to college students.

[vaporloc]

If I ever get in a position where I can build a new shop, I'am going to have 3 phase electric.. I seem to come into more great deals on shop equipment but, It's always 3 phase motors or welders.. Some of it people just want to give me because it's 3 phase.. Just a thought...

[Leon Renaud]

Don't let the 3 phase stop you from taking free machines just get an inverter for either the machine ityself or for your whole shop.I worked in a rural machine shop that it was not possible to get 3 phase power to ,We had 10 machines and there was an inverter unit that ran most of those I also had a Bridgeport in my welding area that had a small inverter mounted on the machine itself,It was just a small electrical box 6 inches tall 4 inches wide and about 2 inches thick back then it cost right around 70$ for the unit.The bigger unit outside that ran the rest of the shop was in a large dog house(really!)it was a large single phase motor that drove a 3 phase motor which produced the 3 phase for the shop.We would turn on the single phase motor wait a minute or so till it was up to speed then turn on the bigger 3 phase motor wait till that motor was up to speed and we were good for the day could run the rest of the machines on that .

[UGLYTRUK]

I've seen alot of 3 phase equipment too. Can someone better explain what 3 phase power is?

[UGLYTRUK]

There is already 8 apts on the land, and it's at the code limit, if not over!

Why not rent it out and NOT the barn? Then you could keep the shop and also have an additional income? If you need more room finance it with the rent. Just a thought. That way you can also keep a good eye on the tenants. It should rent easily to college students.