Building a new shop
(→Electrical and plumbing) |
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Most electrical and plumbing decisions come down to personal preference and needs. You need at least a 100 amp service. Sit down with a clean sheet of paper and divide it in two, put the electrical tools that you own now on one side and then put the tools that you want on the other side. Write down the amps or max draw of each of the tools. Yes, a welder (mig or arc) is a tool! Add up and total your needs and multiply by TWO (because we know you're going to get more), and that's what service you'll need. Allow at least five outlets per 15 amp circuit. Don't forget that outlets in a garage need to be protected by either GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter) breakers or GFCI outlets. If you protect the first of the outlet boxes in a circuit with a GFCI outlet, all the rest of the outlets will be protected too. A compressor or 220V mig will eat up 30 - 40 amps. "Brown outs", lack of correct power will fry a motor over time. If that shop of yours is getting a regular workout, maybe you should go with a new 'drop' instead of drawing off the house circuit. | Most electrical and plumbing decisions come down to personal preference and needs. You need at least a 100 amp service. Sit down with a clean sheet of paper and divide it in two, put the electrical tools that you own now on one side and then put the tools that you want on the other side. Write down the amps or max draw of each of the tools. Yes, a welder (mig or arc) is a tool! Add up and total your needs and multiply by TWO (because we know you're going to get more), and that's what service you'll need. Allow at least five outlets per 15 amp circuit. Don't forget that outlets in a garage need to be protected by either GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter) breakers or GFCI outlets. If you protect the first of the outlet boxes in a circuit with a GFCI outlet, all the rest of the outlets will be protected too. A compressor or 220V mig will eat up 30 - 40 amps. "Brown outs", lack of correct power will fry a motor over time. If that shop of yours is getting a regular workout, maybe you should go with a new 'drop' instead of drawing off the house circuit. | ||
Consider running all your wires in metal conduit surface mounted on the interior walls. If you get your shop all wired up and the wires are buried in the walls, it will be a big deal to change anything later. I used OSB (oriented strand board) for the walls in my shop, so I can attach electrical boxes anywhere without worrying where the studs are. Bending metal conduit is simple once you get the hang of it. | Consider running all your wires in metal conduit surface mounted on the interior walls. If you get your shop all wired up and the wires are buried in the walls, it will be a big deal to change anything later. I used OSB (oriented strand board) for the walls in my shop, so I can attach electrical boxes anywhere without worrying where the studs are. Bending metal conduit is simple once you get the hang of it. | ||
| − | Don't forget though that electricity is very dangerous, and it is highly recommended that a qualified electrician does the work. It might seem costly now, but a life is worth much more. Remember that | + | Don't forget though that electricity is very dangerous, and it is highly recommended that a qualified electrician does the work. It might seem costly now, but a life is worth much more. Remember that 120 Volts will kill, as it only takes .06Amps of current through your heart to stop it. |
| − | + | Don't forget about lighting, you never can have enough lights. Don't skimp in this area | |
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====Tire rack and cord rack==== | ====Tire rack and cord rack==== | ||
| − | Every shop should have a tire rack and cord rack. | + | Every shop should have a tire rack and cord rack. Tire racks can be place on the front part of the shop over top of bench or storage areas. Use 1 1/2" square tubing as a frame work and make sure the uprights come down to the floor for support. Don't just rely upon the perimeter horizontal rails to wedge the tires up, place a center rail to avoid tires falling through. An eight foot tire rack will hold a dozen tires and rims. |
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| + | Cord racks can be made from 1 1/2" tubing with properly spaced large S-hooks or junkyard tire irons welded to the horizontal tubing. A couple of used rims mounted on the wall will do in a pinch. Air and water hoses can also be hung on the wheel rims, the large radius will avoid stress cracks forming in them. | ||
==Specialty areas== | ==Specialty areas== | ||
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