jlwoggy Posted December 21, 2011 Report Share Posted December 21, 2011 Looking for some ideas on laying out a 2nd story shop. the first floor is a garage Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boatworks Today Posted December 21, 2011 Report Share Posted December 21, 2011 Well, I guess my first couple of Q's are what kind of space do you have to work with, and what are you looking to do / get out of it ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlwoggy Posted December 21, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 21, 2011 27'x 23' I am wondering along the lines of----- can my 2hp dust collector be kept on the first floor and is it worth putting in a trap door in. I am not a wood hoarder and work on one two 2 pieces at a time. I am planning on 2 french doors with new orleans balconies w 6 windows I use very little sheet goods and will have storage for wood in the garage area. i am comfortable to the lay out just looking for thought tips or advice for second story shops I don't want to re invent the wheel if I can help it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike M Posted December 21, 2011 Report Share Posted December 21, 2011 I built a 2nd story shop over a 3 car garage in a former home. I ran the DC plumbing through the floor and along the ceiling in the garage. I mounted the DC in a corner of the garage so everything was flowing downhill and the sound of the DC was in the garage instead of the shop. I then ran the DC output back into the shop where I had the filters so the conditioned shop air was returned to the shop instead of blowing it outside (I live in NC so need A/C in the summer and a little heat in the winter. I used 4" PVC pipe for the ducting and never had a problem with clogging or poor collection. My air compressor was also in the garage so it wasn't bathed in dust and wasn't as noisy in the shop. I also had a 4 x 8 foot trap door with an electric hoist so I could get stuff into the shop without carrying it up the stairs. I used the hoist to move my machinery as well as lumber into the shop. Carrying a 500 pound saw, jointer or planer up a flight of stairs isn't my idea of fun. My only problem was insulation. The shop (and garage) faced south and with minimal insulation in the garage ceiling and a couple of large windows, the A/C had a hard time keeping up with the heat load in the summer. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duckkisser Posted December 21, 2011 Report Share Posted December 21, 2011 possibly puting the realy noisy machines like air compressor and dust collector in garage that way it can run without making as much noise upstairs. just run a pipe or hoses through the floor to the shop. eventuly you will hoard lumber when you come across a nice piece of spalted maple or quarter sawn oak with lots of rays that you just have to keep for a christmas present. maybe not be alot but when you need to get a 20 foot board upstares it would be nice to just push it though hatch and walk up to pull rest of way up. maybe you might want to think about puting your realy dusty machines down stairs like planer or upright sander that way you can sweep it off the garage floor rather then in the cracks between boards upstairs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikem Posted December 21, 2011 Report Share Posted December 21, 2011 My only thought is be conscious of machine placement vs the structure of the building. This could involve determining the direction of the rafters, and where they are located. This way you can insure the machines are getting the support they need, and will go a long way to minimize vibration, and to keep the building structure sound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beechwood Chip Posted December 21, 2011 Report Share Posted December 21, 2011 How will you get heavy machinery, like a table saw or jointer, into the 2nd floor shop? Unless you use only hand-tools, I'd think that you'd need a trap door with a hoist, or some way to rig a strong, long ramp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onboard Posted December 21, 2011 Report Share Posted December 21, 2011 If you have issue #174 of Fine Woodworking magazine, you'll find an article about a guy who built a second story over his garage for a woodworking shop. Or, you can go here if you have a Fine Woodworking online membership, and read the article there (or save it and read later). Another idea is found here. Just scroll down until you see Allen Schaffter’s entry. The third through the sixth (last) picture shows the outer wall doors and the folding “I” beam being used to haul equipment up to the second story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duckkisser Posted December 21, 2011 Report Share Posted December 21, 2011 i have it.................build the shop in the garage downstairs and park the cars upstairs then you dont have to worry about the machines being to heavy for the rafters ......hmmm but where do you get a hoist big enough to lift your car! but maybe you should talk to someone who builds homes to get his input. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted December 21, 2011 Report Share Posted December 21, 2011 ...Jointer: 1750 Dang, H-cubed has an aircraft carrier! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlwoggy Posted December 23, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 23, 2011 we have an architect contractor and a structural engineer involved. the heavy stuff will be in place before it is framed up with the help of a lift and the contractors crew. then we pray for sunshine and good tarps. Thanks for the link to FW and the idea of putting the compressor down below as well. that folding i beam is awesome Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike G Posted December 23, 2011 Report Share Posted December 23, 2011 we have an architect contractor and a structural engineer involved. the heavey stuff will be in place before it is framed up with the help of a lift and the contractors crew the we pray for sunshine and good tarps. Thanks for the link to FW and the idea of putting the compressor down below as well. that folding i beam is awesom Sorry for my ignorance, but if this is a new structure you are building, why aren't you building an addition to your garage on ground level to house the shop? I think it would be so much easier in the long run. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlwoggy Posted December 24, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 24, 2011 Sorry for my ignorance, but if this is a new structure you are building, why aren't you building an addition to your garage on ground level to house the shop? I think it would be so much easier in the long run. Mike sure would ----but the foot print of the lot wont let me do it---- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike G Posted December 24, 2011 Report Share Posted December 24, 2011 sure would ----but the foot print of the lot wont let me do it---- I figured that might be the issue. God luck. I'd sure like to see pics after you get it done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric73 Posted January 31, 2012 Report Share Posted January 31, 2012 I have my wood shop in the second story of my building. I put the heavy machines over the main support glue lam out and close to the walls where I have the floor joists closer to each other. I have my little 2hp HF DC in the bottom level of the shop with a PVC pipe running up through the floor to my machines, and a Thien separator in a 55 gallon drum. I control the DC with a light switch the I wired to the outfeed table of my table saw, which is in a central location. I have the table saw's DC running under the floor, and have power to the outfeed table (assembly table) running under the floor so I don't have any wires or hoses to step over in the shop. I also have my air compressor downstairs with just a hose that I have running up a wall in one corner of the wood shop. I need to fix that so that I have more air drops upstairs, but it works for now. My shop is 40x48 with a "L" shaped mezzanine that's 24x40 and 24x16. Made a bifold door for the stairs/loading area stairs are 4' and I have a 4'x8' platform for loading things onto with an electric hoist that I have set in the trusses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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