The big news is we're expecting our first at the end of April. Don't know the gender, and we're keeping it that way; everything else about this has been a surprise, why not make it a perfect sweep? Everything looks good so far, though, and we're in pretty good spirits.
The more GRM-topical news is Mrs. says it's time to build a shop. Take a mortgage on the house and go into big debt for the first time in our lives so that I can have a place I can work on things.
I can think of plenty of other things we could (arguably should) use that kind of money for instead, but she won't hear it.
So I'm brainstorming a shop. Right now, thinking a 40x60 metal building with a 20x60 lean-to on the south side. 60x60 concrete under the lot. Three garage doors on the south, with a lift lined up on the eastern door. Southwest corner reserved for the South Bend lathe, Wells Index mill, air compressor, welder, drill press, tube bender, and a nice big frame jig table. Nothwest corner set up for "bathroom", or at the very least a good shop sink. Couple of strategically placed overhead drops for air and electricity. Ideally an overhead i-beam or gantry for a chain hoist. Ventilation for the welder specifically, and for the shop at large.
We're in rural Kansas. Neither of us grew up with real high heat in the winter or real cold AC in the summer; just want the space to not be at the extremes. Thinking spray foam insulation. Maybe geothermal for in-concrete heat, although a coworker suggested a wood-fired boiler. Possibly radiant heat down the peak for a little additional heat in the coldest times. Good quality concrete. Likely use the digging for the concrete forms as an excuse to make sure there's good drainage away from the building.
Please use this space to be good idea fairies, to tell me what I'm overlooking, or to make suggestions. I'll post more as things solidify.
JohnInKansas said:
The more GRM-topical news is Mrs. says it's time to build a shop.
Nothing to add.
Mrs. have any single sisters looking to get married?
If you're planning on hiring out the building of the shop, one of my best friends is a project manager at a place local to you that builds those. I texted him and he confirmed they do work in your area. Yutzy Custom Structures is the name of his company. 785-448-2191. Josh is my friend's name. He's a real car guy, it was his garage where we built our Challenge V8 RX7 for the 2007 event, among other car projects over the years. They'll obviously consult and all that, too.
Also, congratulations! Raising kids is hard work, but it's been really fulfilling, too.
Congrats on the first kiddo and the shop! I am of two minds on both of these things happening at once. One is that your life is going to change in ways you can't predict. I find myself wishing that I had allowed some settling in time with the kids to figure out what life was like post offspring. But on the flip side, having my shop has given me an outlet to keep me sane that has helped a ton from time to time. SO.. GO FOR IT if you're able and willing. But don't let it be an anchor, in case you decide things need to change for the sake of your family.
Congrats on being a soon-to-be parent!
As for the shop, I'll just drop this here:
How To Build a Backyard Shop
Sounds like a cool idea ,
How tall is this going to be ?
and can you add an inside second level in the back for storage / office ?
and pallet racks are your friends !
In reply to JohnInKansas :
Congrats on the impending arrival of a little "baby_in_Kansas"
Good to see you posting on here again. Still have the TR4?
Thanks all for the congrats, I'll pass them along to she who is doing most of the suffering. I feel like the group project member who shows up at the end and gets credit with basically no effort.
Mrs. has one eligible sister, not in a rush to get married, but those interested may apply within.
I'll give Yutzy a call and name drop, thank you. Still very much in the exploratory phase, and looking to have someone else do the majority of the heavy lifting early on. Current front runner is $51k for the building, delivery and on-site assembly.
I also hesitate to open this can of worms while trying to learn to navigate the early stages of parenthood, but Momma is most insistent.
Thinking I want a 14'-high garage door on one bay, with at least that much headroom inside. *Maybe* have room for some loft storage... we'll see. It's going to be an awfully big building already. Pallet racks for sure.
Yep, still got the TR4. Still got basically all the same, and a couple more. The stable doesn't get smaller the way I seem to do business.
Someone on here in the last couple of years posted a similar dimension shop, and it had a feature that I thought was pretty logical.
At the midpoint of one long wall, it had about a 10 foot wide overhead door with a lift positioned inside that door.
That way you can get a vehicle in and out to use the lift with ease and not have to have the lift blocking access to storage space at either end of the building. Of course you'll have to have a driveway to get to that side door and I don't know what your lot looks like, but I thought I'd throw this out here because it seemed like a pretty wise layout when I saw it.
californiamilleghia said:
Sounds like a cool idea ,
How tall is this going to be ?
Most start at about a foot and grow to 5-6 feet. It takes years though.
Congratulations on the child. Best thing except grandkids.
Run conduit from your breaker box under the concrete to avoid having to go up and over the garage doors. I wish I had done that.
