Small Shop Construction

Host Rick Sparber

October 29^th 2005

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Lessons learned in building a shop blessed by the city and my HOA

"I try my best to do things by the book and believe that building codes are there to protect me"

Rick passed around docs sent to the HOA and The city

• Take detailed notes of things city staff tell you and verify with other staff (ex. pole in front of water
  heater must not be removed, must add new air vents for gas hot water heater)
• Go out of your way to point out to city staff things that you think might be trouble because the inspector
  may find them later and can over rule anything you have been told, even if it is in writing; they can require
  you to tear out anything you have done

• Sit down with inspector at the site and review approved plans before starting to buy materials (there is
  no guarantee that the same inspector will do all inspections nor that he/she will be consistent)
  
• HOA approval came in 1 week
  
• It took 2 trips to city hall to get plan approval and even then some of the pages were not approved
  
• Started design in 2004 when it was clear that we would probably move into an area without out
  buildings
  
• From receiving permit until final inspection was 4 months
  - permit date was 9 March 2005
  - final approval was 7 June 2005
  
• I did all work myself except for painting. Except for drywalling,  the job was very satisfying.  
• The material cost including A/C unit was about $4.5K; I have been told that most contractors would
  not want to bother with such a small job but if they did it would cost me around $25K
  
• The city encourages you to put all projects on one permit to save money so added hot water recirculation
  pump, water softener, and hot water heater replacement too (permit requirement for hot water heater
  replacement was a typo in the city's docs - really don't need permit for this work)
  
  Design constraints and features of my shop
  
• I chose to use standard wall construction to permit a simple insulation system plus give me maximum
  usable wall space (space between garage door and wall is used for long metal stock so it is not wasted)
  * basic strategy - almost everything is movable (drawers are movable, dressers are movable), minimize
  
• Things exposed to air (easier to clean shop when most things are in drawers)
  
• My old shop was 600 square feet, new one is 200
• a compact shop has the potential of being very efficient if tools and machines can be arranged to
  minimize steps
• "Bigfoot" is on wheels and can be brought outside
  - casting and welding done outside
  - table saw is run outside
  
• Finding dressers at ASU Surplus for $10/each was a huge help and had only a small impact on design
  
• House main breaker box is 125 feet away via conduit route
  
• Shop has 240V 60 amp service with a main cut off switch and a second cut off switch for the exterior
  240V outlet
  
• Just outside door are a single 240V 30 amp outlet for my welder and a GFI protected 120V 20 amp
  outlet
  
• All power except to A/C and 240V exterior outlet is on GFI (code required it)
  
• Rick told the Whirlpool A/C story; I have a 12,000 BTU unit (against code to tap into house A/C for fire and
  smoke reasons); have not solved air circulation and cooling problem yet
  
• Mill and lathe bolted down with Red Heads. Used Bosch hammer drill to drill through concrete.
  
• Over 1 KW of lights using T-8 bulbs and electronic balasts
  
• Phone, remote doorbell, intercom, smoke alarm tied into house's grid
  
• Tool storage proof of concept
  
• Easy clean walls with fasteners rather than glued
  
• Rustoleum epoxy paint floor (did after framing but before drywall to get max ventilation)
  
• R-38 in attic, R-19 in new wall, blown in insulation in existing wall
  
• Used a gas powered diamond saw rented from Ace Hardware to cut out concrete for exterior door
  
• Separate storage for small cutoffs, cutoffs between 3" and 18", 18" - 3', and >3'
  
  Custom tools I have built in the past (some published in HSM)
  - tap wrench support
  - binoculars
  - speed control
  - drill press
  - depth cone
  - frame system used to move mill and lathe
  - fingerplate
  - DTI magnetic bases
  - Diamond cutter height tool (magnet and set screw)
  - audible DTI
  - audible edge finder
  
  How to align a lathe using a DTI and a bar as per Home Shop Machinist (HSM)
  
  Rick's aluminum foundry equipment including my supply of Petrobond (a substitute for casting sand)
  
  
  

Updated 11/02/05