Shop Floor Recommendation

[Burkhardt]

I am in the lucky situation to move my shop from the 2-car garage into the 1300sft walk-out basement of a house that we bought. The floor is right now the concrete slab and I want to make it easier to keep clean and nicer to look at. I am considering:
- vinyl tiles or rolls
- epoxy coating
- coined rubber floor sheets (roll or tiles)
- waterproof laminate

Is there a known good solution for wood shops?

Other question: I am wondering about an optimal layout for the CNC, table saw, band saw, miter saw, lathe, planer, drum sander, benches, grinder, welder, cabinets, material storage etc.
Anybody knows sample layout pictures or recommendations, magazine articles, do/don'ts ? I don't want to re-invent the wheel.

Thanks, GB

[coryatjohn]

Congratulations! I'd suggest industrial grade peel and stick vinyl floor tiles. They are inexpensive, replaceable (get an extra box), easy to install and feel better on the feet since they have a slight cushion. That's what I have in my shop and after seven years of abuse, they still look new, well almost all of them anyway.

[dlcw]

I'd go epoxy. When rolling equipment around I've noticed the little wheels will get hung up on a piece of dust, scrap across the floor and dislodge tiling and lamanent. Epoxy is really easy to sweep clean too.

Your layout will depend on what you do. I do 95% cabinet jobs. My shop is optimized for material flow for cabinet production. My shop is about 2200 Sq. Ft. I do about 10-11 cabinet jobs a year plus other jobs in between cabinet jobs.

Material (plywood and solid wood) comes in a large rollup garage door and gets stacked. Hard wood is stacked on sawhorses and stickered so it acclimates to the shop. Plywood is stacked on edge under a ceiling winch that enables me to move plywood from staging to the CNC table without having to lift it myself. Cut plywood gets moved from the CNC to an outfeed table where it is moved to another location for part labeling and sorting. Parts to be edgebanded are moved to where the edgebander is located. My planer and sander are close to the CNC so I can be prepping stock while plywood is being cut on the CNC. I have my chopsaw near my planer and sander so I can cut larger boards into more manageable sizes if needed. Once all my construction is done (doors, drawer faces, etc.), part of my shop is converted to a spray booth where I do all my finishing. I have mobile drying racks to make more efficient use of floor space. Once finishing is done, the spray booth comes down and I start assembling cabinets. As they are assemble and ready to go, they are moved back to the large garage door ready to be loaded into the delivery truck. That's my layout. You need to figure out what works for the type of work you intend to do.

[Jerry Carney]

I'd go epoxy. When rolling equipment around I've noticed the little wheels will get hung up on a piece of dust, scrap across the floor and dislodge tiling and lamanent. Epoxy is really easy to sweep clean too.

Your layout will depend on what you do. I do 95% cabinet jobs. My shop is optimized for material flow for cabinet production. My shop is about 2200 Sq. Ft. I do about 10-11 cabinet jobs a year plus other jobs in between cabinet jobs.

Material (plywood and solid wood) comes in a large rollup garage door and gets stacked. Hard wood is stacked on sawhorses and stickered so it acclimates to the shop. Plywood is stacked on edge under a ceiling winch that enables me to move plywood from staging to the CNC table without having to lift it myself. Cut plywood gets moved from the CNC to an outfeed table where it is moved to another location for part labeling and sorting. Parts to be edgebanded are moved to where the edgebander is located. My planer and sander are close to the CNC so I can be prepping stock while plywood is being cut on the CNC. I have my chopsaw near my planer and sander so I can cut larger boards into more manageable sizes if needed. Once all my construction is done (doors, drawer faces, etc.), part of my shop is converted to a spray booth where I do all my finishing. I have mobile drying racks to make more efficient use of floor space. Once finishing is done, the spray booth comes down and I start assembling cabinets. As they are assemble and ready to go, they are moved back to the large garage door ready to be loaded into the delivery truck. That's my layout. You need to figure out what works for the type of work you intend to do.

Sounds nice, got any pics? Thanks Jerry

[dlcw]

Here's an older one. It hasn't changed layout. Equipment has changed some though.

http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=33551&stc=1

[coryatjohn]

What brand of epoxy did you use? I have a new garage I want to do with epoxy.

[curtiss]

I would suppose you would want the heating & ventilation system separate from the rest of the residence...

that might take some thought

[scottp55]

Also don't forget to Fully Seal the concrete walls!
Dad's old daylight basement office was fine when he ran the wood pellet stove for years in basement, but at 85 he stopped the stove as the weight of bags was too much.
Step-mom doesn't like guns, so Dad had 3 generations of them stored downstairs along with his woodworking and other tools...BIG mistake!
In those 5 yrs, Everything not REALLY oiled developed a surface coat of rust that myself and two brothers are spending a LOT of time gradually removing:(

Dad's old CNC building was built by the company I was working for when injured, and was told it got 3 coats of an alcohol based sealant for moisture/dust, but forget what it was:(
Brother just built an subtractive and additive engineering shop I'm due to visit soon....Clean Environment....I'll ask him how he sealed the shop floor, and ask what they spec'd in his and Dad's old shop floor.

Is DC and compressor going to be in a sound proofed separate room?
Humidifier and dehumidifier planned for a stable workshop?

FUN planning:)
Good luck G. !

[Jerry Carney]

Here's an older one. It hasn't changed layout. Equipment has changed some though.

http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=33551&stc=1

Very Very nice shop.

[evan]

If you have the head room, while thinking of ventilation you might consider a raised floor with dust collection coming from below, it can leave you with a much larger feeling shop.

[dlcw]

What brand of epoxy did you use? I have a new garage I want to do with epoxy.


I don't know the brand the company used. I hired someone to do it when the floor was done.

[dlcw]

I would suppose you would want the heating & ventilation system separate from the rest of the residence...

that might take some thought

My shop floor has radiant floor heating. Recirculating (blown air heaters) and wood shops just don't seem to play nice together. Furnace filters are clogged in minutes leading to furnace motor burnout. Seen it happen to several friends who setup shops in their basements.

[dlcw]

If you have the head room, while thinking of ventilation you might consider a raised floor with dust collection coming from below, it can leave you with a much larger feeling shop.

If you go this route, this could be an excellent time to consider radiant floor heating.

[dlcw]

The table in the lower right of the picture sits on top of a motorcycle lift so I can raise it up and down. Makes it more comfortable to work on projects. It is pneumatic. One of the best additions I made to the shop over the years.

[jTr]

Epoxy: Sherwin-Williams "Macropoxy 646 Fast Cure Epoxy" B58-600 Part A, B58V600 Part B hardener. Paid $135 for a two gallon set. Due to cost, I skipped on main floor, and only covered the 22x32 floor in my finishing room, which I recall was a single, very heavy coat for max coverage. Amazing durability, tint-able, and is quite necessary if you use a plastic floor protectant in a finishing room as I do.

Consider this: Many other floor paints available, but You will likely only do this once, so it's worth the bucks for the good stuff.

Also: Second all of DLCW's comments on the radiant heat. You'll have to lay out the tubing on top of current concrete floor, loosely fastened/tamed, then pour a couple inches of fresh concrete over it.
If you DIY it, call / visit the Radiant Company out of Vermont. VERY reasonable kit pricing - did my 42x64 shop a couple years ago with 7/8" ID tubing for max flow, and recall it was about the same price as a properly sized Reznor ceiling hanging shop heater. Approximately $2,500 for 1,000 ft tubing (five 200ft circuits), bench-assembled manifold and recirculation set, including $1k tankless hot water heater. Just call a plumber if you'd rather not sweat it all together yourself. NO comparison in terms of quality/evenness of heat, plus the safety already mentioned.

As for dust collection in floor, even more work, plus significant loss of headroom as you'll likely need to raise it 5-7" depending on the duct work. LOTS more fuss and accessories needed to get radiant working properly under a wooden deck also. Concrete and radiant are a prime pairing.

FWIW
Good luck!

Jeff

[dlcw]

Epoxy: Sherwin-Williams "Macropoxy 646 Fast Cure Epoxy" B58-600 Part A, B58V600 Part B hardener. Paid $135 for a two gallon set. Due to cost, I skipped on main floor, and only covered the 22x32 floor in my finishing room, which I recall was a single, very heavy coat for max coverage. Amazing durability, tint-able, and is quite necessary if you use a plastic floor protectant in a finishing room as I do.

Consider this: Many other floor paints available, but You will likely only do this once, so it's worth the bucks for the good stuff.

Also: Second all of DLCW's comments on the radiant heat. You'll have to lay out the tubing on top of current concrete floor, loosely fastened/tamed, then pour a couple inches of fresh concrete over it.
If you DIY it, call / visit the Radiant Company out of Vermont. VERY reasonable kit pricing - did my 42x64 shop a couple years ago with 7/8" ID tubing for max flow, and recall it was about the same price as a properly sized Reznor ceiling hanging shop heater. Approximately $2,500 for 1,000 ft tubing (five 200ft circuits), bench-assembled manifold and recirculation set, including $1k tankless hot water heater. Just call a plumber if you'd rather not sweat it all together yourself. NO comparison in terms of quality/evenness of heat, plus the safety already mentioned.

As for dust collection in floor, even more work, plus significant loss of headroom as you'll likely need to raise it 5-7" depending on the duct work. LOTS more fuss and accessories needed to get radiant working properly under a wooden deck also. Concrete and radiant are a prime pairing.

FWIW
Good luck!

Jeff


I did my 40x80 shop building with 7/8 Pex tubing, and complete kit from the same company back in 2006 for about $3500. That included 2 separate zones with multiple segments on each zone. Because electricity is so inexpensive where I live, I went with a 100amp electric on-demand boiler. Propane would have cost about double what electric costs.

I know they make radiant floor kits that can fasten to the underside of a wood floor using aluminum panels to direct the heat UP. It'd probably be tough to do that setup under a false floor about 10" off the concrete floor. I think Jeffs idea of putting tubing down then pouring a layer of concrete over it would be the best.

The MOST important thing about a radiant floor system is YOU CAN"T ATTACH STUFF TO THE FLOOR USING BOLTS OR CONCRETE NAILS without the danger of puncturing the tubing. I used construction adhesive to attach my walls to the floor.

[Burkhardt]

Thanks All for the great recommendations. I will check out the epoxy coating and the tiles.

Also good idea with the floor heating but I guess that will just blow my budget. Clogging the HVAC filters is a concern but maybe I will just cover the vents and set up one or two radiator heaters. Since the shop is all surrounded by the house except for one foundation and one outside wall I hope the heat loss is manageable.

Thanks for the picture of the shop. I don't need a setup for production work, since I usually do one-off projects. But the idea with the motorcycle lift is great and I will see how much space I can reserve for an extended table saw. The basement is not one big room but split up in a somewhat bigger and 2 somewhat smaller rooms. I will probably reserve one for storage and dirty work like welding and grinding. I guess it will all be moved around a bit before I settle on a layout.

There is only a small part of concrete basement wall so I guess this will not be much concern. Being a newer house from 2009, I hope they did a good job on moisture insulation anyway.

All very exciting!

[pro70z28]

Since the shop is all surrounded by the house except for one foundation and one outside wall I hope the heat loss is manageable.


We live in a climate that (except for this year) gets below 0°f this time of year. I've never had the unheated space drop below 45°f, 20 years and counting. Only the garage door wall, is exposed to outside temperatures and another is a divider wall between unheated stalls. The other walls and ceiling are protected by the house, sounds similar to yours. That's normally warm enough I rarely turn on the heater, but it's nice to have the extra boost when needed, like staining, etc.
Even the second unheated stall next to it with 3 outside walls exposed never freezes, but it does get close when there's extreme cold and wind.

[cowboy1296]

My fairly new shop is barn shaped 16x20x16. I left the floor concrete. i have a wall mounted 30 amp heater which does a great of warming it up. Now am i messing up by leaving the floor concrete?

[benchmark]

Step-mom doesn't like guns, so Dad had 3 generations of them stored downstairs along with his woodworking and other tools...BIG mistake!
In those 5 yrs, Everything not REALLY oiled developed a surface coat of rust that myself and two brothers are spending a LOT of time gradually removing:(

Dad's old CNC building was built by the company I was working for when injured, and was told it got 3 coats of an alcohol based sealant for moisture/dust, but forget what it was:(
Brother just built an subtractive and additive engineering shop I'm due to visit soon....Clean Environment....I'll ask him how he sealed the shop floor, and ask what they spec'd in his and Dad's old shop floor.

Is DC and compressor going to be in a sound proofed separate room?
Humidifier and dehumidifier planned for a stable workshop?

FUN planning:)
Good luck G. !

I share your concern with the rust, my shop is a few hundred yards from the sea in southern Ireland, l came across Evaporust to remove the rust, l was astonished how well it works

[scottp55]

Thanks Benchmark!
Bookmarked to try on some old rockhounding tools and a cast Dutch Oven that got on upper shelves somehow and forgotten. 3.5 miles from Atlantic here, and sea breeze reaches me sometimes.
Usually keep ahead of rust, but you forget a tool in garage for a few years..and you have some time consuming work ahead of you.
Dad lived right next to 105 mile long lake, and 8 foot wall on 3 sides had earth banked up and poor drainage.

G. sounds much safer...I just thought I had to mention.
Thanks again!
scott

[Burkhardt]

So, I finally moved in. First couple of weeks obviously to get the living space organized and the "stay at home" thing does not make it easier. But we bought the critical things before most shops closed and the building material can still be bought at HD and the likes.
The shop is still a work in progress. I had originally planned a 16 ft "Pod" container plus a little space in the big moving van for tool and materials. Well, turned out I needed another 16 ft Pod for all the tools machines and junk. Oh well.

For the floor I finally decided to cough up some money and have the concrete floor ground, polished and sealed. Way more expensive (~$5.50 per sqft) than vinyl or epoxy but now it is totally smooth, waterproof, impact proof, resistant to heavy machines and easy to clean. I left it at 120 grit to make it not slippery but it looks good.

Next steps are making some racks for the sheet goods, shelves for the long material and the unpacking/organizing some 50 boxes with tools, hardware and materials. Yay. Moving is so full of joy and takes way longer than imagined. Having a 16 week old puppy around the feet is not going to make it easier.

I did fire up the CNC machine, even found some bits and updated all my software. Now, if I only could find the collet wrenches I could start doing some fun work...