40x60 Workshop

Discuss park gauge trains and large scale miniature railways having track gauges from 8" to 24" gauge and designed at scales of 2" to the foot or greater - whether modeled for personal use, or purpose built for amusement park operation or private railroading.

Moderators: Glenn Brooks, Harold_V

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Topics may include: antique park gauge train restoration, preservation, and history; building new grand scale equipment from scratch; large scale miniature railway construction, maintenance, and safe operation; fallen flags; track, gauge, and equipment standards; grand scale vendor offerings; and, compiling an on-line motive power roster.
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Greg_Lewis
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Re: 40x60 Workshop

Post by Greg_Lewis »

I once visited the house of someone who could afford anything he wanted. The house, garage and workshop were sort of a U-shape, with the house one leg of the U, the garage the bottom of the U (large enough for at least four or five cars), and the other leg of the U was the shop. The shop had a high overhead with a traveling gantry, and large doors at the end. It had a complete compliment of machinery akin to what one might find in a well-outfitted job shop. To one side was a complete office area and over that was a storage loft accessed by stairs. Of course there was a complete bathroom with shower. So the owner could get from the house to the shop in bad weather without going outside.

So the ideas to take from this include Alcosteam's recommendation, as well as the idea of the office, and some way to get from house to shop in bad weather. Hey, if you put a bunk out there along with a fridge, microwave and toaster oven you wouldn't even need the house!
Greg Lewis, Prop.
Eyeball Engineering — Home of the dull toolbit.
Our motto: "That looks about right."
Celebrating 35 years of turning perfectly good metal into bits of useless scrap.
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rmac
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Re: 40x60 Workshop

Post by rmac »

Mediocrates wrote: Hey, if you put a bunk out there along with a fridge, microwave and toaster oven you wouldn't even need the house!
Another similar idea is to just put the Bridgeport in the living room. I don't know why this isn't common practice.

-- Russell Mac
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NP317
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Re: 40x60 Workshop

Post by NP317 »

Except in my case. Adding water to my 26' x 52' shop would have required a whole different set of building permits ($$) and expensive inspections, plus septic tank and drain fields in our rocky "soil."

Then again, my shop is surrounded on three side by forest...
RussN
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Greg_Lewis
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Re: 40x60 Workshop

Post by Greg_Lewis »

rmac wrote: Sun Aug 29, 2021 9:37 am
Mediocrates wrote: Hey, if you put a bunk out there along with a fridge, microwave and toaster oven you wouldn't even need the house!
Another similar idea is to just put the Bridgeport in the living room. I don't know why this isn't common practice.

-- Russell Mac

Actually, there is a prolific builder who lurks here from time to time who built his own house. Where you might have a family room, he has the machine shop. It's just steps from the living room, kitchen and everything else. Complete climate control, tiled floor, built-in cabinets, picture window with a view of the mountains. Two mills, two lathes, surface grinder, drill press and much more. His was my inspiration to clean out the stalagmite of junk in my shop, drywall the exposed studs and make some rather crude but functional cabinets for the stuff to be kept.
Greg Lewis, Prop.
Eyeball Engineering — Home of the dull toolbit.
Our motto: "That looks about right."
Celebrating 35 years of turning perfectly good metal into bits of useless scrap.
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Greg_Lewis
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Re: 40x60 Workshop

Post by Greg_Lewis »

NP317 wrote: Sun Aug 29, 2021 10:55 am ...

Then again, my shop is surrounded on three side by forest...
RussN

I'll bet those trees are really green! :lol:
Greg Lewis, Prop.
Eyeball Engineering — Home of the dull toolbit.
Our motto: "That looks about right."
Celebrating 35 years of turning perfectly good metal into bits of useless scrap.
rkcarguy
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Re: 40x60 Workshop

Post by rkcarguy »

Greg_Lewis wrote: Sun Aug 29, 2021 9:23 am I once visited the house of someone who could afford anything he wanted. The house, garage and workshop were sort of a U-shape, with the house one leg of the U, the garage the bottom of the U (large enough for at least four or five cars), and the other leg of the U was the shop. The shop had a high overhead with a traveling gantry, and large doors at the end. It had a complete compliment of machinery akin to what one might find in a well-outfitted job shop. To one side was a complete office area and over that was a storage loft accessed by stairs. Of course there was a complete bathroom with shower. So the owner could get from the house to the shop in bad weather without going outside.

So the ideas to take from this include Alcosteam's recommendation, as well as the idea of the office, and some way to get from house to shop in bad weather. Hey, if you put a bunk out there along with a fridge, microwave and toaster oven you wouldn't even need the house!
Keep in mind insurance may not like this due to fire concerns. Otherwise, I like the idea too.
For you guys that are just plopping a Bridgeport into a room in the house, how do you get that by the wife? Does she have any single sisters? :D
One place I saw had a walkway with a metal roof and metal/glass sides between the shop and house, so no flammables. It created a sort of U-shape with the shop and house also, and the owner parked his vehicles on the south side of it as a wind break from the cold NE winds.
rkcarguy
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Re: 40x60 Workshop

Post by rkcarguy »

Greg_Lewis wrote: Sun Aug 29, 2021 11:21 am
rmac wrote: Sun Aug 29, 2021 9:37 am
Mediocrates wrote: Hey, if you put a bunk out there along with a fridge, microwave and toaster oven you wouldn't even need the house!
Another similar idea is to just put the Bridgeport in the living room. I don't know why this isn't common practice.

-- Russell Mac

Actually, there is a prolific builder who lurks here from time to time who built his own house. Where you might have a family room, he has the machine shop. It's just steps from the living room, kitchen and everything else. Complete climate control, tiled floor, built-in cabinets, picture window with a view of the mountains. Two mills, two lathes, surface grinder, drill press and much more. His was my inspiration to clean out the stalagmite of junk in my shop, drywall the exposed studs and make some rather crude but functional cabinets for the stuff to be kept.
One of the machine shops we used at a prior workplace existed in what was a large hex shaped sauna/hot tub rotunda lol. The guy added a roll-up door to one side and had it stuffed full with a CNC lathe, CNC mill, and several other manual machines.
BClemens
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Re: 40x60 Workshop

Post by BClemens »

Dave, Just went through building a shop two years ago. We bought a 12.5 acre horse farm (w/o horses!!) and no garage except the attached two car. Needed space so went with all I could place where it was built - 30 x 60 and it is NOT large enough! Built a gambrel roof for upper space and high ceilings. I made a mistake and divided it into two spaces - the machine shop at 18 x 30 with upper level and the rest wood work and some storage with the high ceiling - both are too small. Go with all you can fit and check how much you can build for the same money - that will surprise you.
Looks like you too will be taking care of lots of grass too!! Good going and good luck!
BClemens
rkcarguy
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Re: 40x60 Workshop

Post by rkcarguy »

A shop is never big enough haha. A friend of mine is into classic trucks and restoration, built a two story 48x60 thinking that was all he'd ever need. Nope, it's full!
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Greg_Lewis
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Re: 40x60 Workshop

Post by Greg_Lewis »

The basic law of shop space is that stuff will accumulate to fill the available space. Thus even a converted sports arena would end up being too small. :lol:
Greg Lewis, Prop.
Eyeball Engineering — Home of the dull toolbit.
Our motto: "That looks about right."
Celebrating 35 years of turning perfectly good metal into bits of useless scrap.
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Dick_Morris
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Re: 40x60 Workshop

Post by Dick_Morris »

Another similar idea is to just put the Bridgeport in the living room.
I once had a friend who lived in a mobile home, about 12' x 70'. In one bedroom was a 10" Southbend lathe, in another was a SB shaper and mill drill. One of the two bedrooms contained a small gas welder and investment casting equipment (which I now have). There was a grinder to do gem faceting in the living room. He was single.

In a change of hobbies and life direction, he sold everything off and bought a sail boat with the intention of sailing around the world. I never heard if he made it.
Mountaineer
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Re: 40x60 Workshop

Post by Mountaineer »

Would love to see pics of these amazing shops. Esp lifting devices.

Mountaineer
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