Finally Got My Garage Mahal!!!

[Marty Rogan]

Hey guys,

It has been my dream for many years to move to a spot where I could build my dream garage.  Well, this year my dream was realized.  We moved to a new house and I did not even need to build the garage.  It came with a 36'x64' Pole Barn!!

The barn is a great space.  It really is a blank canvas at this point though.  I have the shell, but I need to finish the interior.  The previous owner got a start on the wiring and putting up some insulation and walls.  They also left an area at the back in gravel, with the intent of building in 3 horse horse stalls.  The first thing I will need to do is to get that filled in with concrete.  After that I want to have an asphalt driveway put in.  I had a gravel driveway put in this year as a temporary step, so I could get to the barn without having to drive over the lawn.

This year I was consumed with working on the house and getting it to a point where the wife is happy with it. Is that even possible, LOL!!  She always comes up with more stuff to do, or things she wants to add.  So, next year is the year of the barn.  

I am just getting serious about putting a plan together.  This is where you guys come in.  I know a few of you have built some pretty nice garages.  I would love to hear all of your ideas on what I should build into the garage.  I am particularly interested in what I should  do now, before the walls and ceiling are installed.

All ideas on nice features to add and the timing of the build process are welcome.

 

Thanks,

Marty

 

[calvinhg]

Damn, that's a really nice barn. One thing I've always wanted was a chain hoist, off from the ceiling, to pull motors and stuff like that.

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[26th-Z]

Spill grease!  Looks great!  Congrats

[Marty Rogan]

4 minutes ago, 26th-Z said:

Spill grease!  Looks great!  Congrats

Ha!  Well, I did not have time to work ON garage, but I did have some time to work IN the garage.  Already spilled some grease.  I absolutely loved being able to work on a car without being cramped and bumping into walls and other stuff.

Thanks

 

 

Edited November 29, 2018 by Marty Rogan

[wheee!]

Things to consider

- a sliding "dust" curtain for bodywork and paintwork

- ventilation intake and exhaust for said body and paintwork

- the mandatory four post lift

- industrial shelving for parts and equipment storage

- 220 power feed and running water if possible

- forced air furnace if needed (here in Canada it is a must!). 

- wet bar and 60" tv.... :P

[AlbatrossCafe]

haha I love that name! "Garage Mahal".

This is exactly what I want. But definitely needs an in-ground vehicle lift!

[Marty Rogan]

12 minutes ago, wheee! said:

Things to consider

- a sliding "dust" curtain for bodywork and paintwork

- ventilation intake and exhaust for said body and paintwork

- the mandatory four post lift

- industrial shelving for parts and equipment storage

- 220 power feed and running water if possible

- forced air furnace if needed (here in Canada it is a must!). 

- wet bar and 60" tv.... ?

A four post lift is definitely on the must have list. I have 12' to the joists, so I should have plenty of height for that.

I like the idea of a dust curtain.  Ventilation and exhaust is a great idea too.  I never thought of that one.

Heat is another high priority.  I live in Wisconsin and it gets pretty cold here too.  I want to look into radiant tube heating.  My friend has that in his 1,500' hanger.  He keeps it at 65 degrees all winter long and it costs him about $40 a month.

The barn has 200 Amp Service with a lot of spare spots in the box left, so I just need to decide  where to place the outlets and what type.

[wheee!]

18 minutes ago, Marty Rogan said:

A four post lift is definitely on the must have list. I have 12' to the joists, so I should have plenty of height for that.

I like the idea of a dust curtain.  Ventilation and exhaust is a great idea too.  I never thought of that one.

Heat is another high priority.  I live in Wisconsin and it gets pretty cold here too.  I want to look into radiant tube heating.  My friend has that in his 1,500' hanger.  He keeps it at 65 degrees all winter long and it costs him about $40 a month.

The barn has 200 Amp Service with a lot of spare spots in the box left, so I just need to decide  where to place the outlets and what type.

Nice!

I have an industrial fan feeding air at about 15 cfm through a filter into my garage from the eaves to the centre of the garage. Then I have another fan pulling air out the back of the shop with an attached "pan" that I can slide under the car while painting. Effectively creating a downdraft paint booth.

I like forced air because I can keep the shop at 10 degrees C until I need to bump it up and then it heats up in about 2 minutes to 22 degrees C. Costs next to nothing to heat this way.

Also, find the biggest industrial air compressor you can afford. Go to an auction or whatever, and find a screw type compressor with a dehydrator, or at least a two stage 80 gallon unit. You will thank me later....

Edited November 29, 2018 by wheee!

[Marty Rogan]

8 minutes ago, wheee! said:

Nice!

I have an industrial fan feeding air at about 15 cfm through a filter into my garage from the eaves to the centre of the garage. Then I have another fan pulling air out the back of the shop with an attached "pan" that I can slide under the car while painting. Effectively creating a downdraft paint booth.

I like forced air because I can keep the shop at 10 degrees C until I need to bump it up and then it heats up in about 2 minutes to 22 degrees C. Costs next to nothing to heat this way.

Also, find the biggest industrial air compressor you can afford. Go to an auction or whatever, and find a screw type compressor with a dehydrator, or at least a two stage 80 gallon unit. You will thank me later....

I knew that I need to get a compressor.  I never had the space for one, so I don't know what to look for.  Thanks for the tips.

[Mike]

Oh that's a nice setup!  But, will you ever have time to work on your car considering all that lawn you have to mow?  ?

 

[Marty Rogan]

1 minute ago, Mike said:

Oh that's a nice setup!  But, will you ever have time to work on your car considering all that lawn you have to mow?  ?

 

I bought a 61" commercial zero turn mower.  It can do up to 10 MPH on flat ground.  It takes me about 3 1/2 hours to cut.  I usually do it over 2 days, so  it does not feel like lawn mowing is my second career.  And with the zero turn, it s ALMOST fun.

[wheee!]

Also, consider improving the lighting with some LED shop lamps spaced nicely around the barn, along with some wall mounted units to see better. Especially if you are creating a body and paint area.

Run a length of 3/4" pipe off your compressor around the barn with multiple 'drops' for air lines. Don't forget a good dehydrator as well if you don't get the pro industrial unit. 

Get a good quality sound system! it will make the time out there much more pleasant! You may also want to consider some wireless surveillance cameras both inside and out of the shop. I wish I had done a goPro or something like that as well, kind of like @Home Built by Jeff does to record my progress.