Merlin Orr Posted December 27, 2006 Share Posted December 27, 2006 First off..I have no desire to build a miniature Playboy Mansion.... I am ready to start my new shop/reloading room/playhouse/??? I am self limiting my project to 1200 sf. I am set on a concrete slab and steel construction for my project. I have set off about 1 acre in the corner of my "ranchette" to place the building. I know it will have a bathroom with shower. What else do I want? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynn jones Posted December 27, 2006 Share Posted December 27, 2006 maybe a built-in safe? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raz-0 Posted December 27, 2006 Share Posted December 27, 2006 heat and AC? Electricity? or are those a given? If I were building one, it'd have good tunes and a decent TV. INternet connectivity. Probably a walk in gun room if you cna build it secure. If not, a good safe. REloading room. And a nicely wired workroom with space for all sorts of machines I may never have the money for unless something absurdly large and heavy winds up on ebay for $300+ the effort of moving the damn thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scout454 Posted December 27, 2006 Share Posted December 27, 2006 Merlin, Can you shoot on the property? How about a window that you can shoot out of (load developement, shghts, etc) when it's hot, sunny, cold, wet, whatever. I have 50 yards out the door of my shop. It's nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry White Posted December 27, 2006 Share Posted December 27, 2006 (edited) Hardened room in one corner(then put the safe in there). Two 220 volt plugs, in opposite corners. Lots and lots of wall plugs and maybe even a overhead drop. More lights than you ever think you could use. Plumbing for compressed air. At least one beam strong enough for a hoist. A floor drain. You know that at some point there will be a car, boat or trailer project so you will need at least one overhead door. Overhead storage. Draw it up so you can expand it to 2400 sq ft( at least) without tearing the whole thing down.-------Larry Edited December 27, 2006 by lkytx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Front Man Posted December 27, 2006 Share Posted December 27, 2006 (edited) Steel buildings need overhangs or they look real cheap. You also might want an awnening over the front door and larger windows Lots of outlets with a big amp breaker box Security system. FM Edited because I though you were going to live in it. FM Edited December 27, 2006 by Front Man Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merlin Orr Posted December 27, 2006 Author Share Posted December 27, 2006 (edited) FM This is a shop and play area behind the main house... but I like the way you think... Edited to add. No discharge of highpower firearms on the property..Yep - it is written that way??? I might end up living in it if I don't curtail my toy spending...hehe Edited December 27, 2006 by Merlin Orr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nik Habicht Posted December 27, 2006 Share Posted December 27, 2006 First off..I have no desire to build a miniature Playboy Mansion.... I am ready to start my new shop/reloading room/playhouse/??? I am self limiting my project to 1200 sf. I am set on a concrete slab and steel construction for my project. I have set off about 1 acre in the corner of my "ranchette" to place the building. I know it will have a bathroom with shower. What else do I want? a 1200 sq. foot apartment upstairs, so I have some place to live while I guard the shop? I'd think about a sink that could double as a clean-up and kitchen sink --- I mean if you're putting in a full bath, you'll want a coffee maer and microwave at least, right? Some kind of clean-up facility for that that doesn't involve the bathroom sink would be good. Room for an ultrasonic gun cleaner? Storage --- lots of it for ammo and components and cleaning equipment and supplies and tools. If you're going to have an opening toward the "pit" then perhaps an overhanging roof on that side of the building so the chrono can stay dry, or so the rain doesn't blow in the shop? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zhunter Posted December 27, 2006 Share Posted December 27, 2006 Ya need a stripper pole in the corner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toowide Posted December 27, 2006 Share Posted December 27, 2006 Ya need a stripper pole in the corner +100 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outerlimits Posted December 27, 2006 Share Posted December 27, 2006 tapper unit-separated from relaoding room, of course... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
open17 Posted December 27, 2006 Share Posted December 27, 2006 Figure out how many lights and outlets you need, then double it. Refrigerator. Sink---one of those deep "laundry room/utility room" sinks. Secure storage. I built a re-inforced concrete block "room" within my shop for the goodies. Picked up a vault door from the local safe people. All finished with an inch of sheetrock inside it was still cheaper than a good gun safe. Just not quite as portable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dajarrel Posted December 27, 2006 Share Posted December 27, 2006 (edited) Figure out how many lights and outlets you need, then double it. Merlin, I found out the hard way that this is almost mandentory. I installed four 'quad-boxes' along a 15 foot corner bench and every outlet is in use with power strips on two of them. Install 20 amp breakers instead of the usual 15 amp breakers and use at least 12 ga wire (10 ga is better) for your outlets. It's the very devil to wire, but you will have the capacity that you want. After installing the room lighting, I later went back and installed additional flouresent above the benches. You just cannot have too much light or electricity. FWIW dj One more thing. Instead of a standard lock/deadbolt on the door, consider a electronic combination lock. I installed one about a year ago and love it. It has a key backup and the batteries last about a year before needing replacing. It keeps me from mumbling to myself as I walk back to the house to get my keys that I left on the kitchen counter. dj Edited December 27, 2006 by dajarrel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Boudrie Posted December 28, 2006 Share Posted December 28, 2006 Install 20 amp breakers instead of the usual 15 amp breakers and use at least 12 ga wire (10 ga is better) for your outlets. It's the very devil to wire, but you will have the capacity that you want. While you're at it, you might as well wire the place with three phase power if you think you might ever want to install your own lathe or milling machine. Pre-wire any place you may want data lines, and run separate 20A dedicated circuits to outlets near your office and tool areas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merlin Orr Posted December 28, 2006 Author Share Posted December 28, 2006 Excellent... (scribbling furiously on notepad) Excellent... (scribbling furiously on notepad) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caspian_45 Posted December 28, 2006 Share Posted December 28, 2006 Make sure the door is wide enough to get the forklift through. Bullets are heavy ya' know. And a spot to park the "Death Star". (golf cart) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Meek Posted December 28, 2006 Share Posted December 28, 2006 GUN PORN Posters for the few bare wall spaces Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricW Posted December 28, 2006 Share Posted December 28, 2006 Steel welding tables Mig, Tig, Stick and Oxy Acet. setups if you don't already have them Set out a corner with 240V service for the vertical air compressor. Positive ventilation to evacuate the fumes and cigar smoke Gantry crane is nice, but a boom crane bolted to the floor works too. Curtain to keep the heat in the working area while you have the door open to move vehicles in/out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Front Man Posted December 28, 2006 Share Posted December 28, 2006 The walls need to be at least 10' tall. An 8' over head door will need a 2' header. I wouldn't want a door under 8'. Are you going 8' centers? FM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merlin Orr Posted December 28, 2006 Author Share Posted December 28, 2006 Everything is in flux and subject to revisal per final plans and layout. I am (kinda) figuring a 30 x 40 will be the final size. All else is TBD. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Micah Posted December 28, 2006 Share Posted December 28, 2006 An indoor range, then build the rest of the swingin' pad around it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JD45 Posted December 28, 2006 Share Posted December 28, 2006 If the roof has enough pitch, don't waste the space. Floor it and use it for storage. Wiring all outlets with 12-2 as already mentioned (20amp breakers) is a good thing. You can still use 14-2 for flouresent lights. If it were mine, I would have a small shed/porch on the back. Against the building wall, I would build a long bench for bullet casting. In a far corner, I would mount a big bench grinder(keeps the mess out of the shop). If you hunt, I would also have a concrete pad with a drain on the back, with a boom to hang a single-tree (for deer cleaning). You could also put a fish cleaning table complete with a sink in that same spot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Front Man Posted December 28, 2006 Share Posted December 28, 2006 Sewer or septic for the bathroom? FM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zhunter Posted December 28, 2006 Share Posted December 28, 2006 Don't forget the Spotlight for the stripper pole corner!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimel Posted December 28, 2006 Share Posted December 28, 2006 Seriously, don't go for a safe...go for a safe room. You will be happier that way in the end. Just don't forget to ventillate the room. Ventillation is all too often a forgotten feature in home shops. Forgotten that is until the first time you break out the solvent or light up a stogie (hopefully NOT at the same time!). And you might as well put a futon in there so your guests have a place to sit and you have a place to sleep when the wife discovers the stripper dancing on the pole in the corner. Having a second "dwelling" capable structure is a very good idea. Should something unfortunate happen to the house you can retreat to the "shop" while repairs are made. Some friends lost just about all the glass in their house in a recent wind storm with 80+ mph winds...when the first window went the resulting change in pressure took out all but two other windows in the house. Their shop is heated and has a shower and toilet so they could retreat there until all the windows got plywood coverings and the carpets got dried out and cleaned (it was, of course, pouring rain at the same time). Put in a heat source that can be used in an emergency situation (my friends have a wood stove in their shop along with electric heat). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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