Building a chainsaw workshop - Ideas, Comments, Suggestions...

[Steve NW WI]

I've been getting more and more frustrated lately at my lack of space for my CAD addiction. I live on an old century farm with a bunch of run down outbuildings, most of which don't leak much, but other than that are pretty useless. For a couple weeks now, I've been working on drawing up plans for a 12x16 shed just for tinkering on saws and working on the mower.

Last week at work we got some new equipment in, and the crate bases caught my eye. A quick chat with the plant manager and these came home with me today:

Note the mousetrap under the one corner. Tubby apparently has already claimed this as his turf:

4x6 runners underneath, and nice 2x12 plank flooring should make a nice sturdy base to start with:

The skids are 80" x 14'10", gonna be a lot more scrap plywood, but it should be about the same finished space as my original 12x16 plan when I bolt them together to make 13'4" x 14'10" outside.

Right now, I'm planning to lay some concrete blocks and just set it on them (I might move it to build a pole shed there in the future, but where I'd move it to will need some excavation). Before setting it on, I'm thinking some spray foam insulation under the floor - this is WI, of course I'm gonna heat it! Then I'm gonna lay some 3/8 plywood (marine grade) down for the floor, the boards on there have just enough gaps to eat millions of small screws, jets, and other important pieces. 7' give or take high walls, and I'm not sure if I want a gambrel roof for storage, or just a regular peak roof.

There will be a workbench about 2/3 around the walls, a table in the middle, and a walk in and a set of double doors to get the mower in.

That's as far as I've thought it out yet. Help out a little by telling me what you did, what you'd do different, or any neat things you have in your shop that make life a whole lot easier.

This shop will also store/display my growing collection of old saws, so any storage ideas you have are also appreciated.

It will probably be a few weeks before I get started building in earnest, but I'll update the progress here as I go along. I hope to have it full of old magnesium and tools before September gets here.

 

[Eccentric]

opcorn:opcorn:opcorn:

 

[Warped5]

opcorn:

 

[Eccentric]

Looks like Teddy isn't as interested as I am.

 

[Jim Timber]

Nice score!

I've been mulling over the idea of a little "outpost" building for dressing game and drying fur. No money for it though.

 

[Warped5]

Looks like Teddy isn't as interested as I am.

Nope .. just cuttin' back on popcorn.

 

[Eccentric]

Nope .. just cuttin' back on popcorn.

Well played sir. Have a PBR.

 

[axlr8]

Id like to see you get a poor mans bead blaster, and also parts cleaner!!!

 

[redoakneck]

Sounds like a man cave project.... 2 refridgerators, TV with satellite, internet and high def screen, bucket to sit on, and maybe a scrench and file and a can of wd-40, duct tape.opcorn:

 

[Eccentric]

Sounds like a man cave project.... 2 refridgerators, TV with satellite, internet and high def screen, bucket to sit on, and maybe a scrench and file and a can of wd-40, duct tape.opcorn:

That reminds me........................I need to search my local CL for a cheap little beer fridge for the shop. I knew there was something I'd been forgetting. Best thing is...........my WIFE is the one who suggested it. She's told me that working on saws and drinking a few beers in the shop puts me in a better mood....

 

[Steve NW WI]

Id like to see you get a poor mans bead blaster, and also parts cleaner!!!

Bead blaster is a possiblility, I have a parts washer and a good sized ultrasonic that will go in there for sure.

Sounds like a man cave project.... 2 refridgerators, TV with satellite, internet and high def screen, bucket to sit on, and maybe a scrench and file and a can of wd-40, duct tape.opcorn:

Beer fridge for sure, maybe a small TV for watchin Da Packers and NASCAR while I tinker. As long as I'm trenching power in from the pole by the house, a sat cable could just as easily go in alongside it. I have wifi that will easily reach there as well. Gotta have AS close at hand!

Guess I better build it with the gambrel roof, and add sleeping quarters!

 

[redoakneck]

my shed is 12 x 16 and I do the messy, dusty stuff out there. Basement cave for cleaner stuff like tear downs. Keep yer eye out for old dressers and desks as yer space is limited the drawers help store parts and tools. Peg board can also save space. Air compressor, vise, good lights, and lots of high shelves.


Great to have wife that keeps yer mood in mind!!! My wife always asks if I need beer when she goes shopping, what a sweetie

 

[Steve NW WI]

I like your thinking redoakneck, I'll be scoping out dressers next time I hit the Habitat for Humanity ReStore.

Planning on a display shelf above the workbench area, with florescent lights under the shelf lighting the workbench, along with a couple spotlights where needed.

 

[Warped5]

Guess I better build it with the gambrel roof, and add sleeping quarters!

WHY did I just get a vision of a 'hammock and garage door opener' setup?

 

[Zombiechopper]

my 2c for what its worth.....

Start with pressure treated for the base that sits on concrete blocks. It's a little more work and not much money to take apart that decking and get some green lumber under them before you start. Much better in the long run!

I have lots of farmer buds with a dogs breakfast of buildings so I know what you are talking about. If they don't rot, they can last a long time. That's why I say at least get the bottom runners done with pressure treated.


In my shop, the thing I wish for is an area to blow crud off saws without making a mess. That and a parts washer. I would make a door out the back with a little stoop to stand on to blow oily crud out into the back 40 and I would have a parts washer. Right now I fill rubbermaid tubs with solvent and scrub stuff like that. If you are doing mower work it would be cool to make a trap door you can open so you can get down under the mower to service belts, grease bearings, clean twine off blades etc without having to drop the deck. Kinda like an oil change pit.

 

[zogger]

Plan on where to put the woodstove now, before you build up all the walls and corners.

 

[sefh3]

To blow saws off, I use old cardboard boxes. Once it fills up with dirt and crub, I just throw it away.

I'm thinking you needs to add 10 feet to each side of that. Space is a plus and the more the better.

 

[Mpbowyer]

First of all, you need saloon doors.

Seriously though, I would not overlook lighting. Too many people try to do intricate work by the equivalent of candle light. Look to craigslist bathroom fixtures to keep it cheap. 5 100w regular bulbs will really light up a workbench.

I would get a 2-stage compressor, even if it is really old. With the amount of blower-offer tool I use, my 35gal runs quite a bit. If it was one of the BS oil-less compressors I'd be deaf. They are about 1/2 the loudness of those annoying buzzers.

Maybe an old laptop with saran-wrap over the keyboard. This way you wouldn't have to go back to the house to post pictures to AS.

Obviously you'll need a wood burning stove. Keep your eyes out during the summer, or make a CL wanted add. I got a nice one for $40 last summer.

A good lock is a good idea. Chainsaws are small and valuable. Old ones are nearly untraceable. They are unfortunately good items to thieve, someone could really clean you out.

Build some tools into the wall, not into the bench, like a chain grinder. No need to take up bench space for that, just build a 10"x10" shelf off in a corner somewhere to keep it from cluttering up your bench.

Think about ventilation. Running a saw for even a second in such a small space could cause a pretty dangerous environment. Its so small you won't have trouble heating it with the windows open. Possibly hit up a farm store for a wind-powered spinning barn vent. Or contact a window company, one that redoes whole houses. Ask them if you can stop by their next job site and have some of the throw-aways that they're taking out. Don't work on chainsaws in an unventilated yard barn.

Fire extinguisher. Between your work bench and the door. You want to be a heading out as you grab for it. Nothing says "burn me to death" like checking a saw for spark with a leftover puddle of fuel on the bench.

Carbon monoxide detector. Especially if you're heating with wood. Most people aren't used to such a small space, and how quickly they can fill with noxious fumes. You might be fine, but that cat might die if your wood burner isn't venting properly.

 

[Steve NW WI]

You guys are great help! Let's run down the last batch:

my 2c for what its worth.....

Start with pressure treated for the base that sits on concrete blocks. It's a little more work and not much money to take apart that decking and get some green lumber under them before you start. Much better in the long run!

I have lots of farmer buds with a dogs breakfast of buildings so I know what you are talking about. If they don't rot, they can last a long time. That's why I say at least get the bottom runners done with pressure treated.

I really don't want to tear down what I've got, I'm thinking a couple PT 2x6s sawed down to the block size and the 4x6 runners resting on those might work though.

In my shop, the thing I wish for is an area to blow crud off saws without making a mess. That and a parts washer. I would make a door out the back with a little stoop to stand on to blow oily crud out into the back 40 and I would have a parts washer. Right now I fill rubbermaid tubs with solvent and scrub stuff like that. If you are doing mower work it would be cool to make a trap door you can open so you can get down under the mower to service belts, grease bearings, clean twine off blades etc without having to drop the deck. Kinda like an oil change pit.

Parts washer will be in there. Air compressor is going outside in a doghouse, with steel lines run along the wall with a couple outlets inside, and one outside for heavy blowoffs, like a new to me barn saw or my working saws after a day of cutting. The "mower corner" will have a cheap HF winch mounted in the ceiling with an x frame, just hook the cables and lift the ZT right to the ceiling.

Plan on where to put the woodstove now, before you build up all the walls and corners.

Sorry zog old buddy, no wood stove in here. Besides the flammable fumes + open flame problem, it's usually too hard to control the heat in such a small space. An electric milkhouse heater or direct vent propane garage heater mounted fairly high with a ceiling fan will likely get the nod, although if I have the money, one of these would be nice:

Soleus 12,000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner with Heat Pump at Menards

To blow saws off, I use old cardboard boxes. Once it fills up with dirt and crub, I just throw it away.

I'm thinking you needs to add 10 feet to each side of that. Space is a plus and the more the better.

Man would I like to, but this is just a little hobby shop. Within a couple years, there'll be a nice big pole shed where all the other crap including the mower can go. This is a "right now" fix.

First of all, you need saloon doors.

Seriously though, I would not overlook lighting. Too many people try to do intricate work by the equivalent of candle light. Look to craigslist bathroom fixtures to keep it cheap. 5 100w regular bulbs will really light up a workbench.

I like light - lots of it. I will not be under-lumened, I ga-ron-tee you that! (My grinder setup in the basement currently has 2 florescents and an incandescent spot trained on it.)

I would get a 2-stage compressor, even if it is really old. With the amount of blower-offer tool I use, my 35gal runs quite a bit. If it was one of the BS oil-less compressors I'd be deaf. They are about 1/2 the loudness of those annoying buzzers.

I've got a 10CFM@90PSI cheapo standup in the shed. I'm debating buying a good one now for the new farm shop and putting it in here for now, or going with the little pancake one I have in the basement. It's slow, you don't get a lot done before you need to wait for it, but with a beer fridge nearby, who cares?

Maybe an old laptop with saran-wrap over the keyboard. This way you wouldn't have to go back to the house to post pictures to AS.

I have an old desktop I never use. With a USB connection to my cellphone, I could plug in to the house Wi-Fi. That (with a cover) might be an idea.

Obviously you'll need a wood burning stove. Keep your eyes out during the summer, or make a CL wanted add. I got a nice one for $40 last summer.

See above.

A good lock is a good idea. Chainsaws are small and valuable. Old ones are nearly untraceable. They are unfortunately good items to thieve, someone could really clean you out.

Youbectcha it'll be secure. Crime isn't a big problem here, but it does exist, and I've had stuff disappear. It'll be well within range of the camera system as well, I could add another cam pointed straight at the door if need be.

Build some tools into the wall, not into the bench, like a chain grinder. No need to take up bench space for that, just build a 10"x10" shelf off in a corner somewhere to keep it from cluttering up your bench.

Good idea. I'll keep that in mind when I start the interior. A cantilevered vise would be a good thing as well.

Think about ventilation. Running a saw for even a second in such a small space could cause a pretty dangerous environment. Its so small you won't have trouble heating it with the windows open. Possibly hit up a farm store for a wind-powered spinning barn vent. Or contact a window company, one that redoes whole houses. Ask them if you can stop by their next job site and have some of the throw-aways that they're taking out. Don't work on chainsaws in an unventilated yard barn.

I'll have 2, maybe 3 windows I can open, plus an exhaust fan in the "attic". I don't plan to run saws inside, but I like fresh air.


Fire extinguisher. Between your work bench and the door. You want to be a heading out as you grab for it. Nothing says "burn me to death" like checking a saw for spark with a leftover puddle of fuel on the bench.

Carbon monoxide detector. Especially if you're heating with wood. Most people aren't used to such a small space, and how quickly they can fill with noxious fumes. You might be fine, but that cat might die if your wood burner isn't venting properly.

More good stuff. A good extinguisher and fire/co detectors are on the list.

Thanks everyone so far, hope I can reward ya with some rep, and pics of a nice shop when I get it done.

 

[HemiMoparGuy]

I'd paint the walls and ceilings white...even if just a Kilz or Zinsser primer. It'll really help light the place up...lighting (or lack there of) is one of my biggest pet peeves, so I do everythign I can to add as much light as possible, and make it reflect the best. Also, Rustoleum makes a wonderful paint for the work bench surface. So grease and oil doesn't soak into the wood and make it all nasty and such, especially if using OSB. It makes cleanup real easy. Even though it says it is for concrete, I used it on my bench for a durable surface, and so far so good.

Rust-Oleum EPOXYShield Concrete Floor Paint Armor Gray at Menards

and when I get around to it, this will be going on the walls and ceiling.

Zinsser Fastprime Oil Base Primer at Menards