It's looking good, now you can see spaces coming together.

WOW that really shows how big that shop is Lance :confused59:

Nice house too :-)

Joe

Dang it! I just saw this. We spent all day moving my bro-in-law. Otherwise I would have been there.

How’d ol’ Barney get along out there?

Had a blast... Here was my last timed run, a 48.652... https://youtu.be/bMMQfXpoxsE

Barney got to meet his new home yesterday.

https://photos.smugmug.com/Vista-Mon...ZRZVv56-XL.jpg

So I got to spend some time with a tape measure inside the shop yesterday.

What should I consider a minimum distance away from a side wall for my drive on lift placement?

I have plenty of room toward the inside of the shop but my issue is lining up to the door. My 9' wide door is only 2 foot and change away from the outside wall and I need to get the drive on end of the lift as close to the door as I can to make sure there is enough room at the other end of the lift.

I can make it work with the drive on end of the lift being 3 feet away from the outside wall and the other end of the lift 4 feet away from the outside wall. Nothing has to be along that wall so there would be plenty of room to walk outside the ramp and also plenty of room to say pull an axle out of a housing or something like that.

Hopefully that won't be too cumbersome. I know it is not ideal, but for most jobs it should be okay, no?

The lift will have wheels so I guess if I really needed room around the outside of it I could load the car on the lift and then move it toward the center...but that would be an extreme case and not something I'd want to do on a regular basis.

I think that's one of the biggest pluses over two-post...

And I bet it was LOVE at first sight!

I know... Trust me, I know...

But, with a two post I wouldn't have to move it in this situation...

I would want a minimum of three feet of clearance to the wall with the car door open....

With my doors, if I understand you correctly...the lift ramp would have to be almost 6' away from the outside wall. No way to get through the garage door and drive onto the lift in that scenario.

I'm thinking the most room I'd really need is to pull an axle out of a housing. 3' would be plenty for that right? I'm trying to imagine standing with back to wall and pulling a rear tire off the car...how much room I'd need to set the tire down between me and the lift?

I'd love to have 5 or 6 feet for sure, but with a 9' wide door and only 30" between said door and outside wall, that makes it pretty tough.

My other choice is to put the lift way in, up closer to the bathroom and put my office desk, computer and stuff at the end by the garage doors somewhere.

https://photos.smugmug.com/Vista-Mon.../i-p8fxz53.jpg

That makes the shop layout easier, as well as entry to the lift...but I need an office in there somewhere to make the money back that is paying for all of this... :D

Keep in mind the car is not sitting on the edge of the ramps and the ramps are offset from the posts.

Put your office in the RV. :D Its just wasted space when the RV is parked in there anyway....

Don

I'm trying now to decide if I can squeeze my office into the back area between the bath and the back garage door.

Imagine a mezzanine built the same height at the bathroom ceiling covering the area between the bath and garage door, open, no walls, just a corner post. The desk and file cabinets under it with a set of stairs going up on the front towards front doors.

https://photos.smugmug.com/Vista-Mon.../i-pRCrZwx.jpg

This would let me put my tool box under said steps, move the lift way toward the back (and possibly make it super easy to get level) letting me be more creative with placement of lift from the outside wall.

https://photos.smugmug.com/Vista-Mon...tSwtDZt-XL.jpg

That small area just might work out pretty well for my office freeing up a bunch of other more usable space.

ANYTHING "UP" is free..... use if for storage - and hang stuff off the ceiling that doesn't get used much etc..... It's the first floor that costs money - the rest is always under utilized.


Lower the upper floor so you have head room -- put things like tool boxes and working tools (benders etc) under that space.

In my old shop in Seattle --- I wanted a "mezzanine" and didn't want an extra post in my way ------- finally figured out that I was going to have a post anyway because the lift is a post ---- so put the mezzanine post right beside it (thus just making it a bit wider)..... The door still opened fully on whatever I was working on.... and it gave me a great place to hang AIR - and other handy stuff.





https://lateral-g.net/forums/attachment.php4?
attachmentid=64108&stc=1&d=1515094992

Here's another thing that was super helpful down the road...... I built in a double wide door in the wall -- that way -- with a chain hoist -- I could haul anything up there I wanted basically all by myself --- rather than hauling stuff up the stairs!







https://lateral-g.net/forums/attachme...1&d=1515095219

If you’ve got the head room, an office above the bathroom on a mezzanine would be ideal. Tape out a 12’x12’ or even 14’ square from the back wall to the side wall and imagine that space “up”. Lights under the mezzanine with tool boxes and benches would make a nice bright work area with plenty of room for the lift and vehicles.

I’d be doing a mezzanine no matter what....either storage or an office you’ve got the height and it just makes sense. :thumbsup:

Happy belated birthday, Lance
:cheers:

Hmmm.... Hadn't thought about moving the office up... Have to chew on that one a bit. And thanks!!!

Did some lift shopping at Barrett Jackson last week and think I have the one I want narrowed down. I used the dimensions from it to create this latest layout of the shop.

https://photos.smugmug.com/Vista-Mon.../i-8RbbhWD.jpg

The RV is on the left backed in, the box to the right of it is the drive on 4 post lift, my desk is on the outside wall next to the file cabinets on the bathroom wall. My tall tool chest is next to the desk and a future workbench\tool chest is next to it.

The lift is far enough away from the entry garage door to make getting a car or truck onto the lift easy enough and the lift is centered on the crown of the floor which should make it real easy to get the lift exactly level for suspension and alignment setups.

The electrical panel is right beside the people door on the lower right wall which makes that a good place to park a rolling steel worktable with places for drill presses, welders, vises and other fabrication tools.

I'm thinking about adding a mezzanine over the area where my desk is at some point but won't need to be done right away. Where to put the steps up to it is the main issue I can't get over.

I think it's going to be tough to get a car on and off that lift being so far from the wall. Do a mock run with the biggest thing you plan to lift and place the lift there.

This is another prime example of why I like a two post lift. They take up much less space. I realize you can park on and under a 4 post, but I don't want to work under the hood on a two post and it's tough to life a hood under one.

Are you installing the rear “optional” door? *EDIT* Don’t mind me, I’m medicated.

I’d figure out your mezzanine before you go any further.
:thumbsup:

Agree with Todd ---- just angle the loading end towards the door... will give you more working space anyway.


After having a couple shops --- all I will tell anyone -- what seems big - isn't..... LOL

All that space in front of the RV and lift looks like dead wasted space to me. I would put the lift (and RV) closer to the door.

Leveling the lift is simple, no need to worry about the crown of the floor.

Don

The closer the lift gets to the door, the closer it has to be to the side wall. That and being able to put the things that have special electrical needs in that area close to the panel are good reasons to push it back.

You also have to remember, that box is the outside dimensions of an extra wide, extra long drive on lift.

https://advantagelifts.us/image/data...9000XLT-3D.png

It's not like what you are putting on the lift has to be completely straight before driving on.

I agree that angling the drive on end toward door may be necessary but thankfully it comes with a set of caster wheels just in case.

I'm thinking now about putting a set of stairs on the back wall going up over the water heater to above the bathroom and if that fits...building a mezzanine out over where my desk is to about the front of where the lift is. The stairs up are the hard thing to find room for.

And yes...they are NEVER big enough...but this will have to do. :D

This one lifts up to 6' 8" under the ramps... My 2500HD 4x4 truck will drive under it when all the way up. Opening a hood on a car shouldn't be an issue.

Think this will be enough light?

https://photos.smugmug.com/Vista-Mon...VhjrhSX-X2.jpg

:D

I've spent the last few days perusing garage pics...and making lists of all of the equipment I'll eventually have again to outfit the new shop. It all starts to add up pretty quick and a mezzanine is looking better and better all the time.

The "deck" above the bathroom is 9' 6" off the floor leaving a 6' 6" ceiling height above it which should be enough. The main problem is finding a place to put a flight of stairs to get up to the mezzanine.

My latest thought which I'll start drawing today is to put a narrow mezzanine along the East (right) wall starting at the bathroom and going all the way until I need to start a stairway down which will land close to where the service door enters. I'm thinking 6' wide will leave room for shelves along the wall and a walkway past them while still leaving room to put the lift below and the mezzanine posts will be right next to the lift posts. I can then put my desk area and tool boxes and workbenches under the mezzanine.

The West wall can then be used to line up the equipment that doesn't require special electric or won't be used very often like hydraulic presses, parts washers, and a place to park rolling tools like folding engine hoists and engine stands.

I'll have to draw it out and see, like I said, the main thing is to find a place to land a flight of stairs that is comfortable and safe to walk up.


https://photos.smugmug.com/1985-Mont..._142101-XL.jpg

https://photos.smugmug.com/1985-Mont..._142108-XL.jpg

https://photos.smugmug.com/1985-Mont..._142045-XL.jpg

https://photos.smugmug.com/1985-Mont..._142042-XL.jpg

https://photos.smugmug.com/Vista-Mon...Rd5vGLd-XL.jpg

New Shop Design
 

Lance,
A Pantera buddy of mine built his stairs on a hinge
He then attached a cable system with a motor and can
raise and lower the stairs so they do not take up a lot of room
Thinking about doing the same thing in my shop some time in
the future.... you are right they do take up a lot of space

Looks good,

Bob

Spiral staircase in the corner of the bathroom exterior wall(s).... an opening in the pony wall to put furniture in the office.... or get it out.

They take the same amount of room -- since the lower floor area needs to be clear to accept the stairs....

I'd prefer a "closet" space / storage space under the stairs for a compressor or other "things" such as that.

My stairs in the old shop went up a couple steps - had a landing and made a turn ---- it's were I stored spare motors - 55 gallon drums of spare metal "sticks" - and I built a rack for new metal -- longest pieces to shortest following the stair slope. My compressor was also under there although at the height of the slop - these were also EXTRA SIDE stairs in case I wanted to turn the area in to storage vs a space for chairs and TV and drums etc.

Not trying to say what you should do -- just giving "food for thought" on some options.



https://lateral-g.net/forums/attachme...1&d=1516727034

They are rolling right along... Got garage doors installed yesterday.

https://photos.smugmug.com/1985-Mont..._170219-XL.jpg


Just about all of the light fixtures are installed, tile guys put mud pan in master bath shower yesterday, cabinets are 90% installed, and the pool is half dug.

Stuff happens in a hurry at this stage.

Lance,

Make sure you get the make and model of the lights. When you decide to add ten more they will all match.

Looking good!

Proper garages finally seem to be a thing here in AZ. Got a 10:30 appointment Sunday to kick off my house with a 5.5 car garage.

Hey now!!! The walls are white and there are windows on all four sides...surely only 5 more fixtures will do???

Now you're talking!!! Good luck with the meeting...

Love that shop, it makes me think I should've made mine bigger.:G-Dub:

Thanks... Like Greg says...they are NEVER big enough... :D

I'm not touching that......


Good to see you today Lance!! The new place is going to be awesome!! Thanks for taking your day to mess around!!

It was fun Greg, can't wait until we can do things together much more regularly.

I've enlisted some 3D modeling help to get a better picture.

https://photos.smugmug.com/1985-Mont...eft%20view.jpg

https://photos.smugmug.com/1985-Mont...ont%20view.jpg

Now I need to load Sketchup onto this PC so I can play around with things a bit more.