canoe shop

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greengriz
Posts: 3
Joined: Sun Nov 09, 2008 7:09 pm
Location: Eufaula, ok.

canoe shop

Post by greengriz »

I plan on building a woodworking shop to build a canoe or three but not sure of size needed.Was thinking 24x40. Anybody have a thought on this.
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Glen Smith
Posts: 3719
Joined: Sat May 08, 2004 9:08 am
Location: Baie-St-Paul, Quebec, Canada

Post by Glen Smith »

I build in my cramped basement shop but if I could build a shop it would most likely be somewhere around 24 X 40. :crying
Bill Robb
Posts: 34
Joined: Mon Nov 05, 2007 10:58 pm
Location: Toronto, Ontario

Post by Bill Robb »

I built in my garage over the winter. My working space was about 8X22. The only real problem I experienced was that all my progress pictures were from one end or the other. Never could take a picture from the side. On the plus side, the smaller size allowed a kerosene heater to keep me at a comfortable working temperature.

Bill
Gene Burreson
Posts: 20
Joined: Tue Jun 15, 2004 12:20 pm
Location: Gloucester, Virginia, USA

Post by Gene Burreson »

After building in a 21x23' garage for years (shared with gardening and other household stuff), with the strongback at a diagonal, I am also building a boat shop. I started planning at 24x40', but costs forced me to reduce it to 26x28' with an upstairs storage area for molds etc., and a 10' covered side porch for storing boats. It's about half done and I think it will be sufficient.
Gene
greengriz
Posts: 3
Joined: Sun Nov 09, 2008 7:09 pm
Location: Eufaula, ok.

canoe shop

Post by greengriz »

Thanks to all the folks who responded to my first post. I am building a pole barn as I get the phone poles for free. Will be 24x40 or 50 with wood floor and a single slant roof.Wife said only get one shot at It so have to get it right the first time. So If anyone can think of anything I should have or should build in,let me hear from you. Thanks again
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Patricks Dad
Posts: 1476
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 1:11 pm
Location: Warrenville, Illinois

Post by Patricks Dad »

I'm in the midst of finishing a new timberframe house on a lake in Wisconsin. I have a detached garage which ended up 22'X27' (I think. - it shrank every time the surveyor came out and re-measured for setbacks). The house is beautiful and many people stopped to watch the frame being erected and to look at various aspects of the construction as it progressed. But the thing that got the most attention was the garage. It has 5 sets of double wide glass doors in addition to a set of carriage doors I built myself. From the garage there is a great view of the lake to provide constant motivation to build boats (or maybe distract me from building boats). Many people have stopped to ask "what is that building for?". I wish it were bigger but I'm looking forward to being able to build there. It's certainly bigger than the 16X18 garage I have now with the strongback on the diagonal. I plan to have plenty of built-in lighting and lots of switched outlets in the ceiling for additional lights. The ceiling is tall enough to hang things up there without making it feel cramped.
Randy Pfeifer
(847) 341-0618
Randy.Pfeifer1@gmail.com
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Scot T
Posts: 84
Joined: Wed Jul 14, 2004 2:45 pm
Location: Victoria, B.C., Canada

Post by Scot T »

Over the last couple years I had my shop built . It's 20' x 30' and I've got to say that's barely enough. "Go big or Go Home" should be the motto. I filled it up with tools and boats real fast.

A couple points I'd like to pass on are:

If you can have a loft or at least open rafters it would be a great place to store wood, forms, boats, etc. The architect as well as the builders that built mine followed the building code for a neighbouring area and told me I couldn't do it. Found out later that my area allows such a thing. So find out for yourself exactly what the rules are if someone else is going to do the work. Now I've got a few hundred feet of unusable space above my head. Or is it in my head! :rolling eyes

Make sure that your ceilings are a minimum of 10 feet. It will help a lot with moving those long boards around and for hanging stuff. I'm very glad I insisted on that.

Get your electrician to run a 220 line as well. I don't know what you have for tools now but if you don't have already you will at some time get a big saw, planer or...and you will need 220. It's cheaper by far to get it now than after the shop is built.

Lot of lights.

Lots of electrical outlets about 4 feet off the ground. There never seems to be enough. I've got 12 and could use more.

Big doors that open outward rather than one of the overhead doors. My last shop had a big overhead door and when I opened it on those hot summer nights half my lights got covered. This time, big barn /carrage house doors and I'm loving it.

There's more but I said I'd only give a couple and I've gone way past.

And one last thing. An old boat builder in my neighbourhood came by one day as I was moving into my 3/4 finished shop. "Don't be movin' in until yer shops totally finished, young feller, or it'll never get done" "It's OK, I'll build cabinets, racks and such as I go along." I assured him. Nope! A year later and I'm still trying to keep up with orders and build the finishing touches "as I go along". It's getting there, my shop is 13/16ths done now. How do the old guys know that stuff??
PAULIE
Posts: 10
Joined: Fri Mar 17, 2006 11:03 am
Location: FORT ST JOHN BC.

Finish the workshop

Post by PAULIE »

I am in total agreeance with Scot T. on finishing the shop before moving in.(pay attention to the old guys) I have been in my 24'x38' shop now for 5 1/2 years. The only tools i moved in before being done were my tabesaw and miter saw. You will wind up making numerous changes over the years and starting with a finished shop will make that much easier. Another thing to think about is putting your tools on mobile bases,900sq ft might seem big until you put a 20' strong back in and all your goodies. Should have made mine bigger. :wink
John McGillivray
Posts: 3
Joined: Sun Dec 28, 2008 6:31 pm
Location: Denman Island, BC Canada
Contact:

Post by John McGillivray »

1st post here ...

I am in the process of building a workshop and kayak at this time. My shop is 20x24 and I probably have enough room with all my tools to build 2 at the same time. I lined up my table saw with the front and back doors and have been ripping 20 foot strips all day.

You can see pictures on my blog http://denmankayaks.wordpress.com/

Hope this helps and let us know how your shop is coming along.

Regards
John
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