Shop Build - Winding River Workshop

Rennie I agree about the lights, more is better, maybe you can put them on two or 3 circuits, then you can have some turned off if you are not in that part of the workshop?....Cheers!

Good point. I regret not doing that. Also regret not placing a separate circuit/switch single socket light near each door for those times when you just want to pop in to retrieve a tool. They claim that frequent on and off reduces the life of your ballasts. Can't tell if you are running T8's or T5's, but I really like the T5 high bay fixtures with daylight lamps I put up in the attic.....instant on and they don't seem to mind the cold. They are much better than the T8's in the garage and give you more bang for the buck.
 
Rennie I agree about the lights, more is better, maybe you can put them on two or 3 circuits, then you can have some turned off if you are not in that part of the workshop?

Also Rob has a point about the sound deadening, but I'd go the Green Glue route, this stuff really does work, and you can add it right now, just another layer of drywall with the Green Glue in between layers and you will really reduce the amount of noise coming out of that room, well worth the extra time and money, IMHO.

Cheers!
Interesting stuff that green glue. Never saw that before. Actually, I would only have to do two walls, the back wall and the side facing the shop. Worth considering. As for the lights, I did break off the office area on a separate switch and I am considering breaking off the high bay fixtures. Essentially, the 16 two-lamp fixtures illuminate the perimeter of the room and the 4 six-lamp high bay fixtures light the center over the TS and workbench. I can see breaking them off.
 
Good point. I regret not doing that. Also regret not placing a separate circuit/switch single socket light near each door for those times when you just want to pop in to retrieve a tool. They claim that frequent on and off reduces the life of your ballasts. Can't tell if you are running T8's or T5's, but I really like the T5 high bay fixtures with daylight lamps I put up in the attic.....instant on and they don't seem to mind the cold. They are much better than the T8's in the garage and give you more bang for the buck.
Ted, Were finances not such a large concern I would have gone with T-5 high bays throughout. I agree with you, they are great. For now I will have to hobble along with my T-8's
 
This is so great Rennie. Looks like your new digs are feeling about right to you. I know the view over the water would sooth me out ;-) I'm jealous of the smooth white ceiling amplifying your lighting. That will be sweet.
I'm actually thinking about replacing the current solid door to one with a window as there are no windows in the shop on the waterfront side. :D
 
Hung the heater today. Need to finish the NG to LPG conversion and hook up the power. HVAC guy and gas co will be here end of next week to do final hook up. None too soon! Below freezing the last two mornings.
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Another milestone yesterday, the air cleaner is up and running! Also got some more lighting installed and the HVAC guy will be here today to run gas pipe and venting for the heater.
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None too soon for the heater eh? You gotta love our weather here, 71 yesterday and snowing this morning:p Shops coming along well Rennie, you will be making sawdust soon:)
 
The heater is plumbed and vented. Gas man here Monday. As soon as the installer left I started moving things out to the walls so I can get started on the middle of the room. I need to sand and paint the ceiling and then install the last of the lighting. It's really beginning to look like a shop!
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Let there be light, and lots of it!
Finished the last of the lighting install except for one fixture in the closet, that will happen tomorrow. I have a few odds and ends to take care of and then, finally, I'll move on to the electrical situation. I have vacillated for months on what to do about the feed to the shop. I am now convinced that the 30a supply currently feeding the garage/shop is insufficient. In an effort to save a few bucks I will buy the wire myself, dig the trench and bury the cable leaving a few feet at each end for the electrician to do the final hook up. From what I have been able to gather I should use 2-2-4-6 AL MHF (mobile home feed). Price is good, about $1.80 ft (I need about 80') and gives me the option of either 60a or 100a service. I'll be calling 811 tomorrow to have the lawn marked up.

If anyone has better info on the choice of wire speak up!

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Just a thought, but why not consult with the electrician who will do the final wiring and get his/her input on the wire? Just sayin' since you will get an electrician anyway. Always costs less to do it right in the beginning than doing it over or doing it insufficiently and then regretting it forever.
 
Just a thought, but why not consult with the electrician who will do the final wiring and get his/her input on the wire? Just sayin' since you will get an electrician anyway. Always costs less to do it right in the beginning than doing it over or doing it insufficiently and then regretting it forever.
Good advice - I actually have spoken with him, some time ago, and will certainly consult again before actually making the wire purchase. Unfortunately the owner of the electrician's company recently passed, cancer, and the company has fallen behind in schedule and returning calls - understandable. I will continue to try. I did do research looking up several tables and visiting a number of forums where similar situations were addressed. Also checked with the mgr in the electrical dept at menards - not for the final say (would not do that) simply to see if the information he gave jived with everything else I've picked up.
 
Rennie have you given any thought , since you trenching to putting conduit in and pulling your cable in conduit.

At my last shop i had built around the time i first met you at Larrys place, i had put conduit in between my run from house to shop.
This enabled a few things.
Electrical cable, at that time i ran telephone cable which i was going to use for intercom for Linda to reach me, but we still had a landline back then and i ran my office line to shop as well. Then i hardwired the Internet by running cat6 down the conduit direct to my router in the home, yeah wifi can replace that these days but hardwire is still best.
Then to top it off i had installed a powered smoke detector in the shop. We have by law powered smoke detectors on each level of home. They wired with a common trip line so if one triggers they all do. So what i did was to run the trip wire (its red ) from house to shop and included the shop on the home circuit. This way if by chance the shop had a smouldering fire after i closed up it would trigger the home smoke detectors.

The cost of conduit is not high and its easy to lay.
It should also allow you to run a non armored cable which would be cheaper. Heck you could even run discrete insulated wire.

For what its worth try follow my Dads advice to me , " act in haste repent at your leisure"

All the best.
 
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