Building my 'new' shop.

Messages
35
Location
London, England
After many long years of working in my little shed I decided that enough was enough and it was time to build a bigger shop. The new shop has a floor area of 216sq.ft. Although not large this is vast compared to the little shed.

The new shop stands on a gentle slope and as I did not want to fill the garden up with concrete, I decided to build the shop on timber bearers supported on threaded rod sunk into 3ft deep concrete peers. This allows access to the underside of the building as well as keeping the building totally dry. The only drawback is the noise transmission on the suspended floor. There is an area of solid concrete where an old greenhouse stood. This has been damp-proofed and levelled to the height of the sub-floor.

All good fun building a structure of this size in a London garden with no direct access. Everything has to be carried through the house. Good for security but a real pain at times. The ridge timber was 20ft long 6 x 3. That was hauled in the front door, up the stairs along the landing and through a bedroom before being passed through an upstairs window down into the garden! What’s more there is only Sue and I building this.

The frame went up and was clad internally with OSB temporally just to supply some rigidity and keep the rain out. Windows were fitted and the the cladding was completed.

The finished shop is a vast improvement. As you said you like pictures here are a few of the work being carried out...

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Day one. This is the old greenhouse base that is now under part of the shop.

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Sue's contribution to the build was the concrete. Here is one
of the peers. That rod is over threefoot long and so is the peer!

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Up goes the frame.

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Work in progress

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What a Mess! everything is taken inside as the rain moves in. That's the
little shed in the background.

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Getting there.

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Moved in!

Well that's how it was a couple of years ago. It has changed a bit since then with new cabinets and some other stuff. However after we got that far it was off to Kent to help my brother with his shop...

Here is Sue showing a rather embarrassed Tim (my brother) how to mix morter and lay bricks… I bet you thought I was joking earlier:thumb:

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You said you wanted pictures...

Ralph;)
 
boy ralph it looks so easy in your pics, from a roughed in set of walls to cabinets in a simple mouse click;).....thanks for sharing!
tod
 
Hi Ralph,

I too like the look of your shop and wish I could have one like that someday!

By the way you wouldn't happen to be this Ralph Laughton:
Success with joints
Laughton, Ralph, 1956-
Publisher: Guild of Master Craftsman,
Pub date: 2005.
Pages: 175 p. :
ISBN: 1861084153
Item info: 3 copies may be available at MAIN LIBRARY- Summit Blvd. West Palm Beach, WEST BOYNTON BRANCH, and WELLINGTON BRANCH.
5 copies total in all locations.

I just finished the book and found it to be very instructive.
 
Bill, I do believe that Ralph and our Ralph are one in the same! :thumb:

Ralph, great shop, and I notice you have the same, or similar DeWalt table saw as I do, and even though you got a new bigger shop, looks like you have kept the saw! :clap:

I really like mine, and don't really have the space for a bigger one.

How are you finding the noise transmission through the suspended floor?

Thanks for showing us! :wave:
 
Hi Ralph! :wave:

Thank you for sharing

I love your shop. It looks homey and inviting.

Hope you spend many hours enjoying it.

Keep us posted on your brothers shop too.

We Love Pictures! :thumb:

DT
 
Bill,

I am pleased that you liked my Joints book. I tried to put it together in an easy to follow style that was also a good read.

Stu,

That DW744 is a great little machine. I made a roll-around stand for my one so that it can be slid under a bench when not in use as the shot of the inside of my shop shows. Here is a photograph of it that was taken in our 'studio'* for the Storage Solutions book I wrote for F&W in the US.

*for 'Studio' read 'Shop with the floor swept and BIG roll of paper;)

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The noise transmission is a big problem. The floor acts like a bid drum and actually amplifies the noise. The solution would be to lift the floor, support sheet material between the joist and fill the void with sand. This along with fitting a 'skirt' all around the bottom of the walls that was sealed into the ground would probably do the trick. Still that will not happen now as Sue and I are about to sell up after living here for nearly 30 years and move to the coast. The workshop will be converted into a home office by adding a ceiling
and a posh floor covering.

Sad as it is, but here in the UK that will add value. A large (by London standards) workshop in the garden would probably devalue the property.

Jessie,

The photographs probably give a false impression of height. the walls are only 7 ft tall and the collar ties are set at 8ft. In my next shop I will try for 10ft clear height then my 8ft sheets will not get stuck when I try to stand them up:(

Ralph;)
 
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