In reply to Paul_VR6 (Forum Supporter) :
It's kind of an upside down building technique. Build the finished roof first, then do the grading and build the stuff under it.
I enjoyed my first benefit of the technique today. It rained during the concrete pour. We didn't care... we already had a roof!
Very cool, congrats!
In reply to SV reX :
My shop is a combination wood working and auto shop. The trick is all the stuff must be mobile. Table saw, Jointer, planet, shaper Band saw, welding cart, English Wheel. Etc etc etc.
That and the ability to just look st a space and decide what you're going to shove and where. Have the right combination of blocks to use something as an in feed or out feed table.
Yes you need to clean up after wood working and before welding. But 1800 sq ft as
In reply to frenchyd :
I've already done that. Not interested.
Life's been happening, so things are a little slow moving, but I did make a little progress last weekend. Thought I'd update...
I salvaged a bunch of used 6" structural metal studs off a commercial demo job about a year ago. They've been waiting for this...
6" metal studs are massive overkill for this, but free is free. The price can't be beat!
I got 1 side and half of the front framed in:
Astute observers will notice that I failed to align the holes in the studs. Keep in mind, this is salvage. Some of these studs were originally over 35' long. I'm piecing it all together with what I can.
I won't be putting any stiffeners in these walls, and no water pipes, so alignment of the holes isn't that important.
Working with used studs is a slow process...
Looking real good! Come do mine next.
In reply to maschinenbau :
You know I'd love to!
I'll start a thread to begin the hive-mind brainstorming. Still catching up with new house/moving woes.
I am definitely watching this with interest I believe I'm going to have to move my carport due to it not being entirely on my property. Have to wait for the results of the survey though. I've been trying to figure out how to do a bigger shop in stages and your pole barn approach looks awesome. Care to share your sources of who you would got the trusses through privately? I'd be looking at doing this as much myself as humanly possible.
Neat. I wish my back yard was large enough for a shop that big. When I started thinking about a shop, I went to my township to get an idea about what I'd need, permit-wise. Even for my modest plans (20'W x 24'D), I still need a full-depth foundation. Yay.
In reply to Ian F (Forum Supporter) :
That IS a full depth foundation...
...for a pole barn!
PA requirements are deeper than here because of the frost line, but I'm pretty sure PA calls for 36" deep, and this is 48" deep.
Regardless, pole barns can be engineered to meet local requirements.
Very nice, always fun to see stuff like this go up. Mine is finally nearing completion, I'm slow.
In reply to Dusterbd13-michael :
You mentioned building in stages...
The long term plan is to takedown that crappy carport in the background, and build a pole barn addition onto the pole barn.
Thats my last stage.
Forgot to mention something...
It was raining while I was working on this. I absolutely love the sound of rain on my metal roof!
And I've got a view of the lake directly from inside the shop.
Im gonna enjoy this space. 
My MINI looks lost in there!
If I missed it, are you planning on putting down epoxy flooring or just leaving the bare concrete?
In reply to z31maniac :
Nah. I'll probably leave it bare.
Installed some French drains, and did a little grading this week
Nice building!
The steel trusses... Are they made from square tubing? Can't tell from the picture. Do you know what gauge
SV reX said:In reply to z31maniac :
Nah. I'll probably leave it bare.
I swear I'm not trying to sell you on anything... but you might wanna 
. Ground and polished concrete resists dirt and stains well, but I also found after treating my garage that it was warmer and more comfortable after the urethane went down since there was a barrier to keep moisture from coming up and "through" the concrete. Even a coat of white paint helps to find dropped bolts and small bits, and really brightens up the space!
Girth is right. Epoxy flooring rules in so many ways, and it doesn't have to be expensive - my Rustoleum floor has held up very well except for weld splatter. And even that I can live with.
In reply to Kreb (Forum Supporter) :
Also weird thing I noticed, and maybe you've seen this too Kreb- With the coating, there's a "bounce" to the floor when you drop something. I notice dropped parts don't roll as far on the urethane, sound softer, and don't break as often as they would on hard concrete.
I do epoxy coatings in most of my jobs. I'm very familiar. It's not something that's important to me.
I made some more progress with the framing today. 3 out of 4 walls complete.
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