Machinery workshop tips

[Scott7718]

Hi everyone, I am planning on erecting a machinery workshop, and have been doing a lot of research on what will be involved, however it is a difficult subject to find information on.

I am hoping some of you can give me a few pointers.

It will be a steel rsj construction, so how deep should I sink the rsj’s? They will be concreted,
How deep should my floor be? Jacking tractors etc. Should it be re-barred? Should the concrete be fibred?

I reckon shuttered walls will be the best way to go, but if there is any other info you feel might help me I would greatly appreciate it, at my wits end!!

Many thanks in advance.

 

[Deerefarmer]

Don't build it to small

 

[Scott7718]

Well you know yourself it’ll never be big enough

 

[Flatlander]

Build as big as you can afford then add 50% to its size. It nay be big enough to get by but in ten years you’ll be adding to it some way. Re bar the concrete on a good well packed base. I’d personally go with 8 inches of concrete and foot grid on the bars. Fibres will help stop the surface from cracking and chipping also improve the surface finish. Consider a centre drain the length of the building and and make it easy to clean out. Are you going to insulate it. If so finish the inside with white plastic sheeting to reflect light and hold insulation in place. Don’t wire up the power thru the walls if you can. Put in plenty of outlets and go to town on led lights. Don’t forget a smaller room for the compressor with an air dryer. run air around the workshop and outside. If you considering a lathe or other fixed equipment might want to put them in under a mezzanine to provide upper storage fir parts. Theses are a few ideas I’ve thought about for mine when I get to build one.

 

[grainboy]

Have this available, would make good workshop, 60 x 47 x 18

 

[Scott7718]

Hi @grainboy looks like a nice set up although I’m in NI and I can only imagine the cost of getting that over at the minute

 

[Scott7718]

Hi @Flatlander these are some good ideas, I had planned on a separate compressor house with piped air, never though about a central drain but it’s a sound idea, planning on led flood lights on roof and around shoulder height leds around the walls. I am also planning on insulating so the plastic sheeting sounds like a gd idea too, thanks for all the input!

 

[Flatlander]

Grainboy. Just out of interest what are the reason that a fair few grain facilities are being pulled down. Seems a big waste of infrastructure with life still left in it. Keeps you busy i guess. Here grain bins are usually rusted out before they are moved. I’ve just completed this years project of adding close to 1200 tons in three bins to replace four older ones.

 

[grainboy]

Hi Flatlander,
Most of my dismantling projects are down to,
Redevelopment, no longer adequate for today’s combine output, lack of labour to work bins, and then other more profitable enterprises,
30 bins last year, 4 sheds, and various strip outs,

 

[Bongodog]

Grainboy. Just out of interest what are the reason that a fair few grain facilities are being pulled down. Seems a big waste of infrastructure with life still left in it. Keeps you busy i guess. Here grain bins are usually rusted out before they are moved. I’ve just completed this years project of adding close to 1200 tons in three bins to replace four older ones.

Lots of farms here in the UK put up bins in the 60's and 70's that held no more than 150 tons loaded with no better than a 4" auger. Ok for an intake of a few tons an hour but hopeless now. Also virtually all UK grain is hauled by the merchants whereas youtube videos I see typically show North American farmers loading their own trucks to take the grain to the silos. The drivers picking up for the merchants get very unhappy if they are loaded by auger and it takes an hour or more.