I Have Been Thinking ( Oh-Oh )

[Mojo]

My wife says whenever I say I have been thinking " Oh God No ".

Business has been pretty good. I am getting alot of Omega awnings and have turned down alot of patio awnings because of limited space. I have almost 2.5 acres so why not build a new shop.

I would like to build a combination wood / upholstery shop ( walled off from each other of course ). I was thinking a 30 x 50 x 10 Pole barn. I could actually get by with 8 foot walls which would save money all the way around. First in materials and secondly in cooling.

If I slice off 20 x 20 of that space for my woodshop that would leave me with 30 x 30 for my Up Shop. Would this space be enough to do large awnings ? I would definately install a 8 x 16 cutting table with machines at both ends.

For those wondering the other 10 x 20 space in the woodshop would be used for storage of household goods.

I know some of you have large shops and some small. I would like something larger then what I currently have. Input would be appreciated. Thanks.

Chris

[JDUpholstery]

my shop is 40X60, with 9' walls....and with my wood working area and sewing area, I wish I had a larger space....but essentially I think that would be a good size, mine is broken down similar to that 30X40 front room, 10X40 is office, 2 restrooms and some storage, then 20X40 in my sewing area...I believe that no matter how much space you have once you start filling it up, you will find yourself saying I wish I had more space!

however, I would build it split height, give yourself at least one bay with 12' ceilings and a garage door, you never know when you might need to back a trailer into the building and work!

[Mojo]

I just went back and looked at the building measurements. I can step up to a 32 x 60 for about $ 2 K more. If I do this I will probably go ahead and make my shop 40 ft x 32 ft.

I do not do furniture and never will so getting a trailer inside wont happen. You have to remember we run our air in FL from April to the end of October. I turn it on and it runs non stop. Those are some big electric bills if I am cooling a room that has 12 ft ceilings. I would need several ceiling fans to move air around.

I think 40 x 32 would be a perfect size for me. All I need for storage is racks for fabric rolls.
I would probably put a desk in one corner as I do not have customers that visit me. 98 % of my business is all done through the phone and internet and then shipped out.

I have a buddy who is working on some floor plans for me to scale everything so I can see how the layout would be. One question I do have is it possible to put mu Juki on one end of the table and my Chandler on the other ? They would be on the same side and sew towards each other. Is this possible or would one machine get in the way of fabric being fed ?

Chris

[JDUpholstery]

seeing as you work solo, I wouldn't think 2 machines separated by 16' of table would conflict with each other, but they should be opposing sides so that you have 6' of table to your left on each machine...

something like this, if I understand what you were thinking

[Mojo]

Actually JD that would work because my Juki is on a castered K leg stand. So I could just move it to the table and sew and then move it out of the way when I am not using it.

Chris

[sofadoc]

The diagram that JD posted is exactly what I used to have. Juki on the right. Pfaff on the left.  Since both machines were the same type, I gravitated to my favorite (Juki), and the Pfaff gathered dust.

Assuming that you will be working alone, I don't think that you will get much benefit from that setup UNLESS the 2 machines perform 2 different functions (such as 1 machine set up specifically for binding).

[JDUpholstery]

I like my L shaped table...it leaves me my roll holder on one end of the long table for cutting and layout...my smaller machine has 4' of table behind it, sufficient for doing cushion covers and such, and my long arm has 12' table behind it for doing larger jobs such as canvas work...the stagger also allows use of both machines at one time without interfering with each other...this is set up in my 20X40 section of my shop

[Mike]

what are omega vs patio awning chris?

my shop is small and my table 5'x16' I have two machines on opisite sides oe the table , I need to walk around the table working my canvas patterns . each machine has about 4' behind it needle to the left table to the left and the machine is set in to where the needle is inline wth the edge of the table. how would you have two machines sewing at each other on the same side unless you have a machine made for a lefty?  ps I had and have my air on today having a small shop really get cold

[Mojo]

Mike:

Omega awnings are the ones I hate to sew. I do them grudgingly. They come out with the slide and provide a slide topper. They then can be pulled and the fabric will unroll off the roller tube and become a window awning. It is all one piece of fabric. They have a valance on the window awning as well.

There is a top pocket, a center seam running parallel to the length of the fabric, a polycord sewn into the fabric and then of course the valance which I trim off the edge with acrylic binding - or - double fold and sew.The measurements are critical and I pinch the corners and center just a little to make it taught. I have seen some made by canvas makers and they came out horrible. Saggy and looked terrible. They are a royal PITA to make because they are time consuming as compared to a normal SOK II topper. The other bad part is that the margins are thin on these as compared to the standard toppers.

Omegas were made and mainly found on Monaco RV's from 1999 to 2003. I have done dozens and dozens of them and hate each one because of the limitations of my shop. Most are 74 " x 180 ".

Chris

[Mojo]

Dennis:

I use both machines. The Juki is all set up for my center seams and sewing the polyrod into pockets with a welt foot. I have to go out to the garage now, open the garage door and have my wife help me feed 16 ft of fabric through it. Because of all my woodworking machines I have little clearance on each side of the machine. I use folding plastic tables in the garage at each end of the machine table.

The entire operation currently is a goat rodeo and a royal PITA. I get it all done and my quality is near perfect but it isnt fun doing it. I really need a large shop.

The smartest thing I ever did was make the $ 125 investment in that portable K leg stand. I have wheeled that Juki all over God's creation - into the living room, into the driveway, into the Up shop, into the garage, etc. If anyone has a second machine seriously consider buying a K leg stand on wheels. Bob Kovar just got a bunch in stock a few months ago. With the setup I have proposed I can wheel it in place and then wheel it back against the wall when I am done. I bought the extra heavy duty model with large casters so it wheels around real easy.

I am not sure as to what the time line will be for this shop. The boss says build it but use cash and therein lies the problem. if I have a busy winter / spring then I can pay cash for the entire building this summer. If not then I will be delayed till fall or maybe next winter. I also have to meet with the County and get approvals, etc.

My buddy, a retired Delta 767 pilot is working up plans for me. I like to keep his fragile old mind working in his retirement. Once he is done I will post the pictures which will show you the layout.

Chris

[Mike]

Tou mentioned having 10x20 home storage soace in the new propesed shop. What eould you do with the. Urrent shop space? 

[sofadoc]

You have to remember we run our air in FL from April to the end of October. I turn it on and it runs non stop.

I don't want to stray too far off the main topic, but that statement is true here in Texas too. In fact, in past years, I HAVE had to crank mine up before April . You can trick your shop with all the energy saving gadgets and gimmicks that you can think of, but the A/C is still going to run like a 747 from sunup til sundown. About all you can do is wall off your immediate work area for A/C.

My shop electric bill is around $200 during the summer. I know another shop here in town that "toughs it out" in the sweltering heat just to get his bill down in the low $100's. I'm not going to try and work with sweat dripping off my nose just to save a lousy 500 bucks a year.

I understand that in other regions of the country (where utility rates are ridiculous), the difference in the electric bill is far greater.
I have travelling supply salesmen tell me that less than half of the shops they visit have adequate A/C. And many have none.

On the flip side, I have a pissy little propane heater that can't keep up during the coldest part of the mostly mild winters that we have. But there are really only about 3-5 days in DEC-JAN that I  have to don an extra flannel shirt, or light jacket while working. The rest of the time, I actually enjoy the "crispness".

[Mojo]

Tou mentioned having 10x20 home storage soace in the new propesed shop. What eould you do with the. Urrent shop space? 

LOL.......:)........:)

Mike, I have a wife. Guess whats going to be done with that space ????

She will take it all over. I believe she is going to expand her sewing station and also turn some of it into her art studio. She does oil and acrylic paintings. I think she also wants a corner for her craft stuff as well because she loves to do beading.

So my old shop will become hers. Same with the closets in the house. Dang good thing I do not have a large collection of clothes as she has taken over 75 % of the closets as well. I believe it may be a woman thing. :)

Chris

[Darren Henry]

We're the opposite up here.We have to heat from Oct-apr with maybe a couple of weeks in the summer where you'd really like to have A/C.  

Has anyone researched geo-thermal for their heating/cooling down your way?If you had a decent well near the new shop you could (theoretically at least) pump that cold water through radiators in the shop for cooling.Many many years ago I did a call out with the field engineers on a base near here and that was how they cooled the lunch room. Water flowed from the well through a medium sized car radiator (could have been from a 6 cyl.) out to the flower beds outside the lunchroom window. There was a fan placed behind the rad. AS I remember it ; it was about the same as a small window shaker set on medium.

For that large a shop you would obviously need a more elaborate system, but he seed of thought is sewn  8)

I like both of JD's ideas for tables. In the hand drawn diagram I would move the machines further down the length of the table.My currant set up involves a 4X3 table to the left of my machine with a drop leaf that fills in under my left elbow.When I'm doing awnings, I wish it were bigger. Being able to roll right on to the table for cutting is also a real plus.

[Darren Henry]

she has taken over 75 % of the closets as well.

How did you manage to get 25% ? ???LOL