welding shop

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I'm looking into building a small welding and blacksmith shop to mess around and maybe make some extra money. What do you guys think is a good size for a small shop? (I'm also on a budget to save up for a welding truck in a few years).Thanks,Robert Jacobs
Reply:Hello and welcome. It would be helpful to know your location, welding background , current equipment, type of work you'll be doing, etc, etc. More info will help.
Reply:I have a longevity 200s migweld, I have about a two acre lot, i started welding about six moths ago, I'll be doing mostly medium sized repair and art work, and I'm almost 15 years old.
Reply:However big you plan to make it, it's already too small. Seriously, take some pieces of paper and lay out the areas you expect to need for each item, forge, anvil, vise, work table, welders stock storage any other tooling and that will begin to give you a rough idea how much space you will need. Then lay everything out in such a way that is usable. Do you have enough infeed/outfeed say for the bandsaw, chop saw? Where is your anvil/vise in relation to your forge? If you have rollers, benders, presses, do you have enough clear space around them for stock sizes you plan on using? Can you get stock in and out of the racks in such a way that it's easy to get it in the building? Do you want/need a hoist/crane? If so in what areas.After you plan all that out, I'd add at least 50% more space if not 100% for future tools/use. I'd also keep future expansion in mind should you need to add on more space. It's easy to add on to the end of a gable wall, but not as easy to add on to a side, especially if the side walls aren't all that high.Plan height as well. There's one area in the space I have that would be great for my forge, but the ceiling height in that area is way too low for me to swing a hammer..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Thanks, I plan to have an enclosed welding area that would include my bandsaw, welder, a torch, my table and other tools and a more open blacksmithing area that will include my forge, anvil, post vice, and other tools. I thought that a 16' by 16' welding area with an 8' by 16' blacksmithing area.
Reply:DSW nailed it for you .  Must compliment you on contacting resource people to gain their knowledge.   You already have developed a good trait.   You can learn a lot from other folks experience.    Good luck with your building.
Reply:Originally Posted by welderboy14I have a longevity 200s migweld, I have about a two acre lot, i started welding about six moths ago, I'll be doing mostly medium sized repair and art work, and I'm almost 15 years old.
Reply:Whatever is in the budget is what to build.My main shop area is 26x32 which is basically an extra deep two car garage size - entry on gable end.You need the extra depth to be able to work in front of (or behind) a vehicle.And yes, it is still too small Dave J.Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance. ~George Bernard Shaw~ Syncro 350Invertec v250-sThermal Arc 161 and 300MM210DialarcTried being normal once, didn't take....I think it was a Tuesday.
Reply:My shop is 28x32 and I wish it was 3 times larger. It is also 11 ft to the bottom of the trusses and I wish it was 14 ft. To start with I would say the 28x32 is a decent size but as stated earlier build so it can be added onto.
Reply:To me 8x16 would be on the snug side for smithing. I easily fill most of a 10 x 20 tent at the Grange Fair to do demos and that's without my big tool box that I keep my tools in or a lot of stock space. If I add the small layout table I'd probably be tripping over things. It also seems I'm adding stuff all the time that will need more space. Next in line is probably a gas forge to offset my coal forge. I'll grant you that wall space would allow me extra storage I don't have at the Fair..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:The kid is 15 years old. Welding for 6 months...You guys think he should build a 60' long shop on his daddys property??10 years from now he will still be a kid. Work/save/struggle/learn and build something of your OWN. The taste will be sweeter. Sent from my iPhone using TapatalkMiller 211Hypertherm PM 451961 Lincoln Idealarc 250HTP 221  True Wisdom only comes from Pain.
Reply:Thank you everyone, your comments are very helpful.Thanks,Robert Jacobs
Reply:Originally Posted by John TThe kid is 15 years old. Welding for 6 months...You guys think he should build a 60' long shop on his daddys property??10 years from now he will still be a kid. Work/save/struggle/learn and build something of your OWN. The taste will be sweeter. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Reply:Also, I'm looking at buying an oxyacetylene torch, what do you guys use and how do you like them?
Reply:Go oxy/propane - cheaper and works great.Dave J.Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance. ~George Bernard Shaw~ Syncro 350Invertec v250-sThermal Arc 161 and 300MM210DialarcTried being normal once, didn't take....I think it was a Tuesday.
Reply:Welcome, I prefer the Smith SC series. Victor, Harris and the older brands like concoa, prestolite and purox are other good brands. Don't buy the Chinese knockoffs of the victor and Harris, get the real deal.
Reply:welderboy14 I’m just a hobbyist, have no intension of making money. My shop is 40’ x 48’ 16’ tall, and it’s to small.  Attached ImagesDon’t pay any attention to meI’m just a hobbyist!CarlDynasty 300V350-Pro w/pulseSG Spool gun1937 IdealArc-300PowerArc 200ST3 SA-200sVantage 400
Reply:Sheesh you're right about small. Look how big it makes those little toothpicks growing beside it look!!
Reply:I cut those down a few years ago. Had the stumps ground up too.Don’t pay any attention to meI’m just a hobbyist!CarlDynasty 300V350-Pro w/pulseSG Spool gun1937 IdealArc-300PowerArc 200ST3 SA-200sVantage 400
Reply:Originally Posted by welderboy14Also, I'm looking at buying an oxyacetylene torch, what do you guys use and how do you like them?
Reply:Originally Posted by BD1It sounds like you are a aggressive young man with some goals. Please PM your mailing info and I'll send you FREE a functioning,  Harris Oxygen / acetylene regulators and torch. All you'll need is hose and flashback arrestors. I could even send you a picture first if you like . MERRY CHRISTMAS !
Reply:Originally Posted by BD1It sounds like you are a aggressive young man with some goals. Please PM your mailing info and I'll send you FREE a functioning,  Harris Oxygen / acetylene regulators and torch. All you'll need is hose and flashback arrestors. I could even send you a picture first if you like . MERRY CHRISTMAS !
Reply:14 foot ceiling if you can do it and afford it as some fellow will come along with a Semi-Tractor needing you to do something and the weather will be crap outside. Ask me how I know! HAHAHA!!
Reply:Actually if you want a rollup door that clears 14', you pretty much need a 16 ft ceiling (the door climbs as it rolls inward). I have a 14' ceiling with a 12' door and it's a tight squeeze for height on a lot of semis. If they have tall stacks or the air dam over the roof they probably won't fit. In my 30x36 I can just barely squeeze in a single axle grain truck with a 16' box with not much room to work around it.250 amp Miller DialArc AC/DC StickF-225 amp Forney AC Stick230 amp Sears AC StickLincoln 180C MIGVictor Medalist 350 O/ACut 50 PlasmaLes
Reply:Welderboy 14 where are you located?  RicheyOriginally Posted by richeyWelderboy 14 where are you located?  Richey
Reply:I'm located in Maryland.Robert Jacobs
Reply:Congrats on thinking forward and having the initiative to have a plan. equipment and a shop is one half of the equation...the business and legal aspect is the second half that can get you into trouble even faster..do some research on what insurance and liabilities you will have when you start doing work for other people..your state laws and so on...in the long run it will save you alot of expense and aggravation.....good luck....Of all the things I lost I miss my mind the most...I know just enough about everything to be dangerous......You cant cure stupid..only kill it...
Reply:Robert,As someone just a couple years older than yourself, don't bite off more than you can chew at once. My first machine I bought was a Dynasty 200DX, I decided I wanted to get top-of-the-line so I could do anything I needed, but it's WAY more machine than I'm going to need until I'm at least out of college (also, for the price, probably wasn't the best choice for a college student!). My point is, don't get too far ahead of yourself and spend all sorts of money on something you may not need for a while. Sounds like you've got a space to work in already, try to maximize that as much as possible. It will probably get cramped quickly, but it will make you figure out ways to work with limited space and you'll have more ideas to incorporate into your "dream shop" in a few years, rather than just going head first without much experience and just building maximum square footage right out of the gate -- quality over quantity!. A buddy of mine has an 10'x20' (I think) garage at his apartment, he's got a 4'x8' cnc router, table saw, and some other woodworking stuff in there and has gotten pretty creative with stock storage, workflow, and so on. It starts getting crowded with 3 people, but it's safe to work in there and it drives him to keep things clean and organized. The other side of it is you don't want to over-invest in it as a work shop before you have any work. If you're in a position where you maybe have a lot of excess building material around your property and plenty of time to kill, then building a shop would be a great project and great experience with minimal expense and low risk, in a business/economic sense. At your age doing something like that would be great to have under your belt, but don't fall into the mindset that you absolutely need a big shop to be effective. It's kind of like how some folks say "oh, I don't have the exact specific tool for that job so I can't." Check out a guy on youtube called AvE, I think his background is in the mining industry, he seems to have loads of experience being stuck at off-the-grid industrial sites and having to do things like, say, sharpen a twist drill with an angle grinder. Not ideal conditions, but it makes him more resourceful, and gives an appreciation for when you have the right tools. Sounds to me like you've got your head on straight, I'm sure you'll be off to the races in no time. To answer your original question, the shop I got my start at was basically a big three car garage, probably 30' deep x 50' wide with a bench along the full length of the back wall, drill press, band saw, and the like along the side walls, wide open in the middle, and three roll up doors across the front, one was tall enough to back in a delivery truck part way. It was always cluttered from other people leaving stuff, but it was more space than I knew what to do with. Those extra tall bay doors are the way to go, great for bringing in/out equipment, ventilation, lighting, etc. For trucks, Craigslist is pretty good, but see if you can find any contractor auctions in your area. There will be all sorts of trucks from little Ford rangers to big service trucks to house-sized Caterpillars available, at ridiculously low prices (sometimes $1000 for <5 year old utility trucks). I just did a search for Maryland Contractor Auctions, check out how many trucks these guys have up there: http://www.wolfeauctions.com/Auction...s.aspx?lid=48# At 15 you'll almost certainly have to get your folks to be the ones to sign up and bid, but the deals are spectacular. Hope something here helped, and good luck!-Miller Dynasty 200DX-Lincoln WeldPak 180-Makita 4-1/2"-Leverage-Determination
Reply:When I was 15 I cut a big door into an unused barn on my parents property. That venture taught me that you don't cut big doors into old buildings that aren't designed for it. I now own that property and the barn is still in the process of collapsing on itself. Yes, I have larger shops to work in now, but that 30x36 addition fully insulated and sheeted with metal inside and out cost me $50k, so that's the reason it didn't happen when I was 15. I agree with the post above, work with what you have and make steady progress towards what you want.250 amp Miller DialArc AC/DC StickF-225 amp Forney AC Stick230 amp Sears AC StickLincoln 180C MIGVictor Medalist 350 O/ACut 50 PlasmaLes
Reply:Hello, I just want to thank BD1 once again for sending me that torch, regulators and a few extra things. He saved me a lot of money and he will soften the financial blow of buying the rest of the torch equipment.Thanks,Robert Jacobs
Reply:Originally Posted by John T... You guys think he should build a 60' long shop on his daddys property?? ...
Reply:Originally Posted by CEPwelderboy14 I’m just a hobbyist, have no intension of making money. My shop is 40’ x 48’ 16’ tall, and it’s to small.
Reply:Nice, I started fabricating when I was 14 (currently 16)  loved it and the people I did it for (usually assisted my dad but sometimes just me) loved how old I was doing it and paid a bit more than what I would of asked.   Hope the same goes for you.  But build as big as you can afford  space is nice as is a huge table steel table.  If you need something cnc plasma cut I'd be willing to do it for free to help you out.Sent from my SGH-T889 using TapatalkLast edited by EvilBunny; 11-23-2015 at 08:14 PM.
Reply:Man o Man!I'm 65 and still having fantasies about how would my life have turned out if I could go back to age 14 and do it all over again.  Robert, stay the course if you can but don't feel too badly if something else grabs your fancy somewhere down the line.  You would be like probably half of us if you did get sidetracked.
Reply:Find a Lincoln TM-500 ac/dc will be able to stick weld gouge and scratch start tig,all in one.Hobart, Miller Airco all made similar units. Big old transformer 50 to 100 amp service needed single phase. Flea markets for tools and supplies. Drill press ,belt sander , saw and a big compressor helps.