Welding Tips and Tricks

Gday guys/girls, just about to set up my new workshop and was after a few ideas, I’ve just built a 9mt x 6mt workshop so have a clean canvas, if any one has pictures of their set ups I’d love to see them. Need some inspiration!!!! Wiring goes in in a week or two, only single phase but 10and 15amp plugs as thats all i need for my machines. Thanks people!!

oversize the wiring. even on a 15a plug you will draw a lot more. less volt drop the better.
also makes it easier to fit 32 amp plugs.
put in good lighting.

also fit insulation etc. keep it dry and keep excess heat out. treat it like a house more than a shed.
i use ply on the walls. makes it easy to fit shelves etc and move things around.

i can't comment on layout. i usually find everything gets rearranged depending on what tools you have and work you do.
i try to make everything easily changeable.

tweake wrote:oversize the wiring. even on a 15a plug you will draw a lot more. less volt drop the better.
also makes it easier to fit 32 amp plugs.
put in good lighting.

also fit insulation etc. keep it dry and keep excess heat out. treat it like a house more than a shed.
i use ply on the walls. makes it easy to fit shelves etc and move things around.

i can't comment on layout. i usually find everything gets rearranged depending on what tools you have and work you do.
i try to make everything easily changeable.

Good call on the wiring. Will be insulating down th track, led flouros are going in as main lighting. Have sealed the shed to the concrete and the ridge cap and and side wall/roof joins sealed with the corri foam. I’m in Vic in Oz, not sure what part of NZ you’re from, but we typically have similar weather to the North island with a crap load of wind......got a wood heater going in this weekend to take the edge off, last winter we had a few -7/-8 degree days which sucked......but on the whole much like Auckland weather.

Might be helpful to know what type of work you plan to do in the new shop. If its all metal fab, cutting and welding, then what type of machines/tools do you have that need sorting? If you're a machinist, then clean areas are wicked important.

I had to rebuild my home shop not 2 years ago, and I will say this: double or triple the amount of lighting if you only planned a "few", and, no matter how large it seem an area, it will be too small shortly. Shelving, casters, and flexible work spaces are how I get by.

With respect to wiring, I dropped numerous welding outlets around my space so that I didn't need to string my power cords and leads all over the place. Simply wheel the machine over, plug it in locally, and get to it. Same for my air compressor. I ran a full circuit and installed numerous drops and hoses. Keeps from having hoses strewn all over the place. Faster to clean up this way. Coil a 2m hose instead of an 8m or 16m.

My space is 9m x 7m roughly.

cj737 wrote:Might be helpful to know what type of work you plan to do in the new shop. If its all metal fab, cutting and welding, then what type of machines/tools do you have that need sorting? If you're a machinist, then clean areas are wicked important.

I had to rebuild my home shop not 2 years ago, and I will say this: double or triple the amount of lighting if you only planned a "few", and, no matter how large it seem an area, it will be too small shortly. Shelving, casters, and flexible work spaces are how I get by.

With respect to wiring, I dropped numerous welding outlets around my space so that I didn't need to string my power cords and leads all over the place. Simply wheel the machine over, plug it in locally, and get to it. Same for my air compressor. I ran a full circuit and installed numerous drops and hoses. Keeps from having hoses strewn all over the place. Faster to clean up this way. Coil a 2m hose instead of an 8m or 16m.

My space is 9m x 7m roughly.

Mainly metal fab and welding....downsizing from a bigger shed.....ac/dc tig, mig, and stick machines, 40 amp plasma, large drill press, tube notchers, shrinker/stretcher, throatless shear, 8” hand shear, small pan brake, weld point fixture table(small 900mm x 600mm).....I’m already thinking i need a bigger shed.....unfortunately, 9m x 6m was the biggest i could fit between easements on the block.....

Darrin wrote: Mainly metal fab and welding....downsizing from a bigger shed.....ac/dc tig, mig, and stick machines, 40 amp plasma, large drill press, tube notchers, shrinker/stretcher, throatless shear, 8” hand shear, small pan brake, weld point fixture table(small 900mm x 600mm).....I’m already thinking i need a bigger shed.....unfortunately, 9m x 6m was the biggest i could fit between easements on the block.....

Yeah, easements If it were the municipals, we'd be stuffing our lots with sheds and buildings to actually make something, not tax or regulate them!

I highlighted the 2 comments above for a reason. Obviously, you can only fit what you can fit within the lot. If you're downsizing, are you also downsizing tooling and equipment? If not, you already know how tight things were, so layout should follow work flow and work space requirements.

Free space around the tools is where I'd focus on layout. If all the material is small enough (not working with full sheet of metal) then you could easily get away with setting up half the space with shear, brake, shrinking, etc. Put the drill press in the middle, back to a wall, and isolate the plasma and welding opposite the press for best isolation on slag and debris. Notcher could sit atop the welding table as you need it, as well the hand shear. The welding table really becomes a work table surface.

My table is 2mx1.2m roughly. It is used for anything from fixturing, welding, assembly, or lunch. I do try to keep the cocktails clear of it though. I have a small portable "saw table" with lower shelf that I rotate chop saws on. Vise sits on a pedestal, grinders hang from the wall studs. Every nook and cranny is consumed.

And don't forget about material storage...

cj737 wrote:

Darrin wrote: Mainly metal fab and welding....downsizing from a bigger shed.....ac/dc tig, mig, and stick machines, 40 amp plasma, large drill press, tube notchers, shrinker/stretcher, throatless shear, 8” hand shear, small pan brake, weld point fixture table(small 900mm x 600mm).....I’m already thinking i need a bigger shed.....unfortunately, 9m x 6m was the biggest i could fit between easements on the block.....

Yeah, easements If it were the municipals, we'd be stuffing our lots with sheds and buildings to actually make something, not tax or regulate them!

I highlighted the 2 comments above for a reason. Obviously, you can only fit what you can fit within the lot. If you're downsizing, are you also downsizing tooling and equipment? If not, you already know how tight things were, so layout should follow work flow and work space requirements.

Free space around the tools is where I'd focus on layout. If all the material is small enough (not working with full sheet of metal) then you could easily get away with setting up half the space with shear, brake, shrinking, etc. Put the drill press in the middle, back to a wall, and isolate the plasma and welding opposite the press for best isolation on slag and debris. Notcher could sit atop the welding table as you need it, as well the hand shear. The welding table really becomes a work table surface.

My table is 2mx1.2m roughly. It is used for anything from fixturing, welding, assembly, or lunch. I do try to keep the cocktails clear of it though. I have a small portable "saw table" with lower shelf that I rotate chop saws on. Vise sits on a pedestal, grinders hang from the wall studs. Every nook and cranny is consumed.

And don't forget about material storage...

Storage is fine, can do a lean too off the side of the shed, just cant concrete the floor....was thinking about a pedestal with a quick connect top for grinder/shears setup etc that i can interchange as required.

Darrin wrote:I’m in Vic in Oz, not sure what part of NZ you’re from, but we typically have similar weather to the North island with a crap load of wind......got a wood heater going in this weekend to take the edge off, last winter we had a few -7/-8 degree days which sucked......but on the whole much like Auckland weather.

i'm north of auckland. so no snow but a lot of humidity. condensation is a real problem. unfortunately my shed, like many, do not have condensation control layer in it, let alone insulation. you have to have some ventilation.

whats the door layout?
typically try to have tools around the outside with a single work space in the center and have a door that lines up so you can get work in/out easily. single big door at the end is good for getting gear in/out but can have problems in high winds.

I used a 6 inch 300# blind flange for the top of my pedestal. Gives about an 8inch circle with lots of evenly spaced holes. I change vices and other attachments with just a few bolts.

Poland308 wrote:I used a 6 inch 300# blind flange for the top of my pedestal. Gives about an 8inch circle with lots of evenly spaced holes. I change vices and other attachments with just a few bolts.

That sounds like what I’m thinking, any pictures mate??

since retiring and relocating i now only have a home shop so downsizing
was not fun but necessary. leaving a large shop to a smaller one can become challenging.
on my property is a unfinished, small undersized garage ( 16x12) with
that opens into a small (6x!0) addition. i closed off the little room
and added a outside door. this now houses my compressor and cabinet
glass beadier and small parts washer. in the other part was man door,
two windows and a overhead garage door that i replaced with a full
glass out swing french type door to add natural light. had 100amp
service installed with appropriate outlets for welders, lathe, etc.
insulated walls and ceiling then sheet rocked, tapped and painted
the walls. the ceiling was done with white metal roofing (saw this
in a friends commercial machine shop) bright and little maintenance.
(also easy to attach lighting). painted the floor with Rustoleum epoxy
and called the inside done. outside off the one side a built a 12'X12'
lean to with the same metal roofing over purlins over open rafter.
i put crushed stone on the floor so i can do most of my cutting outdoors
regardless of most weather. hope you can get some ideas from my stuff.
works great for a one man shop.

I used an 18 inch blind flange for the base. Then I used drop in anchors and bolts to secure it to the floor. That way when I need the floor space the bolts come out and the anchors are below flush. Then I just roll it out of the way.

Now that is heavy duty!

The post is actually a 2in sch 80 pipe inside of a 3 inch sch 80 pipe. The lower flange has a hole in the center where the 2 inch went through. and the 3inch was welded to the lower flange. The two inch was welded to the center of the 6inch flange then inserted through the three inch and through the lower flange, then it was back welded like you would do on a slip on flange. Then the 3inch was welded to the upper flange. This leaves me with the option to drill out the center of the upper flange and have a hole through the center all the way down to the floor. Haven’t needed to do that yet.

josh
is that for your home shop?
i like!!!!
craig

Yup. Heavy enough to not worry about tipping with a grinder or small vise. I have a Dewalt portaban that has the metal hanging hook that I clamp into my vise. with a wood 2x4 trigger lock for those band saw moments. The round bottom makes it easy to roll like a 55 gal drum even though it’s heavy the weights all low or centered.

Sometimes I’ll just put bolts in the holes and use them to clamp small parts or use them as bending points.

Please post pics when completed.

rahtreelimbs wrote:Please post pics when completed.

Still a week or two off the electrical going in, toilet ll framed up, plumber just after the electrical, i got my fire in today!!! Good ole gumtree!!!!

That stove looks toasty! You're going into your Winter. We are sweltering in 95+ heat. I'll trade you.

tungstendipper wrote:That stove looks toasty! You're going into your Winter. We are sweltering in 95+ heat. I'll trade you.

I actually like the cooler months the older i get!!!! Our winters aren’t too bad, 10 hours of daylight and minus 3 on average the worst, last winter we had a few minus 8c that hurt........

Darrin wrote:

rahtreelimbs wrote:Please post pics when completed.

Still a week or two off the electrical going in, toilet ll framed up, plumber just after the electrical, i got my fire in today!!! Good ole gumtree!!!!

good old steel shed.
no building paper or wrap? for me thats a must on the smaller sheds. otherwise to much condensation.
you can get polystyrene insulation that will fit in that wall. then ply over the top.

Using perforated roofing tin for the ceiling helps a lot with sound muffling I’ve noticed. Sadly I don’t have it but it’s more and more popular it seems in shops I’ve been in.

tweake wrote:

Darrin wrote:

rahtreelimbs wrote:Please post pics when completed.

Still a week or two off the electrical going in, toilet ll framed up, plumber just after the electrical, i got my fire in today!!! Good ole gumtree!!!!

good old steel shed.
no building paper or wrap? for me thats a must on the smaller sheds. otherwise to much condensation.
you can get polystyrene insulation that will fit in that wall. then ply over the top.

Yeah foil board insulation will be going in once all the plumbing /electrical is done. As much for the sound deadening properties as for the thermal properties.

Darrin wrote:
Yeah foil board insulation will be going in once all the plumbing /electrical is done. As much for the sound deadening properties as for the thermal properties.

foil board? got a link ?

Must haves for me in a shop are a ceiling paddle fan to help heating in the winter and summer cooling. A ventilation fan with an inlet at the opposite end and if it gets hot and humid a dehumidifier to make it more comfortable and control the rust on projects and tools. Just fasten a furnace filter,( tape, bungee cord,) on the inlet side. If you do much grinding, spray painting etc a filtered air cleaner really helps. Something as simple as a furnace filter taped to the inlet side of a box fan will help. As for layout I have everything that doesn't have to be fixed on wheels to be flexible as possible.