Shed Planning

[Greg]

I always wish my shed was taller - so with a bit of heavy duty shelving i could get a second layer of storage in there. Once you put a few cars in - there is little space for storage and work.

I'd also like a seperate garden shed so that there are no grass clippings blowing around making a mess everywhere.

[stevend34]

have been talking to a few shed companies. Here is a design i've come up with: https://shedbonanza.unda.com.au/#T8LKYEXQuLY/3

originally was thinking 2 x 3m roller doors however i reckong the singly 5m will be more practical. walls are 3.6m high. Thinking that should allow enough height for hoist for later

hoist would be in the middle to utilise height. Work space area to the left. Found out i've got to get a plan towning permit also.

Progressing! keep those comments comming!

Damo, perhaps a 'shed warming party' (if thats a thing??) get yourself a suzuki again so we can work on it

[BZOOK]

https://www.aussiemade.com.au/
These guys are good and not very far from you.
If you are building yourself maybe we can do a good ol' barn raising day?

Plan what you want with a shed planning app.
Go to the shed place, get them to do the planning permit and deliver it.
Get a Slab done, Put it up!

Great idea.

[jonfromhamilton]

in my shed i am aware that i dont have as much space as i would like between where im grinding or welding to where the car is. plus if im building a bench or something i need room to freely move around. i think making tge space multi purpose is a good thing so dont know about the hoist in the centre. you may think of making a single pitch roof so ur height is at one end of the shed ratger than the centre. it will have to be high side away from the boundary though

[gwagensteve]

Here's some thoughts from having a big shed for many years, which I've only really started to feel good (or even think) about the layout of recently.

Think about the balance of work you want to do. If it's mostly service work, by all means consider a hoist. if it's fabrication, a hoist might be of less use than a rolling gantry. Whilst I'm sure hoists are cool, it will dominate the floorpan. You night find you're working around the hoist more than using it.

A fabrication bench is many times more useful if it's an island and not against a wall.

build (or buy) at least one bench that has a heavy steel top. My heaviest bench has a 10mm top, and I wish my main fabrication bench did too. A flat bench you can drop and tap into is super useful.


Consider that it's much cheaper and more convenient to buy material in full sheets or lengths, but they're a pain to store and take up loads of space on a wall. Likewise you need a dedicated space for a cutting tool (chop saw, cold cut saw or bandsaw and the space to feed it full lengths.

You'll end up keeping far too much stuff and that will turn lots of the space into storage once you have a shed you tend to collect things, and whilst that's cool, it's also a downer to have a shed full of clutter you're keeping for "one day"

Jon makes a good point about blowing grinding sparks etc all over a car parked in the shed. I've damaged plenty of windows this way. consider buying/ making a couple of welding screens so you can cordon off an area to contain sparks. Your floor plan is better suited to this than my shed which doesn't lend itself to a separate fabrication space. A low (~1.6m wall) dividing the LHS of the shed into two halves, one up the back for fabrication and the front for assembly might be useful.

Consider lining the shed with something solid (I want to use yellow tongue flooring) You an then insulate between the cladding and the lining, but also, using something heavyish like yellow tongue will allow you to screw shelves etc directly to the lining. this will massively increase the space you have to work with. it will also significantly damp noise, important when you're in a semi-urban area.

Consider some pendant powerpoints to limit the cabling running all over the floor.

Make sure you have a dedicated space for hardware and keep it sorted. having just spent about 5 days unjumbling 20 years worth of hardware, the amount my productivity has increased having everything in a dedicated space/tub/box sorted by size/thread pitch/length etc is incredible. allow this space for a couple of steel cabinets etc from the outset.

There's no such thing as a shed that's too brightly lit. Spend the extra dollars up front, it's a pain to go back and redo.

Just some thoughts.

[gwagensteve]

I have a bunch of pallet sized rolling benches. Whilst they're often used just for storage, I have a short one that's perfect for putting something heavy on I need get all around for welding etc. It currently has my axle jog on it as I work on my new front axle. It's something people don't consider - it's cool to have a bench at normal bench height, but what if the job is big? you'll end up standing on a toolbox or something to get above it for welding.

being able to roll jobs around the shop is much nicer than carrying them from place to place.

Over the time you're working in the shed you'll need it to be a flexible space which is why island benches, benches on casters etc are helpful. A good example is if you get a tube bender - whilst they're compact, you need lots of space to swing the job you're working on. It's a pain if there's something immobile in the way or you end up working outside because there's not enough room in the shed.

If you run air tools, plumb hard lines around the perimeter of the shed so you can run short hoses at your work space rather than a long hose from the compressor. Again, you're not dealing with a tangle of power leads, welding leads, and air hoses around your feet while you work. Ir also means you can build the compressor into a hutch with sound insulation inside to keep the noise down.

Steve.

[Jonno]

Hey Steve,

I took a look at your 3D plan, looks good but I have a couple of minor suggestions

I pushed the roller door towards the centre a little on mine, this meant that I could utilise the workspace along the wall which otherwise will have to be bare to fit your car in and open the doors, it also means you can fit a taller roller door as you get more height. I went 2.4m high roller door because it was the highest I could fit, but occasionally I wish it was higher. I also put a second window in towards the back for better ventilation which has been good

Also if you can get away with 1 more meter of depth, it will mean that you can fit your landcruiser in, open the tailgate and still have some shelving along the back wall, good for packing for a trip inside if its raining/cold/dark etc

Looking good though, keen to see how you are planning to lay it out!

[stevend34]

Thanks Guys, Some good tips in here!

I like the idea of rolling benches; Wonder if adjustable height is the go also. Agree with the issue sparks make, I’ll look into welding curtains – that give more flexibility/smaller to pack up than a wall.

Thanks for your floor plan Jono, what I had in mind is quite similar. Even the fire, got the idea of being close to the door from when I saw your shed. Its also close to the work space area which is what you want.

[stevend34]

Ooh there is a thought if I’m going to do some sort of lining, best to do it either before or in conjunction with the electrics….. (had thought I could do lining later)

[Damo]

Ooh there is a thought if I’m going to do some sort of lining, best to do it either before or in conjunction with the electrics….. (had thought I could do lining later)

Hi Steve
You can never have too many powerpoints in a shed or lights as said earlier.I put in about ten double points inside and 2 doubles outside plus external lighting.Much cheaper and easier to do during the build rather than later.
You will need the sparkies to do a “rough in prior to any lining on your walls where by they put in all cabling required and “fit it off later.The sparkies will guide you on when to get them in for any works.All power to the shed will probably need to go underground due to BAL ( Bushfire Attack Level) ratings that will apply to the build.I can put you in touch with proven trades if you need.
You will also need to allow for the future hoist position at slab stage and incorporate pads into you footings to carry the weight etc
your concreter or engineer will advise on this.
Damo