Well guys, I've thought about it. And quite frankly I'm tired of changing the oil in the driveway and doing brake jobs and such on the back parking pad. I'm building a shop! I'm thinking 40ftx40ft devided down the middle to give me two 20ftx40ft bays. In one bay, I'm going to put a 12,000-lb two post lift, in bay two flat floor. Air and electrical outlets in both bays, full plumbing and heating and air. I'm going to put work benches along the exterior and joining walls in both bays. In bay 2, I'm going to also put welding equipment (probably a MiG/TiG and a stick welder) along with my oxy-acetelene torches and bottles. Both bays will have overhead heavy winches to lift engines and the like out from vehicles. Bay two will also have full set up to paint in it. I'm thinking of building a more or less general purpose shop. Something that I can easily do all my regular mantenance in, along with all my special projects and side work you know? If you have any other ideas for me, by all means I wanna hear them.

Sounds like heaven to me.

If you can swing it, do radiant heat in the floor and have the floor epoxy painted.

I'd be able to swing it, I was actually thinking of doing waste oil heat, since I would otherwise have to have some way to get rid of my used oil.

I'd be able to swing it, I was actually thinking of doing waste oil heat, since I would otherwise have to have some way to get rid of my used oil.

You'll never regret it if you do the heated floor - no more cold ,damp, concrete. Most systems run on what is essentially a hot water heater. Probably all the heat you'll ever need down there.

That is possibly true, although that still leaves me with having to get rid of my used oil. But I do understand the idea of radiant heat in the floor, I've seen some places with it and I know that it will definitely keep the place warm

That sounds cool.....I hate doing anything to the cars outside...

Easier to work on them inside..

Edited December 15, 200718 yr by daves87rs

Good idea. What is the efficiency of waste oil heat?

In PA, any place that changes oil is required to accept waste oil for recycling. I just have the local Chevy dealer do it as I hate transporting drain oil. I do sometimes need to when I'm into a project, but regular oil changes are cheap enough at the dealer that I don't hassle with it.

I dont bother with oil changes on any of mine either. They are cheap enough at my dealer that I almost couldnt do it myself. Good luck to your shop project.

Whatever you do... do concrete. Dirt floors are hell. Ask my dad.

maybe just look into geothermal, if you've got the room, and could use the waste oil for supplemental heating?

Right now I know I'm doing a 6" thick concrete, rebar-reinforced flooring. On top of all that the floor will be epoxy coated, I'm also going to do the waste oil heating. I've got too many vehicles to worry with taking them in to have the oil changed. I've also got a tractor to keep the oil changed in, can't easily take that one in to have the oil changed. Besides, it only takes me about 10 minutes to change the oil. I also normally check everything too (sometimes even the stuff that the dealership and oil change places don't check), so I'm looking at about 20 minutes of work to keep the fleet running. On the flat floor side of the shop I'm going to primarily do stuff like painting and tune up stuff, anything where the car might even need to be lifted, I'm putting it in on the rack. As far as geothermal, I could do it since I'd only have to dig about four feet down to get do dirt at about 65 degrees in any weather. We thought about doing that in the shop up at my parent's house, but dad just eventually decided that a conventional heating and air system would do the job a heck of a lot easier, and cheaper since we didn't feel like putting the plumbing in to run the system. I'm not sure about the efficiency of the waste oil system, but I do know that one of my shops that my store services uses it and during the winter it definitely keeps the place comfortable (I'm talking about a nine-bay shop running one waste oil system, so I'm pretty sure that it'll more than keep my shop warm.

Probably buying my own system, since we sell them through work I would get a pretty good discount on it.

All right guys, here's what I've decided as far as special tools/equipment for the shop (out of my handy-dandy tool and equipment flyer).

1/2-DR, 25-250ft-lb Electronic Torque Wrench (yeah, electronic!) $229.00

150,000 BTU Waste Oil Heater (there are bigger) $4,470.00

Strut Tamer w/ stand $689.00

Ball Joint Super Set $369.00

Hub Tamer $449.00

51-PC Torx Master Set $123.00

9-Way Slider Hammer Set $92.95

5-HP, 80-gal, 230 Volt, 175psi Air Compressor $1685.00

1/2-DR Air Impact $110.00

3/8-DR Air Ratchet $103.00

1/4-DR Air Ratchet $90.95

12,000-lb 2-Post Lift $5495.00

10-Ton Ratcheting $159.95

20-Ton Hydraulic Press $1239.00

Accessory Set $247.00

Genisys Professional Set (comes with everything) $4995.00

Roll-Around Battery Charger (6 and 12 volt, engine start, three charge rates) $260.00

I've got more information on everything above, if you want to know more, I'll do my best to provide it. This isn't counting the various hand tools, paint equipment, plumbing for the air and electrical outlets, and of course the cost of building the building. But otherwise, that's the general plan for all the various special stuff in the shop.

I love the sound of that.

I figure you would Camino, I would love it too, just gotta get the time and fund to provide for it.