rplace Posted October 20, 2008 Author Share Posted October 20, 2008 InnerTuber, Thanks for the heads up on building a work bench from the Lowes site. After looking around at was I could buy, I decided to build. Did it this weekend. It is rock solid and pretty simple to build. I really like it. Thanks again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InnerTuber Posted October 20, 2008 Share Posted October 20, 2008 Nice [H] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colterphoto1 Posted October 20, 2008 Share Posted October 20, 2008 what are you guys using for lighting and are you happy with it? how about windows in garage doors- passe? theft problem? or cool? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest " " Posted October 20, 2008 Share Posted October 20, 2008 Al electric mouse trap is a must have if you live in the suburbs like I do. Basically, in the fall, the mice sneak in looking for heat. Amazingly, anything with a few drops of sweat on it, becomes food (salt and oil from your sweat+anything=food). I have two electric traps...one for each end of the house....the mice check in...but they don't check out.......a little peanut butter in the trap...and the show is over. The trap comes in different sizes...I have the one that uses 4 C batteries and flashes when you caught something. Best results when the weather dips below 60 at night...which was las week....so yeah....7 less mice to worry about so far... Oh, and yeah, this thing jolts them with 8000 volts at .300ma's so they go instantly...no pian...no blood..no scents to tip off their buddies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colterphoto1 Posted October 21, 2008 Share Posted October 21, 2008 I got mouse traps, their names are Gypsy, Steely, and Sammy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rplace Posted October 21, 2008 Author Share Posted October 21, 2008 what are you guys using for lighting and are you happy with it? how about windows in garage doors- passe? theft problem? or cool? I too am interested in what others are using for lighting. Currently I just have 6-8 standard light sockets/bulbs. As for the windows in the garage doors I vote no. Just another place for cold air to get in. Also you have the breakage issues and I would guess doors with windows in them cost more. Get a couple of good windows in the walls as necessary and leave the garage doors solid. Be sure and get insulated garage doors. Not only are they wamer, they are a lot quieter as they go up and down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colterphoto1 Posted October 21, 2008 Share Posted October 21, 2008 Yes Rich, I'm checking Polystyrene (cooler material) vs Polyurethane -denser and close cell and also the metal gauge of various door designs. Track lighting with FL lamp is going to be the way I go with lighting. Inexpensive, energy-efficient, and very flexible. Luckily I bought out a family furniture store and have about 8 sticks of 10-12 foot track and probably 30 fixtures, that should just about do the main part of the workshop. Cheap FL fixtures will be ok in the garage side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Adams Posted October 21, 2008 Share Posted October 21, 2008 Yes Rich, I'm checking Polystyrene (cooler material) vs Polyurethane -denser and close cell and also the metal gauge of various door designs. Track lighting with FL lamp is going to be the way I go with lighting. Inexpensive, energy-efficient, and very flexible. Luckily I bought out a family furniture store and have about 8 sticks of 10-12 foot track and probably 30 fixtures, that should just about do the main part of the workshop. Cheap FL fixtures will be ok in the garage side. If that's the case why the he!! did you ask us for lighting suggestions???????????? Personally, I went with recessed 6" cans to light the bulk of my workshop/garage and will use dedicated task lighting where & as needed. My reason for the cans were: a) I now have no ceiling fixtures/bulbs that can be whacked by the stray 2x4 swung around while not paying attention and I got a box of (6) cans for $12 plus another $10 for the trim rings. That's a far cry from $60+ for ONE four foot flourescent fixture. Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rplace Posted October 21, 2008 Author Share Posted October 21, 2008 Good call on the recessed lighting with the lumber moving and all. Too bad I already have the ceiling insulated and drywalled. Funny story (or not so funny) about recessed lighting. when we had out house built it was $190 for every recessed light we wanted. You cannot put them in nearly as easily after the fact and who wants to cut up their ceiling the day after you move in...so we bit the bullet and paid for what was needed/wanted. 12-15 IIRC. When I did the basement myslef and in turn my theater I got a contractor pack of 10 or 12 and they worked out to be about $7 each with the trim and all. I know the builder needs to make a buck, but that is some crazy mark up when you figure he probably gets a better price break then I did. Crazy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Adams Posted October 21, 2008 Share Posted October 21, 2008 Good call on the recessed lighting with the lumber moving and all. Too bad I already have the ceiling insulated and drywalled. Funny story (or not so funny) about recessed lighting. when we had out house built it was $190 for every recessed light we wanted. You cannot put them in nearly as easily after the fact and who wants to cut up their ceiling the day after you move in...so we bit the bullet and paid for what was needed/wanted. 12-15 IIRC. When I did the basement myslef and in turn my theater I got a contractor pack of 10 or 12 and they worked out to be about $7 each with the trim and all. I know the builder needs to make a buck, but that is some crazy mark up when you figure he probably gets a better price break then I did. Crazy! Well.....like I said, the BIGGEST reason I went recessed was cost. C'mon.....(6) IC rated cans for $12??? That's crazy cheap. Besides, even though flourescent gives off decent light, Murphy's Law states that where you need light the most, you will not have it - NO MATTER HOW MANY FL FIXTURES YOU HAVE!! LOL........... Oh....and the contractor that built my last house wanted $50/can. Not as bad as what you got nailed for, but still quite a mark-up. Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLSamuel Posted October 21, 2008 Share Posted October 21, 2008 I'm interested in what brand and type of garage door and openers you use. I need to replace ours as they're cheap with masonite like skins and have been rotting away since before we moved in. They are insulated though. I've been considering the Wayne Dalton Torque Master and iDrive as the iDrive opener mounts at the front of the door eliminating the normal opener track and the springs are at the front of the door eliminating the springs and cables of our current doors. Some people seem to love the iDrive and some seem to hate it when I do a quick search. I think both Lowes and Menards in town quit carrying them. We have a really low garage ceiling so it may still be a good option for us if they're not too problematic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colterphoto1 Posted October 22, 2008 Share Posted October 22, 2008 Power requirements- I have 400 amp service to the house, which runs a 200 amp panel in the basement and 100 amp panel in the existing garage (that runs a lot of appliances and other power legs). That leave only 100 amp service to the workshop. I'm not going to be welding, but will have 220 V A/C and 220 V water heater for radiant heat, lighting, PA, and power tools. I know everyone likes to have 200 amp available for workshops, do you guys think I can live with 100? This is another area where my original contractor probably seriously underbid so I'll have to bite the bullet again. And rent the trencher tool, and do the trenching, and run all the internal wiring in the building...dang this is a lot of work. And it's cold this morning too- not fun. brrrrrr M Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators dtel Posted October 22, 2008 Moderators Share Posted October 22, 2008 I would think 100 amp would be fine for the workshop. We have 200 amp on the house and have 220v range, hot water and clothes dryer and AC. You would probably not run the water heater for radiant heat and the AC at the same time anyway, lets just say you use a 40 amp breaker for the water heater and a 20 for the AC thats only 70 and they don't use anything close to what the breaker size is and lighting uses very little and only one or two tools are used at the same time. If you are worried about it you could put a separate meter on the workshop, the electric company does charge a minimum on that meter if you don't use much electricity, here it's about $10 or $15 per month. To have a separate meter would not require you to trench from the house but they will charge you to trench from their service if everything in the neighborhood is underground, they do here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLSamuel Posted October 22, 2008 Share Posted October 22, 2008 I'd go with 200 amp. And a big breaker box. Our home has 200 amp service with a 100 amp breaker box in the garage. If you have a 200 amp panel in the basement and 100 amp in the garage, then whatever's left probably exceeds 100 amps. I'm not sure but think that most homes have more breaker capacity than total service capacity as everything isn't in use at once. Many things I believe operate at far less than their required breaker such as a blower motor that may require a 15 amp circuit cruises along at a lot less but may take 10+ amps when it starts. That said, I have no idea how such things are sized or should be sized. Maybe the ideal situation would be to have capacity exceeding the maxium total breaker load so one can add more and run everything at once though at some point I'm sure it becomes overkill. We have a Jacuzzi tub and heater waiting to be installed that require their own circuits, 15 amp and 10 amp GFCI I believe, but the breaker box only has a single slot remaining. When I'm near the point of hiring an electrician it may be a good time to at least investigate upgrading to 400 amp service but something tells me that will be too expensive but would probably be best for the long term. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rplace Posted October 22, 2008 Author Share Posted October 22, 2008 I have been very happy with my Chamberlin garage door openers. In the past I have had Stanley (so so at best) and a screw drive Genie that I absolutely hated! As for the power I have 100 amp service in my garage and cannot possibly see how I would ever need more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InnerTuber Posted October 22, 2008 Share Posted October 22, 2008 Garage door opener = Overhead Door Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colterphoto1 Posted October 22, 2008 Share Posted October 22, 2008 My Garage Doors will come from Garage Doors of Indianapolis, a big competitor of OH Door here in Indy. 16x8 main and 9x7 workshop, steel 25 ga, steel lined, polyurethane insulated R10, with window glass in all- $1800 (openers later after drywall). I'm going with a wide 'double panel' here to emphasize the horizontal lines of the house. Windows will be the same- 4 panes across the 16', 2 panes in the 9'. I will build or buy some inserts for them at a later date. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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