Shop walls

[stogiepuffer]

Hello, I am finishing up my shop walls tommorrow and I plan on using

3/8 inch plywood (already on hand). Do I but them up on each other or should I leave some space between sheets for expansion? I'm not sure how much plywood expands/contracts but I'm thinking that since I am screwing the ply to studs spacing shouldn't matter since the screws will inhibit movement anyhow. My ceilings are 8 feet and change so I plan on using them vertically and trimming the edges so I can center the edges on studs. Insulation is already up and I have the ceiling in ( 1/4 inch ply). Once all is in I am painting the whole thing white. Any opinions, comments? Thanks in advance, Guy

[charlie b]

Butt them - looks nicer when painted. Put 'em up with screws rather than nails - initially two on each stud in the field, four on the edges. Paint then fill in the remaining screws so you don't have to scrape, carve paint out of the screw heads. Makes finding the studs easier later.

I went with 3/4" OSB and 3/4" ply - lets you hang anything anywhere. Also, if you haven't done the electrical yet - go surface mounted conduit and boxes. You WILL rearrange the shop at least one more time and changing surface mounted stuff is easy.

And if you have a concrete floor, seriously consider epoxy paint. Concrete floors generate very fine dust - forever. Sprinkle a LITTLE sand in the paint for a semi-non-slip floor. Use a light color - beige or tan rather than the industrial gray or red. Will reflect light better - always need more light.

Unless you like stacking and unstacking lumber, leave a hole in the ceiling against a wall - box it in in the attic if you live in a cold climate. Storing long boards vertically makes it SO much easier to find the one you want.

When you paint the walls DO NOT go with pure white. Too bright. Navajo White or Autumn Wheet are just right.

Enjoy the hell out of your shop when it's "done".

charlie b

[John Manders]

wrote in message news: [e-mail]...

This was discussed on rec.crafts.metalworking recently. I'm in UK so can't add much but there was some comment about building code requiring the walls be finished in drywall for fire resistance. I believe it's only required if your shop is attached to your house and may vary between states. I would consider recessed socket outlets and hidden wiring. I know the advantages of surface fit but if you have loads of outlets everywhere, you can soon re-arrange stuff. My biggest wall space user is shelving and that needs to go flush against the wall, hence my suggestion to recess the outlets. You may want to consider some outlets in the ceiling if the shop is big. That can avoid trailing cables over the floor. I also like to wire in a phone socket. You may also want to include an intercom back to the house. Whether you want your partner to be able to call you is your decision. As Charlie says, paint the floor. I prefer light grey. Very few workshop things come in that colour. Even blood is easy to see. I always paint walls white. Again personal preference but do paint them a light colour, it really helps. Don't forget the lights. As many as possible and think about where you put them so as to avoid shadows. Lights directly over a bench are better than some in the centre of the shop. I use fluorescent lights. They're cheap, give good shadow free light and don't cost lots to run. I hate spotlights because they do the opposite. One downside I have heard of fluorescents is that they strobe at mains frequency and this can make machines look as if they are not running. I've never seen the effect myself but it's worth bearing in mind. High frequency fittings are available here. Not sure how they behave but they should reduce the effect. Look at where you site your chop saw/planer/joiner so that you can get long timber to it. A small door in the wall can be useful here. Norm A did a program fitting out a home shop and had a good way of mounting wall cupboards. He ripped a piece of wood (about 3 x 2) at 45 deg. He screwed one piece to the wall with the slant on top and back towards the wall and the other piece to the top of the cupboard the other way round. When he hung the cupboard on the wall, the two pieces fitted back together again like a hook. Difficult to explain but I thought it was a great idea. You all may have seen the technique before. Finally, enjoy the place.

John

[David Shepherd]

Often called a French Cleat, though I've no idea why. An example of it can be found here:

Dave

[GeraldR916]

Sounds like you're headed in the right direction. Just finished mine last fall, the same way. Screws so you can remove or replace as needed. Don't forget the insulation. Good Luck.