New member of the group and my planned workshop

[Oaktree11]

Hello,
I have just stumbled upon this group and joined like a shot - I only wish I had found it sooner. We have just moved house and downsized to a house that has a large garden but no garage or workshop. I now have a 20' storage container full of my stuff!
Coincidentally I have decided to concentrate on my growing interest in woodworking rather than metalworking and cars (age and practicality prevailed!) so I will be selling my Myford Super 7 and much of my other kit and hurtling headlong into wood.
So, a workshop was an essential and I have started on a 7m X 3m one. I have laid the base, about 150mm of ready mix. I haven't worked out how to post pics yet but will post some when I do. I have ordered the door at one end which will be an electric roller shutter 2.5m wide and 2.15m high and insulated.
I have a basic design in mind which, once again I will post when I work oou how. Basically it is going to have a pitched roof that will be tiled in keeping with the house and others around.
I had a rush of blood to the head and bought some huge double glazed Windows that I saw on Preloved. I got 12 for £50 and the glazing measures 1m wide by 1.2 high in frames tha are 1.4m wide and 1.7m high. There are 6 opening and 6 fixed. I think I will bin the surrounds and just use the glazing.
I would welcome any ideas here. I would like to put 5 as panels in the roof and make Windows from another 4, preferably opening ones. In my head it looks easy to frame each double glazed glass panel in, say 100x50, which has a slot routed in. What do you think?

This looks to be a great forum and thank you in advance for any help

John

 

[Oaktree11]

OK, if thus works it will be the general idea of the workshop, the window design will change now...

 

[Oaktree11]

OK, I think i have got the hang of this now! here is the slab with my friend Graham ...

 

[MattRoberts]

That looks great - there's going to be loads of natural light. Plus it will be ace working in there when it's tipping it down!

Looking forward to seeing how you get on

 

[Oaktree11]

Hi there, thanks for that. Yes I am really keen to make the space very light, it's easier to shut it out or put a film on the Windows if necessary rather than have too little. The rh side faces East and gets sun all morning and then it pans over the top.
This is probably the wrong forum but my real need is for ideas about how to turn big double glazed glass units into opening windows and also into flat roof lights. I have ideas but no experience!

John

 

[Paul200]

Welcome John. Like you, I wish I'd found this forum earlier, but I did get a whole load of help when I built a summer house last year.

I'm also in the planning stage for a new workshop and have considered rooflights so I'll be interested in how you get on. Making opening windows to take your DG units is pretty straightforward but installing the glass in your roof may not be. There are very helpful people on here who I am sure will wade in with ideas soon - I'll be watching with interest.

Cheers and good luck

Paul

 

[Oaktree11]

Thanks Paul. Before I found my one time good deal double glazed windows, I researched velux style roof lights. The cheapest I found were about £100 including flashing for something like 580 X 960.
I want to put 5 of my 1000 X 1200 units in the roof! 3 on the Right (looking out) and two on the left. The work benches will be on the right.
Lack of experience is limiting my ideas here. I can see that I can frame the glass easily enough but I need to fill in the detail about the roof design and how I fit them in to a clay tile setup

John

 

[Dusty]

Hi oak Tree , I dont want to come accross all negative , but a few things you should consider , this is from experience of doing similar and from a manufacturer .

Any form of roof light should be Toughened , to prevent it from either being broken from the outside and showering you on the inside , and you accidently wacking it with a bit of timber and it showering you again . I know it may sound far fetched but a bird passing by drops something , a tile blows of a neighbours roof , a branch from a tree , or that lovely kid next door who likes to throw stuff over the fence .

Generaly Glazing units for roof situations are sealed with Mastic , not Butile . Standard double glazed units are butile and if when fitted with an over sailing lip at the bottom , the butile can heat , melt and the top section of glass can slip .

And with out raining on your parade , there are limits to the width you can glaze un supported , and 1000 x 1200 is a big span , especially when the units may not be toughened . you could split the unit down to 500 x 1200 by fitting a trimmer below , and supporting the glass the full length .

I am not being the fun police , but they are all details I wouldnt take lightly , especially when involving yourself or loved ones may be underneath .

Cheers Sam

 

[Oaktree11]

Hi Dusty,
Thanks for the advice. I appreciate anything that makes me think and it's exactly why I joined the forum.
i will check that they are toughened, that's very sound thinking.
It is my intention to surround the units with a sturdy wooden frame. The current plan is to build the frame with a channel routed to slot the dg units in to so it will be a question of mounting the frame in the roof, the dg units will be fully encased and supported, if that makes sense.

John

 

[lurker]

I urge you to think twice about selling the myford.

 

[biskit]

I urge you to think twice about selling the myford.

Likewise, I have a 1928 hot rod that I have in the garage, don't get much time to work on it but can't bring myself to sell it. Good luck with the workshop build, I'll keep watching. :wink:

 

[Oaktree11]

Lurker and Biskit,
Guys, I don't know what to say. I love my Super 7 and I have always dabbled in mechanical engineering, metalwork etc but I played rugby for 52 years and I have found that I just can't do the heavy stuff, lying on the floor, bending down etc any more. Plus, I am excited about gaining new skills in woodwork and buying new toys to play with. The added bonus is that we have a 230 year old cottage and I can make stuff that's useful! Starting with the windows for the workshop!!
I appreciate the sentiments though
John

 

[RobinBHM]

There is also a metalworking section on here, so if you do decide to sell your metal stuff here would be a good place to start

 

[MARK.B.]

Curious as to what you are making your new workshop from, there are rules as to how close you can build to a boundry and from the pic it looks as though you are planning to go tight to the fence. would hate for you to complete the build only to be told to take it down as it does not meet the regs.

 

[Oaktree11]

Hi all,

Yes, the photo is a bit deceptive, it might be clearer on the ones below. The edge of the pad (and therefore the back wall of the workshop) is 600mm from the blue fence. plenty of room to access to maintain fence or wall and no overhang into next door's garden. All other parameters fit within permitted development. Maximising the height was an issue and has led to the 11 degree pitch and has meant that the roller shutter door will be fitted externally.
I have managed to sort out my one time good buy windows! I bought a job lot of 12 huge windows for 50 pounds (6 opening and 6 fixed), they are single glazed PVC-U. I removed four of the opening sections, changed their orientation and made a simple 75 x 50 frame. I bought some top hanging hinges from Screwfix and they work brilliantly. If I HAD a workshop i would have removed the glazing and fitted it directly into a wooden frame with a routed slot. No matter, i am pleased with it!
I have covered the rafters with some membrane to keep me dry but next week I will sheet the roof with 18mm OSB3 and refit the membrane over it. Choice of roofing is limited. Because of the low pitch my ideal choice of tiles is out. I dont like felt or corrugated so a simulated tile pressed metal system like Decra or Metrotile is probably favourite? I want a brindle colour to be in keeping with the surrounding houses

 

[Oaktree11]

Hi Again,

I want to purchase the roof material on Monday, if anyone has any experience of the metal type roofing systems I would welcome advice. Its a bit costly, thats for sure!

John

 

[Oaktree11]

Well, progress has been made! Here are the latest photos. The Windows have worked superbly. I have ordered a pressed steel tile effect roofing. The roof is sheeted in 18mm sob outside and 12mm osb inside. The inside will be clad in 18mm osb (it's £12 a sheet - same as the 12mm!!). The floor will be 22mm t&g P5 chipboard on 25mm Celotex. I know it's thin insulation but it's all I can fit in.
I have also ordered the cladding which is to be 19mm Japanese Cedar, no treatment needed, ever! I like the grey it turns. It's really affordable and obtainable locally.
John

 

[Harbo]

Have you thought of EPDM for your roof - very easy to apply and should last a lifetime?
With all that glass you are going to cook in summer and suffer from glare too.

Rod

 

[paulrockliffe]

Ideally you'd want some shutters, would look great and be useful for security and in the summer heat, but you don't have room. Fortunately we don't have long hot summers very often, so I'm sure you'll be OK. You could make some shutters that lift on/off rather than opening ones though if it was a problem.

Have you worked out a design for your roof windows yet? I'd be really interested to see what you come up with. I've been thinking about putting some roof lights in and my rough plan was to collect Velux windows from Gumtree, that started well with a 90 x 50 one in good condition for £10, but it needs a flashing kit and nothing has since come up for less than £100. I don't need Velux and would be happy enough making frames and fitting glazing rather than having opening windows. But I haven't even looked at a design yet, or how to fit so they don't leak and the cut rafters are supported.

Realistically it's a good way off for me, but it would be good to have something to think over if you've worked something out.

 

[Oaktree11]

Guys, i am really sorry about the delay in replying. Lots has happened.
I have had a change of heart about the roofing. Don't go near Bushburry Cladding, they took 3 weeks to decide that they couldn't deliver the roof panels for at least another week. I cancelled and am now going for EPDM as suggested by Harbo. It arrives tomorrow and, weather permitting, will be on by Friday.
This has caused me a few issues. In answer to the window question, I copped out I am afraid. I wouldn't have done had I known I was going the EPDM route. I would have removed the glazing, made a wooden frame and mounted them in the roof easily. I didn't want to do that with the steel sheeting so I bought 4 Fenstro roof lights. Double glazed and opening for £90 each. I am not yet sure how they will fit into a flat roof but I suspect flashband will figure large!

The front of the workshop (with the big Windows) faces East and because I allowed a large roof overhang actually there is no real glare, just a lot of light

Electric is now connected and the Japanese Cedar should be here next week. Photos to follow.

John