New Project - Machine Shop
 

I've always wanted a commercial property where I can store and work on some cars, and was finally able to purchase something I could afford with enough room and potential to be a functional workspace. This building was a machine shop since the 1940s and went through a few additions but only two owners, ever. The floors are pretty gross and the place is generally filthy after auctioning and moving most of the machines (I kept just a few for my own tinkering).

I'm pretty excited but pretty overwhelmed with the size of the project. What would you guys recommend for the floors? I'm going to need to spend a lot of time degreasing them, and dealing with some spalling and a few divots. I'm thinking about foregoing epoxy and instead, grinding them as best I can and sealing them. I don't think the epoxy will adhere due to the decades of oil exposure.

Anyway, wanted to share this with the folks here and post periodic updates as I make progress.

https://photos.smugmug.com/Machine-S...5A04037-X2.jpg

https://photos.smugmug.com/Machine-S...C0224A9-X2.jpg

https://photos.smugmug.com/Machine-S...6E7E0D3-X2.jpg

Looks good. I think I could find happiness in a place like that.

K

Congratulations!

I agree, just grind and polish. You may have to fill the cracks and fill divots as you mentioned.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06L7WHXbcw0

----Wow, this is good news! I know you have been thinking about this for awhile, Tony. Good for you. I'm only guessing but betting the floors are pretty thick so maybe a massive grinding would pay benefits. Looks good for a two post lift too! Lots of benches, but you need one good, long sturdy one to use to beat on,,,LOL! Can't wait to see the progress.....Bill S

Congratulations Tony. Looks like plenty of room and most importantly cost wise, plenty of power. A little scuff and buff it'll be good to go. I just finished a shop this last weekend. Gonna move in next week. Best I can tell you is take the project in steps so it’s not such a big job.
Good luck, Jeff

Congrats Tony!

I love the way finished floors look, but I just don't see the practicality in it. Grind, clean and polish IMO.

Keep the updates coming!

WOW !! That is way cool !!
I would get commercial de-greasing soap and clean that floor as much as possible first. ZEP makes some very good cleaners. Just going right at it with a grinder may smear the oil around and further into the concrete.
Maybe rent a steam pressure washer to break it up too.
Now I REALLY wish we were closer, I'd be over there helping...:cool2:

Thanks guys! Sealing it is. Mitch, I wish you were closer too, I would love to have your help!

Agree with Mitch. You want to pull as much of the grease oil OUT of the porous concrete before sealing.

For cracks, am using this: https://www.ebay.com/itm/271773621361

You can buy directly from Radon Seal on their website, but you have to pay shipping. They sell the exact same product on Ebay, at exactly the same price, but free shipping.

The crack repair is really a two person job. You do not have time to set the caulk gun down and start working in the sand. The epoxy based mix will harden in the needle. It is already a very small needle. No much bigger than one you get a shot with.

Congrats. Super cool. Already have air lines and electrical. I would ditch the current lights and go LED. I bought four footers that link (up to 10) so if one goes bad, I just go up, unplug and replace.
I have them all hung with chains. I would also hang them much higher that the current ones. You will get more even light. I went for 70 lumens per square foot of floor space. I have no dead spots.
Everyone is shocked when I turn the lights on. Feels almost like daylight.

Hopefully you don't run into all the issues I did with my place.

Very cool!! What city is it in Tony?

If you ever need some help on a weekend let me know. Happy to help! And congrats

Very Nice Tony! Happy For Ya!!

Thanks, guys. It's in Warren, not too far from my house.

Security- Security - Security.
To bad in these times. Proactive countermeasures are needed. Hopefully you can keeep the rif raf out.
I like it!

Well done Tony. Good luck and keep us posted! :headbang:

Congratulations.

Congratulations. Just grind and polish.

Congratulations love the building, you will be amazed how quickly it fills up.

Just curious. What machinery did you keep?

I kept an old Clausing lathe, Bridgeport vertical mill, a couple drill presses, and a hydraulic press. I'd like to get a bandsaw, some sort of pedestal grinder/polisher, and maybe a surface grinder.

I've got a South Bend lathe and a Bridgeport mill in my shop. It's amazing how handy they are. I run mills and lathes every day at work, so I'm not real interested in using them when I get home, but it's sure nice to have them.

Very cool and congrats

Congrats Tony. Looks like alot of fun !

Congratulations - you'd be surprised how the floors will clean up with some citrus peel degreaser and a floor scrubber. Once clean you can decide next steps, grind and polish would look great.

Thanks guys!

Jake, what brand degreaser do you recommend? I have used the Zep purple degreaser on a stained driveway, and was thinking about picking up a few gallons, but the fumes are pretty intense. Would be nice to have a citrusy alternative....

Congrats Tony! Awesome shop! I hope this doesn’t distract you from posting cars for EBay and other seen ads!LOL

This product is pretty good…..

Zep has a citrus degreaser. I use it all the time on my preservation projects or really anything I am cleaning. Link below


ZEP Heavy-Duty Citrus Degreaser

Wow, Tony!! Wow!!:biggthumpup:

I had years of oil on my floors and the epoxy guys ground it down and coated it in the gray hangar floor color for my liking. I need to have them come back after all the grinding and welding is done on the 507 to just clean it up a little. I’ll be building an extension on for fabrication later this year. Lifetime warranty against lifting too. Whatever you do, don’t do it yourself. That takes precious time away from cars which now you have the space for.

We should start a Yenk.Net garage show there where we all get cameo roles:hmmm::3gears::shocked:

Good on ya!!

Cheers
Dave

I will get a product spec for you from our cleaning guys - I've just always known it as Citrus Peel - but when I google that nothing comes up.

EDIT- It's Orange Peel

https://www.whitecap.com/p/specchem-...662/c21/255c21

https://specchem.com/orange-peel

https://www.diamondtoolstore.com/pro...citrus-cleaner

Here is another one that one of our cleaning guys uses with good results:

https://www.spartanchemical.com/products/product/224004

Any updates Tony?

Coming along. Purged all the old furniture and 1980s office stuff and filled a 20 yard dumpster. The dumpster was picked up yesterday so I’m theoretically close to being able to repaint the walls and do the floors. I parked my son’s wrangler in the main shop to give an idea of the scale. It’s not huge, but I should be able to fit 6 cars in the main area fairly comfortably.

Looks plenty danged big from here...:laugh:
Won't be long, you'll be buying more vehicles to fill 'er up...https://hosting.photobucket.com/imag...vs/stirpot.gif

6 cars?....That ceiling look plenty high to me....:beers:

Tony, is your game plan to buy up all the cool cars FS instead of posting them for us to see??

----Tony,,,Noticed the side room. Is there more room over there? Parts area, maybe? Plenty of room unless craziness envelopes you,,,LOL!.....Bill S

Great point on the lifts - I need to save up for those! I’m actually using this to get a few of my cars to the point where I can sell them and free up some space in my home garage. I’d like to keep this place as a working garage with “limited” storage. We’ll see if I can keep that promise to myself.

Bill, the room through the garage door is the machine shop area. I only need about a third of it for my machines, got to decide what to do with the rest of it.

Now how on earth do those cars get hoisted to the top rack?