Moving into a bigger building during a "recession"

[FusionKing]

Since my son has moved back to Missouri and been working with me, we have been talking about and looking for a bit bigger place to work. Our shop was on a 1 acre plot with a shop 24x40ft building.
This one is on 14 acres and has a 88x110ft building.
It has about a third of it made into living space. It was originally a printing company so it has 3 phase 800 amp service and very thick concrete (they told me 12"!)
Then when it became a church, they finished out all the walls with drywall etc.
The blacktop cost more than I paid for the last place!





Looking at the new office when walking thru the front door


Looking thru the office into the shop




This is the back of the shop where they had built a fellowship hall, which the owner removed for getting the scrap lumber.

[Broccoli1]

Nice-

[tom37]

Congrats, looks like its going to make an awesome shop.

[SundownIII]

Awesome FK,

Looks like you're going to be back "working for tools" for awhile.

[jbmprods]

very nice FK. should be fun filling it with more tools. please be sure you drain all that "living water" out of it though. we would like to see you around here for a long time.

[CharleyL]

Central heat, and a carpeted floor. That's mighty soft living for a welding shop. Just watch where the sparks fall or things could get exciting.

Seriously, that looks like a great building. Have fun trying to fill it up.

Charley

[welder_one]

nice find, dood......... now you can have a place to sit the beast of a dynasty!

[FusionManiac]

That's a nice space. Won't be long and you'll be lookin to hire some hands and a front office staff.

[Donald Branscom]

nice find, dood......... now you can have a place to sit the beast of a dynasty!

Dude . I agree nice shop and parking lot.
Now get a couple cars parked for storage fees to pay the rent -and it will also look like you have customers.

[raferguson]

Adhesive

Even if you take up the carpet, the carpet adhesive could potentially catch fire, and give off toxic smoke. Might be worth it to run a little test, fire extinguisher in reach, to see if you can get the adhesive to burn.

Worst comes to worst, you could buy some treadplate for the welding area.

The space looks great, though. It would be hard for me to imagine having that much space. I would go broke trying to fill it up with tools or materials.

Richard

[Sberry]

There is no substitute for sq ft, that likely could be sectioned some depending on types of work. My shop is wide too and it takes a bit of getting used to the amount of walking. Invest in some extra common hand tools. Probably wouldn't have to heat the whole place like the Texas sun all the time. Nice to be able to drive and move equipment around indoors many times and with space you don't have to move one thing to work on another.
This kind of room makes easy to work with forklift. Another easy addition is a common pallet jack and some used skids, I use them for a lot of stuff, all kinds of rigging. Some simple carts and a decent common cherry picker.
I am not sure what everyones experience with these types of buildings but I have had a couple and worked in dozens. You got a lot of nice utility work in already that would be costly to duplicate, its "online" already and I am tempted to move in, buy up some extension cords, look for free shelves, make it all work till I figure right where you want to be. Its just as easy to put in stuff you never use as it is to not have enough. I like to make shelves free standing or on wheels. My auto hoist is kind of fixed but in the right spot and welding located near the electric service, benches and doors, etc but everything in the place is near portable via pallet jack if not on wheels.
I am never scared to move a hydrant, add a sink, move or add circuit, door, wall, move a machine to make it right. Them are good buildings though well built, easy to modify, being printing heavy floors, good headroom, built for hi occupancy.

[Sberry]

I was so poor that I missed a local one, 5 cents on the dollar fully plumbed, turnkey of what it would cost new. The living quarters alone would be worth the price if it was right and the shop is near free, as the man said the asphalt alone, etc. I for one if was starting over would be buying vs building, 3/4 finished for 1/4 the price in this market. Lots of nice buildings for sale in Mi right now.

[HawkerMetalworks]

I'm ni the same position out here. not sure why, but a lot of bigger welding and fab shops are losing work and it seems to be coming in my door. I've got a backlog until july as of right now, and we're taking on more square fottage at our shop complex as it becomes available.

[FusionKing]

Thanks guys
Lots of good thoughts and ideas as well too. On the floor/carpet glue...it don't burn for crap! I'm burning all the scrap blandex to heat the place, and it takes a bit to get it going. It is more of a water based product and when wet gets gummy.
Sberry, walking is a big PITA for sure now. With the little 1000 ft shop every thing was being tripped over. Here I waste more time looking for something I laid down 50 or more feet away than I can believe.
It sure is nice to be able to walk out and work a bit before breakfast and after dinner.
Another thing is I am becoming a feared hunter of mice!
My dog thinks he died and went to heaven.

[dppmfg]

Nice! I an very envious.
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