8 ways to shape up your shop

You don't have to spend a ton of money or invest weeks of time to make a difference in the way your farm shop looks and feels. Here are some smaller shop projects that can make a big impact.

1. Clean up dingy walls

A combination of engine exhaust and smoke generated from welders (particularly plasma cutters) can coat metal shops walls to the point that they become dingy and reflect less light.

Although the job will take a lot of elbow grease, that dinge can be removed if you employ a good multisurface degreasing cleanser and apply it to walls with a sponge or a spray bottle, suggests Jim Deardorff of Superior Coatings.

• READ MORE: Farm painting tips and tricks

"You can't likely use a pressure washer in shops, so you're left with wiping the degreaser off with good-quality paper towels," the professional sandblaster and painter says.

You can buy the degreasing cleanser in a spray bottle, or you can purchase the degreasing agent and mix it in a bucket. Whatever solution you use, it is wiped off with a sponge that gets rinsed out in a second bucket of clean water.

2. Retrofit shop door

Just because your shop was originally rigged with sliding or overhead doors, you're not restricted from upgrading to a hydraulically operated opening. Companies such as Powerlift Hydraulic Door specialize in retrofitting their single-piece doors to existing structures.

"We custom-build our doors to the building so we can fit a door to any structure," says Rick Peterson of Powerlift. Powerlift's units "are pretty much freestanding doors with their own support posts and header," Peterson says. "You might have to add some bracing to the top of the building, although 90% of the time, you don't need to make any structural changes."

• READ MORE: Picking a retrofit door

Powerlift has retrofitted doors not only to typical shop structures but also to barns, Quonset-style buildings, and even slope-sided structures.

"We can build doors out to 80 feet wide and 20 feet high," Peterson says. "Costs range from $6,000 up to $20,000, depending on door size."

3. Invest in a floor scrubber

When Vaughn Zacharias first had an industrial floor scrubber demonstrated for him, the Kathryn, North Dakota, farmer knew the device was the answer to cleaning shop floors.

"Sweeping didn't remove the fine dust from the floor," he says. "The time it took to clean a shop floor was expensive."

• READ MORE: Shop vacuum buyer's guide

The Zacharias operation, which includes sons Vance, Verlin, and Donovan, looked into using sweeping compound to eliminate floor dust. "It worked," Zacharias says, "but we would always be buying compound."

With a floor scrubber, the family found that one person could clean a shop in a fraction of the time. Plus, the scrubber did a far better job removing floor dust.

Industrial floor scrubbers come in a variety of sizes and configurations. The first scrubber the Zachariases used was a walk-behind unit equipped with a gas engine that generated electricity for the vacuum. "The engine fumes were terrible," Zacharias notes.

Prices for new walk-behind scrubbers vary greatly – from $2,500 up to $7,500, depending on size and features.

Used walk-behind scrubbers run roughly half that price, depending on their use and condition.
A third scrubber option is a rider unit that makes quick work of large areas. The cost of self-propelled scrubbers begins at around $17,500 and increases from there.

The Zacharias family does make one recommendation regarding scrubber make. "We went with Tennant for its quality," Zacharias says. "Every Walmart in the country uses Tennant, which speaks to its quality."

4. Breathe new life into air systems

If you are tired of dragging hoses from a compressor or if your tools are gasping for air, consider upgrading your delivery system.

While you are upgrading your air system, also see if your existing compressor is up to the job.

• READ MORE: Build a swing crane for your farm shop

Begin your air redo by determining what pipe type and size to employ. When it comes to piping, the best materials for air depend on several variables. It's safe to assume that plastics are not the best option, says Steve Lazos, an engineer with Ingersoll Rand. PVC pipe is not rated for compressed air, and using it could lead to burst failure and shrapnel.

Additionally, PVC and ABS piping use glue at the joints. Lubricants used in a system can act as solvents, dissolving the glue and leading to failure.

"Metals are the most commonly used materials to use in a system," Lazos says. "Some metals are less expensive than others, but they may not provide the most value over the life of the system."

For example, black iron and galvanized steel are susceptible to rust and scaling. On the other hand, these types of piping are more affordable and offer the flexibility of threaded joints to create unions and elbows.

Copper is sometimes used for air systems because it has a very low level of friction and rarely corrodes. Copper is more expensive than steel and must be soldered or sweated to unions and elbows.

A recent innovation is air tubing made of extruded aluminum that is covered with plastic (sometimes both inside as well as outside the pipe). Like copper, aluminum air lines offer little friction to airflow, are unlikely to corrode, and are extremely lightweight. The other advantage this type of piping offers is that it is very easy to assemble, as it employs push-lock fittings sealed with a dual O-ring clamping system.

General extruded aluminum air lines are equal to or more expensive than copper, but the easy assembly it offers greatly cuts labor costs.

"We went with a plastic-coated aluminum system, as it won't blow up and is leakproof," says Zack Robinson, who farms with his father near Clio, Iowa. "It was very easy to make connections. No dope, no threads. Just push the pipe in the connect, and the O-rings seal off the connection."

The final step in selecting piping is to consider its size. Back in the day, ½-inch-diameter piping would have been adequate to deliver enough airflow to power a ¾-inch impact wrench. Bear in mind, however, that piping not only delivers air but also acts as an air storage reserve. So larger-diameter pipe will boost the storage capacity of a system.

To determine size, add up the potential one-time use of tools. For example, if your peak use of air is determined by running a 1-inch impact hammer, airing up tires, running a blow gun, and spray painting at the same time, you are going to need large piping to deliver more cubic feet per minute (cfm). To determine peak air use, add up the cfm for all tools that will be used at the same time.

Another consideration when selecting pipe size is the entire length of the system.

Let's say the total length of air line you plan to install is between 50 and 100 feet and that you calculated your peak air use at 80 to 100 cfm. You will need to install 1-inch-diameter piping to meet your tool's airflow needs. For certain, the main air line should not be smaller than your compressor's outlet size.

Regarding the overall design of a system, consider the illustration above. It gives good general guides to routing.

The key to routing of the piping is trying to complete the supply line in a complete circle. This assures an equal system of airflow through the system.

One last pointer regarding mounting the supply line is to be sure piping slopes from its highest point (above the compressor).

Allow for 4 inches of drop for every 50 feet of the horizontal supply line to allow moisture that accumulates in the air line to run down the line to vertical supply lines for draining valves.

5. Create a cordless recharge center

The proliferation of cordless tools in farm shops begs for a location where all those tool batteries can be recharged. Often, rechargers are scattered across workbenches in a tangle of cords. Besides being inconvenient, the practice can cause a disaster, as the Robinson family of Clio, Iowa, found out.

The Robinsons lost their shop to a May 2013 fire that they're sure was caused by a battery that burst while charging.

• READ MORE: 10 shop organization ideas from All Around the Farm

"The fire investigator suspected it was an electrical fire that started in the location of the recharger, which was located on a wooden top. We think that bench caught fire when the battery burst," says Marvin Robinson, who farms with his son, Zach.

When they rebuilt their shop, the Robinsons took steps to prevent a similar fire from happening again.

"Our chargers are now located in a metal box that is underneath a steel benchtop," he says. "That box is lined with ceramic tile. If another battery bursts, we built that cabinet to completely contain the fire."

Edwardsport, Indiana, farmer Don Villwock and his farm manager, Jason Misiniec, employ a similar cabinet that serves as a recharge station and storage for all cordless tools and chargers.

"This way there is no doubt where the tools and their rechargers are," Villwock says. "The cabinet drawers are metal, which are fireproof in case there is a problem with one of the rechargers."

6. Expand outward to form a shop office complex

When the Fred family built their shop in 1988, they included under that structure's roof a much-needed 8×10-foot office. "It was a great addition for the operation," recalls Dave Fred, who farms with his brother, Bill, near Rochester, Indiana.

In recent years, however, the operation was blessed with two sons returning to farm. Suddenly, their once-ample shop office seemed to shrink in size. "We were doing far more business at the shop office (as opposed to home) with seed salespeople or the banker," Dave remembers.

Their solution came in the form of a 32-foot-wide by 44-foot-long structure they added to the side of the existing shop.

• READ MORE: The best farm shop office

A little over a third of the 44-foot length of the addition is devoted to a garage for parking pickups and ATVs. The office consumes the rest of the space. "The benefit of having the parking bay between the shop and the office is that it acts as a sound barrier from work being conducted in the shop," says Dave's wife, Julie.

Although all the farm members bask in the benefits of a large office complete with a full kitchen, Julie is particularly appreciative of the addition. "I love it here. I do all the farm's book work in the office. Before, I was doing most of that work at home, which is 5 miles away," she explains. "Of course, it has become the operation's conference center where we plan out our work activities. Salespeople appreciate coming to do business in a professional setting."

As for the old shop office, that room serves as a place to keep service manuals or to order parts. "The boys don't have to clean up to use that office if they're dirty from shop work," Julie says.

Take a video tour of the Fred family shop and office complex on the Machinery Show on RFD-TV. The family's report appears January 15 at 8 p.m. and January 18 at 9 p.m. All times are Central. To find an RFD-TV cable or satellite provider in your area, go to rfdtv.com.

7. Cast new light on a dark shop

T5 light fixtures have become so common that few shops built in the last decade aren't illuminated with them.

So, what are your options if your shop employs older T8 and T12 fluorescent lights? One option is to upgrade lights using a variety of bulb adapters or retrofit kits that allow T5 bulbs to burn in older fixtures.

• READ MORE: Converting from fluorescent lights to LED

Bulb adapters fit over the ends of T5 tubes, allowing them to be inserted into older fixture receptacles. These adapters also work with an older fixture's ballast. The cost of such adapters varies by lamp wattage, ranging between $15 and $25 per bulb. This option does require that the fixture be rewired so that its existing T8 or T12 ballast can be used. Find a great video outlining this chore at youtube.com/watch?v=yxTmgyny2vA.

The other retrofit option is to completely switch out the guts of older fixtures with a T5 kit, which includes an electronic ballast (as opposed to magnetic ballasts used in T8 and T12 fixtures) and T5 bulb receptacles. Again, prices for this retrofit option vary greatly by fixture wattage and the number of bulbs in use in a fixture. A base kit for a two-bulb fixture without ballast is $20 to $42. Prices escalate quickly from that base cost if a new ballast is required.

It is crucial in your decision to determine the condition of an older fixture's magnetic ballasts before opting for a retrofit kit. According to the Certified Ballast Manufacturers Association, the average magnetic ballast lasts about 75,000 hours, or 12 to 15 years with normal use. So if your existing fluorescent fixtures are approaching the end of their life, you may just want to opt for entirely new T5 fixtures.

If you upgrade to new fixtures, be prepared for some sticker shock. The good news is that many electric utilities offer rebates or incentives to upgrade shop lighting. An Internet search finds incentives ranging from as little as 20% of the cost of new fixtures as well as retrofit accessories. The other more compelling reason to upgrade to new T5 fixtures is that this lighting source pays for itself over time by using less electricity, requiring much less maintenance, and by providing superior illumination.

T5's numerous advantages include:

• Outstanding light quality. It's possible to get near-sunlight illumination with a reasonably priced fixture. In most cases, the level of light output of a T5 equals or exceeds existing metal halide output levels. Plus, the light is more diffused. "You don't seem to get glare from them," says Bodie Deuschle of Heritage Farms in Fulda, Minnesota.
• Instant start-up and no noise. T5 electronic ballasts provide instant light, and they're silent in operation.
• Cooler operation. In summer, you'll appreciate the reduced heat output.
• Much longer lamp (bulb) life. T5 lamps generally last 20,000 hours compared with 15,000 hours for T8 lamps. A T5 lamp also maintains its light output over time. Unlike T8 fluorescent lights, if one of the bulbs in a T5 fixture burns out, the other bulbs continue to operate.

8. Revive stained, chipped floors

You can readily restore any shop floor, no matter how oil-stained and chipped it may be, laying down a glossy, easy-to-sweep epoxy paint surface that also resists solvents. The trick is to properly prepare the floor so that the epoxy paint bonds to the surface.

This article is based on a shop floor recoat conducted by Successful Farming magazine's sister publication, Wood. That magazine's technicians used three liquid products from Wolverine Coatings purchased online from Alpha Garage. Alpha and other epoxy floor coating suppliers also sell specific tools not available at paint stores.

Removing oil and related fluid stains and surface spalling is essential to coating old concrete. The first step is to use a solution of water and a nontoxic cleaner formulated for concrete stains. (The Wood magazine project team employed Wolverine OrganiClean 935 at a rate of one part water to two parts OrganiClean 935.)

• READ MORE: Shops with wash bays

Wet the oil and fluid stains with water. Next, apply the OrganiClean 935 solution and then scrub the spot thoroughly. A kitchen scrubber with stiff plastic bristles works well.

Rinse the stained area with clean water. Collect the fouled water with a wet/dry vacuum. A squeegee also works well to push water out the door. Complete the cleanup by rinsing the concrete another time and then allowing it to completely dry.

To create a surface the new epoxy paint will adhere to, you need to abrade the concrete. (The Wood magazine project team rented a grinder with diamond cutters, sometimes called a terrazzo grinder, for $300 to $350.) Be sure to run the grinder over the entire surface you plan to paint.
You can use a 4½-inch diamond cup wheel (costs $30 to $42) mounted on a right-angle grinder to abrade floor surfaces that the diamond cutters on the larger floor grinder can't reach.

Also, use the diamond cup wheel or a concrete-grinding wheel to grind a V-notch in the existing saw cuts. The notch spreads out expansion pressure and reduces the chance of the epoxy coat splitting. After grinding the V-notches, vacuum out the cracks, then fill the cracks with backer rod (2¼ times as wide as the crack).

To fill the divots in the floor, mix seven parts of mortar sand and one part of BondTite 1101. This filler mixture doesn't shrink, so err on the side of applying too little filler rather than creating a hump. If needed, you can sand any filler bumps or blemishes with a block sander and 80-grit sandpaper after the filler has dried.

Also, it is suggested that at door openings, you grind a 1∕16-inch-deep trough to provide a stronger layer of epoxy at this high-traffic point.

After the floor has been vacuumed clean, it is time to apply a two-part epoxy primer. The project team used BondTite 1101 for their primer. Be absolutely sure to follow product instructions to the letter, making sure to thoroughly mix the two-part product before applying.

Working in sections no larger than 250 square feet, pour ribbons of the primer on the floor. With an open time of 30 minutes at 70°F., before curing begins, you'll need to be organized. Roll the primer with a ½-inch nap, lint-free roller cover.

After the primer has cured (in six to 24 hours), you are ready to apply the final epoxy coating. This is also a two-part product that is offered in a variety of colors. Again, carefully follow mixing instructions.

While a helper distributes ribbons of epoxy on the floor, cut in the perimeter of the garage with an inexpensive brush. Then use a notched squeegee to spread and evenly distribute the ribbons of epoxy across the floor.

With a helper, squeegee and roll the paint in sections no more than 250 square feet (for the garage shown, about half the floor). As before, work efficiently; open working time is 30 minutes at 70°F.

You will need to invest in strap-on spiked cleats that let you walk across wet coatings without leaving marks. The cleats cost around $25. (The Wood magazine project team wore cleats from
alphagarage.com. They cost about $23 a pair.)

While the paint is still wet, you can opt to broadcast colored flakes.

The final step in the shop floor recoat is to coat the epoxy paint (after it has cured 12 to 24 hours) with a two-part, clean UV-resistant urethane topcoat. This product is readily applied using a paint roller.

Find more details about epoxy coating and tips on how to improve results at alphagarage.com.