We need an updated "show us your shop" thread

[Letterbox Mike]

I know the old "show us your shop" question gets asked every so often on here, but I was thinking we maybe need an updated one. We're getting ready to tackle some minor renovation/remodeling tasks around here since January is traditionally our slowest month and looking at those threads showing everybody's operation is always inspiring. I love to see how and where others work and what they've done to an empty building to make it their own.

It doesn't really seem like anybody has updated any of those old threads in a long time, but I'm sure over the last couple years changes have been made and we've taken on a lot of new members here who have never shown us their operation. So please nobody grumble at me, but I'm sure a lot of folks would enjoy seeing others' facilities.

Cheers!

 

[iSign]

no grumbling here, but I will make an observation... I've read these threads as well as answered them for half a decade or more... and from what I've seen, sure there might be some new members with something awesome to show off, so I am looking forward to seeing what comes up this time around in that regard...

...but also, someone always does a search & posts links to several of the older versions, each of which also has links to even older threads still...

..and in my observation, some of the better inspiration comes from the better established entities who actually may not have updated very much, as well as may not wish to go through the same old process of locating & posting pics..


..so, my only point is that someone is guaranteed to post links to the old threads anyway... might as well get a head start & search for them now, and show us what you find

Just a thought...

 

[Letterbox Mike]

Haha, I almost put "Doug" in parentheses after the no grumbling line! (-:

I agree, there are so many threads scattered around here it's hard to keep up with them all. I haven't seen any rise to the top in a long time though, and I just searched through them all again and they're pretty stagnant. Hence my post, I'm like you, I'm curious to see what will surface or resurface. We all slave away in these dungeons, I'm always encouraged to see what others have achieved (or failed at) in their own work environments. They're an enormous part of our lives and a huge part of this business, it always surprises me the physical plant is not more of a topic of conversation around here...

 

[iSign]

in 2008, I rented the 25' x 30' warehouse space next to the one I''d been in for the previous 12 years (14 now)

It already had a second floor, but with 25' ceilings, I wanted to create a 3rd floor too.
There was no rush at first, because having this second bay gave me more space then I needed (with my new CNC residing on the first floor)...

well, 3 years running at a 35% drop in sales, I'm gearing up to sublease some of the older warehouse space, & fit myself more tightly into the new space, so I have a bit of a reno project going on right now.

My older warehouse space was free of any improvements 14 years ago, and now that 750 sq. ft. floor space has been tripled (minus the staircases) by building up!

Half of that build-out was done with warehouse racking, like the ones product is stored on at Costco, Home depot etc... And last year I built the first 3rd floor loft section in my new space using that same material. Over the holidays I bought some more second hand material & put up a sturdy 10' x 25' room in a weekend! One of the benefits, is that I don't own this building, so I may move someday & these building materials are fairly easily salvaged & rebuilt elsewhere.

I had pics on my server already, from showing someone else, so I'll paste some links.
(since the sequential numbers are easy to follow, you can just swap out new numbers in your browser instead of coming back here for the links, but I'll paste them all for clarification)

The first one shows my second floor all cleared out on the right hand side, in preparation for the task. On the right hand side is the gray painted 3/8" plywood screwed to the exact same room construction I built last year. (The last pic is some re-located shelving on top of that first mezzanine, in what I call my paint loft. Those shelves can come out, now that the new room (& additional 250 sq. ft.) are available...


http://islandsign.com/1.jpg
http://islandsign.com/2.jpg
http://islandsign.com/3.jpg
http://islandsign.com/4.jpg
http://islandsign.com/5.jpg
http://islandsign.com/6.jpg
http://islandsign.com/7.jpg
http://islandsign.com/8.jpg
http://islandsign.com/9.jpg
http://islandsign.com/0.jpg

 

[ABPGraphics]

I know the old "show us your shop" question gets asked every so often on here, but I was thinking we maybe need an updated one. We're getting ready to tackle some minor renovation/remodeling tasks around here since January is traditionally our slowest month and looking at those threads showing everybody's operation is always inspiring. I love to see how and where others work and what they've done to an empty building to make it their own.

It doesn't really seem like anybody has updated any of those old threads in a long time, but I'm sure over the last couple years changes have been made and we've taken on a lot of new members here who have never shown us their operation. So please nobody grumble at me, but I'm sure a lot of folks would enjoy seeing others' facilities.

Cheers!

NEW PICS - this is GREAT for inspiration!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I posted my own pics not long ago - I will post some updated ones as well!

Come on everyone - Let's play!

 

[TheSnowman]

Here are some quick snaps from my work area. The two finished room pictures are front and back of the work area, then the attached 4 bay garage, cutting area in the back of the building, and the upstairs storage area (that's the big blank area). Lots of potential...but don't need it all right now.

 

[iSign]

just looked on my server for other newer pics already there & i have a few from inside the older 'room" that resulted under the paint loft. It's also about 10' x 25' (with 7' of that partitioned off for my compressor & vacuum pump I bought for the CNC downstairs. I located it above to save floor space down there)

http://islandsign.com/newdrawstoolbox.jpg
http://islandsign.com/newdrawsbench.jpg
http://islandsign.com/newdraws1.jpg


ok, just found some more.. including pics looking both ways in the last high ceiling'd wide open space I used to have, before this new loft project... and i will miss it... but i am going to sub-lease space, to halp with cash flow.... and when things turn around, i can spread out again. There are also some nice pics of my paint loft here:

http://islandsign.com/aa.JPG
http://islandsign.com/bb.JPG
http://islandsign.com/cc.JPG
http://islandsign.com/dd.JPG
http://islandsign.com/ee.JPG
http://islandsign.com/ff.JPG
http://islandsign.com/gg.JPG

 

[HulkSmash]

5k sq ft of goodness!

 

[ABPGraphics]

what a great "large" space Colorado - pulling in a vehicle right in the production area - nice!

your shop reminds me how nice it is to have a space that can encompass it all

 

[Letterbox Mike]

Awesome so far! I'll go get some pics of our shop shortly.

Doug, I think you win the award for most stuff crammed into a space, and in an incredibly organized fashion. I don't know that I've ever seen a shop quite so well organized or with so much storage shelving!

Oh, don't forget to show your office and showroom/lobby areas too!

 

[mortil]

Nice place Coloradosigns

 

[tattoo.dan]

I am in the middle of trying to figure out what to do with my "mess". This couldn't have came at a better time. I will put pics up tomorrow.

 

[signswi]

5k sq ft of goodness!

How do you load vinyl on your printers if they're against the wall like that? Wheel them away from the wall every time you do a switch out?

 

[HulkSmash]

How do you load vinyl on your printers if they're against the wall like that? Wheel them away from the wall every time you do a switch out?

They're about 5 feet away from the wall. Hard to tell with the angle of the pic..

 

[iSign]

Doug, I think you win the award for most stuff crammed into a space, and in an incredibly organized fashion. I don't know that I've ever seen a shop quite so well organized or with so much storage shelving!

Oh, don't forget to show your office and showroom/lobby areas too!

hey, I thought you were gonna hunt down those link :Big Laugh

 

[signswi]

They're about 5 feet away from the wall. Hard to tell with the angle of the pic..

Ok I thought you had really skinny production people or something!

 

[Letterbox Mike]

more people, more! Keep 'em coming, I love these!

Here's a few quick snapshots I took of our humble place. I didn't get all of the offices or rooms, just the lobby area, conference room, printer room, main production room and a gratuitous shot of my own mess of an office. We're planning on redoing the wall paper in the lobby area as we've changed blues we use and the new blue is a bit grayer and darker, and we'll probably simplify and minimize the displays out there, it's getting a bit cluttered for my taste.

 

[msrobere]

I used to have a commercial location but after finding this house on the foreclosure market I couldn't past it up. I have an 1/2 acre with the house and this shop. 900 Sq for the office / work area.

 

[ABPGraphics]

Ok here are a couple of pics - I have so much work to do on the shop - still have yet to accent paint too busy the pics from you all so far are amazing

I have a lot to learn!

 

[SightLine]

Sweet - JV3, JV33, and a Summa cutter.... I have the exact same 3. Sady the old JV3 gets little love anymore and is about to be put up for sale.

You guys have some nice looking shops.

more people, more! Keep 'em coming, I love these!

Here's a few quick snapshots I took of our humble place. I didn't get all of the offices or rooms, just the lobby area, conference room, printer room, main production room and a gratuitous shot of my own mess of an office. We're planning on redoing the wall paper in the lobby area as we've changed blues we use and the new blue is a bit grayer and darker, and we'll probably simplify and minimize the displays out there, it's getting a bit cluttered for my taste.