Shop Ceiling & Lights, DC

[Gotcha6]

Took off some time from work after 80+ hour weeks to - relax? No - I had a shot at putting a ceiling in my shop. And while I would have liked to have been @ the beach, I decided I would much rather enjoy the comfort of having a ceiling in my shop to make it warmer. Had some 2 x 4 lay in lights stored @ my dad's & used them up too. The tile came from CL & is fiberglass so it won't sag if the roof leaks. It's a little dirty but should paint up nicely when it gets warmer. It sure made a difference in the lighting and comfort in there!
I put a few receptacles in the ceiling to accommodate the table saw & DPs.



And of course there's lil' red, as I call it. The blower is mounted above the ceiling as are the collector pipes. The cyclone itself is suspended from the trusses and the drum is a simple PE one for now. I made the drop tube long enough that I can cut it off later for a larger drum.



Thanks for looking.
Stay warm & safe today if you can.

 

[MrAudio815]

Well Way to go Dennis~!

That Looks Very Very Nice, Would have loved to see a Before and After shot.

You sure have a Bunch of lights~!

And this contraption, Wow~!


Looks like you had some great shop time~!

 

[4yanks]

Dennis,

That looks nice. I imagine the color of the ceiling has as much to do with how bright your shop is as the lights do. I'm sure your eyes are happy.

 

[Dragon]

Nice work. Looks like someone else got in some shop time yesterday.:icon_thum

 

[Matt Schnurbusch]

Nice. Man I need to do something for a ceiling in my shop too.

 

[froglips]

Wow, major job! You have redefined down time in my book!

We were fortunate enough to see your shop on the Charlotte Crawl last year, what an amazing upgrade, in terms of lighting.

Jim

 

[Ken Massingale]

Looks great Dennis. The shop looks huge!

 

[JackLeg]

NICE job, Dennis! :icon_thum

That's my next major project. Still can't decide whether to go suspended or just attach directly to the trusses. Losing a LOT of light and heat up there.

Looks really good!
:wsmile:

 

[Splint Eastwood]

Congrat!

nothing like being able to see what you're doing !
'
One of the most important safety features in a WWing Shop!

M

 

[PeteM]

That makes a huge difference in your shop space!!!:thumbs_up

. . . and a cool job installing "Lil' Red"

pete

 

[eyekode]

Looks good Dennis!
I have been thinking about putting my small pancake compressor up high. But I thought it would be inconvenient to access the drain etc. How do you handle this?
Thanks!
Salem

 

[Bas]

Nice Dennis. Light in the shop makes a HUGE difference. For anyone building a shop - figure out how many lights you need, then double it. Using ceiling tiles is a great idea. It looks good, warm, and you can still take 'em out to re-run utilities.

 

[Gotcha6]

Looks good Dennis!
I have been thinking about putting my small pancake compressor up high. But I thought it would be inconvenient to access the drain etc. How do you handle this?
Thanks!
Salem

The drain valve on most compressors is either 1/4" or 1/8" NPT. Get an adapter for copper tubing & compression fittings. Relocate the drain with a valve lower down and preferably where you can catch the water/goo that comes out in a trash can or bucket.

 

[Trent Mason]

Nice job on the ceiling and lights Dennis. :eusa_clap:eusa_clap:eusa_clap When I first started reading, I thought, "I know Dennis didn't put sheet rock up by himself." :swoon::swoon::swoon:

Glad that you got those tiles up, much easier. :gar-La; Looks great! :thumbs_up:thumbs_up

 

[Gotcha6]

Nice job on the ceiling and lights Dennis. :eusa_clap:eusa_clap:eusa_clap When I first started reading, I thought, "I know Dennis didn't put sheet rock up by himself." :swoon::swoon::swoon:

I'm not beyond it, but I am lazy.:gar-Bi
Besides, the trusses were 32" o.c. & would have had to strip them for drywall. I've got ~$5-600 in 1800 feet of ceiling including lights by using leftover grid & lights to be supplemented by what I had to buy.

 

[Glennbear]

Nicely done Dennis :eusa_clap you will find the ceiling mounted receptacles very handy, I know I do :wsmile:

 

[Alan in Little Washington]

Nice job! That reminds me I want to add lights to my shop- and other row of 3 or 4 four tube, 4' T-8's

Question, are you just relying on suction and a good gasket, or do you attach the top to your dust DC's bin some other way?

 

[Gotcha6]

Question, are you just relying on suction and a good gasket, or do you attach the top to your dust DC's bin some other way?

I used the gasket material sold for pickup camper tops on the rim of the drum. It's sticky on only 1 side & wide enough to make a decent seal. Another thing I incorporated into the system was an 'inverted relief valve'. I cut a 4" tee into the line turned down near the cyclone & put a 3 x 3" reducer on it. Took a piece of UHMW & turned it to make a 'valve' that fit into the reducer. With a threaded rod up the middle and additional weights (aka big washers) I'm able to provide a suitable inlet for air should I close all the blast gates at one time. If I close all the gates the valve just pops up out of its seat. My blower isn't all that strong, but if i ever upgrade I don't wanna collapse the drum.

 

[James Davis]

What kind of blower are you using? I really like the system that you have there. How long are the runs? Do you feel that you are getting enough suction at the machines?

I know, a lot of questions, but I really like the setup that you have there.

Thanks for tolerating the questions.
James

 

[Mt. Gomer]

Looks great Dennis. Nice job!