# How BIG is yours?



## blighty (Apr 12, 2013)

just been looking on the forum and i've just seen two threads with people showing there "small sheds". one of them is 20x13feet and the other is 20x20 feet. that to me is massive.

i have also seen some man caves bigger that my house.

so this got me thinking....who has the biggest man cave? or more to the point, what country on average  has the biggest.

I'll start.

U.K....shed is in two parts... main bit is 13 x 13 feet with a 9x8 feet stuck to the side.= 241 square feet.


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## /// (Apr 13, 2013)

blighty said:


> i have also seen some man caves bigger that my house.



Haha, A friend of mine is like that. His 'shed' would be about twice the area of his house on a 2 acre semi-suburban block. Inside currently has about 6 cars, one tractor, a hoist, tool room, small parts room, large clean room for building engines(full size), a Jarrah work bench that runs the full length of the workshop(at a guess, about 60 feet) toilet, shower and a mezzanine level(with stairs up to) for storing car parts.
I hate him. *knuppel2*


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## rcfreak177 (Apr 13, 2013)

Yep my shop here in Australia is only a baby 6 metre x 9 metre with 3 metre wall height.
54 square metres or in imperial 581 square feet. Still not big enough.
 Have seen a few that make mine look like a garden shed though.

There is a great documentary getting around called "Men And Their Sheds"
Us Aussies are obsessed by the size of our sheds for some reason.

Funny thing is some of the best work i have seen has come out of a workspace that you can barely turn around in.







Cheers,
Baz.


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## /// (Apr 13, 2013)

Haha, must be a Perth thing, the workshop I mentioned above is in Roleystone.


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## rcfreak177 (Apr 13, 2013)

Sounds like the ultimate dream shed, Lucky guy, I hope the door is open for you when needed. Roleystone is not far from me (Kelmscott)

"Oh well one day"

Baz.


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## /// (Apr 13, 2013)

Absolutely, have used his hoist numerous times.

Have just measured my 'sheds':
Woodworking gear, Jarrah workbench and Horiz. bandsaw are in a 5.5x3.4m (18x11 ft) shed (originally a detached single car-port)
Vert. Bandsaw and Large Radial-arm saw are in a 2.4x2.4m (8x8 ft) Garden Shed
Misc. storage in a 3.1x2.4m (10x8 ft) Garden shed.
Misc. storage in an old 2.4x3.1m (8x10 ft) pump house(property used to have rain-water tanks)
Metal working gear is in a spare room of the house to try and reduce the likelyhood of rust, approx 2.6x3.5m	(8.5x11.5 ft)

None of these are efficiently used. I really need to de-clutter.


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## RManley (Apr 13, 2013)

I think we are very limited in the UK for shed space....my 10'x8' shed is so rammed full of stuff I've had to put a load in storage and even then its taken over the garden.  My other half would dearly love to move to Australia and looking at the houses there they all seem to come with some sort of outhouse/workshop as standard.  If it wasn't for the family and friends I would love to move out of this crampt sinking country.

Rob.


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## Woodster (Apr 13, 2013)

RManley said:


> I think we are very limited in the UK for shed space....my 10'x8' shed is so rammed full of stuff
> 
> Rob.


I dream of something as large as that! I'm stuck with a 6' x 6' outhouse. I can just about fit a lathe and mill, vice and grinder, but don't leave much room for anything else!


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## stevehuckss396 (Apr 13, 2013)

I put a small extension on my garage. The house is 1205 SqFt and the garage is 1280 SqFt.  The back half is the shop. I still park 4 cars in but have plenty of room to work. These pics are only days after the construction was complete. Took all summer but it was worth it.


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## dnalot (Apr 13, 2013)

Located at the base of mt Saint Helens in Washington State USA, at 1600 Ft elevation. Around here you ether have a pole building or a barn. My barn is 2400 square feet. Its all mine except for 250 Sq Ft that my wife has for her carport. Up stairs there is a loft for storage (550 Sq Ft) and I have a side bay for tractors and material storage (400 Sq Ft). The main shop area is 900 Square feet and is very well insulated and is heated by a wood stove and heat pump. Behind the wife's carport I have an apartment "my office" of 250 square feet. Winter here is long and cold so you have to have some room inside to live and work. Six long cold months. Its two miles of cow path to the public road then seven miles to the nearest town & hardware store but lucky for me UPS delivers. The shop was completed last March. I spent three years mostly by myself building the house and barn, and now its time to enjoy it. That's my outside kitty, don't pet. I always feel like a cheese burger when he looks at me. 

Mark T


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## blighty (Apr 13, 2013)

dnalot....

think your winning that's some nice pad you got there. i have a cat on guard as well, but mine is made of stone and doesn't bite.

stevehuckss396

so you cave is bigger than your house.... nice to see you have you priorities right. after all why do wee need a big house any way. all you do is sleep and eat your dinner in them.

but it seems to all of us that it doesn't matter what the size, it's never enough.


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## dnalot (Apr 13, 2013)

The true keeper of my gate is a 500 Lb Rooster named ****head Charley "because the birds sit and "" on his head all the time. Its cast iron and is now a nice rusty color. Horses don't like it and the dogs bark at it. That would be me behind the bird. 

Mark T


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## jixxerbill (Apr 13, 2013)

I was over to my shop today and after seeing this thread I stepped off and got around 600 sq. ft. all together.. I share the shop with my wife's brother-in-law and his brother.. They just store cars in there 1/3.. Shop includes water, power, trash dumpster and a bathroom...Costs us $100 bucks each a month.. Only bad thing is its about 7 miles from the house...Bill


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## rcfreak177 (Apr 14, 2013)

dnalot said:


> Located at the base of mt Saint Helens in Washington State USA, at 1600 Ft elevation. Around here you ether have a pole building or a barn. My barn is 2400 square feet. Its all mine except for 250 Sq Ft that my wife has for her carport. Up stairs there is a loft for storage (550 Sq Ft) and I have a side bay for tractors and material storage (400 Sq Ft). The main shop area is 900 Square feet and is very well insulated and is heated by a wood stove and heat pump. Behind the wife's carport I have an apartment "my office" of 250 square feet. Winter here is long and cold so you have to have some room inside to live and work. Six long cold months. Its two miles of cow path to the public road then seven miles to the nearest town & hardware store but lucky for me UPS delivers. The shop was completed last March. I spent three years mostly by myself building the house and barn, and now its time to enjoy it. That's my outside kitty, don't pet. I always feel like a cheese burger when he looks at me.
> 
> Mark T




Hi Mark,

"WOW"

Very nice indeed, excellent job you have done there. Looks great.
That cat looks scary.

Lucky you have the Toyota FJ too battle through the snow, I have never seen snow for real before, looks like fun.

Baz.
__________________
Fear and doubt knocked on the door,

Courage and confidence answered and there was nobody there.


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## Niceonetidy (Apr 14, 2013)

My workshop is not square or rectangular, so it's hard to guess the size.  One end is 3.5 metres, it's 7 metres long and the wide end is 6 metres, so quite large, but still not enough room, I have my 48 sheet metal folder outside under a sheet,
  The construction is twin cavity wall with in cavity insulation. So it warms up quick in the winter with my solid fuel fire,

Here is the narrow end with the single entry door, the other end has twin doors,


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## romartin (Apr 14, 2013)

I live in a small block of flats (12 families) about 12Km from the center of Rome. My shop isn't BIG it's SMALL, nevertheless in this crowded and expensive city, I count myself lucky to have it. To be precise it's 2 meters wide by 4 meters long by 2 meters high. Floor area is 8 sq meters = about 86 sq. feet. It's on the attic floor of the building and from it's window both sun light and rain flood in and I have a view of roofs, tree tops, birds and cats. Can get a bit warm in mid-summer and a bit cold in mid-winter but I love it!.


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## schilpr (Apr 14, 2013)

There is a difference in shop size with location.

Right now, I live in Texas, have a 3.5 car garage at the house, that houses some cars and my woodworking tools, probably a good 400sft, out back I have a blacksmith shop, small at about 150sqft, also have a ~10,000 sqft shop with the rest of the cars and the metal tools a few miles down the road. 

Soon I'll be moving to The Netherlands and I think I'll have a big shop for standards there, 2.60m wide and 8.60m long, about 9ft by 29ft, about 260sqft total.. my tools will fit somehow, my cars not so much.


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## gus (Apr 14, 2013)

romartin said:


> I live in a small block of flats (12 families) about 12Km from the center of Rome. My shop isn't BIG it's SMALL, nevertheless in this crowded and expensive city, I count myself lucky to have it. To be precise it's 2 meters wide by 4 meters long by 2 meters high. Floor area is 8 sq meters = about 86 sq. feet. It's on the attic floor of the building and from it's window both sun light and rain flood in and I have a view of roofs, tree tops, birds and cats. Can get a bit warm in mid-summer and a bit cold in mid-winter but I love it!.



Hi Ian,
You are doing better than Gus. Considered myself to be lucky living in sunny & hot Singapore with a three open sided Balcony Machineshop which measure 
!.3M x 3.0M. Tropical storms do bother a wee bit but no rain gets in other dampness which I have to counter with WD 40.
Foto shows my mini shop and the open sided balcony. When it gets too hot,I quit working. Would love to set up machineshop in Australia.Big house and big garage.

Spent some time in Rome and the Avellino. Missed the Chianti and southern food.Most Restaurants in Avellino have no menu. You eat what the owner cooked.
Missed the mountain high tomato salads and the spagetti with fresh tomato sauce.Dinner started at 8pm and we ate and drink till 11.30pm. Left Avellino 3 kg heavier.Four dinners.This was in 1986.

Gus Teng.


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## ConductorX (Apr 15, 2013)

When I divorced, I lost a 24 x 32 two story barn. It also had a leanto on the side 10 x 32.  It was a total of 1856 square feet, while my house was only 1750.  


I currently live on a one acre lot.  I am reduced to a modest 20x20 garage and two shipping containers 8 x 20 each for about 720 square feet.  I do plan to add an open carport area of 30x30 and possibly a second building 30x30.  I will have to wait and see.  The new wife wants to expand the house first.  

"G"


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## rondunn (Apr 19, 2013)

Gus, you're lucky to have that balcony. Since moving to Singapore I have been too scared of the neighbours to do anything other than sit and look at my tools stacked up in the bomb shelter 
Ron.


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## Brian Rupnow (Apr 19, 2013)

Wow!!!! Nice Rooster!!! My shop is 74" x 78". It holds a 10 x 18 lathe, a small mill, a shop vac, a full size 14" bandsaw, a 1" belt sander, a drill sharpner,and a whole whack of shelves and cabinets built in. When I'm in there, there is no room left for visitors!!!---Brian


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## gus (Apr 19, 2013)

Brian Rupnow said:


> Wow!!!! Nice Rooster!!! My shop is 74" x 78". It holds a 10 x 18 lathe, a small mill, a shop vac, a full size 14" bandsaw, a 1" belt sander, a drill sharpner,and a whole whack of shelves and cabinets built in. When I'm in there, there is no room left for visitors!!!---Brian



Hi Brian,
You have a bigger machineshop than Gus's.

Kept sweeping the floor to remove chips.But some obstinate chips are hard to clear. Small shop is good excuse/reason---------No Visitors.

Gus Teng,

Bad tides today so no fishing this weekend.


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## stew (Apr 22, 2013)

HI,
My Workshop is 20ft (6mt) Wide x 24ft (7.2mt) long x 9ft (2.7mt) high. I would have liked a 40 x 20 but I couldn't afford it


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## gus (Apr 22, 2013)

rcfreak177 said:


> Yep my shop here in Australia is only a baby 6 metre x 9 metre with 3 metre wall height.
> 54 square metres or in imperial 581 square feet. Still not big enough.
> Have seen a few that make mine look like a garden shed though.
> 
> ...



Hi Baz

Great workshop with ample space.

Wish I have the $$$$ to move over to Auss to a house with a 2 or three car gargage. Machineshop would have one car and lots of machine tools.Or build a new shop like yours.

Just a dream and also a nightmare on location. My sisters in Thornleigh, Sydney,brother in Rockhampton, Perth and daughter in Glenhuntley, Melbourne.All want me next to them. Ha Ha.

Regards,

Gus Teng


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## /// (Apr 23, 2013)

gus said:


> brother in Rockhampton, Perth



Rockhampton is in Queensland.
Do you mean Rockingham?
That's my neighbourhood.


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## Brian Rupnow (Apr 23, 2013)

Strangely enough, we have a small village named Rockingham here in Ontario. A man lives there who crafts unique, one of a kind guitars, which are sought after world wide.


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## rodw (Apr 23, 2013)

gus said:


> Just a dream and also a nightmare on location. My sisters in Thornleigh, Sydney,brother in Rockhampton, Perth and daughter in Glenhuntley, Melbourne.All want me next to them. Ha Ha.



Gus, it is quite clear to me now! You'll just have to move to Brisbane so your family covers the whole country!  :hDe:


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## rodw (Apr 23, 2013)

I'm err rather on the small side myself






More details here http://www.homemodelenginemachinist.com/f15/rods-aussie-shed-19885/index10.html#post217851


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## /// (Apr 23, 2013)

Brian Rupnow said:


> Strangely enough, we have a small village named Rockingham here in Ontario. A man lives there who crafts unique, one of a kind guitars, which are sought after world wide.



Strangely enough, I have a cousin who also crafts unique, one of a kind guitars, which are sought after world wide. Thm:
http://www.jackspiraguitars.com/

I forget the list of famous customers, but I believe Gordon Sumner (Sting) has a few.
Colin Hay (Men At Work), but it wasn't the guitar that got smashed in this episode of Scrubs  [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrGmcuj44DQ[/ame]


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## fowler64 (Apr 23, 2013)

I have a workshop that measures 60' X 60', My two Fowler ploughing engines live in there and also my machine shop, unfortunately its true what they say, the more space you have, the more junk you accumilate!! Think I need to down size.
Cheers
Steve


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## gus (Apr 23, 2013)

rodw said:


> Gus, it is quite clear to me now! You'll just have to move to Brisbane so your family covers the whole country!  :hDe:



Hi Rod,

Good idea.
Bought present walkup flat fot S$70k in 1978 and now there are offers for S$1M.If it hits S$3M,I best moved over to Australia.This will be more than enough to buy a nice landed property and retire comfortably.Machineshop will have a full compliment of machine tools and overhead crane too.
Brisbane is good choice. Darwin is just too hot.Been there once and of course Gus went to Kakadu-------Crocodile Dundee Country.

Just another dream.(Now budgeting for a Proxxon PD 400 Lathe.)


Gus Teng.


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