How-to Use your shop ceiling fully! 

Thanks! You sound like someone who understands and appreciates it :)

yes sir. I installed a limited run of strut on my garage ceiling a few months back to help store 10-14 ft long boards. After watching this, I kinda wish I had installed a full grid across the whole ceiling. Great stuff!@@pixelwoodworks

When the time is right, you can certainly add on. :)

Great advice. I also added red tips to my threaded rod in a few places after bumping my head. I originally shot that but cut it out of the video. :/ Thanks for the tips!

Awesome! 🎉 You are at the best part of the shop build, the beginning. Enjoy the journey!

Thanks so much for the kind words!

@@pixelwoodworks 👍

Thanks so much, glad to have your support!

So nice to hear from an electrician! You are totally right (of course) about the hacksaw.. I originally mentioned it cut it out for time.. I never actually tried the hacksaw myself either, it just seemed like a lot of work.. sounds like it was a real option though and not just a cost saver. 👍👍 A mobile bandsaw is a great suggestion that I totally missed. 👍👍 Thanks for the tips and feedback!

Also remember to file the cut ends. Unistrut can make a nasty slice in your skin. Bad enough to require more than electrical tape to close it up.

@@guybratt6238 😵 You are right. I purchased end-caps from Discount Strut Accessories that are rubberized and solve that problem, but then I never found a place to install them, somewhere that was exposed and had about 1.5" of open space for the cap to go on. Good advice, I missed that one.👍👍

Thanks for the support! 👍👍 Woodworkers building shops is half the fun, right? 😂

Thank you for the kind words!

Glad you found it so useful, thanks so much for the support!

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for the support!

It's true, it can get expensive. It can also be targeted for specific purposes and be fairly cost effective. In the scope of my project, the strut was no the major cost. Dust pipe was by far the biggest cost, followed by power, followed by lights.

hahah.. thank you sir for taking pity upon a RU-vid scrub like me 😅

lol, I’ve never seen this channel before.. dudes a little awkward.. I saw the end part “uh, you can subscribe if you like?…” [pause]… and I thought.. whoa.. super awkwaarrd… 😂 But no.. he’s got jokes! lol I’m not subscribing though 😑.. not my type of content.. not even sure why I watched it to be honest. Classic RU-vid rabbit hole trick.

​@@HiThisIsMineThanks, I think?! 🤣

@@pixelwoodworks Love the uniqueness.. keep doing you. Came here for the tricks, left with a treat instead. Can’t expect everyone to find the videos useful though right? 🤷🏽‍♂️

"Can’t expect everyone to find the videos useful though right?" -- Oh, can't I? 😂

I agree, the cutoff saw is extremely loud. Great suggestion. 👍

Thanks for the kind words! 🤗

Thanks for the feedback. I did originally do a much more in-depth video but after 35 minutes I decided it was too long and we ended up with this. I can tell you my layout was just based on my needs of the moment except putting lights at the bottom. Its really going to depend on what your trying to get off the floor and onto the ceiling and how your shop is configured. The best piece of advise I can give you is tightening up your grid where you plan mount many things. Thanks again!

Would happily watch all 35 minutes if you still have it! Upload it as an "extended version"!@@pixelwoodworks

@@ModernSurvivalists Sorry, deleted and working on the next video, with a Shaper. So far I still have both arms, so thats a good sign 😅

Awesome, the great thing is you can do as little or as much as needed, you can add on over time, and start with something very specific. Good luck!

@@pixelwoodworks thanks!

Thanks so much for the kind words and support.

Thank you for the kind words, I appreciate it.

Hi James, I do use threaded rod in many cases, however the de-humidifier itself tends to vibrate and I was worried about that motion over time so I wanted something more stable that didn't have flex. Great suggestion though, and your totally right in most cases. 👍👍👍

Thanks so much for the support! 👍👍

Thanks so much for the positive feedback!

Thanks for the support!

Thanks so much for the support!

Its true. I haven't personally had great luck with angle grinder cutting, which is why I bought the miter saw. Some people have suggested a bandsaw as well which seems like a great alternative. You must do metal work and be a whiz with the angle grinder, I'd probably loose a hand 🤷 👍👍

Hey! Thanks for the support; I've been keeping in touch vicariously through Tom. Congrats on your AI startup, some cool videos! 👍👍

Thanks so much for the feedback! 👍👍

I hear you. It seems like thats the way of the world. I don't typically eat fast food and my memories of Taco bell are 59 cent tacos. I went through the drive through last year, and one taco was $4. 😱 I bet the stuff your talking about was American made too. Just out of curiosity, where did one go (and individual) in the 60's to get something like that or was it only available in more commercial applications?

@@pixelwoodworks YIKES! I haven't been to Taco Bell in a long time, but the tacos were still more than 59 cents. They don't taste as good now as they did when they were about 39 cents. The struts were available from what I think was the manufacturer in Colorado Springs, next to Peterson Field AFB. I don't remember the name of the company, but we could go there when it wasn't busy and a couple of the guys were allowed to sell to individuals. I think most of the stuff we got was either returned material or seconds, because we got some aluminum sheets once that were stamped with part numbers but deformed. They were a little thicker than 1/8 inch but about 2 ft by 6ft. We cut them down to size and used them in the kitchen as cookie sheets. They lasted forever.

Interesting. Thats the thing about anything built with quality in mind, it really does tend to last forever.. I've never heard of buying seconds of steel, but I guess you can get seconds or returns of anything. What would cause a strut like product to be a considered a "second" but still usable?

@@pixelwoodworks If it's for direct sale to a branch of the military, they still have to have the correct FSN's (federal stock number) printed or stamped on them. Or if the items don't match the description on the order, like they're an inch too short or something.

Yeah that guy's pushy :P

Thanks so much for the support!

You are right 👍 I wish I had 14' ceilings though 🤷

Thanks for the feedback!

😂

👍 For sure, I considered putting a dust extractor above my workbench for easy access to sanders or other handheld tools.

Sadly, my wife doesn't seem to care :)

Thank you for the kind words!

Its true, and I also refer to it as Unistrut, however thats a brand and you won't find "Uni-strut" at your local home center. It's like Coke.

Thanks for the positive feedback! Regarding electrical system, is there a particular aspect your interested in, such as 3-Phase, safety disconnects, types of cables or outlets, or just all of the proceeding?

I personally would love to see more details on the cables, outlets, and the specifics on landing the cables at the tool locations!

I’m also interested in how the tools intersect with the electrical drops. Really nice video. Keep up the good work!!

Hi Charlie, I think I covered what you asked for in this video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-5ecfdy9lqHQ.html

Thanks so much!

Thanks! Spacing is between 4-5' because the cross members are 10' I wanted to avoid as much cutting as possible so one perpendicular length spans 3x base struts. I hope that helps!

Thanks for the feedback. I had to look this up and research it after you mentioned it. It certainly seems like it would be a great way to setup flexible power but far more in-depth and less approachable for a laymen. The cable I already had was SOOW and its fine to use on a cable tray (or in much worse conditions). Interesting idea though, Thanks again!

Can you point out what you are talking about? I am not able to find anything about a bus way. Posting the id of a ebay listing would be fine.

A busway system involves a set of enclosed conductors, typically solid copper bars, that distribute power along its length. Outlets or tap-off units can be added at any point along the busway, allowing for flexible and customizable power distribution. I think its a bit much for a garage but may be nice for a mid-size or dedicated shop. Here's the eBay ID of a tap (324970503780) and the bus (285446121734). Hope that helps.

So glad you got some ideas from it. Regarding those brackets, you can find a large variety of configurations, for example: unistrutstore.com/1-58-metal-framing/unistrut-brackets.html -- but my suggestion to you would be to simply use a cut piece of strut with heavy duty angle brackets at the upper connction and 45 degree strut supporting the base. For the end, you can simply use another light duty ($3) angle bracket to keep wood in place. (There are cheaper vendors than Unistrut brand strut too).

@@pixelwoodworks great suggestions. Thanks

Thank! No basements here, I can only imagine getting woodworking tools downstairs is all kinds of fun. :) I actually do film in my shop, I'm not a fan of green screens, so thats an actual shot. Those hand-tools are the only items in my shop lit in 3200k. Most of the shop is spot lit in 4000k. Perhaps that contributed. Maybe it doesn't look off to me because it's my shop and I think it looks how it actually is :) Thanks again!

I was actually thinking that it was very well, and intentionally lit. Given how much of youtube is filmed by shaky hand held phones, I appreciate the effort.

I agree and In hindsight I should have mentioned this in the video. 👍👍👍 The load is the reason I'm not storing any lumber.

​@@pixelwoodworks I figured as much. Difficult to cover everything in a YT vid. I don't know that structural strength is considered by many/most, so thought I'd offer the reminder. Thanks for the reply.

Best way to cut unistrut is with a portable band saw.

Thanks for the feedback! I called it Strut because Unistrut is actually a brand and you will find Superstrut or another brand at your home center. Your right about load on your ceiling, I just didn't want to digress into that too far so I cut it out of the video. Thats the only reason I am not storing MORE on my ceiling, there's a room above it all sitting on a glue-lam. Thanks again!

Great idea.

What a great design and execution. I have seen commercial systems like this but but they are extremely expensive and not configurable. Great Idea, thank you for sharing 👍

Not very expensive at all if you take the time to lay it out properly and source the best trolly. All the rest can be picked up at the box store. Another note is the use of 22" long by 2" tall pieces of high-density polyethylene sheeting on the bottom back end of each sliding panel that runs against standoffs on the baseboard to keep everything level and easily gliding. @@pixelwoodworks

I've had this exact idea floating in my head for about a year now. Been trying to reverse engineer levracks. Love the idea, hate the price!😂 cheers!

Ah yes, thats the product I was thinking of, thank you! 🙏

That was the inspiration. I think mine is more sturdy given it is fixed to the buildings joists instead of pallet rack and its more flexible at a third the price. @@159648sentile

I hear you. My last garage was like yours, a big beam below the ceiling deck with a post, but on the other hand it was a bit wider and deeper. Is your shop laid out in a way you need to cross that beam? I guess we make the best of what we have, play to its strengths etc. :) Thanks for the kind words Wayne!

Correct and Lowes has Adamax (which I'm not sure is more or less confusing? 🤷)

@@pixelwoodworks as long as they are compatible it doesn't matter to us. I like how home depot also carry the powder coated strut. I used some for fence posts across some land that seasonally floods with brackish water. I am hoping that it may last than all of the rusted galvanized posts I see in that area.

@@pixelwoodworks and lowes is easier to get a cheap delivery on in case you don't have an easy way to transport 10ft lengths of steel. When I ordered a several pallets of fence panels from lowes before the pandemic it came with free home delivery.

Interesting, that could make a real difference. I usually have to rent a truck. Thanks for the tip.

Excellent. What kind of saw are you using it in, standard miter?

@@pixelwoodworks Actual its a Dewalt cordless skill saw. I'll post the blade number tomorrow. It's in my work truck. Not as good as a miter saw but better than a hand or skill saw.

@@billygilbert7911 Ah that works too, even more efficient.

😅 Grammar, public speaking, even interacting with people is its just not my "thing".. I'd be much happier putting someone else on camera than myself.. but woodworking seems to be largely a solo sport and my only real goal is to share some info with the broader community. 🤷 Hopefully I'm getting better at it though! Thanks for the comment!

Hi, can you clarify what you mean exactly? Do you mean each item I've installed on the ceiling, like power, dust, etc?

I noticed that too! 🤷

Interesting, I'm not sure if there's enough info to make a video out of, I'll have to think about what I would cover. Are you interested in what interfaces I used, power panel, 3-phase power, fuses, or just everything in general?

@@pixelwoodworks perhaps a video on all things electric infrastructure in your shop would be enough content? Your power requirements, what you had to begin with to what you added and why, and how it played into your strut structure.

It could be done... fun could be had :D

Hi Alan, I made and posted the video I think you asked for, not sure but there you go: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-5ecfdy9lqHQ.html

Seriously! I almost always click away. Checking for standard audio levels should be a requirement!

Hi, thanks for the feedback. It's actually harder than you think to get that right, it seems to depend on the speakers your using. To be clear, that was just the normal music volume, I didn't increase it, I simply reduced the volume at other times. When your listening on a computer, the background music fades out and you may not even hear it. When listening on headphones, I imagine its a more balanced sound so it feels much more dramatic than using loud speakers or computer speakers. Its tough to find that balance. I get the message though, no one wants hearing loss from background music! I'll pay a bit more attention in the next video and strike a better balance. Thanks again for the feedback!

​@@pixelwoodworks Great video, love your thought process and creativity 😀 The source file seems to be hyper compressed (like most music coming out these days). Find a recording of the same track with better dynamic range or use a different clip altogether. Use audacity or something of that sort to level out your audio clips. (+-3db between tracks) It's actually really really simple!

Thanks for the feedback. I'll have to go back and look at the source project and see whats off, I really thought it was better balanced. I'd update it if YT allowed, but I'm stuck with whats here.

@@pixelwoodworks No worries, Your content is top notch, and that's all I'm looking for! 🙂 Audio balance isn't a turn-off for me, my ears are way past their prime after decades of headphone usage and working with machinery 🤣

Hi Aaron, I'm in Texas, but there is a coast here, but does that make me a coaster? 🤷 😂

Its true, I consulted a structural engineer because we built a room on top of this garage as well. So far so good, this has been installed for about 1.25 years and no signs of movement. I covered this in the original edit, but cut it for time. I even had a segment in my attic talking about the joists etc. I just thought it digressed too much, but perhaps that was a mistake, people seem interested. 🤷

What you did isn't bad, maybe a couple hundred pounds and you aligned the strut to distribute the load. It's when you have 4x as much and don't distribute the load properly that messes things up. I'm planning a garage with living space over it too. An important part of that is using the space between the floor joists as a mechanical chase for my utilities. It's going to be covered up with a decoupled ceiling to make the garage look nice and reduce the noise that can make it upstairs but still allow access when I need to get to something hidden in there. Now I'm thinking of adding permanently installed dust extraction in there too. Another thing I want to do is hang movable walls on truss trolleys so I can make my two room garage/shop in to three or four rooms. That will let me create a paint booth or wood shop that is designed to control overspray and dust for quick cleaning and conversion back to garage space after a project is finished. I'm also going to have a lot of pallet rack area so my storage can go vertical and I have a hydraulic lift cart that can raise 300 lbs 72" so I can put heavy bins on high shelves even when I'm old and grey. It's all going to be an exercise in efficiently utilizing every square inch of floor space to the maximum so I can make do in a 1,000 ft² shop instead of a 3,000 ft² shop and live in about 800 ft² upstairs. Hopefully that will mean a solar and battery system big enough to occasionally run a mill, lathe, horizontal bandsaw and welder will be big enough to run my HVAC continuously (I live in a desert with good sunlight). It's also a lot cheaper to build 1,800 ft² of shop/home than 3,800 ft². I'm going to build another ~1,000 ft² steel building for additional shop space and storage. It will have HVAC but it will be set to cool when it gets over 95° and heat when it gets under 40° unless I'm using it. Insulation will be about R12 in the walls, maybe a bit higher in the roof but well sealed to prevent conditioned air leaking out or critters getting in. That might sound like a lot of space but when you want to fabricate, paint, woodwork and store a few project cars inside so they don't cook all summer, it's about as minimal as I can go without making some things really difficult or impossible. Luckily I have over an acre to build on and flat spots for both buildings and a driveway that connects them.

@beardoe6874 Wow you got some plans, it sounds like that will keep you busy for some time! "Nature Abhors a Vacuum", and we seem to find no problem consuming as much space as we can find, or in your case build. I used to do automotive work until I ran out of things to do so I switched hobbies, thats going to be a big chunk of your space. I imagine if I had land to build on, I might fall into a black hole of over-building and never completing, a labor of love for sure though. Good luck and hopefully you have or are getting a Tractor with Backhoe too! 👍👍

It can be yours! :)

😅

This seems to be a pretty common comment. Yes Uni-strut is A brand. You won't find Uni-strut at your local home center, you will find Super Strut or something else, so I just made it more generic to avoid confusion. Mission failed on my part 🤷 👍

@@pixelwoodworks I in no sense of the word think you failed! I was just injecting a comment more than anything.. I have seen and heard it called all of the above. You did an excellent job on your ceiling project!!!!! Thanks!

Maybe its more common in the south? 10’ ceilings aren’t that uncommon around here. 🤷

Hello, I did not assume that, but I decided not to get into it in this video. My ceiling is 2x12 Joists with a large glue-lam beam supporting it. I talked to an engineer about adding the load in the past before building out. I did have a segment of video where I should the attic, joists, and discussed it, but again I cut it out. The original video was ~40 minutes :/ I think I'll add a note in the description of the video though. Thanks again!

Thanks for the feedback! It's probably just me :)

It doers kind of look that way.. but it isn't, just like a bunch of legos 😅

I talked to a structural engineer before installing, but yes, everyone should be cognisent of the load. I originally covered that in the video but cut it for time. I did cover it in the description of the video.

Only if your very short 😂

😂

Oh no. Like a high pitch whine?

I guess thats all perspective and relative, $23 for a 10' piece of steel I can mount all kinds of things too doesn't seem to bad for me. A trip to Taco Bell cost me $40 😭

I liked it 😅

Music's a funny thing, its hard to please everyone 🤷

Thanks for the support! 🙏

It really depends on what your comparing it to and what the long tail of cost savings is. I've had it for coming up on two years and I get endless utility from it. Prior to this, I spent a lot of money trying other configurations including wooden structures, that I tore down and trashed over time. YMMV and one size does not fit all 🤷