Our farm shop design blog series, written by Dan Nyberg, the Sales Training Manager at Morton Buildings, focuses on a variety of farm shop design ideas to help you in planning your next agricultural building.
When designing an indoor welding area for your new shop, you’ll want to focus on safety and ease of use. You will need exhaust fan, especially during the winter so you won’t have to open the doors to vent. For a wall-mounted exhaust fan, allow 1000-2000 CFM airflow per welder.
It’s a good idea to place the area for ease with larger equipment, generally opposite the air intake source such as an overhead door left partially open. You will definitely want to line this area with steel. Create space that can contain two welding tables (one that is on wheels) and a MIG welder on wheels. That welder can roll to work at either table without leaving behind an electrical cord on the floor.
Be sure to factor in storage space for clamps and for bulk material such as angle iron and square tubing.
There is also a trend to create an outdoor welding area as well so you can weld in good weather to cut down on fumes and smoke. You can extend the roof 10 feet along one side of the shop. The welder is kept inside, but has extra long cables and is located next to the exterior door, so you don’t have to move the welder outdoors.
Browse more completed farm shop projects!
About Dan Nyberg, Sales Training Manager, Morton Buildings
Dan Nyberg has been employed with Morton Buildings for 28 years, where he held a variety of positions such as sales consultant, regional manager, and director of sales. He has also served as a board member of the National Frame Building Association for nine years. Dan has been involved with farming most of his life, from living on a dairy farm as a child, moving back to a mixed livestock and grain farm in high school, to managing a personal farm in Colorado focused on horse-drawn events. He has experience with beef cattle, dairy cattle, bison, pigs, sheep, chickens, ducks, geese, horses and mules. Dan currently farms 72 acres with a herd of 23 Devon/Hereford cattle and owns three Morton buildings.
