My dad used one of those to bore holes for his cannon barrels.Honestly I think the most important things are light, then dedicated power circuits, and then temperature comfort. You can work with whatever the walls are whether drywall or ply or slat or concrete. If there isn't sufficient light and power, it's going to suck.
In 12.5 to 14 weeks, a bulldozer is going to drive through my house and we are rebuilding the "last" house, or so I've been told by the boss. As part of the deal, I'm getting a space that's 11x21 feet interior dimension with a barn door/garage on one end, so I've been planning the new workshop in meticulous detail. I'll have 12 feet overhead and poured concrete walls. And I'm still not sure what light to use. I do know that I've got a separate sub panel with dedicated circuits, including two separate 220s. The centerpiece is the item below cast in 1918, salvaged from the Norfolk Navy Yard and then converted to a woodworking lathe. Will hold 8.5 foot stock.
So, I guess I've learned a few things. 1) planning this sort of thing can be a hell of a lot of fun, 2) you can never have enough independent circuits, 3) lighting is more important than anything else, and 4) @Lorenzzo is 100% correct.
View attachment 13843
View attachment 13845
View attachment 13846
I have one of his 1/2 scale versions, which was a gift to me back in 1987. Cannon was built in 1976 for the Nation's Bicentennial.
@Bob Barnes has one in bronze that is 1/3 scale.
Anyway......we don't likely need a Lathe in our garage, but my dad....that's a different story.