I have went from a 4500sf shop to one in a garage that is 20’by13and a closed in carport of the same size,I know there are a lot of you with very impressive small shops! so I was hoping for some ideas on using space in a productive way,Many of My machines are 3phase and rather large ,like My 65hp re-saw that would not even stand up in either side,or the 9′ stroke sander which would take up one whole side. Ha ha
So all the larger items are in storage until I can afford to build My (dream shop)I have enough covered storage beside My house for thousands of brf of lumber,My basement has a small hobby shop of sorts(lathe,copy lathe contractors table saw,14″ band saw, etc and most of My hand held power tools.Clamp storage,breakdown workstations,and the like is what I am hoping for or just plain amazing ways to utilize a small space.
here are some pictures that may help?Thanks
P.S. the ones marked shop photos are the Home shop( I know its obvious,just saying)
Dan
Edited 7/18/2009 11:11 pm ET by woodguydan
Replies
Woodguy,
I've been working in a one-car garage size shop for many years! OK it's a little bigger - about 26 deep and there is a bump out of about 2x10 at one end.
It's all about compromise, getting things on wheels and creating storage so there is a place for everything.
Last year I did a shop of the month presentation at my woodworking club. It's available on the internet. Take a look. Hopefully some of my small shop ideas might be applicable to your situation.
Here's the link http://cjwa.org/vucolo/Vucolo%20Shop%20of%20the%20Month%20Nov%2008_files/frame.htm
Frank
Frank, hey thanks looks interesting will go give it a better look right now.Dan
I liked miss November on the calendar
I liked miss November on the calendar
Well, I try to keep my shop priorities in order. That's 2009 on the left and 1989 on the right.
Frank
shop photos are great.similar to initial post, i'm moving from a dedicated basement shop (smaller) to a bay of a 3 car garage. i'm trying to figure out how to get all the tools against the wall so our other stuff can be in there during the week (bikes, wagons, etc) and then i can pull out the tools on the weekends.Looking fwd to more responses on this post.Brad
Brad,
I tried that for about a year but it got too crazy moving things around. Then, too, when I'd work, I'd spew sawdust all over the garage - on the car, sporting goods, bike, lawn chairs etc.
Finally, I threw up a wall to partition off one bay, put in a door and called it SHOP.
That allwoed me to put in a wall heater and small window AC to 'climate control' my section.
I'm not saying the combination shop/garage can't work. It's just my experience that all the moving and the cleaning up and moving back can suck fun out of it.
Frank
Frank, i'm worried my plan won't work too. But, my biggest concern is that my shop will lose out to my 3 yr old daughters stuff in the garage. my other thought is to scale shop way down into smaller space in basement.
thanks for your sharing your experience.
Brad
Brad ,AZMO (Morgan) sent Me some pictures of a very cool drop down bench he has in an area very similar to what you are describing,as well as some other good ideas for a shop that needs to be set up and broken down.I was quite impressed ,if you ask him nice maybe he will share? :) I too am looking forward to more responses on this post, and thank those who have posted so far!Dan
Hey I missed the 1989 calander, had to go back and check that out! Morgan <!----><!----><!---->
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Hey Morgan ,not sure if you notice but in pic shop photos 070 is My girl friend (well thats what I have called her for about 20 years now ;)
Dan
Dan that is not a girlfriend that is a layout tool. Every French Curve is represented in perfekt proportion, that and a Pantograph and you can scale it to fit any project. Be careful around here, folks might think you have relationships with your tools. <grin> Wouldn't want you to be embarrassed now..
Morgan <!----><!----><!---->
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I read your post. My DW is my real french curve. and inspiration for some of my works. Eh Eh. She never asks to park in my shop and like to come up and help or just sit and visit.Which the odd time leads to some unproductive time in the shop for woodwork but some high quality design time and quality assurance.
Shoe where are you from? And I am just guessing that DW means Darling Wife....? My DW had the garage to herself for 20 years, and I am the intruder in her mind. Other than her car, it is all just fine!
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Pasqua lake about an hour north east of Regina, Saskatchewan Canada. if you do the Google earth thing nearest town is Fort Qu'Apelle sk. DW Dear Wife /Darling Wife. she can be seen on the unusual garden bench posts. Should start a new one PW patient wife.
Shoe that is an interesting lake, are Pasqua and Ketepwa Glacial lakes. Odd having the causeways across the lake as well. Beautiful country from the photos on Goggle Earth. I will be bet you fish a little as well, maybe even drill a hole in the ice.... no shortage of that I am sure!
I will second the PW, mine always says she raised 3 boys, two have moved away and one is still at home!
Morgan <!----><!----><!---->
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Hey guys glad to see we are beating the same drum. Yuo there is a chain of lakes 3 glaciers periods recorded. Starts in Alberta and flows to the Red River in Manitoba. Sort of big cut across the flat plains land. Lots of history and the opening of the West. RCMP training grounds in Regina, used to live at the corner of there property and watched the going's on.As for the woodworking, I built were there is a nice view, good solar gain, good walleye. Hard or soft ice.Tis nice to look across the valley, been thinking about getting some glass etched to look like glaciers and hanging so you can pretend you live in Banff. Opps to much single malt.
Brad I can email you some photos if you like, I live in garage hell as well. Send me private post, and it will email them to you.
Morgan <!----><!----><!---->
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Morgan,What's so bad about a garage? Easier access than a basement shop for sure!Chris @ http://www.flairwoodworks.com and http://www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com)
- Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
Do you share the basement with your wifes new car???? <!----><!----><!---->
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CAR? In a garage? Do you want it to rust out faster? My shop has a pair of large doors, but in the two years we've been in this house, a car is never once passed the threshold.
Steve can I give you my wifes cell phone number, perhaps you could reason with her? Really what are friends for? It's a small thing to do for another knot head! ;>) <!----><!----><!---->
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If I had a nice wife who wanted to park her car in my basement shop, I'd let her. (Can a statement be rhetorical?)Chris @ http://www.flairwoodworks.com and http://www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com)
- Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
Chris what does rhetorical mean? :) oh and if you ever need any of those slab re-sawen let Me know.Dan
Dan,Rhetorical: of, relating to, or concerned with the art of rhetoricokay, that didn't help muchrhetoric: language designed to have a persuasive or impressive effect on its audience, but is often regarded as lacking in sincerity or meaningful contentMaybe that didn't help either. Basically a statement (or question that needs no response - it has already been answered.And I just might take you up on your offer for resawing!Thanks,Chris @ http://www.flairwoodworks.com and http://www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com)
- Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
Chris ,that should teach Me for asking a fake question . :)Dan
the art of rhetoric. I flunked that class also. I was looking for true things!
see you all in the real world it has been a slice . just cancelled my online subscription. Let the Party begin!!! CHEERSDan aka-( Arsehole Face :)
Dan,You do realize that you don't need to be an online subscription to participate on Knots, right? PS: Hope I didn't just cut your shop productivity!Chris @ http://www.flairwoodworks.com and http://www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com)
- Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
Chris ,I do now :) ,but no I did not realize that, I actually thought by canceling My subscription I was hitting the large ignore button.lol . As for the shop productivity, it is on Hold for now? as I am flying to meet a friend in Edmonton on Saturday morning,from there we are heading to Jasper to climb to the top of a mountain and Chill out with some mountain goats for four or ,five days. Then a friend on the Island who's 30 some foot bay-liner I did some work on last year ,(must have liked what I did) because He called yesterday and said He wants Me come go out on the ocean fishing trip as soon as I get back to Van.So the wood chips will have to wait.Thanks Dan
Dan,I guess that whole "ignore" thing didn't work out. And I'm not helping too much either. If you don't want e-mail notifications, you can opt out in one of the preferences menus. Sounds like you've got a pretty good getaway (well, two actually) planned. It also sounds like you'll be able to leave woodworking behind. When I go on holidays, I always seem to bring woodworking books, catalogs, wood, or tools - even just a knife. Last time I went away, I brought nothing remotely related to woodworking. I ended up walking around downtown and found a used bookstore where I bought Tage Frid's Joinery book. Go figure.Chris @ http://www.flairwoodworks.com and http://www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com)
- Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
see you all in the real world..
This IS the real world with real people! You take life way to seriously!
really....... well i am working on that,Life is cereal to Me,and i guess I must just love judgement?
WillGeorge, Yes I do take Life very serious!!! About 8 almost 9 years ago I had a stroke that made My left side all but useless for a couple years I now am finally at the 90% the doctors told Me I likely would never get back to! They just cleared Me to go climbing in the glazier (which is My other passion!)I can jump in the Mosh bit again like I did last night at the Clutch concert here in Vancouver ,and I am doing the same when I see them again on Saturday in Edmonton,then it is off to Jasper Monday to free climb in the mountains! That is the real world to Me !!!!!! this is a box and, some keys being used by real people.
Edited 7/30/2009 3:09 pm ET by woodguydan
thought I would add a few more photo that show the thing I have had the hardest time with(the shop being split in half/and two different floor heights)there is a window so I can pass parts from one side to the other, but its a real challenge.also the shaper,thickness sander,re-saw,and planner's,are on wheel /which I am getting used to!but I will not but My Table saw or Jointer on wheels.again any idea's are appreciated.
Dan
woodguydan,What a bummer, you've got some nice equipment. Probably the first thing you need to do is get a chair and just spend some time in the shop studying the situation. Looking at the pictures, I got the sense that you're not looking at process as much as the equipment layout.I could never bring a pile of lumber into my shop the way you have without some significant modifications to it current layout. Usually I precut my lumber at the yard using the RAS, that way I know it can be handled efficiently in the shop. Likewise, I never try to cut 4x8 sheets in the shop anymore...too disruptive, too dangerous. So while I have a drop down outfeed table for the CS, no additional table to the right of the fence. The point being with a different work process, the space needs of the equipment is reduced.Lastly, in a small shop you need to utilize the vertical space. I use my wall space for large cabinets with box doors. The cabinets are 12" deep so nothing get too lost. The box doors hold all the hand tools.
I also have a small rack I can tack onto the rafters to hold parts of a project or glue-up, etc. it helps keep me from moving stuff several times during a project.
BG, thanks but My equipment layout actually works very well I have moved and deleted many things over the past year,the 15"planner and the shaper move to sit so I can still get 8' boards through the jointer,I have always had my tools stationary and at least of two each machine so I could go from machine to machine and save so much time.This set up is now good for milling and machining parts ,I am more looking for clever ideas such as what Frank has in his link,for storage and such.
The pile of lumber on the shop floor is some 100 year old fir timbers that are there to be de-nailed before being machined. Dan
Dan,
First thing I'd do is fasten those loosely-hanging wires to the ceiling. As they are now, it would be easy to snag one with a long piece of lumber and bring down an energized conductor...
ZoltonIf you see a possum running around in here, kill it. It's not a pet. - Jackie Moon
Zolton , actually the chance of catching one of those wires and snapping it is really really slim, plus they where temporary and have now all been changed to armored cable.at that point I had not yet installed the 8' florescence on the bench side ,and this is a rental(meaning all wiring is going with Me) or I would have installed it all in the ceiling,and walls when I insulated them, but thanks for pointing that out!!
Dan,
First of all, how big is that blade in the bandsaw in picture "shop photos 035"?
The two things that I do in my shop to make the most of space is
1: use common heights so tools provide infeed/outfeed for eachother and don't get in each other's way.
2: put as much storage as you can just overhead so that it is still accessable, yet it doesn't hamper your movement.
and www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com)
- Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
Chris ,the re-saw blade is 21/2,with carbide teeth,which can be sharpened and or replaced.As for your common heights I have used table saw height as a standard for many year,works great for Me as I am 5'9",but now that I have machines on rollers that becomes undo-able ,yet my bench, tool stations,every thing that does not move is at table saw height.Dan
Dan, I vote for moving the living quarters into the shop and gutting the inside of the house... Ok the missus ain't gonna go for that.
I have a double car garage that has to have my wifes car inside. So everything is on wheels. I have a table that folds against the wall, with the jointer and planer in front. Cabinets above those units. The TS rolls out and uses the table as the run out for the cutoffs. I have a router table on the right side of the TS. A rolling cart for the chop saw, another for the drill press, and a band saw in a corner.
It takes 20 minutes to set up, and takedown, but it is the compromise I have to live with.
I can send you some pics if you would like.
Morgan,
Thanks for your post on sliding table. That handles much larger material than it looks!
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Morgan, please do send some picture's sounds interesting .
About the same size as mine..
NEVER. EVER try to make two twin sized canopy beds in there as I am in the process of...
EDIT'' I forgot to say your shop is great!
Edited 7/21/2009 9:36 pm by WillGeorge
WillGeorge ,I will keep that in mind Thank's :)Dan
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