Shop planning

[robinson46176]

When I first started moving into the new (as a woodshop) woodshop I had in mind to set it up with the Shopsmiths and the other major tools all in a couple of rows down the middle. That plan is changing. I change my mind a lot. I like to call it evolving and adjusting. ;) As I work on the wood shop I am now working toward placing almost everything around the perimeter instead. Everything is on wheels except the bench and it will be soon. The whole idea of acquiring all of the Shopsmiths was for the flexibility and I want to carry that over to everything else. I have decided that I want to do everything I can to keep as much open space in the center as possible all of the time. I may pull 4 or 5 units out in the middle to use them but then push them back to the perimeter when done. Even if I leave them sitting out in the center when I finish I will be able to walk in later and shove everything back into their waiting holes.
My Bench will probably sit out in the floor but be easily movable from place to place. The same applies to my TS3650 table saw. It is very easy to move around but I won't plan it against a wall because I don't want to have to move it out for a few simple cuts on something quick.
I had this cute idea of mounting two metal office desk I have, back to back on a caster base and putting a just over 5' x5' top on them as a storage unit and assembly table but I think I am going to drop that plan in the waste basket. I think I am going to go with sawhorse based work tables that can be disassembled and hung up instead. My bench is heavy and I may install a large drop-leaf with hinged outer legs on the back of the bench for smaller jobs. I intend to fight for that open center space. :) The main room is 24' x 48' but will have a small 10' x 12' finishing room out of one corner. That gives me a lot of wall perimeter. I do lose some to doors and an 8' opening to a 10' x 7' masonry stove nook but I guess there is no reason that I can't roll something in front of that as well. The stove sits against the back wall of it and won't get anything too warm.
I keep looking at Jim Parks storage tower and I mentioned making one out of a steel mobile rack I have but I think I will plan on a second one. I really like that concept.
http://www.shopsmith.net/forums/showthread.htm?t=2213
My larger jointer is on wheels and will probably sit against the corner of the finishing room where it will not need to be moved often. The planer/molder/ripsaw/sander will be next to a wood rack where I can plane a few boards quickly but roll it out for long boards or a big job.
Sounds good on paper... :D :D

[beeg]

GOOD LUCK with the planning stages. And ya KNOW it will change after ya move everything according to plan. I'd LOVE to have some open space in my shop.

[Ed in Tampa]

Farmer
I really did a lot of shop planning when I decided to redo my shop/garage. Two things I didn't consider that quickly became evident were; 1. The need/facility to do quick 30 second type jobs. 2. Clamping/staging space, by that I mean a place where I can put clamped or staged parts of a project the are totally out of my way. A reasonably small project say 36"x36" hogs a lot of room when you have 5 foot clamps, braces, or jigs attached to it to stage it or hold it while drying.

The result in case of issue #1 was the loading and reloading of drawers and cabinets many times until I got the right mix of commonly used hand and power tools in quick reach for that 30 second "fix this honey" type jobs. It gets real old real quick having to drag out a SS to do one cut, drill one hole, turn a piece down another .005 and then wheel it back. But it gets even older when you realize your drill is over there, your nut and bolt collection is over here and the chisel you need to clean up the tear out or way over there.

In the case of issue #2 I haven't found a good solution. Right now I forced to assemble something and either temporary fasten it so it be staged or allow time for the glue to set so I can remove the clamps. What I need is less work bench and more assembly tables. That is why I keep looking at my workbench with a jaundiced eye.

I'm getting more and more convinced the old work traditional work bench has little or no place in a modern shop where most things are done by power or jigs. Long gone is the need for a bench where one could stand for days at a time hand planning wood to size or hand cutting hundreds of dove tails. Today we run the wood through the planner or chuck the wood in dovetail jig and zip out drawers. Oh sure those old traditional workbenches look good and their intriacy of design and finish spoke of the craftsman's abilities.

I see multiple tables like Kreg or Festool MFT type tables as a better solution to modern wood working. Give me something that allows me to adjust the height, so I don't break my back while working on the project. And something that allows me to clamp, regisiter, or align my project on it and I see it a ton more useful than a "workbench". Give me multiple tables so I can continue working while I have something staged or waiting for the glue to set.

My opinion.

[robinson46176]

Farmer
I really did a lot of shop planning when I decided to redo my shop/garage. Two things I didn't consider that quickly became evident were; 1. The need/facility to do quick 30 second type jobs. 2. Clamping/staging space, by that I mean a place where I can put clamped or staged parts of a project the are totally out of my way. A reasonably small project say 36"x36" hogs a lot of room when you have 5 foot clamps, braces, or jigs attached to it to stage it or hold it while drying.

The result in case of issue #1 was the loading and reloading of drawers and cabinets many times until I got the right mix of commonly used hand and power tools in quick reach for that 30 second "fix this honey" type jobs. It gets real old real quick having to drag out a SS to do one cut, drill one hole, turn a piece down another .005 and then wheel it back. But it gets even older when you realize your drill is over there, your nut and bolt collection is over here and the chisel you need to clean up the tear out or way over there.

In the case of issue #2 I haven't found a good solution. Right now I forced to assemble something and either temporary fasten it so it be staged or allow time for the glue to set so I can remove the clamps. What I need is less work bench and more assembly tables. That is why I keep looking at my workbench with a jaundiced eye.

I'm getting more and more convinced the old work traditional work bench has little or no place in a modern shop where most things are done by power or jigs. Long gone is the need for a bench where one could stand for days at a time hand planning wood to size or hand cutting hundreds of dove tails. Today we run the wood through the planner or chuck the wood in dovetail jig and zip out drawers. Oh sure those old traditional workbenches look good and their intriacy of design and finish spoke of the craftsman's abilities.

I see multiple tables like Kreg or Festool MFT type tables as a better solution to modern wood working. Give me something that allows me to adjust the height, so I don't break my back while working on the project. And something that allows me to clamp, regisiter, or align my project on it and I see it a ton more useful than a "workbench". Give me multiple tables so I can continue working while I have something staged or waiting for the glue to set.

My opinion.



Such input is greatly appreciated and much of it matches the thoughts I have been having.
I do like a "workbench" for hand planing etc because I like doing some of those types of jobs but if I want / need to get things done I use about all power tools. I hope I can have a good mix. I do hope to make a little money out of this shop by next winter. I don't have to but it would be nice to feel I could "justify" spending on more toys if I want them. :) I just enjoy the work.
I also enjoy western boot rebuilding but I don't think I'm going to have time to get that up and running this year. Just too many things I want to do. :rolleyes:
The rain has kept me away from gardening this spring until today. I plowed a large garden down behind an barn I own down the road for a daughter and son-in-law who live in town. I could bale hay this week if it would back off of the rain... We are going to add a 4th horse to the stable since the other 3 are not consuming money fast enough. ;) I'm going to pull my old motorcycle out of its winter home this afternoon so I can get it ready to go for the summer.
Too much world out there, not enough me to work it all in...
I need to go look at a golf cart tomorrow and I don't even play golf. :D

[robinson46176]

We had a couple of booths at a local mall type flea market where we were buying stuff at yard sales and selling it for a profit (sort of). :) We just closed it down this month after the owners raised the booth rent on everybody by about 25%...
Anywho... I now have several fixtures that we had accumulated to display our wares that may be pretty useful in the woodshop. Two older rather rough shelf units on wheels that I bought some time ago may just become a pair of tool storage towers with a little re-making. They are just over 6' tall, 2' deep and about 40" wide. I bought them for $20 each from someone who moved out earlier because I couldn't buy the lumber and heavy casters for that.
I thought about just ripping them apart and building from the casters up but I don't really want to spend that much time on them now so I will just use the basic frames and go from there. I'll post some pictures as they evolve.
Here are a couple of pictures in the rough.

http://picasaweb.google.com/robinson46176/Woodshop02?authkey=Gv1sRgCKSd5PH2rOTUoQE#534400778 4202266194

http://picasaweb.google.com/robinson46176/Woodshop02?authkey=Gv1sRgCKSd5PH2rOTUoQE#534400777 5118659298

[ryanbp01]

Rule #1 in shop planning: There never is enough room
Rule #2: Nevern forget Rule #1

BPR

[robinson46176]

Rule #1 in shop planning: There never is enough room
Rule #2: Nevern forget Rule #1

BPR

"The stuff will expand to fill any space that is available."
"The jobs being done will always take as long as the time that is available."
-
I once had a fair sized store operation in a waaay too small store building. It was the most efficient location I ever had.
I later had a couple of different locations where I had space to waste. I generally wasted it... :D Every work station was so far away from the next that I about ran myself to death working. "Stuff" also kept piling up in the corners.

[kd6vpe]

Well first of all I'd like to thank everyone of you on this forum. You have taught me so much and inspired me in my pursuit of woodworking. Because of you guys/gals I have built some thing for SHMBO and she has now approved the new shop build. It from Lowes their 16'x16'x16' two story building. This will be my summer project. I will post pictures when I can of course my 43 kbs phone connection makes it hard to post a bunch at one time. Thank you again.