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Thread: Do y'all give Shop layout advice?

  1. #1

    Do y'all give Shop layout advice?

    I've been meaning to do lots of stuff in my shop, and here lately, it's become a necessity to organize it, or I just won't be able to use it.

    I've meant to finish the wiring on the north wall, put in a chopsaw/radial arm saw table along one wall, put up another lumber rack and cubbies.. etc etc.

    Now I've collected a bunch of spiral pipe, a blower, a dust collector, and bunch of copper pipe and fittings and extra air tank, and a brand new lathe, in addition to the Table saw, jointer, mini lathe, belt sander, scroll saw, band saw, grinder, air compressor, and drill press. Not to mention the wall and base cabinets, bench and two lathes in storage for a friend. (I'm going to have a sale on unused stuff before long!)

    And piles of junk. and lots and lots of wood.

    It's a 16 x 24 building with hardwood floors. The joists are laid on piers. No windows (although I have two I could adapt), and double doors on one end. I bodged together my old HVAC blower into the gable so I have some pretty good ventilation. No isulation or paneling...

    I also have access to a pretty good design program (Cabinet Vision Manufacturing) with which I can locate and size just about anything for the layout...

    I'm puzzled where to put the airlines and the dust collection...


    Any advice?
    Last edited by Jim Underwood; 05-15-2009 at 2:47 PM.

  2. #2
    Jim,
    The only advise that I can give you is to start something in one corner and go from there. Your shop sounds alot like mine did two years ago and I still haven't gotten as much done as I wanted.

    Start setting up the machines in a semi workable order, and use them. You'll soon find out that somethings need to be moved, occasionally a few times. While doing that set up some cabinets and one bench in the aforementioned corner, eventually you will find out what works and what doesn't. Then 3 years later (where I am now) I'm finally setting my big machines into permanent spots so I can set up the dust lines, air lines and even some electrical lines with the stuff that has been hanging around for the last three years. I'm not there yet, and you probably won't be there quickly either, as my shop seems to constantly need changes.

    As the ad says "just do it."

    Good Luck,
    Jimmy

  3. #3
    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Underwood View Post
    I've been meaning to do lots of stuff in my shop, and here lately, it's become a necessity to organize it, or I just won't be able to use it.

    I've meant to finish the wiring on the north wall, put in a chopsaw/radial arm saw table along one wall, put up another lumber rack and cubbies.. etc etc.

    Now I've collected a bunch of spiral pipe, a blower, a dust collector, and bunch of copper pipe and fittings and extra air tank, and a brand new lathe, in addition to the Table saw, jointer, mini lathe, belt sander, scroll saw, band saw, grinder, air compressor, and drill press. Not to mention the wall and base cabinets, bench and two lathes in storage for a friend. (I'm going to have a sale on unused stuff before long!)

    And piles of junk. and lots and lots of wood.

    It's a 16 x 24 building with hardwood floors. The joists are laid on piers. No windows (although I have two I could adapt), and double doors on one end. I bodged together my old HVAC blower into the gable so I have some pretty good ventilation. No isulation or paneling...

    I also have access to a pretty good design program (Cabinet Vision Manufacturing) with which I can locate and size just about anything for the layout...

    I'm puzzled where to put the airlines and the dust collection...


    Any advice?
    I'll post a picture of my shop after I've cleaned it up a bit (tonight's project). This is my third or forth time laying out a home shop (I've GOT to stop moving so much), and regardless of the type of work I'm doing, there's one particular pattern that always works well for me.

    Here's an example of when I was layed out for airplane building...

    http://www.ballofshame.com/flying/rv...g/20060322.php

    It's difficult to see, but everything is layed out in triangles. It'll be more clear when I post my current shop. Triangular layouts look weird at first, but they leave lots of room on the ends of the machines, and lots of room in the middle. For example, in my current shop, the table saw, jointer and bandsaw form a large triangle. Can I chop a 16' board on the table saw? Certainly not, but anything I do that large doesn't need the precision of a table saw or band saw. It's one of these things where you examine your requirements and build to that, instead of planning for worst case...which rarely happens in a home shop!

    Anyhow, that's just what's worked well for me over the years. Maybe it'll give you some ideas, or a different perspective. Most folks push stuff up against walls for some reason or other, and this is just a different way of doing it.

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