234 Square Foot Shop...

[Steven McLeavin]

Anyone ever work in such a small place? without wanting to kill yourself? It's only temporary, but I think I can make it work. If anyone has some space saving suggestions I'd appreciate it. But I do have access to a large deck right outside the door where I can cut plywood and other things like that. Thanks for any input!

[Mark Norman]

Depends on what yer making...for pens it would do just fine. for cabinets it would be a bit cramped.

[Bryan Hosford]

put everything on wheels, and put up a lot of shelves. small spaces can work fine, just need the space for what your working on. I wheel out the tool, do the work, put it back.

[Mike Henderson]

My shop is 10' by 11' (110 sq feet) and I manage to turn out furniture (see my web site). It's part of the third bay of a three car garage. When I work on something big, I park my car outside until I finish it. Only buy wood when you need it.

Mike

[Steven McLeavin]

My shop is 10' by 11' (110 sq feet) and I manage to turn out furniture (see my web site). It's part of the third bay of a three car garage. When I work on something big, I park my car outside until I finish it. Only buy wood when you need it.

Mike

wow you make all that in a 10 x 11?? makes me feel better!

[David Hostetler]

I am gathering information on space saving tips and tricks for small shops on another forum... bt3central.com search for thread #45691.

I just hope I can eventually finish my shop, but I have come to the realization that will most likely never happen... A workshop seems to be a living constanty evolving thing... (Add this, remove that, move this here, or there...).

What i Have figured out, is stuff to big to pick up, make it mobile on mobile bases except the lathe of course... I am working on elminating or at least creating storage in metal tool stands...

(My apologies to the mods... I must have missed that piece in the TOS...)

[Steven McLeavin]

cool, thanks David!

[Bob Noles]

I get by pretty good in mine which is only 12 X 17.

http://s107.photobucket.com/albums/m292/bnoles616/Shop/

[Prashun Patel]

Anyone ever work in such a small place? without wanting to kill yourself? It's only temporary, but I think I can make it work. If anyone has some space saving suggestions I'd appreciate it. But I do have access to a large deck right outside the door where I can cut plywood and other things like that. Thanks for any input!

My new 'large' shop is about as big as yours. Here's my suggestions:

- put as many of yr big tools on mobile carts (including yr dc)
- If yr center is a tablesaw, look for ways to use the space under the cabinet, under the outfeed table, and under the right or left xt wings. You can make a double duty outfeed/assembly table. I also like keeping my benchtop planer under the table saw xt wing. I don't mind squatting and it actually makes outfeed support for it easier.
- Look for ways to use the ceiling for storage.

[Andrew Joiner]

My last commercial wood shop was 3200 sq'. I retired and thought I was done with woodworking. Got the bug again and build a 12x13' shop and I was in it 4 years. I now have a new 1200 sq' shop.

The good side of my small shop? The table saw was in the center and everything was 1 step away. Nothing was on wheels. No walking 20 steps to get a wrench. Small kinda forces you to be efficient. When a job was done it had to go out the door so I could move.

The best tips for small shops :
Keep all your storage up high off the floor so you have swing clearance for big stuff and floorspace to store and build things. Build your workbenches the same height as the table saw.
In fact it works so well I have the same concept in my 1200' shop. A work island of a table saw surrounded by workbenches. The (nice) problem with the big shop is my island is surrounded by more clutter cause I have room now!

[David Hostetler]

Bob,

Not meaning to steal this thread, but...

That is one SERIOUSLY nice shop you have in that 12x17. I have a 12x16 Gambrel barn on paper I am waiting on budget and HOA waiver for... I only hope and pray it comes out halfway as nice as your shop!

[Bill Houghton]

Don't have anything in the shop that's not earning its way, preferably constantly.

If I could just apply that lesson to my shop (121 square feet, 11x11 - and it holds the house and car maintenance tools, too - at least it's an improvement on earlier years, when it had a 21 cubic foot upright freezer in it), I'd have half again more room.

[Roger Jensen]

I have a 266 sq ft shop I use for hobby work (14x19). My #1 tip would be to build a separate shed/structure for storing lumber and sheet goods. They consume a huge amount of space in your shop. Here is the shop I built in my backyard:

http://share.shutterfly.com/view/fla...1AYuWzdk1aMnbA

I'm replacing the separate planer/jointer with a Hammer combo unit.

Roger

[Rick Gifford]

Well my shop is 11X20 so thats 220 sq ft. I wish it was eight times larger!

The cramped area does drive me nuts at times. Someday I will have a shop I dont have to re-arrange for each step of a job.

Better than my last work area, wich was only 5' X 7' - 35 sq ft. Just had a bench and a lathe. Benchtop tools I would move in and out.

Come to think of it, 220 sq ft isnt so bad after all

[Jim O'Dell]

If you want some ideas for a small shop, see this link and the video tour. http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=41634 Stu used to be a member here, and I consider him to get the most per square foot. He now has a Saw Stop down there!! Jim.