Help me rearange my shop-Gorilla arrives Tomorrow!

[Jim Becker]

I am planning on using some cardboard boxes to represent the various tools before I actually move them. Plus. I have a wooden plywood floor with crawl space. So bolting things down is not really a problem.

Excellent! (Both the boxes to help figure things out and the wood floor! I'm jealous!!!!)

However, I am also planning on running the ducting to the TS, Jointer, and maybe the virtual BS under the floor. So I had better get things where I want them before cutting a big 6" hole in the floor. I really don't want to turn around the jointer because I would have to walk around to the other side of it coming from the TS, and turning around the planer would mean a longer walk from the lumber rack. What to do, what to do????? What would you do?

You need to arrange this so that it accomodates you best for the way you work. I don't tend to visit the lumber rack during planing sessions since I pull all the material at once and batch process most of the time. I face joint, thickness, edge joint and then rip in that order so the rack location doesn't matter. But that's how I work. Your needs may be different.

[Larry Browning]

I think this is it!!
I tweeked the placement of the jointer and planer and added feed direction indicators. I think the next step will be to simulate this arrangement with boxes and whatever I can find. I should be able to tell how things are going to work. I am sure there will be a little more tweeking here and there. I will try to take pictures of my progress. However, I think the very next thing I should do is clean up the scrap wood pile over in the top left corner by the lumber rack (not represented in the drawing) I will get a couple plastic 55gal drums for my cutoff bins. Which should go a long way in organizing that mess.

Anyway, I want to thank everyone who has contributed to this thread so far. I think it has been both informative and entertaining. I know I could not have come up with this layout on my own.

Larry

[Frank Pellow]

Frank,
One of the reasons I built my shop so large was that I would not need mobile bases. I had always had my shop in the garage with things on mobile bases and I hated having to take the time to set everything up, and then just a few hours later put everything back in it's place. I longed for a place that I could setup the tools and LEAVE THEM THERE. Plus, I think that I can achieve better dust collection by not having flex hose and attaching the ducting directly to the machine. I decided to leave the planer on a mobile base so that I can move it away from the jointer for maintenance. I am planning on bolting the jointer to the floor. But mostly, it is just a psychological thing with me. This is my hobby, my shop. I have always said that if we can afford it, we should do exactly what we want to, without having to justify what we WANT by saying it's what we NEED. I don't NEED any of this, I WANT it. I have been in this situation where I can afford a few things that I want for only a few years and I am enjoying it. And what I WANT is a shop where I can bolt things to the floor. Sorry for the rant, I hope I didn't offend you, that was not my intention, but you asked.

Larry

Thanks for the explanation Larry and, of course, there is no offence taken.

It's good that you have the confidence to know that your machines are going to permanently placed the way the you want them. Even, if I had your space, I would not have your confidence.

[John Miliunas]

Larry, I concur! Me thinks you may have the most efficient layout for your particular situation. Looks GREAT! And, most importantly, you still have plenty of room for....for......Well, you know: More tools!

[Harvey Chute]

Larry,
Your latest design incorporates a lot of collective wisdom from this group. Would you mind if I posted your shop plan as an example layout - - to make it available for other woodworkers who use Visio? To do so I would need the Visio file.
(I hope this isn't breaking any forum rules of etiquette.)
Thanks for launching an interesting thread for those of us interested in shop layout (which seems to be all of us, right!??!!)
- Harvey

[markgoodall]

Where did you get the woodworking / machinery images from.

I use Visio alot, but for network diagramming, etc. I've never thought about using it like this for workshop layout. Good idea.

[Harvey Chute]

You can download the woodworking Visio stencils from http://home.comcast.net/~hchute/woodshop_visio.htm- Harvey