Setting up a Makerspace (Layout help)

[Mike C Peck]

Hi all!

My employer declared bankruptcy about 3 months ago and it forced me to think about what I want to do next. Making things, and helping others make things has been my passion for quite some time, and I'm ready to make it my profession (was a software developer).

I'm in the process of setting up a makerspace in my community, and have a lead on a location but am having trouble with the layout of the potential shop area. I've worked and laid out smaller shops (2 car garage), but would love some help/opinions on the layout of a larger location. The location has a lot going for it (lots of power, good parking, good traffic, options to expand), but am limited to about 3000sq ft initially.

I mocked up a potential layout with the equipment we either already have, or plan to purchase before opening. Any layout critiques or ideas? Going to be a very exciting couple months!!!

skitch.jpg

[Eric DeSilva]

I use a maker space (TechShop) near me for metal work and some other things, so I'l throw out a couple comments based on that:
- The more "popular" items I see being used are the laser engravers and electronics. I know you have an area dedicated for electronics/textiles/retail, but it seems an afterthought.
- No finishing room?
- There is also a long, narrow hallway above the metal shop--is that the bathroom or a hall to the bathroom? If the latter, I'd think about reconfiguring to avoid that much dead space.
- Do you have infeed/outfeed room for the drum sander? Looks limited by the bandsaw.
- Do you contemplate welders? You would want an area that could be curtained off for that.
- Looks like you should rotate your horizontal bandsaw in the metal shop--looks like the length of what you can cut would be limited by the wall.
- Any space for rental lockers so people can store projects? Extra income and may encourage people to use the space.

[Mike C Peck]

Thanks for the reply Eric! I'd love to visit a TechShop in person, but they are quite a distance from us.

-The 600 sqft room for electronics, laser engraver and 3d printing is certainly not an afterthought as we understand they are the most used tools in these type of spaces. We have the layout/bench ideas for that area pretty well defined, and certainly wanted it separate from the rest of the shop space.
-We'd love the have a finishing room, but am a bit concerned about the space it takes up initially. There is an additional 1500sqft potentially opening up adjacent to this space that could provide an opportunity for expansion to allow a finishing room. The 3 spaces we visited in Seattle all lacked a finishing room, but do you think having a 10x10 room in our space would be worth the loss of other useable space?
-That is a hallway to the bathroom, and I agree about the dead space. Perhaps we make the hallway bigger to accommodate more locker storage.
-The drumsander is on casters, was thinking it could be wheeled out when in use. Or put it alongside the planer for a more permanent location...
-Yes, we will have mig/tig welders available in the metal shop. Perhaps we can move the welding tables closer together near the door to allow a protective curtain to separate?
-Yes, the horizontal bandsaw should be rotated for sure. It is also on casters to be more mobile.
-Lockers are a must! There are a few back storage rooms we are looking at converting into lockers, as well as a potential use of shipping containers outside the space for larger storage. It has been a 3month search to find a location that could work for this, and this is the best option we have at the moment. I certainly see storage/locker space to become a pressing issue as the membership grows.

Any other comments from your TechShop experience that you can share would be a great asset and thanks for the feedback!

[NICK BARBOZA]

This sounds like a great idea for any community. Please note that I have never worked in a 'public' workshop like this so take my comments with that in mind:

-Wouldn't you want the work benches closer to the 'benchtools storage'? perhaps move the storage onto the lower right corner of the woodshop along the metal shop wall....
-there seems to be excessive open space the the north of the table saw. if things were moved around a little you could probably squeeze at least one more bench in there.
-I would keep the bandsaws near each other. personal preference.

Good Luck!
NWB

[Eric DeSilva]

-The 600 sqft room for electronics, laser engraver and 3d printing is certainly not an afterthought as we understand they are the most used tools in these type of spaces. We have the layout/bench ideas for that area pretty well defined, and certainly wanted it separate from the rest of the shop space.

Makes sense. Wasn't sure what the intent was there. In my local TechShop, they have a bunch of general purpose benches in those areas as well--project space. But sounds like you have a plan already.

-We'd love the have a finishing room, but am a bit concerned about the space it takes up initially. There is an additional 1500sqft potentially opening up adjacent to this space that could provide an opportunity for expansion to allow a finishing room. The 3 spaces we visited in Seattle all lacked a finishing room, but do you think having a 10x10 room in our space would be worth the loss of other useable space?

This may be personal, but I did like the fact that my TechShop had a small finishing area. While I have a basement shop for woodworking at home, ventilation to the outside for spraying is a problem. If you have any space you can leave empty at opening, maybe the thing to do is to survey your initial members on how they want the space used, with a finishing area as an option.

-That is a hallway to the bathroom, and I agree about the dead space. Perhaps we make the hallway bigger to accommodate more locker storage.

I like that idea. Provides a lot of space for projects, I'd think. And even if it is in a corridor, doesn't need to be super inviting if all people are doing is using it for storage.

-Yes, we will have mig/tig welders available in the metal shop. Perhaps we can move the welding tables closer together near the door to allow a protective curtain to separate?

You might think about whether they can be consolidated in a corner--that might give you isolation options as well. The TechShop near me has welding curtains on rails--like you see in the ER, but thick blue plastic that blocks most of the light--that can be moved in place or out of the way as needed.

Looking at the picture again, I wonder if you have given each machine too much space. In our shop, the 4x8 Shopbot is jammed in a corner, since it really doesn't need access on 3 sides. And the workbenches are a lot closer together. While having lots of space around you is nice, it may not be 100% necessary.

You have a lot of vertical space with the 14' ceilings. Wonder if you can do anything with that? Maybe put some storage or something up high?

[Jim Andrew]

Is there a tablesaw in your shop? If so, I would position it so that a kickback will not throw a board toward other tools where someone could have their back to the saw and not see a board flying toward them. When I was in college, a boy was killed in a highschool near here by a board flying from a table saw. Not that I have heard of it happening since then.

[Mike C Peck]

Finishing Area: I added a 10x10 room in the corner. It seems like it may work...

Vertical Space: We are thinking about if building a mezzanine over some of the areas to provide storage would be a good idea. Perhaps over the finishing room/sanding/bandsaw wall would be a good start. As long as the posts don't get in the way too much.

Free space around each tool: Agreed, that is a hard thing to sense on paper for me. We are thinking of spending a lot of time and blue tape laying it out on the floor in life size once we can get in there. Just need a starting point....

Tablesaw: Yes, we are planning a Sawstop, and the way it is currently oriented, there would be no tools behind it (good idea!).

Attached the updated drawing..

Grizzly_Industrial®_Workshop_Planner.png

[Mike Heidrick]

What about going 16' tall and doing a loft too.
Also consider lighting.
Also check into insurance.

[Dan Hintz]

Whatever you do, remember you will potentially have a lot of people milling around in a small space with a lot of active equipment... design your layout so tool safety is by definition, not active thought. You don't want someone backing into a bandsaw because they are following their piece across the jointer, etc. When you're the only one in the shop, it doesn't much matter where individual tools sit, as long as you can get around them with materials... with other people there, make sure the traffic flow doesn't impede safe operation for either the operator or "spectators".

[Jason Kowell]

- The more "popular" items I see being used are the laser engravers and electronics.

That is certainly the case with our Makerspace. While the 3D printers are great for attracting attention to the space, the laser cutter almost immediately became the most popular machine. Part of it is that that a lot of people want to play around with one, but are put off when they find out how complicated making computer models are and the slow speed of the printer. Laser cutters are really easy for people to make designs on, so it gets used more frequently.

The one thing we learned very quickly when setting up our building is that no matter how much research and planning you do, you can't really prediction what your clients will do.