Shop layout suggestions?

[Andrew Levine]

So I just replaced my dewalt planer with a grizzly 15" planer. The dewalt planer was previously on a flip cart with my ridgid OSS/Belt sander. I need to find a permanent home for the planer in my small shop (12x24). Any suggestions?

Not in this picture is my dewalt miter saw and my OSS - i could squeeze them in somewhere I hope.

Attached a couple .jpg files.

Here is a link to a sketchup file:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/tmv6cv19dazxzop/Shop.skp?dl=0

Thanks.

[Peter Aeschliman]

Hi Andrew,

Looks like you're most of the way there with your modeling- why not just add in your sander and miter saw and play around with it a bit? That's the glory of doing a 3D model like you have- it affords you the opportunity to do guess-and-check.

That said, in a shop your size, I definitely recommend putting your jointer and planer on mobile bases if you haven't already. It opens up tons of possibilities for you. For example, if your jointer is on a mobile base, you could build your miter saw station along the wall where the jointer is in your diagram. The cutting table would go over the jointer, and the jointer would nest underneath it when it's not in use. When you need it, you can roll it out in the area where "you" are standing in your model, on a diagonal to the room to maximize infeed/outfeed capacity. With your planer where it currently sits, I imagine you will also have no choice but to roll it out into that same area in order to get enough room for infeed/outfeed.

If you already have a flip top for your sander, why not keep it? I'll venture to guess that it's your least-used machine out of what I see in the picture, so depending on how tall your flip top base is, you could nest it underneath your miter saw station as well.

Just a few initial reactions.

[Mike Wilkins]

Option 1 looks more effecient. I have always had the right side tablesaw table against the wall, as my shop is 16' wide, giving me more middle of the shop access. Option 1 planer location looks ideal since you need lots of infeed/outfeed room. You could place the jointer on a mobile base and place it back against the wall when done. Most small shops work better with mobility added to the major machines; move them out of the way when done.

[Peter Aeschliman]

Mike, I must be losing it. Aren't the two screenshots identical with the exception of a different viewing angle?

[Kent A Bathurst]

Mike, I must be losing it. Aren't the two screenshots identical with the exception of a different viewing angle?

Peter: Yes, you are. And - Yes, they are. Two separate and distinct issues, tho..........

Mike - the important question I would ask : How much lumber and how much ply do you typically have hanging around? And - where will it be in this scheme? I assume it will be coming in the garage door.........

The machines are there solely to deal with the wood fiber, so that has to be part of the planning, IMO - storage and material flow.


BTW - In my shop, something had to give, so that was the planer. Least used among the Big Three: TS, jointer, planer. It is on wheels, tucked away, rolls out 5' - 6' to a waiting flex hose and suspended overhead 240v receptacle. Zero to 60 is about 30 seconds - to get it fired up and ready to eat wood.