New Shop Layout in Old Barn

[NICK BARBOZA]

Morning all,
My wife and I just bought a new house and moved in over Labor Day weekend. I'm now mostly caught up on the house projects and winter weather is setting in here in Maine; so I can start thinking about building out my new shop space. The property has a nice ol' gambrel barn that is 40'd x 50'w. There are three garage doors which will remain and be used for vehicles/toys/lawn equipment etc... The back half of the barn consists of 4 horse stalls a tack room and the aisle which will create my new shop.

The total square footage is approximately 960sf; which is twice what I had at our old house. Previously I did not have the 16" jointer in my basement shop, it was our detached garage. And before anybody asks the question "why do you have two jointers?" - my 8" delta jointer was won in a Rockler contest and its safety guard is signed by Norm when my dad and I got to meet him in the NYW in 2009. Following that I found the 16" jointer for sale locally and it was a deal I couldnt refuse... I'm not sold on the idea of 2 jointers, but I can't stomach getting rid of either one. Also, at this point I don't yet own the radial arm saw, but I plan to purchase a 16" DeWalt this weekend.

I've attached a few shots of the barn and my current thoughts on the layout. Please feel free to comment on my layout. Ask questions, it forces me to rethink my plans and confirm I'm headed in the right direction.

Cheers,
NWB
new shop layout 02 112415.jpgnew shop layout 01 112415.jpgnew shop layout 112415.jpgIMG_0068.jpg

[Mike Ontko]

That's a great looking barn, and it should make a great shop space. We're looking for something similar with space for her horse and for my shop, but hopefully with a house that doesn't require a complete teardown and rebuild.

What shape are the floor and structure in, and will it take you long to take care of the basics (insulation, wall coverings, electrical, and DC ducting) before you can begin setting up tools? Looking at your initial plans, I don't see a dedicated space for finishing--would you be using the workbench space by the short (11' 6") wall for that?

[NICK BARBOZA]

Mike,
We lucked out with the house. It was vacant for 3-4 years and didn't take too much to get it back on line within a few weeks of purchase (I work in construction).

Structure is in good shape. I plan to apply 3" rigid foam on the floor then two layers of 3/4" OSB. Then I'll have to frame exterior walls, do wiring then wall and ceiling treatment. At this point I'm leaning towards T&G pine (cheap and plentiful locally). My plan is to get the table saw and RAS/chop saw as soon as possible - as soon as the floor is down so that I can use them for the fit out.I'll also be upgrading the service to 200amps to the house and then bringing 100amps to this building.

I also forgot to mention the ceiling height in the shop will be +/-8'6".

At this point I don't have dedicated space for finishing. I'm pretty accustom to finishing in my shop as that's what I did previously. However, I'm thinking down the road I will probably add an area for finishing upstairs on the second floor. There is basically the same square footage up there as down stairs. Standing on the second floor there is about 25' to the ridge...

[Bill McNiel]

Nick,
Congratulations, great digs.
My $.02 FWIW. Your shop layout should reflect workflow. That begins with where does material come in, where is it stored, where is it rough processed/milled, where are the individual pieces fabricated,where are the parts assembled and then egress for the finished project. I find it is really advantageous to have your workbench adjacent to a window (good light, a view is a nice reprieve now and then and is a proven stress reliever for both the soul and the eyes).

BTW- we live and work in a 100 year old barn.

[Brian Tymchak]

Sweet setup Nick. I'm pretty jealous, being restricted to a cramped basement set up.

Bill's comment wrt work flow is spot on. The few things that quickly stood out to me wrt your plan:

• no lumber storage - you mentioned that you had 8' ish ceiling height. You must have a 2nd floor over your shop? also make some accommodation to store sheet goods
• location of workbench - this is a personal choice, but I find that my bench is the center of activity in my shop, so it is pretty much centrally located. Not only do I do hand work, assemble, and tinker there, it also is a temporary landing spot for pieces as I mill them on the power machines. Maybe with your outfeed set up on the TS, that will serve that purpose.
• I'd be tempted to to use that little wing where you have the workbench as a finishing room. Set up some through the wall ventilation, hang a blocking curtain, add some good light.

Good luck with your shop!

[Jim Andrew]

Cool barn. Would be nice to have garage space and wood shop space in the same building. What are your plans for the loft?

[NICK BARBOZA]

Bill & Brian,
-I'm figuring out the workflow piece, trying to analyze how i've worked in the past. The increased efficiency I'll realize here is by having similar machines near each other. Previously my jointer and planer were 10-12 steps away from each other, my jointer and planer shared an outlet, my TS and BS shared an outlet. My drum sander had to be pulled out every time i wanted to use it... Not to mention switching my single dust collection hose from machine to machine EVERY time I switched tasks. I'm sure I'll modify things once I 'live' in the space for a while, but I've got to start somewhere, right?
-On the topic of lumber storage, I plan to utilize lumber racks up high along the walls in several locations for material to be used 'immediately'. I have PLENTY of long term storage for wood-hoarding on the second floor of the loft - may even build a third story.
-As for workbench location, I've done that because i've tried to separate my machines from my handwork. Also, all of the machines that are shown in the bay where the barn door is are mobile. This is so that I can back my boat (my dad's vintage Boston Whaler) directly into the shop while I restore it; and possibly more boats someday down the road. Open space is something i lacked in my last shop, so I'm trying to take advantage of it now.
-My finishing processes tend to work fine within the shop not requiring a dedicated finishing space at this time.

Jim,
At the moment the loft is strictly storage, both for the shop & lumber etc but also for the family (bikes, kayaks etc..). I am considering creating a dedicated finishing space up there someday. being upstairs would be inconvenient, but its square footage that I already own...

Cheers,
NWB

[Don Jarvie]

A couple of thoughts. Switch around the TS and outfeed table so the table faces the workbench area. You can use the outfeed table as an assembly table. Put 110 and 220 plugs all around the shop and put at least 1 30 amp on each wall. You will eventually move machines around so by having plugs all over the place makes this easy.

Dont skimp on the lights and add in spot lights over tools and your bench. Also wire for any ceiling fans. If you build benches for the RAS, etc put storage underneath.

Before you close up the walls add a few outlets on the exterior of the building. They always come in handy.

[Charles Lent]

I've been in two shops with double layer OSB flooring and the OSB was flaking apart, even though it had several coats of floor and deck paint. I would go with a better surface for the top layer if it was mine, at least real plywood or hard wood. Heavy tools will really break up the OSB.

Charley

[Thomas Canfield]

I did not see a drill press on you layout and I find that a good floor stand drill press takes planning for location but is very valuable. You might also give consideration to the running of dust collection ducts. The dust collection is a long way from tools, and 8'6" height gets reduced where duct is run out in middle of shop. Also light fixtures and placement should be planned.

Some floor underlayment is available in 1" thickness and is much stronger. I find that the standard 3/4" OSB is pretty flimsy and surface does not hold up to traffic. Using 2 sheets with adhesive bond between sheets would be stronger, but there is still the surface issue.

[NICK BARBOZA]

Charley,
I was just having a conversation about the flooring finishes the other day with someone I work with. I think we decided that a single layer of the OSB for now, possibly paint it. Then, down the road when budget allows I'd could add a finished floor. Right now, my thought is to go with a rustic or camp grade hardwood flooring. It will be a pain to install once the shop is set up, but i think its the best option for me at this time.
Cheers,
NWB

[NICK BARBOZA]

Thomas,
You are correct. I did not place my drill press on the plan. I currently have a benchtop model, with hopes of acquiring a floor standing model at some point. I will likely place it near the workbench on the lower cabinet w/ trays.
I have a pretty good idea of how I would like to run the ductwork for my DC, utilizing a main trunk line and branches off of it. Light fixtures will be 2'x4' T8 florescent surface mounted and I've got plenty of them that came out of one of my projects at work (they were headed for the dumpster...). I'll likely install 3-4 fixtures per bay for a total of 20-24 fixtures on at least 2 switches.
Another good point on flooring finish. I think one layer for now and then some hardwood down the road will be the best route for longevity and aesthetic.
Cheers,
NWB

[Don Jarvie]

I used 1 layer of OSB on my floor on top of 2x4 sleepers flat on top of a slab and its held up fine. There's been a little chipping here and there but nothing that would require a replacement. I put it down over 7 years ago and I'm out there every day.

I put a few coats of deck paint on it. It could use another paint job but it still looks fine.

[NICK BARBOZA]

So, last night I started the demolition of the horse stalls where my shop is going to be and I had a thought. I'm considering rotating the RAS station 90* to be along the north wall instead of the east wall. My reasoning is that I'm right handed and most of the time, when the situation allows it, I like to have the work piece to the left of the chop saw/RAS (waste to the right). By rotating the station It allows me limitless length to the left side.
The only downside I see with this configuration is the 'pinch point' between the RAS station and the corner of the outfeed table.
Your comments are, as always, more than welcome!

new shop layout 05.jpg

[John K Jordan]

>Light fixtures will be 2'x4' T8 florescent

You might consider T5 fluorescent instead of T8. They are more expensive but they put out a LOT more light. One thing I really like is the electronic ballasts are configured so you can easily add a secondary switch to control two of the bulbs in each fixture separately, i.e., when I hit the light switch just two of the four bulbs in all those fixtures come on. If I need more light I flip a secondary switch that turns on the other two bulbs. This gives me even light for normal use but only uses all the bulbs when I really need the light.

I've used them for three years now with no issues.

In my 24x62 shop I have lights on 7 different circuits so I can leave most of the lights off until I need them in a particular area. For example, I have different circuits for the lath area, office, main shop, wood storage, welding, etc.

And a very useful addition: I installed one circuit that turns on a string of lower-brightness lights all the way through the shop and through several rooms. This gives me enough light to walk through the entire shop, fetch tools, and check on things without turning on the bright work lights.

JKJ