Workshop Layout Advice Needed

[Scott Wigginton]

Calling out for some fresh eyes to checkout my proposed shop plan. I've been tinkering and toying with my layout for a long time, sometimes subtle changes as I've seen new ideas, sometimes major changes as I've bought bigger toys. I'm open to any and all suggestions so please let me know what you think!

Proposed Layout
Wood Shop Layout Plan 1.jpg

It's a detached garage that has been added onto several times (the last by me for the room with the DC/compressor and the fridge/grill rooms accessible form the outside only). The side with the Jointer/Planer is only 4' tall at the wall and the concrete floor is 3/8" proud of the main slab. The Assembly table sits on a raise brick area for what was probably a wood stove.

My original plan was to be able to fold down my extension table on my TS and roll it up tight to the assembly table but the concrete next to the bricks has been sloppily patched and prevents the mobile base from rolling in. I've hit it with a sledge to no avail and could try a jack hammer attachment for my compressor but worry about the slab underneath (it gives a distinct hollow ring when hit, indicating it might not be solid).

Lumber storage is a major issue with this small space. Right now I have a rack on the back wall over the doorway and that barely stores half of my solid lumber (sheet goods currently sit covered up in my carport). I was thinking of building a sheet cart like the one in the pic below but wonder if that space could be better used.


20000901_Garage_Storage_page002img001.jpg

Another lumber storage solution I have looked at is the one seen below, perhaps modified to fit a miter saw's depth for the lower shelf (plus adds lots more solid lumber storage). But then I have to roll the TS to get to the lumber, plus I have height issues if I want to cut sheet goods on the TS and clearance/support issues for cutting long boards on the CMS.

20030201_Small_Shop_Tips_page003img002.jpg

Currently the backroom with the Shop Vac, the DC room, and the Grill room are all overflowing with non-woodworking tools/misc. storage and I haven't even moved the Shaper, Cyclone, or Compressor in those spaces yet, I'm doing my best to keep the main area dedicated to woodworking so space really is at a premium and you'll probably notice cabinet space is not really present in the current layout.

I don't have photos here at work, but here are some older photos with a lot less tools.

Like it? Hate it? Think I should format C and start all over? A new building is not an option for a decade or two so hit me with some good ideas!


-Scott

[Brian Willan]

Scott

Is it possible to find some other space for the "holiday storage" room contents and then blow out the 2 interior walls and reclaim that space for the shop? If you can do that then you could move the mitre saw cabinet to the back wall and then build in your lumber storage under it like you show in that in photo.

How much effort would it take to reclaim the space for the compressor room and the grill room for the shop? You mentioned that those rooms were additions to the building leading me to think that the interior walls of those would be structural. If this is do able then I would consider moving the moving the grill and extra fridge there elsewhere, move the compressor room to the grill room and reclaim the compressor room for the shop.

If you can't do either of those ideas, I would spin the tablesaw around 180 degrees so the outfeed side is closer to the garage door. Perhaps you could incorporate the workbench as the outfeed for your tablesaw. If the heights workout that is.

Your space certainly does provide some challenges for shop layout.

Cheers

Brian

[Scott Wigginton]

The walls to the grill/compressor areas are indeed structural. I already removed a partial load-bearing wall with a 2x12 header to open up the jointer/planer area.

I highly doubt I can lose the holiday storage, but I had not considered knocking out the wall to the shop vac room, I'll look at what options that could open up when I get some free time tomorrow.

[Michael Gibbons]

Could you take/post a photo of the space? Maybe put the wood storage in the room with the shop vac by standing pieces on end or hang the wood storage from the ceiling leaving the floor underneath open? Switch places with the workbench and the jointer and planer. You could probably hang the garden tools fron custom made racks in the ceiling since you only use those a few months out of the year anyways.

[Scott Wigginton]

My daughter got a toy workbench for Christmas which LOML insists must remain in the garage, I told her it wouldn't fit unless I could remove those back walls.

My daughter's happiness is obviously a more compelling argument than my happiness and this time LOML relented ... within 2 hours I was knocking down drywall for fear of a change of heart

Now that I have more room I've made some changes that open things up a lot, including removing the additional plywood storage area (it just made things too crammed).

Wood Shop Layout Plan 2.jpg

Since the backwall is just shy of 12' I was thinking of positioning the CMS so I can have 6' 3" clearance on the left and 5' on the right. I don't expect to need many boards over 6' and this'll let me cut 10' boards in half. Another option would be to flip the CMS to the long wall which would open its cut range even wider

I also changed the folding outfeed table to a permanent one (with shelving or roll out storage underneath). The lumber racks will be over the sheet cart and the CMS (removed for visibility).

Let me know what you think of this new layout.

Thanks


-Scott

[Brian Willan]

Since the backwall is just shy of 12' I was thinking of positioning the CMS so I can have 6' 3" clearance on the left and 5' on the right. I don't expect to need many boards over 6' and this'll let me cut 10' boards in half. Another option would be to flip the CMS to the long wall which would open its cut range even wider

Looking good Scott.

Good thing you made those changes before your wife changed her mind. ;-)

I would be inclined to move the CMS to the long wall for greatest cut range possible. You know how our friend Murphy operates when you constrain your cut capacity.

Cheers

Brian

[Scott Wigginton]

So the walls are down and the new subpanel is almost installed. While tearing down the walls I saved the last four ceiling joists making a shallow loft for small item storage (not much clearance up there)

I've been tossing around the idea of rotating the TS 180deg and moving it to the other wall and creating a large lumber storage wall and pulling my jointer in front of it.

Here is my latest idea for a layout following that train of thought, please keep feeding me any suggestions etc.


Wigginton Woodshop v2.jpg