shop configuration

[bridger]

I have a new air compressor coming in a few days. it's a stationary upright model that stands 5'ish tall and will replace the horizontal wheeled one that now sits on a shelf above a rollaway tool box. the new machine is too big to go on the shelf, so it'll take up floor space. which is at a premium these days.

eventually I'll have a place for it outside the shop proper, but for now it's indoors. for the short term I'll be removing a shelving unit to make space for it. which means more shuffling of stuff and another box or 3 going into deep storage for a while.

I really need to do a major rearrangement of the shop floorplan. it'll include a long bench or a rolling work station (haven't decided which yet) with stuff like chop saw, miter trimmer, router table, maybe thickness planer in it. the sharpening station isn't working efficiently now, so it may get a workover too.

if I can, I'll get lumber storage off of the main shop floor too. I have a covered breezeway between the house and shop that will get another wall to enclose it a bit better. then the compressor and wood can go out. 'till then, I make do.

[A Womack]

[e-mail] wrote in news: [e-mail]:

No new air compressor, but trying to whip the garage shop into shape. Have to take some photos and make up a floor plan to post the wrec for some help.

Sheet good storage is a problem for me, it takes so much bloody space!

Someday, Someday I might be able to add on and get a finishing room and another space for just lumber storage. But I am sure the wife would like to be able to park in a garage sometime in her lifetime.

Alan

[TWS]

I've always thought that the ideal setup for a small shop would be an attached shed to house the DC and Compressor so they don't take shop floor space. Mostly to get the noise out of the shop but also these are pieces of equipment that you don't *use* in the shop, you *use* the services they provide and these are easily piped in or out.

The biggest considerations would be making sure the air supply is vented from the shop rather than outdoors so the compressor doesn't build up water too quickly and the shop heat/ac is not lost to the outside air from the DC system. Easy outside access to empty the DC system is also important but the room should be otherwise sealed to outside air.

My shop is a temporary setup where everything goes against the wall when I don't have a project in the works. Wood storage is hung from the ceiling and is a PITA if the stock I need is in the lower layers but some things ya just gotta live with. I would need to go with this shed approach if I ever get a DC or upright compressor.

TWS