Sizing a workshop?

[A. W. Dunstan]

My current 'workshop' is a two-car garage. To work on anything I have to pull one or both cars out, leaving one or both out for the duration of the project or putting everything away every evening. Leaving the cars out makes the wife unhappy, particularly in the winter (Michigan). With both cars in the garage it's a bit of a squeeze just getting in & out of the cars

- there's no room for making sawdust. And there's the whole issue of snow, salt, water, mud etc getting all over everything.

For various reasons we're thinking of moving and one of my criteria for a new house is either the presence of a 'sufficiently large' workshop or enough land on which to build one (plus space for a large garden and some fruit trees). One house we've looked at has a huge outbuilding, but my wife thinks the house is too big. She's fallen in love with another one which has no workspace, but with the possibility of building an outbuilding.

How big a workshop would you recommend? How much room is needed around a table saw? a drill press? a bandsaw?

I don't want to go overboard on space, but I don't want to move and find that it's still not big enough.

I'm definitely an _amateur_ woodworker, so a production workshop isn't needed. I'm not a good woodworker (good enough that I still have all my own fingers), but would like to become better.

I currently have a 3' x 6' workbench, an 8" benchtop tablesaw on a stand, a

10" radial arm saw and two wood lathes (plus sundry hand tools). I plan on upgrading the table saw to either a nice contractor's saw or a hybrid shortly after we move into the new house and getting rid of the old tablesaw (one of our kids wants it, along with one of the lathes). I eventually want to add a drill press, a bandsaw, a planer (maybe a jointer) and dust collection. Dust collection is currently either a shop vac and/or an open garage door, depending on the weather. I'd also like room to store wood, do assembly, finish, etc.

If you have suggestions regarding tools (what kind and which model) that wouldn't be amiss, either.

Thanks for sharing your experience!

al

[RonB]

We just built a house two years ago and I sized the garage for a shop.

- 32' x32' Just over 1,000 square ft.

- Two, 9' Garage doors as opposed to the standard one small/one large door configuration (large doors rob wall space)

- Garage doors are spaced 3' apart with provides for a 4-5' vehicle spacing. This allows placing floor tools and compressor between cars.

- Garage doors are centered on the 32' front allowing about 5' on either side of the door for tools, storage racks, etc.

RonB

[knuttle]

I personal could see a similar arrangement but with one large double door centered on at the first third of the garage. This would leave about 14 X 32" space for my shop, and about a 10 by 20 foot space in front of the cars for the storage of whatever. I also would like an oversize pedestrian door on the driveway side of the garage to be able to get the tractor, snowblower, bicycles, snowmobile out without disturbing the cars.

[RonB]

Agree, if you plan to put three cars in the garage that is needed. We had a 'conventional' 3 car garage at our last home and I had the lathe and a stack of sheet goods up against the small door during the entire 9 years we lived there. That was what led to the two single doors. On one side I have one of the "Sam's" Gorilla metal storage racks with tools, jigs, etc. The other side is the house side but also has my 6 level wood storage rack and a couple or roll around tool boxes.

RonB

[Bill]

How long are the pieces are you planning to make, cut, drill? You don't want to feel cramped, do ya? If you build a shop, build in nice windows...wish I had some.

Gosh, that would really hurt if you had too much space, huh? I don't think it would be a problem though, "squatters" would find it...

Just curious, with your willingness to go through all of the trouble and expense of building a new shop, how come a decent cabinet saw isn't on your list? Are you more of a turner?

BTW, when you are looking at garages and spaces, don't forget to look at their elecrical configuration (capacity for 220v, etc.).

I eventually want

Better not skimp on space!

If you can justify the $3K, look at SawStop tablesaws.

My experience is this is a very friendly place to ask questions! I'm going to school here. Good luck!

Bill

[Lew Hodgett]

RE: Subject

It's "Paper Doll" Time.

AKA: Plant layout using graphical techniques.

Using a pair of scissors and quad paper , cut out scale rectangles including clear space around the tool for each item.

Arrange rectangles as req'd to provide good work flow.

The above dictates the req'd shop size.

Basic plant engineering layout design technique before computers.

Still works.

Lew

[basilisk]

I have never seen a home, commercial, or industrial shop that was too big, make it as big as the pocketbook will allow and add 50%, it will hurt but in the end it will be worth the pinch.

basilisk

[Lee Michaels]

"basilisk" wrote

Agreed.

I have worked in many shops and have had a few of my own. I never had enough space. In fact, on my last house, I extended the garage several feet on one side to add more space.

I also used to build gym equipment and set up a lot of gyms. Same thing there. The gym (shop) was determined by how much space was available. Space is the ultimate luxury. With enough space, you can do almost anything.

And think ceiling height. With both shops and gyms, anything less than ten feet introduces all kinds of compromises.

The more space the better. Trying to use a small space for many different things means spending lots of time moving things around. Being able to dedicate a certain space for a particular function is really nice. Not only is it a time saver, but it makes everything you do more enjoyable.

Build the biggest space possible. And remember, any shop is always in some sort of transition. You make changes, build jigs, buy tools, experiment with different finishes, etc., etc. Whatever you plan is just a starting point. You can always add to it later. Particularly if you have enough space.

And all your friends will envy you!!

[Zz Yzx]

A one-car garage is too small. Trust me.

DAMHIKT.

-Zzl

[Rita and Neil Ward]

Al,

Visit Swingman's web site for inspiration. Also check out "Creating Your Own Woodshop" by Charlie Self.

Enjoy designing and using your new shop!

Neil

[Ecnerwal]

Make it big, insulate the heck out of it, and make sure you can afford to heat it. Compromise on big if needed to maintain the other two - not freezing your behind off in the shop is very valuable in winter, and money spent on insulating will pay back on heating (if spent intelligently).

One other factor that can have ann effect on "needed" shop size is cultivating any neanderthal tendencies you have - working on a board on a bench with tools takes a lot less room than pushing boards through machines. 10+ foot ceilings are good for not whacking boards in to the ceiling, not so good for heat.

Some does depend on what you plan to make - typical board size, etc.

The graph paper cutouts are a good idea, but you still have to have an idea of what stock you might be feeding to get an idea of needed space (16 foot boards through tablesaw/planer/jointer need 32+ feet just for that.)

Don't forget assembly and finish as things that need space but don't have machines to stake it out for them.

[Edward Hennessey]

AD:

I'm adding to the consensus for granting yourself the liberty of more space than you think you need in exchange for later looking back with rueful realization.

Taunton published "The Workshop Book" which you will find an informative treatment. Your climate will counsel you on which of the structural options explored are unadvisable or gospel for your situation. Check Amazon for reviews of the book and the topically associated volumes purchased by other customers.

Unless--and even if--you are a pyramid builder of the first order, it is often much cheaper to buy sound real estate than it is to oversee its construction, either in the costs of the time, frustration or money involved.

Visiting a megalopolis of a factory one time, I came upon a hall that had a 3-D scale representation of the entire facility, including the consumables, and raw materials incoming, plus the products emerging at the end of the line. Figuring what operations and machines were wisely grouped and how elements could best move in that modeled environment would have approached a pleasure.

Perhaps you can overcome wifely resistance to a suitable larger house by the personal touch of an appeal to her interests. "Honey haven't you ever dreamed of a sewing/sun/ drawing/craft/dressing/etcetera room all of your own?" And if the subject sprawling property is a proportional purchase value (with that capacious outbuilding) "Dearest, think of the return if we ever sell the place. Why, we could take a trip around _____on that kind of profit."

Regards,

Edward Hennessey

[clare]

A two car garage is too small too. But then if I hada HANGAR it would likely end up being too small.

[Lew Hodgett]

------------------------------------- Two things come to mind.

If you are going to work with furniture or cabinets, most stock will be 60" or less in length.

Biggest space hog will be for breaking down 48" x 96" sheets of ply.

Suggest building a 48x96 table covered with a replaceable melamine top

This table serves the following purposes.

1) Runout table for table saw. 2) Add a 2" thick lift off foam sheet.and use it with a circular saw to break down ply sheets. 3) A glue up station.

Equip with lift up casters to aid moving as req'd.

(Norm built a neat one, check NYW.)

BTW, no matter what size shop you think you need, double it

Have fun.

Lew

[Josepi]

Good idea but isn't that foam become a hell of a mess that is hard to clean up with all the static it generates?

Or do you live in one of those humid climates that deoesn't understand static cling?...LOL

2) Add a 2" thick lift off foam sheet.and use it with a circular saw to break down ply sheets. Lew

[Upscale]

Different type of foam. Not the peanut type, but the flexible open pore type. It often comes in blue or yellow.

[Buster]

"A. W. Dunstan" wrote in news:-vidnX53qMh6Ta3QnZ2dnUVZ [e-mail]:

My first was a 24' x 24' (no vehicles) and it worked well until I realized I had not thought of space for a paint booth and drying racks. Inclement weather can ruin a whole day (or 2) at play.

My second rude awakening came after I installed a huge dust collection system and sacrificed a good portion of usable floor space ...I wound up moving the DC into an overhead half-loft at one end, Compressor outside under a lean-to style shelter, and painting within mesquito nets hung from a tent frame.

I too was an amateur (still am) and didn't think I needed much more...

[Josepi]

I have applied about 5000 sq. ft. of that stuff to my home...it makes a mess if cut into sawdust! My house was all pink for almost a year! LOL

I used a utility knife mostly and avoided that mostly but a sawblade would make a hard to clean mess.

I would take this is the usual insulating type of foam. i.e. Styrofoam SM or SIS?? Blue, yellow or pink, depending on brand.

[Upscale]

Expanded Poly(tetrafluoroethylene)(ePTFE) And no, it's not the usual type of insulating foam.

[Han]

"Upscale" wrote in news:4hbYo.603994$ [e-mail]:

I have a basement workshop. While it may be possible to get a 4x8 sheet down there, it is easier to cut up in the garage, which hasn't held a car in all the time I've owned the house. I made a simple frame of 2x4's on collapsable legs as on a setup table. Saw the design somewhere here long ago. OK, when I cut plywood I cut a bit into the 2x4s but hell, that's no problem. Collapsed the thing just stands against the sheets and the canoes. Can post pics on abpw.