Rules of Thumb for Workshop Size

[Thomas Wilson]

Hi all, I am a new member and this is my first question.

I am about to build a new garage/workshop to house my tools that are currently scattered in several locations because I have outgrown my 18x26 basement shop. I have worked on general arrangements of a functional shop but I am coming up with a lot of square footage. I was just curious if anybody knows of a reasonably accurate way to estimate the overall dimensions based on the number and type of tools to be housed. I am looking for something that puts a constraint on the size then I just work on the layout within that constraint that suits me. Any ideas? Here is a list of the main power tools

1. Delta Unisaw with extension table
2. Delta 14in bandsaw
3. Delta 18in drill press
4. Incra router table
5. Craftsman 36 in lathe
6. Performax 16-32 flatbed sander
7. Craftsman 6in stationary belt/disk sander
8. Craftsman 10 in radial arm saw
9. Dewalt 10 sliding compound miter saw and stand
10. Classic woodworking bench with wall hanging tool cabinet
11. Powermatic 15" planer
12. Oneida 2 Hp dust collector
13. Ridgid shop vacuum with Dust Deputy cyclone
14. 4' x 5' assembly table

And some bench top tools that I want to have a good place to set up.
11. Delta scroll saw
12. Porter-Cable Omnijig
13. Kreg Pocket Hole system

I also currently have a wood storage rack with 30" cantilever arms that is about 12' wide and a 18" by 8' "closet" for plywood.

I have 3 metal shelving units that hold hand tools and miscellaneous hardware bins and tool accessories. I have a lifetime of jigs crammed in a 10' x6' closet.

I plan to add some base cabinets and rolling tool carts to increase storage space and organize the storage better.

The current plan is to have heated enclosed shop space as part of the garage building. Doors opening from the shop to the parking bays would be my expansion space for handling sheet goods and long feed operations. The planer and radial arm saw would likely live in the garage space.

[Robert Payne]

Before you (or any of us) can realistically plan a new shop building, there are some key issues to address first. Assuming you want to park one or more cars in the same space, you need to make that determination for any of us to recommend a combined space -- a typical 2-car garage of 20 x 24 is about the same square footage of your current basement shop. The other factors include the amount of building space you have available for a "large" building and your construction budget. If you want more shop space and need to park two cars, you are looking at a 30 x 40 building in order to gain 50% over your existing shop. Remember than no woodworker has a shop that he believes is big enough.

[Chris Damm]

There is only one rule of thumb I use when determining the size needed........Make it bigger! My 1st shop was 10'x20', my current shop is 26'x26' and it's still too small.:D

[george newbury]

Grizzly has a handy online tool that let's you plan a workshop. But without knowing the layout of your land and the size of your bank account it's hard to give accurate advice.

I have recently gone from an area of about 300 sq feet in my basement to 4 shops with a total of 5,500 sq feet. I now think I've almost enough space.

[Thomas Wilson]

Thanks for the response Robert.

Yes, there are a lot of things to consider when designing a building, but I am not asking for advice on the design. That is too big of a question for a forum. I am making a request of the group's experience. I want a rule of thumb for total shop floor space. If we do not have such a rule, let's do a survey and develop one.

If you have X stationary power tools and Y square feet in which they are installed, then Z is the square feet per stationary tool that works for you. That is the kind of number I am looking for. It is a simplification and there will be a range, but the average and highs and lows of the population may be useful to know for planning a shop.

So here is a revised question, what is your shop square footage and how many stationary power tools are in it. Feel free to add any comments or other advice on your shop size versus number of tools or kind of woodwork you do that might bear on the ratio.

For myself, I currently have 7 tools (table saw, router table, drill press, miter saw, jointer, bandsaw, and vacuum) set up in the 468 sq ft. basement shop. So I have a Z= 66 sq ft/tool. I expect that this is on the low side of the distribution. Everything but the drill press is on wheels or otherwise portable. I frequently have to move things around to have enough space around the tools to work.

I will be happy to tabulate, plot, and analyze the results with my excessively geeky woodworker/engineer skills.

[Thomas Wilson]

Grizzly has a handy online tool that let's you plan a workshop. But without knowing the layout of your land and the size of your bank account it's hard to give accurate advice.

I have recently gone from an area of about 300 sq feet in my basement to 4 shops with a total of 5,500 sq feet. I now think I've almost enough space.

Wow 5500 sq ft. I am impressed.

I am aware of Grizzly's and Fine Woodworking's workshop floor plan tools and Better Home and Gardens room planner (not specifically woodworking but you can make it work). The library of icons of woodworking tools that they have are nice, but I actually prefer to just use Sketchup. It is what I know best. It is 3D and I can draw rough mockups of things very fast. I use it for furniture design also.

[Thomas Wilson]

There is only one rule of thumb I use when determining the size needed........Make it bigger! My 1st shop was 10'x20', my current shop is 26'x26' and it's still too small.:D

This will be my third or fourth shop (depending on how you count it) and probably my last. I am probably going upwards of 26x26 this time. Everything is a compromise.

[jeff zambron]

no matter how big you make it will never be big enough

[phil harold]

Well I think if you are going to do rule of thumbs
lets start with the table saw, the placement of mine accommodates
16' in the front and rear of the blade
5' to the left, 5' to the right

320 sqft for my table saw


I seem to run 12' material thru most of my equipment so planer, jointer, bandsaw, sander, and radial arm saw
so lets say each machine needs 2'x2' area where the machine contacts the wood and 3 foot at least to one side of the machine to walk around it
so 5 machines 5'x26' 650sqft

add benches, cabinets, wood storage, dust collector

so i would say 1200 sqft for the shop 30x40

30x20 to include assembly, storage, and finishing areas

so 1800 sqft for starters

[Tom Clark FL]

If you have X stationary power tools and Y square feet in which they are installed, then Z is the square feet per stationary tool that works for you. That is the kind of number I am looking for. It is a simplification and there will be a range, but the average and highs and lows of the population may be useful to know for planning a shop.

I'm afraid there is no such formula. The size of the shop depends on how much clear floor space you require for projects underway. The machines themselves take little room compared to building/assembly space. My shop has been in several buildings over the last 30 years. Now that I am retired I require far less working space then when I was building telescopes a dozen at a time. Lots of my shop photos showing some of the different layouts I used on my site (http://www.tomclarkbooks.com/Practical_Shop_Cabinets.html).

[Thomas Wilson]

Well I think if you are going to do rule of thumbs
lets start with the table saw, the placement of mine accommodates
16' in the front and rear of the blade
5' to the left, 5' to the right

320 sqft for my table saw


I seem to run 12' material thru most of my equipment so planer, jointer, bandsaw, sander, and radial arm saw
so lets say each machine needs 2'x2' area where the machine contacts the wood and 3 foot at least to one side of the machine to walk around it
so 5 machines 5'x26' 650sqft

add benches, cabinets, wood storage, dust collector

so i would say 1200 sqft for the shop 30x40

30x20 to include assembly, storage, and finishing areas

so 1800 sqft for starters

Just to be clear, is this what you actually have or is this what you would recommend?

In either case, you have come up with a different estimation formula. That is a valid way to do it too.

Lets work out the numbers my way too. In the Z=Y/X square foot per stationary tool, I think you are suggesting my shop with 14 stationary tools would have Z= 1800/14=128 sq ft/tool. That would be nice and spacious. Thanks!

[Thomas Wilson]

I'm afraid there is no such formula. The size of the shop depends on how much clear floor space you require for projects underway. The machines themselves take little room compared to building/assembly space. I shop has been in several buildings over the last 30 years. Now that I am retired I require far less working space then when I was building telescopes a dozen at a time. Lots of my shop photos showing some of the different layouts I used on my site (http://www.tomclarkbooks.com/Practical_Shop_Cabinets.html).

I looked at your shop. It is really gorgeous. I move my tools around too. That is not the question. I am looking for data not a formula. What is the square footage and number of stationary tools that are set up in your shop? Let's just develop a statistical sample. The Law of Large Numbers will take care of the rest. (Bernoulli would be so pleased.)

[phil harold]

Just to be clear, is this what you actually have or is this what you would recommend?

In either case, you have come up with a different estimation formula. That is a valid way to do it too.

Lets work out the numbers my way too. In the Z=Y/X square foot per stationary tool, I think you are suggesting my shop with 14 stationary tools would have Z= 1800/14=128 sq ft/tool. That would be nice and spacious. Thanks!
I have 30x40 now and looking for more

I am suggesting that there is a individual sqft requirement to use each tool/cabinet/workbench/shelf to work safely
not x amount of equipment =sqft

[Thomas Wilson]

I have 30x40 now and looking for more

I am suggesting that there is a individual sqft requirement to use each tool/cabinet/workbench/shelf to work safely
not x amount of equipment =sqft
That is true, but complicated. My hypothesis is that it all averages out. For statistical purposes, in your 1200 square feet do you have 7 stationary power tools (table saw, planer, jointer, bandsaw, sander, radial arm saw, and dust collector) so your Z=1200/7=171?

I know what you are saying. I am still interested in the statistics and discussion of shop size. The problem of adding up necessary space is the difficulty of accounting for overlapping work spaces around different tools, and space that has multiple purposes. That is really complicated I am looking for a simple correlation that averages things out.based on people's real workshops, not their dreams. The correlation may not work all that well. Maybe a better correlation will be Z=Y/X + S where S is a fixed area. If we can get some people to volunteer their data, we can see how this works out. It is all fun and games until they start pouring concrete at my shop.

[Jeff Duncan]

Here's the problem with estimating size based on tools…..it leaves out what your doing with the tools:o Let's say for an example…..2 identical size shops buy the same table saw and shaper. One shop wants to make mostly cabinet doors and small pieces of furniture, the other wants to make passage doors and moldings. The one making passage doors and moldings is probably going to need double the indeed and out feed space as the one doing cabinet doors. So it's not so much about the machines as what your going to make with the machines;)

Second problem is the idea of calculating sq. ft. per machine. Although it makes sense at first, it does't account for something almost all small shops have to do…..share space. So in my shop the jointer out feed is the same area as the shaper infeed. The planer out feed is the same as the wide belt infeed….and so on. And the number of machines per sq. ft. does't work either. A 12-14" table saw consumes almost trouble the floor space as a 10" saw. You could have a 6" joint for a 16" joiner. I know you listed your machines sizes, but if guys reply with # of machines per ft. they'd also have to list all their machine sizes and then it gets too complicated:(

In my opinion the best way to layout the shop is a combination of your experience with how you like to work, and taking that and translating it to a floor plan. You can use scaled down cardboard cutouts of your machines to place them, and then secondary pieces to show in and out feed required. Now of course this is a bit more difficult if you don't have a size to begin with, so you'll have to reverse engineer it a bit;)

Lastly I'll say the best rule of thumb I can give you…..build it just slightly bigger than the biggest size you can afford to! Unless you buy a factory I don't think there's any such thing as too big a shop. I'm on my second and at 1700 sq. ft. I'm seriously crunched for space. For me I think roughly 3k sq. ft. would be a nice comfy size:D

good luck,
JeffD

[Steve Milito]

Make it twice as big as you think you need, that way it will only be half the size you'll want after you move in.

[Thomas Wilson]

Yes. I know. But, plans have to meet with reality. Wives have to approve. I am looking for what size your shop is and how many stationary power tools you have. Just as an exercise in statistics.

TW

[Thomas Wilson]

Thanks for the thoughtful reply. I am fully aware of all the things you mention. I still just want to see the data for your shop. It will all average out. Give the idea a chance. Share just the number of power tools in your 1700 sq ft. Trust in the Law of Large Numbers to get to a useful number for the correlation.

So far only I and Phil have put down real numbers. I have gotten a few more data points from shop floor plans posted online. If we can get size and number of power tools for 40 or 50 real shops, we will actually learn something from this. Trust me. Statistics really works.

TW

[Ray Newman]

Shop size – forwhat it’s worth.

Woodworkers routinelyask bout shop size and it often comes up on boards such as this.

In response, I always ask: (a) what are the county/local building codes aboutbuilding onto an existing building; and (b) are there any local or communitycodes/codicils/homeowners’ association rules restricting building size andbuilding add-ons?

Some woodworker’s spend time and effort planning their shop only to find outthat they cannot build it or must scale it back.

Best to first get an idea of what you can do, then proceed from there.

[Jason Roehl]

An old friend of mine came up with a name for this: Goldfish Syndrome. Goldfish grow to the size their containers can sustain. To be fair, it was with regards to the amount of stuff one accumulates based on one's size of abode, but I'm sure it's true of woodworking shops as well. I think my friend was right, too--about 6.5 years ago, I moved into a house roughly double the size of the previous. The amount of stuff I own probably also doubled in fairly short order.

[Tom Clark FL]

I am looking for data not a formula. What is the square footage and number of stationary tools that are set up in your shop? Let's just develop a statistical sample. The Law of Large Numbers will take care of the rest. (Bernoulli would be so pleased.)

I have 11 stationary major machine tools. Last shop was 40x60, and current shop is 36x36. It's a bit more crowed but still serviceable - for my needs.

However, as my last post suggested, even more important than the machinery count is working area and shop cabinets. If the shop contained nothing but the 11 tools you will get a false answer. I have 24 shop built cabinets in the shop that are every bit as important as the machines. Just having machines without places to work, shop carts to hold projects, along with space to assemble the machined parts is just as important. (To me anyway.) <grin>

[Thomas Wilson]

I'm ok with that. I already have the codes and neighborhood covenants. I also have a topographic site plan with the trees marked. Thanks.

[Greg Peterson]

Production should dictate both tooling and size requirements. My cousin's shop is easily twice the size of my shop, but since he is producing large furniture, his requirement is based on need. I could never justify that amount of space. But as he has a commercial interest in his operations, the space is more easily justified. Now whether his space pays for itself is a matter I am not aware of. Regardless, he would not be able to operate at his present scale without the space.

My shop space is roughly 270 sq ft. At times this seems terribly small and cramped. At other times I am thankful I am not having to walk dozens of paces back and forth. I see the relative confines of my work space as an opportunity to be efficient with both the layout of the shop and operational processes of the projects I do.

[Thomas Wilson]

I saw all those cabinets. I am envious both of the cabinets and the tools that they must hold.

I understand about the assembly space for the projects. I have to move big power tools to make room for an assembly table (torsion box on sawhorses) when I glue up big items. Most of my work these days is cabinets that are only built into subunits in the shop and assembled elsewhere.

I will put you down for Z=36^2/11=117 sq. ft. per tool. Phil has 171 sq ft per tool. I have currently have 66.

Thanks TW

[Shawn Pixley]

I looked at your shop. It is really gorgeous. I move my tools around too. That is not the question. I am looking for data not a formula. What is the square footage and number of stationary tools that are set up in your shop? Let's just develop a statistical sample. The Law of Large Numbers will take care of the rest. (Bernoulli would be so pleased.)

Direct to your question. Shop / garage 20x24 (480 sf). Tools (M=mobile):

table saw (M)
14" band saw (M)
16" drill press
router table (M)
sliding compound miter saw (M)
16x32 drum sander on tool cabinet (M)
planer and mortiser on tool cabinet (M)
dust collector and separator (M)
Wood working bench (M)
jewelry soldering and lapidary station (blacksmithing tools below)
general workbench with metal vise, sharpening station, and spindle sander
wood rack against wall
various hand and power tools
general garage storage
chest freezer
and ... Two cars

if I hade the dedicated 480 sf for my shop I would be in hog heaven. As it is, I am pretty happy with what I have. Though I would like to lose the router table. So I am already at less SF per tool / object than you are starting from.

As to the Bernoulli / statistical distribution, you are not going to get enough data to accurately interpret it with any reasonable degree of certainty. Even if you had enough data, which metric would be correct - mean, median, skew effects? As others said, my feeling is to start laying it out yourself. The way I work is different than the way you work. - YMMV

[Thomas Wilson]

Production should dictate both tooling and size requirements. My cousin's shop is easily twice the size of my shop, but since he is producing large furniture, his requirement is based on need. I could never justify that amount of space. But as he has a commercial interest in his operations, the space is more easily justified. Now whether his space pays for itself is a matter I am not aware of. Regardless, he would not be able to operate at his present scale without the space.

My shop space is roughly 270 sq ft. At times this seems terribly small and cramped. At other times I am thankful I am not having to walk dozens of paces back and forth. I see the relative confines of my work space as an opportunity to be efficient with both the layout of the shop and operational processes of the projects I do.

Just to play along with my statistical experiment, how many stationary power tools are in your 270 sq. ft. How about your cousin's shop.

It is important to explain how your shop works along with giving the ratio. I am listening to that too. We can better explain which end of the range might make sense for person planning a shop based on usage.

TW

[george newbury]

Really depends on the tool.

1 tool, 600 sq ft

/edit - I really need to try and put the rail extension on.

[Thomas Wilson]

Thanks for the data Shawn. I am glad you indicated the mobile tools. One of the ways most of home woodworkers save on space per tool is by moving things around to use the same space for different operations. My shop would be totally unworkable if I could not move things around.

With your list, I am going to count six stationary power tools: table saw, band saw, drill press, router table, drum sander, planer/mortiser leaving off benches, bench tools and storage. I might subtract out the floor space for the chest freezer and non-woodworking storage but that is a fine point. I am looking for your functional space when you set up for wood working. I am assuming you pull the cars out for that. So, I am going to take the full 480 for square footage.


Z=480//6=80 sq. ft.

We now have 66, 80, 117, and 171 as data points. When I get a few more, I will plot no. of tools vs sq. ft. and post it so we can see the spread. Should be interesting. I will color code for type of woodwork if I know it.

This is fun!

TW

[Thomas Wilson]

Ha ha! Point taken. I am already stretching the correlation limits by counting a table saw the same as a drill press, but I stand by the hypothesis. There will be outliers.

You are showing me the shop where trees become planks. Tell me about the shop where the planks become bookcases.

TW

[george newbury]

So your not going to count the first indoor woodworking tool my trees meet? :)

[Thomas Wilson]

So your not going to count the first indoor woodworking tool my trees meet? :)
I promise to plot your data point.

[george newbury]

<snip>At times this seems terribly small and cramped. At other times I am thankful I am not having to walk dozens of paces back and forth. I see the relative confines of my work space as an opportunity to be efficient with both the layout of the shop and operational processes of the projects I do.

Tell me about, I've gone from every tool in it's place and within 3 steps to many "clusters" of tools spread across about a 40 yard area.

[Jeff Duncan]

Thanks for the thoughtful reply. I am fully aware of all the things you mention. I still just want to see the data for your shop. It will all average out. Give the idea a chance. Share just the number of power tools in your 1700 sq ft. Trust in the Law of Large Numbers to get to a useful number for the correlation.

TW

OK, well mine will likely be an outlier and it's a pro shop as well, so you may not really want to include it on your mix, but you asked for it:o
So 1700 sq. ft. main shop…..but we have to deduct about 204 sf for the spray room!
Stationary equipment only….
Wadkin 12" table saw
Delta 10" Unisaw
State 15" Disc sander
State spindle sander
Craftsman RAS
Grizzly 2 hp dust collector
Timesaver 43" widebelt
Delta 20" bandsaw
Worthington 5 hp compressor
2x Martin T-21 shaper
SCM T-160 shaper
Lin Mac 3 hp shaper
EMA 16" jointer
SCM 20" Planer
Bini Slot mortiser
Omga 14" chop saw
Torit 7-1/2 hp cyclone
Powermatic 1150 drill press
Craftsman drill press
Delta dj20 8" jointer
South Bend metal lathe
Alberti CNC drill

That's all the stationary machinery in the main shop, however, in the neighboring storage space of approx 230 sq. ft. which is soon to be opened up to the main shop, resides….
HolzHer edgebander
Wysong vertical drill
Powermatic 4 head drill press
Delta 5 hp duct collector

I'm not nearly good enough with math to understand statistics, but if you can make use of this info then by all means….have at it:D
FWIW I build a little bit of everything, but mostly custom cabinetry and passage doors.

good luck,
JeffD

[Thomas Wilson]

An old friend of mine came up with a name for this: Goldfish Syndrome. Goldfish grow to the size their containers can sustain. To be fair, it was with regards to the amount of stuff one accumulates based on one's size of abode, but I'm sure it's true of woodworking shops as well. I think my friend was right, too--about 6.5 years ago, I moved into a house roughly double the size of the previous. The amount of stuff I own probably also doubled in fairly short order.

But tell me how big is the workshop and how many tools.

I understand the problem. I will probably try consciously plan to fit my new bowl. I think I can downsize. I have some tools I can sell or give away. The oldest and dearest stationary tool I own is the radial arm saw. But, it has been functionally replaced by the compound miter saw. It takes up a lot of wall space. Right now it is at my lake house while all the rest of the tools are at my main house in town. The new garage/workshops will be built at the lake house. My wife and I plan to sell the house in town and move full-time to the lake. The lake house is smaller. The size of the shop is not yet determined. If something won't fit it will not be making the move. This is true of the furniture as well as the shop.

[Wade Lippman]

No jointer?
I have about the same space as you and a jointer instead of a RAS, and have plenty of room. In fact I have some extra room I haven't found a use for yet.
My secret is that I don't have a workbench or assembly table. The floor and the tablesaw work just fine instead.
When you find out what construction costs, losing the table might look more attractive.

[Thomas Wilson]

OK, well mine will likely be an outlier and it's a pro shop as well, so you may not really want to include it on your mix, but you asked for it:o
So 1700 sq. ft. main shop…..but we have to deduct about 204 sf for the spray room!
Stationary equipment only….
Wadkin 12" table saw
Delta 10" Unisaw
State 15" Disc sander
State spindle sander
Craftsman RAS
Grizzly 2 hp dust collector
Timesaver 43" widebelt
Delta 20" bandsaw
Worthington 5 hp compressor
2x Martin T-21 shaper
SCM T-160 shaper
Lin Mac 3 hp shaper
EMA 16" jointer
SCM 20" Planer
Bini Slot mortiser
Omga 14" chop saw
Torit 7-1/2 hp cyclone
Powermatic 1150 drill press
Craftsman drill press
Delta dj20 8" jointer
South Bend metal lathe
Alberti CNC drill

That's all the stationary machinery in the main shop, however, in the neighboring storage space of approx 230 sq. ft. which is soon to be opened up to the main shop, resides….
HolzHer edgebander
Wysong vertical drill
Powermatic 4 head drill press
Delta 5 hp duct collector

I'm not nearly good enough with math to understand statistics, but if you can make use of this info then by all means….have at it:D
FWIW I build a little bit of everything, but mostly custom cabinetry and passage doors.

good luck,
JeffD

Looks like a valid data point to me. I count 23 tools (I think you mean that you have 2 Martin shapers) so I get Z=(1700-204)/23=65 tool/sq. ft.

The second room is Z=230/4=57.5 tool/sq. ft

I imagine you have things close together but well-organized since it is a commercial space. Good data. Thanks.

[Thomas Wilson]

No jointer?
I have about the same space as you and a jointer instead of a RAS, and have plenty of room. In fact I have some extra room I haven't found a use for yet.
My secret is that I don't have a workbench or assembly table. The floor and the tablesaw work just fine instead.
When you find out what construction costs, losing the table might look more attractive.

Aha. I did forget the Powermatic 6" jointer. It is very new. It replaced a 42 year old Craftsman 6" jointer. The new jointer is much bigger.

My assembly table is portable. It is a torsion box, 1/2 plywood over a 2x4 ladder frame. I rest it on plastic fold up saw horses. My out feed table for the table saw is also used for glue ups. It is 2 by 4. I think what is crowding my shop is the storage space. As a percentage of my space, I have a lot of storage for plank and sheet lumber.

I actually know quite a lot about construction costs.

But, still give me some real data for my Rule. What is the square footage and how many stationary power tools are set up in that space?

TW

[Greg Peterson]

Just to play along with my statistical experiment, how many stationary power tools are in your 270 sq. ft. How about your cousin's shop.

It is important to explain how your shop works along with giving the ratio. I am listening to that too. We can better explain which end of the range might make sense for person planning a shop based on usage.

TW

Table is is mobile, but rarely move it. Drill press is mobile, but it too rarely moves. Benchtop bandsaw is mobile. Mortiser and thickness planer use the same mobile setup (mortiser on top, planer on pulls out on bottom). Jointer is mobile. DC is mobile. Router table/assembly table - fixed. Downdraft table sits on assembly table during use.

Biggest problem I run into is breaking down sheet goods. Basically have to do this outside because I don't have a clear space inside I can do this. But I don't really have a problem with this because I don't have to worry about the mess this creates.

My cousins shop is mostly fixed equipment. Not much more tooling than I have. His chop saw setup has very long tables on either side of the saw. He would probably have the same difficulty breaking down sheet goods as I do.

Were I making cabinets or large pieces, I might very well be challenged with my existing space. I could make some cabinets certainly, but I could not do any serious production work. For the one off stuff I make, my space suits my purposes.

[Thomas Wilson]

Table is is mobile, but rarely move it. Drill press is mobile, but it too rarely moves. Benchtop bandsaw is mobile. Mortiser and thickness planer use the same mobile setup (mortiser on top, planer on pulls out on bottom). Jointer is mobile. DC is mobile. Router table/assembly table - fixed. Downdraft table sits on assembly table during use.

Biggest problem I run into is breaking down sheet goods. Basically have to do this outside because I don't have a clear space inside I can do this. But I don't really have a problem with this because I don't have to worry about the mess this creates.

My cousins shop is mostly fixed equipment. Not much more tooling than I have. His chop saw setup has very long tables on either side of the saw. He would probably have the same difficulty breaking down sheet goods as I do.

Were I making cabinets or large pieces, I might very well be challenged with my existing space. I could make some cabinets certainly, but I could not do any serious production work. For the one off stuff I make, my space suits my purposes.

Ok. We will count it as 7 (table saw, drill press, bandsaw, mortiser/planer, jointer, dust collection, router/assembly table.)

Z=270/7 = 38.5 sq. ft./tool. And your cousin's shop comes in at double that, 77 sq. ft/tool.

Thanks.

[Thomas Wilson]

The data so far. I am pleased. Please help me by posting your shop size and number of tools.

I could not figure out how to paste in a chart from Excel. I will keep looking. I am sure I will find a way.

TW



Name
No. of Tools
Shop size
Z


Thomas Wilson
7
468
66.85714286


Phil Harold
7
1200
171.4285714


Tom Clark
11
1296
117.8181818


Shawn Pixley
6
480
80


George Newbury
1
600
600


Jeff Duncan
23
1496
65.04347826


Greg Peterson
7
270
38.57142857


Greg's cousin
7
540
77.14285714

[Zane Harris]

12x22=264 square feet, and not nearly big enough
table saw
outfeed table
workbench
sliding compound miter saw
bench top drill press
bench top band saw
bench top grinder
air compressor
shop vac

I know the outfeed table and workbench aren't per se tools, but they need space also, and need to be taken into consideration, as does a stationary tub sink and shelving for storage of (insert needed storage here).

[Thomas Wilson]

12x22=264 square feet, and not nearly big enough
table saw
outfeed table
workbench
sliding compound miter saw
bench top drill press
bench top band saw
bench top grinder
air compressor
shop vac

I know the outfeed table and workbench aren't per se tools, but they need space also, and need to be taken into consideration, as does a stationary tub sink and shelving for storage of (insert needed storage here).

Thanks Zane.

I have not been including benches, storage areas,or tables. I figure it comes out as proportional to the stationary tools. Maybe/maybe not. We will see.

I am going to count this as Z=264/7=37.7.

[Duane Meadows]

Looks like a valid data point to me. I count 23 tools (I think you mean that you have 2 Martin shapers) so I get Z=(1700-204)/23=65 tool/sq. ft.

The second room is Z=230/4=57.5 tool/sq. ft

I imagine you have things close together but well-organized since it is a commercial space. Good data. Thanks.

I am not the best at statistics, but I am pretty good at math, algebra, geometry, trig, even at one time a bit of calculus, but I'd like to see anyone get 65 stationary tools per square foot!:D

Well guess my handtools are stationary when they're not in use. I am kind of interested to see what you come up with, Thomas. Not sure I see the point, though.

If it is any help, I have about 18 stationary tools, 1 bench, lumber storage rack(on wheels), 1 40" roll about tool box, and a good amount(though never enough) of cabinetry in about 950 sq ft shop.

Edit: Forgot the air compressor, and the DC... make it 20 stationary tools!

[Thomas Wilson]

I am not the best at statistics, but I am pretty good at math, algebra, geometry, trig, even at one time a bit of calculus, but I'd like to see anyone get 65 stationary tools per square foot!:D

Well guess my handtools are stationary when they're not in use. I am kind of interested to see what you come up with, Thomas. Not sure I see the point, though.

If it is any help, I have about 18 stationary tools, 1 bench, lumber storage rack(on wheels), 1 40" roll about tool box, and a good amount(though never enough) of cabinetry in about 950 sq ft shop.

Edit: Forgot the air compressor, and the DC... make it 20 stationary tools!

And you have a pretty sharp eye.

Z=950/20=47.5 sq. ft./tools

[Jim Andrew]

If you live in a city, and you are putting this shop on your lot along with your house, just figure out the maximum size building you can build and go with that. Put a garage door on it so you can sell it to someone who wants to use it for something besides woodworking. And insulate the building well, and heat and ac only improve your experience. My shop is 26 x 66, as I live in the county on a 3 acre lot, so not a lot of limitations on size. When I lived in town, got frustrated with all the rules and regs.

[Brian W Smith]

Probably shouldn't respond.......I have 3k sq ft of "personal space".This is just our studio/shop.It's a little too much...


But am just going to throw a few things at the discussion from personal experience(have designed/built a 1/2 dz shops).My loading dock(600 sg feet)...the spraybooth(500 sgft.)....and my sink,which was a freeby from a plumber friend(1930's enameled,low-rise mop sink)...Basically,"trumps" everything else in the shop.

My retired builder buds and I sit on the cvrd loading dock and...well,do what retired guys do.The spraybooth has a bunch of nice M/C's in it(easily moved).And the sink gets used a dz times a day.Oh,and a really nice sm two-pce bathroom(was roughed in for shower,that never got installed).

If you could find a local builder guy...preferably retired.Bend his ear on some ideas for your particulars.Best of luck,BW

[Prashun Patel]

Is your goal to build a usable shop or to do an academic exercise? I think it's not best to build a shop based on your existing tools. It feels like you are going about this the wrong way. Figure out what kinds of work areas you need, and design around that.

on second read, i dont mean to sound snarky. I apologize if it comes off that way.

[Thomas Wilson]

Is your goal to build a usable shop or to do an academic exercise? I think it's not best to build a shop based on your existing tools. It feels like you are going about this the wrong way. Figure out what kinds of work areas you need, and design around that.

on second read, i dont mean to sound snarky. I apologize if it comes off that way.

This thread is an academic exercise. I am also building a shop. That is separate. In this thread, I want to come up with a rule of thumb for estimating shop size. A rule of thumb is a simplification that distills the experience of a great many people who have done the same thing into a simple relationship. To my mind, it is useful to know how big others' shops are in relation to the number of tools. It is analogous to building cost estimation. You ask a builder how much is your house going to cost. He tells you about $100 a square foot. That is a rule of thumb that is a similar condensation of his experience into a simple rule. Of course, your actual house does not cost exactly $100 per square foot but that is a useful number to know to begin planning.

I cannot know what I will build in my shop. It is my hobby. I will certainly build cabinets. Those are on the to-do list already. I hope to build lots of cradles and toys for grandchildren. I might build a canoe or rowboat. I will probably build things for family and friends that need or want help. I will estimate my shop size based on my own experience and I will plan based on everything I know. But to plan out the shop based on all future projects is an unknowable and overly complicated approach. The fact is I will simply have to make do with what I build. Right now, here is the range. I think what I currently have, 468 sq. ft. is too small. My wife thinks 1150 sq. ft. is too big. We are working out the actual plan somewhere in between. A rule of thumb gives an distillation of other people's experience in a useful form for that asymmetrical debate.

If you choose not to add your shop size to my collection of data because you think it is a useless academic exercise, that is your prerogative. A great many people in this thread seem to believe I want their advice on how big my shop should be. That is not the case. That is my decision. What I am asking for is the group's experience with their shops and how it boiled down to a simple parameter, square feet per tool. I hope you will include your shop in the exercise.

Thanks.
Thomas

[Thomas Wilson]

Probably shouldn't respond.......I have 3k sq ft of "personal space".This is just our studio/shop.It's a little too much...


But am just going to throw a few things at the discussion from personal experience(have designed/built a 1/2 dz shops).My loading dock(600 sg feet)...the spraybooth(500 sgft.)....and my sink,which was a freeby from a plumber friend(1930's enameled,low-rise mop sink)...Basically,"trumps" everything else in the shop.

My retired builder buds and I sit on the cvrd loading dock and...well,do what retired guys do.The spraybooth has a bunch of nice M/C's in it(easily moved).And the sink gets used a dz times a day.Oh,and a really nice sm two-pce bathroom(was roughed in for shower,that never got installed).

If you could find a local builder guy...preferably retired.Bend his ear on some ideas for your particulars.Best of luck,BW

Sounds like your shop is a fun place to be. You may include the refrigerator and big screen TV as stationary power tools.

TW

[Thomas Wilson]

275661

I think the data clustered between 40 and 70 sq. ft./tool is probably the range that is going to cover most shops.
TW

[Steve Milito]

I think it depends on what you intend to make and not so much on the footprint per machine. A shop producing small boxes, a lutherier's shop, a carvers's shop or a bowl turners shop can be small with all the occasionally used machines clustered when not in use. A shop geared toward producing custom wooden sailboats would need a huge shop even if all done with hand tools.

[Thomas Wilson]

Name

No. of Tools

Shop size

Z

Pro/home



Thomas Wilson

7

468

66.8

Home



Phil Harold

7

1200

171.4

Pro



Tom Clark

11

1296

117.8

Retired Pro



Shawn Pixley

6

480

80

Home



George Newbury

1

600

600

Pro



Jeff Duncan

23

1496

65.0

Pro



Greg Peterson

7

270

38.6

Home



Greg's cousin

7

540

77.1

Pro



Zane Harris

7

265

37.9

Home



Duane Meadows

20

950

47.5

Pro



Bit of a guess on Pro/home based on response. Please feel free to correct me.

[Thomas Wilson]

I think it depends on what you intend to make and not so much on the footprint per machine. A shop producing small boxes, a lutherier's shop, a carvers's shop or a bowl turners shop can be small with all the occasionally used machines clustered when not in use. A shop geared toward producing custom wooden sailboats would need a huge shop even if all done with hand tools.

Of course there is a range. And I am interested in the range and in the explanation of the why one is higher or lower than another. But there is a center of the range that provides some utility. I expect my shop will be more like other kitchen cabinet makers and reproduction furniture makers like myself, but I want to know the statistics of the distribution. Small projects tend to have smaller tools and fewer stationary power tools and smaller workspace for assembly. A luthier might only have a big bandsaw for sawing out blanks. His workspace is probably still proportional to the number of stationary tools.

For counting purposes, I mean to count the stationary machines that are functionally set up simultaneously for work not the ones in storage. The group of tools that can occupy a single multi-use space is counted as one tool.

Does that address your comments?

If you will share your data of how you made the space and tool compromise, it will help everyone.


Thanks.

TW.

[Steve Milito]

My current shop is about 550 sq ft. I have a BS, TS, Planer, Joiner, sanders x 2, router table, DP, and a bench.
I find it way too small.
My new out building, which is under construction, will have a designated shop area of 1300+ sq ft as well as garage space for other stuff.
The new space was designed around the concept that I should be able to work with 4x8 sheets of plywood, and the possibility that a slider is in my future.
My recommendation is to make models of the machines you want, including the required work space for the projects you build, and lay them out. Add a few machines you may want, or increase the footage for bigger projects you may want to tackle.
You're approach is akin to having a committee design a horse.

I'll try to avoid the subject of the statistical validity of the data, but will point out the the range of 38 - 600 sq ft per machine will generate space anywhere from the size of a one car garage to a small warehouse for typical 7 - 8 machine cabinet shop.

[phil harold]

I expect my shop will be more like other kitchen cabinet makers and reproduction furniture makers like myself,
TW.
Assembly area

Making kitchen cabinets you will need plenty of storage for all the cabinets while building them and finishing them

PS
My shop is hobby shop and is still too small
and I never posted what tools I had, I went of your list...

My old rule of thumb is if your house is 1600 sqft you need 3200 sqft of shop space plus a garage for cars

[John A langley]

Two Tablesaws ,one slider ,20 inch thickness planer, three shapers, panel router, line boring, Pocket hole drill and table, two miter saws, door clamping table, 16 inch bandsaw, drum sander and edge sander, router table, 8 inch joiner, 4 inch joiner, CAT technology spraygun ,36 inch wide belt sander shop 3700sq ,ft almost forgot five horse air compressor and air dryer and 25 horse phase converter

[Thomas Wilson]

My current shop is about 550 sq ft. I have a BS, TS, Planer, Joiner, sanders x 2, router table, DP, and a bench.
I find it way too small.
My new out building, which is under construction, will have a designated shop area of 1300+ sq ft as well as garage space for other stuff.
The new space was designed around the concept that I should be able to work with 4x8 sheets of plywood, and the possibility that a slider is in my future.
My recommendation is to make models of the machines you want, including the required work space for the projects you build, and lay them out. Add a few machines you may want, or increase the footage for bigger projects you may want to tackle.
You're approach is akin to having a committee design a horse.

I'll try to avoid the subject of the statistical validity of the data, but will point out the the range of 38 - 600 sq ft per machine will generate space anywhere from the size of a one car garage to a small warehouse for typical 7 - 8 machine cabinet shop.

My shop size is similar and I totally agree that it it too small. My wife points out that I have made a lot of nice things in it

For the floor plan, I am going to design the shop with Sketchup. I am not asking for the group to design it for me. It will be all my design. I just want your experience on your shop in a very simplified form. That is useful information to see that I am not being too generous with the space. There are other constraints that I have to meet.

I am going say your shop is Z=550/8=68.8 sq. ft./tool.

What I am learning is that most people have 7-8 tools . There is a real heavy concentration at that point on the graph. It is a useful cluster of data points. I think that the data point to an average of 40 to 70 for general purpose shops with normal constraints on space. I think my shop will fall into an even narrower band of similar woodworkers from 60 to 70 sq. ft per tool.

Thanks.

TW

[Thomas Wilson]

Assembly area

Making kitchen cabinets you will need plenty of storage for all the cabinets while building them and finishing them

PS
My shop is hobby shop and is still too small
and I never posted what tools I had, I went of your list...

My old rule of thumb is if your house is 1600 sqft you need 3200 sqft of shop space plus a garage for cars

My wife is the finisher. We usually finish them in the room where they are installed, not the shop. I do not expect to have a dedicated finishing room.

I like your rule of thumb. I will run that by the boss.

TW

[Thomas Wilson]

Two Tablesaws ,one slider ,20 inch thickness planer, three shapers, panel router, line boring, Pocket hole drill and table, two miter saws, door clamping table, 16 inch bandsaw, drum sander and edge sander, router table, 8 inch joiner, 4 inch joiner, CAT technology spraygun ,36 inch wide belt sander shop 3700sq ,ft almost forgot five horse air compressor and air dryer and 25 horse phase converter
I count 19 stationary tools. Is that right? Is the slider one of the two table saws or a separate tool? Is there a finishing room or lumber kiln? I am not counting that space in the space/tool ratio. Is it a commercial shop?

Subject to revision with your help, but I get Z=3700/19=194.7 sq. ft/tool.

Thanks.

TW

[Wade Lippman]

Aha. I did forget the Powermatic 6" jointer. It is very new. It replaced a 42 year old Craftsman 6" jointer. The new jointer is much bigger.

My assembly table is portable. It is a torsion box, 1/2 plywood over a 2x4 ladder frame. I rest it on plastic fold up saw horses. My out feed table for the table saw is also used for glue ups. It is 2 by 4. I think what is crowding my shop is the storage space. As a percentage of my space, I have a lot of storage for plank and sheet lumber.

I actually know quite a lot about construction costs.

But, still give me some real data for my Rule. What is the square footage and how many stationary power tools are set up in that space?

TW

I have nearly the same tools as you, except:
Scroll saw instead of RAS
Router table built into TS
OTOH, most of my tools are bigger than yours.
So it should be about a wash sizewise.

My tools are in a 13x28 area. There is plenty of open floorspace to do everything and 2 big open areas for assembly.
In addition to that, I have:
9x13 of shelving with sandpaper, stains, handheld tools...
Lumber fills 13x8.
And 7x13 that is empty so far. Thinking of a MFT for it.

So, based on my shop, and if I understand your conditions properly, you should have plenty of room as it is.

I tried to post some pictures showing my layout, but they are being rejected for some reason. I even tried to post a picture of a latch that I posted last week, but it won't post either. Is something changed?

[John A langley]

Two tablesaws and one slider, Spray room 150 sq ft, one big dog 3 sq ft.

[george newbury]

Two tablesaws and one slider, Spray room 150 sq ft, one big dog 3 sq ft.

Are you allowing turn around space for the dog?

[John A langley]

His 3 feet anywhere he wants

[Ethan Melad]

I would agree that a rule for shop size based solely on machinery is not really going to be particularly accurate. I think that there are way too many mitigating factors. That said, this is what i've got:

Unisaw
18" planer
16" jointer
drill press
shaper
router table
20" bandsaw
12" RAS
vertical belt sander
vertical air compressor
2hp dust collector (almost forgot this one)

not tools, but necessary items using up shop square footage:
wood stove
lumber rack
sheet goods rack
8'x8' spray area
6x10 bench area
4x8 assembly/outfeed table

in 720 sqf - which is, of course, too small.

[Mike Berrevoets]

Sounds like a fun exercise and I have some down time on vacation.....

shop is 20' by 36' but there is an 8' by 12' corner cut out for yard tools and tractor. (Separate roll up door for the shed as I don't want my yard tools commingling with shop tools) The township limited me to 720 square feet without getting a variance so I maxed it out.

Tools
table saw
floor drill press
band saw
cyclone
jointer
lunchbox planer on mobile stand (m)
router table/miter saw on a long bench against wall
lathe
scroll saw on stand

Square foot = 624
tools = 8 to 10 depending on how you count them.
So 62 to 78 square feet per tool.

Im a hobby woodworker and I think I have plenty of room after living with it for about 6 years. I would like a little more space but I don't need anymore space. Sometimes I wish I would have went a little wider than then 20 feet but it works.

Mike

[Thomas Wilson]

Two tablesaws and one slider, Spray room 150 sq ft, one big dog 3 sq ft. Thanks, John, for the clarification. I will revise your ratio to increase the tools by 1 and decrease the square footage by 150 sq. ft.

Z=(3700-150)/20=177.5

I would like to have a ratio as large as this. It's not in the cards for me. Perhaps we should revise the aphorism, "The guy with the most toys wins." to "The guy with the most space per toy wins." You are in the top 10 for sure.

TW

[Thomas Wilson]

I have nearly the same tools as you, except:
Scroll saw instead of RAS
Router table built into TS
OTOH, most of my tools are bigger than yours.
So it should be about a wash sizewise.

My tools are in a 13x28 area. There is plenty of open floorspace to do everything and 2 big open areas for assembly.
In addition to that, I have:
9x13 of shelving with sandpaper, stains, handheld tools...
Lumber fills 13x8.
And 7x13 that is empty so far. Thinking of a MFT for it.

So, based on my shop, and if I understand your conditions properly, you should have plenty of room as it is.

I tried to post some pictures showing my layout, but they are being rejected for some reason. I even tried to post a picture of a latch that I posted last week, but it won't post either. Is something changed?

Sorry for being a bit dense. I posted a list of all my tools and then a list of the tools that are in my basement shop. The difference being 14 versus 7. Which list is the same as yours?


I am going to assume you mean the latter (7 stationary tools). So your number of tools is 17? I am going to add the storage space for sandpaper and supplies and lumber to your shop because that is the way my shop is figured. Your revised number is

Z=(13x28+13x8+13x9)/7=83.6 sq. ft/tool

Please correct me if I misunderstood.

Thanks.

[Thomas Wilson]

Sounds like a fun exercise and I have some down time on vacation.....

shop is 20' by 36' but there is an 8' by 12' corner cut out for yard tools and tractor. (Separate roll up door for the shed as I don't want my yard tools commingling with shop tools) The township limited me to 720 square feet without getting a variance so I maxed it out.

Tools
table saw
floor drill press
band saw
cyclone
jointer
lunchbox planer on mobile stand (m)
router table/miter saw on a long bench against wall
lathe
scroll saw on stand

Square foot = 624
tools = 8 to 10 depending on how you count them.
So 62 to 78 square feet per tool.

Im a hobby woodworker and I think I have plenty of room after living with it for about 6 years. I would like a little more space but I don't need anymore space. Sometimes I wish I would have went a little wider than then 20 feet but it works.

Mike

Thanks, Mike. Let's just say 9 tools. What were the city fathers thinking, to put limits on a good workshop?

Z=624/9=69 sq. ft./tool

[Thomas Wilson]

I would agree that a rule for shop size based solely on machinery is not really going to be particularly accurate. I think that there are way too many mitigating factors. That said, this is what i've got:

Unisaw
18" planer
16" jointer
drill press
shaper
router table
20" bandsaw
12" RAS
vertical belt sander
vertical air compressor
2hp dust collector (almost forgot this one)

not tools, but necessary items using up shop square footage:
wood stove
lumber rack
sheet goods rack
8'x8' spray area
6x10 bench area
4x8 assembly/outfeed table

in 720 sqf - which is, of course, too small.
Despite your skepticism, you come out right on the median.

Z=720/11=65.5 sq. ft./tool

Thanks, Ethan.

TW

[Ethan Melad]

i think this is an interesting exercise, but i guess it still doesn't seem to provide as much info as one really needs to accurately design a shop. A others have said, one type of product may be doable in a small shop, whereas another product - in a shop using the same number of machines (or less) - may, by necessity, require more space. by the logic of this study, i could swap out my unisaw for a slider - something that would certainly not work. nor could i get a wide belt sander to replace my vertical belt sander. i understand that this is meant maybe as a guideline and not meant as a rule that always works, or to eliminate the need to design a space, but still..

[Thomas Wilson]

i think this is an interesting exercise, but i guess it still doesn't seem to provide as much info as one really needs to accurately design a shop. A others have said, one type of product may be doable in a small shop, whereas another product - in a shop using the same number of machines (or less) - may, by necessity, require more space. by the logic of this study, i could swap out my unisaw for a slider - something that would certainly not work. nor could i get a wide belt sander to replace my vertical belt sander. i understand that this is meant maybe as a guideline and not meant as a rule that always works, or to eliminate the need to design a space, but still..

You understand the utility or lack thereof perfectly. So do I.

The data are aggregating around an average. I am trying to plot a histogram of the statistics. This was easy with Windows Excel. Mac Excel is a different animal. The data are showing an aggregation around 65-70 sq. ft/tool. There are outliers which represent craftsmen whose work is not similar to the entire population but it is a Gaussian-looking distribution which speaks to the normalness of the population. Another of the laws of statistics states that if you combine enough random variables together the result is always Gaussian. You can look it up.

I wil have figured out how to do histograms by tomorrow sometime so you can see what I am talking about. Stay tuned.

[Steve Milito]

I predict that the data will be clustered around the size of a two car garage once it's multiplied by the average number of tools.
:)

[Thomas Wilson]

I predict that the data will be clustered around the size of a two car garage once it's multiplied by the average number of tools.
:)
If you said median instead of mean, you would be correct. We have some really big shops in the population that throw off the average. Which is to say shops that are 24x20 have about 7 tools. What is really interesting is that shops much bigger and much smaller have the same ratio.I think that observation means that people don't buy a tool they don't have a place for.

What do you think it means?

[John A langley]

The size of my shop was dictated by people not by machinery six people working equals 591 ft.² I have added on to the building three times I read somewhere that the optimum size was 700 to 900 ft.² per person

[Ray Newman]

Shop size: detached building 36 x30’, but woodshop is approximately 24x30’

Machines:
14” BS
Router table (mobile)
8” jointer
12” disc sander with 6”x48” belt sander
10” compound miter saw (mobile stand)
Uni-saw with 72x42” combination assembly/cut off/extension table plus 52” fence rails
Drill press
15” planer
25 gallon air compressor (horizontal)
Cyclone

Misc. space eaters:
Approx. 24x78" workbench (not inc. extended/opened shoulder and tail vises)
Clamp rack (mobile)
Parts cart
Fe$tool shop vacuum with circ. saw systainer on top
2 large cabinets for reloading supplies
Reloading work bench for reloading presses
2 mobile cabinets for wrenches and other non-woodworking tools
4 large cabinets for tool storage, ”consumables”, hardware, etc.
Safe

I also lose floor space due to the room my wheelchair needs to turn around, move between machines, etc.

[Steve Milito]

If you said median instead of mean, you would be correct. We have some really big shops in the population that throw off the average. Which is to say shops that are 24x20 have about 7 tools. What is really interesting is that shops much bigger and much smaller have the same ratio.I think that observation means that people don't buy a tool they don't have a place for.

What do you think it means?

For most hobbyist the only practical space for a home shop is the garage. There are some machines you really need to be successful but once you crowd your space you stop buying machines; otherwise the shop becomes unusable.

[Ray Newman]

Steve M: BINGO!

[Mike Berrevoets]

Thanks, Mike. Let's just say 9 tools. What were the city fathers thinking, to put limits on a good workshop?

Z=624/9=69 sq. ft./tool

I checked zoning requirements for an accessory building before we made an offer on the house so I knew what was allowed. Probably a good thing that they don't allow larger as I would have just maxed out to that size too. :)

i still keep an approximately 12' by 15' area open and clear for assembly and finishing. Plus that space doubles as the poker table space for the monthly winter poker games.


Ill ill be curious to see the tabulated results.

[Thomas Wilson]

Shop size: detached building 36 x30’, but woodshop is approximately 24x30’

Machines:
14” BS
Router table (mobile)
8” jointer
12” disc sander with 6”x48” belt sander
10” compound miter saw (mobile stand)
Uni-saw with 72x42” combination assembly/cut off/extension table plus 52” fence rails
Drill press
15” planer
25 gallon air compressor (horizontal)
Cyclone

Misc. space eaters:
Approx. 24x78" workbench (not inc. extended/opened shoulder and tail vises)
Clamp rack (mobile)
Parts cart
Fe$tool shop vacuum with circ. saw systainer on top
2 large cabinets for reloading supplies
Reloading work bench for reloading presses
2 mobile cabinets for wrenches and other non-woodworking tools
4 large cabinets for tool storage, ”consumables”, hardware, etc.
Safe

I also lose floor space due to the room my wheelchair needs to turn around, move between machines, etc.

Ok. The way I have been counting this the vacuum in the misc list counts as a tool. Interesting that you have your reloading bench in the woodworking shop. I would discount the reloading space from the total except that I suspect that you use the bench surface for stacking parts and resting tools while you work so it has some woodworking function.

Let's just count this as
Z=24x30/11=65.5

Thanks

[Richard Shaefer]

my shop is 17x20 with a 2/3 loft upstairs. total downstairs SF is 340. Upstairs is mostly storage for tools/hardware/materials overflow and an old couch that for some reason, I could not let go of.

current floor standing tools include:
table saw with 52" fence / workbench combo
band saw
planer
jointer
mortiser
drill press
miter saw stand
big dust collector
router table.

everything else on the first floor lives in the cabinets for the above tools or on the walls.
Floor space need is largely proportional to what you're doing in the shop and somewhat proprotional to how clever you can be with storage and multi-tasking tools and cabinets. Building interior door slabs and 8' long restaurant bankettes in my shop is utter hell. General cabinet work is cake.


I posted an older version of the shop as it stood about 2 years ago here:
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?172840-Some-finished-pics-of-my-attached-garage-workshop-built-from-the-ground-up&highlight=

[Thomas Wilson]

Ok. So I spent some time learning to use Mac Excel. I had heard it did not have all the analysis tools that Windows Excel has. Well, one of those things it does not have is histograms. You have to go get a third party add-in. Well, that took a bit longer than I planned.

I also poked around on the editor seeing how best to insert tables and charts. I think I have it. I will have to write it down because it is way more complicated than cut and paste. As with most things computer, it is possible but there is a magic combination of steps you have to find to get it to work.

The data are beginning to show how the community of woodworkers here have struck a balance between shop size and number of tools to get their work done. Feel free to add your own interpretations. I am still willing to add more data points for a while, maybe a week. So mention to your friends to add their shop data to the thread so we can get the most representative sample of the distribution possible.

The raw data in table form is



Name
No. of Tools
Shop size
Ratio of Shop Size to No Tools


Thomas Wilson
7
468
66.9


Phil Harold
7
1200
171.4


Tom Clark
11
1296
117.8


Shawn Pixley
6
480
80


Jeff Duncan
23
1496
65.0


Greg Peterson
7
270
387


Greg's cousin
7
540
77.1


Zane Harris
7
265
37.9


Duane Meadows
20
950
47.5


John Langley
20
3550
177.5


Wade Lippman
7
585
83.6


Mike Berrevoets
9
624
69.3


Ethan Melad
11
720
65.5


Ray Newman
11
720
65.5



The first graph is a plot of ratio versus the versus the number of tools. LThe histograms show the distribution of the ratio, and the two raw data values. In the first plot, look at how many shops fall in a narrow horizontal band from about 50 sq. ft./tool to 80 sq. ft./too. Even with very few data points, we already see that the ratio clusters around 65 sq ft/tool for a wide range of shop sizes and number of tools. The ratio histogram is a tighter cluster than either number of tools or shop size histograms. This what is makes the ratio useful to me.

Feel free to comment and interpret the data as you wish.

A note to George Newbury. I did drop your data point from these figures because it spread out the axis of the histogram too much to see the rest of the distribution very well. I still know you win the category for largest ratio and fewest tools.

275725275726275727275728

[Thomas Wilson]

my shop is 17x20 with a 2/3 loft upstairs. total downstairs SF is 340. Upstairs is mostly storage for tools/hardware/materials overflow and an old couch that for some reason, I could not let go of.

current floor standing tools include:
table saw with 52" fence / workbench combo
band saw
planer
jointer
mortiser
drill press
miter saw stand
big dust collector
router table.

everything else on the first floor lives in the cabinets for the above tools or on the walls.
Floor space need is largely proportional to what you're doing in the shop and somewhat proprotional to how clever you can be with storage and multi-tasking tools and cabinets. Building interior door slabs and 8' long restaurant bankettes in my shop is utter hell. General cabinet work is cake.


I posted an older version of the shop as it stood about 2 years ago here:
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?172840-Some-finished-pics-of-my-attached-garage-workshop-built-from-the-ground-up&highlight=

I checked out your thread about your shop. Any chance you would come build mine? It is really well-done.

For the Rule of Thumb, I am just going to add 170 sq. ft of the upstairs to represent woodworking storage. I am including in-shop woodworking storage but not non-woodworking operations and their storage. Does that sound about right?

Z=(340+170)/9=56.7 sq. ft./tool

A number that reflects on the efficiency of your space usage. Good job!

I will add your data point to the figures at the next update.

[phil harold]

my shop is 17x20 with a 2/3 loft upstairs. total downstairs SF is 340.
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?172840-Some-finished-pics-of-my-attached-garage-workshop-built-from-the-ground-up&highlight= I remember that shop, nice!
how dusty is that place now?

[Stew Hagerty]

Alright, here's my info:

My shop takes up just over half of our oversized 3-car garage. My computed square footage is 360.5. However, I faced the infeed side of my tablesaw towards LOML's side of the garage (for some odd reason she insists on wanting to park her car inside during the winter... :confused:). Anyway, by setting up in this configuration I, in effect, gain the square footage needed for the actual operation of the saw. In fact, the same thing applies to my Drill Press and, to a certain extent, my Router Table. I also use the extra space when the car is not in the garage for layout & assembly. But, I have not included any of that extra space since I do not have access to it 100% of the time.

Also, like Ray Newman, I am in a wheelchair and therefore need additional maneuvering space.

I have:

Vintage Craftsman TS with 52" Vega Fence 19.5sf
Outfeed/Assembly Table 8.8sf
Incra Router Table 11.0sf
Floor Standing Delta Drill Press 9.0sf
DeWalt 735 Planer on Stand 10.8sf
Floor Standing Combo Sander 9.0sf
Grizzly Oscillating Spindle Sander 4.7sf
Grizzly G0555X Bandsaw 6.2sf
Rockler "Pack Rack" Clamp Rack 10.5sf
Craftsman Tool Cabinet & Chest 3.9sf
7' Workbench 18.2sf
Utility Bench against wall 14.4sf
Cabinet for SCMS & Tool Storage 17.3sf
Wood Rack 28.0sf

Machine Total: 166.9sf

[Stew Hagerty]

I almost forgot...

I also have a Dust Collector. Not counting ductwork, it occupies about 6sf.

[Thomas Wilson]

Alright, here's my info:

My shop takes up just over half of our oversized 3-car garage. My computed square footage is 360.5. However, I faced the infeed side of my tablesaw towards LOML's side of the garage (for some odd reason she insists on wanting to park her car inside during the winter... :confused:). Anyway, by setting up in this configuration I, in effect, gain the square footage needed for the actual operation of the saw. In fact, the same thing applies to my Drill Press and, to a certain extent, my Router Table. I also use the extra space when the car is not in the garage for layout & assembly. But, I have not included any of that extra space since I do not have access to it 100% of the time.

Also, like Ray Newman, I am in a wheelchair and therefore need additional maneuvering space.

I have:

Vintage Craftsman TS with 52" Vega Fence 19.5sf
Outfeed/Assembly Table 8.8sf
Incra Router Table 11.0sf
Floor Standing Delta Drill Press 9.0sf
DeWalt 735 Planer on Stand 10.8sf
Floor Standing Combo Sander 9.0sf
Grizzly Oscillating Spindle Sander 4.7sf
Grizzly G0555X Bandsaw 6.2sf
Rockler "Pack Rack" Clamp Rack 10.5sf
Craftsman Tool Cabinet & Chest 3.9sf
7' Workbench 18.2sf
Utility Bench against wall 14.4sf
Cabinet for SCMS & Tool Storage 17.3sf
Wood Rack 28.0sf

Machine Total: 166.9sf

That is very useful information about the area for each tool. Thank you. For the purpose of the statistic I have been collecting, I have been just ratioing the full shop space including storage, benches, assembly area, etc., over the number of stationary tools. For your shop, I get the following ratio including the dust collector you listed separately

Z=360.5/8=45.1

I think you are getting some use of your wife's parking space. Your shop might be more equivalent to a shop that has 2' x 20' strip from your wife';s parking. 40 more square feet would get you into the 50 sq. ft./tool range. I will stick with the numbers the way you stated them though for the graphs.

Thanks, Stew.

TW

[Justin Coon]

20x30 Garage Shop

Table Saw
Bandsaw
Sliding Compound Miter Saw
Drill Press
Air Compressor
Dust Collector
Separator
Grinder

[Stew Hagerty]

That is very useful information about the area for each tool. Thank you. For the purpose of the statistic I have been collecting, I have been just ratioing the full shop space including storage, benches, assembly area, etc., over the number of stationary tools. For your shop, I get the following ratio including the dust collector you listed separately

Z=360.5/8=45.1

I think you are getting some use of your wife's parking space. Your shop might be more equivalent to a shop that has 2' x 20' strip from your wife';s parking. 40 more square feet would get you into the 50 sq. ft./tool range. I will stick with the numbers the way you stated them though for the graphs.

Thanks, Stew.

TW

Actually it would be more like adding a 3' x 23' strip for another 69sf. That would at least bump me into the mid 50's. It seems tight, but actually since I'm in a chair, having it is actually not convenient for me to be able to go all the way around my machines. I actually want them in lines with just a single path for me to maneuver up and down. Actually in my shop that straight line is more of an L shape, not counting the my wife's space. When you're in a chair compact is good. As long as there is room to turn around of course.

[Thomas Wilson]

Actually it would be more like adding a 3' x 23' strip for another 69sf. That would at least bump me into the mid 50's. It seems tight, but actually since I'm in a chair, having it is actually not convenient for me to be able to go all the way around my machines. I actually want them in lines with just a single path for me to maneuver up and down. Actually in my shop that straight line is more of an L shape, not counting the my wife's space. When you're in a chair compact is good. As long as there is room to turn around of course.

Ok. I will revise your data point.

Z=(360.5+3x23)/8=53.7 sq. ft./tool

Still a very efficient space.

Thanks Stew.

TW

[Thomas Wilson]

20x30 Garage Shop

Table Saw
Bandsaw
Sliding Compound Miter Saw
Drill Press
Air Compressor
Dust Collector
Separator
Grinder

Thanks, Justin.

That gives

Z=600/8=75 sq. ft./tool

Christmas is coming. You probably have room for Santa to bring you some new tools.

[Thomas Wilson]

I think this thread has gone as far as I can go. Let's just wrap it up here. I want to thank all those who offered advice and shared information about their shops. I have gotten a great deal of useful information to help me plan my shop. This is a great group of people. I am happy I found this forum.

I have a much better idea of how big my shop should be and how many tools I can fit in the space. I will share the design and progress as the project moves forward.

Here are the final numbers from the survey.



Name
No. of Tools
Shop size
Ratio of Shop Size to No. Tools


Thomas Wilson
7
468
66.9


Phil Harold
7
1200
171.4


Tom Clark
11
1296
117.8


Shawn Pixley
6
480
80


Jeff Duncan
23
1496
65.0


Greg Peterson
7
270
38.7


Greg's cousin
7
540
77.1


Zane Harris
7
265
37.9


Duane Meadows
20
950
47.5


John Langley
20
3550
177.5


Wade Lippman
7
585
83.6


Mike Berrevoets
9
624
69.3


Ethan Melad
11
720
65.5


Ray Newman
11
720
65.5


Richard Shaefer
9
510
56.7


Stew Hagerty
8
429.5
53.7


Justin Coon
8
600
75



Here are the figures. I will just give two this time. I will plot the ratio versus shop size (rather than versus no. of tools as in the last post) and the histogram of the ratio.

275852275853

The participants may want to comment about why they believe their shop lies where it does within the distribution.

I think idea of a rule of thumb for shop size based on the number of tools basically works, with all the caveats that have been discussed. I think a person who intends to build mainly furniture and kitchen cabinets can plan for something in the 60-70 sq. ft. per stationary tool that is permanently set up. That is what I am going to start with. I will work out a floor plan in SketchUp for the tool layout. With my tool collection, I may want to hold a yard sale or design some storage space for infrequently used tools to get the shop size down to something that that meets other constraints (like cost and lot size.) Planning and designing is a lot of hard work but should result in a shop I can enjoy working in.

Thank you, all. I hope this discussion has been helpful to others as well.

Thomas

[Janis Stipins]

I've been setting up a small shop in one port of my three-car garage. One thing that I've found to be tremendously helpful is to use a drawing program to model the space that I have, and also to model each tool, including the area around each tool needed to accommodate stock of a certain size. Then you can click and drag the tools around in your space to see what overlaps, how to take advantage of opening the garage door, where permanent fixtures can go, where rolling tables can go, etc, etc.

It may seem like overkill (and maybe it is, for someone with space to burn), but in my case it has helped me find a layout that has room for cutting a 4x8 sheet of plywood in any configuration, and ripping/jointing/planing/resawing up to 12 foot stock. I almost certainly would not have been able to find the layout I'm using without a drawing program to experiment with.

-Janis

EDIT: Sorry, for some reason I missed all the statistics until after I posted. For the purposes of utilizing space well in a small one-person shop, you might want to keep an account of how many tools share a given unit of space; this could give a useful measure of efficiency. For example, my bandsaw and table saw share outfeed space. Of course this is impractical and unsafe if multiple people are sharing the shop, but it's a good way to maximize a one-person shop.

[Thomas Wilson]

Thanks, Janis. With a three car garage, you've room to expand. Start plotting your take-over strategy. My strategy is slow and sneaky. In 25 years, I added half a garage and two big closets to my original 18x26 shop in my current house.

I agree about using 3D design for shop layout and visualizing work flow. I am learning SketchUp to design my shop layout and create the plans for the new building plan at my new house. It's great. What program do you use for layout?

[Janis Stipins]

I tried to use the Google docs drawing program, but it's still too buggy... the grid moves around a little as you're working, which defeats my purpose. And the operating system on this Mac is so out of date that I can't use SketchUp or anything else you've ever heard of, so I ended up using a free program called Inkscape. I'm just using 2D, basically electronic graph paper. The only functionality I've used is to make a background grid, and to group a bunch of objects into one --- so, for example, the entire diagram of the jointer with its infeed and outfeed regions, etc, can be grouped into a single object that I can drag and rotate.

And yes, my takeover has already started... the dust collector actually lives in a storage space behind the garage proper, and my bandsaw sits just next to the car port I originally claimed. My strategy is bribery, but now I owe my wife a decent backlog of projects. :-)

-Janis

[maximillian arango]

This was a really fun read, I can't wait for the day I can have a workspace longer than I am tall :( I am just getting into woodworking and I'm at the stage of collecting tools so most of my work has dealt with working on cars. My current workspace is 5 foot by 15 foot balcony a parking spot and a 3x3 foot closet which doesn't sound like much but I have been able to make the most of it. Considering I have a 2 foot by 5 foot workbench with a 20 gallon air compressor I am a lot more capable than most auto shops in my area. Also I manage to have my neighbors not hate me living in an apartment by helping them out with their cars for free so I can continue doing what I do at reasonable times(when they are not home).

[Jeff Nelson7]

Well is there a conclusion?

[Albert Lee]

my workshop is 27 x 18

1. Full size combination machine (10' stroke saw + spindle moulder + 16" planer/thicknesser )
2. SCM 37" Wide belt sander (4' wide x 4' long x 6' high)
3. Bag house extractor (8' long x 4' wide x 9' high)
4. Masterwood slot mortiser (11' wide x 4' deep x 6' high)
5. 7.5kw hydrovane compressor (5' wide x 3' deep x 3' high)
6. MM16 bandsaw (2' x 2' x 6')
7. Omga chopsaw on a mobile bench
8. Drill press
9. Pallet mover
10. Engine crane

I dont have a work bench though (no room!), I have some shelvings.

[Dominik Dudkiewicz]

I know this is a 6 year old thread, but I thought it was quite interesting...and surprising...and depressing :).

I'm in the middle of sorting out my small shop; making some stands, moving stuff around, cleaning some stuff out etc. Out of curiosity I assessed my tools and space.

I have a 500 sq ft shop. Stationary Tools -

1. 3HP 36" Cabinet Saw
2. 25-50" Drum Sander
3. 12" Jet Combi Planer-Thicknesser
4. 18" Bandsaw
5. Floor-standing Chisel Mortiser
6. Vicmarc VL240 Wood Lathe
7. Metal Lathe 600mm
8. Metal Milling Machine (smaller 500lb model)
9. Router Table (Pending Build)
10. 5HP Cyclone
11. 3HP Air Compressor
12. Floor Standing Drill Press
13. Spindle Sander
14. Workbench etc


So, ignoring workbenches, storage, and stuff like bikes, lawn mower etc - I get 500/13 = 38.46 sq ft / tool! I knew it seemed like it might be a little crowded lol. I still have to build the router table and setup the drum sander and wood lathe - so hopefully I can organise things well enough to make it work somehow! I am hoping to move a lot of the gardening stuff into an adjoining 250 sq ft single car garage I'm building, as well as moving some of the timber in there as well. I am still hopefully that despite being on the crowded side I can make it a comfortable place to work. Maybe I should have passed on the drum sander and spindle sander - I think I could live without these.

The average of around 70 sq ft / tool sounds kinda great right about now!

Cheers,

Dom

[Jerome Stanek]

My rule of thumb is figure out what size you need and double it

[Jim Andrew]

Think if I were to start over now, could put up a new 40x60 pole building with 10' sidewalls. Menards is selling some steel brackets that bolt to the bottom of the pole, and fasten to anchor bolts, so you don't have to worry about poles rotting off, so would go that route. My pickup truck has to go in the garage, no room in the shop.

[Charles P. Wright]

I have a basement shop with 558 sq. ft. I have a Sawstop, MM16, FS41e, and 3hp Oneida dust collector, and miter saw. Those are the things that really take up space. I put a router table into the extension wing. There is also an old ikea kitchen cabinet that I have an oscillating spindle sander on and use as an extra table just to put stuff down. I also have a drill press, and MFT table with extension, and a lot of shelving; a treadmill, refrigerator, and oil tank are non shop things that take up space. I also take up almost permanently one stall of my two car garage with a centipede 4x8 with foam sheets and plywood on top, which I use for track saw cutting and a place to lay things out for finishing.

I would love to be able to have more space, but in my area the space is far more expensive than the tools. If I had 1200 sq. ft. I would probably add a shaper; a bigger assembly table; and maybe a combo machine.

[Jim Becker]

My rule of thumb is figure out what size you need and double it
You are being optimistic. :) Double it again. :) LOL

Seriously, folks...do not underestimate the benefits of having "free space" in your shop for flexibility. Having a large shop doesn't mean you have to completely fill up every square foot of the space. Plan for some breathing room for assembly, storage, finishing, stacking components as you produce them and workflow. If you can, of course. No matter what size the shop, optimization is what you want to do as much as possible to best use what you have available.

[Mike Kees]

I built my shop 40'x70' and it is now "full''. I have room to work but it seems like the whole building has shrunk. I went as large as I could afford (still paying for it). Pretty hard to come up with a 'this size will work. ' Machines come and go and when they do everything originally planned goes out the door with them. Ingenuity becomes necessary to figure out how to make things work again. Big vicious circle,round and round you go . I actually enjoy figuring out how to nest equipment and storage,etc. to make things work more efficiently. My best advice is to design for inevitable change,because it will happen.

[Carl Beckett]

Lets see. My shop is 20x24. 480 sq ft. It is big enough.

I have a combo machine (tablesaw, jointer, planer, shaper, mortiser)
edge sander
drill press
widebelt sander
lathe/mill combo
router table
wood rat
3 workbenches
air compressor
sharpening station
spindle sander
disk/belt combo sander
small sliding miter saw
benchtop band saw
floor standing band saw
welder
cutting torches
powder coat oven
central dust collector
festool dust collector
2 metal storage cabinets (hand tools and supplies)
1 shelf rack
3 large metal mechanics toolboxes
2 wooden toolboxes (under benches)
and a recently added benchtop CNC

when needed I pull out other equipment. I have to pay attention to workflow and material handling/storage.

[Jim Becker]

'Just when one gets things figured out...along comes another tool. LOL I guess I'll be figuring that out over the weekend...IE, there is never enough space.

[Doug Dawson]

Lets see. My shop is 20x24. 480 sq ft. It is big enough.

I have a combo machine (tablesaw, jointer, planer, shaper, mortiser)
edge sander
drill press
widebelt sander
lathe/mill combo
router table
wood rat
3 workbenches
air compressor
sharpening station
spindle sander
disk/belt combo sander
small sliding miter saw
benchtop band saw
floor standing band saw
welder
cutting torches
powder coat oven
central dust collector
festool dust collector
2 metal storage cabinets (hand tools and supplies)
1 shelf rack
3 large metal mechanics toolboxes
2 wooden toolboxes (under benches)
and a recently added benchtop CNC

when needed I pull out other equipment. I have to pay attention to workflow and material handling/storage.

Yes, it really helps when you're working in zero gravity.

[Dominik Dudkiewicz]

I've decided that 500 sq ft of space virtually dedicated to making stuff is still absolutely awesome. Reading about the many large shops people have and dreaming about 1200, 1800, 3000 sq ft can easily make you lose perspective - whilst more space would be amazing I just realised how blessed I am to have what I have. I'm going to work hard and do my best to set it up as efficiently as I can, make it a nice place to work, and not allow myself to forget how fortunate I am to have the problem of figuring out how to "fit in" a bunch of nice tools!

We considered moving house recently and took a good look at a place on 4 acres with a 2700sq ft two storey workshop but realised we really didn't want to get in a bunch of debt! I'd rather have my 500 sq ft free of debt than a huge workshop that forces me to be a wage slave for another 20 years. Also, I'm still holding out for a property market crash here in Australia! :).

Enjoy your shops, whatever size they are! Just having a shop space at all is a huge blessing - don't let dreams of larger ruin your reality!

Cheers, Dom

[Doug Dawson]

I've decided that 500 sq ft of space virtually dedicated to making stuff is still absolutely awesome. Reading about the many large shops people have and dreaming about 1200, 1800, 3000 sq ft can easily make you lose perspective - whilst more space would be amazing I just realised how blessed I am to have what I have. I'm going to work hard and do my best to set it up as efficiently as I can, make it a nice place to work, and not allow myself to forget how fortunate I am to have the problem of figuring out how to "fit in" a bunch of nice tools!

We considered moving house recently and took a good look at a place on 4 acres with a 2700sq ft two storey workshop but realised we really didn't want to get in a bunch of debt! I'd rather have my 500 sq ft free of debt than a huge workshop that forces me to be a wage slave for another 20 years. Also, I'm still holding out for a property market crash here in Australia! :).

Enjoy your shops, whatever size they are! Just having a shop space at all is a huge blessing - don't let dreams of larger ruin your reality!

Cheers, Dom

That's very inspirational, and I'm with you, my brother. I don't like to think about a world without this kind of spirit.

[Carl Beckett]

I've decided that 500 sq ft of space virtually dedicated to making stuff is still absolutely awesome. Reading about the many large shops people have and dreaming about 1200, 1800, 3000 sq ft can easily make you lose perspective - whilst more space would be amazing I just realised how blessed I am to have what I have. I'm going to work hard and do my best to set it up as efficiently as I can, make it a nice place to work, and not allow myself to forget how fortunate I am to have the problem of figuring out how to "fit in" a bunch of nice tools!

We considered moving house recently and took a good look at a place on 4 acres with a 2700sq ft two storey workshop but realised we really didn't want to get in a bunch of debt! I'd rather have my 500 sq ft free of debt than a huge workshop that forces me to be a wage slave for another 20 years. Also, I'm still holding out for a property market crash here in Australia! :).

Enjoy your shops, whatever size they are! Just having a shop space at all is a huge blessing - don't let dreams of larger ruin your reality!

Cheers, Dom

I agree 100%. For the first time in my life I have a dedicated shop that doesnt need to be shared with Automobiles, lawnmowers, etc. A blessing and I am happy to make it work.

[Jack Frederick]

My shop is 30x34. Actually 30x30 with a 4x14 bump out for the big door, so 960 sq ft. All the usual suspects; 52" SS, 8"jointer, planer, 16" DP, Cyclone, Router table, Miter saw, 14" BS. I use one corner of the space for my welding machine and plasma so I guess count those too. I was ADD before it was fashionable so the idea that anything would sit in one place for long is actually kinda humorous. I think about placement but keep mobile bases under most of the equipment. Oh, I also have a 12x16' covered porch that gets used on occasion.

[Jack Frederick]

My shop is 30x34. Actually 30x30 with a 4x14 bump out for the big door, so 960 sq ft. All the usual suspects; 52" SS, 8"jointer, planer, 16" DP, Cyclone, Router table, Miter saw, 14" BS. I use one corner of the space for my welding machine and plasma so I guess count those too. I was ADD before it was fashionable so the idea that anything would sit in one place for long is actually kinda humorous. I think about placement but keep mobile bases under most of the equipment. Oh, I also have a 12x16' covered porch that gets used on occasion. It is a great space.

[Steven Wayne]

I have two shops a short block apart. My "shop" is 3450 sq ft with a bathroom. It's a goofy old L shaped building that needed a lot of work when I bought it. Still needs more of course. The "new building" is 30 x 60 on the ground floor with a side access walkup basement apartment. I've been very stingy with space in my shop. This results in lots of open, flexible space. I live in a small rural town. I would never be able to afford what I have in a big city.

[Dominik Dudkiewicz]

Living the dream in terms of shop space Steven!

In my situation it's very much a choice of - small shop but disposable income to spend on tools and timber as well ad security knowing I don't need to service a mortgage vs bigger place and shop but no money to splash on it and stuck in a long mortgage/loss of freedom! Hard to know which is better - but i'm sticking with small shop atm!

Enjoy the open space!

Cheers, Dom

[Steven Wayne]

Dom- I’m not bragging. In a similar mindset as yours. Small town living, getting a lot more for the dollars I have, mortgage free.

[Jay Champagne]

My shop is 225 ft². A 15'x15' outbuilding.
I have;
Lunchbox planer
16" bandsaw
Floor standing drill press
Folding contractor table saw
Sliding miter saw on folding stand
1.5 hp dust collector
16 gal air compressor
Festool Mft, tracksaw and Domino
Kerosene heater, electric heater
Piles of handheld power tools
About 22' of 2' deep work bench/ utility grade bench, nothing special.(way too much, currently consolidating)
ALL tools are mobile. I use 1 at a time, in the middle of the shop if not outside.
If I have to run full length stock, 8' or whatever, my outfeed goes out the door.
I want a jointer but I don't think I can get it in there.
New shop may be in the works. New mortgage in process. I asked the bank for a LOT (lol). We'll find out what they'll loan (based on equity/ appraisal) soon.
House reno comes first, shop gets what's left...
Did the op build a shop? This is a zombie thread but he appears to be still active.

[Thomas Wilson]

Hi Jay,

My new shop is nearing completion. I had a thread about the construction. https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?273194-The-Hall-of-the-Mountain-King I stopped updating it. The shop lacks finish electrical, plumbing, interior trim, and flooring. Hoping it is finished soon. Thanks for reviving the thread. I will update the statistics if I have time.

Thomas

[Doug Dawson]

Hi Jay,

My new shop is nearing completion. I had a thread about the construction. https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?273194-The-Hall-of-the-Mountain-King I stopped updating it. The shop lacks finish electrical, plumbing, interior trim, and flooring. Hoping it is finished soon. Thanks for reviving the thread. I will update the statistics if I have time.


Hmmm, 850sf? I wouldn't think you could have done it in less than 1000sf, provided that everything is on wheels. Of course, that's not taking gravity into account. :^) What are your provisions for building on an extension?

[Thomas Wilson]

Hmmm, 850sf? I wouldn't think you could have done it in less than 1000sf, provided that everything is on wheels. Of course, that's not taking gravity into account. :^) What are your provisions for building on an extension?

Hi Doug,

There’s plenty of room up in the open beam ceiling if I can get the anti-graviton particle generator working. If that fails, I have a full basement. Current plan is for the wood rack, radial arm saw, and dust collector to go downstairs. The rest seems to fit nicely on the main level at least in SketchUp. We will see how it fits when I move the tools in soon. The tools are on wheels so experimentation is expected.

And, the lot is 2.5 acres so there’s room to expand.