Picking out the site for my New Shop!

[Ned Bulken]

I'm finally home from my whirlwind tour of the mid-west. Now I get to start working on my new shop. I had a disposable camera with a couple of frames left over, and here are the 'initial' and 'likely' places I'll be putting my shop. http://www.woodworking.org/photo/albums/userpics/12900/site_one.JPG
the first image (with the yellow) is where I originally wanted to put the shop. It has the benefit of being right outside the side door of the house, and near the main electrical service to the house. However with set backs from the property lines and the existing shed, I can't quite fit my 12x16' shop there. The ground there also gets standing water a bit every spring or heavy rain


http://www.woodworking.org/photo/albums/userpics/12900/new_site.JPG


Assorted winter yard clutter aside... that is where my shop will go. I still have 2 setbacks to worry about, but only from the back line of the lot. The shed in the first picture is just to the right of the pile of stuff. I have to keep the new shop at least 6' from that as well. just about 20' from the first spot, the drainage is better. Now I have to get stone down so I can put piers on top of that. I hope to have the shop up by the end of May, at least weather tight. Wiring and 'finish' items as I get to them.

[Tyler Howell]

Bigger Ned Bigger!!!!:D

[Ned Bulken]

Bigger Ned Bigger!!!!:D

Yeah, that's the Other benefit to the second location. I can bump out and expand as needs and/or funds allow.

[Pete Harbin]

Amen Tyler! If you're going to build a new one, I'd go bigger.

Pete

[Allen Grimes]

Seriously, my shop is 11x14, and all I can think about everytime I go in it is how small it is and how big my cabinet saw is.

I dont have much experience with this, but I would say to at the very least build it 15x20, but if you can afford to go bigger, go bigger.

[Ned Bulken]

As much as I would Love to have a larger shop, this is going to stretch my budget to the limit as it is. I'm strictly a hobbyist at this point, and 12x16 will be 'enough' for now. I'm going to add a porch on the front so I'll have some 'elbow' room in the warmer months at least.

[Andy Hoyt]

Ned - I acknowledge the issue about setbacks and recall that discussion from the earlier thread. But now that I see these pics the notion popped into my pointy little head that perhaps a larger shop could be achieved by:

Demoing the existing shed and repalcing it with a dual purpose structure.
Or by adding the new shop onto the existing shed as an "addition". What troubles me by the placement as suggested in both photos is that it appears to be smack in the middle of the lawn effectively eliminating it.

[Michael Gibbons]

Ned, I was wondering, Is that your house in the picture or is that the neighbour behind you? How large of a space do you have to work with? You can probably buy a small garage package from your local building center that could fill up your space. Save a little longer and go bigger, you won't regret it.



Mike

[Ken Garlock]

Ned, I agree with Andy about combining the storage as a part of the shop. Go for as much as you possibly can in floor space. A fourteen by twenty would be a minimum for me.

Are you going to build it all yourself? Perhaps you can find some apprentice who does not demand masters wages to help out. ;)

[Mike Tempel]

My old shop was a 12X16 and it was CRAMMED. Floor space eaten up by the following tools: Contractor's TS, Jet 1 1/2HP shaper, PM 54A long bed jointer, Delta 12" BS, horizontal 6HP/30 gal air compressor, a 10' workbench along one wall, a 4' in the center, and a 4' bench in the back. I have numerous bentop tools - planer, DP, scroll saw, etc. etc. ETC.
While it was a nice shop, dust collection was almost non existent and I did long for a larger shop but I made many nice pieces (some large) in the shop. My lighting was great, ventilation (single overhead garage door on the front 12' side and a window on each of the other 3 walls) better than what I have now, and privacy galore (not enough room for me let alone another).
I agree with the others - if you have the means go as big as you can. I am also a hobbyist and more of a tool collector than a woodworker at times. I now have a 2 car detached garage mahal all to myself (thanks honey) and wonder how I ever did it before. I have only bought one major piece since moving into the new shop - a DC. If you can go bigger then do so by all means - if not I know where you are coming from and believe me it can be done and you can turn out some nice pieces from a small shop.
Let us know how it all turns out - interested to see it coming along as well as the finished product.

[Ned Bulken]

I just moved my tools out of a 900 sq ft shop which I shared with my shop partner John. I fully realize that 12x 16 is TINY in comparison, however it is what I can afford right now. I would love to build larger, and perhaps someday I might. This is a 'for now' shop, I will 'fit' just barely, with the current tools I have and planned purchases.

I'll be building this myself, with the help of some friends from the fire hall to help with the raising and roofing. I have already cut the gussets for the roof trusses, and I will be doing more of that as the next couple of months roll along. I just need to wait for a couple of checks to come in from the new job, which will allow me to buy supplies in useful quantities. I'll be piece-mealing it as much as I can in the meantime, picking up the PT for the foundation, the stone etc... from paycheck to paycheck.

I had This thread (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=29815&highlight=shop) about my potenatial new job and shop a couple of months ago. Things have changed slightly, I've got the job, things are going extremely well, and spring is upon me. I've been traveling for training however, so things got put on hold for a couple of weeks.

Mike G
That is the neighbor's house out back, my house mirrors theirs, and as it was pointed out, the barn will eat up a chunk of the lawn. I'm also limited by the total square footage on the property, and while I could go a LIttle bigger, I'm not sure just how much.

Mike and Andy, As for combining the new shop with the yard shed. I may do that down the road to get some lumber storage, but at this point I think I'll be keeping things separate if only for budgetary concerns. The LOML is very supportive of my building the shop, so I think for now I'll leave the existing shed as its' own entity. I would have to check with codes also about combining the two. There is nothing 'wrong' with the current shed, so demo-ing it isn't an option. I know I will be able to sling some wood storage up in the rafters there. During construction, the contents of the current shed will go into storage so I can keep my tools handy for the build.

Thanks though for the sage advice! I'll go as large as I can, trust me.

[Frank Pellow]

Ned, I would like to add myself to the chorus of folks suggesting that you should go bigger than 12 x 16. Surely it can't cost that much more up the size to what I would consider to be a minimum size for a shop, that is 14 x 20.

You are ambitious planning to have the place built by the end of May. (It took me three months to get my shop to the stage where it had a waterproof roof.)

I wish you good luck and happy building!

[Ned Bulken]

Frank,
I'm expecting that financing will be the biggest hurdle. With it being small (yes , I want bigger too, but this will have to suffice for a year or two), that once I have the materials on hand, I'll be able to get the walls up, trusses built and roof done in just a couple of weeks, working evenings and weekend days. The LOML tells me that if we buy steaks and beer, we can get a crew from the fire house to help with the framing. (with dinner being served after we put away the tools of course).
I won't be 'finished' with it til Fall I"m sure. It 'has' to be mostly done by early July, as all work will stop for a couple of weeks at that point no matter what I would rather do. The LOML and I are getting married on the 8th :D

[Richard Wolf]

I'm not going to say bigger, but I just did. I think you should cover up that big yellow spot on your lawn!:)

Richard

[Von Bickley]

Ned,

You go ahead and build what ever size shop you can afford. A small shop is better than no shop, and hopefully you can build on in the future.:) :D :)

[Pete Harbin]

Hey Ned,

It's easy for us all to say, "Go big!" (myslef included) without knowing what you're up to in the rest of your life...a wedding for one (Congrats! :) :) :) )

Like Von said, go with what you can do, do it well, and enjoy it. Looking forward to seeing what you come up with, and whether or not you catch that REALLY BIG dog that pe'ed in your yard!

Pete

[Ned Bulken]

Ned,

You go ahead and build what ever size shop you can afford. A small job is better than no shop, and hopefully you can build on in the future.:) :D :)
Thanks, I'm putting up a cozy shop, partially because my Cousin, who taught me the very beginnings of woodworking, had a great little shop, about 12x12 in his backyard, it wasn't his 'ultimate' shop, but it was His space, that's what I'm putting up this time.
My new job is one where I expect I'll be moving on to a different location within the next couple of years. This will be a starter shop, and the next one will be larger. I can cope with the small footprint for a year or two. my ideal shop will be 24x36 or so when I can arrange it.

[Randy Cox]

Ned,

Don't know if you have it or can get it, but the December 1999 issue of "WOOD" magazine has an article on their "IDEA" shop and it is in a 12x20 building. I know yours is going to be a little smaller but thought it might give you some ideas on placement of tools and such.

Randy

[Ned Bulken]

Wood has their entire Idea shop series on the website. So yes, I've seen that,and will absolutely be putting as many storage etc... ideas into use. I'm also drawing upon FWW's annual shop issue from a couple of years back, which featured a small one man shop in a one car garage. It will be tight, no doubt about that, but I'll make it fit. :D