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View Full Version : Detailed shop diagrams, please take a look



Andy Pratt
03-28-2008, 11:16 PM
These are the diagrams I've made for the tentative layout/design of the shop I'll build next year. Please take a look and let me know what you think as far as tool layout, workflow and anything else you notice that could be improved, or doesn't seem to make sense.

The first one is the most informative (with names on most items) the remainder are electrical layout, which may or may not be interesting. Some of the legends got cut off in scanning, if anything isn't obvious just let me know.

Thanks,
Andy

Threw in a plan for the apartment I may put in over the shop for myself. I know jack about home design so let me know if anything is foolish with that one.

Frank Triana
03-29-2008, 12:14 AM
Looks great Andy. Are you aware that long stock may have to be taken in from outside via the large double doors? Your storing it, then to get into the shop your taking it outside, then back in if its too long to negotiate that longest wall. Seems like that to me anyway. Then too many shops angle their machines for space reasons (so if you have a long work piece, its not hitting the machine beside it) allowing for longer work pieces. At and angle the amount of walking distance should be reduced to minimize the task time. In other words, reducing the time to get from machine to machine is important and you should consider looking at the shop as an entire cell. Most of this I have gotten from industrial engineers in machine shops over 30 or so years. Good Luck Andy

John Keeton
03-29-2008, 6:35 AM
It seems like the length of stock one ends up having to rip is at least one foot longer than the available space. From your diagram it looks like you have only 8-10 feet on the infeed side of your saw. To take advantage of outside space, I have always tried to position my table saw in line with the entrance door and only about 8 feet from it. Most stuff is 8' or less, but on longer boards I just open the door. I try to position my cutoff saw along a long wall for the same reasons. Looks like you may be OK there.

The wood storage area looks somewhat cumbersome and I probably would not put a wall there creating a long hallway. Hallways are wasted space and not multifuntional. If your storage was just along the walls of the shop, the floorspace would still be usable for other purposes. All in all a nice setup. It sure is fun planning a new shop!! Do you get to buy all new stuff!!??!!

Rob Russell
03-29-2008, 9:55 AM
If you're planning to have a lot of the machines on castors, it should work. Otherwise, I think you'll be frustrated with your infeed/outfeed sapce for a lot of the machines.

General comment about the apartment - based on where the bathroom is, you'd have a plumbing stack running down through the middle of the workshop, at least that's what I'm guessing if the apartment is centered over the shop. bedrooms need 2 exits, so one of the windows would need to be large enough to serve as a fire escape.

Art Mulder
03-29-2008, 10:21 AM
Is this for business or for hobby?

Am I missing something, or is there no planer in that layout? Seems like a glaring omission to me.

And I'm with John on the wall. I think that putting in that wall, while it gives you a nice area to contain/store lumber, also severely restricts your space. Seems like you want to store a LOT of lumber? What about just building a freestanding lumber rack where that wall is? Then you can move it, lengthen it, or shorten it, in the future as your use of it tells you. But once you build a wall, it's probably not going anywhere.

Jim O'Dell
03-29-2008, 1:28 PM
I agree with John on the door allowing you longer stock ripping with the TS. Switch the big window and door locations on that right side wall, and pull the TS a little closer to the door.
I also agree with the comments on the divider wall. You can always make lumber storage on a mobile cart. Put it there to try it, move it if it doesn't work. It will act like a wall where ever you put it. :eek: You can access it from both sides, but will make rearranging the shop easier with out the wall. Something else if you think you might need longer access at the chop saw or even a router table (or numerous other tools), plan a window at each end in the wall. Make sure it is low enough for wood to pass through the window with the window frame installed. DAMHIKT!!!! I won't admit to it being a problem! :D
Get some of the security tape and mark out the shop in the back yard. You can even use boxes, or the tape to mark location and sizes of the equipment and be able to walk around it to see how everything feels. It is much better than looking at it on paper! Jim.

Andy Pratt
03-29-2008, 1:46 PM
Lots of great input here guys

Seems like the main point of contention is the lumber storage area. A lot of what I was going for with that was to add a partition wall somewhere near my traditional bench work area (bench near large window) to increase wall storage space. Additionally, I wanted to have adequate room to keep a decent stock of common species (probably Maple, Walnut and Cherry) on hand and properly acclimated for immediate use. Looking at it realistically, I could probably do that with a lot less waste of space than I currently have. The points you guys bring up about not being able to change things around later are valid.

Here's my thought: Shorten the partition wall to 9' long starting at the lumber entrance door. Leave that 9' for wall storage near the bench and sheet goods storage in the lumber area, and lose 11 feet of lumber storage. Run 220V outlets and DC from the floor or column near the TS/Jointer to fix that issue. Sound like it would work well?

Good point on the plumbing if I do the apartment, I'll have to re-look at that one. It can't just run horizontal until it gets to an exterior wall?

Should have mentioned earlier but the jointer diagram is for a 12" J/P combo.


Thanks for all the help,
Andy

Ben Cadotte
03-29-2008, 8:45 PM
Not sure what you are planning but 10' to 12' walls would increase your ability to store lumber dramitacally without having to install a wall at all. 10' walls should give you about 3' of space above any window and thats alot of room to store lumber around the perimeter of the shop. 12' walls would of course give you another 2'. If you did 12' I would do 7' high ceiling in the office and bathroom. But a floor on top, and you have a nice bulk storage area 4 1/2' high or so, maybe put a compressor up there.

Don't have the time or money but I occasionaly draw up (home deisgn program) a new rebuilding of my current shop. I currently have 8' ceiling and really really want 12'.

Rob Russell
03-30-2008, 8:39 AM
Good point on the plumbing if I do the apartment, I'll have to re-look at that one. It can't just run horizontal until it gets to an exterior wall?


Water supply piping can run horizontally, but it's better for your waste stack if it's a straight shot down.

I'd also question running your plumbing on an outside wall. Here in Connecticut, all plumbing stacks run on interior walls so pipe freezing isn't an issue.

We need to add a bathroom to our upstairs. We put an addition on the house a few years ago that bumped the square footage from 1800 up to 2800 sq. ft. Most of the addition is first floor - a big sunroom, laundry room etc. Upstairs we have 4 bedrooms and a single, shared bathroom. Based on the house size, we need to add a dedicated bathroom for the new master bedroom. The only way I can do that is to drop down and run out to the exterior walls or in to an interior (bearing) wall that my wife wants to tear out so we can open up the kitchen and dining room. I've been resisting the exterior wall solution specifically because it would be taking steps to prevent frozen pipes. That and it would mean tearing out the kitchen cabinets to get at those exterior walls ... :rolleyes:

Dave MacArthur
03-31-2008, 2:39 AM
Well, I liked your Griz layout pics so much I logged in and used it to do my own shop! Only at the end did I realize it was the same (virtually) as the Delta version, but without all the nifty shop items I wanted to add :(( No "wood storage" picture, and no picture of a Honda Odyssey with appropriate baby-seat maneuvering clear zone... what are these garage-shop design programmers THINKING?? How can you even begin the plan without the minivan icon???