1st Draft

[James A. Wolfe]

We're breaking ground tomorrow morning. Still not sure what the building will be made of but I know the size I can probably afford as we're working from that. This is a draft of the layout. Let me know what you'd change. The shop will be 24' x 48' total with 24 x 36 the shop itself.
Thanx,
Jim

[Jim O'Dell]

For me, I'd spin the TS 90 degrees so the infeed side was toward the lumber storage. Much less work getting wood to the saw. Spin planer and jointer also, and move to the extension side of the saw, also for getting raw lumber to it, and to have room to do longer pieces if you need to. I'd want the BS to have a little more room also unless it is, or will be, mobile. You might swap the lathe and the drill press. I'd want the DC closer to the lathe, and the window would be good for the lathe. DP would be fine just about anywhere.
Be sure to keep us posted with pictures. But if you're breaking ground tomorrow, don't you need to finalize the building materials? Otherwise it will slow down the process of getting into the shop!!:D Jim.

[Don Bullock]

Congratulations on the groundbreaking for your new shop. As one who has just gone through the building of a shop, I know what it's like to see dreams become reality. Enjoy.

As for ideas, Jim has given you a good list already. I've discovered from my recent experience that once the building is up it's much easier to visualize the space. Until then play around with several different drafts and "try them out" mentally when the walls are up. I've been working on drawings of my shop for several years using some 3D software that I have, but even that doesn't match seeing the actual space inside the walls.

[Dave Cav]

I'd say you are making a great start. I have the same size shop, but I also have an engine lathe, milling machine, sandblaster, parts washer and motorcycle lift in the shop, and where you are showing household storage, I park my truck. It's a little crowded...My lumber storage is out back, in the tractor shed.

I agree you should probably consider turning your TS 90 or 180*. I have my TS adjacent to my RAS and it's easy to crosscut stock and put it directly on the TS after cutting on the RAS. I have a similar outfeed/assembly table, but mine is 4' x 8' and also serves as my flat stock storage. I divided it into 3 sections and store full sheets on the lower two shelves and longer partial sheets on the top shelf (in theory, anyway). Shorter plywood cutoffs go in bins under/adjacent to the RAS cabinet. My scrap/cutoff bin is directly under the RAS, where I can reach it from both saws.

I had a full sized lathe and got rid of it. It took up a LOT of space and I rarely used it, and when I did, I never used the entire length. I'm going to get a Jet mini lathe eventually and store it under the RAS table and just take it out when I need it. If I find I need to turn table or chair legs, I'll get a bed extension for it.

If your BS is a 14" or so, and you don't plan to do any ripping or long resawing, it's probably OK. Otherwise you will want to make sure you have plenty of room on the front and back for infeed/outfeed.

I like the bathroom/compressor/dust collector room. I don't have a bathroom in my shop and in the winter I wish I did. Running water would be nice, too.

[John Keeton]

Decide generally where the center position tools will be, and put in some conduit and electrical boxes in the concrete floor so you can avoid service wires running across the floor.

[John Hixon]

Not a suggestion for where, but what.
Consider a dedicated finishing area?

[Jim Becker]

Jim's suggestion to get the J/P on the extension table side of the saw is a good one. I'd probably be shifting things slightly to create a larger open area for both assembly and finishing. Relocating the DC and compressor to the "storage" area and reducing the size of the bathroom accordingly would also give you more shop space. I'm not sure I'd want to be on the throne when the compressor kicks on!

[alex grams]

I cannot really think of anything productive to add, but I had a few humorous observations about the bathroom arrangement.

-If your wife goes to the bathroom, you could start using air tools and have the compressor kick on. That would probably aid her very well in vacating herself.

-If you really stink the bathroom up and the air compressor turns on, you could have poop scented compressed air feeding your shop. I could just imagine you using an air tool and looking around and saying to yourself 'Is the dog in here? Or did I do that and just not know it?'

I do think you could make the bathroom smaller as Jim suggests.

[James A. Wolfe]

Thanks to all for some great ideas. Let me address them and see what you think.

Turn table saw 90. I like this idea since I was thinking of being aligned with the entry door but aligning with the chop saw makes more sense.
Swapping the location of the bandsaw and drill press. Excellent idea because of light and proximity to DC.
Removing DC & compressor from bathroom. I'm going to leave this as-is since I won't be in the shop enough to justify heating the whole space 24-7. I can put a small electric heat unit there and keep the water from freezing. The return air from the DC will have to be exhausted back to the shop to keep heating cost in line in the winter. In the summer, it will be ducted outdoors.
As far as placing conduit in the slab for point of use boxes, I had planned on doing that till I got a look at the center trough idea and I'm seriously considering that option. Still thinking on it.
Dedicated finish area. The part of the shop that looks like (and was) the office area will likely be a small hood and finish area. I build mostly small things and this space should be more than enough.
Thanks again for the input and keep it coming. When the bids are all in for the structure, I may have to modify the plan.
Thanx,
Jim