Shop Layout Issues

[Paul Pavone]

Being this is my first post I would first like to say thanks for all the info I've been getting from this great forum over the past year or so.
As you can see by my attachments, my basement shop area is rather broken up. I share the basement with a family rec room and at the time when I built the rec room the layout of the shop was obviously secondary.
I'm starting to completely redo the shop and not interested in moving walls at this point. It's a general purpose workshop leaning more toward cabinets and furniture. All my tools are just randomly placed in there for now. I labeled the walls for reference and hopefully you can get all the dimensions.
Here are my questions:
Most importantly, what would you do with this space?
Where should I store my lumber? Where would you place the workbench? Where should I build cabinets? Dust collector ... Etc.

Thanks, I really appreciate any help you may offer.

Paul

[Dan Hintz]

If it fits, I would put the dust collector between the HVAC and stairs... it's not a big space, so not really usable for work space, and you don't need to access the DC very often.

That's the only suggestion I have without being there to see the equipment in person and how you use it. For example, if I was only using the drill press on hand-held items, I'd be inclined to put it in a corner or nook, as well.

[Kent A Bathurst]

....I would put the dust collector between the HVAC and stairs... it's not a big space, so not really usable for work space......

Yeah - stick it back outta the way - lumber maybe along the North wall - up the "blue" stairs and into racks.

Think outside the box - HVAC is pretty much a "monument", but the water heater - there is something that can be easily moved anywhere with a coupla hours plumbing work - back around the corner tucked in behind the HVAC, foro example . Not sure what that other cylindrical thing is acros from the water heater.

[Paul Pavone]

I moved the DC next to the furnace and I'm now planning on building some lumber racks and bins under the stairs.
If you were to put some permanent cabinets, where would they go? I was thinking along the north and east wall?
thanks

[Ben Hatcher]

I'd build a 24-30" deep bench along the entire length of the north wall. Somewhere near the middle, I'd recess my miter saw or radial arm saw into the top so that the saw table were flush with the benchtop. I'd do the same with the drill press ensuring that the post of the DP were behind the saw's fence. I'd probably put my planer on that same bench mounted in such a way that I can use the top for infeed/outfeed support, but also such that I can get it out of the way when I want to use the mitersaw. A mount that let you flip the planer up into place when you need it would be slick.

Under this long bench, I'd build a cutoff storage rack. I'd make several bins, 12"x6" the full depth of the bench. This will allow you to organize some of your shorts so they're easier to find. I'd also make room for a bin for smaller cuttoffs that are destined for the garbage/burn pile/etc. You could put additional shop storage here, too.

I'd store my sheet goods along the east wall.

As others have said, I'd put the DC between the stairs and furnace.

I'd put my table saw right in the middle between the two doors and under that center beam. I'd orient it with the operator's back to the east wall and the far edge of the table to the east of the poles. This will give you plenty of room to cross cut longer pieces as well as rip full sheets. You may need to move the saw left or right depending on your cut. I can't tell if you can get 4' on either side with that pole in the way.

[Greg Portland]

*** mobility, mobility, mobility ***

IMO you are thinking about this the wrong way (where to place each tool). You will quickly find that permanently placing equipment in one location is going to limit your options, especially as you add additional tools to your shop. Create 2-3 workspaces in your shop area. One for smaller work (drill press, router, etc.) and 2 for larger tools (bandsaws, jointer, shaper, planer, TS, etc.). All tools MUST be on wheels. When you are not using them they will be stored along the wall under your wall cabinets.

With careful project planning you should be able to use the jointer and shaper first and then store them. At that point, you're using the saws. The final stage would be shaper, router, & sanding.

I would add wall storage but leave enough room to slide the large equipment under the shelves when not in use. One more assembly / TS outfeed table would be ideal for project flow. Note that this table could be a rolling cabinet that can be stored under the wall cabinets. You will place the DC drops @ each work area (so 2-3 total). In my shop everything runs on a 6" drop. Routers and palm sanders use my shop vac.

For 'small' tools like a lunchbox planer, buffer, grinder, etc. I created a single rolling cabinet. Each tool is mounted to a plywood sheet that becomes the top of this cabinet. I have a large tower cabinet with slots for each tool when they are not in use.

[Don Jarvie]

To echo above it would be great to move the water heater next to the HVAC and wall them in. The dust will get sucked right into the HVAC (assuming forced hot air).

Put the DC under the stairs with a compressor and wall them in. Will keep the noise level down.

Consider moving the TS to where the bench is (the one by the HVAC). This will give you room for infeed and out feed to the TS.

[Dan Karachio]

As a comedian might say, that's a tough room!

Greg is probably more organized and together than I am, but I dumped the mobile strategy and went with fixed positions in my shop and I absolutely love it and am much more productive. When I need to plane, joint, drill, route or sand, bam, I can do it instantly - no set up or rolling at all. That is worth a lot to me. However, it took a long time to get it right and I have a more open/square space than you do. Honestly, you can plan on a computer or paper only so much, but there is no substitute for lugging things around and trying it out. Good luck. I'm betting you can come up with something pretty neat in that shop.

[John Morrison60]

I have built my shop very close to what Ben reccommends. a long bench with SCMS and planer using the work surface for infeed/outfeed.
I built a folding mount for the planer, that I have since figured out is unneccessary.
The bourds that you would want to fit onto the SCMS can easily just be extended
through the planer. I have never folded my planer since I went to so much trouble.
But, other than that, the design works terrific for a small basement shop.

I would also suggest that you place planer, or jointer, close to the DC so you get
maximum flow out of those tools. All of the other tools can live with lesser pull,
but the jointer and planer depend on good evacuation of chips.

You also might think through your own work methods to help your design.
For instance, I resolved that I would not try to make my workspace able to
cut a full sheet of plywood. I built a cutting table with a sacrificial top, that I store
in the garage, and do all of my initial sheet goods breakdown with a circular saw
before I take the wood to the shop. That basic decision changes the requirements for space around the Table Saw.

Good Luck
John

[Mike Cruz]

This is over generalizing, I know, but here are some quick tips.

Long unobsructed walls are great for putting a miter saw with 12 feet of bench to the left or right of the saw and 4 or so feet on the other side. This bench can double as assembly or workbench space.

Your DC should be (in my opinion) as centrally located as possible so that each run to a machine is likewise as short as possible. Locating the DC on one end requires a long run to something...reducing it's effectiveness.

Long runs of open space are key for the jointer and planer. Imagine a 10 foot board going through your planer...you need 10' on the infeed side of the planer, space for the planer and 10 feet on the other side. Plan to plane anything 12' long, plan for it. Jointing is about the same. As for the TS, you might want to think of the same, but also consider space to the left and right of the saw for sheet goods.

As for counter top height, plan for everything to be at or about an 1" or so BELOW your machines. This plays especially convenient when needing the counter space to double as infeed outfeed space. Obviously this doesnt' work for planers with adjustable tables, but the TS and jointer may factor into this.

Even if you plan to have your machines stationary, mobile bases are KEY. You will likely go through some rearanging (no matter how much you plan it out), and for special applications, you may need to move things around a bit...angle them slightly differently...move something out of the way. This will add about $50-100 to each machine, but will save you a million in headaches and frustration.

Good luck!

[Paul Pavone]

Great advice!
I started building several mobile bases and ordered the Shop Fox base for my BS. I'm seriously considering moving my hot water tank. One possibility is directly across to the other wall next to my water pressure tank (i have well water). We heat with a woodstove so dust in the HVAC not really an issue. I agree that the North wall should be my main bench area.
Here's an interesting challenge: I have this super heavy duty cart that needs to be recommissioned. As you can see from the photos all the supports are t-slotted! (http://www.boschrexroth.com/country_...o/mt/index.jsp) I thought about using one of the laminated shelves for my yet-to-be built router table from the Aug/Sept issue of Woodcraft. Another entire shelf could be made into an outfeed / assembly table with hold-downs. Remaining t-slot members could make up some jigs etc. Any other thoughts?
thanks again