Rules of Thumb for Workshop Size

[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
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
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
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
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!

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!

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.