Help with microshop layout

[Joe Dobransky]

I finally squirreled away enough money on a seafarers wage to buy my little micro shop. It's 8 x 12 and all mine. No cars. No wife. No pets. No kids.

I have a contractor saw, a lunchbox planer on a mobile chop saw stand, and tabletop versions of a drill press, band saw, router table, and the monster 12" sliding chop saw. Plan on building myself a 5' x 2' workbench. I do plan on having dust collection (1 HP HF with a 30-gallon plastic barrel secondary) which will be outdoors to keep the planer, saw, and whatever else under control as I suspect a great deal of work will be outdoors. Good thing I live in Florida and use to the elements. While I would like to see everything in the shop maybe on mobile carts, I am also a realist. These tools aren't light. I am thinking the chop saw will have to live in storage till I need it for cutting down lumber. Lumber storage is under one of the protected eaves of the house and I only buy what I plan on using. Pipe clamp storage and glue ups will be up in the rafters. I'm sure a lot of my woodworking will have to be done old school too. Hand saw, and planes. Hopefully, your suggestions will help me out from going back to the Flintstone era.

[Ted Reischl]

Have you put a proposed layout to paper yet?

[Jim Becker]

With a very small space, outside of the workbench, I'll suggest you keep all of your machinery mobile so you can stash things in the corner while you're assembling and finishing projects, etc. One thing...don't buy a 1hp DC. It will unlikely keep up with your planer and barely work for other tools, too. Go up to a 1.5 or "2hp" unit for better performance, even with just one simple hose to the tool-of-the-moment. Your shop and lungs will thank you for it, and it's not really going to take up much more space. If you separate the blower from the rest and mount it up on a wall, it will be out of the way. Alternatively a simple lean-to outside closet to house the DC will also deal with the space thing.

[Joe Dobransky]

Have you put a proposed layout to paper yet?

I have not. I know from reading the forums for a very long time that there are certain layouts some would never use again. Since space is at a premium, I thought I would avoid a lot of the pitfalls up front. For instance, Would a flip top cart(s) be better or maybe just a mobile bench-tool shelf/cart system. If flip top, what tools wouldn't somebody pair together ever again maybe because of weight issues.

[Joe Dobransky]

With a very small space, outside of the workbench, I'll suggest you keep all of your machinery mobile so you can stash things in the corner while you're assembling and finishing projects, etc. One thing...don't buy a 1hp DC. It will unlikely keep up with your planer and barely work for other tools, too. Go up to a 1.5 or "2hp" unit for better performance, even with just one simple hose to the tool-of-the-moment. Your shop and lungs will thank you for it, and it's not really going to take up much more space. If you separate the blower from the rest and mount it up on a wall, it will be out of the way. hankAlternativelyT a simple lean-to outside closet to house the DC will also deal with the space thing.

Thank you. I was going to go to HF today because of the 25% off coupon today/tomorrow. I will get the bigger one. I think it's a 2HP unit. The barrel came in just the other day. Definatly a lean to is in the near future for not only the DC but the air compressor which is currently in a storage closet on the opposite end of the house. Good thing I have a ton of hose.

[Rick Potter]

Google small work shops on You tube. Lots of info and ideas there. Some good, some bad.

Woodsmith mag has printed a couple $10 books on this subject.

[Mike Heidrick]

Florida humidity will wreak havoc on wood and tools outside. I definitely would not buy anything else at this point. Dealling with 3 sheets of plywood worth of space before anything is in will make building it a chore.

Do you have ths bld already? Is the elec and walls done?

[Osvaldo Cristo]

I finally squirreled away enough money on a seafarers wage to buy my little micro shop. It's 8 x 12 and all mine. No cars. No wife. No pets. No kids.

I have a contractor saw, a lunchbox planer on a mobile chop saw stand, and tabletop versions of a drill press, band saw, router table, and the monster 12" sliding chop saw. Plan on building myself a 5' x 2' workbench. I do plan on having dust collection (1 HP HF with a 30-gallon plastic barrel secondary) which will be outdoors to keep the planer, saw, and whatever else under control as I suspect a great deal of work will be outdoors. Good thing I live in Florida and use to the elements. While I would like to see everything in the shop maybe on mobile carts, I am also a realist. These tools aren't light. I am thinking the chop saw will have to live in storage till I need it for cutting down lumber. Lumber storage is under one of the protected eaves of the house and I only buy what I plan on using. Pipe clamp storage and glue ups will be up in the rafters. I'm sure a lot of my woodworking will have to be done old school too. Hand saw, and planes. Hopefully, your suggestions will help me out from going back to the Flintstone era.

I recently post here at SawMillCreek the presentation of my 104 sq foot workshop. It has worked to me for more than 25 years!

All the best,

[Matthew Hills]

Sounds like fun.

In your situation, I'd give some thought to keeping the chop saw outside permanently, and use just for rough breakdown or carpentry projects.
Then make a crosscut sled for the tablesaw -- this is very useful for cutting your workpieces to final length and gives you extra functionality in the space allocated to the tablesaw.

(I was going to say something about the fun projects you'd be able to make, but probably not your kitchen cabinets... then I saw that Osvaldo had been making his household cabinets in his shop... so chapeau to everyone who finds a way!)

Matt

[Brian Deakin]

I too have a small garage 8ft by 20ft
Please see list below for possible suggestions
(1) Consider carefully where you locate electrical out let sockets and ensure you have sufficient Do not have a situation where you have electrical wires trailing across the shop because you do not have an adequate number of sockets
(2) Place spur bar brackets on free wall space, this gives you the flexibility of being able to constantly reconfigure the wall shelving as your needs and preferences evolve
(3) If possible have some outside storage eg.large plastic drums
(4) Putting machines on castors allows you to wheel the machinery outside the shop and use that space It also allows you to move machinery to one side in the shop and work more safely when working inside
(5) Have a tray to put all of the tools you are currently using on
(6) Consider working heights eg could your work bench double as an outfeed table
(7) Colur code items with nail varnish eg allen keys and spanners for machine A blue nail varnish allen keys tool B red nail varnish
(8) If you store items in boxes on shelves always label the contents and consider photographing the contents and placing the photograph on the outside of the box
(9) Ensure you have good lighting
(10) Have a rule that you will tidy away 5 items before starting work in the shop

[Joe Dobransky]

Florida humidity will wreak havoc on wood and tools outside. I definitely would not buy anything else at this point. Dealling with 3 sheets of plywood worth of space before anything is in will make building it a chore.

Do you have ths bld already? Is the elec and walls done?

Most of my tools lived outside for many decades and were replaced often as tarps tore, hurricanes blew through or whatever. Wood is only procured as needed and only for as long as I can bear to see it outside. Fortunately, where the wood is stored is fairly protected from the elements which is under the eves. As long as the tarp redirects any stray rain spray....it stays relatively dry.

[Joe Dobransky]

Sounds like fun.

In your situation, I'd give some thought to keeping the chop saw outside permanently, and use just for rough breakdown or carpentry projects.
Then make a crosscut sled for the tablesaw -- this is very useful for cutting your workpieces to final length and gives you extra functionality in the space allocated to the tablesaw.

(I was going to say something about the fun projects you'd be able to make, but probably not your kitchen cabinets... then I saw that Osvaldo had been making his household cabinets in his shop... so chapeau to everyone who finds a way!)

Matt

You probably would have laughed then when I made kitchen cabinets for someone on a front porch using their roof's support 4x4's for clamping stations and keeping things square.

[Joe Dobransky]

Thanks. I am thinking mine will be a little bit more cluttered.