Shop Layout - Please critique

[Jon Snider]

Finally, after 26 years in the basement, if it all comes together I’m moving upstairs. Attached is a rough, first draft shop layout and a run at how the ducting might go.

The shop is 38 x 26’. The big thing on the right is a whitewater dory, which I build along with guitars, mandolins, bamboo fly rods, and furniture. I hope to have a hoist over the boat if I can figure out the load requirements with trusses or I beam, and swing the cost. Ideally, I’ll have a loft over the left half of the shop for overhead lumber storage and maybe a boat or two, with a 10’ ceiling height underneath, and open ceiling to the scissor trusses on the right half. The dories weigh around 500# so not trivial load requirements for the ceiling joists. If the loft idea works out, then I will also have a trolley on a short I beam to roll the boats into the loft. I’ll use this same hoist to lift and roll boats over and to load them on trailers.

The tool and machine placements are just a shot to try to estimate dust collection drop locations. The center duct trunk is under the subfloor. The other two can be overhead (if I have a loft and therefore a ceiling) or can also be under the floor. The cyclone and compressor will be either in a shed attached to the shop on the left, or I’ll frame out a corner inside the shop. Haven’t decided yet.

The planer and belt sander are next to the large door b/c I’d rather just roll them outside than deal with dust / chip collection with those two. I may build a downdraft table into one of the wings of the chop saw station.

I tried to keep machine work on one side and assembly on the other. Also tried to keep biggest dust offenders, CNC, router table, SuperMax sander and table saws near DC cyclone.

Not sold on two table saw saw set up yet, but I have another Unisaw in basement unused and I’d like to leave both a rip and dado set up. Lots of dado work for hatches and decking of whitewater dories. The assembly table on casters serves as a longer outfeed if needed for gunwale stock, to help with infeed of sheet cutting, or can roll into boat spot when there’s nothing there.

I don’t have a shaper or CNC, but just planing ahead .

Finally, in the upper right corner is a 4’ deep by 8’ tall bin for vertical storage of plywood. I use a lot of marine hydrotek Meranti. I might eliminate this if I have a loft.

Please give me you comments and criticisms.

Thx. Jon

[Mike Heidrick]

Planer should be closet to DC not furthest. Get the Jointer and planer closer. Id move shaper after that if its big and gets used.

Also planer and joiner share same wood motion.

[Jon Snider]

Planer’s not on DC. I’d rather just send the Port Orford Cedar into a pile in the driveway (and enjoy the smell) and shovel it, than fill a 55 gal drum in one day.

The shavings go straight to my kindling box for the fireplace and stove.

Thanks for thoughts on shaper.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Curious if the tools on the top (in the pic) wall are mobile. Looks to me like they are all pretty close together, and functions like steering boards into the bandsaw, and shaping, would potentially have another machine interfering.

[Robert Engel]

I think you'll be fine with it. It really boils down to the size of the blower and adequate sized duct work.

I've concluded its better to collect miter saws, router tables, etc with a portable shop vac/cyclone rather than doing the extra ductwork. I guess because it seems air velocity is more important than CFM's?

[Jon Snider]

Curious if the tools on the top (in the pic) wall are mobile. Looks to me like they are all pretty close together, and functions like steering boards into the bandsaw, and shaping, would potentially have another machine interfering.

Thx Steve. Right now they’re on skids and are moved with a small pallet jack. Might go that route or maybe casters to save room.

Appreciate your advice.

[Jon Snider]

I think you'll be fine with it. It really boils down to the size of the blower and adequate sized duct work.

I've concluded its better to collect miter saws, router tables, etc with a portable shop vac/cyclone rather than doing the extra ductwork. I guess because it seems air velocity is more important than CFM's?

planning on one under chop saw, which is my favorite and most used tool. Might also consider one for router table.

Again, thanks to all. You won’t hurt my feelings if you say something sucks on the layout. I’d rather get it right rather than try to fix it later.

Jon

[Don Jarvie]

Get a can of spray paint or something to mark with and you tape measure and lay everything out. This way you can see how much room you have around the tools and work flow. It may last ok good on paper but once you move in it may not work as well.

[Andrew Seemann]

One small thing first, you will probably want/need more clearance in front of the wood stove. 3 feet is probably the manufacturor's minimum, but in reality you won't want anything that close. If the floor is wood or other combustable, you will need protection under the stove and extending out the sides and the front. The protection requirements in the front can be a couple of feet, due to risk of burning embers falling out.

In general, you probably won't know the ideal layout until after you use the shop for a while, so allow for your layout to have some flexibility. It is also worth waiting to put up dust collection until you have the tools moved into the shop and can move them around until you like how they are laid out. That will also ensure that the ducts end up where they need to be.

My recommendation would be to put things on mobile bases. I have roughly the same footprint as you, and everything I have is on casters with the exception of two benches. I end up moving things not infrequently for clearance reasons. It looks like you have some hobbies that require good sized open areas, so you may need shuffle things around to accommodate them from time to time.

The other thing I would recommend is leaving enough space for a comfy chair, like an old Lazyboy or similar. If it can end up in front of the wood stove, all the better It provides a nice break during the day to go over plans/lists/etc and your back, knees, and hips will thank you for it. I acquired one recently and it is the bee's knees, especially at the end of the day with a beer.

[Jon Snider]

One small thing first, you will probably want/need more clearance in front of the wood stove. 3 feet is probably the manufacturor's minimum, but in reality you won't want anything that close. If the floor is wood or other combustable, you will need protection under the stove and extending out the sides and the front. The protection requirements in the front can be a couple of feet, due to risk of burning embers falling out.

In general, you probably won't know the ideal layout until after you use the shop for a while, so allow for your layout to have some flexibility. It is also worth waiting to put up dust collection until you have the tools moved into the shop and can move them around until you like how they are laid out. That will also ensure that the ducts end up where they need to be.

My recommendation would be to put things on mobile bases. I have roughly the same footprint as you, and everything I have is on casters with the exception of two benches. I end up moving things not infrequently for clearance reasons. It looks like you have some hobbies that require good sized open areas, so you may need shuffle things around to accommodate them from time to time.

The other thing I would recommend is leaving enough space for a comfy chair, like an old Lazyboy or similar. If it can end up in front of the wood stove, all the better It provides a nice break during the day to go over plans/lists/etc and your back, knees, and hips will thank you for it. I acquired one recently and it is the bee's knees, especially at the end of the day with a beer.

thanks Andrew. Hmmm, hadn’t put much thought into stove. Was just locating it where it is in a buddies shop, and central enough for good heating.

Any my thoughts to a better spot? Maybe in corner?

[Andrew Seemann]

Generally you want the stove in a place where it can radiate heat out to the room as unobstructed as pratical. The problem is you also don't want to put it in a space were it messes up the rest of your layout. From that perspective dead space like a corner isn't a bad option, especially one that can radiate out into the room. Avoiding putting machines that spit out lots of dust and chips next to them is a good idea also.

Stoves are tricky, because they aren't as easy to move as a dust collection duct if you end up not liking where they are.

[Jon Snider]

Thanks Andrew. Wood stove will have external air source into combustion chamber, probably via a duct coming in from the crawl space.