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Thread: Prioritizing your equipment's location and convenience

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
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    Waterford, PA
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    Prioritizing your equipment's location and convenience

    As I rearrange my shop to accommodate the new A3-31 combo I have on order, I find myself contemplating each machine's frequency of use and space requirements. Currently my table saw/router table/outfeed table has the biggest footprint (60" x 72" wide) and occupies center stage and is only semi-mobile. The way I currently use my shop, that prime real estate is deserved. I expect to give the new Hammer a similar status and location. My current 15" planer is mobile and I find myself avoiding using it because dragging it out is a PITA, so the new tool needs to be more readily available. My 16-32 sander is also mobile, but it is light to move, and I don't mind pulling it our to use, so it will continue to be mobile. The smallish Drill Press and Band Saw are both stationary, but situated along walls and don't interfere with using the bigger equipment. The other current space hog that isn't mobile is the Miter Saw station. I'm thinking its usage doesn't warrant the current space requirements and will probably build a mobile cabinet with flip up wings or something that can be pushed out of the way. The final piece of the puzzle is my workbench. The location and proximity to the hand tools works well and isn't up for discussion.

    Do you folks have a similar way of choosing your shop layouts, or you fortunate enough to plenty of floor space and everything has room? What are your priorities?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    New York
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    140
    I'm going through layout for a new version of my shop now, wrestling with the same issues. My shop is 11.5' wide, 28' long, so that's one challenge. The band saw will mobile to a point, as it may come close to hitting the rafters when moved. Drill press and router table are already mobile, but I'm considering a sliding table saw and jointer/planer combo that won't be mobile. Would need plenty of space in front/back of them for handling longer stock. My miter is on my workbench which is not currently mobile, but that will soon change.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2016
    Location
    Lebanon, TN
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    1,719
    My Sawstop is pretty much the only tool that doesn't get moved even though it does sit on the Industrial base. So it's in a spot that gives me 9' of rip outfeed, before I have to open a garage door.

    My A3-31 is on a mobile base and is parked parallel to a wall and can be used in either jointing or planing mode for 3' or shorter pieces. If I have to do a longer piece, it gets rolled out. On the PortaMate 3500 base, it's not heavy to move and is stable when off the coasters.

    My Bandsaw, floor standing Drill Press and Router Table are all storage up against a wall, but get rolled out a few feet for use.

    My lathe, Laguna 24/36, a pretty big unit, is on a home made mobile cabinet and gets rolled out to use. This is probably the heaviest of the tools that I move and takes a little bit of effort, because the casters are usually facing in the wrong direction after being put away.

    My Shaper, Drum Sander, ShopFox Moulder and Floor standing Mortiser, all get shuffled into minimal space for storage, but all get rolled out for use. None are hard to move.

    I have a 6' x 3' workbench with drawer storage below the work surface, so it gets pretty heavy with stuff in the drawers. It's on 5 casters, four lockable casters, one on each corner, and a non lockable caster in the center to minimize any sag.

    I move the workbench, as necessary, depending upon what I'm using it for. Sometimes it's for assembly, other times used as in feed support for my table saw.

    I will say, my garage floor is smooth, semi polished, concrete, so I'm sure this helps my tools roll around fairy easily.

    My shop is about 29' x 29', but does double duty for my motorcycle stuff, so I'm looking at adding a 14' x 29' bay to us more as an assembly area, just got to get approval from the boss(wife).

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Apr 2018
    Location
    Cambridge Vermont
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    2,282
    I'm currently using my walk out basement as rust can be an issue around here in an unheated shop. I have two areas with easy passage for tools to be moved from one to the other. The first is where they are stored and a few fixed tools stay. It's 13' x 26'. The other is wide open but an L shape that the main part is 18' x 18'. I'm fiddling with how to lay out the tools that work together. For example the shaper and the planer are never used together but the planer, table saw, and jointer are. Part of the reason why I'm fiddling is that I'm going to upgrade to an 8" long bed jointer. Then, of course there's the dust collector that's almost always used no matter what tool I'm using. Things like the lathe, spindle sander, and mortiser stay against the wall in various spots in the storage area. I do have a compound miter that's nice to have set up but I'm thinking of moving it back into the upstairs of the garage as I rarely use it to do woodworking.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Northeast Ohio
    Posts
    582
    My shop is very small with a low ceiling. My shop has been annually re-arranged looking for better than the current. The tools used frequently have primo locations; less used tools have to be moved or turned or otherwise temporarily made accessible.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
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    SoCal
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    There are plenty of diagrams on the web showing various folk's idea of the perfect work flow. You want your machines and material in positions that facilitate ease of movement from logically colocated stations. An example might be wood rack to saw horses to select material, saw horse to bandsaw for ripping oversize or chop saw for cross-cutting oversize, jointer for face and edge jointing, planer for opposite face surfacing, jointer or tablesaw for opposite edge jointing, tablesaw for cross-cut to length.

    I put other tools where they are used most. I put duplicates if two stations use the same tool a lot; 4" double square, marking knife, pencils, clamps, etc. I put drawers or holders at the bench or tool for items I need nearly every time I am there. I put tools that are used frequently but, are not required at my fingertips in specific drawers, grouped logically. I put things I used every week but, not every day, in cupboards or drawers somewhere in the shop. I put things I use every month or so (or less) in outbuildings OUTSIDE the shop work area. If you have a "next room" I would put them there.

    HTH
    "A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".


    – Samuel Butler

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    SE PA - Central Bucks County
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    65,688
    Think about your actual normal workflow. Things you use frequently and bounce between need a more "stationary" orientation than tools that are more specialized and get pulled out once in awhile or for finesse work. For my, my J/P and slider (table saw) are complementary tools and I have then situated so I can easily bounce between them. My drum sander, while important is parked toward the end of my shop...it actually blocks the lathe in its regular position because in recent years, my spinny thing only gets very occasional work. Sometimes orienting "regular use tools" requires some creativity and even some height adjustments to make things work together without interference.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  8. #8
    Join Date
    May 2018
    Location
    Lancaster, Ohio
    Posts
    1,346
    garage has a H5 panel saw mounted on the wall, Radial Arm Saw on cabinet on another wall with 10+ feet left of blade
    basement shop has radial arm saw with 10 feet left of saw blade and 5+ feet to double door right side of blade, workbench is solid on floor, 15" wide belt sander at end of work bench 3"+/- above workbench top. Dust collector cyclone on seperate top against wall with 2 small lathes and other junk going up to corner with radial arm saw then to right on same size top all above cabinets with 1 shelf. 6" jointer (want a 16" combo or 12" jointer) next to work bench, towards middle of room, 8 ft infeed and outfeed space with removable tables as needed. then 5 hp Ind SawStop 36" fence on mobile base(gets moved/ turned 90 deg a lot) 8' infeed and outfeed space. the 12" Woodmaster planer/molder on wheels gets pushed back when not in use. Drill press stationary on wall next to double door, then 14" bandsaw, gets pulled out most of the time unless small piece. 44" tool box, furnace.turn corner, storage for Wood Master planer, table saw outfeed area. Powermatic Shaper next (never gets used) jointer outfeed table. junk storage. Has wood storage all along this wall above planer, shaper, etc. some wood storage on other 3 walls. Main wood storage (500-1200 bdft at any time) in another room that is play area for grandkids, wife's sewing area(never used) freezer, spare fridge, etc. Next room behind workshop has a Milwaukee panel saw (all tricked out) full bathroom in one corner. Finish area still used for brushing or staining. Need to set up for spraying in garage. Have a 28" rollaround toll box, wood storage (6/4 popular). The wall between this room and shop is framed for a double door inline with SawStop. Would have to give up main wood storage area in shop to use this (mixed feelings so have not cut the drywall out for door yet). there is a 6x 8' long storage room off of main shop with 5 bowling alley shelves on one side for tool storage and wood etc on other side. starts at dust collector area, also infeed space for wide belt sander.

  9. #9
    It's the rare shop that has " plenty of floor space and everything has room". My shop has been through several layout changes, but the machines that are heaviest and get the most use have always been fixed in position- jointer and planer side by side feeding the length of the shop across from the dimension saw on the other side, bandsaw at the end feeding across the short way. Drill press, lathe and chopsaw are stationary but tucked out of the path of the major machines.Edge sander, shaper, spindle sander and slot mortiser on wheels but move only a few feet when necessary. All in 24' x 30' (bench, cnc and finishing in a 15' x 30' addition). CAD or paper models shuffled around until it works as well as possible. As Jim points out height can work to your advantage when feed paths intersect in plan.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
    Posts
    114
    I second the recommendation to create a model to shuffle equipment around until you have a workable solution. I used Excel to create a scale floor plan of my shop along with shapes representing individual shop equipment. It will save your back moving equipment around virtually.

    Tom

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    Canton, MI
    Posts
    529
    Before modeling your equipment into the shop space, think about how long your needs will be best met with a table saw/router table as the center point of your work flow. Later on, you may find yourself doing more bench work (bench as the center point), solid wood work (table saw, bandsaw/jointer, or CNC), or expanding to other interests like lathe, CNC or laser. This last one bit us on our last shop rearrangement. We set the slider table saw/jointer/planer as the center point for processing stock as it came in through the door, but find we use that setup much less because of the CNC. We now have to cart sheet goods past the slider to get to the CNC near the back of the shop. Rearranging the shop to CNC centric now is much more difficult with the tools, DC, air and electrical all in place.

    Also consider using the footprint of tools you want in the shop rather than the ones you currently own. For example, it you currently are using a 6" short bed jointer but long for a 8" long bed, it'd be easier to carve out the needed space now than rearrange again later.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Location
    Perth, Australia
    Posts
    9,469
    Quote Originally Posted by Lisa Starr View Post
    As I rearrange my shop to accommodate the new A3-31 combo I have on order, I find myself contemplating each machine's frequency of use and space requirements. Currently my table saw/router table/outfeed table has the biggest footprint (60" x 72" wide) and occupies center stage and is only semi-mobile. The way I currently use my shop, that prime real estate is deserved. I expect to give the new Hammer a similar status and location. My current 15" planer is mobile and I find myself avoiding using it because dragging it out is a PITA, so the new tool needs to be more readily available. My 16-32 sander is also mobile, but it is light to move, and I don't mind pulling it our to use, so it will continue to be mobile. The smallish Drill Press and Band Saw are both stationary, but situated along walls and don't interfere with using the bigger equipment. The other current space hog that isn't mobile is the Miter Saw station. I'm thinking its usage doesn't warrant the current space requirements and will probably build a mobile cabinet with flip up wings or something that can be pushed out of the way. The final piece of the puzzle is my workbench. The location and proximity to the hand tools works well and isn't up for discussion.

    Do you folks have a similar way of choosing your shop layouts, or you fortunate enough to plenty of floor space and everything has room? What are your priorities?
    Lisa, it is all about work flow.

    Which machines do you use in unison or combination? Keep them together.

    I have a small space for power machines - quarter of a double garage. For me it is the combination jointer-thicknesser/planer and the bandsaw that get linked: while long lengths are first cross cut shorter, the real work starts when rough sawn boards are jointed one side and edge, then re-sawn before final thicknessing. The drill press is tucked against the wall between them in this picture, but only because it is an empty spot.



    The table saw can be a little further away, but I link it with the work bench: machines do the work of preparing the boards for working with hand tools at the bench, and it is handy to turn around and have another work surface close by (when the table saw is not being used). The sharpening station is close to the work bench.

    Regards from Perth

    Derek

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Apr 2017
    Location
    Michigan
    Posts
    2,758
    Hi Lisa
    My shop is small so everything must earn it's space. If there was space for it a jointer would be the next addition, but there isn't so I work around that limitation with a planer sled and hand planes. In your case I'd probably get rid of the miter station. With more space and a few workarounds you will work more efficiently.

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