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Thread: Small workshops, 300-400 sq ft???

  1. #31
    I thought my 13x25 space was going to be plenty, then I started using it.

  2. #32
    12x18 (216 sq. ft.) shed made into a shop. I have a Grizzly G0833P TS, Grizzly 14" BS, Jet 15" DP, PM 50 6" jointer, DW 734 planer, a 2x2 router table, all on wheels. It also has shelves, Grizzly dust collectors (wall mounted and mobile), shop vac, routers, sanders, etc., etc. It's tight but I make it work. I have a 8x10 platform outside that I roll out the router table, BS, planer when I need to. Pictures attached.
    Attached Images Attached Images

  3. Quote Originally Posted by Phillip Mitchell View Post

    Some of you guys may not believe this or think I’m crazy, but in this space I have a rotary phase converter, 12” Oliver jointer, 20” SCM planer, 20” bandsaw with 10’ of infeed space/support, 16” Tannewitz table saw, 10” Powermatic table saw, 3 HP dust collector with hard pipe, a hand tool workbench and tool storage wall, a half wall of horizontal lumber storage (metal racks fastened to the wall that can hold a couple hundred bd ft) a couple of outfeed / assembly tables, a fold up 3’x6’ art/large format paper cutting table for the wood print art that I make. I hope to add a floor standing drill press sometime soon to replace the small bench top model I have that doesn’t see much use because it’s not permanently set up.
    I am moving to a space slightly, about 250 sq.ft. larger than that with about the same equipment. Would love to see some photos too see how you have it setup.

  4. #34
    Joe,

    I’ll try and post some photos to this thread sometime soon of the space. It’s not pretty to look at, but I have managed to make it work for me to do small to medium sized projects.

    The catch with working in a space like this is that I’m always constantly cleaning / picking up after myself as I go along otherwise it becomes mentally tiring and potentially physically unsafe / annoying having to work around tools, messes, clutter, etc.

    Another important part of how this space can work is thinking pretty critically and outside the box concerning infeed and outfeed space and how that can possibly be shared between neighboring machines.

    I long for a larger, more convenient work space but have to make do for a while with what I’ve developed so I try and be active about making improvements and tweaks to make it less annoying and more efficient; it’s a far cry and different work flow mindset than working in a wide open shop space.

    Quote Originally Posted by Joe Hendershott View Post
    I am moving to a space slightly, about 250 sq.ft. larger than that with about the same equipment. Would love to see some photos too see how you have it setup.
    Still waters run deep.

  5. #35

    Small Custom Shop

    I now work in a 24 x 36 space with one other. He is full time, I am about 15-30 hrs a weeks. I built the shop in the late 80's with haul-back lumber from my real job running a 15 man architectural shop as part of a larger commercial lumberyard. It was to be a hobby/retirement shop, but the real job (my last) went to hell, and I just walked out one day.
    That was February, 1990. The phone rang and has not stopped. We grew out of the space in 1992 and leased space, then bought 8,000 s/f in 2000. A beautiful wide open building. May be a bit too wide open. Then the Crash came and took it all out from under us. I still needed to work, so back to the original shop. I hired one very capable worker, and concentrated on moving up market, as I always have.
    The photo is looking towards one of the 2 benches, with a book display in Wenge going together.
    20190306_154827.jpg
    There are times when longer parts go thru the shaper but must have a window open to start the feed. Anything over 6' has to go thru the window.
    20191105_104530.jpg
    I need to find out more about posting photos it looks like.....
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Last edited by David Sochar; 10-21-2020 at 2:38 PM. Reason: Delete 3rd photo
    I want to stay as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all kinds of things you can't see from the center.
    - Kurt Vonnegut

  6. #36
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
    Location
    Millstone, NJ
    Posts
    1,590
    Thats a good amount of space if you dont have to share it. Im at 450ish but I dont have a shed. So i have yard tools/large quad/generators/snow blower/powerwheels/tricycles/refrigerator/house stuff etc. when I want to do a real project I move as much as possible outside.

    TS,router,workbench, dp, bs,12' combo jointer/planer, miter stand 12' long,

  7. #37
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    Scarborough(part of Toronto|) Ontario
    Posts
    306
    Check out this thread. Also all about small shops: https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread....t=#post3053751
    Cheers,

    Tim

  8. #38
    Join Date
    Jun 2017
    Location
    Landenberg, Pa
    Posts
    431
    Same here, two car garage complete with two cars, all my gear on wheels, annnnndddd a home gym in there. Archaeological tetris is a regular game at our house.


    Quote Originally Posted by Andy D Jones View Post
    Yes! It is incredibly apt!

    I found that the bus-barn approach (where long machines like tablesaw, J/P, benches, etc., roll lengthwise in/out of their parking spots from/to the SUV side of the garage, minimizes (but does not eliminate) needed machines being land-locked behind other machines/benches/etc.

    And of course, lesser-used machines are located behind more frequently used ones, and smaller/shorter machines may be behind a bench or a DC that will almost certainly also be needed and rolled out anyway.

    So think of it as a twist on the game of Tetris, where you need to frequently excavate part of the stack too, hopefully with minimal time and effort.

    -- Andy - Arlington TX

  9. #39
    Join Date
    Apr 2017
    Location
    Michigan
    Posts
    2,758
    How I manage in 250 sq ft

    Slide the TS to the right until it hits the wall. Leave it there. I almost never need to move it.

    Tool cabinet with many shallow drawers and a few deeper ones.

    Get by without RAS or other cutoff saw. And no track saw either.

    Don't build kitchen cabinets, they take up too much space. Buy manufactured ones. You'll finish the kitchen remodel in less that a year.

    Get by without a jointer. Use TS and hand planes as needed.

    Scrap jigs and fixtures and especially patterns after a few weeks of disuse. Paper is ok to save.

    Finish one project before starting another.

    Don't collect wood.

    Don't collect tools.

    Sure some of these are hard but it's survival.

    Tom

  10. #40
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    SE PA - Central Bucks County
    Posts
    65,688
    Quote Originally Posted by Tom Bender View Post
    Don't collect wood.

    Don't collect tools.
    --

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

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