Originally Posted by
Michael Schuch
Hey Will,
I think that you can do a lot with that shop! The number one rule of shops is that they are never big enough so it is just a matter of making the best use of the space you have available! I could have a whole Costco warehouse store for a shop and I would still be pinched for space in just a few years!
I am right in the middle of rearranging my shop to accommodate a new table saw. I am having a hard time figuring out where I want to put everything for best usage of space. It has been recommended SEVERAL times on this forum and I think I am finally going to have to give in and just do it... it is time for me to cut out scale shapes of all my big machines and an outline of my interior shop space so I can try different layouts and see how multiple arrangements work and flow. I pride myself on being very good at picturing stuff in my mind and figuring out how to put it all together... I think that the paper outlines will really help a lot though.
What tools do you currently own for tools and what is on your list of of what you would like to own? What type of projects interest you? Is your shop going to be dedicated to woodworking or a bit of everything? If you try the idea of arranging your shop with paper cut outs you might be able to figure out how to maximize the cutting length on your table saw. Or maybe a track saw might be a better alternative to design your shop around?
Seeing your pictures I can understand why you want to make cabinets that will go between the studs to make use of every inch of available space. I still think I would suggest that you consider finishing the interior with insulation and plywood to make it a space that can be used in a wider variety of temperatures. One nice thing about a small shop is that you could heat and cool it with a mini-split heat pump or even a window AC effectively if it is insulated well. I would also guess that the materials to finish the interior might be somewhat affordable even in this time of inflated prices on everything.
I am not really making any recommendations, more just throwing some ideas out to hopefully spur your imagination.