Shop Designer

[Laurie Brown]

Recently while web researching for a project I'm working on, I came across someone's old web site with some links to some free woodworking software. I downloaded some of the things and found on in particular very useful. It's called Easy Shop Shop Designer. It was shareware, although it's no longer supported, and it looks pretty old, probably designed for Windows 95 or earlier. But it's a small, simple program that's great if you want to lay out your shop, put in tools, and rearrange them to find a good layout.

I was very unhappy with my shop layout. I had no real good way to get sheet goods cut on my table saw, no real bench space, and no organization for my tools. I went into my shop and measured everything - the walls, windows, doors, and machines and benches - and loaded them into the program. Within minutes I was able to rearrange things into a way that I not only should be able to cut sheet goods up easily and safely, but have room for all my tools and machines AND sheet goods storage. I couldn't believe how easy it was!

If anybody else would like a copy of the program to play with, I uploaded it to my website and you can get it here: www.aerth.org/Downloads/Easyshop.zip

I will be reorganizing my shop in the coming months, which includes:

1. removing old tool chests and benches that aren't used or needed
2. Rearranging existing equipment to the new plan
3. Building a work table, shop hutch, and miter bench from the NYW eps
4. installing a window AC unit next spring (we are getting a heat pump installed in the house next week, and will have 3 window units to use elsewhere)

I also need to find some way to put a little heat into the shop so I can work in winter. Ideally, I want something that doesn't give off fumes, is safe to use around flying woodchips and sawdust, and won't combust. I'm thinking maybe one of those electric-powered oil filled heaters on wheels? My shop is 21 feet by 24 feet roughly, and it won't need a ton of heating because it doesn't get real cold out there most days, just enough to get it to where glues and things won't freeze on me.

[Jerry McEwen]

Hey Laurie,

Thanks for sharing the shop design program, I downloaded it, unzipped it, but was not able to get run. Like you said it is an older program, I will take a look at it tomorrow to try some other ideas.

Jerry

[Laurie Brown]

Oh, once you unzip it you need to run Shpdsgsu.exe to install the program.

[Ken Massingale]

Thanks Laurie, that a neat old application.

[Tony Baideme]

Laurie, Ken, Jerry, I tried to do the setup. Unzipped it, installed it and it can't find components. I'll be watching to see if someone comes up with a solution. I'm running Vista home premium.

Aloha, Tony

[Ken Massingale]

Laurie, Ken, Jerry, I tried to do the setup. Unzipped it, installed it and it can't find components. I'll be watching to see if someone comes up with a solution. I'm running Vista home premium.

Aloha, Tony

Tony,
Did you run Shpdsgsu.exe as Laurie explained? I'm also running Vista Home Premium. Shpdsgsu.exe should be in the folder that the files unzip into.
This file is the setup file that installs the app.
Ken

[Laurie Brown]

I have XP and had no problems with it, so I have no idea if it will run with Vista. Ken, did you get it working with yours?

[Laurie Brown]

Here's my shop layout as I designed it with the program.



The router table and the tool storage unit at the bottom are both on wheels and mobile. Everything else is stationary. North is down in this picture. The black lines are windows and garage doors. As you can see, I have two huge windows in the south wall of the shop, which help to warm the place a bit in winter from sunlight. The small window in the north wall is where I'll put the AC unit. I'm still tweaking this layout, as I've decided not to put sheet goods in the northwest corner. The ceiling height in the shop is only about 7 and a half feet, so they'd have to lean, and that will just lead to bending. I'll probably end up storing sheet goods in the house, in the family room which is nearby. There's a sliding glass door that leads outside, right next to the garage doors.

[dan mahler]

Thanks Laurie, that app is an oldie but a goodie.

[Ken Massingale]

I have XP and had no problems with it, so I have no idea if it will run with Vista. Ken, did you get it working with yours?

Yep, no problem at all, laurie.
k

[James A. Wolfe]

Great layout Laurie,
For those of you with access to Visio, there are some freebie templates and stencils out there that are pretty slick.
Jim