I thought my 13x25 space was going to be plenty, then I started using it.
I thought my 13x25 space was going to be plenty, then I started using it.
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.
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.
Still waters run deep.
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.
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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.
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I need to find out more about posting photos it looks like.....
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
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,
Check out this thread. Also all about small shops: https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread....t=#post3053751
Cheers,
Tim
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