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G' day everyone,

i'm in the process of giving my shop a big makeover(no lipstick or hairspray jokes pleeeease ! ) and thought i'd ask you kind folks if you could share pics of your shops so i could grab some ideas about storage, shelving, how and where you place power tools in relation with the work that you're doing. My shop is only 21' or 23' x 12' and it's so easy messin' the place up that i feel it's time for a radical clean up

This is how bad it looked in my shop when i started last year









This is how it looks now:







It has improved quite a bit since march of last year, but there's still a whole lot to do to get comfort, yesterday i installed some wall shelving that i will be posting pics of, so, between us, your shop pics are more than welcome! Thanks in advance, it might help not only me but other newbs struggling with space as well.

And Hesh i know i can't complain for the size of my shop but i'm sure you are more organized than me

SergeSerge Poirier38788.4085185185

Well Serge my friend, Here are my pics and some ideas for you.

First is make a built-in gobar deck, take a bench top and use longer go bars to reach a board on the ceiling or make a loft like I did. The loft will give you storage space and an upper deck for the gobox.



Godeck in use





as you can see from the pics, I have lots of storage with the loft area. Also lots of cabinet space, upper and lower.

I tend to use my table saw as a work area as well.

These pics are from June when I built the shop, I'll try and get some recent pics up later today. I sure have added some things to help with the space in there.

By the way, my shop is irregularly shaped at about 14x16x16x10 gives me about 185 sft.

Here are some more pics,

Lookin through the front door (June)



From the back corner where the ladders are (June)



Looking through the front door (recent)



From the back corner (recent) & Loft area (recent) Gee I still have room for more wood



One thing is to use every little space you can, like putting the bending machine under the bench when not in use, as well as areas under your tools.





And of course there are the walls to hang stuff from or cabinets.

Here is a cabinet for guitars when off gassing in the spray booth (that one is ready to buff out)



Hope this helps.

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Well here's my rough blueprints:



We have all the boxes unpacked, I measured everything out and used an article from one of the woodworking magazines for a guide on laying everything out.

This is the current plan, we are going to build a shed into a little alcove that conviently sits against the garage, 7ft will be for a new dust collector and the air compressor, the other 5 will be for wood storage (the compartments will be split).

Our goal was to get those out of the shop to free up floor space and to provide a location out of the way where I could store the good wood, the storage room will be sealed and I'm going to put a de-humidifier in there to keep in at the right levels.

We have to move the cooler pad and that's not going to be cheap but after lots of talking and planning it was simply the best solution for us. We will be running a central dust collection system and a large hanging dust filter to catch what the system missed. I'm really spending my time on this setup to make sure I do it right so I don't have to worry about health problems later on.

It's kind of hard to see but the workbench is the center of the layout, I placed the table saw so that cutting long stock would be easy, I am also re-hanging the door to the side yard so that it opens out and not in, that allows me to utilize that space. I also placed the buffer in a corner where I had room to manuever around it more.

This layout will determine my lighting and the lighting will determine my path for the dust collection pipes (they have to hang on the ceiling) and this also locks in my layout of outlets for 110 and 220.

The other thing you'll notice is there is no storage for tools, that's because I'm going to hang all the storage up on the walls to free up floor space. Some things like the Drum Sander are getting a custom stand that will have built in storage (the drill press and tormek have the same thing) so those are multi use stations.

Hope that gives you some ideas, I feel like I've been planning forever on this but I am very serious about doing this right the first time. The only thing not in the plans yet is a spot for a CNC machine which I'm researching right now, but all the major tool except the tablesaw have mobile bases so I can make room for one without a problem

Cheers

-Paul-

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-Paul-

Patriot Guitars

">its not the best photo. heres half of the shop,the rest I use for storeing my cars and wood.
I try to buy new tool when ever I get money.
I is a big shop for one guy.">..allspruce38788.4543402778

Another one for you Serge

Since my 'shop' is a roof terrace and a workmate, I don't know if it'll help much. And you've probably seen my 'stack of sides and tops above the TV, stack of backs stickered below' picture already, and can probably imagine what maple tops stacked on top of a cupboard look like. So, um, yeah :-)

WOW, THANKS GUYS!

Rod, i love your loft and storage underneath power tools ideas as well as your go bar deck!   

Hesh, you're the master in terms of organization, i'm bowing down your majesty! i wish my shop was 1/4 as neat as yours!

Paul, i agree that a good planning must make life a whole lot easier, how long did you plan for what appears to be a master shop, looks like you'll be free to move freely around that centered workbench also. I hope you'll be able to post pics of the shop when all done with major changes! Gives me a lot of good ideas too


Ron, Yeah, one big shop for one man, i love the idea of the buffing machine centered too! I need to buy me some of these big red tool boxes!


Russell, Love your wide shelving and the overall layout. i also noticed one important thing, the first aid kit that i forgot to buy!Very Neat shop!

One common thing you guys have is daylight which i can't have but maybe one day! Thanks for the great ideas, i feel i'll have to plan a little further before i do anything else

You guys Rock!

C'mon folks, keep 'em shop pics coming! c'mon! c'mon! c'mon!

Serge...

It looks like you're packed in their pretty good. Cabinets & old Dressers are a great place to store your smaller items so they don't get in the way, and are protected from the constant dust. Perimeter workbenches are good, cause you can stash stuff underneath them, as well as shelves, for the immediate things one needs. I'm an organizational freak, so everything has a place. Problem is, I still can't find anything when I need it! Due to my limited space (10'X15'), I opted for smaller sized tools, so I move them around as I need them.

Shop:




RichB38788.5545949074

Rich,

Very inspirational, love your fancy looking bench, nice legs! old cabinets and dressers or old counter tops are great ideas too, ironicly, my wife just gave me the old counter from our kitchen ,it's about 4' long x 2' wide, 2 doors and 4 drawers, it's gonna help a bit for the smaller stuff not getting dust! I also see that you have a beautiful BIG bandsaw, which is probably the biggest tool in the shop, i agree that the other tools can be small but not this one! Thanks bud

OkyDoky. It's in a bit of a mess right now but here it is:

Main workstation:


Jointer, tablesaw, and planer:



Bandsaw and router table:



More workspace and storage - Go-bar deck to the left:



Another workbench:



Drum sander and dust collection:



It's still a work in progress - need to drop some more electrical boxes, some more insulation, etc., but it's comfy, warm, and serves its purpose!

-Mark

Mark Tripp38788.5839699074

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Thanks Mark, i see that you have lots of free space, looks like your in a basement. Nice benches and great power tools, i also saw that beautifull mandolin you're working on and i also love the arrangement around the bandsaw! Also a good idea to keep 'em clamps close at hand

Thanks Serge!

The mandolin is a 29 Gibson. My good friend Ron Warren from Reno asked me to re-fret it for him. He got it from a buddy of his several years ago. It had been "repaired" by the inmates at the Nevada State prison. It is a mess! Where there were cracks, and where the back had separated from the rims, they just squirted epoxy in, and filled the rest with wood putty! Plus, someone had put electonics in at one time, and there is/was, and I'm not exaggerating here, a hole as big as a quarter in the tail block! I drilled it to even it out, and turned a mahogany dowel to size and filled the hole. Now I'm cutting a maple patch to glue in.

Sad... But it is a great sounding mando, even for all of its cosmetic shortcomings.

Need to get it finished - Ron has the first F-5 style I built as a loaner - I'm afraid he's becoming a little too attatched to it!

-MarkMark Tripp38788.6174305556

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Hey Guys,
My shop is being set up(just starting)in my basement as some of these photos. Half my basement is finished w/a wall between the unfinished, where the washer, dryer, water heater & furnace are. So the shop is going up in this area. Can you guys control the dust throughout your homes working w/wood? I plan on using a large Craftsman vacuum cleaner that I have, but do you think that's enough?

David

Hey David:

I used a shop vac for several months before I got the Grizzly dust collector. For machines that generate a lot of dust, (table saw, drum sander, etc.) the shop vac just didn't cut it. Worked fine for the bandsaw and router table though.

-Mark

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Pullman, WA

The more I know, the more I know I don't know.

trippguitars.com
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Here are a couple of shots of my shop. My main workstation is where the best daylight is, and my hand tools are arranged so I can see and reach them easily from here. I have my old "planing bench" as a free standing isle between this workstation and the stationary power tools. The pictures are a couple of years old and I have acquired some more heavy metal tools since then, so I will be moving most of the machines into another (dusty) room and keeping this room as a (clean) building room.

Main workstation:


Planing bench:

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Rian Gitar og Mandolin

Heres mine (hopefull) it's 42 X 14 and very cold at the moment, thats my camper in the background under the sheet, I have to share the workshop with it untill I get a small extenstion on the side to put it in , then I'll build a smallish spray room and a clean build room. Heath38788.6991435185

All these shop pics are giving me tool envy. On the other hand, they're making me feel less guilty about buying more planes to supplement the 3 I have at the moment.

All these great workshops and not one beer fridge

[QUOTE=PaulB] All these great workshops and not one beer fridge [/QUOTE]
I know they don't teach this in Australia, but "beer fridge" + "power tools" = "end of woodworking career"!

gonna put a cooler in mine but every time I get the money I spend it on another tool!!!!! too weak must be stronger. Heath38788.7312384259

One thing Serge, no matter what, the poster with the alien and the beer has to stay! I think we all agree on that!

Arnt:
>> My main workstation is where the best daylight is,

That's funny! Sun light in Norway! Huhn! Billy T38788.7502662037

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Covina, CA

"Multi famam, conscientiam, pauci verentur."
(Many fear their reputation, few their conscience)

I used to like having all my tools on the pegboard or on the wall. I used to be able to get ANYTHING off the wall with my eyes closed (Seriously!) Now I keep them in storeage. I'll never have to worry about any of those tools falling off putting damage on an instrument on my bench. I've heard others mishaps, so I took heed before it happened to me.

My lay out has the machines on one side of the basement, benches on the other, some storeage here and there.
My tools are grouped in drawers:

precision; calipers, feeler gages, etc
layout/measuring
grippies; pliers, cutters, scissors
wrenches/files
bridge; removal tools, clamp cauls, saddlematic, etc
fingerboard; fretbender, radius cauls, hammers, nippers, "jaws"
templates; cardboard and plastic templates
drafting
electronic repair
cauls; wooden cauls, friendly plastic
crack repair
planes; drawknife, spokeshave, sharpening jig, etc

I have "deep" storeage out of the way; blades, buffs, steamer, wood, etc.

Terry Stowell38789.395625

[QUOTE=CarltonM] [QUOTE=PaulB] All these great workshops and not one beer fridge [/QUOTE]
I know they don't teach this in Australia, but "beer fridge" + "power tools" = "end of woodworking career"! [/QUOTE]

Ridiculous concept, how on earth would one get anything done?

It's like fishing Carlton, you must have the right bait to run a good shop.

IE: Woodworker goes into workshop and starts to build. After a few hours, he looks over at the fridge and temptation speeds his pace, he builds a sweat and looks back at the fridge. In turn, he once again builds pace.

After a while his resolve begins to weaken and he makes a rise toward the fridge but as it is still too early he shys and goes back to his task. This cycle carries on throughout the day, the revolutions dependant on a number of factors but ambient temperature is a major influence.

Finally, with dry mouth and a substantial pile of completed work sitting upon his bench, our woodworker rewards himself again and again.

After a while, with his thirst now quenched, he contemplates returning to work. But then in the realisation of the fact that as much as it was too early for a beer that morning, it is far too late for work now, supported by the amount he has already accomplished, he decides to have another beer instead and repeat the process tomorrow.

So, in a typically Australian way it is all quite simple, safe and efficient really.

Cheers

Kim