Best Workshop/Bench Design Concepts

[DFB]

Rob, that's cool. Looks like a nice project. Any pics? /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
I got plans around somewhere for that bench. Never seem to find the time. Did you use the red oak too?

It is a nice design.

DFB

 

[RobS]

Hey, now that I've got my very own digital camera I will take some pics and post tonight. I built it just like the plans including the red oak banding and the plywood/masonite top. The tail vise works quite well. This workbench and his shaker wall clock have been about the only two things I've ever built from plans that I didn't feel the need to modify. I'd take a picture of the clock also, but it was a wedding gift for one of my sisters /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[DocHeb]

I mounted my cut-off saw with its deck 60 inches off the floor. It lets me see the cutting marks without bending over (I'm 6 foot 2). There is room under the saw to keep my jointer, some shorts and a trash bin.

 

[DocHeb]

I made the partition wall for my basement shop out of 2x10. I then routed 3/4" grooves on the sides and attached pilaster strips for shelf supports. I got a lot of storage that way. Future plans (someday) include doors out of MDF board. I ran the electric behind the board in the middle of the wall. If I would do it again, I would use 2 pieces of 3/4 inch plywood glued together for the studs. The dimension lumber warped and twisted too much and made the shelf lengths not be the same throughout.

Two excellent must-read books for shop design and use:

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1561582719/qid=1010623660/sr=2-2/ref=sr_2_11_2/104-9804474-2247169>The Workshop Book</A>

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0918804760/qid=1010623660/sr=2-3/ref=sr_2_11_3/104-9804474-2247169>The Workbench Book</A>

both by Scott Landis and Taunton Press

 

[RobS]

Here's a picture of my woodworking bench. I built this from Norm's plan nearly 10 years ago and it's been great. Just doesn't get used enough lately /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[RobS]

Here's a shot of my woodshop in the basement. I started making a model of our new house from the plans until I realized the front and back views were a different scale than the rest. Thus the "work in process" look /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[RobS]

... and finally back to the original intent of this thread (I think). Here's my bench in the garage. Simple enough, but has served my needs very well over the years /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[RobS]

Excellent recommendation on those books DocHeb! I've got both of them and have used a number of ideas from each. Also lots of droolable content to each /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Oh yeah, great looking shop you've got there. I really like your shelves. So many shelves you see/buy are too deep to be handy. Nice work /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[MossRoad]

Is that an X10 module?

 

[Russ]

Good Luck on your shop.

Here are a couple ideas.
1. Put eletrical outlets about every 6 to 8 ft along the walls and put them about 4 ft high. That way they are above the bench top and if you set items along the wall they don't end up buried behind stuff as often.

2. Run a 240 line for a welder and have them also put in a plug or 2 for 240 volt machines. They can put it on 1 circuit since most people won't and welding and running a tablesaw at the same time.. Have the welder plug located near a overhead door that way you can weld outside or inside.

3. Put outlets in the celing for shop lights and have them attached to a switch or 2 on the wall. Also if you install garage door openers the outlets for them will be in the celing about the center of the bays.. plug in one of those self retracting extension cords into the celing outlet and you will never be diging out or winding up extension cords again.

4. Many options for benches. Make it high enough your not stooping over all the time but low enough you can put your weight into your work. Maybe 2 benches at different heights.
If you do lot of metal work or welding make a heavy metal bench. You can weld on it and hammer on it with out damaging it. If you make your bench top out of wood products consider toping it with 1/4 inch masonite. If you damage the top after a few years just replace the masonite and you have a new top.

5. I prefer the big rolling toolboxes like the snap on and MAC make. Keeps the dust off my tools and I can move the box if need more room. I could't afford one the commercial made ones so I made my own out of wood.

 

[RobS]

Good eyes MR, yes that is an X-10 module. You'll see a window candle light in the same picture. We've got 18 of them that come on at dusk and I can override them with a single switch. Ain't technology grand /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[cedarranch]

I would have never thought to use pvc pipes for compressed air. /w3tcompact/icons/hmm.gif Is that safe? /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif
I have seen low pressure waterlines come apart, could not imagine putting 100psi in them. /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

 

[cedarranch]

x-10 module? /w3tcompact/icons/hmm.gif

 

[Pks]

Bird,

What are the dimensions of your barn? The ceiling height looks like it's 12 ft.

 

[MossRoad]

X10 is for home automation. I can explain in another thread if you like. It is cheap and easy to automate just about anything. My entire living room, master bedroom and one of my kids rooms are on it, as well as all of the outdoor holiday lighting. Good stuff for small bucks.

 

[cedarranch]

Please do - sounds very interesting /w3tcompact/icons/cool.gif

 

[MossRoad]

I'll post it in Off Topic and Just for Fun in a few minutes.

 

[Bird]

David, all the "experts" say to NOT use PVC for compressed air lines, so I don't recommend you do it. Another case of "do like I say; not like I do."/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif I used material on hand at the time (over 3 years ago) and know a lot of other folks have done the same with no problems, but if I were going to buy the material to do it, I'd probably use rigid copper and sweated joints. And low pressure waterlines come apart? Are you talking about the joints pulling apart; not the line itself breaking? If so, yes, I've seen a bunch of them; always because of poor workmanship in putting them together in the first place.

 

[Bird]

Peter, these pictures are not of my "barn"./w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif My barn is a ragged old dirt floored, corrugated metal building; used primarily for junk storage since I got rid of the goats and rabbits. However, my shop building is only 10' ceiling (if it had a ceiling/w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif) with a 7' overhead door, and it's 40' x 60' in size. It was here when I bought the place. If I were building a new one, making it taller is only one of several things I'd do differently.

 

[cedarranch]

<font color=blue>And low pressure waterlines come apart? Are you talking about the joints pulling apart; not the line itself breaking?</font color=blue>
Yeah the joints comming apart. Never had one of mine come apart /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif but I have sure fixed a lot that have. Most due to not being secured to the joist well and its own weight pulling it apart. Some due to poor glue joint.
I guess I am just to scared to take chances so I tend to do overkill - like my father did. /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif I use more nails, larger lumber, etc. than is really necessary. /w3tcompact/icons/blush.gif