fitting out workshop?

[Rgillard]

Hi guys (and ladies),

I am finally putting up a workshop at my house so i can start doing some projects. At the moment everything is done on the driveway and it slows progress having to set everything up every time you want to do something. The workshop is 25 x 20 ft. I was looking for some advise as to what way to lay out. Like where to position welding table, Post drill etc. Most of you have ur own shops and any tips on what to include or what not to put into it would be brilliant. Any suggestions will be most appreciated

 

[bczoom]

Ronan,

What kinds of tools, projects... do you have/do in general. Obviously setting up a metal/fabrication shop would be much different than wood working.

Some general thoughts/ideas regardless of what projects/setup you may need.
Lots of shelves.
A refrigerator.
A retractable work light and/or extension cord hanging from ceiling.
Stereo/radio
Heat?
Appropriate lighting (brightness and located where most needed).
Ventilation?

Brian

 

[Rgillard]

like the fridge idea.. I do mostly metal fabrication. At the minute im restoring a kawasaki bayou klf 300 and building a sabretooth go-kart. So welder, post drill ,chop saw and hopefully a lathe will all be needed. I know that when i do finish the shed ill prob turn round and say "why didnt i think of putting that in". Most things are easy to put in when the shed is being built and this is why i am looking for tips. All of ur ideas will be included and thanks for your reply

 

[bczoom]

Sorry if my thoughts/ideas are very general but I think each person's shop is unique to their particular wants/needs.

Being 20x25', space will need to be conserved.

As an interim (or permanent) solution, considering making as many of the larger tools (lathe, welder...) portable. Put wheels on or have a cart for moving. These can then be stored under a workbench or set of shelves and only pulled out when needed. In my shop (16'x27'), there are no permanently mounted/located tools. I pull them out only when needed. The perimeter of the area has work benches, shelves/storage, all the tools, fridge... but I keep the main area wide open. When I'm not working on anything, I still have room to pull a full sized pickup truck inside.

For working on the ATV and go-cart, you may want to consider getting one of those ATV lifts. If you have a shorter stool on wheels, you'll be at the right height to work right in front instead of being bent over or sitting on the floor. A small tool cart on wheels may also be handy so you can keep the tools/parts near you when working. A temporary cleanup (if you're done for a day or week or whatever) is much easier since you can just wheel the cart out of the way instead of picking up all the tools, parts and stuff off the workbench or (if you're like me), the floor.

What's the floor? Concrete? I see you're in Ireland so I'll bet you get a bit of cold/damp weather as well. I covered my entire workshop floor (except under the cabinets, toolboxes...) with cow pads. These are the 1 inch thick 4'x6' rubber mats that are put under cows and horses. They're great. They're softer on the knees or your butt or however you sit when working on the floor. If you drop things, they're less likely to get damages as opposed to hitting concrete. They're also a nice insulator for the floor in the winter. When it goes below freezing, I find concrete gets my feet cold. I then just stay on these cow mats and it's much better.

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( All of ur ideas will be included and thanks for your reply)</font> Now that's dangerous... You'll include ALL OF OUR IDEAS? If that were true, I'm sure you'll get some really off-the-wall ideas that would make your shop really interesting.

Brian

 

[EddieWalker]

A few thoughts on what I'm gonna do in mine.

Three way light switch for both entrances.

4 seperate eight ft overhead lights on one line.

Shop lights over workbench's on a different line.

Sink near the door with hot and cold water.

Big, loud boom box!!!

Phone.

Welder near the big roll up door.

Metal workbench with vise near roll up door.

Lots of shelves on the wall.

Benches on wheels. Two of them.

Big tools on wheels. Table saw, planer, router table and sander will all have wheels.

Chop saw bench with space lowered for saw that allows material to be flat on bench.

Lots of electical outlets about 4 feet high and 8 feet apart.

Hose outside connected to air compressor.

Water spicket on either side of the roll up door.

Exterior electrical outlets on either side of the roll up door.

Mercury Vapor, or similar, light outside and above roll up door that comes on automatically at night.

Eddie

 

[bczoom]

Good points Eddie.

I hadn't thought to mention a lot of those because my workshop is 1/4 of the building.

I did a lot of what Eddie did with a couple derivations:

I have a few phone lines in the house so I put in a 2 line phone so Mrs. Zoom can call from one line to the other if she needs to reach me.

In addition to the light switches at both entrances, I put in motion detector lights. Although not as often in the work shop, when I drive in any part of the building at night, the lights come on so I can get off the ATV or tractor and have light to get around without having to go to the switch. A couple motion detectors outside are nice as well. Although I have a sodium vapor light, I just like the light on for a couple minutes for the walk to/from the shop.

Since my building/shop adjoins my lawn, I put in a full stereo with an A/B switch to some outdoor speakers. I can then listen to music outside.

Something else I just thought of that I like. I'd like to propose that at least one of the cabinets or whatever have doors. Workshops always seem to generate or collect dust. I like to have an enclosed cabinet to store things I don't like getting dusty (helmets, spare clothes/shirts/jackets...).

Brian

 

[Larstan]

Plumb the shop for air so you have an outlet within easy reach, over benches and around the perimeter. Electrical same thing, I know whenever I am working on something it's either an air tool or electric. Also figure out how much power you will need to the shop, any special considerations for high amp tools and pull it in now. Lighting, the more the better its a pain if you get shadows and have to move your project so you can see better.

If you do alot of welding or torch work or work with alot of solvents consider some ventilation, nothing worse than having to walk outside while the shop airs out /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif Personally for layout I like to have my areas seperate where space permits, welding and grinding away from finish work area. Look forword to seeing it take shape. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[Egon]

Big door and a small door. Consider a carport type canopy over the big door so you can work outside on some projects. Extended eves with storage rack for metal underneath. Sugest a 10 ft. ceiling.

Egon /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Rgillard]

height from floor to bottom of truss is 10 ft. The storage rack is an excellent idea as well as the entended region over the door. should i build the small door inside the big door or have them separate.

 

[v8dave]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( height from floor to bottom of truss is 10 ft. The storage rack is an excellent idea as well as the entended region over the door. should i build the small door inside the big door or have them separate. )</font>

Opposite ends of the building. That way you can open both doors and air the place out.