# New workshop



## Jim Dance

hello, i am a new member and am currently constructing my outside workshop, 2.7m x 5.7m, fully insulated, for woodworking, can someone point me in the direction workshop layout as i have no idea, as perviously worked in a garage with a workmate and tools came out as required. I have a mitre saw, lathe, pillar drill & bandsaw currently
James


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## Cabinetman

It’s a wonderfully exciting time for you Jim, I wouldn’t set too much in stone at this point as you will no doubt be acquiring more pieces of equipment, maybe a tablesaw and a planer thicknesser with attendant dust extraction. So at this point I would be fairly fluid and as a lot on here do have everything on wheels – maybe not the lathe though ha ha 
I think what’s going to be difficult at this point is deciding where to put your main power points, I think I would have a square duct running around the top of the workshop – the sort with a pealable front so that you could drop power down where you want it as and when. Ian


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## Padster

Welcome Jim, just to echo Ians comments regarding layout - wait till it's all built, but for power and maybe dust extraction... put as many points in as you think you'll need.....then at least double it ..... oh and don't look at the bank balance!


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## Cabinetman

And don’t do what I did, I used the studs to fasten to when I brought the electric ducting down to work level, this precluded me using the same studs for shelf brackets etc, ducting doesn’t need much fastening so plasterboard fittings are ok and then a ring of noggins around the room between the studs for the sockets are the way to go for the electrics. Ian


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## KingAether

As the others above have said it would be best to see the space done and then fit things in there to suit your needs but one thing i would consider doing regardless is the ducting for dust/chip extraction on the roof, across the length of the shop in the middle if its feasible and add ducts off it as needed; imagine a spine and ribs. It stop the air taking such a long journey to the furthest away machines instead of running the circumference of the room and without trailing ducting across the floor while you work. It also helps keep keep sharp angles to a minimum as your only ever 2 45 degree joints from the extractor instead of possibly 3+ 90 degree joints (or a loss of room space in the corners) towards the end of the run. 
On that note, while more expensive, its such a treat having multiple connection hoses for different machines/areas of work and put in duct gates to keep them closed when not in use; Having one connection hose and switching it around with plugs is a pita after a whole 2 days .


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## bp122

Congrats on this stage. It is indeed very exciting.

My two cents will be to have a nice even floor. My garage concrete floor was made to mimic the Himalayan mountains, so moving machinery (even with large wheels) is precarious at best.

+1 for electrical connections
+1 for dust extraction circuit (pays well to take the time to design it in)

Maybe have a wide enough door s that you can wheel your workbench (once you build / get a big one) outside to work when the weather is nice.

Timber and tool storage layout is also worth thinking about.


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## Jim Dance

Thank you for your replies, will think about the electrics and dust extraction, here's the progress so far, roof finished yesterday 
James


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## peterw3035

Jim Dance said:


> hello, i am a new member and am currently constructing my outside workshop, 2.7m x 5.7m, fully insulated, for woodworking, can someone point me in the direction workshop layout as i have no idea, as perviously worked in a garage with a workmate and tools came out as required. I have a mitre saw, lathe, pillar drill & bandsaw currently
> James


Hi Jim, interesting to see how you're progressing. My old garage is coming down this weekend, looking forward to building something that better suits my needs. Layout flexibility is my aim, wheeled units as I know it's bound to change over time.


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## Jim Dance

Breathable membrane fitted so structure should be water proof, early pic showing insulated floor, I am away next week so will come back after to do windows, door and electrics, pleased so far
James


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## Jim Dance

Jim Dance said:


> Breathable membrane fitted so structure should be water proof, early pic showing insulated floor, I am away next week so will come back after to do windows, door and electrics, pleased so far
> James



Doors and windows done , both bargains off e Bay, just need finishing, so onto electrics, 6 led batterns arrived from Amazon, all work despite minimal packaging, starting wiring today


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## Adam W.

Lovely and welcome, just don't join in with the sharpening threads.

My bench is in the middle of the shop and electrics in the ceiling, so cables come straight down to the bench. I've only got one machine and I can move that if I have to, but I'd rather not, so its electrics run down the surface of the wall and it's on a long lead.


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## Jim Dance

just to echo rising wood prices, ordered my outside cladding and osb3 broads for the inside and the prices have gone up around 10-20% since i priced it up 2 months ago!! wiring basically installed, just waiting for electrician to come round and connect up, onto PIR board fitting inside


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## Jim Dance

Pir board completed, filler foamed gaps, wiring done and connected at house end, onto vapour barrier and boarding, went for 13 double plugs in the end, should be enough!!


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## Spectric

very good suggestion from @Cabinetman regards running trunking because it will give you a more future proof layout and then do the drops in PVC round conduit to the outlet. Also run singles as again much easier in trunking and for 13 amp sockets use a radial layout rather than the old fashioned ring main. A decent sparky will soon sort this all out for you and not fixing machine locations is a good idea, things will evolve and there are a lot of threads on this subject because a lot of us are squeezing a lot into a small space.


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## Woodwoodpecka

Looking good Jim. I’m in the process of building a couple of pairs of double doors for my garage before moving on to insulating the already completed studwork and then onto the wiring. Already taking three times as long as I originally planned but I’ll look forward to seeing what you go for dust extraction wise as I don’t think my Henry and extension hose is gonna cut it once I’m finished


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## Ollie78

Looks like a nice workshop.
For layout it depends what you do, but for me I have rough timber processing at one end and more finishing stuff at the other. 
Planer and rip saw by the entrance, then bandsaw, spindle and router etc .

Remember the in and outfeed clearance of machines.
Make everything on wheels.
Make everything the same height if you can.
Plan your extraction system first, mine is a shambles still, years later...
Be prepared to change it a bit if it's not working ( hence the wheels) .

Good luck

Ollie


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## Jim Dance

Thank you for the support, yes everything is taking longer than expected, Vapour barrier done, which makes it dark, onto osb walls & ceiling, which I am now going to paint white


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## Fergie 307

I too would agree with cabinetman, trunking your cables makes it so much easier to change or more likely add stuff later.


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## Jim Dance

Osb walls done,


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## Jim Dance

Battening done, I have 18mm shiplap for cladding but have just decided my Brad gun is not good enough for this , so screws or round head nails?


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## Sheptonphil

Jim Dance said:


> Battening done, I have 18mm shiplap for cladding but have just decided my Brad gun is not good enough for this , so screws or round head nails?


Nails, from a pneumatic coil nailer or Paslode type if you can scabby one for a weekend. They are very efficient and don’t beat the structure about like a hammer does.


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## Stuart Moffat

Lots of good comments already. My two penneth worth having completed a new workshop about a year ago, is that however much time and thought you spend planning the layout, you are bound to want to change at least some of it, I have 3 or 4 fresh cleat rails pretty much all round, mostly above worktop height, but lower down where appropriate. the only thing that is fixed directly to a wall is a CamVac. Various holders hanging on the french cleats are all task/machine specific. E.g. the grinding jigs hang near the Tormec. All drilling bits are near th pillar drill. Likewise there is a sanding station, a polishing station, and so on. Any machine and all its gubbins can easily be moved, temporarily or long term.


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## Stuart Moffat

Stuart Moffat said:


> Lots of good comments already. My two penneth worth having completed a new workshop about a year ago, is that however much time and thought you spend planning the layout, you are bound to want to change at least some of it, I have 3 or 4 fresh cleat rails pretty much all round, mostly above worktop height, but lower down where appropriate. the only thing that is fixed directly to a wall is a CamVac. Various holders hanging on the french cleats are all task/machine specific. E.g. the grinding jigs hang near the Tormec. All drilling bits are near th pillar drill. Likewise there is a sanding station, a polishing station, and so on. Any machine and all its gubbins can easily be moved, temporarily or long term.


Oops that should have read French Cleats not fresh ones, Worth googling!


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## Jim Dance

thanks for the feedback, done a deal with son inlay so now have 1st fix gun for a while, also bought some stainless nails for over the top fixings, so cladding started, hoping electric will get connected today to confirm my wiring is good!!!


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## Jim Dance

Inside painted and electrics finished, tested and connected, all working, whooo


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## Jonm

Very impressive workshop, I would be concerned that the lady of the house has other plans for it!

Going back to your original question regarding layout, one way of proceeding is to draw the floor plan to scale on paper with windows and doors marked plus any areas where you cannot put anything (door opening areas etc). Then on separate pieces of paper draw the items you want to include, to the same scale as the floor plan, and cut the shapes out, obviously writing on what each one is. You can include working areas for each machine, but they can overlap, perhaps you could do working areas on clear film. Then you can quickly move the cut pieces of paper/film around to come up with a layout.

I did this to try different room layouts for my house (new build) Obviously you can do this with a computer and in 3D, bit like kitchen designers, if you have the skills or are willing to spend the time learning them. Otherwise my suggested method is really quick and easy to do.


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## Sheptonphil

Jim Dance said:


> thanks for the feedback, done a deal with son inlay so now have 1st fix gun for a while, also bought some stainless nails for over the top fixings, so cladding started, hoping electric will get connected today to confirm my wiring is good!!!


That’s the way to go.
looking really good inside. Well done.


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## Jim Dance

Cladding underway, learning as I go as usual, may have gone over the top with the the vents for walls and cold roof, just working towards cladding lining up above windows and doors, broken radio is a big loss!


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## Jim Dance

Cladding and soffits/facials done on 3 sides hoping I have enough timber to complete the back side, then treat and back onto the inside
James


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## Jim Dance

Cladding done, longest piece of cladding left is around 1m so feeling very smug on my design quantities. Other half wants to do the stain so onto the inside, design still a little fluid but will start with 1 or 2 end benches, roof started smoking today after sun and rain so design must be hot!


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## Jim Dance

Bought an 18mm hard plywood sheet for the benches this week, price £27 in March, £46 now, wow !!!


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## WoodchipWilbur

Need to do some cladding. Front of our dormer house. It is south-facing and the previous boards have only survived three or four years. I never knew wood could curl quite as much as that... 

What's the best material to use? It's not a vast area (c. 8m x 1.5m with three windows) so material cost is not paramount. Previous installation was clearly done with inferior stuff. 

Several houses on the road have got plastic. I won't do that. I see Western red cedar, European larch, European oak and Douglas fir mentioned - Oak doesn't seem more eye-watering than others. 

At 75, I'm not going clambering on roofs any more so I want something that has a good chance of lasting me out - at least till I go into care...


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## Sheptonphil

Tidy job of the cladding, you should smile inside every time you look at it. Something to be proud of, we’ll done.


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## Jim Dance

thank you for the kind words, I am very happy with the way it has turned out for my 1st build, onto the inside


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## Peter601926

Jim Dance said:


> Osb walls done,


Hi what is the thickness of your osb please.


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## clogs

For a smallish workshop I always liked the bench saw and the pl/thickn on wheels near the door.....
remember that 6" legnth of wood will need that same amount on the other/exit side of the saw......
like they said before keep everything movable until your sure what u want....


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## WoodchipWilbur

Jim Dance said:


> Bought an 18mm hard plywood sheet for the benches this week, price £27 in March, £46 now, wow !!!


Almost exactly the same for me. Yesterday, 9mm birch ply £46.35 plus vat. In April, £27.45 plus


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## Jim Dance

Intern


Peter601926 said:


> Hi what is the thickness of your osb please.


Internal walls, ceiling 11mm osb as not really structural


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## Iestynd

Very tidy workshop - looks like a great job.


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## Sheptonphil

WoodchipWilbur said:


> Need to do some cladding. Front of our dormer house. It is south-facing and the previous boards have only survived three or four years. I never knew wood could curl quite as much as that...
> 
> What's the best material to use? It's not a vast area (c. 8m x 1.5m with three windows) so material cost is not paramount. Previous installation was clearly done with inferior stuff.
> 
> Several houses on the road have got plastic. I won't do that. I see Western red cedar, European larch, European oak and Douglas fir mentioned - Oak doesn't seem more eye-watering than others.
> 
> At 75, I'm not going clambering on roofs any more so I want something that has a good chance of lasting me out - at least till I go into care...


I’d think about using Hardie plank or Cedral. Both have 15 year warranty and never need treating. 21 colours to choose from As well.


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## WoodchipWilbur

Sheptonphil said:


> I’d think about using Hardie plank or Cedral. Both have 15 year warranty and never need treating. 21 colours to choose from As well.


Thanks for that. Have ordered some samples from both - we'll see what they look like off the glossy screen!


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## Spectric

Never heard of either but I like the Hardie plank, either overlap or interlocking and in a good choice of colours. It turns out Cedral is the new name for Eternit who make cement fibre roofing slates. Maybe it is a possibility rather than render a property to just clad it with this, fit and forget and not have the mess of render or the cost.


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## WoodchipWilbur

Spectric said:


> Never heard of either but I like the Hardie plank, either overlap or interlocking and in a good choice of colours. It turns out Cedral is the new name for Eternit who make cement fibre roofing slates. Maybe it is a possibility rather than render a property to just clad it with this, fit and forget and not have the mess of render or the cost.


I, too, like the look of the Hardie plank. This is for a dormer on an estate of similar houses - all clad originally in wood. Some folk have now gone for plastic (and pretty dreadful some of those look!) so we're not forced to go for uniformity but I do want to stick with something that is at least wood-like. Samples in around a week - so we'll see. The next problem will be to find someone who will fix it for us. As I've said, approaching 75 and a Golden Wedding, I'm not about to start prancing around on roofs as I used to do!!


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## Sheptonphil

WoodchipWilbur said:


> I, too, like the look of the Hardie plank. This is for a dormer on an estate of similar houses - all clad originally in wood. Some folk have now gone for plastic (and pretty dreadful some of those look!) so we're not forced to go for uniformity but I do want to stick with something that is at least wood-like. Samples in around a week - so we'll see. The next problem will be to find someone who will fix it for us. As I've said, approaching 75 and a Golden Wedding, I'm not about to start prancing around on roofs as I used to do!!



This is how it looks fitted. Texture like decently painted wood. No harder to install than timber, so anyone who would do the wood cladding can do this. Best prices are from squaredealpvc, excellent company to deal with And do superb corner profile trims.


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## Jim Dance

Outside now stained, will need another coat, internals started , tv and internet in for u tube, powertool tables well underway


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