Advice on my proposed mini workshop layout?

[Stevie1988]

Hi,

I have purchased a 4x3m metal shed which has not been built yet. I am trying to find a good layout for my workshop. I am extremely new to woodworking and would appreciate the advice of more experienced users on here. I have attached a draft proposal of my layout. Could you please provide some feedback or alternative layouts,

Thank you

 

[Just4Fun]

To a great extent it depends on the work you want to do, but my first impressions are:

1. You have too little space to stand either side of your main work top. I would turn your main worktop through 90 degrees and put it against the wall. This would give you more space to work at the work top and more usable floor space to stack parts etc.

• With your mitre table, table saw and router table, what would be the longest piece you could work on? I am not a power tool woodworker but I think you really need some space around those tools unless you only ever handle small stock.

 

[transatlantic]

There really isn't much point in trying to design something like this. It will change within days and continue to evolve for many years, and depends entirely on the person and their work.

Having said that.

- Have everything on wheels.
- position tools such that the infeed and outfeed utilises free space (not sure how you would use the table saw and router table as configured, unless they pull out?)
- the mitre saw needs a lot of space on both sides, so again, as configured won't really work well
- have all surfaces the same height (or near enough)
- put all your storage (unless under worktops) above work top level (shelves) as you want to keep that valuable floor space.

 

[Stevie1988]

Thank you for the advice, I have taken on board what you have both said (see attached),

Everything will be on wheels now and can be pulled out, I will try to use shelves to maximize floor space, I need to have a think about an extraction system also,

Any further general or specific advice would be greatly appreciated,

Thanks,

 

[ScaredyCat]

Just throwing some ideas in the mix.

Put table saw on wheels and make its final height the same as your main worktop. When you're going ot use it, wheel out and use 'main worktop' as the outfeed table.

Make sure your main worktop is both mobile and stationary.

Mitre table in the corner will restrict how long you can cut stuff. If it were in the middle you could use the router table top and table saw top as support.

Those doors look quite big, useful if you need to work with longer pieces (on warm, dry days)

I'd Probably put that main worktop more central in the shed - but in the same position so that you had access to all 4 sides.

Do you need the storage cupboards? What about building in storage under the worktop and router, mitres sections to free up more 'room' space?


edit: oops, I appear to have repeated transatlantic on some points, so we must be right
.

 

[Steliz]

You could try incorporating the table saw into your main worktop which would give you a combined table saw/outfeed table/worktop.