Tiny 8 x 6 workshop, Part 2. Sort of...

[Cozzer]

Spurred on - nay! Inspired! - by nosuchhounds'"Tiny 8 x 6 workshop" thread below and a few days of good weather, I determined to sort my shed properly.
I scrounged 3 scaffold boards off my wife's employer, and ripped apart a few pallets so I could laminate some sturdy legs and stretchers and stuff.
It seemed a good idea at the time, and courtesy of Rex Krugeur's workbench plan - well, along the lines of - managed to cobble together a "proper" bench.
Have to admit I was quite chuffed, especially when I remembered that it wouldn't go through the door and had to be constructed - constructed! Get me! - inside.
It's big. Some might say too big. Indeed, I might be one of them.
I got to the stage of "Whose ******* idea was this anyway?!" pretty soon, but as couldn't blame anyone else, I carried on.
I cut down another 2 pallets to make smaller ones, splashed out on some 40mm castors, and made 3 "sledges" to hold stuff under the bench. Brilliant.
My table saw sits on one of 'em. I've a boxed, never used flux-core welder and mitre saw on another, and for the minute a bench grinder on the third.
All tucked away under the bench, but can be wheeled out when needed....
I've my little band saw sitting on one end of the bench, and a small pillar drill on the other end.
Fantastic! It looks the business! It actually looks like I might know what I'm doing! But don't be fooled...

That's when I turned round to spy all the stuff that's yet to find a home. A router table. Boxed masonary drill. Some other kit that I can't remember as I type.
Boxes of screws. Soldering irons. Mallets. Drills. Router. Screwdrivers by the score. Hammers. Chisels...
2 x 3-drawer tool boxes, courtesy of Aldi...like the pro SnapOn jobs. Well.....same colour, anyway.
I looked again at nosuchhounds thread photo's - he's even got a stool, for God's sake!

I've come indoors to grab and cigarette or two, a mug of Nescafe, and to try and think what to do.
For the minute, I've one conclusion.....

The
Shed
Just
Isn't
Big
Enough..

 

[Fitzroy]

The
Shed
Just
Isn't
Big
Enough..

And
It
Never
Will be....

 

[Cozzer]

And
It
Never
Will be....

I know, I know, I know....
But it seemed such a good idea at the time, Fitzroy....

I'm now coming across little niggly things as well....the Aldi tool boxes, for example...
I know! I'll sit them at the back of the bench, against the wall, in what I loosely describe as the tool rest!
No.
No, you won't.....

The boxes are 10" deep.
The tool rest area is 9.5"....

 

[pjgtech]

We need to see photos.....
But the mantra is, and always will be, you can never have enough sheds or a large enough shed.
My old house had a small shed 10'x8' ish.
My new house has a garage 18'x9 'ish, plus I have a small garden shed 6'x4', plus a cabin (12'x9') and its still not enough space!!!

 

[mwinfrance]

Try humming the theme music from doctor who with your eyes squeezed shut.

The shed won't get any bigger,...but it will take your mind off it..a bit like a Zen Buddhist chant.

 

[Cozzer]

We need to see photos.....
But the mantra is, and always will be, you can never have enough sheds or a large enough shed.
My old house had a small shed 10'x8' ish.
My new house has a garage 18'x9 'ish, plus I have a small garden shed 6'x4', plus a cabin (12'x9') and its still not enough space!!!

3 sheddy things!
That's just greedy!
12x9...what luxury.
Ye Gods...I bet you can even turn round without touching anything!

 

[sams93]

I work out of a 6x8 and manage. Have a bench going down one long side, then other long side have units with machines all on wheels.
Wiring is all fixed and have outlets everywhere to make it easy for me not to fall over myself.

Bench is clear, have a vice built into front, I could put a pillar drill on one end really but I keep avoiding it. Cupboards underneath bench keep lots of stuff in.

Opposite long wall has the machines and units:
- Built in dust extraction (bin type) with separate cyclone separator, probably if I did it again I would forgo the cyclone separator and just accept I will have to clean the filters more (just it takes 2x the space with it). On top of that is a sliding mitre saw, I have the DWS774 as it doesn't have rails which extend out the back (and so would hit the wall in use), if I could afford i'd get the kapex KS60 which is the same principle. The mitre saw is mounted on lock-out drawer slides so that if I want to cut something long then I can pull it out.
- Second cabinet has a Kity 636 P/T on top, table height is below that of the mitre station so that it doesnt impact. In the cabinet is a storage cupboard one half, and the other half houses the P/T motor and a compact chip extractor. The door has to be opened for use to allow the extractor bag to protrude. It can actually be used inside if I put it at an angle, but it's generally easier for me to wheel just outside the door for use. (photos of the unit here)
- Lastly have the bandsaw (i have a CBS355 which is a 3-wheeled one, ideal for making the most of the small space but it isn't the biggest or most capable machine). It is also mounted on a cabinet which has a load of stuff in i don't use too often i.e SDS, Bench grinder etc.

Everything hand tool wise is hung on walls, with dedicated spaces for each thing, including using the inside of the door to hold tracks for tracksaw and stuff. Above all the machines are shelves with jars and boxes of all sorts.

Clamps mounted on far end wall.

Table saw is a job-site one, sits on the floor on its side until it is in use where usually I take it outside and put on two sheets of ply I keep for sawhorses, although I can put it on bench or on floor in shed and use, just can be awkard and less safe than i'd like.

Probably sounds odd that I've devoted so much space to dust extraction (having both a fine dust extractor AND a chip collector) - but actually keeping things clear and tidy is so much more important in a small workspace as you very quickly loose any room you have if you dont keep things clear.

Wood storage is in the eves above my head, or in the loft in the house...

Ventilation is a real issue for sheds, I run a small dehumidifier 24/7 and I have 2 fans built into the gable ends (push pull configuration).u

I wish I had a bigger shop of course, and hopefully one day I will. Is it awkward working in this - yes. Is it ideal - no, does it work OK - yeah it does honestly. It is a bit annoying that if I want to do bigger stuff then often that takes place outdoors, so I can't on a non-rainy day, but it is mostly fine.

I have to really prioritise keeping things organised and tidy more so than most as you can run out of room very quickly. I keep that in mind when I design stuff for in there - it has to be very easy to put back in an organised way (otherwise I won't bother and then the whole thing won't work).
3rd to 6th mins of this video includes a quick tour (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kN_HrfdW6B4&), there have been a fair few updates since then (including the P/T cabinet I mentioned above).

It is doable... just requires a LOT of organisation.

I'll try put up a few more photos later. The one attached surprisingly doesn't do it justice, surprisingly it is actually more spacious than the stretched angle looks!!!

 

[Cozzer]

I work out of a 6x8 and manage. Have a bench going down one long side, then other long side have units with machines all on wheels.
Wiring is all fixed and have outlets everywhere to make it easy for me not to fall over myself.

Bench is clear, have a vice built into front, I could put a pillar drill on one end really but I keep avoiding it. Cupboards underneath bench keep lots of stuff in.

Opposite long wall has the machines and units:
- Built in dust extraction (bin type) with separate cyclone separator, probably if I did it again I would forgo the cyclone separator and just accept I will have to clean the filters more (just it takes 2x the space with it). On top of that is a sliding mitre saw, I have the DWS774 as it doesn't have rails which extend out the back (and so would hit the wall in use), if I could afford i'd get the kapex KS60 which is the same principle. The mitre saw is mounted on lock-out drawer slides so that if I want to cut something long then I can pull it out.
- Second cabinet has a Kity 636 P/T on top, table height is below that of the mitre station so that it doesnt impact. In the cabinet is a storage cupboard one half, and the other half houses the P/T motor and a compact chip extractor. The door has to be opened for use to allow the extractor bag to protrude. It can actually be used inside if I put it at an angle, but it's generally easier for me to wheel just outside the door for use. (photos of the unit here)
- Lastly have the bandsaw (i have a CBS355 which is a 3-wheeled one, ideal for making the most of the small space but it isn't the biggest or most capable machine). It is also mounted on a cabinet which has a load of stuff in i don't use too often i.e SDS, Bench grinder etc.

Everything hand tool wise is hung on walls, with dedicated spaces for each thing, including using the inside of the door to hold tracks for tracksaw and stuff. Above all the machines are shelves with jars and boxes of all sorts.

Clamps mounted on far end wall.

Table saw is a job-site one, sits on the floor on its side until it is in use where usually I take it outside and put on two sheets of ply I keep for sawhorses, although I can put it on bench or on floor in shed and use, just can be awkard and less safe than i'd like.

Probably sounds odd that I've devoted so much space to dust extraction (having both a fine dust extractor AND a chip collector) - but actually keeping things clear and tidy is so much more important in a small workspace as you very quickly loose any room you have if you dont keep things clear.

Wood storage is in the eves above my head, or in the loft in the house...

Ventilation is a real issue for sheds, I run a small dehumidifier 24/7 and I have 2 fans built into the gable ends (push pull configuration).u

I wish I had a bigger shop of course, and hopefully one day I will. Is it awkward working in this - yes. Is it ideal - no, does it work OK - yeah it does honestly. It is a bit annoying that if I want to do bigger stuff then often that takes place outdoors, so I can't on a non-rainy day, but it is mostly fine.

I have to really prioritise keeping things organised and tidy more so than most as you can run out of room very quickly. I keep that in mind when I design stuff for in there - it has to be very easy to put back in an organised way (otherwise I won't bother and then the whole thing won't work).
3rd to 6th mins of this video includes a quick tour (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kN_HrfdW6B4&), there have been a fair few updates since then (including the P/T cabinet I mentioned above).

It is doable... just requires a LOT of organisation.

I'll try put up a few more photos later. The one attached surprisingly doesn't do it justice, surprisingly it is actually more spacious than the stretched angle looks!!!

Braggart!

That REALLY looks the business!

 

[Cozzer]

We need to see photos.....

Managed to grab this one, courtesy of borrowing the next door neighbour's phone.

What you can't see is all the chaos to the right. There's plastic shelving there for the minute - bloody useless, don't bother - so that's coming out next, and I'm going to nick sams93 and nosuchhounds ideas re hanging stuff.

A good few hours to go, methinks!

 

[sams93]

You can usually find compact solutions for most stuff, its just working out whether you are better buying something and modifying to fit, or making something to work in your space. If I had a larger shed it wouldn't matter if something took up too much space but where space really is limited it makes all the difference.

Router table is a good example, you can get small ones but they just look plasticky and still arent very compact. There are loads of plans on the internet for solutions, I liked one of the woodsmith ones and modified that design to make mine - it fits under the bench easily when not in use (1/2 the size of a large systainer), but it functions fine once I get it out and set it up. The downside is that you can't really have machines just sitting there set up and ready to use all the time - everything requires getting out and setting up.

Because it is such a challenge in a 6x8 space, sadly I am very guilty of spending too much time focussing on shop furniture and not enough time actually making projects, hence why the router table ended up being so unnecessarily fancy


The tracksaw is your friend as well, working with sheet goods inside the space is a complete no go, so being able to use the tracksaw to work with them outside is a must.

 

[Jameshow]

I work out of a 6x8 and manage. Have a bench going down one long side, then other long side have units with machines all on wheels.
Wiring is all fixed and have outlets everywhere to make it easy for me not to fall over myself.

Bench is clear, have a vice built into front, I could put a pillar drill on one end really but I keep avoiding it. Cupboards underneath bench keep lots of stuff in.

Opposite long wall has the machines and units:
- Built in dust extraction (bin type) with separate cyclone separator, probably if I did it again I would forgo the cyclone separator and just accept I will have to clean the filters more (just it takes 2x the space with it). On top of that is a sliding mitre saw, I have the DWS774 as it doesn't have rails which extend out the back (and so would hit the wall in use), if I could afford i'd get the kapex KS60 which is the same principle. The mitre saw is mounted on lock-out drawer slides so that if I want to cut something long then I can pull it out.
- Second cabinet has a Kity 636 P/T on top, table height is below that of the mitre station so that it doesnt impact. In the cabinet is a storage cupboard one half, and the other half houses the P/T motor and a compact chip extractor. The door has to be opened for use to allow the extractor bag to protrude. It can actually be used inside if I put it at an angle, but it's generally easier for me to wheel just outside the door for use. (photos of the unit here)
- Lastly have the bandsaw (i have a CBS355 which is a 3-wheeled one, ideal for making the most of the small space but it isn't the biggest or most capable machine). It is also mounted on a cabinet which has a load of stuff in i don't use too often i.e SDS, Bench grinder etc.

Everything hand tool wise is hung on walls, with dedicated spaces for each thing, including using the inside of the door to hold tracks for tracksaw and stuff. Above all the machines are shelves with jars and boxes of all sorts.

Clamps mounted on far end wall.

Table saw is a job-site one, sits on the floor on its side until it is in use where usually I take it outside and put on two sheets of ply I keep for sawhorses, although I can put it on bench or on floor in shed and use, just can be awkard and less safe than i'd like.

Probably sounds odd that I've devoted so much space to dust extraction (having both a fine dust extractor AND a chip collector) - but actually keeping things clear and tidy is so much more important in a small workspace as you very quickly loose any room you have if you dont keep things clear.

Wood storage is in the eves above my head, or in the loft in the house...

Ventilation is a real issue for sheds, I run a small dehumidifier 24/7 and I have 2 fans built into the gable ends (push pull configuration).u

I wish I had a bigger shop of course, and hopefully one day I will. Is it awkward working in this - yes. Is it ideal - no, does it work OK - yeah it does honestly. It is a bit annoying that if I want to do bigger stuff then often that takes place outdoors, so I can't on a non-rainy day, but it is mostly fine.

I have to really prioritise keeping things organised and tidy more so than most as you can run out of room very quickly. I keep that in mind when I design stuff for in there - it has to be very easy to put back in an organised way (otherwise I won't bother and then the whole thing won't work).
3rd to 6th mins of this video includes a quick tour (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kN_HrfdW6B4&), there have been a fair few updates since then (including the P/T cabinet I mentioned above).

It is doable... just requires a LOT of organisation.

I'll try put up a few more photos later. The one attached surprisingly doesn't do it justice, surprisingly it is actually more spacious than the stretched angle looks!!!

Amazing I must go and tidy my shed!!

 

[Cozzer]

Amazing I must go and tidy my shed!!

Ha!

 

[Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)]

If working in a small space, I would invest in a MFT table and track saw. Check out Peter Millard’s YouTube channel. Add a benchtop jointer-thicknesser. If the MFT is sturdy enough, it can double for handplane use as well. As much as I love my bandsaw and slider tablesaw, I could make do with the MFT and a good (Festool) jigsaw. Build a router table into the MFT. I’ve never owned or wanted a chopsaw.

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[powertools]

The main consideration is not the size of your workshop but what you expect to make in it.

 

[Cozzer]

Getting on with sorting the contents into some kind of sensible order, in heat that's approaching the mid-80s in there, where else does my mind go to but next winter.....
8x6 as you know, no heating over winter.
Corrugated roofing Onduline panels attached to a wooden frame. So far, waterproof and windproof....
Last winter, it suffered from condensation, not only on the underside of the Onduline, but it had also dripped on to the floor and anything else in the way.
So....
Would it help if I stretched and nailed some plastic-type tarpaulin to the frame, which would leave a 1" plus gap between the corrugation and the tarp.....
or....
I have some spare rolled Superfoil insulation lying around. Again, nailed on to the frame under the Onduline?

Either of these a good idea?

 

[powertools]

8x6 is big enough as long as you are realistic as to what you can make in it you haven't told us that yet.
Check out this guys youtube vids.

https://www.youtube.com/@Stephens8x6Workshop/videos

 

[mwinfrance]

Lots of miniaturists ( dolls houses etc, furniture , scale modelers ) have less than 8 x 6.

 

[Cozzer]

8x6 is big enough as long as you are realistic as to what you can make in it you haven't told us that yet.
Check out this guys youtube vids.

https://www.youtube.com/@Stephens8x6Workshop/videos

A few things. I've a couple of cigar box guitars I want to finish...I've a '84 Gordon-Smith that needs a refret and perhaps a body inlay. I used to earn a living as a pro marquetarian some years ago, until I realised that folk didn't want to pay me any more than £2.00 an hour for doing it, so it would be nice to do a bit again, but for for me this time....

 

[TomGW]

Getting on with sorting the contents into some kind of sensible order, in heat that's approaching the mid-80s in there, where else does my mind go to but next winter.....
8x6 as you know, no heating over winter.
Corrugated roofing Onduline panels attached to a wooden frame. So far, waterproof and windproof....
Last winter, it suffered from condensation, not only on the underside of the Onduline, but it had also dripped on to the floor and anything else in the way.
So....
Would it help if I stretched and nailed some plastic-type tarpaulin to the frame, which would leave a 1" plus gap between the corrugation and the tarp.....
or....
I have some spare rolled Superfoil insulation lying around. Again, nailed on to the frame under the Onduline?

Either of these a good idea?

If your shed is only 6’x8’ your best option is to remove the Onduline and either replace it with an insulated panel or create an insulated sandwich with the Onduline back on top. Trying to do it from the under side will be much more difficult.

 

[Cozzer]

If your shed is only 6’x8’ your best option is to remove the Onduline and either replace it with an insulated panel or create an insulated sandwich with the Onduline back on top. Trying to do it from the under side will be much more difficult.

Yes, I see your point.
As the regards your "insulated sandwich" suggestion, that's why I'd thought of the SuperFOIL roll I've got spare. Pulling it taut might be fun!

(This was something not taught at the Royal Belfast Academical Institution when I was there! Or had I fallen asleep that day?!)