What do you think of this workshop layout?

[will1983]

This is a plan of my garage, 6.650m x 4.250m, which is a good size. however the presence of my long running classic car restoration takes up a portion of it. This also results in the woodworking area being an awkward L shape.

I've labelled up all my stationary tools and some of the measurements. Along the top side I plan to construct work bench 'modules' 1.200m x 0.700m, mounted on locking castors but will join together with latch toggle clamps like these. These will incorporate lots of storage in the way of drawers and cupboards.
https://www.goodhanduk.co.uk/Catalo...ety-Lock/Latch-Toggle-Clamps-With-Safety-Lock
This should give me a bit more flexibility when dealing with longer bits or larger assemblies. The table saw/outfeed/router/assembly table on the left will be four modules, also mobile, that will join together in a similar manner.

So what do people think?

 

[transatlantic]

Depends on what you're building. Honestly, advice on work shop layouts is usually a little pointless. We're all very different and like to work in different ways. Just let it evolve.

 

[will1983]

Thank you for your reply, I mainly make rectilinear stuff for the house but the workshop isn't very efficient in the current arrangement. It was thinking about how to make it work better for me that got me to the plan above.

I take on board what you say about letting it evolve, the mobility of the units should permit this. It's just the awkwardness of the L shape that has got me, I've not seen anything similar on the internet to raid for ideas.

 

[thegsey]

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[Tasky]

Long as you've got enough space to work safely around the power tools, that's teh important part.
My setup is smaller but hinges around having enough access to the bandsaw, both sides of the feed, and being able to move if something goes wrong.

I have to contend with wood storage, gardening stuff, general wife-storage junk in boxes, a jewellery bench, a 140L compressor, mechanic tools, and a large touring motorcycle.

 

[ScaredyCat]

Is the red outline a solid surface or somehting like a carcoon? If work on the car doesn't happen that often (eg you haven't touched it in years) I might be tempted to move it outside in a carcoon or even rent a council garage for a few quid a week. Obviously depends on the area you live in. Getting the car ot of the way would give you oodles of space and, as others have said, if you make things mobile you can move them around until you find the perfect location for them.
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​Alternatively put the car on dollys so you can move it out of the way.

​

 

[Matt@]

put as much as possible off the floor and onto the walls. Ask yourself, does that really need to be on the floor

 

[Geoff_S]

You cannot put a rectangular box on your diagram labelled "Classic Car" and not tell us what the car is preferably with photos.

 

[will1983]

Thanks for all your replies. I hadn't considered putting the car on dollys, that would buy me another 500mm of available width or even moving it to the other side to be able to use the small door for infeed/outfeed space.

The car is a 1997 Mk1 Mazda MX5, I Know, not quite a classic yet but very nearly there. We bought it in 2007, went on loads of Sunday morning group runs and exhibited it at lots of shows with various clubs. If you can bear all the bloody adverts there's loads of photos on my photobucket account Will1983_MX5.

We took it off the road a few years ago, there was pretty significant rust to the sills. This prompted me to learn to weld and they were dually repaired. It still needs respraying to get it back up to its former glory though. As for the restoration I am very very slowly working though the usual tidying up and servicing tasks. It isn't high on the priorities list though having a full house to decorate and countless other DIY jobs to do.

Hopefully I will have it done in the next 12 months though, we are planning a trip down to Italy in it once finished.

 

[Tasky]

The car is a 1997 Mk1 Mazda MX5, I Know, not quite a classic yet but very nearly there.

Are you a fan of Car Throttle on YouTube, by any chance?

Had I not gotten into woodworking, there'd be a Celica Supra sat where the bandsaw now lives and a mkIII Supra on the driveway!

 

[will1983]

hmmm not seen that channel, will look it up tonight!
To my wife's dismay I've got quite an unhealthy YouTube habit, almost all of it woody stuff!!
She does like watching Jimmy Diresta though.

 

[will1983]

I asked the same question over on TWH2 and having taken everyones ideas into account produced Rev 2 below.

Opinions greatly received.

 

[Tasky]

hmmm not seen that channel, will look it up tonight!

Alex Kersten, the main presenter, is big into his MX5 Miata stuff!!
Also worth watching for the '2 Guys 1 Car series' with Alex and Ethan!! :lol:

I asked the same question over on TWH2 and having taken everyones ideas into account produced Rev 2 below.

I like the table saw that way. I'm a big fan of having space around main work areas... lets you stand back and think, pace about and the like.

 

[Inspector]

I would ditch the router table completely and build it into the wing of the table saw and use the saw's fence for both. I don't understand why you have such large assembly/out feed tables. For assembly work a couple folding sawhorses and sheet of plywood will give you more walking around room until you get to that part of things. Saw out feed only needs to be a little longer past the blade than half the length of the longest board you're going to cut. A track saw can handle breaking down sheet stock and with a rip blade can straighten board edges since I don't see a jointer in your layout.

Pete

 

[will1983]

I would ditch the router table completely and build it into the wing of the table saw and use the saw's fence for both. I don't understand why you have such large assembly/out feed tables. For assembly work a couple folding sawhorses and sheet of plywood will give you more walking around room until you get to that part of things. Saw out feed only needs to be a little longer past the blade than half the length of the longest board you're going to cut. A track saw can handle breaking down sheet stock and with a rip blade can straighten board edges since I don't see a jointer in your layout.

Pete

Thank you for your reply Pete, the reason for the large assembly table is that I want to be able to build things up to 8ft in length, I have a 7' sideboard to build in the near future.
I don't like using saw horses and sheets of plywood, they tend to move around and aren't flat.

I don't have a track saw but there is a planer thicknesser under the mitre saw bench. As I don't use this much it will be mounted on a cart that I can roll out when necessary.

 

[MusicMan]

I would make the workbench 1.25m not 1.2 high, and then it could be an indeed table for the saw. Best if mobile. You might need it on the long lengths you are sawing.

 

[will1983]

Musicman, those dimensions are all "on plan" i.e length and width.

All the units will be 0.900m high and mounted on castors for the very reason you stated.

Thank you anyway.

 

[custard]

Finding the space for a permanent sharpening station is one of the smartest things you can do in a workshop. You've already got a bench grinder location so I'd suggest you make sure there's enough space so a couple of stones can be constantly accessed.

What happens in practise is that, with a dedicated sharpening station and a power grinder, you tend to regularly touch up the primary bevel on your tools, which in turn reduces the burden of honing to just a few quick strokes on a stone. Net result is your tools are kept constantly sharp with minimal effort.

Contrast that with the guy who has to clear away the clutter and then dig out all the sharpening paraphernalia. That guy puts off sharpening as long as possible, so he's often struggling with blunt or nearly blunt tools. Consequently his woodworking is far less pleasurable and the quality of his work also takes a hit.

Unless you have zen levels of self discipline when it comes to sharpening then delete some inaccurate piece of cheap Chinese machinery and install a permanent sharpening station instead!

 

[Geoff_S]

Contrast that with the guy who has to clear away the clutter and then dig out all the sharpening paraphernalia. That guy puts off sharpening as long as possible, so he's often struggling with blunt or nearly blunt tools. Consequently his woodworking is far less pleasurable and the quality of his work also takes a hit.

Have we met?

 

[will1983]

Cheers custard I'll bear that in mind.

Any other thoughts springing to mind regarding the general layout?

Will