What is the ideal size for a workshop?

[BradNaylor]

I share a workshop with another cabinetmaker. This enables us to split the costs between us and both make a reasonable living.

When I moved in last year I found it very small after working in larger shops for years. It measures 40' x 20' - 800 sq ft. In this space we cram in a big SCM panel saw, all the usual fixed machines, work benches, and an 8' spray booth.

After several months of working here however, I find it perfect. Everything is within reach, and so long as you are organised there is plenty of space. I certainly don't miss the big workshops I've worked in in the past.

Interestingly I was re-reading a book by my favourite woodworking writer Jim Tolpin yesterday. He described his perfect workshop as ... 800 sq ft.

I appreciate that to a lot of guys working in a garden shed this may sound very big but in commercial terms it's tiny.

What does anyone else think?

 

[Gary]

The ideal size would depend on what you produce. For most home users I'd say 400 sq ft would do. No doubt this will lead to "more room is always better you never know what you may need to make". :lol:

 

[woodbloke]

I based the size of my shop around the size of the machinery I had and the largest project that I would be likely to make, so I have a clear area at one end which is about 10x6' for assembly of say, a smallish dining room table. As it happens a lot of my stuff recently has been on the small side (cabinets etc) but I also use the space to drop down the AirPress bag onto the floor, lathe to the left of the disc sander:

The overall area of my 'shop is 240sq' which is big enough for what I need to do - Rob

 

[Philly]

Dan
I've found the perfect size to be a little bit more than you already have - regardless of the size of your workshop :lol:
Can you ever have enough space?
Philly

 

[Waka]

Dan

I also think its to do with the shape mine is 264sqft but I don't appear to have as much space as Rob because its long and narrow. Whatever you have I think you will always want the little extra, even when you have that you'll probably want more.

 

[Gary]

Dan
I've found the perfect size to be a little bit more than you already have - regardless of the size of your workshop :lol:
Can you ever have enough space?
Philly

As I said, here we go. :lol:

 

[tim]

Mine is c 500 sq ft. I find it too small. The problem is not machinery related but construction. There just isn't enough space to put big stuff together.

It would appear from our house recce in Canada last year that this problem for me is likely to be very shortlived!

Cheers

Tim

 

[WellsWood]

Floorspace is only part of the problem though. I "get by" with a nadge under 300sq ft, but my headroom is only 2.3M (sorry about mixing measurements) from floor to underside of ceiling joists. This makes swinging an 8x4 sheet a bit of a task, particularly single-handed. It also severely limits what I can stand on the bench (and the floor come to that), I've made more than a few things that I haven't seen upright till it's in the customer's house.

 

[wizer]

airport hangar, please

 

[Digit]

Yep! Size is important! :twisted:

Roy.

 

[LocalOak]

Pose that question to anyone at anytime and I'll guarantee that the answer will be "bigger than I have at the moment" or some variation. :lol:

 

[Gary]

Pose that question to anyone at anytime and I'll guarantee that the answer will be "bigger than I have at the moment" or some variation. :lol:

As I said earlier. :wink:

 

[LocalOak]

LocalOak wrote:
Pose that question to anyone at anytime and I'll guarantee that the answer will be "bigger than I have at the moment" or some variation. Laughing


As I said earlier. Wink

Sigh, I'm tired, have just spent all day lining and insulating my new workshop and I thought I was being clever

Its 12'x8' before anyone asks and is plenty large for a hobbyist like me, except it really could be bigger....

 

[Digit]

The chippies lament.

Roy.

 

[BradNaylor]

Floorspace is only part of the problem though. I "get by" with a nadge under 300sq ft, but my headroom is only 2.3M (sorry about mixing measurements) from floor to underside of ceiling joists. This makes swinging an 8x4 sheet a bit of a task, particularly single-handed.

An extremely good point.

I am very lucky in that the headroom in my shop is about 2" more than the diagonal of an 8x4 board - enabling me to manouver sheets of MDF around easily. If the ceiling was 3" lower I'd have big problems.

It also severely limits what I can stand on the bench (and the floor come to that), I've made more than a few things that I haven't seen upright till it's in the customer's house.

I'm delivering and fitting a piece of furniture tomorrow that is 4.3 metres long and 2.8 metres high. It is only then that I will find out if it all fits together as calculated!

Photos to follow!

 

[Philly]

Some more thoughts.......
The larger the space, the harder it is to heat and keep dry. Important, especially in the winter!
Philly

 

[Escudo]

Well I must have the smallest workshop. A mere 10 x 8, a mangy 80sqft.

I am planning to increase this by 40 sqft. when the better weather comes and that will make a big difference.

Lets be honest you can never have enought room.

Tony.

 

[Rich]

I started off with a 12x8, then increased it to 20x8, then in one of my mad moments I filled it with woodworking machinery, now I'm more cramped than ever. :? :? :?
Rich.

 

[Digit]

Know the problem Rich. As I posted earlier, my good lady emptied my old workshop of all portable stuff whilst I was in hospital and put it all under cover under the carport.
So now when I need a tool to continue building the new workshop I first have to find it. Okay, so I've found it, now what the hell do I do with it 'cos I haven't yet built the shelf/cupboard/draw/ rack etc to house the damn thing so I can't move again.

Roy.

 

[NKE]

Ultimately it depends a lot what you will be doing and how much large machinery you have.
My workshop is 6 /14 foot and must be one of the smallest professional workshops around, but the largest things I work with are cellos and the vast majority of tools I use are hand tools so I just had to come up with some good storage systems.
I have most of my timber stored somewhere else and also a small shed at the bottom of the garden for my band saw and lathe.
The advantages of working in such a small space are it has forced me to be much tidier then I naturally am, it’s easy to heat and everything is close at hand, the disadvantages are I find dust control a big issue for the varnishing jobs and I have very limited layout space for gluing jobs……
..having said all that I’d love about twice as much space, but with the price of property around here I can’t see that happing for quite a while!