Working in a small workshop

[Wilson joinery]

Has anyone got any ideas of how to setup a small workshop where I’ll be able to use say a plunge saw to cut down full size sheets. Working at waist height rather than bending down on knees all day outside on the decking. Current setup is 2 use several 4 foot lengths of 4x2 to support the sheets on the decking and then work on hands and knees all day which is killing my back. Current workshop is approx 3x6 metres to I’ve got room to rip the sheets down in the garage I just haven’t got round to working out the best way of doing it yet. Not ideal but I was thinking of making a folding work bench of some sort which attaches to the long 6m wall with piano hinges. Any other ideas? It doesn’t necessarily need to be massively stable, it’s just something to support the sheets while I cut them.

Cheers
Pete

 

[Distinterior]

It's not exactly cheap but I use one of these and it's a godsend when you work on your own.

https://www.toucantools.co.uk/festo...EDPy3jJbNVevH-PfrQnyx8D471WjjqWUaAtviEALw_wcB
It gives you the ability to change the orientation of the panel from vertical to horizontal without having to lift it yourself.
You can move it about easily. It will support large panels, easily an 8 x 4 sheet.
Its height adjustable to suit your own needs and you can break a sheet down in situ as the wooden supports are sacrificial.
When you've finished using it, it will all fold away into a relatively small size.
I wouldn't want to be without mine now......

 

[Bingy man]

My workshop is approx 3m x3m and with the minimum equipment it’s both impractical and possibly dangerous to even attempt it . My solution was to use 4 adjustable saw horses and set it to a comfortable height to work. The 4 horses mean the sheet can be supported and also the off cut by positioning the horses accordingly. You could easily achieve this using your garage depending on its size . Alternatively could you design some sort of support in the garage that you. Could use vertically and cut the sheets with a track saw -a bit like the large panel saws they use in b n q and selco etc .

 

[Spectric]

Buy some C700 toughbuilt tressles, easy to store but with a couple of 4 by 2's you get a working table to sit sheet goods on for cutting, ideal for people without the space to cut indoors.

https://toughbuilt.com/sawhorses

 

[Thingybob]

How about one of these it could be hinged to the wall

maybe tweek design a bit to suit available rails

 

[Thingybob]

Similar to the ones used in b n q for board cutting and uses wall space instead of floor space

 

[duke]

Has anyone got any ideas of how to setup a small workshop where I’ll be able to use say a plunge saw to cut down full size sheets. Working at waist height rather than bending down on knees all day outside on the decking. Current setup is 2 use several 4 foot lengths of 4x2 to support the sheets on the decking and then work on hands and knees all day which is killing my back. Current workshop is approx 3x6 metres to I’ve got room to rip the sheets down in the garage I just haven’t got round to working out the best way of doing it yet. Not ideal but I was thinking of making a folding work bench of some sort which attaches to the long 6m wall with piano hinges. Any other ideas? It doesn’t necessarily need to be massively stable, it’s just something to support the sheets while I cut them.

Cheers
Pete

Bora centepede

 

[TRITON]

Theres lots of vids on you tube about building your own wall mounted panel saw.
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=wall+mounted+panel+saw
eg

 

[rogxwhit]

uses wall space instead of floor space

Trouble is, wall space tends to be at a premium ...

For economy, foldability & storability I'd think of Bingyman's four horses - folding ones.

Or the Festool device if the work's ongoing ...

 

[BucksDad]

From memory of your previous posts, you’re making cabinets/built in furniture for clients?

You would probably be better off to create cutlists and find a local timber yard which will do the cutting for you.

 

[rogxwhit]

a folding work bench of some sort which attaches to the long 6m wall with piano hinges

If the bench would spend most of its life folded up then it would monopolise that wall. Isn't that wall useful for other things, like storage or the placement of tools?

 

[Inspector]

I have one of the Veritas Panel Platform Kits that I set up on folding saw horses or the floor (MDF can be a pain to lift). You could make something like it by drilling the pieces to use dowels instead of the orange plastic saddles. Glue one end of the dowel into the long pieces and the cross pieces will drop on top. If you can find straight pieces, 2x4s would work.

Pete

 

[Spectric]

With a wall mounted saw what happens to the wood at the top following the cut, it must try and drop down onto the blade or am I missing something.

 

[rogxwhit]

It's supported by the base rail ...

 

[baldkev]

You could build a bench 600 wide along one wall with pull out 4x2 extensions, giving about a metre wide.

A panel saw is a good option in my opinion......

With a wall mounted saw what happens to the wood at the top following the cut, it must try and drop down onto the blade or am I missing something.

They do, often you either get a packer the width of the saw kerf and insert them as you progress thru the cut, or just wedges.

Whatever you go with is a compromise, there is no good / perfect solution within limited space, especially when machining full sheets

 

[baldkev]

It's supported by the base rail ...

Nope, he means the bit above the blade.... if you were cutting landscape, the piece above wants to drop down as the saw goes thru. You can wedge or pack the cut to avoid the bit on top dropping

 

[TRITON]

making cabinets/built in furniture for clients?

Bloody hell, 3x6m and you're doing commercial work ?. How in gods name do you manage to work in that tiny space. When I worked in industry our workshop was spread across 4000 square feet, and even then i felt some jobs encroached a bit

 

[Jameshow]

Bloody hell, 3x6m and you're doing commercial work ?. How in gods name do you manage to work in that tiny space. When I worked in industry our workshop was spread across 4000 square feet, and even then i felt some jobs encroached a bit

Baldkev container is smaller I think?!

 

[TRITON]

Sounds even worse. I mean my home workshop is one spare bedroom, and its about 3.5x3.5m and im trying to fit pretty much every tool and machine you need. 10x6 PT, the ax saw bench, pillar drill, mitre saw, drum sander etc etc plus all the power tools and all the hand tools, and it does get to you on occasion.

I feel the walls are closing in around me

 

[Bingy man]

Sounds even worse. I mean my home workshop is one spare bedroom, and its about 3.5x3.5m and im trying to fit pretty much every tool and machine you need. 10x6 PT, the ax saw bench, pillar drill, mitre saw, drum sander etc etc plus all the power tools and all the hand tools, and it does get to you on occasion.

I feel the walls are closing in around me

I feel your pain , if there was one machine I ever wanted it’s a proper table saw+ sliding carriage and a p/t but had to compromise with portable options instead, I’ve probably used every square inch of space as efficiently as possible but will always look for ways of improving it. 8 x 4 sheets are done outside with help from a friend or neighbor. It’s just a case of adapting to your available space . I’ll often get them cut to size at source if I have several sheets to deal with.