Workshop size
- Thread starter carter383
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That rather depends on your planned activity, great for whittling! There was a thread recently on workshop layouts. People with a kitchen table aspire to a shed, people with a shed aspire to a single garage, people with a single garage aspire to a double garage, ...
Here's a link to a recent discussion: workshop-layout-t76122.html
Here's a link to a recent discussion: workshop-layout-t76122.html
carlb40
Established Member
As above.
You also need to take into account the available space? In general you can use up to half your garden with building(s)
This might help?
workshop-shed-planning-permission-t35073.html
You also need to take into account the available space? In general you can use up to half your garden with building(s)
This might help?
workshop-shed-planning-permission-t35073.html
what are you planning to make? I have a garage 20 x 1o, but 4' at the end is in use for storage. It is possible to operate in this space. Tight, but do-able, including making a 6ft x 3ft dining table. I was glad to get that out of the way! A space such as we have suits smaller projects better, but they dont always fit our interests/needs.
With careful planning you can certainly create a useful workspace out of a single garage, but it really depends on your planned activities. If you're looking at machinery, and regular benches think of it a bit like a pool table - that is, you need room for the pool table and a cue's length all round it. Each machine has its own space requirements for footprint, in-feed and out-feed. Cunning use of mobile bases can allow you to reconfigure your layout as you go. Another consideration can be that if your garage is integral to your house you may not be happy generating as much noise & dust as you might in a detached garage.
I share my integral single garage with washer & dryer, bicycle, lawnmower, garden tools, pressure washer, chainsaw, mystery paint collection, cat's litter tray, and more junk than I'd like to admit outside of a support group. I've got a bandsaw on a mobile base, vacuum extractor and cyclone separator, wall mounted air filter, wall mounted timber racks, 4' x 2' workbench with vice, wheeled tool cabinet with plywood top, a Bosch folding workbench and Triton Superjaws - when weather permits I'll sometimes move these last two outside for some tasks. Most of my work is with hand tools, I've got the bandsaw by the garage door for the occasional larger piece, my bandsaw is at the same height as my main bench to allow me to use it as an in-feed support.
I really need to plan things ahead to make things work, I could do with another garage... For me a lot of the inconvenience of an attached garage is balanced by the fact that I can pop out for 20 minutes and tinker at any time in any weather, and things are maybe more secure than they would be in a standalone workshop/shed at the end of the garden.
I share my integral single garage with washer & dryer, bicycle, lawnmower, garden tools, pressure washer, chainsaw, mystery paint collection, cat's litter tray, and more junk than I'd like to admit outside of a support group. I've got a bandsaw on a mobile base, vacuum extractor and cyclone separator, wall mounted air filter, wall mounted timber racks, 4' x 2' workbench with vice, wheeled tool cabinet with plywood top, a Bosch folding workbench and Triton Superjaws - when weather permits I'll sometimes move these last two outside for some tasks. Most of my work is with hand tools, I've got the bandsaw by the garage door for the occasional larger piece, my bandsaw is at the same height as my main bench to allow me to use it as an in-feed support.
I really need to plan things ahead to make things work, I could do with another garage... For me a lot of the inconvenience of an attached garage is balanced by the fact that I can pop out for 20 minutes and tinker at any time in any weather, and things are maybe more secure than they would be in a standalone workshop/shed at the end of the garden.
hammer n nails
Established Member
my shed is 10 x 8 i make signs and small items like chopping boards and bird boxes i use mobile bases and when a machine is not in use its tucked away under one of the benches but have made large items on occasions secret is everything in its place and keep it clean
petermillard
Established Member
The perfect workshop size is your own workshop + ~50% more 
My workspace is a little under 19' by a little over 8', with a less than 8' ceiling (dammit). I use this commercially, but I also have a similarly-sized adjacent space for storage - ladders, platforms, scaff boards, painting & decorating stuff, timber and sheet materials, portable workbenches and yes, a couple of bikes as well. It is frequently 'a bit tight' for what I do, but it's a cheap (for London) commercial space and extremely convenient - literally across the street from where I live.
So on balance, whilst I'd love a bit more space, with a bit of planning I can make do with what I have; I'm sure you can do the same, if you really want to.
HTH Pete
My workspace is a little under 19' by a little over 8', with a less than 8' ceiling (dammit). I use this commercially, but I also have a similarly-sized adjacent space for storage - ladders, platforms, scaff boards, painting & decorating stuff, timber and sheet materials, portable workbenches and yes, a couple of bikes as well. It is frequently 'a bit tight' for what I do, but it's a cheap (for London) commercial space and extremely convenient - literally across the street from where I live.
So on balance, whilst I'd love a bit more space, with a bit of planning I can make do with what I have; I'm sure you can do the same, if you really want to.
HTH Pete
OK thanks for all your help a few more things how would u recommend it is layed out
how would u lay the following
workbench (any size il have to build one)
mitre saw
wood storage
power/hand tool storage
also these things im looking to get
table saw
router table
Thanks for all your help
how would u lay the following
workbench (any size il have to build one)
mitre saw
wood storage
power/hand tool storage
also these things im looking to get
table saw
router table
Thanks for all your help
carlb40
Established Member
Best thing to do is a drawing with the door/ window locations etc and pop it on here.
Also it will depend on which TS you get and how big the router table is/ will be?
Also it will depend on which TS you get and how big the router table is/ will be?
shed9
establiSHED member
I've got around 11' x 50', not huge in commercial terms but bigger than most garage's / sheds and its still not enough (as others have said it never is). I find the more room you have the more you fill it with crap and ignore any thoughtful use of space.
I disciplined myself recently and restricted the area I was going to work in to a third. I started using dead space, used cleats for wall hanging, chucked any inefficient tool storage, made sure the ducting a electrical outlets were optimally sited, thought about work flow, etc, etc,,,,, I will then re-organise the remaining space in the same manner (after getting rid of the junk).
The one thing I found and it sounds blatantly obvious is to make things as easy and simple to use as possible. The easier it is to grab a tool or bench area and just use it without clearing or getting out and setting up - the more you will use it and enjoy using it. Again sounds obvious but wasn't to me at first.
Make sure you prioritise safety, i.e. dust collection and mains - don't leave it as an after thought.
To be honest, whilst not ideal, sometimes a small space can be a blessing in disguise - it forces you to work smarter.
I disciplined myself recently and restricted the area I was going to work in to a third. I started using dead space, used cleats for wall hanging, chucked any inefficient tool storage, made sure the ducting a electrical outlets were optimally sited, thought about work flow, etc, etc,,,,, I will then re-organise the remaining space in the same manner (after getting rid of the junk).
The one thing I found and it sounds blatantly obvious is to make things as easy and simple to use as possible. The easier it is to grab a tool or bench area and just use it without clearing or getting out and setting up - the more you will use it and enjoy using it. Again sounds obvious but wasn't to me at first.
Make sure you prioritise safety, i.e. dust collection and mains - don't leave it as an after thought.
To be honest, whilst not ideal, sometimes a small space can be a blessing in disguise - it forces you to work smarter.
Grahamshed
Established Member
I have a 'shed' I built that is ( internal ) 24 ft by 11ft. it has a partition in it and one side ( 17x11) is mine and the other (7x11) is the wifes potting shed. 17x11 seemed pretty big when it was new and empty, seems pretty small now and someone ( not saying who ) is going to have to move out.
) is going to have to move out.
rspsteve
Established Member
I have 19 x 9ft shed ...complete newbie setting up my `1st "workshop"..i have quite a few tools already and can see it will be easy to fill!
Steve
Steve
Yetty
Established Member
Your space is a premium. Consider dumping the table saw idea. Instead, spend the money on a bandsaw, quickly followed by a rail saw e.g. festool 55 with with say a 1.4m rail. Together with your mitre saw (fix to a dedicated shelf on a long wall?) you'll safely do most sawing things in a fraction of the valuable space.carter383":lykzibes said:
Think about making a bench and placing it under the window on end wall. It could be 3x8 ft, giving a large work area and a large storage space beneath, ideal for hand sanders and routers, better with a full size 3x8 shelf. Hope that helps a little.
custard
Established Member
In the 70's and 80's space was cheap but stuff was expensive. Now space is expensive but stuff is cheap.
Consequently I'm seeing more and more reasonably sized workshops rendered unsafe, unpleasant, and generally unusable because they've been stuffed to the gills with not very good quality Chinese woodworking equipment.
The really great luxury in a workshop is space to move the workpiece around, space to assemble and glue up in a logical fashion, space to store components, and space to spread your hand tools out. You can find that space in a shed...or lose that space in a warehouse. It all depends on how much not very accurate and not remotely necessary far eastern kit you decide to indulge yourself with.
Consequently I'm seeing more and more reasonably sized workshops rendered unsafe, unpleasant, and generally unusable because they've been stuffed to the gills with not very good quality Chinese woodworking equipment.
The really great luxury in a workshop is space to move the workpiece around, space to assemble and glue up in a logical fashion, space to store components, and space to spread your hand tools out. You can find that space in a shed...or lose that space in a warehouse. It all depends on how much not very accurate and not remotely necessary far eastern kit you decide to indulge yourself with.
shed9
establiSHED member
Custard, usable space is a very valid point - I completely agree that if you don't use it effectively it is irrelevant what the size of the environment is and I think you phrased it in a superb way.
I also agree to some extent that people will accumulate cheaper tools because of their sheer accessibility cost wise, however the argument that people fill their space with unnecessary equipment simply because its cheap AND from the far east is a bit of a moot point - I've seen many people fill there spaces with beat-up Wadkins and Multicos on the simple argument that someone on a forum told em it was a better buy over 'far eastern' crap without question over the usability of the old kit in terms of practicality and safety; - including thoroughly useable and decent versions of the same kit as well.
I appreciate your point may not be to slate far eastern equipment and I'm not trying to start an argument but in simple terms of filling space with tools; it does not necessarily read that the equipment is responsible because of how much it cost or where it came from. My point I suppose is people will fill their respective spaces with anything.
Its only a matter of time before people possibly long for the good old days of Chinese reliability (other far eastern countries are available) - everything has its cycle.
I also agree to some extent that people will accumulate cheaper tools because of their sheer accessibility cost wise, however the argument that people fill their space with unnecessary equipment simply because its cheap AND from the far east is a bit of a moot point - I've seen many people fill there spaces with beat-up Wadkins and Multicos on the simple argument that someone on a forum told em it was a better buy over 'far eastern' crap without question over the usability of the old kit in terms of practicality and safety; - including thoroughly useable and decent versions of the same kit as well.
I appreciate your point may not be to slate far eastern equipment and I'm not trying to start an argument but in simple terms of filling space with tools; it does not necessarily read that the equipment is responsible because of how much it cost or where it came from. My point I suppose is people will fill their respective spaces with anything.
Its only a matter of time before people possibly long for the good old days of Chinese reliability (other far eastern countries are available) - everything has its cycle.
