basic principles of building a work shop

[Alan m]

hi there.
i thought i would start this thread to have a place to post basic principles people follow in their shops  so to give others ideas.

put in a ring beam  electrical  trunking around the shop so that you can easily put in more sockets etc and easily hide away all the wires but still be able to get at them quickly.  this is the way my shop is done and i installed about 16-17 new sockets in the last week. real easy and no extra conduits running around the walls.

try not to create little shelfs when building things for the shop . i have the habit of sitting things on those little shelfs that are created by the trunking etc. its great to be able to put things there but you leave it there and cant find it then and eventually everywhere is covered in drill bits or pencils.

dont be afraid to go up. lots of shops are kept down low so that everything is easy reach but going up is a great way to store all those things that you rarely or never need.

attach 4" waste pipes to ceilings so that you have a handy place to slid in lengths of mouldings  etc, i have loads of these pipes attached in various sheds to store all kinds of things. works great

 

[Scott B.]

Alan

A working shop has to be built around organization of all tools and supplies required for its intended purpose, that is, once the infrastructure to supply the tools is in place. Visible but organized storage is key.

We built an entirely new production shop a couple of years ago, and one of the biggest enhancements we made over our previous space was to put absolutely everything on casters. All workbenches, assembly table, bins, etc. Mobility is key to efficiency. Setting up the space for specific tasks quickly is critical.

Also, good lighting. And plenty of it, as well as airflow control and filtration.

 

[mouppe]

I think lighting should be at the top of the list. If you have natural light, so much the better and you can lay out your workshop around the window.

A sink is very handy too, particularly if you use waterstones for sharpening hand tools, or if you do your finishing in the workshop.

I like my plug sockets to be at convenient heights, with enough amperage to not blow whenever I switch the vac on. 

A large door is a must, for getting timber in and finished pieces out.

I have about 300 square feet, which is ample for my needs, but I do not have (and do not need) a table saw. I reckon I would need more space if I had one.

Got to have good music and a wifi connection too.

 

[Mavrik]

We built an entirely new production shop a couple of years ago, and one of the biggest enhancements we made over our previous space was to put absolutely everything on casters. All workbenches, assembly table, bins, etc. Mobility is key to efficiency. Setting up the space for specific tasks quickly is critical.

+1
I have a small space for my workshop that could only accomodate a bench & MFT 1080 table.
By putting everything on casters I can now wheel stuff out of the way ... have found space for a band saw and still have more space for more stuff.

Can now also easily wheel tools around depending on what it is I'm doing (e.g. needing space on the right for long stock); or even light. Be able to move closer to the window for winter sunlight or further away to escape harsh summer sunlight.

 

[upscale]

Find yourself a good workshop planner.
http://www.grizzly.com/workshopplanner.aspx

 

[plouf]

Hi Alan m,

Would you have a picture of that ring beam, just to have a clearer idea? Sounds it's something I should try here...

put in a ring beam  electrical  trunking around the shop so that you can easily put in more sockets etc and easily hide away all the wires but still be able to get at them quickly.