questions about small workshops

[ShawnRussell]

It was about two years ago I browsed an article talking about small wood shops. The article made extensive use of Festool equipment. The idea behind the article was comparing and contrasting the difference in size between a US shop and the sq/ft available to a typical urban European woodworker and how to cope with a small space.

I have been googling trying to find that article again; if anyone knows the magazine and what issue that article was in that would be great.

Also, does anyone have a setup that uses only portable tools? (assuming the MFT and CMS count as portable)

If any NA users have this setup, how do you work around the lack of a table saw and not being able to use the track saw in the CMS?

 

[rmwarren]

Shawn,

My shop is 10' by 12' (outside, about 8" less inside) and I have one 12' wall lined with 24" cabinets. The rest of the space is open so I can set stuff up as needed. The MFT is the only semi stationary item.

What I found to be most helpful is have extensions I can add to the MFT as needed to support long stock or full sheets of plywood. I can configure them in minutes based on what I am doing and when not in use they fit into a rack on one wall. I have just enough room to knock down a full sheet of plywood.

I'm interested to see what other responses you get.

RMW

 

[peter halle]

Shawn,

The article might go back to 2009.  Maybe Marc Adams? Fine Woodworking?

Hopefully I will have more to offer in my thread here about exactly this - a 10 x 12 shop using mainly Festool tools shortly.  My goal is to have my Festool stuff as the core tools augmented when needed with a portable contractor's saw and a thickness planer.  Richard touched on one of my strategies to be be used, but my storage will be slightly different - at least initially.

As I make progress I will post.

Peter

 

[builderbob]

My space is not as small as you're describing, but I do all of my built-in work out of a 2 car garage. However, all of my tools are mobile tools. Aside from the Festool, I use a thickness planer and a small jobsite table saw. The table saw is used for smaller rip cuts...all other large cuts and sheet good sizing is done via the ts55. I'd love to have a larger commercial sized space, but I'm not always working in there, so if the space sits, it owes me nothing. But as far as your question, I wouldn't be without at least a small table saw!

Bob

 

[rljatl]

This a great topic for me.  My workshop is very small and is the main reason I sold my table saw and bought the TS75/MFT combo and CT26.  Between the TS75, a 12" Dewalt miter saw and a 10" Rikon bandsaw I have been able to do everything I need to do, so far.  I will also be using more hand tools than before and utilizing a patio off my finished basement when necessary.  Trying to decide if I need and have space for a portable planer.   ;D

 

[rmwarren]

This a great topic for me.  My workshop is very small and is the main reason I sold my table saw and bought the TS75/MFT combo and CT26.  Between the TS75, a 12" Dewalt miter saw and a 10" Rikon bandsaw I have been able to do everything I need to do, so far.  I will also be using more hand tools than before and utilizing a patio off my finished basement when necessary.  Trying to decide if I need and have space for a portable planer.   ;D

I have the same quandary, lost my planer in Sandy and am tossed about the need to replace it. I also have an area just outside the shop double doors that I use when the weather is good, cutrently is is stoned but I plan to drop a wooden deck on top of the stone.

I am seriously considering building a couple weatherproof tool cabinets outside the shop/shed to store my small tablesaw and things like a planer in.  Something perhaps 24" deep, 4' wide and ?? tall, but must be totally weathertite.

The only downside it being limited to good weather, but the trade-off is that I enjoy working outside anyway.

RMW

 

[Corwin]

Could this be the article you were looking for?

Euro Shop -- The Small Shop That Works Big

I believe that this was one of the articles that I read in late 2005 just before getting into Festools.

On Edit:  Here's the article that Peter mentioned in his post above;  Smart Shop in a One-Car Garage

 

[ShawnRussell]

Thanks for all the replies.

That is a great article, but I was certain the one I read discussed the use of portable tools vs stationary machines.

Peter, I am looking forward to following your article.

I am already starting to thin down some of my tools and prepare everything for a move.

Cheers