Shop Sizes?

[peter halle]

I am looking into a different shop situation and the question in my mind is what size shops / work areas are the most common with Festool users?

Need your help.

Peter

 

[Scott B.]

Peter

I've grown from 800 to almost 3k sf in the past 3 years.

30x32 minimum.

 

[Alan m]

peter this is a very tough one. some people can get away with 10 foot square some can t cope with only having 100 foot  square.
you will always fill the space with a new tool or leaving one set up that you could put away.
im mostly a site worker but if i was building a shop i would go 60 foot by 30 foot. i prefer the longer than wide space to a square space because it gives me a better ability to define work areas.  and have wall space at each area.
i dont like having areas out in the middle of the floor. getting services to adn from those areas is a pain.

 

[erock]

Peter,

  What kind of equipment are you going to have in your shop?

I have a 2 1/2 car garage.  Before I started buying Festool tools, I thought I needed a bigger shop.  But since I have been collecting Festool tools, I have

changed the way I work. 

I am only a hobby guy.  But I want a dedicated working area.  The table saw takes a lot of space in my garage.  By adding the MFT/3 and TS55 to my

shop I no longer have a need for the table saw.  The Dust collector and joiner I have also takes a lot of space.  But I now have the HL850 and 2 CT vacs.

I have been thinking about selling my table saw, joiner, dust collector, air cleaner and other non Festool tools.  This would free up a lot of wasted space

for me. 

So depending on what type of equipment you plan on filling your shop with would dictate the size you would need.

I can see a 2 1/2 car garage size shop being a good size.  But if you are going to build a full set of kitchen cabinets for a client then you need space to

store the cabinets.

Also, do you need space a dedicated finish area?  Spray booth?

Eric

 

[jacko9]

Peter,  My shop is 22' by 20' and because I set it up over a long span of time with one major change out of table saw where I replaced a small combination machine with a large sliding table saw, I found myself putting casters on a lot of machines and I'm constantly moving things around.  I have a 3' by 8' assembly bench in the middle which I like  a lot but, my main workbench is too close to a wall for optimal use.  If I was a younger guy, I'd build a 30 by 40' shop out in back but, at almost 68 years old I don't know if the investment is worth it at this point in time.  Good luck on any decision you make.

Jack

 

[pghmyn]

Probably about 20x10 in my parent's basement. Short 6.50' ceilings don't make it any easier

PS. My fiance said I could have the garage when we buy our first home. Score!

 

[peter halle]

Probably about 20x10 in my parent's basement. Short 6.50' ceilings don't make it any easier

PS. My fiance said I could have the garage when we buy our first home. Score!

Ouch on the ceiling height!

Loving the responses.  No spray booth or dedicated shop area.  Thinking more as a hobbyist shop versus a production shop.  Can't afford the space.

Keep the info coming please. 

Peter

 

[peter halle]

OOPS!  My tools are the typical Festool arsenal along with a DeWalt contractor table saw and a Dewalt thickness planer.  I do have a MFT/3.  And a router table.

Peter

 

[erock]

Dewalt thickness planer on the mobile stand.
Dewalt table saw on a mobile base.

so you can push it out of the way and make room for the Festools!    [big grin]

With my 2 1/2 car garage I set up two saw horses with a sheet of 1/2" plywood and 2" pink foam on top of the ply to break down my sheet goods.

At the same time I have my MFT/3 set up with my MFT1080 for a assembly table.  My Kapex sits on a MFT 800 against a wall.  I have plenty of

room to work around all the MFT tables.  So if you are looking for a Festool sized shop, a 2 1/2 car garage size shop would be big enough.  For a

hobbyist.  I have 10 foot ceilings in my garage.  So I have the height to hang lumber storage from the ceiling.  Plus I installed recessed lights

so I don't have lights hanging from the ceiling. 

I'm not a "pack rat" and hold on to things that I have no use for.  As long as you have a reason for it being in the shop, then you don't need

something too big.  Festools system makes woodworking easy in small spaces!!

Eric 

 

[tiralie]

...with storage +/- 350 sq. ft....
Tim

 

[Tim Morris]

1800 sf of shop and another 1800 sf of storage for me. Shop is conditioned year around storage is not.

 

[semenza]

Currently 20' x 22' 8' ceiling. Plus a little overflow available on temporary basis.

If/when I build I would want 30' x 40' 10- 12' ceiling with an outdoor covered loading area, or 40' x 50' with an interior garage / loading area.

Seth

 

[Sparktrician]

I'm using a 13' x 23' basement space with an 8' ceiling with the exception of a central beam that drops the height to 92".  The space also has two Lally columns supporting the beam.  The beam compelled me to cut 7" out of the lower stanchion of the boom arm on my CT22 so it would fit under the beam. 

[smile]

 

[WarnerConstCo.]

1500 sq/ft, but I am looking for about 6000 sq/ft.  I got a lot of stuff.

 

[tiralie]

My current shop is not common.

Chris:
Curious as to what you mean "not common"?
Interesting...can you explain.
Tim

 

[duburban]

Currently 20' x 22' 8' ceiling. Plus a little overflow available on temporary basis.

If/when I build I would want 30' x 40' 10- 12' ceiling with an outdoor covered loading area, or 40' x 50' with an interior garage / loading area.

Seth

covered loading area... spoiled !

 

[Frank Pellow]

430 square feet (and it is not enough).  

It sort of works because all my big machines and two of my workbenches are on rollers.

Height is alspo important.  My workshed has a catherdral ceiling with the peek at 10 feet.

 

[Frank Pellow]

Peter, I suggest that you attach a poll  with various ranges of sizes to this thread

 

[peter halle]

Peter, I suggest that you attach a poll  with various ranges of sizes to this thread

Good idea Frank.  Thanks.  I will have to later create a new thread and then merge this one into it.  I hope to do that later today.

Peter

 

[PeterK]

Just a hobbiest crammed into a 11x20 barn building. From past and present experience, a minimum width for me for table saw usage is 16 feet. Would love to have the old 24x26 I had at my old house. Size needed is project and tool dependant. Like others have said, if you get into a project building some large cabinets and such, they will consume so much space during construction and finishing. I am constantly moving stuff around and I hate it. I don't mind moving my tools as all are on wheels but it is terribly inefficient having to move components in different stages of cutting and assembly to be able to do the next step. I have damaged several panels on my current project of an entertainment center from moving them to access something else.

The flip side of lots of space is having to do some type of climate control and the cost associated.

Are you thinking of constructiong a new shop? Using some existing available space?