Workshop Layout Ideas

rob w

Hi all,

Lucky enough to have a square 25m2 space that I am planning on turning into a workshop.

I like to dabble in woodworking, building various bits and pieces for the house and garden.

I would be looking to house a mitre saw, table saw, some kind of dust extraction (undercounter hopefully) for now. In future, I would like to add a table saw, lathe, bandsaw, planer. None of it needs to be super heavy duty as Im not doing any heavy duty work.

I have sketched a rough idea of a layout - but not sure If its the best use of the space - any advice/tips appreciated from those who have done similar.

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Thanks in advance

magicbastarder

are you leaving room for dust extraction behind the lathe? better to have space at the tailstock end than the headstock end, i have found.

rob w

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122382631#Comment_122382631

I wasnt thinking about having the extraction behind the lathe, but dropping down from above - would that work too? That way I can keep it closer to the wall

magicbastarder

ah, yeah - just that it's preferable to have extraction.

Calahonda52

IMO leave corners free, like in kitchens these internal corners are a mess.

Alos I have found having a windows or door in line with the mitre saw is good.

Alos consider an area outside the shop where you can bring mobile bench, nothing like full daylight when possible

Am currently processing 6.5m long I joists and they are coming in the window to the mitre saw.

I had most of my gear on lockable castors, planer spindle moulder, drill press, table saw and they got stowed when not in use

Alos plan use of wall space for stuff like long cramps and storing timber

rob w

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122382895#Comment_122382895

Yeah, I kind of get you about the corners - but not sure what else I would put there if I left them empty, and I d be reducing worktop space just to avoid an internal corner.

Good tip about the option to move outside with a mobile bench!

Unlikely I will ever be working on anything as long as those pieces you are doing. I think with the mitre saw there, Id be able to cut a 16ft length in half and that would probably do me fine.

My real concern is about where to put other benchtop tools so that they dont interfere with mitre or table saw in future (and am I leaving enough space for them), but mobile or interchangeable tool benches with some kind of quick mounting system might be the way forward

magicbastarder

where do you plan on storing stock? and smaller powertools? under the benches?

(i have probably less than a third of the space you will have, so am jealous)

Calahonda52

what do you mea by My real concern is about where to put other benchtop tools so that they dont interfere with mitre or table saw in future

rob w

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122386380#Comment_122386380

I have another adjacent area I can store stock in, other tools under the benches most likely - will put some shelving in below

rob w

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122386427#Comment_122386427

Sorry, probably didnt express that very well.

So, I am wondering am I laying it out right with a bench all along the back wall, with a mitre saw in the middle. I fear the space either end of that bench will be a bit useless if I cant mount other benchtop tools (thinking a bandsaw, sander etc) on it - because they may get in the way of using the mitre saw. Same goes for the large bench in the centre of the room - do I need to keep it totally clear so as not to interfere with the table saw.

When I mentioned 'quick mounting system' I was thinking along the lines of the link below…Myabe thats a way of using the bench space when needed but also being able to clear it when using mitre saw?

https://www.woodmagazine.com/woodworking-plans/shop-organization/quick-change-system-for-benchtop-tools

Calahonda52

Ok, see what you mean, has potential, the stored footprint of the tools will now be whatever the largest one is

I have often wondered about how others have their mitre saw.

I have mixed views on it being in the middle, especially these days with a {festool !) cordless skil or jig saw being available to reduce down the long timbers.

The other point is that I have my kreg cutting guide on the left and I use a roller on the right when required, which is not all the time.

CelticRambler

How are you getting on with this? All done and ready for action, or still at the planning stage? I've gone down many YT rabbitholes in the quest to figure out how best to organise an "amateur" workshop and come to the conclusion that you can have either a great ready-to-use set-up with lots of empty - and mostly unused - space; or you can have a really efficient storage facility, at the cost of needing to shuffle everything around all the time. But not both.

I have the luxury of space, and really appreciate being able to switch from one tool to another without having to move half a dozen boxes and crates out of the way … except that space is semi-outdoors, so when I don't want owls crapping on my half-built frames overnight, or my cat licking off the linseed oil that still needs to soak in, or miscellaneous vagrants treating themselves to stuff I want to keep for myself, well then I have to set up a temporary workshop indoors somewhere - usually the space I'm renovating.

The most valuable lesson I've learnt in that respect is mentioned by @Calahonda52 : windows and doors are your friend; and to exploit them efficiently you need to get comfortable living with odd angles and things being off centre. By way of example : if you didn't really need two doors, you could consider putting the mitre saw along the perpendicular wall as in the sketch below. Even though that wall is shorter, you can give yourself a 50-100cm extra bench space on the right hand side (in green) by having the fence at an angle, shifting the saw off centre and using the door/window for whatever's needed on the left. In addition, the "wasted space" (in red) behind the saw and fence naturally lends itself to the storage of tools of a variety of sizes.

aidancoughlan

I am a real newbie here, but I have been planning a smaller workshop space for myself recently. Another option to consider is not to build in "fixed" bench space. Consider a series of castor mobile units as someone else said, but make sure they are all at the exact same bench height. I have built a very heavy, solid fixed (but standalone) bench along part of one wall. I had intended a "full clean run" of built-in bench fixed to the entire wall, but moved away from that. I will fill the rest of the wall space with mobile units that I can move around as needed (to take advantage of doors, windows etc. when needed). If they are all the same height, a router table can double as an outfeed table for a saw, or assembly table etc., and several can be moved together to make a bigger space. Even if they are all normally stacked away against the walls as in your diagram - it gives flexibility to change your mind and move them around to a new permanent place (dimensions permitting).I'm hoping this will be more flexible in my much smaller space anyway, but it could be useful to you too.

rob w

So, I've finally gotten around to getting the workshop going. A few small adjustments to my original plan. I moved the mitre saw across from the centred location. Have built a large mobile bench (which will hold my table saw in future) and have that butted up against the back wall bench. So essentially have a u-shaped bench with a movable element.

Going to put some doors on the lower shelves and block them off from dust getting in there too.

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