Workshop layout

[polsonm87]

Hi all,

Moved house a couple of years ago which had a 7.5m x 6m outbuilding. The building was split in 2, one side a shed/workshop the other side a garden room/games room.
I have removed the partition in between as i never used the garden room/games room and slowly converting it into one larger workshop.
I am just looking for any advice for the layout of the workshop, specifically the setup for the dust extraction.
I have made a few sketch up layout so you can get an idea. I am not very good at sketch up so hope it makes sense.

This is how i want the workshop to look like

This is what i am planning.

I am also planning to extend the building by 3.5m as a storage shed, which i would in the long term like to put my dust extractor in to reduce noise etc. Like so.

Thanks

 

[Inspector]

The most practical DC layout is to put the DC in one of the two corners of the addition, by the door for dust bag/bin removal being better. A main pipe coming out of that corner running diagonally to the opposite corner with branches off it to the machines.

As for the mitre bench. I would put that on the wall by the big door or the man door wall so material can be cut up as it is brought in and if really long can stick out the door until cut shorter.

Pete

 

[Jameshow]

Where is your main workbench?

I'd but the mitre saw in the left wall and your main bench on the back wall.

Good idea to put the DX and compressor if you have one in another room.

Cheers James

 

[Peterm1000]

If you put everything on wheels and French cleats, you are not stuck with one layout.

 

[polsonm87]

Thanks for the replies.

Yes i hope to have the DX in the shed next door, eventually. To reduce noise save space.
My main workbench will be the MFT. which i will have my shop vac built into for power tool extraction.
Everything will be on wheels so yea i can move things about if needed, but i didn't think about a french cleat wall.

I have plenty of room for what i need, just need to set the Dust extractor up to reduce distance and bends etc for optimal performance.

 

[TheUnicorn]

I agree with pete and james on the positioning of the mitre saw, much better to feed in from the door.

 

[LBCarpentry]

Think about the order in which you will process timber and have machines in that order. Imagine a typical job progressing round the workshop. You don’t want to be going from one end to another all the time. A central bench on wheels works well. A finishing area seperate from an assembly area is nice also.

 

[Ollie78]

As peterm1000 says wheels is a good idea.
It is hard to know what works until you actually try it out.
Try and make all the heights the same if you can, that way you can rest timber almost anywhere.
I have table saw and planer at one end for rough processing, then other machinery further down for joinery.

Ollie

 

[Trainee neophyte]

If your building is 6m wide, and you put the planer as shown, doesn't this mean that you can't put 4m lengths through it. Same for table saw? Or do you have cunning hatches and /or a window? If you only ever make jewelry boxes that would be fine, but I am always having to drag kit outside because of the length or width of the workpiece. Mind you, my "workshop" doesn't have room for me, let alone any of the tools. Luckily the weather is usually nice.

(Edit: I know that 7.5m length doesn't help either, but I would probably want to work lengthways rather than widthways - you know the space already, so don't mind my irrelevant musings)

 

[polsonm87]

Yes the MFT, mitres saw station, table saw out feed etc will be at the same height so that i could push MFT and table saw out feed together if needed.

Table saw and planer will both be on wheels so i can wheel over and open double doors for longer lengths of timber.

Mitre saw station as show will allow for 4.8m lengths on the left hand side and 2.4m length on the right hand side which is ideal for standard timber. Any longer and i can cut down by hand first.

I have placed the mitre saw and table saw/planer like this to try and reduce extraction distance and bends and also so the ducting doesn't get in the way of the lighting. I know it would be better placed beside the double doors but i won't be able to avoid ducting going over my lights and i don't normal cut longer material.

Thanks for the replies

 

[GaryHandS]

Hello,
I'm completely new to this forum. I've never used Facebook so I haven't much idea about social media. Please forgive any errors in protocol. I've never actually written anything on any forum before. Oh well, here goes ...
I've been a teacher of Design Technology for a lifetime so my experience is using workshop equipment within an educational situation. I am guided by the British Standard that applies to education. I have seen workshops set-up by contractors with some impractical designs. As far as practically possible, I would suggest when planning a new workshop:
1. Make sure that there's a good airflow in to the workshop so that the Local Exhaust Ventilation system doesn't have to overcome a vacuum. It there's air being sucked out, there needs to be a means of fresh air getting in.
2. Try to avoid vertical ducting near to a circular saw bench. There's often a chance that cutting a wide board will be obstructed by the ducting.
3. If possible allow 2.4 m of space (plus space for you) in front of the circ. saw bench and behind it.
4. Similar to #3 allow the same amount of space for the thicknesser.
5. Include in your planning the removal of floor and bench dust by vacuum cleaning and try never to use a hand brush or broom. (Brushing causes a hazard from dust, especially fine dust). An inlet for a long, flexible hose in your LEV system would be a good idea or use a portable vacuum cleaner.
6. Install a bright, clearly visible, warning light on the same electrical circuit and the workshop machines so that it's obvious when the power is on and have a circuit breaker near to the door so that the machines can't be turned on when you leave the area.
7. Try to avoid trip hazards by picking up scraps of wood from the floor.
8. Push sticks should be about 400mm+ and once they get to 300mm throw them away and cut new ones.
9. At least be aware of the regulations that govern educational workshops (ie. hands no closer than 300mm to the side of a cross-cut circular saw / mitre saw. Obviously these rules don't apply to your personal use of workshop machines but it might be useful to know what the rules are for schools and colleges.
10. If possible, have the exhaust from the LEV system ducted to the outside atmosphere rather that recirculated to the workshop.
I've probably said far too much. I'm surely being too prescriptive. I've been a teacher for far too long and I'm sure that some (hopefully not too many) members will point out my shortcomings. May I apologize now if I've caused offence.

 

[Inspector]

Welcome to the forum Gary. Your background is valuable but not always easily implementable as you can appreciate. Space and budget always seems to get in the way and where you call home dictate some of the decisions we will make. Today when I got up it was -35ºC with a wind chill almost 10ºC colder, tonight it will get down to -38ºC. When it is like that one isn't inclined to exhaust any shop air much less allow that cold stuff in. One has to rely on very good collection and filtration along with wearing a mask all the time. In the summer the screened (mosquitoes) windows can be wide open. Much of what you say is well worth considering but whether or how to implement them is going to be up to the user. Keep 'em coming. Takes a lot more than good sense to offend us.

Pete

 

[polsonm87]

Thanks Gary,

I have considered most of your points, a few i will have a think about.
Workshop is currently having new sockets wired up and last few walls painted to brighten it up, still waiting on 10 new LED lights.

Thanks all

 

[RobinBHM]

Welcome to the forum Gary. Your background is valuable but not always easily implementable as you can appreciate. Space and budget always seems to get in the way and where you call home dictate some of the decisions we will make. Today when I got up it was -35ºC with a wind chill almost 10ºC colder, tonight it will get down to -38ºC. When it is like that one isn't inclined to exhaust any shop air much less allow that cold stuff in. One has to rely on very good collection and filtration along with wearing a mask all the time. In the summer the screened (mosquitoes) windows can be wide open. Much of what you say is well worth considering but whether or how to implement them is going to be up to the user. Keep 'em coming. Takes a lot more than good sense to offend us.

Pete

-35C Wow

I spent a few months in Toronto years ago, it was July time. I was amazed it was damn hot 32C in the daytime. But the locals were telling me it got pretty cold at night.

Saskatoon looks a lot further North than Toronto. I'd be guessing you live in a region with very low population density....I believe 90% of people in Canada live with 100 miles of US border...or something similar.

 

[Inspector]

Yes Robin we are a thousand kilometres from the US and to you we would be very thinly populated. There are about a million people in the province with Saskatoon having about a quarter of them. You could fit more than three United Kingdoms into Saskatchewan. Summer temps can get up to 40ºC for a short bit here and there but mostly mid 20s to low 30s. The centre of the universe (Toronto) is uncomfortable in the summer is because of the humidity from the lake. Like anyplace people adapt to where they live.
Back to our scheduled program.....Workshop Layout.

Pete

 

[polsonm87]

One extreme to the other. Thought it was cold today in Scotland 0 degrees.

Will update next week with some actual pictures, when i get it tidied up a bit.

 

[Dave Moore]

I would take care with the sizing of the extraction ducting depending on how powerful the extractor is. If the ducting is too large you may find it will be inefficient sucking and transporting to the bin.

 

[polsonm87]

Hi Dave, yea i hope to get a 3hp dust extractor with cartridge filter when funds allow. Table saw and planer will be approx 3m away from it so not far.

 

[johnny]

I would suggest moving the doors away from the ends of the walls by a min 600mm this will not only strengthen the corner wall and roof structure considerably but it will also allow you to build a 600mm deep workbench on the adjacent wall or place rolling router/jig/table saw cabinets etc without blocking the doorways

My other suggestion would be to ditch the CAD and just use a pencil and scale ruler and coloured felt tip pens and broad tip hi light felt tips . You can go through a dozen different sketch ideas in the time it take to produce one CAD drawing . Designers often use scale sized paper or cardboard cutouts so that they can move the various essential components around a space to look for conflicts, flow and critical pathway etc . Once you have firmed up your design then is maybe the time to draw it up in a CAD program if you want to

 

[polsonm87]

The garage was already built when i moved to the property, i have just been converting it to a workshop.
I am a time served joiner so there is no issues with the building structure. Just looking for peoples thoughts ideas on workshop layout etc.

Yea i have done a few drawings but i am trying to learn how to use sketch up.

cheers