Workshop Overhaul

[dennis]

What is the rsj for in your workshop Wizer. Has it been a lifting beam or does it support something, just that when you mention putting a radiator above it, it does not seem that it is for support. But if it is for support it should be fireproofed.

Dennis

 

[wizer]

It is holding the front of the above extension up. Sat on piers either side. Above the RSJ is about 500mm of wall before the ceiling.

 

[dennis]

Well if it is not already it really should be fireproofed.

Dennis

 

[wizer]

How would I go about that Dennis?

 

[Raggy]

Fireproofing the steel can be done in many ways. The most common is to encase it in two layers of 12.5mm plasterboard (with staggered joints) and all plastered in afterwards. Wedge timbers into the steelweb and fix the plasterboard to that.

 

[dennis]

We generally encase in concrete or use glassrock sheeting on industrial jobs.You would need to check the regs. Raggy sounds about right ,but I would go for fireline plasterboard. On some industrial jobs we have not been allowed to use timber noggins, but domestic is different. There is a thick paint called nullifire for fireproofing steelwork, but I do not know the specs,whether it is suitable for load bearing steel or not.

Dennis

 

[wizer]

How does this look for a proposed layout?

Looking in from Roller door, box at end is work bench, next to door. Box to back left is a filing cabinet. RT acting as outfeed for TS, turned round to allow sliding table to travel.

 

[p111dom]

Obviously I'm just going off the picture and it may be different in the flesh but I would swap everything around, horizontal flip. If you have supporting brick pillars on the left then they'll get in the way of the P/T. The Mitre saw be it fixed or sliding has a lot of wasted space behind the fence which would fit into the less usable areas on the left of your workspace in between the brick pillars. I would also put the pillar drill on the left for similar reasons. There's alot of motor and otherwise wasted space behind the platform of the drill. Again this would fit into the recesses on the left. Extractor placement is fine but I don't know if there's a large door just next to the extractor. If there is you may want to move it to the rear of the shop but keep it on the left side. This stops drafts from outside blowing dust everywhere when you empty it. All this would give you the entire right wall (assuming it's as flat as in the picture) for unrestricted P/T use. As for the bandsaw I wouldn't worry too much about placement but do put it on wheels. I tend to use mine for quickly trimming bits for jigs and making tennons both of which require no room behind the table. I only pull if forward when I'm resawing. The tablesaw is better for everything else obviously except for cutting curves. On wheels you'll quickly descover where it gets in the way the least and just leave it there. Good placement of the routertable though. I never really thought that I would use it without the fence that much but I'd say at lease 40% of it's use is cutting with profiling cutters following a template with the fence off. Being able to walk around it is good but again putting it on a good set of castors is a good fix.

You can seen in this picture my non sliding mite saw and one of the pillars to the rear left. These stick out futher than it looks on the picture some 6 inches. I built the cabinets to fit around them.

 

[wizer]

yes I think your right about the mitre saw Dom. MarkW and I came to that conclusion recently. I think I am being a bit protective of that straight wall, not knowing what best to place there. By the time the new TS arrives, every tool will be on wheels. This, combined with a new flat floor, will make finding a layout easier.

 

[neilyweely]

am also planning new workshop, and have had so many suggestions that I have decicded to put everything on wheels and see where it all ends up!!!

This seems to be the only logical conclusion, as I have minimal experience in setting up workshops, plenty of using 'em. Funny, but I have never really paid much attention to layout before, now it is all consumiing!!!

 

[big soft moose]

as heat rises , radiators really ought to be as low down as possible. In an ideal world i'd put in underfloor heating but this may not be feasible in your shop.

alternately what about a wood / saw dust burner ?

or just a couple of oil filled rads which you can store out of the way when you arent using them

 

[wizer]

yeh I don't think the rad up high idea is a go-er. I have an oil filled rad at the moment but, tho better than convectors, they are expensive to run. Plumbing in a rad as part of the house system will hopefully keep this room to a more constant temp. I think it's going to have to go next to the bench.


I spent a few hours in there today. Put together a new rolling cabinet for the SMCS. Makes a hell of a lot of difference. Tomorrow I have another rolling cabinet to put together for the drill press and bobbing sander. Over the weekend I transferred a lot of stuff into the loft that isn't used regularly (the loft is packed to the rafters).

Here's another possible layout:

 

[frugal]

I know that this is going to be a daft question, but: Where does the wood live? Does it all live outside of the workshop?

 

[TheTiddles]

I know that this is going to be a daft question, but: Where does the wood live? Does it all live outside of the workshop?

Wood lives in big plants called trees :lol:

 

[dennis]

I know that this is going to be a daft question, but: Where does the wood live? Does it all live outside of the workshop?

Wood lives in big plants called trees :lol:

And these big plants often live in woods.


Dennis

 

[Steve Maskery]

Wizer
In that layout, it looks to me like you will bash your hip on the tablesaw rails every time you use your planer. I preferred the layour where the PT was in between the piers, at least that way all the dead space to the rear of the fence was in the recess of the piers.

As to heating, I have a radiator plumbed from the house. Also my WS is well-insulated. Even in winter, I often have to turn the rad down because the WS is too hot to work comfortably (but then I'm a fat bloke with plenty of insulation of my own). A kick-space heater under the bench is a good idea if you can fit one. I had the plumbing put in for that but have never needed to install one.

Cheers
Steve

 

[BradNaylor]

I'd put the drill press next to the mitre saw in the recess - sharing a bench. I'd then put the bandsaw where you have the planer/thicknesser on your second layout and the P/T where you have the drill press.

I like to be able to move easily between the table saw and the P/T.

Cheers
Dan

 

[wizer]

the P/T where you have the drill press.

It wouldn't be ideal having it in the corner. I think Steve's right, it's fine where it is currently.

Steve, the kick-space heater is an idea. Do you plumb them in? Or are they electric?

I have taken some pics of the current layout to make it clearer.

This is the right hand wall as you look at the above diagram. Far left of the pic is the work bench and far right is the roller door.



This is another view of the same wall:



and this is the opposite wall.



The SCMS and drill press have just gone on new rolling cabinets, so it should now be easy to play with configs.

Wood is stored anywhere it will fit and I can't see it getting any better/easier. I have considered building an outside storage shed for timber. It could even go on the drive.
:-k

Anyway, progress is steady. Next job is to box in the RSJ then start thinking about sorting the floor out. I have gone back and forward, I think I am going to go with batten and board rather than screed. This will enable me to add insulation.

More soon.

 

[Grinding One]

This is just a observation but if you put in a drop ceiling you could store the wood there,it would also be a buffer against the cold.Insulate the top and use the bottom as storeage.

 

[Steve Maskery]

Wizer
Kick space heaters can ber either CH-based or electric. Even if they are CH-based, you need electric for the fan. The beauty of them is that they don't really have a footprint - just install it under your bench (Cosy Toes).

As for putting in a sub-ceiling - good idea for insulation and heat considerations, bad idea for logistics. My workshop is quite high - very high in places - and although that was not planned, it is a real boon when it comes to manipulating lengths of timber and boards. I still hit the lights now and again, but I can, if I'm careful, turn an 8x4 sheet over inside the workshop.

Only you can decide how those two considerations trade off.

Cheers
Steve