Workshop layout

I agree

Derek Cohen (in Perth, Australia)

My comment, above, was that layout is personal. I have been working from this particular shop/garage for 23 years. It changed progressively until about 5 years ago. It takes time to find the zone.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Re: Workshop layout

John in NM

Like others have suggested, having machines on wheels makes a big difference, and it generally not that hard to do. The only tools I find useful against a wall are the miter saw and drill press (also mortiser if you have one). Maybe a bandsaw, but mine is on a mobile base so I keep it in the middle of the room near the power for all the 230V machines (comes out of the floor in my shop).

I really like the Woodcraft swivel casters, but they may not be available where you are. Four swivels for most machines makes a big difference in ease of mobility. Light machines that are roughly square I might use two fixed and two swivel, but for heavy ones I always use 4 swivels. I weld up bases out of angle iron and flat stock, but you can do the same basic thing with wood (baltic birch plywood makes an excellent base material).

Re: I agree too.

Hank Knight

I spent some up-front time planning my shop layout when I first built it 28 years ago. I wasn't in it a week before I starterd moving struff around. Over the years I've rearranged, added tools and machines, gotten rid of some and built shop furniture, all of which required reorganization of the layout. It has been relatively settled over the last 4 or 5 years, but I'm not ready to say I've found the perfect layout; it will almost certainly change again. Shops are dynamic and grow with you and your imagination. My only advice is to avoid the urge to nail stuff down to a permanent location. As soon as you do, you'll figure out a "better" place for it.

Re: Workshop layout

Charlie belden

Before working out where things should go, sheeth your walls with ply. This will allow conduit and boxes for your surface mounted electrical to go where needed - now - and rearranged later, or added to later. Will also allow you to wall mount things anywhere. For the first few years, everything will be temporary - maybe temporary forever actually.

Thanks for input!