Itty Bitty Shop

[max_in_graham]

Well, after spending the last almost 6 years building a recording studio, I finally have finished it, and am now turning my attention to my wood shop.

It's gonna have to suffer along as a long term project as I can afford to do things... like a proper dust collection system, good lighting, expansion, etc.

I'm starting out with a 10x16 prefab storage building.

The electrical planned is 60 Amp service. I hope to get electrical installed before too long, and the conduit is already in the ground and inspected. (I ran 2" conduit from the main service panel up to the shop.)

I figure 60 Amps should be enough to run a dust collector, table saw (or planer), and 4-6 lights, shouldn't it?

My layout is gonna be real tight as far as moving tools around.

Here's what all I gotta stuff in there;
10" table saw
13" planer (DeWalt 735)
6" Joiner
Workbench (I need to rework the existing bench so that's it's half the current size)
10" Sliding Compound Miter Saw
10" Compound Miter Saw
14" Delta Bandsaw.
16" Scrollsaw

Plus the usual assortment of hand tools, jigs and fixtures... (Yeah... it's pretty tight in there!)

I have a couple of routers, but I doubt I've really got room to make a router table.:dontknow:

All the big tools are on caster bases... except the planer.

My real problem is what to do with wood storage. I've got a pretty big stack of lumber, and LOML would sure like to get it out of the basement so she can start to clean up and decorate. Any ideas or thoughts?:help:

The building has two 18" doors centered on one end. (10 ft end) I'm hoping to add two more on the other end, so I can handle long stock.

Since the table saw is pretty much the tallest tool, I was considering making all the work surfaces the same height as the table saw. (Except the joiner and bandsaw.)

I've looked at several sites that have the shop planners, but the space is so restrictive, I think about the best I can hope for is playing shop tool tetris. :BangHead::BangHead::BangHead:

Thanx!
Max

 

[Mike Davis]

I have a 16 x 16 and fewer tools than you list and I'm really crowded. But, I have some other storage and my wood in there, so maybe you can do it.



No chance of getting a second building that size for storage and wood?

 

[Trent Mason]

Right there with you man. I'll be operating out of a one car garage, but hey, it beats the spare bedroom! :eusa_danc:eusa_danc:eusa_danc One good tip: MOBILE BASES. :thumbs_up:thumbs_up Pretty much everything you listed can be set up against the wall (except for the TS). Then if you need to you can just slide it out from the wall.

I'm going to have my TS in the middle of the floor and everything else will be on mobile bases against the wall. I'm choosing to forgo a work bench for the time being. If I were you, I'd just use the 10" sliding MS and leave store the other one somewhere. :icon_thum

 

[FlyingRon]

Right there with you man. I'll be operating out of a one car garage, but hey, it beats the spare bedroom! :eusa_danc:eusa_danc:eusa_danc One good tip: MOBILE BASES. :thumbs_up:thumbs_up Pretty much everything you listed can be set up against the wall (except for the tablesaw). Then if you need to you can just slide it out from the wall.

I've got everything including the workbench on wheels in my 15x19' shop.
Currently: SawStop PCS, workbench, Griz 16" bandsaw, Small Delta planer. Will add jointer and drill press (the drill press I may not make mobile). Fortunately for me the air compressor, dust collector, and most of the storage can go elsewhere.

It's amazing how convenient having the workbench on wheels (mine's just an old craftsman, but I built a mobile base for it with four pieces of angle iron and some casters). The only time I had some fun was when I was sanding down the top (it had been in the garage for 20 years) with the belt sander and the sander wanted to drive the thing in the opposite direction. I didn't use locking casters so I'll probably have to switch those or make some sort of chock for the wheels. Mostly it's pushed against the wall so it isn't a problem.

It have the saw and it's extension table up against the wall. While it's easy to swing it out 90 degrees when necessary, it's amazing how little I actually have to do that.

 

[JackLeg]

I'd put in a MINIMUM of a 100 amp panel! You won't regret it.
:wsmile:

 

[Skymaster]

Ron; Make your workbench the same height as your tablesaw! this way you have an outfeed table/infeed already ready and just roll it to the saw.

 

[bwat]

I'd put in a MINIMUM of a 100 amp panel! You won't regret it.
:wsmile:

A big DITTO on this comment!!!:thumbs_up

 

[RayH]

Max,

100 amp service is great, but if you go with the 60 amp box I suggest you include a bunch of 220v circuits and rewire everything you can for that voltage. Until I did that my 50 amp service was strained by startup loads on the big items. No problems since the change over.:icon_thum

Best of luck,
Ray

 

[Mt. Gomer]

I'd put in a MINIMUM of a 100 amp panel! You won't regret it.
:wsmile:

I disagree. 60A should be plenty, especially if you can convert some of the bigger tools (TS, DC, etc) to 240. In a shop that size you're not going to have more than one big tool and the DC running at a time and none of those are likely to pull more than 20A (probably considerably less unless they're MONSTER tools). I'd probably start with a 15A circuit for the lights, a 20A for the outlets and a 20A@240 for the big tools (if they're convertable). I'd put the DC on it's own circuit as it will always be running with another tool. If you use half-height breakers that would still leave you plenty of room for expansion later, even in a small box.

Caveat: I'm not an electrician.

Travis

 

[max_in_graham]

Gents,

Thanks for all the comments thus far! Keep em' coming!!!!

The studio has 400 Amp service on 600 Amp feeder. (We derated the wire for noise, line drop and power reflections.) I can pull up to 200 Amp @ 240 to the shop, but the wallet's hurtin' pretty bad right now. It's about 250 feet from the disconnect to the shop, so no matter what I do, it's gonna hurt to pull that much wire.

My electrician hasn't gotten back to me with a quote yet... so, we'll see. The panel is a 200 Amp 24 circuit panel, so I'm not too worried about using half height breakers.

As far as I know, none of my tools are convertible to 240. Maybe they are and I just don't know it...

I really don't see operating any more than maybe two tools at a time in the shop... like a table saw and a sander... and that's if there's two of us in the shop. (Likely, someone would have to step outside to change their mind.)

But a battery charging station, a coupla' lights, DC and table saw probably won't pull much more than about 40 amps, but I'll know for sure on the service oncethe electrician gets back to me with a quote on wire prices.

I'll talk to TheBoss (aka LOML) about doing something about adding to the building or another small shed arrangement for the extra lumber... although, I'm not willing to hold my breath on that. :eusa_naug
Maybe I can stack it all in the basement as a means to impress upon her that I need the storage space... I mean... what they... I'm feelin' brave! :eusa_pray

 

[Mike Davis]

I worked on the kitchen table and stored tools in the hall closet until I got my shop. :dontknow:

 

[max_in_graham]

I worked on the kitchen table and stored tools in the hall closet until I got my shop. :dontknow:

I hear ya!

When I first started makin' sawdust, I had about a 10x10 space in the basement. Then I used to have a 20x30 shop at the old house, and the studio was a nice spacious 30x56... until I filled it with walls and gear... so, right now, I'm kinda' feeling like I'm in a closet and that kitchen table's in there with me!

 

[crokett]

For a one man shop, 60A is plenty unless you are planning to have electric heat and/or have another large draw such as an RV. The difference between 60 and 100A can be significant for cost depending on the length of the wire being run.

 

[max_in_graham]

I've only toyed with the idea of heat or AC in the shop. While it'd be nice, I'm gonna have a heck of a hard time justifying the insulation, gypsum, and loss of interior wall cavity space in that small of a shop... at this point.

So, I'll probably just have to wait and see what the numbers are for the wire first... then too, it may be that #1 AU feeder is cheaper than #4 copper strand... If they're close, I'll definitely consider 100Amp.

 

[decibel]

I have a shop not much larger than yours at 12X24. I have the barn style roof so it pretty high i the center (14 feet or so). I insulated and added heating and cooling this year and it's not bad. I'm running on 60 amp service and haven't had any issues. In the winter I run a 220V heater that pulls around 23 amps. + dust collector still wired at 110 + my 3h Jointer/Planer and had the table saw on as well. I usually don't have the table saw going at the same time with the others but I usually will have either heat or AC + dust collector plus lights an one major tool going.

Anyone who's seen my shop can contest to me having more machines than space but mobiles bases are a definte must for me and using a staged approach. For instance I have the milling stage where I pull the jointer from against the wall and maybe open the back doors so I can run long stock. Then I'll push the jointer back and will bring out the bandsaw and give myself more room for the table saw. etc. That's what helps me but I'm no means an expert on efficient small shops unless you like bumping into stuff.

I store most of my lumber stored in an overhead loft. It's a pain sometimes but it was the best choice I had to try to use some of the extra height I have.

 

[owen299]

I aslo have to work in limeted space and everything is mobile. Another thought is to build a flip over stand for the planer and the joiner . It kills two bird with one stone . There are several threads here somewhere with photos. I think Bas has some pics somewhere.

 

[Dragon]

Itty Bitty Shop huh? Try working on an 8X10 porch for an itty bitty shop.:swoon: Hey, it's working for me right now but I will be getting something larger in the not-too-distant future I hope.

 

[max_in_graham]

OK... a LITTLE progress... (very little)...

I've gotten LOML approval to store the really big lumber and all the sheetgoods in the basement... and all the walnut, oak and maple in the shop... WHEW! (Now I have enough room to get outside to change my mind!)

Table saw and joiner are back on their mobile bases... I'm going to try to dig the workbench out of storage this weekend and take the top off of it and maybe get started on making it small enough to fit against the one long wall.

I'm gonna hate dismantling the end vise... but I really can't justify a 48" wide end vise.... So, anyone wanna offer up any suggestions for a good width on a general workbench? I wa kina' thunkin' about making the bench 28" wide. That way, I can work on things that are 24" wide without em' falling off on one side...

 

[Tar Heel]

Hey, Max. congrats on finishing the studio. :thumbs_up:thumbs_up When are you going to give me a tour. It sounds as if you've done quite a bit since I last saw it.

 

[LeftyTom]

My real problem is what to do with wood storage. I've got a pretty big stack of lumber, and LOML would sure like to get it out of the basement so she can start to clean up and decorate. Any ideas or thoughts?:help:

Tell ya what, Max, I can free up some space in your basement, and you wou't even have to pay me for taking what wood I can haul. :mrgreen:

No need to thank me. Hey, what are friends for? :saw: