Shop Layout Help


thrax

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Getting ready to frame out my basement shop area and run electricity. I assume the shop will kind of evolve over time, but looking for suggestions on a good starting point to setting up a layout to help with placement of electrical, etc.

The attached image shows the area I am working with. There is a single support post on the right side and also a door in the lower left that is missing from the image. My initial plan was to put cabinets, a miter saw station and a router table along the long left wall. Beyond that not really sure what is the best way to set things up. I have a table saw, jointer, lunch box planer, workbench and a laguna p flux dust collector to arrange. In the future will likely be adding a band saw and a drill press. In addition, I would also like to setup a small(~3-4ft) desk for my 3D printer somewhere.

Any thoughts, tip or recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

basement.jpg

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When it comes to your outlets put in way more then you think you need.  You can chew through a lot of outlets with things you don't think about initially.  Battery chargers, radios or other sound systems and maybe a TV.  The occasional corded hand tool and down the road multiple shop vacs.  Also place them high on the wall, my outlets in the house are about 42 inches from the floor to the bottom of the outlet, in the shop they are 48.  You don't want them behind tools if you can help it.  A couple of outlets in the ceiling can be nice for things like a extension cord reel.  Also if you plan on having tools in the middle of the floor having a drop from the ceiling is nicer then a cord running across the floor.

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I haven't learned how to use Sketchup yet, but I'd like to make a shop layout in there. Grizzly's website is good or Wood Magazine had one you could cut out the tools and arrange on paper.

Make sure you run some different circuits while you can. A separate one for the dust collector is a good idea. I would consider sticking the dust collector in a closet around that support post to make it quieter.

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2 hours ago, curlyoak said:

What do the doors open to? Which doors will receive materials? What is your work about? what will you build? Will materials be stored in this space?

The double doors are the entry point into the shop, the single door is to a large utility closet. So far I have mainly been building small furniture and other various small woodworking projects. At least some, if not all materials will get stored down there.

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If the weather is not severe I have the outfeed of my thickness planer going outside. That is a space saver. I like my jointer and table saw near each other. I would put a radial or mitre saw on the 26' wall near the door. And have lumber on the 26 wall. 

On your drawing make separate paper tools to scale of your drawing. Play with the possibilities.

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My shop is 17x30.  I put my miter saw, and router table on one wall with shelves as support.   This takes up 21' of space.  The remaining space is used for my DC and oscillating sander.  On the opposite wall I have my planer, jointer and bandsaw, these are on mobile bases.   A lower shelf unit finishing out the space.   My table saw, outfeed table and work bench are in the center, and are the only tools that are not mobile.  My lathe and drum sander are on one end and desk and drill press on the other.  I have a separate space for wood storage.  I used the wall space behind the miter saw/router table for hand tool storage.  This gives me enough space to maneuver wood through the shop, although it can be tight.  The wall space behind the miter saw/router is used for clamps/hand tool storage.  Because floor space is limited I installed a central vacuum system that handles shop cleanup, sanding, and dc for the miter saw and router table.    The DC is ducted to the table saw, and other large tools.   For me the shop is functional, and I am happy with the layout.  The only thing I would change, is the shelf unit under the miter saw router table.  I should have made that a cabinet unit, which would make cleaning a lot easier.

tablesaw.JPG.bf5f37d9805a53e16ae5ca7caedc2b10.JPG

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dorrway.JPG.7fe87b9898a0dda9b42c9a5fa189c377.JPG

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I would put the miter saw station on the right starting from the double doors and going back. You could do 8' on each side of the saw.  In the cabinets below you could have storage and the place for your 3D printer.  At the end of the station you could fit you DC.  Then you could arrange the main power tools in the middle.  On the left you could put bench and other tools like bandsaw.  Keep planer on mobile base.  

If the utility closet is big enough you could put the DC in there.  

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I agree with the above electrical wisdom, although it is possible to run a cord from a wall outlet across the ceiling to a piece of equipment in the middle of the room.  Make sure lighting has it's own circuit.   You can't have too many 240V circuits, but they can be in the wrong places.  Be sure your circuit box has room to grow. 

Oh, yeah, you need a lathe :rolleyes:.

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On 12/23/2019 at 2:12 PM, curlyoak said:

On your drawing make separate paper tools to scale of your drawing. Play with the possibilities.

I used graph paper and measured my tools for floor space. It’s so easy to rearrange the pieces on paper before moving heavy tools around. My shop is in an oversized garage about 13x24 so space is premium for me what with my obsession for gathering tools :) 

19 hours ago, Mark J said:

Oh, yeah, you need a lathe :rolleyes:.

Oh you’re bad!!!! Lol

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+1 to @BillyJack's conduit suggestion. PVC conduit isn't very costly (if allowed in your area). Use 1" or larger, and use the deepest 4 gang receptacle boxes you can find. That will make adding or changing circuits later a breeze. Be sure to check with your local code authority about proper termination of stranded wire, though. Most receptacles and light switches are designed for solid wire connections, so a crimp-on ferrule, fork, or ring may be necessary for stranded.

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I remeasured some things and messed around with grizzly's tool for a while and came up with 2 mostly similar designs. Only difference is positioning of Dust collector, work bench and 3d printer station get swapped around. Planer, drill press, band saw and possible jointer would all be on mobile bases. The objects behind the right entrance door wouldn't be there, after the drill press the wall ends and opens into another space. Any thoughts?

 

workshop1.jpg

workshop2.jpg

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  • 3 weeks later...
7 hours ago, elrodk said:

Is there any chance you can put the dust collector in the utility closet? This would free up some floor space and help with noise. 

He may have to box it in. Mine hums when it's on and is irritating. Mine doesn't come on unless it's the planer or the sander....

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On 1/19/2020 at 12:41 PM, elrodk said:

Is there any chance you can put the dust collector in the utility closet? This would free up some floor space and help with noise. 

No room in the utility closet unfortunately. For now it is going to have to take up space in the shop. Might be able to eventually move it on the other side of the 22' wall, but have to wait and see on that one.

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12 hours ago, thrax said:

No room in the utility closet unfortunately. For now it is going to have to take up space in the shop. Might be able to eventually move it on the other side of the 22' wall, but have to wait and see on that one.

I plan on hanging mine from the ceiling at some point in the reasonably near future.

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