Help with down sizing

[arkwood]

Guys and Gals , need opinions. I know I have what many would love to have. When I built my shop, I did a lot of research and polling on wood forums. I ended up building a 30 x 40 workshop. In my current opinion shops can be too large. I believe I could have cut the size by 1/3. Has been easy to pile up things in what I call the extra room and take a long time getting it clean again. I will admit I am a procrastinator when it comes to cleaning although of late I have been doing a lot better.

Well, I will get to my question. I am now 63 and on disability. I am finaly realizing I can not do what I once did. Frustrating.

We live on six acres which I can no longer take care of. Have a buyer interested who wants everything, including my large shop. I will be moving in to a smaller house, we can affored to heat and cool. I will have enough room to build a small shop.

I have even considered and talked to wife about taking half the garage, small I know. If I do I am first questioning my saw options. I now have a 3hp Grizzly, love it.

Would you put it on casters and keep it, go to maybe a festool, or even go for a good saw such as Milwaukee 6390-21 and make my own straight edge. Keeping room in mind this is my big decision. Need some opinions; I know they will be considered as such, but valuable just the same. Thanks fellow woodworkers. Oh, I have several sets of plywood size dado bits I caught on sale way back and bought about 5, if this affects your opinion . Jerry

[tim0625]

Arkwood, it's interesting...hundreds of views but no responses. We are all getting older and a post like yours reminds us that we're all facing different changes as we age. Personally, I think if you've used the TS all these years, you're accustomed to that system and switching now is something you could do but I don't think you'd be satisfied. A TS without the long rails is a small footprint in a shop and on castors, it can be rolled out of the way or in the driveway to rip a longer piece. I'm 52 and FIRST OF ALL....WHEN IN THE WORLD DID THAT HAPPEN?????? and while I'm still in pretty good shape, I don't throw around a piece of 3/4 ply like I used to. We have to continue adapt as we always have but with smaller areas, your shop challenges are now mobility and organization. Castors for most larger things like your TS. Some here do not have table saws and use alternatives, but I'd be lost without mine. No more 4x8 assembly tables (plural) - one table 4x4 to serve as outfeed/assembly/add a leg vise/drill 1/4" holes in the top and build a box on the bottom to make it also a downdraft sanding table-an all in one and with castors. Think footprint and build as much into the square foot as possible. Organization is also a key. You won't have the areas any more to have a pile here and a pile there and 'the tool I need is somewhere in one of these piles' and the oddball screws or piece of hardware I may one day need.....trash it and clear your space AND your mind. You'll have to think more critically...Kind of like the large store, each sq ft has to produce and earn its keep. Good side is you can't keep a bunch of junk so your space will be smaller and easier to keep organized and probably possibly more enjoyable and peaceful. 6 acres is nice....30x40 is great....but there are a lot of people in these forums who do some amazing things in a basement or a garage they share with a car. Financially it will be better for you and hey....not as much grass to cut! We moved from the country to the city - from 2 acres of grass to a front yard I mow with a push mower in 15 minutes. I miss the country but there are advantages to smaller too. I work in a 2 car garage that's all shop and I face the same challenges I've talked about. Hear this....I'm learning.....learning what I've said above. Some guys here are wired tight and if a chisel is left out on the table, they say "MY SHOP IS A MESS!!!" Not my personality but I to continue a quest for balance in life - organization...progress, but with peace. I don't want to sound like some Zen Master or goofy touchy-feely guy but in life, balance is important. I've been the top in sales and never saw my young children. I've built boats and realized at the completion I'd lost touch with everything and everyone important during the process. So now, woodworking and my shop is the 'reset place'...my escape from crazy. This afternoon, I'll fill my large glass with 'ice tea', put something on the grill, pray some, turn on the NASCAR race and work....or tinker...or just sit....and when I get to the end of life and I've produced 2 pieces or 2000 it's ok....it isn't all about the visible work because there are things being produced on the inside as well as the outside. I wish you health. I wish you wisdom as you navigate through this.

Tim

[fransikaner]

Thanks for the perspectives, Tim. Too many of us live in the now without taking stock of what is really of value in life. There is something to be said for a balanced, harmonious essence.

Jerry, there are numerous articles on optimizing one man operations. Take a little quality time and see if you need to rethink how you approach your woodworking. You might find, as you suspect, that less space can be more with mutually-supporting functions. Best of luck to you and the Mrs as you take that next step. We will all be facing similar challenges in the future.

[wm_crash]

Arkwood, it's interesting...hundreds of views but no responses.

Because people came in here looking for something like "I'm downsizing, free tools for everyone"

cheers,

wm_crash, the friendly hooligan

[Fah-Fah-Fooey]

I think the best thing you can do is go through your shop and be very critical and honest with yourself about which tools you use and how much you use them, sort them into four categories, never use, occasionally use, frequently use, and can't live without. I would also make a list of the types of projects and things you would like to build as this will effect what tools you will need to keep. Now once you have an idea of what you'll be keeping take a sheet of paper, preferably graph as it is easier to scale, and draw out the floor space of your new "shop" then take a second paper and cut out the shapes of everything you want in there to scale. Now you'll be able to move things around and get a better idea of how everything will fit together. If you find your going to be to crowded in your new shop them you can consider building shelving for the garage, a lot of shelving : ) and consider combining things, like a router in the wing of the table saw. Anyway hope this was helpful : )

[Jfitz]

Jerry - I think keeping the TS is a good idea, at least until you are sure you never use it. Getting a track saw system is also a good idea, as you will find that breaking down sheet goods in a small shop is no one's idea of fun. Plywood bits are great except that they seem to always be working to make ply even MORE undersized (or maybe it's just very inconsistent). They are good to have but I think a good dado jig is better for accuracy.

If the half garage (I assume you mean 1 bay of a 2 bay garage?) is dedicated space, you could always leave the TS and out feed support in place, but make everything else mobile. If it's possible also take over the other half during shop time, then set up the TS to make the most of the entire garage (assume the wife's car will not be there when using your TS).

I think with a smaller shop, with stuff on wheels for mobility, you will find that having an an efficient workflow in your larger shop, will give way to a need for efficient setup and takedown, as well as efficient organization, in a smaller one.

[rmac]

draw out the floor space of your new "shop" then take a second paper and cut out the shapes of everything you want in there to scale. Now you'll be able to move things around and get a better idea of how everything will fit together

If you do this, don't forget to include space around each tool for the material you'll be working on. For example, to rip an 8' board using a TS, you need a 16' long clear area for the board to pass through during the cut. Etc. I went through a number of false starts on the layout of my own shop before I got this right.

-- Russ

[Beechwood Chip]

A lot of good ideas here. Another thing you might try: rent a spot in a storage facility to store the tools that you decide not to move to your new shop. The storage facilities I've seen are about the size of a one car garage. That way, you don't have to "guess right" the first time. You can work in your shop, and if you discover that you'd rather have X than Y, you can swap. When you are satisfied, sell off the tools and stop renting the storage room.

I've used these storage facilities during housing transitions, and a couple of my friends have as well. They can be a very useful way to add some flexibility to the whole moving process.

[wilburpan]

My shop is 10' x 20', not quite as big as 1/2 of a garage. I have a bandsaw, no table saw, and do a lot of hand tool work. I also have a Festool track saw for the times that I want/need to cut plywood, and have gotten along really well with this set of tools.

I guess I would ask myself, "Why do I love my table saw?" If it's because you made a lot of great projects with it, and plan to use it for another kitchen cabinet installation, then that would be a reason for keeping it. If it's because you made a lot of great projects with it, but you are going to be getting into making windsor armchairs once you finish setting up your new shop, then maybe it's not such a great thing to keep around.

Many woodworkers say that the table saw is the heart of the workshop. There are many other woodworkers that feel otherwise, and it always seems to come down to what kind of projects you are going to make. If you need to make a lot of rectangular boxes or work with plywood, a table saw is really good to have. If you want to work with solid wood or have curves in your projects, a bandsaw becomes a really nice option.