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  1. #1
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    Default Home workshop layout

    My home workshop (10.5m by 4.5m) is currently dedicated to carpentry but I'm thinking of expanding into some light metal work. That got me thinking about a new workshop layout - ie putting down some sheet steel on a part of the benchtop for a welding surface, installing an engineers vice etc. Maybe a welding curtain. Even a lathe later on.

    Then I thought to myself that if the metalwork forum is anything like the woodwork forum, there'll be at least 100 threads featuring dozens of images of beautiful workspace setups. There'll be closeups of benches made of exotic timber, put together with fiddly joints, with dog holes placed with mm precision at scientifically calculated spacings, and home made vices carved with the most delicate Japanese craft tools.

    But no, nothing.

    Or am I looking in the wrong place?

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  3. #2
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    You don't want welding or grinding near flammables (wood) or near precision machinery.
    You don't want wood dust on precision machinery either. You need some good partitioning.
    Beyond that, whatever works.

  4. #3
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    I have seen very few metal working sheds that are as pristine as some of the woodworking sheds I have seen around the place.
    This is probably because metal work is often combined with mechanical work both of which tend to be much grubbier than wood working.
    This does not exclude the possibility of running a clean metal working setup but it just doesn't seem to happen that often.

    In terms of putting some sheet metal over a wooden bench top to act as a welding table I would definitely not recommend this. There is a chance that heat will start the bench top smouldering underneath and that it will catch fire after you have left the shed. It's far better to make a totally metal top for a bench that you will weld on.

    My shed is about 45 m2 and was specifically built/modified to be about half metal work and half wood work.
    A full blow by blow is here. https://www.woodworkforums.com/f245/bobls-shed-fit-134670
    This should give you some ideas for how to safely combine these two activities.

  5. #4
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    Hi,

    My workshop is also my garage, storage area, misc area and whatever goes area - even slept in there once. Constantly defending the area from other family members incursions into my man space. Generally my work bench gets full of other people's stuff. So, no photo's.

    Ben

  6. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by BobL View Post
    In terms of putting some sheet metal over a wooden bench top to act as a welding table I would definitely not recommend this. There is a chance that heat will start the bench top smouldering underneath and that it will catch fire after you have left the shed. It's far better to make a totally metal top for a bench that you will weld on.
    I wouldn't have thought of that. Thanks for helping me not burn down the house.

    I'm thinking of shortening my 6m carpentry bench (most of which is used for stacking crap) down to 4m. In the recovered space I'll build a separate and dedicated steel table - it'll be a great project on which to practice welding.

    What do you think about installing a steel floor area (for heavier pieces)?

  7. #6
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    Whatever you do, plan on keeping metal and wood totally isolated. There are a lot of reasons for this, including:

    Grinding, linishing, cutting and welding sparks can start fires in wood or other dust, shavings etc, even at the other end of the shed to where the sparks are generated. I know one car guy who lost two sheds, two vintage road cars, a vintage race car, and extensive tools and machinery including lathes and mills because sparks from a small angle grinding job ignited dust on shelves behind where he was working on a car. Joys of pre WW2 cars with timber frames under the body skins, his resto shed had shavings from the body reframe he was working on. He was lucky to escape with scalp and hand burns, but lost two sheds, over $150K worth of cars, and almost lost his house as well.

    Even if they don't start fires like the one mentioned above, any spark residue landing on woodworking benches, tablesaws, router tables etc may partially embed in the surface and will damage boards etc worked on those surfaces, meaning extra work to finish projects properly.
    I used to be an engineer, I'm not an engineer any more, but on the really good days I can remember when I was.

  8. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by malb View Post
    Whatever you do, plan on keeping metal and wood totally isolated. There are a lot of reasons for this, including:
    Grinding, linishing, cutting and welding sparks can start fires in wood or other dust, shavings etc, even at the other end of the shed to where the sparks are generated. . . . . .
    This is why good dust extraction is a must in this situation. If the dust is captured at source then it is not laying around and available to catch fire.

    Conversely the grey goo residue that come from welding and grinding is not nice depositing itself all over WW machinery, so a fume hood of some kind to weld and grind under will help in that regard.

    Quote Originally Posted by Stephen H View Post
    I'm thinking of shortening my 6m carpentry bench (most of which is used for stacking crap) down to 4m. In the recovered space I'll build a separate and dedicated steel table - it'll be a great project on which to practice welding.
    You will need some sort of a screen to stop the sparks jumping over to the other bench.

    What do you think about installing a steel floor area (for heavier pieces)?
    What have you got there at the moment?

  9. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by malb View Post
    Grinding, linishing, cutting and welding sparks can start fires in wood or other dust, shavings etc, even at the other end of the shed to where the sparks are generated. ....

    Even if they don't start fires like the one mentioned above, any spark residue landing on woodworking benches, tablesaws, router tables etc may partially embed in the surface and will damage boards etc worked on those surfaces, meaning extra work to finish projects properly.
    I'm beginning to have second thoughts. I don't tend to maintain a clean workspace - I'm the kind of guy who does a spring clean.

  10. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by BobL View Post
    What have you got there at the moment?
    just a bare concrete slab. Though I'm playing with the idea of putting down some rubber matting to stop my back getting too sore.

  11. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Stephen H View Post
    I'm beginning to have second thoughts. I don't tend to maintain a clean workspace - I'm the kind of guy who does a spring clean.
    I was the same till I got decent dust extraction and now that sort of takes care of most of the problem but I wouldn't let that put you off.

    For years I did a lot of welding in a 5.3 x 3.5m shed that was full of crap and dust.
    I set up a spark shield made of old lino and angle iron that surrounded a small bench welded up from a bed frame with a 3 mm steel plate top on it.

    Two things I made sure I had on hand was a fire extinguished and a big bucket of water.

    Also when welding, hang around for 1/2 an hour after welding to make sure a stray spark hasn't started something somewhere.

    In 35 years the two fires I caused directly in my shed were done with angle grinders, one I set fire to my shirt armpit - ouch, and the other I set a buffing wheel on fire.

    The other fire in my old shed was cause by sawdust getting into a powerpoint under a window frame, ants setting up a nest in there ,and water from driving rain coming in under the window and into the power point.
    The combo of all three started a fire. Fortunately it also tripped the house RCD and on investigation I found smoke coming out of the shed. Fortunately the damage was restricted to one melted GPO.

    Quote Originally Posted by Stephen H View Post
    just a bare concrete slab. Though I'm playing with the idea of putting down some rubber matting to stop my back getting too sore.
    I'd leave it bare.

  12. #11
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    Hi Stephen,
    There is this thread https://www.woodworkforums.com/showth...alworking+shed

    I have a split workshop, it tends to either be in metalworking mode or woodworking mode. For ww all the metal machines get covered with old sheets. For metal my saw general gets a big sheet of cardboard over it but thats about it. I do not use an angle grinder inside, ever. I do have my bench grinders and linisher inside but these will go out once i have built a small extension on the back of the shed. I do weld inside, the only think i have set fire to is an old rag that was on the floor. If there is a lot of welding to do though i normally go into the driveway and set up on a pair of saw horses. Even with extraction fans the smoke hangs around for ages inside.

    Cheers,
    Ew
    1915 17"x50" LeBlond heavy duty Lathe, 24" Queen city shaper, 1970's G Vernier FV.3.TO Universal Mill, 1958 Blohm HFS 6 surface grinder, 1942 Rivett 715 Lathe, 14"x40" Antrac Lathe, Startrite H225 Bandsaw, 1949 Hercus Camelback Drill press, 1947 Holbrook C10 Lathe.

  13. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ueee View Post
    I do not use an angle grinder inside, ever. If there is a lot of welding to do though i normally go into the driveway and set up on a pair of saw horses. Even with extraction fans the smoke hangs around for ages inside.

    Cheers,
    Ew

    Couldn't agree more with your work method. Only thing I would add is with welding outside you have to be aware where the kids and pets are.
    Cheers,
    Rod

  14. #13
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    I just had a 15 x 6 shed approved for building and am going through the same process. I am laying out my floorplan according to the process that will carried out .
    There is welding fabricating ,woodworking, lathe and mill metalworking and an area for paint.

    Over the years I have pretty much set up tables and some machines where ever practicable, with castors so that the equipment being used at the time can be wheeled away and set up remotely from the equipment that can't be moved.

    So far I have non mobile machinery layed out on a graph so it can positioned for best use.
    Other placement issues are benches and storage cupboards and lockers. All pieces of equipment have been measured for the size of the bases which are then scaled on the graph so I know how much room they may take up in advance.

    Stock storage is some thing will have to give thought to as well.


    With reference to the fire story the shed I will have fire extinguishers and fire blankets mounted at the doorways.

    My suggestion would for you to write down workshop activities that may occur in your shed and sort your areas up into machines ,tools ,storage and working areas. That will then give you an idea where your GPOs and lights will be needed.

    Grahame

  15. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by Grahame Collins View Post
    So far I have non mobile machinery layed out on a graph so it can positioned for best use.
    Sounds familiar.....since i am running out of space i cut out scale figures of all my machines and drew out a scale workshop. I think i can make my work space far more efficient, but of course it won't be the same in practice as it is on the paper.

    Ew
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    1915 17"x50" LeBlond heavy duty Lathe, 24" Queen city shaper, 1970's G Vernier FV.3.TO Universal Mill, 1958 Blohm HFS 6 surface grinder, 1942 Rivett 715 Lathe, 14"x40" Antrac Lathe, Startrite H225 Bandsaw, 1949 Hercus Camelback Drill press, 1947 Holbrook C10 Lathe.

  16. #15
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    http://www.grizzly.com/workshopplanner

    any one tried it....wonder if can get me some more room..somehow lol.

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