Layout ideas

[Stiebs]

Hi all,
My workshop has been giving me grief. Or to be more exact all the ideas and alternatives going around my head are giving me grief. Maybe someone can offer some wise advice! The link below is the layout as it currently stands.

The room is 2.8m (north-south, the wall with the hinged door) by 3.3m (east-west, the brick wall)

The southern end (bottom of the picture) is a brick wall with a 1500mm opening to the garage. The hinged door is to back driveway. Brown walls are brick, rest of the walls are 12mm cement sheet on 450mm spaced studs. 2x double GPOs behind "Shelves 1", 2x double GPOs on northern wall to left of bench grinder, 2x double GPOs behind "Drawers", double GPO behind "Tool Chest". All GPOs at 1100mm height.

Main drawback is that this room is a thoroughfare from the laundry to the clothesline :(

The ceilings are 3m, and along the north and south walls I have hanging storage. Not easily accessible without a ladder, but good for seldom used junk.

The workbench is a steel framed job with a 1" thick MDF top. There's 20mm deep shelves on the back of the work bench which is home to screws, nails and other assorted hardware. This works well for me, except when the bench is cluttered with work and I have to reach over it.

I've got a bench standing drill press sitting on "Shelves 2". The shelves stand 900mm high, and are home to my hand power tools that have carry cases. The "Drawers".

Garden tools are in the brick corner (I was going to mount some hanging fixtures for them. There not room outside for a shed, but I might knock together a small storage cupboard down the side of the house instead).

What I want to try and end up with is a shop where I've got space to use a saw and router table without having to set up on the back lawn!

If I shift the Tool Chest to where the shelves are, and move the garden tools outside, that should give me space for a router table and a saw table, but having them stuck in the corner is less than ideal (saw table more so than router table).

Is it worth considering a large bench are in the center of the room to accommodate router and saw table as well as general work bench, and have narrow shelves around the walls? Or will that restrict the thoroughfare too much?

What would you suggest?

http://www.froop.net/forumlinks/woodwork/workshop.jpg

Thanks,
Mark.

[Sawdust Maker]

I'm a big fan of having stuff on wheels
move it to where you need it, use it then push back to the wall, easy

In this months Australian Woodsmith there are a few plans for fold down router table and the like - could be worth having a look at
here's the link (http://www.australianwoodsmith.com.au/current_issue.php) to their current issue - there's a small piccy of the idea in the bottom right corner

[conwood]

I'm a big fan of having stuff on wheels
move it to where you need it, use it then push back to the wall, easy

In this months Australian Woodsmith there are a few plans for fold down router table and the like - could be worth having a look at
here's the link (http://www.australianwoodsmith.com.au/current_issue.php) to their current issue - there's a small piccy of the idea in the bottom right corner

wot Nick said..wheels

[opelblues]

because i have a very small area to work in i use the keep simple idea, but after my daughter pointed it out, i relised the lay out of the work area was the same as the kitchen, in the triangle work bench/tool cabinet - drill press - sawbench / offcuts / timber stock

[Stiebs]

I'm a big fan of having stuff on wheels
move it to where you need it, use it then push back to the wall, easy

In this months Australian Woodsmith there are a few plans for fold down router table and the like - could be worth having a look at
here's the link (http://www.australianwoodsmith.com.au/current_issue.php) to their current issue - there's a small piccy of the idea in the bottom right corner

Never really thought about putting the likes of a table saw or router table on wheels. Gives me something to think about. Thanks.

[cookie48]

To give a solid base on your mobile thingy's, I make mine without wheels but use a hand trolly to shift them around. That makes them more stable and easy to move allso. ( just my of doing it)

[anglesmith]

I have my grinders etc mounted on large truck brake drums. They are solid and safe but "can" be moved if you are reconfigering the shop! Few home shops can be configured from the start even with careful planning, as some of our acquisitions are stiill in the pipe dream department!!
Graeme