New workshop...thoughts?

[elliottcal]

Hi all,

So been on a bit of a spending spree recently, equipping my new (and first) workshop after a few years of using other peoples equipment in my classes. Although too late to take any of it back, thought I'd share and welcome any comments.

Thicknesser - Hafco T-380A (YOM 2000) - $650. Unlike some Hafco machinery I've seen, this is solid and weighs an absolute tonne. Some surface rust, but nothing too bad that hasn't cleaned-up. Might swap-out with helix blades in the future.

Table Saw - Hafco ST-12 (YOM 2000) - $400. Again pretty solid, but thinking of replacing the fence with something decent and (somehow!) trying to retrofit a riving knife.

Dust collector - Hafco DC-3 (YOM 2007) - $280. Probably overpaid for this but does come with additional filter, ports and hose. Thinking of adding a cyclone to change to a 2-stage collector, but without the $$$ price.

Drill press - Hafco SPD-25A (YOM 2006) - $200. Straightforward drill press in good-nick.

Bandsaw - Hafco MJ3435 14" (YOM 2007) - $500. Hardly been used.

Jointer - Carbatec CTJ-350 (YOM 2009) - $800. Immaculate condition. Again might add helix blades in the future.

All up a few dollars change from 3k.

So apart from being sponsored by Hafco, I'm happy with my collection which joins my Lie Neilson hand tools and can't wait to finish the workshop to start using them....hmm should have finished the workshop first probably! Any comments/insights welcome.

[Pat]

Elliot, how big is the shed?

The machinery sounds ok, there are little tweaks to improve the performance of them. Fitting Powertwist belts to the Thicky, Saw, DP and Jointer to improve the transmission of power from motor to spindle. As you mentioned, Helix for the 2 surface machines or at least a spare set of knives and a magnetic blade setting jig. Magswitch featherboards (http://www.cws.au.com/shop/category/-magswitch)for the Saw and Bandy. DP extension table - could be shop made, mine is and has been for 10 years . . . a flat bit of 3/4" ply.

With the shed, will you be lining it? Insulation? Flooring?

Have you considered a separate small shed for the dusty and porting thru, make a world of difference in noise and air quality in the main shed.

How many power circuits? I have 2 10amp (2xQuad and 4xDouble gpo's), 1 15 amp (Double gpo) , 1 20amp (Double gpo) and lights.

[elliottcal]

Hi Pat,

The workshop is under the house and when extended from it's current size, will be 42m2. Will check out the tweaks you mention, thanks!

In terms insulation, etc will be using some form of sound insulation in the ceiling above and the floor will be a concrete pad which I'll probably epoxy. The rest of the walls are just single brick and it doesn't get cold enough down there to warrant adding insulation to those.

For power I'm getting my electrician to run 2 dedicated circuits, 1x20amp and 1x15amp. Thinking about it I will probably also get him to run another one for GPOs. In terms of lights, will just extend the existing circuit and add plenty more....rating permitting.

In terms of the tools, wasn't to sure about getting the hafco ones, but I've gone for the more solid feeling kit which I'm sure will last another 10 years if I look after it. Budget permitting I will also look to upgrade over-time.

Callum

[Trav]

Callum

Sounds like you got a good collection there. You can never have too many lights, but I like task specific light too. I've bought a few of the led lights with the long flexible neck to use with home tools. Means that you can reposition the lit easily to ensure you don't have shadows etc. they are pretty cheap too - i bought a handful from Aldi for 5 bucks each or something.

I terms of the splitters, have a look at this Micro Jig | MJ Splitter™ System (http://www.microjig.com/products/mj-splitter/index.shtml). I've never used them myself, but they look like a pretty nifty way to add a riving knife to a table saw.

Trav

[GraemeCook]

Good Morning Callum

As a "starter" kit, I am envious. Wish I had that forty years ago! Perhaps the most useful comments I can make are about your workshop - I made lots of mistakes with mine. My shop is 15 x 25 feet, about 35 m2, and I thought it was extremely large - its now cluttered! Yours is only a little larger.

FLOOR. I thought/assumed that my concrete floor was flat and level. It has 40mm waves, and slopes about 20 mm. Now fixing the floor is a very major job as I have to move everything out and store it while I fix that floor. Spend a lot of time ensuring the floor is level, flat and smooth. All setups start with the floor.

PLANNING. My shop just evolved - dumb. Everything should have its place. Some machines need feed in and feed out space, others need work around space, and so on..... Now I plan everything in 3D using google Sketchup (a free download) - if I cannot draw it, I cannot make it! My work went up a big step when I realized this.

WORKBENCH. Possibly the most important tool. For years I used a solid flush door on a pair of sawhorses and a couple of zyliss vices. Still planning my ideal bench. But benches need space and working room.

LIGHTING. Look at any commercial place and you wil see lots more lights than in domestic situations - commonly 1200 mm fluoro tubes. Lesson here. Recycled fluoros are only about $5each, and are not that much less efficient than "skinny" fluoros.

PEG BOARDS. Hate shadow boards and are starting to dislike pegboards even tho I have had them for tool storage for 20+ years. Every new tool requires the board to be replannned, reorganized and even reprinted (shadow boards). Two years ago I built a 16 drawer storage cabinet. Drawwers are much better than cupboards.

STORAGE. Twenty years ago I Bought 3 cubic meters of celery top pine and carefully stickered it in my shed - still have about a m3 left and it takes up a lot of floor space and access is diffficult. Proper racks are still in the future. Sheet material is even more difficult to store flat. A friend whose shop is also under his house has timber racks going into the crawl space - 1m head room is adequate for timber racks!

ELECTRICITY. Wish I Had more power points. Would like a double GPO every 2m along every wall. A friend, a chalkie, has a couple of GPO's hanging from his ceiling about 2.1m above floor - very useful. Also future proof - is there significant cost to installing 2x40 amp circuits or larger now. What about 3-phase??

COLOUR. My shed has brick walls painted primer pink plus one wall and ceiling polyurethaned pine. These surfaces absorb light. White paint will happen as I get access to each wall (now a major task).

I you only make half the mistakes that I made then ............


Fair Winds

Graeme

[BobL]

That's a nice set of gear you have there! :2tsup:

You mention the workshop is under the house, what natural ventilation possibilities do you have? If you can set up cross ventilation that would be ideal to do now before you get fully setup.

My shed is a very similar size to yours and I have 2 doors and 2 windows but even so, for that size of shed a 3HP miminum DC would have been better as this enables locating the DC outside the shed and running 6" ducting around the shed - this will not be as effective with a 2HP DC. I would also not recommend putting a cyclone or chip collector on a 2HP DC as this will slow down the flow too much. The minimum HP motor to run any effective cyclone (one that grabs fine dust and separates large and small dust with minimal restriction) would be something like 4HP.

Re power.
I agree with GraemeC
I have 17 different locations with GPOs, connected to 2 breaker boxes with a total of 6 breakers, 3 x 15, A 2 x10A and a lighting circuit and I am maxed out.

[jrock_au]

I agree the more power points the better I put around 20 double gpo's around the walls of my shed, which I think is just right for my 5x9m shed. On top of this I had 2, 15 amp outlets in the wall and another 4 in the ceiling. I wish I had another 4 in the ceiling, very handy for dropping power down to machines. I also should have had a couple over the workbenches. I bought the gpo's of eBay for under half the cost from local electrical retailer (I've had one and a half die on me, but I have enough to find another outlet:) )

[elliottcal]

Thanks Trav, Graeme, BobL and jrock, some great advice and plenty to think about. Will speak to the electrician tomorrow and see what he can run to future proof for what I may want to run in the future.

Graeme, thanks for the info and will defo give it some thought as I plan out the shop. Re the floor though, I was going to give it a gentle slope in case of water leaks to allow them to run-off (I'm under the house, so it can get wet, although planning to put drainage to remove 99.99% of this). Surely as long as the floor is straight a slight slope shouldn't effect anything....should it?

[GraemeCook]

?... Re the floor though, I was going to give it a gentle slope in case of water leaks to allow them to run-off (I'm under the house, so it can get wet, although planning to put drainage to remove 99.99% of this). Surely as long as the floor is straight a slight slope shouldn't effect anything....should it?

Good Morning Callum

There must be a better way of keeping water out of your workshop - underfloor drains? Agricultural pipes? Waterproof membrane and course gravel under slab?

Essentially the shop floor is not a drain and should not be used as such, IMHO. This is one area where I really think that you should do it properly first time.

Also, trying to get work square, level and true, when your floor is sloping will be a real pain. Eg place an assembly table and then chock the legs to get it level, move the table six inches and rechock, ===> frustration, real PIA.

I stand by my original statement.


Fair Winds

Graeme

[BobL]

Just about every one of my double GPOs in my shed has a 6 or 4 socket expander board added to it. What I did for some of these was make up an aluminium bracket that attaches to the GPO by slightly loosening the GPO away from the wall and the sliding in part of the bracket behind the GPO and tightening it back up again. An expander board can then be slipped into the bracket.

Like these, the bracket is made out of black anodised all.

266492266494266496

Over head wise I have several like these
266493

This one doubles as a dremel stand.
266495

[elliottcal]

Hi Graeme,

You're 100% right, was just thinking about the 0.0001 % chance in really heavy rain, having the slight slope, especially as it'll be below grade, will help that water drain-off. But will talk to my builder about getting the drainage correct first.

[BobL]

Half my old shed had a slight slope in it and it was an absolute pain in the neck or back. just standing in that part of the shed for a half hour or so gave me a backache.