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Thread: New Woodworker seeks advice
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16th October 2007, 10:35 PM #1Novice
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New Woodworker seeks advice
Hi All,
This is my very first post so please excuse me if I seem a little raw at this. After finding out about this site at the Melbourne WWW Show last week I thought I'd come on board and have a look. It's terrific.
I must admit that I'm very new to woodworking. So new in fact that I'm just now thinking about how to set up a decent home workshop.
Some time next year I'll be building a new house and have the luxury of incorporating a shed of up to 80sq.m (city council limit) at the back of my block. Although I'll be seeking advice later on machinery, for now I'd like advice from Forum members on things to consider when building a new workshop. I'd like to get into building furniture mainly (bookcases, cupboards, display cabinets, tables etc) however I'm sure my interests will diversify as I get more into it.
What sort of things should I be thinking of?
Regards,
Peter
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16th October 2007 10:35 PM # ADSGoogle Adsense Advertisement
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16th October 2007, 10:40 PM #2
Plenty of power points - 15amp or 3 phase, some overhead is good.
Plumbing for the dust collector - good if you can have the dusty outside.
Noise insulation - don't want the neighbours complaining.
Light & ventillation - plenty of both.
Timber storage - boards, sheet material and offcuts.
Cupboards - closed, if possible, to keep dust off everything.
How's that for a start?
Oh, and welcome.
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16th October 2007, 10:44 PM #3Senior Member
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- Apr 2004
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New Shop
Alex covered most items though I'd like to add a couple more. Type flooring - raw concrete is hard on the feet, consider antifatigue mats if necessary. Access - make sure it's easy to bring materials to and from your shop. Security - you don't want someone being able to easily take something that belongs to you.
Good luck on your new shop
Paul
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16th October 2007, 10:57 PM #4
All of the above...plus a really good shed heater......makes it a nice place even in the depths of winter.
And welcome aboard Peter.
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16th October 2007, 11:01 PM #5Novice
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Great advice guys. That's the sorts of things that I'm interested in. Thanks.
The abundance of power points should be no problem as I'm an Electrical Engineer with an A-Class electrical license as well.
The flooring idea raises another question in my mind. Has anyone put down a timber floor over the concrete base? I reckon this would not only look great in a wood shop but also be much easier on your feet.
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16th October 2007, 11:13 PM #6Deceased
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If I had sufficient head height I would do so, instead I have good foam rubber matting on the floor, which makes a world of difference to the old concrete floor.
Wide access is essential if you are going to build furniture, so that you can get the finished pieces out easily. In addition to power points also plan on ducting air hoses to all main work areas.
Divide your shed into two areas, a dirty area for machining and a clean area for assembly and finishing.
Peter.
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16th October 2007, 11:18 PM #7
If you're going to spend a fair bit of time in the shed, make sure you plan on having at least a couple of windows. Natural light is great and being able to look out is even better
Also, have it at least 2.7m wall height, 3.0m is better.
If you are going to have skylight panels in the roof, get opal rather than clear, they can get very glary in summer.
I have most of my power points at chest height, saves a lot of bending down, as AlexS said plan for some overhead ones as well, saves having cords snaking across the floor.
Run an airline overhead as well for the same reason.
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17th October 2007, 01:30 AM #8
make sure you allow room for the fridge close to the door so its easy to stack the beers in.
but seriously, if yo uare lucky enough to be considering serious machinery, some of it needs trolleys or hoists to get it in so keep that in mind.____________________________
Craig
Saving a tree from woodchippng is like peeing in the pool;
you get a warm feeling for a while but nobody notices.
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17th October 2007, 01:39 AM #9SENIOR MEMBER
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"The flooring idea raises another question in my mind. Has anyone put down a timber floor over the concrete base? I reckon this would not only look great in a wood shop but also be much easier on your feet."
Not in my shed but in my house. The floor can either float on a foam membrane or you put shallow bearers down on the concrete and fasten the timber to them. Either way make sure you have a water proof membrane under the wood. There are plenty of timber flooring companies that can advise.
Pitty it is not practical in my garage!
Pusser<!-- / message -->
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17th October 2007, 07:01 AM #10Awaiting Email Confirmation
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The machinery.... try to stay away from universial type motors [ with brushes ] for the noise factor.
les
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17th October 2007, 09:17 AM #11
leave your skylights on the south side of the roof.
(at the top of this page you will see a number of headings.Do search for workshops, sheds etc you'll be reading for weeks and then when you finally get it built it'll still be wrong.
We are worse than women with shoesI would love to grow my own food, but I can not find bacon seeds
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17th October 2007, 09:42 AM #12GOLD MEMBER
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Starting from scratch with a new home get a 3 phase supply. This means your machines will be quiter and you can buy used industrial grade machinary at very cheap prices,you won't regret it at all. It is possible to lay all dust collection in the floor if you can arrange for clearout if it blocks, this may not be a good idea if it gets blocked and you can't clear the line. Also while on dust collection get the dust extractor/cyclone into a seperate area so it is quiter for you and exhausts externally. I have a timber floor but not over concrete, we used standard flooring sheets and it is far better than concrete and is actually flat.
CHRIS
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17th October 2007, 10:09 AM #13
Welcome to the forum and I think the advice above is pretty good advice.
You may want to store your timber in a separate shed to make more room plus I think some insurance companies don't like lots of timber in your workshop.
I am about to build my new shed but I will be keeping some of my timber in a 20 foot shipping container (currently being used to store my machines) and I might need another shed for what won't fit in the container.
Good luck.- Wood Borer
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17th October 2007, 10:26 AM #14Intermediate Member
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- Feb 2005
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- Wilga WA
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Insulate the roof! Sisalation at a minimum but there is a new type that is two sheets of aluminium foil with bubble wrap inbetween that is excellent. Well worth the extra cost.
Bino
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17th October 2007, 10:47 AM #15
Another thought - depending on how cold it gets in your part of the world, get a shed with a decent pitch on the roof.
My new shed will have a 22 degree pitch to overcome condensation and snow problems. You probably rarely get snow but condensation after a frosty night can be a problem dripping over your machines and projects.- Wood Borer
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