Thread: Royourboat's Workshop

I plan to make some small and medium sized furniture, pretty much learn and experiment as a hobby. I've always had an interest, but only recently have I had the real opportunity to do this sort of stuff. Apartment living no more! So the dream is coming to life, but it is just one of my hobbies and there are many.

I guess you might describe my dream as a Studley-like hand tool case on the wall, a great handtool workbench, a big SCM combination machine and some mobile power tool workbenches with perfect dust collection. Squash it under the mezzanine and roll it out on some weekends to build quality furniture.

I have acquired most of the equipment already. Most of it is high quality and all of it bargains really.. hand tools, 2hp dust collector, panel saw on castors, lunchbox thicknesser, 6in jointer, drill press, benchtop grinder, bandsaw, vacuum cleaners, 1/2" router and most power tools. Now is the time to start building out the workshop.

I suppose these are the goals to design this workshop:

• Keep costs ultra low or justifiable as long term benefits
• Be able to pack down things quickly and cleanly
• Don't stuff up on the dust/health situation
• Quieter equipment (tried to buy induction motors where practical)
• Be flexible on the long term design

This is the basic layout concept for the time being.

Garage.jpg

Being a typical old garage it's useless for 2 cars, particularly with babies being loaded in and out. So in general the plan is:

• Mezzanine is storage
• Gym goes underneath mezzanine
• Car goes in the centre-left
• Workshop on the right side
• Dust collector could go inside either of the standard sheetmetal garden/pool sheds adjacent
• I may make some gym space at the far end of garage where workshop starts too.
• Above this I will add more storage for the workshop. So the Mezzanine (red square) will extend across to the right garage wall.

Problems to work through with the brainstrust
1. Layout design & Equipment

• I don't think I need any help with layout at this stage.

2. Dust prevention design

• What do I need to not have a dust problem or a health problem? How do you do it right the first time.
• Putting the DC into a garden shed is smart right? As excess dust leaks are condensed elsewhere.

3. Electrical design

• Currently there are only 2 x 1p GPOs in the garage and they're on a circuit with some other rooms. I'll run a dedicated garage circuit.
• I have 3p power but how many runs should I send and how big should the switchboard CB's be?

4. Lighting design

• I think I have this covered.

5. Building the SCM combination machine and it's children..

• More to come later..