Design your shop...

[flm_shooter]

We in California are not allowed to use our garages for car parking. It's a state law or something :grin:

I am going to do a 'makeover' of my garage. I get one 19' wall and one 10' wall for my shop. The 19' wall has a window dead center, so I figure that is the best spot for my workbench. On the other wall would be my reloading bench. I need to leave space after the 10' section for floor-based equipment.

Starting from scratch, what would you design into this layout?

 

[WRussell]

Oh boy! Let's see - a lathe, milling machine, grinder or two (soft wheels and hard) drill press or two, belt sander or two, buffing setup with 8 inch dia buffing wheels, and of course a couple of solid vises. And leave room for the TIG welder and the forge.

Oh.

Well, a belt sander and a drill press make a good start.

 

[WRussell]

Oh, I almost forgot - in my garage I put a row of cabinets down the line between the car and the shop, making a wall to keep hot chips etc. off the car. From the top of the cabinets I ran joists across to the shop wall to make a loft for storage, and to get the lighting down closer to the work. The cabinets open into the car space, so the shop gets another wall for tools.

 

[flashpanner]

Don't forget the 5 axis CNC machining center, and the CNC TWEDM machines too!!

 

[madstone]

I can't fit my truck in the garge and am moving in on my wife's car's room, too! A really solid bench and the biggest vise you can find. Brilliant lighting ,too. Be careful about working in front of the window if you have close neighbors. Pretty girls will distract you and "oops"! :rotf:
My shop windows are so coated with solvents and gunk I can scarcely see out them!!

 

[flm_shooter]

What do you do about heating / cooling? Cooling can be an issue. And keep it reasonable, houri girls waving palm fronds while I machine titanium space shuttle parts is a good picture, but I don't think Momma will approve :hmm:

 

[MSW]

greetings from the Great Frozen North (VT). Of all the 'stuff' (as my family distainfully refers to it,) the most useful are good lights, good sharpening gear, and a good bench.

don't buy cheap tools, upon pain of having a big ugly guy spit in your beer.

good luck

MSW

 

[WRussell]

For heating, I like to work when the car has just come back from a trip. In the summer, that's a problem. A strategically placed fan (hanging upside down from a shelf so it doesn't take up precious space) is enough for cooling usually.