Basement Shop on Wheels
With mobile machines and tables, the shop can change shape as neededSynopsis: The secret to getting the most out of a small shop is mobility, storage, and organization, says Anatole Burkin of Fine Woodworking. In this article, he shows how to plan layout, build mobile tool carts and rapidly reconfigure machines as you work. He outlines dust collection solutions and how to handle spray finishing without a booth. Design your shop around what must stay stationary and think about the projects you plan to tackle to determine the best use of space.
My first shop was an old garage nestled on a bank above Puget Sound near Seattle. It had an old plank floor with gaps wide enough to swallow small tools and hardware. For power I had one extension cord that snaked back to the house, and lighting was provided by an open garage door. I have fond memories of that shop, bundled up against the cold, working under natural light, hacking away and successfully cutting my first dovetail joint. I remind myself of those days when confronted by the limitations of my current shop, which by comparison is a dream.
My basement shop is only 20 ft. by 21 ft.— about the size of a two-car garage—but I’ve tackled projects as large as a run of kitchen cabinets. The secret to getting the most out of this small space is mobility. Almost everything rests on locking casters—machines, tables and shop-built tool chests.
Storage and organization are also vital in a small space. The area under every machine tool or bench is utilized for storage. Yes, it does get crowded when I undertake a large project. But I can reconfigure the space as needed for milling, assembling and finishing.
Layout for a small shop
Some tools are best left stationary. My tablesaw stays put because it’s very bulky and heavy. And the dust collector must have a permanent home because of the metal ductwork attached to it. The rest of the shop was designed to work around these machines.
Machine tools, as well as benches, must be located where they can handle the largest piece of stock I am likely to use. And with a small dust collector, I have to keep duct runs to a minimum (for more on dust collection, see FWW #141, pp. 82-87). I try to keep most of the mobile tools parked where they can be put into service easily.
In a small shop, you’ll often see the tablesaw angled. This orientation takes advantage of the room’s diagonal dimensions. That’s a good solution, but it typically means the saw reaches into the center of the room. When I have a large project going, such as a run of cabinets, I like having the center of the shop available for assembly.
From Fine Woodworking #153
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