Workshop Space

[Sub MandrelParticipant @submandrel]

[Sub MandrelParticipant @submandrel]

I was really excited when I saw a classified for workshop space, unfortunately it's a wanted add.

If anyone has 10-12 cubic metres of space going cheap, I'd love to fit it in my workshop.

Seriously though, what are people's top space-saving tips?

Neil

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

Buy a new machine off ebay that's photographed in a big empty warehouse, that way you get all the extra room.

[Ian PParticipant @ianp]

Posted by Stub Mandrel on 29/07/2013 21:37:55:

Seriously though, what are people's top space-saving tips?

Neil

Get rid of all the boxes that your tools come in. Thing like the nasty plastic moulded cases that calipers, cutters, ER collets are supplied in. A length of wood or metal angle with a row of holes in, screwed to the wall takes up much less room and you can see what you have without reading labels or opening boxes.

I did see a good tip in an electronics site a while ago. Someone had asked what was the best method of storing heat shrink sleeving, he had lots of different sizes and a range of colours which all took up too much room. He got quite a few suggestions but the best one was, put it all an oven for a few minutes!

Ian P

[Another JohnSParticipant @anotherjohns]

Neil;

Space saving tips:

1) don't do as the UK JohnS does and purchase way too much stuff.

2) if you are a "locomotive" man, build to 3-1/2 not 7-1/4 – it'll save 8x the space. And your machine tools can be smaller, and the pile of materiel smaller, your back not bent lifting, etc, etc.

3) foist some bits over on a neighbour – I've found that I'm the recipient of that one – one fellow club member had too much hardwood and asked me to temporarily store it at my place a few years ago….

The other JohnS – the one with a workshop that does not look like a disaster zone in every picture!

[Sandy MortonParticipant @sandymorton10620]

My workshop, an old byre, is about 100 square metres and from about 2.5 to 5 metres high. I don't need advice on how to use only how to fill it – economically! And the yard outside has to be kept clear for swambo's car, and the weans car and motorbike. Life is tough?

[Another JohnSParticipant @anotherjohns]

On a more serious note.

If I modelled North American stuff in 7-1/4" gauge, rather than my preferred 3-1/2" gauge, it would mean a new house, with garage and some way of getting bits up/down the basement stairs, a trailer (2 bay garage now) and a bigger car to pull the crud around with.

So, maybe a 3-bay garage, to keep a smaller car + bigger car + trailer. And, we'd need a bigger lot, and at $500,000 for land around here for houses, no thanks. (and, no thanks living in the country – did that once and hated the commute)

(Canadian winters = workshops indoors, and most houses here have basements well suited to housing workshops)

I figure if Kozo Hiraoka could survive with a 8 foot by 8 foot workshop in the corner of his living room, I can survive in a bigger area.

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

Posted by John Alexander Stewart on 29/07/2013 22:45:45:

Neil;

Space saving tips:

1) don't do as the UK JohnS does and purchase way too much stuff.

The other JohnS – the one with a workshop that does not look like a disaster zone in every picture!

 

This was the old me.

 

 

This is the new me

 

Edited By John Stevenson on 29/07/2013 23:12:22

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

Use the space above 6ft. ie above the bench and lathe and even above corridors. It may feel a bit claustraphobic at first but just think of it as cosy.

[Gone AwayParticipant @goneaway]

Posted by John Alexander Stewart on 29/07/2013 22:52:05:

(Canadian winters = workshops indoors, and most houses here have basements well suited to housing workshops)

…. and don't drywall/panel the walls. That space between studs is valuable.

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

I find one of the biggest space wasters is empty boxes, small to large. The ones you think "ooh that'l be handy for storing something in" and it sits on a shelf, with all the others for years with nothing in it.

[Russell EberhardtParticipant @russelleberhardt48058]

John S,

I think you posted your pictures the wrong way round

Russell.

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

Russell,

You are not the only one to say that but if you get the info off the pictures the last one was taken at 5:46 yesterday.

Later on at 11:53 to be precise I nipped out and took this.

Hence the reason for the clear up

[Derek DroverParticipant @derekdrover32802]

Keep the wife out of the garage/workshop and resist "put it there for now" !!!!

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

If you have one of teh far eastern lathes on teh makers stand then ditch the panel between the two cupboards and make some draws.

And if you can't make draws then find some cheap Bisley office ones.

J

 

PS the big question is how long will it take for JS's workshop to revert to the first image??

Edited By JasonB on 30/07/2013 11:42:10

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

That's a good move Jason in fact the baffle in the picture above between the uprights has already gone.

I'll probably make do with one strong shelf to hold chucks and steadies because I need room for the foot brake without banging shins on low drawers.

One disadvantage with mine is there are access panels at both ends but no doors ? RH side holds coolant so can't fit any shelves in there but the LH side is total waste of space, nothing in there except a brake rod.

Pass me plasma cutter……………………………….

[MICHAEL WILLIAMSParticipant @michaelwilliams41215]

Don't forget the great outdoors when thinking about workshop space . In the UK at least there aren't many days when some work can't be done outdoors . A rough and ready bench with big vice will allow hand work on big jobs – like loco frames – and dirty jobs like soldering , brazing and grinding to be done with ample space and away from more sensitive equipment .

A lean to ' roof ' has advantages – a simple corrugated plastic canopy or even a bit of canvas will do .

MikeW

[Sub MandrelParticipant @submandrel]

My wish would be to gut the whole workshoip and fit it with loads of drawers – mostly big but shallow ones, to replace all the random shelves.

I figure if Kozo Hiraoka could survive with a 8 foot by 8 foot workshop in the corner of his living room, – he must be a bachelor?

Too late, I have dry-lined already (space available 8×16 less the lining, but at least its easy to keep warm

Flat roof garage so no strage above six feet

Mini lathe on home built (wooden!) bench

But at least I have more mess than John S, (actually I tidied up at the weekend – as well as painting the banisters – terrible task!)

Neil

[frank brownParticipant @frankbrown22225]

Make you own drawers the full depth of the bench and put a partition across them about half way down. This way the tools you use go at the front. The tools you don't use can go at the back.

Frank

[mick70Participant @mick70]

as said get rid of "might come in useful boxes etc" finally did that couple of weeks ago and amount of extra space is amazing.

i had bits in there for a car i got rid of 20ys ago thats how bad it was.

made over £700 weighing old wire from dead appliances and bits of metal that might be useful.

[Harold Hall 1Participant @haroldhall1]

For a few ideas have a look at photographs 27 to 30 here http://www.homews.co.uk/page441.html

Harold

Edited By Harold Hall 1 on 23/08/2013 08:40:54

[SpringbokParticipant @springbok]

John was that a large skip I seen outside in the last photo….
Bob

[IanTParticipant @iant]

Having gained two new machines in the past six months or so, I've finally started to move eveything around to accomodate them. I started by measuring all the major units and drawing out a plan of where things might fit (I used CAD to move items around but cardboard cut-outs would have been as good).

As I knew this would take a while, I approached it like one of those plastic puzzles, where you can only move one piece at a time. When I got tired I could just lock up and leave it but still undercover & inside. My larger units have been moved on rollers with a wrecking bar. Took me two afternoons to move the 7" Shaper and stand about 8ft in a 'Z' shaped path to its new location. The drill press was lifted (used two dexion A frames and a rope hoist) and moved on a dolley. I re-erected the A frames to put the drill back on the stand. I've put wheeels on the stand too whilst I had the chance and I'm going to do this with some other units (where possible) as I get to them.

Just moved the big mill (about 1 ton?) about 6ft and through 180 degrees on rollers. Every move has involved shifting other stuff around as the item moved, so there would not be room for an engine crane (assuming I had one). As I shifted things around, I've found things I'd forgotten I even had and I've been trying to group these into designated areas. Still got things to move, just brought a boat winch to lift the Atlas mill off its wooden stand (got the idea from MEW) as the rope hoist was at its limits with the drill press but the A frame itself was solid and will be modified to take the winch. It collapses right up for storage.

Just this re-plan has started to free space and grouping things in the same area seems to be helping too (lots of duplicates for instance). But the bottom line is that I just have too much "stuff" (wood offcuts, comeinhandys, scap metal etc) accumulated over the years and the only answer really is to get rid of some of it. I need to sort through it and make some hard decisions about what might get used. Much of it will probably end up at the tip sooner or later anyway. I'm beginning to accept that it's time I stopped accumulating things and started getting rid of it (old machinery excluded of course!). The last two weeks have been hard work but if I can access (and move) all of my machinery easily and find things more quickly, then it will be well worth it.

Regards,

IanT

[Tinkerer58Participant @tinkerer58]

When I renovated our kitchen I installed the old kitchen in the shed. Lots of cupboard space underneath the solid laminated work top, and some overhead cabinets for lighter odments. I also made a new base with castors for the bandsaw using old dexion shelving angles, and 4 benches with castors. 1 bench holds the 2 grinders, another hold a small timber bandsaw and linisher, another for the dropsaw, ad finally one for the sandblasting cabinet. This way I can move them into place when needed. I also built another shed big enough for the garden tools and it has racks for timber and steel supplies. Next will be building a 3rd shed to house my restored stationary engines.

It's simple, do as the wife says and you get rewarded with more sheds, tools and machinery. Just remember "Happy wife Happy life" After you have completed all the wife's job list make sure you become a real pain so she sends you to the dog house (my sheds) that way I can get some machining done LOL

[Sub MandrelParticipant @submandrel]

> made over £700 weighing old wire f

So it was you that caused my train to be cancelled yesterday

Neil

[Author]

Posts