Your Shop Size?

[shydragon]

I put down 200, but with the car moved out, then double that.

[8iowa]

At the threshold of my seventh decade, I have finally arrived at my dream shop, a 24' x 28' modified "garage package" with a gambrel roof. This gives me a 12' x 24' loft for wood storage.

The shop was completed late last summer, and since this May I have Improved it considerably with the addition of a second Shopsmith, a SPT storage rack which I built according to Shopsmith's 521956 plans, a 2' x 8' workbench/storage cabinet of my design, and wall shelving and hooks. I also purchased a 15 drawer Craftsman tool cabinet, whose red color closely matches the four Shopsmith cabinets that I purchased in Dayton before the retail store closed.

For comfort here at 46 degrees North, I installed a 35000 BTU propane heater. I have also hung an air filter/cleaner from the ceiling. The shop is really dust free. I've even had varnish drying on one side of the shop while planing boards on the other side. Outside, I now have a 24'x 8' concrete apron, and have had an excavator friend put gravel all around the building.

For 25 years I too worked in 1/2 of a two car garage. Having a larger shop has been a quite different (but great) experience, and I'm still learning how to best use the space.

[Ed in Tampa]

I put my shop size as 400+ sq feet but in truth I must share that space with freezer, lawn tractor, a truck and a van. I park both cars inside, but I can leave one or both out if I have a project that requires the space overnight.

My biggest problem is a work table space. I have my bench on wheels and I have two portable/collapsable work tables but I can't seem to find the exact right table yet.

I'm in the process of shifting all my sheet good cutting to a guided saw system and the ideal work table would be one that would hold a full 4x8 sheet, allow the surface to be cut into, yet be steady and smooth enough to do glued ups, and steady enough for to plane, chisel, and manipulate wood on.

A removeable foam top is in the mix (I already use one on 4/8 sheet of half inch ply as my cutting table now) but there has to be a superior design that I haven't envisioned yet
Ed

[rocke1]

Whoever coined the phrase "you can never have enough clamps" or measure twice, cut once, should add "my shop is too small whatever size it is."

[greitz]

In the Oct/Nov 2008 issue of American Woodworker, on pages 86-87, there are some pictures of "Ed in Colorado"'s 200 sq. ft. shop. It features the EZ Smart guided saw system (have you seen this, Ed in Tampa?), plus a nice-looking Model 500 Shopsmith. Immaculate shop, and looks like a great use of available space. Ed also says he appreciates the Shopsmith's flexibility.

Just FYI- there's another (brief) mention of Shopsmith in the mailbox section of that issue. Wow! Two separate references to Shopsmith in one issue of a woodworking magazine. We're making progress.

Gary

[osx-addict]

I was one of the few that put ~100SF of usable space -- that's on a good day.. If you were to look in my garage right now, you'd be lucky to get 4SF of usable space.. Just too much stuff that needs to be weeded thru.. One of these days I'll finish cleaning it up and then reassemble/realign the SS -- currently the headstock is off and carefully sitting in a 5g bucket with some cloth underneath..

[8iowa]

Gary:

Do you mean to say that a major woodworking magazine actually "screwed up" and featured a Shopsmith! I'll bet that the editor fired the writer.

I've got to get that magazine!! Could it possibly be that one lonely magazine has articles that are not "driven" by it's advertisers.

[greitz]

Hi, 8iowa,

American Woodworker has a recurring "My Shop" article. You can submit photos, a layout drawing, and a description of what makes your shop interesting. If they use your stuff, you get $100 (and bragging rights).

So they were definitely NOT doing a feature on Shopsmith in particular, and in fact the focus of the article was more on the guided saw system / workbench. The author just mentioned (and pictured) his Shopsmith as an essential part of his small, flexible shop layout.

I notice that the May 2004 issue of American Woodworker had a cover article called "Tiny Space, Dream Shop!". I don't know whether they mentioned Shopsmith in that article. That back issue is available from American Woodworker for $6.99 + S&H, if anyone is interested. The website is http://www.americanwoodworker.com/backissue.

Gary

[charlese]

Nice attention to that Magazine article, Gary! I was going to say something about it, as I was taken back by it, but spaced out mentioning it with my silly Addon Chat problem. Couldn't help but notice the nice clean, well organized shop with two photos of a Mark V 510.

I missed the mention of Shopsmith in the letters section. Thanks for calling my attention to it. The EZ Smart Saw table System is something Ed in Tampa and I could benefit from. Have to look into that. http://www.eurekazone.com This Ed from Colorado, built a 50" by 72" torsion box table with the EZ Smart System.

[ryanbp01]

I figured my shop is 180 square feet. However if I need the larger space all I have to do is wheel the SS out into the garage portion. The casters are the best piece of auxiliary equipment for the Shopsmith! My garage was supposed to be a 3BR ranch but the previous owner had never gotten beyond roofing it. It affords me room to get 2 cars inside plus the shop area, not to mention a 12x13 train room. My wife wouldn't let me plumb it; she said she'd never see me again!

BPR