Informal Poll - Size of your Shop and how many Shopsmiths?

[RFGuy]

As I mentioned previously, my shop is still in progress so I'm stuck using the lathe in the basement until the snow clears. Here's my before and after though. The pic with the lean-to looking shed was when we first moved in. Other pic is current, with the free shed off Facebook marketplace, which will free up the enlarged pole barn shed for my shop setup once the floor gets poured. Again, it's about 320 sq. ft. I currently have a 90 amp sub panel that I put in last summer but no circuits off that panel yet.

Nice looking shop. You got it for free? Is that a HAM radio tower behind the shed?

[badtheba]

As I mentioned previously, my shop is still in progress so I'm stuck using the lathe in the basement until the snow clears. Here's my before and after though. The pic with the lean-to looking shed was when we first moved in. Other pic is current, with the free shed off Facebook marketplace, which will free up the enlarged pole barn shed for my shop setup once the floor gets poured. Again, it's about 320 sq. ft. I currently have a 90 amp sub panel that I put in last summer but no circuits off that panel yet.

Nice looking shop. You got it for free? Is that a HAM radio tower behind the shed?

The building on the right is the same one that was there when we moved in. I took the brown steel off the roof and used it to side the addition and got double the size. It's built just like a pole barn but never had a floor from the start. I bought new roof steel from the Amish and some clearance lumber at Lowe's and ended up only putting about $500 into doubling the size. The 12x12 shed on the left will be the new garden shed and will free up my shop space, and that's the one my wife found for free. I have a friend that just started his own business delivering sheds for the Amish and he got it over to my place on barter when he was coming home without a load one day.

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[badtheba]

The tower is a tilt over Rohn antenna tower that I had hopes of getting fixed wireless internet on. I can get it to 70' with the parts I have, but they told me I need to be 90' up. [emoji26]

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[badtheba]

The tower is a tilt over Rohn antenna tower that I had hopes of getting fixed wireless internet on. I can get it to 70' with the parts I have, but they told me I need to be 90' up. [emoji26]

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[everettdavis]

Sorry my response is a bit late for your findings, and I am somewhat of a hybrid of your survey.

Like some of others who have downsized, I am in the middle of downsizing and remodeling / repurposing. I had a 480 sq. ft. garage, an open 450 sq. ft. patio (15 x 30) under the roofline, a remote 12 x 12 Building (144 sq. ft.) and an adjacent 10 x 20 with dual lofts building (200 sq. ft.) that housed numerous Shopsmiths…

Everett,

Thanks for your post and I am sorry to hear about your wife's stroke.

I am intrigued by the idea of woodworking outdoors. You mention that you use an outdoor patio. I have a small one car garage sized workshop, but I have access to the outdoors behind this space where I could possibly expand but it would be open to the elements. Here in the desert of AZ, it is dry, in theory, but in practicality we have brief moments of torrential rains. The particular spot where I live routinely sees 2x the posted rainfall for the rest of this desert valley, so we are talking about 1"-2" of rainfall potential for a 24 hour period. During these brief episodes, I guess I am paranoid that if I permanently store and use tools outside that rust will be hard to keep at bay. I mean, I know I can maintain them and try to keep them drenched in wax, but inevitably rust will set in. Do you have any advice or tips for outdoors Shopsmith equipment? The area that I have is exposed, but I contemplate building some type of roof structure to shield and keep the direct rain off of the equipment, but of course wind blown rain and humidity will still be there during storms. The weather is "nice" here for a good portion of the year, so if I could perhaps pickup a 10ER to make a dedicated outdoor drill press, add an outdoor Mark V then I could reduce the number of changeovers that I have to do in my small indoor shop. This would make my life easier and add another dynamic to my woodworking, i.e. woodworking outdoors. Another element we have to contend with here are massive dust storms, so I would need to semi-cover any outdoor equipment, or I might come out to a Shopmsith coated in wax with a thick layer of dust.

I re-read your post and realized I didn't speak to one issue. I do not store my tools outside on the patio, I roll them there to use when it is nice weather. Otherwise I worked in the Garage now being remodeled into two bedrooms and bath.

I will have to work around some things until my 10 x 20 building gets emptied of the things stored in it during the remodeling.

Even though we are semi-arid climate here, I don't want to invite the dust (sand) and rust that would eventually accumulate, nor do I invite them to roll away by someone who wish to test drive them.

It is why I have my shop and storage areas covered by alarm and video surveillance just as the house is, plus with my sons home from Hawaii and going to school, someone is most always here.

Sorry I forgot to address that outdoor use / storage topic as I should have earlier.

Everett

[RFGuy]

I re-read your post and realized I didn't speak to one issue. I do not store my tools outside on the patio, I roll them there to use when it is nice weather. Otherwise I worked in the Garage now being remodeled into two bedrooms and bath.

I will have to work around some things until my 10 x 20 building gets emptied of the things stored in it during the remodeling.

Even though we are semi-arid climate here, I don't want to invite the dust (sand) and rust that would eventually accumulate, nor do I invite them to roll away by someone who wish to test drive them.

It is why I have my shop and storage areas covered by alarm and video surveillance just as the house is, plus with my sons home from Hawaii and going to school, someone is most always here.

Sorry I forgot to address that outdoor use / storage topic as I should have earlier.

Everett

Thanks Everett. Yeah, I agree on video surveillance. Everyone should have this. You can buy relatively inexpensive systems at Costco or online these days, but I am fortunate to have a fairly high end (4K) system now. My tools were almost stolen about a decade ago when I moved houses. I had video surveillance then, but didn't think to check it when I went out and thwarted the attack that was in progress. Long story but I was home alone and we were moving houses so my wife and kids were at the new place when the attack happened. Then last year a crime gang from CA moved out here and started attacking my neighborhood. They kicked in my neighbor's front door during daylight which is rare and brazen. They had probably 2 dozen breakins before the police caught them. I am sure that my surveillance system helps detour theft to some extent.

Thanks for the feedback on working outside. I have to admit that I am torn on which way to go. My Dad raised me to have a hefty appreciation for tools. Tools were always bought brand new or handed down (sentimental). New tools were expensive, but I learned that if properly cared for they could last a lifetime. So it is hard for me break this programming that I have for keep tools indoors and dry. If I didn't live in this dry climate and have some potential outdoor space that I could use, I wouldn't even consider it. I wish my shop was larger, but this just isn't in the cards and difficult as long as I live inside the city here. Also, it doesn't help that I can get a used Mark V for a few hundred bucks on Craigslist.

[STB]

My shop is basically 2 storage sheds set back to back with the back wall of each removed which gives me around 280 sq ft of floor space but not much headroom. Anyone over 6' is out of luck. For SS equipment there is a 520 A old 50s vintage MK5 with the head turned around for a permeate drill press and a Power Station where the band saw lives.

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[rjent]

I am kind of late to the party here (I am having some issues that is keeping me distracted from life a bit), but my shop is just a few square feet over 600 sq ft. I have 5 machines, all are used. A M7, a 500, three working 10ER's and a fourth for parts. A separate compound miter saw. Dust collector, wood and sheet good storage on each side, and a work bench. So I guess I am in the average

I find it quite adequate, but it is all that I have known ....

[Olliew72]

Disregard

[jsburger]

I clicked on it against my better judgment. Spam, spam, spam!!!