How would you lay out this shop if it was yours

Now that I have a couple new machines to move in, http://www.hobby-machinist.com/showthread.php/17890-Equipment-values, I would like some opinions on how I should lay out the shop, My shop has evolved over the years as more tools have shown up and I just shoved them where ever they would fit. I have some ideas where I want things to go but I am not a machinist and would like to draw on the vast knowledge available here. The shop will be used for many different things but mainly on the lines of a fabrication shop, building miscellaneous stuff for my car habit. This is a hobby based shop, it won't be a production shop. Here is the shop as it sits now.



I want to keep the open space as shown on the drawing and the project car and race car will be moving into different quarters. Where the race car and project car are I want to build a surface plate or frame style jig to build a tube frame car on so preferably no equipment out in the middle. I will be keeping the grizzly mill for some time until I can get the new mill converted to CNC so I need to fit both of them for awhile.

I want to keep the welding area by the overhead door and think I want to place the new machines in the other end of the shop to keep them away from the welding and grinding functions as much as possible.

I'd love to hear all your ideas.

Brian

Kind'a looks like our problem, this shop although not production, more like a job shop. We do anything any everything. So what I do and
my kids do just have to be separated. I'm faced with them grinding and welding somebodys 10 wheeler while I am trying to stay clean
machining something. So we are to blow the shop side out about 10 X 30 X 8 1/2 ceiling. cheap to heat will be clean, and I can
concentrate . So this is what I advise to you even if a portable partition like offices have. Grease and grit dont work with micrometers.

Shop layout is a personal thing, your present layout seems pretty good... why'd ya buy more stuff). Looks like you are gonna loose some shelf and storage space. I would only say keep the tool boxes between the assembly are and thenmill and lathe. i find myself walking from the front ofmmy shop to the back all the time getting stuff outta the toolboxes.

good luck!
rich

Lay out is personal, mill are heavy. I agree with seperating the mill from the grinding area. Keep as much on wheels as you can and things will work out. When things stop moving call the electrician and make things permant. Work should flow from dirty to clean.

bpimm said:

Now that I have a couple new machines to move in, http://www.hobby-machinist.com/showthread.php/17890-Equipment-values, I would like some opinions on how I should lay out the shop, My shop has evolved over the years as more tools have shown up and I just shoved them where ever they would fit. I have some ideas where I want things to go but I am not a machinist and would like to draw on the vast knowledge available here. The shop will be used for many different things but mainly on the lines of a fabrication shop, building miscellaneous stuff for my car habit. This is a hobby based shop, it won't be a production shop. Here is the shop as it sits now.

View attachment 61054

I want to keep the open space as shown on the drawing and the project car and race car will be moving into different quarters. Where the race car and project car are I want to build a surface plate or frame style jig to build a tube frame car on so preferably no equipment out in the middle. I will be keeping the grizzly mill for some time until I can get the new mill converted to CNC so I need to fit both of them for awhile.

I want to keep the welding area by the overhead door and think I want to place the new machines in the other end of the shop to keep them away from the welding and grinding functions as much as possible.

I'd love to hear all your ideas.

Brian

Click to expand...

Looks like you have put some thought in your floor plan. One suggestion make sure your concrete floor is thick enough for the milling machine. Also make a outdoor storage cabinet for all the flammable fluids.

Thanks for the suggestions. Here is what I came up with so far.



I have the machining area and welding / grinding areas about as far apart as possible with out building on more space. The side that has the bathroom is a full length shed roof so the areas above and below the bathroom can be walled in and for more space, but those areas will only have a 7' ceiling so thew may be better suited for storage and maybe a plating room. I am planning on making that change in the future.

The concrete floor is 4-5" thick with fiber-mesh so I hope it is tough enough, I won't hire those concrete guys again, I graded it with fall to the door but it drains back into the middle.

"why'd ya buy more stuff)"

Can't help myself... The old lathe doesn't have any change gears so it's pretty limited in what it can do and it's pretty small. It couldn't take much of a cut with the AC motor (1/4 HP) but after I put the 2 HP treadmill motor on it it cuts much better, but alas it's a bit small for some of the things I want to make. I'm thinking a set of Delrin change gears for it might be a project to learn how to cut gears. I made front hubs for my car, they turned out pretty good but a bigger lathe and mill would have really helped.


So when my brother said a friend of his had a lathe for sale we went to look at it, Well he had a mill as well that was for sale, they looked like family and I just couldn't separate family members so I bought them both.

My goal is to build the uprights / spindles and hubs for all 4 corners. I'm even thinking of making direct mount 3 piece wheels with my own centers and some existing wheel halves. but I digress, I won't be able to make anything if I don't get them home.

"So this is what I advise to you even if a portable partition like offices have. Grease and grit dont work with micrometers"

How about some kind of separator like they use in hospital rooms attached to the ceiling around the machines to keep the dust out when they're not in use. Or one bigger one around the welding area to keep it in. then it could be pulled out of the way when not in use.

Back to work, hopefully by the end of today I will have room to move the two cars out.

Make sure you have electrical outlets ever ware you can you can think of then add a few more. I've found in my shop that The stationary tools put together in the centre of the shop works great. the tools seem to work better since the longer stock I work with doesn't bump into another machine but will slide past it. Work benches are on the outside walls and always covered with projects. I work in metals and wood so I 've tried to split the shop up into those two areas. I wave 1200 sq ft but like anyone with a shop will say a few extra would be nice. Good luck on your layout, Where ever you decide to put a machine it won't be the best place so be prepared to move things around about a month later.
Denton