Minimum Shop Size

bonneblktrk

bonneblktrk

Active User
Registered
Joined
Sep 28, 2011
Messages
46
Moved to smaller house and will build a shop next spring. Where I can put it in the property only gets to about 500 sq ft. An 18x20 with a 12x12 extension on the 20 ft side. Realize all is relative but would it be functional for a shop.

I have a US Machine 3/4 mill, 10 inch Logan lathe. Bandsaw and floor drillpress. TIG welder, Oxy/Acetylene outfit. Machine tool bench. Welding/metalforming bench.

Any examples of a shop this size, I know will be tight, but possibly functional?

Thanks for your input.
 
I'm definitely waiting to see some of the floor plans because my shop is 20X20 so I will be following this with great interest since I finally got my shop cleaned out again.

Bob
 
I suppose it depends on what you want to do in the shop, i have a tiny space compared to you and so making space is always an issue. Cutting long bar stock can cause many jokes.

I think super organised storage and organisation is the key to a small space. I'm constantly moving things about but have been ruthless with what goes in the shop and its getting better ;-)

Good luck fitting it in.

Stuart
 
bonneblktrk said:
Moved to smaller house and will build a shop next spring. Where I can put it in the property only gets to about 500 sq ft. An 18x20 with a 12x12 extension on the 20 ft side. Realize all is relative but would it be functional for a shop.

I have a US Machine 3/4 mill, 10 inch Logan lathe. Bandsaw and floor drillpress. TIG welder, Oxy/Acetylene outfit. Machine tool bench. Welding/metalforming bench.

Any examples of a shop this size, I know will be tight, but possibly functional?

Thanks for your input.
Click to expand...

Hello..... what do I call you ? I am here to help and maybe my age is showing, but would you please give me a real name to call you. It can be fake, like John or.... whatever...

What I would do, if I were you John, is to get some good sized graph paper... 1"x1" squares if you can. 1/4" squares will also work, but the bigger size gives you a better scale to work with. Draw out the "inside" measurement of the proposed shop. Then draw to scale the footprint of each machine, including the extreme positions of the mill table, reasonable work envelope of the drill press, lathe, etc. on seperate pieces of graph paper. now you can move these around and have a very good idea of whether it will work for you or not. You will also see if you change things around a little, your work flow may improve dramatically.

I think that you will do just fine with that size of shop, but I am not sure if you are asking as a home shop or business. Another possibility is a second storey on the shop.

Cheers... :)

Brian

- - - Updated - - -

Hmmmmmmm.... Bob and Stuart appear to have names..... that must mean that they are at least as old as I am.... ;)
 
Thanks gentlemen. It's going to be a home shop. Mostly doing metalwork/fabrication for custom motorcycles Like to get into metal sculptures for home and yard. Have no imagination or art training for designs. But can copy.
Tom
 
I run, and have, for the last twenty five years, a FULL Sheet Metal Shop, with 8' Folder & 8' Guillo. Three Migs, 1 Tig, Mill, Lathe, 8 presses, 5 Drill stands, 4 saws, and turn over AU$300,000 @ year, oh, and there's two of us working.

Trust me, You'll fit it all in!

Oh, and my shop measures ten metres x ten metres!
 
I've never heard anyone say they have too much room so we just manage to fill up whatever we have :)
 
If you can make use of outdoor space for work areas or to offloads tools or materials, I would think 20x20 would be fine. If I subtract out the material storage and the unused tools and misc garbage, I probably have the same square footage of useful garage space.

rich
 
Well, this may start a flurry of . . . something. I have a double garage which must be used for "garage" things, but there is an offset area with three walls - four now, and a door. Inside measurements are 8' 6" x 11' 6". It will be my home machine shop. I have an X2 mill, a 7 x 14 lathe, lots of tooling, a pedestal grinder, a buffer/polisher, surface plate, measuring instruments, arbor press, and all the other necessary stuff. The room has heat and AC, and a nice sized window. I also have a 22' x 42' shed 50 feet from the house that is being converted to a hangar. That is where the welders, the sheet metal gear, the hydraulic press and the vertical/horizontal metal bandsaw will reside. Crazy, right? Especially when I am buying an 1127VF lathe from PM which is also going into the little machine shop next spring.

Obviously, there will not be room for more than one visitor at a time, or maybe just the two dogs. When I look at the parts I make, none of them are very large, so I can get by making small parts in these minimalist dimensions. Granted, the stock racks may have to go on the other side of the wall I built, but that's fine - I won't spend a lot of time in the stock racks anyway. I did what Brian suggests with the graph paper, and it all fits just fine, without sacrificing comfort or putting limits on the size of work I can run in these smaller machines. (I make parts for experimental aircraft and old farm implements/tractors). At my real job I'm a QC inspector, so it all kind of fits together.

Tom
(No, really. my real name is Tom):rofl:
 
Good idea using outside areas for some work space (weather permitting, in Michigan). Also storing stock in another area is a good idea too.
Thanks
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top