Space Limitations

[Tom Cooper]

Having limited space to work in poses certain problems in a productivity sense, I have designated my "room" to an 8'x16' area, less than 130 sq ft.  I do this for economic reasons as it is easy to heat in the winter as well as cool in the summer.

In this room I am cramming as much of my time consuming projects as space will allow, building (precarves as well as from the blank), engraving, carving, and now am looking towards tuning/building locks.

The problems I have been dealing with has been cleaning up after each phase of a project as bench space has been at a premium, I only had one area that most of my hand work was done, building, cleaning up castings, engraving, carving etc.

This last winter I started revamping my space in the interest of productivity and creature comforts, I installed openable windows, propane heat, wired my shop and eliminated 4 drop cords, had a free standing bench built to fit my needs, and most recently this last 2 weeks have been spent building job specific benches for my engraving and the little 6" lathe I picked up.

Building the benches requires moving 80% of the shop and re-storing a certain amount of stuff, shelves needed built etc. and now things need put back into organized working order.

Hopefully by the time the snow flies this winter I will be able to actually concentrate on my projects instead of spending so much time shuffling things around, and stumbling over everything.

How are those of you with limited space managing, or is it only me with these types of delimas ?

Engraving Bench...
5 1/2' long x 16" deep


Lathe Bench...
4'x2'

[rick landes]

I am currently doing my building on a small say 24" x 48" bench with a 4" vise in the center. I can elevate the muzzle a bit to extend over the pump area, but that is about it. Makes it a bit tricky to do most everything as the rifle is always pointed from butt at right to muzzle at left....

You have lots of room! I would probably never find all my tools in a 8' x 16' room!

[Stophel]

My little building is about 10' x 12'.  My band saw is pretty much in the center of the building.  Sometimes I have to open the door to cut the fore ends out on a stock blank!

I have solved the problem of cleaning up....I don't!   

Roy Underhill is a neat freak compared to me.

[Metalshaper]

My first rifle was built in a 6'X10' storage cage, at our first apartment!
our building only had four units and everybody was really nice about any banging or  machine noise I made    I'd take a couple of loads of laundry down and multi-task while I worked on the rifle..

it was also where, on the walk out patio, that I brain tanned and smoked the hide from my first deer hunt! <with a ML no less  >   the couple in the next apartment were from England.  they'd bring out the lawn chairs and a beer cooler, just to sit and watch while I worked..

They thought it was great fun and more entertaining than Cable Tv.

If you want it badly enough, you'll figure out a way!!

Respect Always
Metalshaper

[Stophel]

I built my first gun in my bedroom.   

[Frank]

My first gun was built on the dining room table.

[T*O*F]

Regardless of how big or small your workspace is, it will fill up within 6 months and you will spend more time searching for things you know you have, than working on your guns.

It's Newton's unpublished 23rd theorem.........solid objects will always seek a void to fill. 

[tg]

I gained some room buy making storage shelves of various sizes tha hung from  the ceiling at a height that I could reach but not bump my head on when I was doing repica NA artifacts, you have to consider lighting needs and shadows.

[40Haines]

My first gun was built on the dining room table.

Me 2

[lew wetzel]

alot of my first build was sitting in bed watching tv with the wife,i filed and polished most of the brass and my lock.did alot of the inletting on the stock.she really didnt like the mess that i would leave on the floor next to the bed and she would have to vaccum it every morning but she appreciated the effort i made to spend time with her....lol

[Tom Cooper]

Thanks for the replies, I'm not complaining much.

I got involved in this work 2 years ago and my shop has slowly been evolving since then, and at this point my main interest is to eliminate the clutter that comes from a limited space shop.

The lathe bench is directly across from the engraving bench and the following picture is a shot foreward of the 2 from the door, the new windows are on the left behind the grinder and the floor bandsaw has been moved to another location that is not heated as I do not spend huge amounts of time working with it. I am in the process right now of cleaning up the clutter that is seen in this pic.


Howz about some pictures of your shops.

[California Kid]

You think you don't have any room.



couch is just to the left. Kitchen to the right.

[Tom Cooper]

Holy Smokes,
that is tight, spose you have to go outside to think