Shop size

[Tommy Bruce]

So maybe this will fit here or maybe it belongs in another section (if so moderators please accept my apologies and move it to where it's more appropriate).  But I'm trying to get myself squared away over the next year to be able to have a dedicated shop, not part of the basement or garage which always seems to get cluttered with other things. 

So my question(s) is: How big is your shop?  I know this is a bit open ended but I was thinking 12x16, something that would be easy to heat or cool and give me enough room to build and a place to get away from everyone else.  I've been looking at plans and prefab buildings that I could run electric to and insulate with enough windows for natural lighting.  I have a good work bench and two vices.  I was thinking of adding a band saw and drill press as well. 

[45-110]

Define your shop needs? Lathe, mill, bandsaw(s), forge, anvil, welder(s), drill press, tablesaw, heat source, casting area?
Better make up a drawing and place what you plan to put in the shop.
kw

[smylee grouch]

9 x 15 with about 21 feet of bench area along 2 walls and a 2 foot x 4 foot table in center of floor. Its too cozy.

[bluenoser]

Twelve by sixteen might be sufficient if you only plan to have a couple of large pieces of equipment.  As 45-110 suggested, do a scale drawing and include all the equipment, work benches and storage you would ULTIMATELY like to have.  In addition to helping you to determine how large the shop should be, the drawing will help you find the most space-efficient layout.  That is what I did when I built my 16' x 26' shop about three years ago.   My shop is part of a 26' x 46' garage/workshop.  I made scaled templates of work surfaces and major pieces of equipment and moved them around to find the best layout. In addition to work benches and storage, I have a lathe, milling machine, T&C grinder (that doesn't see much use), drill press, bandsaw, sweat box (that could be moved out when not in use), grinding station and space for a future small welding station.  There is not much free wall space.  Just changing the orientation of a piece of equipment can have a significant effect on how everything fits.
My one big mistake was putting the work bench and window on the South wall.  The direct sunlight during the winter months can be blinding.  I guess there is a reason artists prefer light from the North.

[bptactical]

What ever size you finally decide on expand it by 1/3rd.

I never hear anybody griping because their shop is too big.

[smart dog]

Hi,
Mine is 630 sq ft.  That gives me separate areas for my main woodworking bench, engraving station, wood finishing, metal working and heat treating, and another housing really dust producing equipment like my drill press, bandsaw, table saw and router, and lathe.  That also gives me room to store stock blanks, barrels, components, and tools without creating a lot of clutter such that I can move around without risking banging my work into things.  I have power, running water with a utility sink and small electric water heater, and a Modine propane heater on the ceiling.  The floor, roof, and walls are well insulated such that I use up about 1.5 gals of propane per day on the coldest days.  I have 9 windows, a front door and a barn door, which makes working in the warm months very pleasant.  Here it is before getting really used and dirty.
   
























dave

[Tommy Bruce]

Thanks for your responses everyone! I doubt I'll ever use a mill or lathe.  I'd like to learn how to weld some day but I'm probably out of days for that LOL!  I don't know why I didn't think about drawing it out first with the equipment I plan on using.  And Dave, I think everyone here is drooling over the pics of your shop.  That's incredible!

[P.W.Berkuta]

Smart Dog - that is a very nice shop and well laid out. 

[t.caster]

My basement shop is 12' x 21' and it's overcrowded, but I make due. I also have a woodworking area in my polebarn.
Just saying, whatever size you think you need....make it bigger!

[Tommy Bruce]

My dad always told me no matter how big you build a garage or shop, you will always wish it was bigger! But unfortunately I also have to be on a bit of a budget! If I could have plumbing, a fridge and a microwave, I might not ever go back into the house!

[JPK]

One often over looked thing is height, a ten foot ceiling is minimum. Especially working with longrifles!

[Wingshot]

I had a 15’ wide by 30’ long shed built by the Amish, had them install the roof, doors, windows and house wrap the plywood exterior. I sided it to match the house and did the soffit and fascia myself. I put in a buried PVC conduit and pulled a 100 amp service through and installed the panel and wiring, etc. I then partitioned the interior exactly in half, insulated the walls (16” stud centers) with R-13, installed a reflective barrier onto the trusses to seal off that end of the “shop”. I’ve got HF woodworker bench, some additional work surfaces as well as a drill press, band saw, fly tying desk, vertical shelving and have room to spare. I heat it with one of those oil filled radiant heaters. Even in near zero weather, it’s comfortable. If I need to use a table saw or other large power tool in that space, I simply go to the “storage side if the shed and get it. I keep all my seasonal stuff up there, mowers, golf cart, etc. works for me.

[bluenoser]

JPK has made a good and often overlooked point.  My ceiling height is 9'6" because that made for more efficient use of construction materials. 

[alacran]

It depends if you are planning to build as a hobbyist or are you planning to go into business. I have built many of my rifles in an 8x8 shed. That was a little cramped, since I kept a lot of other things stored there. My shop now which is a glorified shed is 140 square feet. It meets all my needs.
Of course, who wouldn't want a shop as large as Smart Dog's? All he needs is a cot a fridge a stove and a shower.

[Wingshot]

One often over looked thing is height, a ten foot ceiling is minimum. Especially working with longrifles!

Agree with that. I opted for full height on my shed build. I think it’s 7’6”.

[Mike Brooks]

Mine is the size of a one car garage. It's full off baskets full of apples and onions right now.

[Jim Kibler]

I started on a little side table in my parent's laundry room.  Probably around 12 square feet.  I moved up to a closet-sized room in the basement.  Probably around 60 square feet.  This actually worked out okay.  When I was building custom guns on a full-time basis, my shop was about 24X20 (480 square feet).  This worked out pretty good.  Now I have about 15000 square feet!  Guess it's all what you intend to do.

Jim

[Robert Wolfe]

Go for tall ceilings if you are going from scratch. I get tired of banging the ceiling with the muzzle of a gun I'm working on!

[Tommy Bruce]

I’m definitely doing this as a hobby.  I don’t have the talent to do it as a profession.  Good points on the ceiling heights.  That’s another thing I didn’t really think about. 

[Beaverman]

My dad always told me no matter how big you build a garage or shop, you will always wish it was bigger! But unfortunately I also have to be on a bit of a budget! If I could have plumbing, a fridge and a microwave, I might not ever go back into the house!

you still need a crapper!

[Eric Kettenburg]

My shop is inside half an outbuilding.  The shop size internally - considering well insulated walls for the shop portion only - is about 11' X 15'.  It's tight and dirty, but I like it that way.  I do have a very old sears bandsaw in the other side of the outbuilding, and a set of gas welding tanks.

I do have a couple of things crammed in the shop side that I no longer use and would free up some space, like a harman wood stove I no longer use and a weird old south bend belt lathe someone gave me that I have nowhere else to store.  So I just pile other things on top of them...

You guessed it, I am a proud society member:

[WKevinD]

My shop is in the back of a 2 car garage 24'x36'. I insulated and partitioned 12'x16' I have a center walk around bench and 3 wall mounted benches 2@10' and 1@ 12' One bench is dedicated to metal work and one is general assembly. Center bench is wood shaping. I have a drill press and a belt sander (1"x42") and keep my band saw and table saw on mobile bases in the garage portion.
Best thing i did with the shop is install a 110v mini split, great for heat, AC and dehumidification. Had a wood stove to start but here in the NE starting in the AM with a cold shop and ending the day at 80 degrees makes for a lot of condensation and flash rust.
No matter what I do my shop fills with clutter, wood shavings and miscl. "necessities" If I could keep a shop as nice as Smart Dog I wouldn't get anything done even though I try and "put it all away every day.

[bama]

Mine is 30’x40’ and it’s too small. Your shop will never be big enough. I use about a third of that space to actually build a rifle. I do other operations that are long rifle related. I have a band saw for cutting out stocks, a knee mill used in many operations. A metal lathe used in many operations all these takes room. Then I have parts storage, barrels, stock blanks, locks and triggers. I wish I had built a 60’x80’ but that’s hindsigh 

[Bob Gerard]

I had a shed brought in when we moved here 5 years ago, for both shop and storage/pantry. It’s about 12’x 36’ and has electricity but no heat or water, though I do have a portable kerosene heater to use. My small power tools are all on carts which I can roll out into the room or onto the porch for use. It’s not super developed but it’s like my second home.

[smart dog]

Hi,
For many years when I lived in Ketchikan, AK, I had the corner of a single car garage.  That was OK but it really was cramped and I only had a single bench.  I designed my current shop to alleviate all the problems I hated with a small cramped space.  I could work in that dog kennel but when I had the chance to create something better, I was going to shape things very differently.  So my advice, create the largest work space you can. Heating and powering a 180 sq ft space is not going to be much less than a 300 sq ft space.

dave