My Humble New Workshop

I recently moved, and lost my old shop space.

The old granary on the farm I grew up on was being used for storage. I was able to work a deal to use the granary as a shop, but I had to clean it out first.
It took me about three days of moving junk, and another day of sweeping and vacuuming mouse excrement.

I didn't have the budget to put in new workbenches, etc. but there was a lot of scrap lumber laying around, and I found an old bathroom vanity in one of the sheds, and an old kitchen cabinet in another shed.

I still have quite a bit of cleaning to do, but it's starting to come together pretty well:

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I'm not used to working with this small of a space. I kind of like it, but I still need more room for bullet casting, and I need a place to set up my bow press. There is another small room in the granary, so I think that stuff will probably go in there.

I also need to add another 20 amp breaker, and some outlets in there.

This is the first time I've ever had a workshop that was its own shop - usually I've always had all of my machine tools, car repair, and woodworking stuff together.
Here, the woodworking, and reloading stuff are sharing a space, but most of the machine tools (other than the small mill) and the auto-repair stuff are in a different garage.

Any good ideas for space management here?
Other ideas that would be helpful?

Nothing humble about that shop man, I would die to have that much room,I have about 1/3 that size.

Eric just what I have done, which may or may not work there, is to build the benches around the outer walls, that gave me the most bench space and made building the benches and the shelves above them much cheaper...

I did end up with enough room to build a center bench top but it doesn't look like you can in there :(

It does look to be coming together rather nicely though :tu

If you plan on using it this winter I would insulate the walls before you get the benches and cabinets up.

I thought about it Tim. I don't want to buy the insulation for it now. There was a bunch of rigid insulation in the rafters there. I spread that around to make a "ceiling". I think a sunflower will heat it ok as long as it's not too cold outside.
I have been in fish houses with a lot less...

When I have the means, I'll probably pick up a few rolls of insulation, but it probably won't be before this winter.

Speaking from experience! :( Especially if you use an unvented heater such as a sunflower or torpedo that add much water to the air as a byproduct of combustion you have to keep the heat on until all of your equipment is warm. You might be warm but your grinder and at the other extreme your anvil will still be cold. They will draw the moisture like a cold can of beer on a summer day. That equals RUST! Heat the space for a minimum of one day and better yet 2.

I dream about work spaces,,I only have a balcony & nosy neighbors. :(

If that shop was mine,,the first thing I would build would be a picnic table & put it in photo # 1. Then make some cold ice tea , sit on my new table & watch the squirrels run around in the trees.

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Originally Posted by HNSB

I thought about it Tim. I don't want to buy the insulation for it now. There was a bunch of rigid insulation in the rafters there. I spread that around to make a "ceiling". I think a sunflower will heat it ok as long as it's not too cold outside.
I have been in fish houses with a lot less...

When I have the means, I'll probably pick up a few rolls of insulation, but it probably won't be before this winter.

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My shop was 120 degs yesterday:(( running my lathes darn near neked,winter I can dress for:)

Congrats on the new space! It may be small but it's been said good thing come in small packages. I find its easier to navigate from work space to work space in a smaller area, kind of a lean six sigma theory that streamlines process; the key is to eliminate clutter and keep the surfaces empty at all cost. Achieve this and the rest will fall in to place with organization etc... Good luck!

Ahhh building a new shop. I wish I was. I have a little more than Hirlau but nothing like I am used to. Would kill for what you have going.

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Originally Posted by Hirlau

I dream about work spaces,,I only have a balcony & nosy neighbors. :(

If that shop was mine,,the first thing I would build would be a picnic table & put it in photo # 1. Then make some cold ice tea , sit on my new table & watch the squirrels run around in the trees.

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No work would get done then either!:rofl2:

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Originally Posted by JoeLowett

Congrats on the new space! It may be small but it's been said good thing come in small packages. I find its easier to navigate from work space to work space in a smaller area, kind of a lean six sigma theory that streamlines process; the key is to eliminate clutter and keep the surfaces empty at all cost. Achieve this and the rest will fall in to place with organization etc... Good luck!

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Easier said than done. At least for me!:D

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Originally Posted by 32t

Easier said than done. At least for me!:D

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That's true, I too only have a small work area but I find that when the bench is clean the size seems much less apparent..... Now to find a home for all the stuff is an entirely different conversation. I personally am a fan of bins and racks for the non tool stuff that otherwise wouldn't have an obvious home in a tool chest or tool board. The key is then keeping the bins from turning in I junk drawers!

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Originally Posted by JoeLowett

That's true, I too only have a small work area but I find that when the bench is clean the size seems much less apparent..... Now to find a home for all the stuff is an entirely different conversation. I personally am a fan of bins and racks for the non tool stuff that otherwise wouldn't have an obvious home in a tool chest or tool board. The key is then keeping the bins from turning in I junk drawers!

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I am also becoming a fan of bins. I have a couch that my father made that is higher than most. higher than most and more like a church pew but i will never get rid of it unless it is to my children! One advantage to me is that my wife was getting mad at my clutter. There is room for bins underneath. I have 4 bins underneath. One for razor hones. One for knife hones. One for fountain pens and another for leather working. I can pull one out and play with whatever is tickling my fancy and then put them away easily.

One problem is though that my son "cleaned" my garage last fall and stacked the bins with the markings against the wall...
They were all the same and I didn't know which was which.:rofl2:

I have a stand-alone workshop half the size of yours. It's layout is fluid..always changing as I find new ways to be more efficient with the limited space. I suspect yours will do the same and over time you'll wonder how you got so much stuff in there! Have fun.

Man, I hope running a lathe nekkid doesn't show up on cut of the day....

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Originally Posted by pixelfixed

My shop was 120 degs yesterday:(( running my lathes darn near neked,winter I can dress for:)

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Originally Posted by pixelfixed

My shop was 120 degs yesterday:(( running my lathes darn near neked,winter I can dress for:)

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How about a window AC unit? They have them pretty cheap at Home Depot.

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Originally Posted by ZeroCool

How about a window AC unit? They have them pretty cheap at Home Depot.

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You gotta read between the lines here; Californian's will use any excuse they can, to run around neked. :beer2:

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Originally Posted by Hirlau

You gotta read between the lines here; Californian's will use any excuse they can, to run around neked. :beer2:

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Yeppers,us Kalifornicators are like that:)

Haha I forgot Pixel was in Kali Hirlau.

Watch that lathe Pixel!

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Originally Posted by ZeroCool

Haha I forgot Pixel was in Kali Hirlau.

Watch that lathe Pixel!

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Lathe is not a prob,gotta watch the lead screw that is a tad below waist level:)