Shop Space

[sjaffe]

Hello,

Recently I lost me home and shop in a California wildfire. Life will never be the same as they say. I am trying to move forward rather than dwelling over the loss. We have decided not to rebuild our home and are looking at purchasing a new home. My first priority has been finding something with adequate shop space. I'd like to hear from the group about your shops. Specifically:

• Where do you do your clock work (garage, attic, basement, barn, spare bedroom, etc.)?
• How large is your shop space? What are the rough dimensions?
• What sort of bench arrangement do you have? Size, source if purchased or materials if built?
• Do you do other activities in this space (i.e. machining, woodworking, etc.)
• What kind of lighting do you have (natural/windows, overhead, etc.)?
• Do you have access to a sink for cleaning? Is it in the shop or do you have to go elsewhere?
• Do you need to heat/cool this space?
• Do you have an air compressor? Where is it located (within shop, outside/covered, etc.)?
• Do you have more than one shop? How are your activities divided between them?
• What would you change to make it closer to the idea shop.
• Anything else that seems relevant

I do clock work, machining, electronics and some woodworking. The woodworking takes the most space and also creates a lot of dust which is not compatible with the other work, so I'm leaning toward just focusing on the other (cleaner) activities, which also means I don't need quite as much space as I had before (~600 sq ft).

Thanks for providing inputs on this.

Stan

 

[bruce linde]

so sorry! 8-(

given that you do wood work, it seems like you need two spaces: one that can get dusty and accommodate chips (wood, brass, etc.), and a cleaner space where you can assemble and test cleaned movements, etc.

i have a workbench along one side of a two car garage... i could probably fit a second car in there if i cleaned up the junk that accumulates between the bench and the one car usually parked inside... or managed to keep it clean.

actually, most of what i do happens at the kitchen table. it's nice to work inside, obviously drilling, sanding wood and lathe work all happen in the 'shop'. if you can end up with a dedicated shop with two rooms or a shop along with a room in an insulated and heated space that would seem best.

you might divide it into a list of tasks and what kind of space is needed for each... for example, i can do bushing work, replace weight cords, check for pivot hole wear, etc., while watching the news inside.

random thoughts... hope they help.

 

[David S]

Hi Stan,

My shop is in the basement and has all of my stuff that I would consider my shop machining, and clockwork.
Size is about 10' by 12 '
Work area is in two groups, One is tall where I can stand and work and is about elbow height when I am standing. The other bench is traditional heavy duty work bench with large vise on it. For the tall bench I have an adjustable drafting stool that I sit on. Every thing is hand built from conventional framing lumber
There is a window over the tall bench and lighting every where else.
Sink is in the laundry area just outside the work shop with a deep sink and taps
The heating and cooling is done with electric baseboards and cooling is not required.
Air compressor is within the shop and only turned on when needed. For most of my work I vacuum the chips etc up and only use the air for drying the clock parts off during the cleaning processes.
Only one shop.
I would make the shop bigger if I had to do it over, but too late now.

And that is it.

David

 

[SuffolkM]

I am terribly sorry to hear about your loss, Stan. I admire your attitude, I don't know many people who could rise above such a serious upheaval and be so positive. It is great you are looking into making a new workshop!

I have an outbuilding which was originally a summer house, with fully glazed floor-to-ceiling french doors. This obviously struck me as a huge plus for working in natural light, but in summer it is an absolute horror, being like a cooker. I fitted thermal curtains to keep it cool in summer and warm in winter, and often work with just a few curtains open to let in sufficient natural light. So my first thought would be not to overdo the sunlight! I very much prefer overcast days in there, and would happily work under predictable electric light. At least in the UK we have our share of grey days.

Inside the building I have desk space along all the walls, right the way round. As others have suggested, one end is pristine with the finer tools on hand at the 'main' desk, a storage box solution just within hand's reach from the seat, boxes and white trays for sorting dismantled parts to keep them organised - etc. I also have some solid stone pads (actually surplus tiles from a kitchen project) which make very durable, clean working platforms.

As you go down the workshop things get progressively messier, with chemicals, gas (heat bluing) area and other bigger bolted down equipment. It is a great relief to not have things like that spilling swarf and oil where you are trying hard to keep things uncontaminated.

I don't have running water in there, so I put the ultrasound cleaner and silvering setup indoors with a utility room sink which I have absolutely trashed doing clock repairs. Hehe. It is ideal in lots of ways, as I can take the dirty rags and cloths and toss them directly into the washing machine just below the sink. This arrangement is pretty good, but I always worry I'll drop and spill a tray full of clean movement parts when I am heading back to the workshop in the dark (it is dark at 4pm here in winter, and often chucking it down with rain to add to the pleasure).

I really think the key is to have as much worktop space as you can, and keep it all segregated.

One other tip; a white floor which you keep clear of debris is a big plus. I have a vinyl floor which predates my use of the room as a workshop. The wretched thing is textured to disguise any small dropped piece, and I am absolutely sick of that. Quickly finding a dropped screw or other fine part would be much easier if the floor was plain, and white seems like the best choice even though I suspect it could not be kept clean.

I hope you are successful in finding your perfect place. All the very best with this endeavour.

Best wishes,
Michael

 

[Vernon]

My shop is in the basement with no real natural light. The area that I use is about 12' by 10' with overhead and task lighting and in an L-shape using two benches. I have my lathe and mill on one bench and it's height is roughly counter height. My assemble/disassemble bench is lower (too low). I have a utility sink with my ultra sonic and hair dryer steps away. I wish that I had natural light and compressed air, It's comfortable all the same!

 

[wow]

I built mine last year. It is 15x40 feet but my wife has her craft/jewelry shop in one half. So... I have a 15x20 ft shop. I did the metal building with blown in insulation, 4 inches in walls and 6 inches in the ceiling. It has 9 ft walls. Here are photos:

 

[woodlawndon]

Stan, I'm so sorry for what you went through, but your perseverance is inspiring.

Will's is one of the best shops I've seen, I can only wish. I'll add one tiny bit about my situation. I started to build my shop in the basement but I just couldn't do it. I worked for more than 30 years in an office/lab environment with artificial lighting, I wouldn't know if it was sunny or raining outside. I can't do that anymore, so my assembly bench is on the main floor of my house with lots and lots of windows and natural light. My heavier equipment and sink is in the basement but my most enjoyable times are sitting at my bench, being able to look out the window and listen to music while I work.
Don

 

[Altashot]

Mine is “L” shaped too.
In the spare bedroom on the main level. It’s about 9’ X 13’. The washroom is just across the hallway where I use the sink. No compressor. Natural light and task lights. The bench is below the window, on the other bench by the lathe is where I do the dirtier work. The 2 tables are the type with folding legs that have been reinforced and leveled. The legs no longer fold. Both tables are 8’ long.

This picture is a little distorted due to the panoramic feature I used.

Using the space bedroom means that we have no overnight visitors. Most of them ask: “How do you sleep in here with all these clocks?”
To which I always reply: “In 15 minute increments”.
That normally dissuades them from overstaying their welcome.

M.

 

[FDelGreco]

Sorry about your home. I don’t think I could ever start over at my age.

My shop is my entire basement. I do some clock repair – mainly my own stuff – plus woodworking, metalworking, and so forth. It is over 1600sq. ft. – about 28’ x 59’. It is absolutely dry and it is heated and air conditioned.

It is 100% mine. My wife has nothing of hers in it.

My lighting is nine double lamp 8’ high output fluorescent lights. I’ve been told I could perform surgery there. I wired the basement myself and used more than a quarter of a mile of Romex to do so. I have many 120V outlets and a half-dozen 240V outlets for machines.

I’ve got four main workbenches along with some other benches and tables.

My air compressor is located in the room as well. I also have a sink with running water.

You should have a straight entrance from outside or the garage in order to bring machinery into the shop without having to drag it through the house.

You never have enough room. I’d like more!

Here are images of my shop from a number of angles. Hope they give you some ideas.



Finally, I'm a clamp freak. My motto is, "You can never have enough clamps!" So far, over 150:



Good luck!

Frank

 

[shutterbug]

I recently moved from a split level home to a single floor home in another state. I had to eliminate a lot of stuff, because the new home does not have a room I can dedicate to clock repair. It does have an outside building that was used by the builder as a work shop of sorts. I insulated it and installed one of those little stand up heat pumps that vents through a window to provide my heat and A/C. I'm still working on getting it organized, but have found that plenty of pegboard is a real plus. I recently finished rebuilding my bench (brought it with me, disassembled) and will be back in business by January I hope. One negative is that there is no water to the shop, but I can deal with that (if my wife can)

 

[etmb61]

I built mine last year. It is 15x40 feet but my wife has her craft/jewelry shop in one half. So... I have a 15x20 ft shop. I did the metal building with blown in insulation, 4 inches in walls and 6 inches in the ceiling. It has 9 ft walls. Here are photos:

View attachment 623748 View attachment 623749 View attachment 623750 View attachment 623751 View attachment 623752 View attachment 623753

Will,

Are you planning to cover the foam insulation? Highly flammable stuff!

Eric

 

[wow]

Will,

Are you planning to cover the foam insulation? Highly flammable stuff!

Eric

No. Like the look. Like a man cave! Didn’t know it was flammable. Thought just the opposite.

 

[woodlawndon]

Will, check the product, some are flammable, some aren't. Most of those approved for residential are not, but it's worth checking. I like the look too.

Frank, that's one hell of a shop, you guys do it right. Maybe one day...
Don

 

[MuensterMann]

My clock repair space is between my garage and a desk in a bedroom. Clocks are all over. I have been contemplating to build a dedicated space and I am enjoying this thread with the photos. It is giving me ideas on size, setup, layout, etc. I like the idea of lining the walls with 3/4 inch plywood so I can hang clocks and tools anywhere. 9-feet walls would be a minimum. Natural light is a good idea and although I would lose wall space, I can place work benches under windows. I will have electricity, but I may have to forego water in /water out.

 

[wow]

I used 3/8 “ sanded plywood. It’s much easier to handle than 3/4”. 3/8 is thick enough to hold clocks using screws even if it is not in a stud.

 

[MuensterMann]

Well, if 3/8 or 1/2 inch works, then cannot argue with success. Same look.