dream shop

Joined
Aug 20, 2011
Messages
40
ok so we have all seen the shop setup threads that come through all the time
but i have never seen a "dream shop" thread in quite a while
so my question to all who care to respond is

what would be your ideal shop setup

disregarding cost and space what would you have

be as realistic or fanatic as you want just think of YOUR ideal shop :)
 
One I am comfortable in. If I am in perfect shop with everything I need but am afraid of ruining anything or if I am just not used to it, I don't get anything.
 
Nick Wheeler's shop would make me pretty darn happy. He's got an awesome shop to go with his awesome skills.
 
I'd just move into a tent on Nick Wheeler's new property. Close enough I could still go see my family.

Honestly though. A 20'x30' hot room with 2-3 power hammers and a press or two. A clean room for fit up, sheath work. Another room with a couple belt and disc grinders. Then one more room with Bridgeport and a lathe and surface grinder....

Wait! That's STILL Nick's shop. :D

I honestly want a power hammer and a press in the worst way. Of course in this dream world I'd actually have TIME to use the shop too!
 
Well, I haven't spent enough time with the 2x72's to say which is the best for me, but probably two or three 2x72's with big motors and independent VFD's. That way I can leave one or two setup for specific tasks I do over and over and then have one for the tasks that involve changing tool arms or reconfiguring a platen or wheel constantly.
A good surface grinder well suited to knife making sized stock.
A couple mid sized disk sanders, 10-12"
A 2x72 horizontal grinder, or just a good setup for one of the other 2x72's, it's the capabilities, not the specific tool I would like to have.
Two double sided buffers, for a total of 4 wheels, just saves time changing out wheels to use different compounds.
Sand/media blasting cabinet.
decent sized compressor. I don't use compressed air much, but between the blasting cabinet and occasional other uses it's nice to have a big tank. I don't need it to fill up real fast but a 40 or 60 gallon tank with a reasonable compressor would be nice. This would be plumbed in so give outputs around the shop.
I'd probably want the above in a fairly contained area, it doesn't need a ton of extra space since I'm only using one tool at a time, I don't need elbow room for the guy next to me, just enough that each tool is not interfering with the use of those next to it.
A hand sanding station with some flat plates, sanding blocks, cubby holes for different papers....
Storage for belts where I can hang each particular type and grit of belt on its own hook in a nice organized fashion.
A couple vice stations.
Metal and wood cutting bandsaws.
Small but precise table saw
Small joiner
A good mill. I'm not up on the specifics of milling, but if we're in fantasy land here I'll go with a nice industrial CNC machine with all the automation and self calibration and alignment I can get. I want the machine to tell me when I'm messing up as much as possible. I'm a computer guy, so I'm more comfortable sitting down and programming a sequence for a part than I imagine I would be doing it by hand. I can see the potential use for a small but well made manual though, for a simple part I only intend to make once.
A good drill press for 3/16" and larger holes. Another well suited to smaller holes. Ideally though it would be a single drill press with digital speed control and a chuck that goes from pin holes to large bore stuff with no loss of precision. Within reason I expect I'd start using the mill for a lot of what I now use the drill press for.
A tapping station, I hate doing this by hand.
Salt tanks for heat treating, along with the other required equipment.
Since we're going "ideal" I'll add a decent forging station. Since we're in fantasy land can we include a clone of Sam who helps out with all the blacksmithing work, never needs fed or paid, and cleans the shop when I'm not there? We can clone him a companion of his choice too, since we're not worried about practicalities here. :)
The last thing I'd want that's specific to the shop is a good air filter/vac system setup with ports at each tool. I don't need a huge one, I'm ok with a unit that needs me to open and close each port to maximize suction. Of course, if we're going crazy and money's really no object at all, and neither is space, sure, go for the huge one that can run them all at once.

In another room, with either a double door or rotating door access from the dirty area, a finishing area with storage for handle materials, finishes, glues... Plenty of counter space, lots of clamps, a little snack prep area too. :) I'd probably put a computer in here as well. Run speakers there and in the dirty area to play music off the computer, with a remote.
A couple presses for kydex work along with more storage for kydex and other sheath materials.
A work area for leather along with another clone, I'm not sure who for leather work, but I'd figure it out.

For both areas, tons of light but on multiple switches and dimmers so it's fully adjustable, including natural light. Good heating and cooling, insulated both for temp and sound so I can work whenever I want without disturbing anyone.

I'm sure I'll come up with more ideas but that's the gist of it. Can we add an indoor 75' shooting range able to handle up to 50bmg?

Fully insured, no property taxes, full fire prevention/mitigation system....

ETA: Thanks for reminding me. The sanding station and handle work area come with Nick Wheeler clones. :)
 
Right now I have most of my tools at my buddy Greg Haile's due to moving, working 70 hours a week etc... with the joking about working from other knifemaker's shops that they spent years putting together aside, I think another dream shop idea would be to have a couple buddies like Greg all in the same shop together. Pooling tools and ideas to come up with something you would take ten years to do by yourself.
I've enjoyed every minute of shop time with the guys I've met over the last year.
 
:) Maybe we should add a nice area for hammer in stuff. Benches and tables for eating, showing off work... BBQ outside
 
If you want fantasy - Every piece of smithing and metallurgical equipment in existence in a shop the size of the pentagon. Staffed by all the great makers and artist smiths. A supply room of every metal made as well as all the gemstones that exist in sizes from 1/4 to 10 carats. Might as well clone Warenski's DNA and re-unite him with Julie ( sorry Curt)......Well that sort of shows how that direction isn't really worth much.

Now for a more realistic Super Shop.
About 6000 SqFt ( 100X60) downstairs with 3000SqFt open storage upstairs ( with trap door and hoist, of course).
Three phase 440V power, 200PSI air at 30CFM, full HVAC, exhaust hood, and dust collection. 3" Commercial pressure natural gas line.
25,50, 100# Iron Kiss hammers. 30 ton and 100 ton press.
Full set of HT ovens and salt pots. Induction, coal, propane forges.
At least three belt grinders and three disc grinders. Mills, drills, band saws, surface grinders, water-jet cutting rig, laser engraver, and hand engraving station.
Anvils, tools, vises, etc.
Fully equipped 20X25 Wood Shop in one corner room.
Full locker room with shower and jacuzzi in another corner.
20X20 show room in the street side corner.
20x20 office and clean room for drafting and CAD work, in the other street side corner.
20X20 welding shop.
Glass walls on all but the locker room.
A small electric fork lift and a big truck.
Two full time shop assistants.
Outside ,it would be nice to have old hammers and ,forging, and mining equipment for garden decor.

Wood, ivory, metal, ...............................TIME.
 
My ideal shop will consist of separated areas.

1. The front would be "traditional smithy" that is a hybrid of Japanese and European equipment/tools. It would be set up like a demo area to hold classes and hammer-ins.

2. A "modern" forging and heat treating area with an LP forge, kiln, quenchtank, etc...

3. A dedicated room for grinding

4. Clean areas for finishing and sheaths

The smithy and modern forge could be separated with partial walls but the grinding and clean rooms would need to be isolated with sliding patio doors.

I'll attach a layout to this post, later.
 
I am extremely fortunate to be well on my way to having my dream shop. I have the building and many of the tools, but I haven't had the time (or money to pay someone) to get the new shop set up yet.

I don't think there's such a thing as too big of a shop building--- note I said shop building. A shop building, in my mind, would include all kinds of storage, room for cars/trucks, etc. But I do think you can have too big of a knife shop. Yea, I said it. :foot: ;) My new shop is 36'X48' and I love it, but right at this point, I only have about 700 sq ft of it set up with tools. I need to move a wall on the other side, and build another one as well. Even with that in mind, it's crazy to go from my old shop where everything was within about 10 paces of everything else, to the new space where the grinders are 35' away from the finish work bench. I still haven't gotten used to it. (but I'm glad to "put up" with this newfound issue ;) ). I think a shop much bigger than my new one, that's JUST a knife shop, would leave you killing a ton of time just going from tool to tool or room to room.

Now I'd love to have another 25' of length attached for storage of non-knife stuff.

There are a few "essential elements" IMO about a dream shop, no matter who it's for:

LOTS of light
Windows
Plenty of receptacles
Easy to organize and easy to clean
 
For me, combine this for canoe building and restoration:


...with this for knife making(this is my friend Grant's Firehouse Ironworks shop here on Cape Breton):
 
Stacy...............

You forgot the most important tool of all

A refrigerator
 
I have my super shop already !!!! It's 12X20 and in it I have a couple of drill presses, 2 band saws, 2 - 2X72 grinders, 1 - 1x42 a small lath, a small buffing area,1 bad scroll saw, 3 vices, and a bunch of common hand tools. I make liner locking folders only and have yet to be limited by what I have. To see some of my work, go to custom knife gallery and scroll down on the left hand side. Frank
 
I have the pleasure of visiting, and working in what i would consider my dream shops being friends with Brett Mathews, and Dan Westlind, however as far as dreams go combine those two and throw in A.C. Richards, and i would be in heaven and absolutely not have anymore excuses!!
 
I go to work at mine every day. Family manufacturing business.

No hot work area though. Hopefully soon, you guys look like you are having way too much fun.
 
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