Workbench Layout Input

woodwrkr221 said:
A local wood worker I know doesn't have a shop, just a two car garage he parks both cars in. All of his wood shop machines, benches, everything, are on lockable casters and they're configured so that every last stitch of his stuff can be packed into a 2' wide space along the left wall of his garage. When he wants to build something he backs both cars out of the garage, rolls all of his machines and benches out away from the wall to the spots where he uses them, locks the casters and goes to work. At the end of the day he unlocks the casters, rolls all his stuff back over against the wall where they're packed together like Sardines and puts the cars back in the garage. It's positively ingenious and works just fine for him. Put your brain to it and you should be able to do something similar.
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Most of my stuff is on wheels for that very reason
 
NStricker said:
Wherever you mount your grinder you'll want storage racks for the extra tool arms and legs or some kind of hanger for your belts. Don't forget about ductwork, etc for your dust containment system, especially if that water heater is gas.

Beyond that a good rule of thumb is 3 feet minimum of bench space for each stationary tool.

You'll also want a "clean" room or area for finish work and constructing sheaths so you don't get your grinding dust and grit contaminating your finish abrasives, buffer wheels, and so on.
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Yea I am actually thinking about doing the 'clean' work inside in the spare room.....
 
NStricker said:
Wherever you mount your grinder you'll want storage racks for the extra tool arms and legs or some kind of hanger for your belts. Don't forget about ductwork, etc for your dust containment system, especially if that water heater is gas.

Beyond that a good rule of thumb is 3 feet minimum of bench space for each stationary tool.

You'll also want a "clean" room or area for finish work and constructing sheaths so you don't get your grinding dust and grit contaminating your finish abrasives, buffer wheels, and so on.
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What's wrong with working near the water heater? I do all my woodworking there now.....
 
VFD's are larger than many folks realize. They take up a fair amount of room. I have a KBAC 27D mounted for my grinder and its pretty large.
 
You might consider this for your grinder so you can wheel it outside and grind. That's what I do. Mine is mounted on a old ekg cart my wife got from the clinic she works at...it is stout with locking wheels
 
Droptine5 said:
You might consider this for your grinder so you can wheel it outside and grind. That's what I do. Mine is mounted on a old ekg cart my wife got from the clinic she works at...it is stout with locking wheels
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I'm actually looking at the premade benches made by Kreg, they're very heavy duty and you can get casters for them as well
 
Maybe post some pictures of your work space so people can get a better idea of the layout.
 
This is what I have on a 2'x4' bench. I have another bench along a wall in the garage and one in the basement I used for reloading that now gets used for kydex etc.

Grinder1_zpsa1ab624a.jpg
 
You work for a wood company. You've built furniture. Why are you buying benches? 2x4s, 2x6s, and 3/4" plywood. Easy to make a super heavy bench.

I had this old butcher block top, but the rest is 2x6s and 2x4s. I can barely flip it over. I still need to add the 600 lb. levelers from Rockler, but it's incredibly sturdy. This is the bench where I'll spend a significant amount of time in the shop. The grinder is my main tool, right? I feel like it was time and (not much really) money well spent.

20141230_180939.jpg


Don't pay attention to the junk in the background. I dragged everything from one side of the barn to the other to build my warm shop space. It all got burnt later. On a completely unrelated and off topic note, the ceilings are going in tomorrow! Lights and I'm done!
 
Just reread your original post. For reference, that bench I posted is 50"x30". So, similar to your size. You could get a drill press on there too. Not much else though. Definitely make the other bench you were thinking about. Just remember, every horizontal space has a tendency to be a clutter catcher. I fight it daily. I'm going to be instituting a Don Fogg-ian mindset in my new shop. Floor swept at the beginning of every day.
 
NStricker said:
Is it gas? Does it have a pilot light? Airborne particulates can be flammable
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This is the reason that gas water heaters have to have a FVIR system on them now. I am guessing that he has electric because if he did much woodworking around that water heater the wood dust particles would plug up the FVIR screens fast.
 
Is this work space the same area you do your wood work in? Are your wood working tools stored in the open? Wheeling the grinder outside is a very good idea. Even with extraction and an air filter I find magnetic dust on all horizontal surfaces, floor to ceiling. My shop space is about 3m x5m and the grinder is on its own bench in one corner. That dang dust gets everywhere.

Drill presses throw swarf all over the place. I have mine away from my assembly area and definitely away from where I work wood. However, it is only a step or two away since I find that there is a lot of rapid traffic between drilling and trial assembly/measuring.
 
Brian.Evans said:
You work for a wood company. You've built furniture. Why are you buying benches? 2x4s, 2x6s, and 3/4" plywood. Easy to make a super heavy bench.

I had this old butcher block top, but the rest is 2x6s and 2x4s. I can barely flip it over. I still need to add the 600 lb. levelers from Rockler, but it's incredibly sturdy. This is the bench where I'll spend a significant amount of time in the shop. The grinder is my main tool, right? I feel like it was time and (not much really) money well spent.

20141230_180939.jpg


Don't pay attention to the junk in the background. I dragged everything from one side of the barn to the other to build my warm shop space. It all got burnt later. On a completely unrelated and off topic note, the ceilings are going in tomorrow! Lights and I'm done!
Click to expand...

I've built all my benches, in the end having a 300-600# bench isn't always needed (how much they usually end up weighing) and can be a major pain trying to pull it around, even with the best casters.
 
Brian.Evans said:
Just reread your original post. For reference, that bench I posted is 50"x30". So, similar to your size. You could get a drill press on there too. Not much else though. Definitely make the other bench you were thinking about. Just remember, every horizontal space has a tendency to be a clutter catcher. I fight it daily. I'm going to be instituting a Don Fogg-ian mindset in my new shop. Floor swept at the beginning of every day.
Click to expand...

I have done decided to make a separate rolling bench from one of the Kreg premade frames specifically for my grinder, theyre very sturdy and lightweight to start with, once i put a top on it and close in the bottom it'll be heavy but not as heavy if it was solid woodand put the other stationary tools on the one shown
 
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C_Claycomb said:
Is this work space the same area you do your wood work in? Are your wood working tools stored in the open? Wheeling the grinder outside is a very good idea. Even with extraction and an air filter I find magnetic dust on all horizontal surfaces, floor to ceiling. My shop space is about 3m x5m and the grinder is on its own bench in one corner. That dang dust gets everywhere.

Drill presses throw swarf all over the place. I have mine away from my assembly area and definitely away from where I work wood. However, it is only a step or two away since I find that there is a lot of rapid traffic between drilling and trial assembly/measuring.
Click to expand...

I roll my tables out in the doorway when I have lots of cutting and will be setting my grinder up to do the same
 
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