Workshop - how much room needed?

[pso]

Some suggestions would be appreciated regarding physically setting up a shop. I am interested in issues such as the size of the shop, lighting, ventilation, utilities, safety and noise control. Is there anything that would preclude combining a knifemaking shop with, say a woodworking shop?

We are planning a house and I want allow for a shop. I would like to eventually accomodate the equipment for stock removal as well as forging. The property is rural with only one neighboring house within sight (about 100 yards away). I will probably be building it myself, after the house.

Thanks in advance.

Phil

Desperately seeking quality cutlery in New Zealand

 

[Chiro75]

Well, the pictures I've seen have run the gamut from ridiculously small to really huge. I haven't ground any knives, but I have done kits where I do the handle work, etc. Also I make sheaths. I can get everything I need done on a relatively small area of workbench. For knives, it seems like you need a few square feet of workbench space, some pegboard on the wall for blade blanks and tools, a foot or two of space for you becnh vise. YOu will need a little elbow room for the grinder, and a buffer, too, as well as your shop vac for ventilation. I wouldn't think that you NEED moych space at all, especially if you keep a neat and organized shop. Forging is a different thing altogether and I know nothing about it.

------------------
My Custom Kydex Sheath pagehttp://www.geocities.com/CollegePark/Lab/1298/knifehome.html
Palmer College of Chiropractic
On Two Wheels

 

[tom mayo]

as big as you can....20x20 would be good... but in a few years you will want more room.. trust me on this one...make it as big as you can and you can use part of it for storage until you need it....then throw all of the junk you stored away so you can put your tools there.....

------------------
tm

 

[goshawk]

You are going to want a seperate forge shop
for sure it can be attached but better if seperated. If your not planning on a small power hammer the forge shop could be 12 x 12.
If your going to combine wood and metal work there may be a problem with the fine sawdust and sparks from grinders. It could also create a problem with finnishing your knives with all the fine dust. It's bad enough having a finnishing area in a big shop 28x25
with a vacuume system and the finnishing area
there. and you can never have enough room as stated before. Ideally it would be nice to have 3 seperate rooms, forge - grinding - finnishing. A friend of mine has it that way and it works out great.

GOSHAWK http://www.imt.net/~goshawk