How to Set Up a Wood Workshop

My wood workshop

The size of a wood workshop will be determined by where it is going to be located. This article refers to setting up one somewhere in your home, like I did. I will guide you through some ideas that should make your end results effective.

Things You'll Need

• overall plan
• wiring experience
• access to hand tools
• at least 7 feet of ceiling height in your room

Instructions

1. 

   Determine where the wood shop will be located. In the basement, garage or other "out" buildings that you may have available. For this article, I am choosing to build a wood shop in my basement.

2. I like my shop in the basement because it is warm and cool, dry and electricity is available.

3. 

   I chose to apply white 4 x 8 panels to my ceiling which reflects light. Proper lighting when you are building projects is a MUST.

4. On a piece of paper, layout your design as you first think about it. Decide what equipment you will have and where those pieces will be placed. Allow for ample room around all pieces of equipment and realize that your "space" will tend to fill up as time goes on.

5. 

   One very important aspect easily overlooked is where will you store dimensional lumber as well plywood or other materials to be used in constructing projects. I tend to store my long boards on a hanging wrack anchored to the ceiling and inline with the 36" door to the shop. That way I can easily stock that unit with proper lumber as needed.

6. Other ceiling mounted storage units can easily be built to hold other various boards or plywood scraps as you begin building projects. These pieces become numerous very quickly. You really need to allow for this "scrap" to be stored somewhere.

7. My next consideration after you have a firm layout in mind, is to install electrical outlets and/or supply lines for certain equipment such as saws, drills, etc. Run these circuits before you install shelves. Go to http://www.easyhomeimprovementprojects.com for excellent help to install outlets, lights and other items.

8. Florescent lighting is best in my opinion. I like using 8 foot long fixtures which each hold 2 bulbs. This make for great lighting and fewer shadows. Again, the above mentioned website will give you information to install these units.

9. 

   You must consider early on, like now, exactly where your equipment will be placed. Allow room to actually use this equipment. A saw needs to have room for a long board to be manipulated before it is actually cut into it's proper size. I have about 12 to the left of my chop saw, you should too. If you are lucky enough to have a table saw, then be sure to leave room all the way around it. If ever you rip a piece of 4 x 8 plywood or panelling, you will need at least 8 feet in front and behind the saw in order to be able to push the plywood through the saw.

   Even a drill press and all other electrical tools need space.

10. 

    It's time now to start thinking about you will build working tables to actually construct your projects on. I use a 42" x 72" table all the time and on all projects. More than one is nice at times. At least build some areas half that size for starters.

11. Shelves and storage for tools is another consideration.

Tips & Warnings

• Never build anything too LARGE to get out of your basement.

Resources

• For more