I'm going to extend the workshop (again)

[The Bowler Hatted Turner]

When I first moved in over 30 years ago I built the workshop at the bottom of the garden. 12' x 8'.  It was just to store tools in and my lathe. Hardly enough room to work in.
  Eventually I extended it right across the garden it was then 16'x8'. Big enough to store tools in and my lathe and big enough to work in, in those days after work I spent my time restoring grandfather clock cases. Then I got the graduate lathe, so had to put a 12'x6' extension on the front of the workshop. I still store tools there and it has my lathe and I earn my living from there but..........I also have to store all of my timber in there too!
     Soooooo....I am now going to extend the workshop for the last time. SWMBO has told me that under no circumstances will I be allowed to cut down,trim or move any of the fruit trees so I am going to square it off so that it is 16' square. I am also going to build a timber store and store my timber in it (what else?) This will allow me to free up probably 2' all along each wall effectively making the workshop that much bigger.
      I will have to put a post in to support the roof (I know I could make a latticework beam and span it in one thereby giving me unrestricted space) so I was thinking about the post. It will be fairly central so I am going to put shelves around it and turn it into my sharpening station. I may even move the graduate under the ridge so that I can have pupils over 6' tall.

[seventhdevil]

i would take the opportunity to build a shop as big as you can in the space available or you'll regret it...

biult mine at the bottom of the garden like you but did not go the whole way, wish i had now. it's currently 20'x15' but could have been 30' long and given me all the room i think i would have needed.

[Graham]

Sounds like a plan. Make sure you design in somewhere for the kettle.

[Eric Harvey]

sounds like a good Idea,my workshop is 12`x10` but I think I`ll have to extend onto the veranda at some stage to give me an extra 3`x12` as well as roofing the 13` x 7` storage area at the back of the workshop,cheers,

Eric.

[woody]

Sounds like a good plan why is it that no workshop is ever big enough after a short time there's never enough room no matter what we all need several workshops one for well that may come in handy one day LOL

[The Bowler Hatted Turner]

You are right Woody. Trouble with me is I just can't bring myself to get rid of any tools. After working so hard to buy them in the first place and losing most of my joinery tools in a fire at one company I worked for and still going to the toolbox 25 years later looking for a particular piece of kit I just want to hold on to it all. Then there is the wood collection in sizes ranging from full planks to I am sure I can make something from that and the screws, some of which have only been used once! On top of that are my carving chisels and bench chisels, hammers (at least 20 ) planes(10 off) the world's best collection of screwdrivers and spanners, probably over 1000 drill bits and more power tools than you could shake a stick at!! Yes I think the shed extension really is a good idea and not before time.

[Graham]

Sounds more like you need a warehouse, or barn 

[bodrighywood]

Sounds you need to be on that programme John, compulsive hoarders LOL. Seriously, however much space you have it will never be enough. I had a massive sort out to start the New Year, somehow, despite getting rid of a lot of 'junk' after gritting my teeth, I am already in a position where I am running out of space in, what's the date? two weeks. My friend next door has the perfect set up. He has a workshop that is about 100ft long, 40 ft wide and has all commercial machines including a wadkin RS full size capable of turning 15ft spindles and 8ft diameter, bandsaw that cuts up to 24" diameter, factory thicknesser, Wadkin table saw and goodness knows what else. He also has a toilet, little set up with tea coffee etc. One day........

Pete

[TWiG]

I am totally the opposite ... minimalist .. I work in a 8 foot by 5 foot shed ... , have the minimum of tools ,as I really do not use that many  . I rarely buy gadgets , I do store wood elsewhere , all of my wood is trimmed to shape with a chainsaw away from home .  My shed is almost totally uncluttered inside and painted white with no shelves , I have a short bed lathe , just a small cupboard and a stack of plastic storage boxes , and I find this set up ideal , the microclene airfilter does a good job of clearing the air of dust  , the only problem is the floor soon gets deep in shavings , but then again it is quick and easy to clean up !

[julcle]

I can just about get into mine ? 20' x 12'

[The Bowler Hatted Turner]

trouble is, no matter how hard I try I cannot work tidy. I have always got several projects on the go at one time things like wood for one job being glued up with wood stacked for another whilst doing a drawing for the next. Mind they used to say that a clean workshop is a non productive workshop but after a while production grinds to a halt forcing me to have a clear up/out. (and yes before anyone says it I should know better especially as I am the H&S man).

[Graham]

I am totally the opposite ... minimalist .. I work in a 8 foot by 5 foot shed ... , have the minimum of tools ,as I really do not use that many  . I rarely buy gadgets , I do store wood elsewhere , all of my wood is trimmed to shape with a chainsaw away from home .  My shed is almost totally uncluttered inside and painted white with no shelves , I have a short bed lathe , just a small cupboard and a stack of plastic storage boxes , and I find this set up ideal , the microclene airfilter does a good job of clearing the air of dust  , the only problem is the floor soon gets deep in shavings , but then again it is quick and easy to clean up !

Thats how I am, in my head. Never seems to work that way in practice though.

[andersonec]

SWMBO has told me that under no circumstances will I be allowed to cut down,trim or move any of the fruit trees

Could it be a coincidence that while she was out shopping you had a hurricane and one or two of those trees (or should I saw turning blank trees) got blown down in the wind??

Andy

[Bryan Milham]

Sounds like a plan. Make sure you design in somewhere for the kettle.

And a Loo, saves the sore ear from a trail of shavings.

[The Bowler Hatted Turner]

planning continues. I have a door that is 11/2 doors wide, never needed it that wide since installing it. The new door will be a single, this will allow me to put the paints and combustables cabinet by the side of the door.I did think about making the door open inwards to act as a fire screen should the paints cabinet burst into flames but decided that by the time I had opened the door I could be outside anyway, and fire exits should open outwards too. So decided just to open out the door with the handle furthest away from the fire cabinet. I will now have to think where to place the fire extinguisher.
      The construction will be 3' high blockwork with a wooden frame on top. The (old) new extention was clad with tapered fencing boards fixed on top of the building paper on top of the wooden frame. Can you still get building paper? The framework then had Celotex inbetween and clad with stirling board painted white. Same as the ceiling except that had white hardboard applied. This was a very successful build so I will probably do the same again.
       What I am going to do though is make it wheelcahir accessible. This could be of benefit should I ever have a disabled pupil but will also benefit myself should I start to loose mobility in the future. One thing I am definately going to do is uprate the electrics to IP65. This should stop my sockets getting full of dust and shavings. I can't install a loo, not enough room and I will not have a kettle as if I didn't walk up to the house for coffee I wouldn't get any exercise at all and at least it gets me out of the workshop now and then.