# Help me design my shop layout (Sketchup)



## TerryDavis (Nov 2, 2012)

I've been on this site for years and haven't posted much. I've mostly just been a wallflower admiring all of the beautiful and interesting projects and tips that I have come across on this site. Now, I'm stuck as to what I should do next and I'm spending too much time worrying about my shop layout and not enough time making sawdust!!

So…as the title suggests…I'm trying to come up with a "smart" and logical layout for my basement shop. The walls are framed and the drywall is stacked in one corner of the room, but I'm trying to figure out where my tools will go before I run the electrical and I'm starting to plan for dust collection drops.

I've toyed around with a few layouts, but I can't seem to settle on anything. My shop space is about as limited as my time is these days and I would prefer to just get this thing laid out as close to "right" the first time.

Notes:

The smaller rooms are off limits and will be separate from the shop area
The workbench is not built yet, so the dimensions "might" change slightly
I would like to add some additional cabinets in the future (probably hanging on the wall near the workbench)
Lumber storage will likely be wall hung (Portamate variant or shop-built)
I'm not dead set on putting the dust collector under that stairs, but it seems like a good place to get it out of the way and cut down on some noise in the shop
As you can see, there is plumbing roughed out in a few places from when the house was built. I'm not against cutting the risers down, but would prefer to leave them alone in case I use them in the future and/or to protect the resale of the house
Most all of the objects are on layers that can be turned on/off

Any and all help is greatly appreciated!!

Link to my shared Sketchup File:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1EghNBbMn-Bng66J_y848z0kLKHl2Y8Tt


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## MrRon (Jul 9, 2009)

You may want to get an air compressor later and that could share the space under the stairs with the DC. Since you are limited on space, I would put as many tools on mobile bases as you can. Electrical outlets are usually surface mounted and located around 48" above the floor and spaced every 4-6'. Put outlets on at least 2 separate circuits; lighting on it's own circuit and a 220 circuit. Getting it right the first time is easier said than done. I have rearranged my shop more times than I can keep track of and my shop is 1200 sq ft. How is the access to the basement? Is it easy to move machines and wood into the basement. I can't tell from your sketch; looks like it's pretty constricted. I would add an electrical sub panel. That is to keep the circuits separate from the living area; you don't want lights to dim upstairs when running a power tool in the basement. Only when you are actually working on a project will you realize the proper arrangement of your shop. The table saw will require the most real estate and I would position the jointer/planer alongside the saw if possible. The bandsaw is best left mobile. Instead of a wall workbench, it could be incorporated with the tablesaw to serve as an outfeed table as well as all other use. A smaller wall mounted bench out of the way can be for small projects. As you browse this forum and others, you will see how others have taken advantage of their space availability. Having the house HVAC in the same space where woodworking dust is generated would concern me. I'm sure others will chime in with lots of good ideas.


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## 000 (Dec 9, 2015)

Put your jointer and planer on wheels then you can keep them anywhere and roll the out to use.

Some ideas, I don't know if there any better but as I always say, food for thought.


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## TerryDavis (Nov 2, 2012)

> You may want to get an air compressor later and that could share the space under the stairs with the DC. Since you are limited on space, I would put as many tools on mobile bases as you can. Electrical outlets are usually surface mounted and located around 48" above the floor and spaced every 4-6 . Put outlets on at least 2 separate circuits; lighting on it s own circuit and a 220 circuit. Getting it right the first time is easier said than done. I have rearranged my shop more times than I can keep track of and my shop is 1200 sq ft. How is the access to the basement? Is it easy to move machines and wood into the basement. I can t tell from your sketch; looks like it s pretty constricted. I would add an electrical sub panel. That is to keep the circuits separate from the living area; you don t want lights to dim upstairs when running a power tool in the basement. Only when you are actually working on a project will you realize the proper arrangement of your shop. The table saw will require the most real estate and I would position the jointer/planer alongside the saw if possible. The bandsaw is best left mobile. Instead of a wall workbench, it could be incorporated with the tablesaw to serve as an outfeed table as well as all other use. A smaller wall mounted bench out of the way can be for small projects. As you browse this forum and others, you will see how others have taken advantage of their space availability. Having the house HVAC in the same space where woodworking dust is generated would concern me. I m sure others will chime in with lots of good ideas.
> 
> - MrRon


MrRon:
Thanks for the feedback! I do appreciate it. I actually already have an air compressor in my garage and have a line plumbed into the basement (soft line for right now, but I'm probably going to plumb it with a hard line and put a dedicated regulator in the basement).

I wasn't dead set on surface-mounting the outlets, but the thought has crossed my mind. I was thinking about installing them into the wall at a typical height to hopefully increase resale if/when I move out (in case the next owner has no interest in a basement shop). I guess I could always mount them in the wall and then extend up the wall with track and surface-mounted boxes.

I've already wired in a sub-panel (60 amp) and wired the lighting circuit through it. The lights are 6 (or maybe it's 8) 48" 2-bulb florescent with daylight bulbs. I mounted all of this years ago when I first started.

I've also thought about placing the main bench behind the tablesaw. Then again, I might feel better with a dedicated outfeed table so that if I need to make a large cut I don't have to clean off the bench 

The path to the basement isn't too bad, but it's not great either. I actually opened up the bottom stair and converted it into a landing to make the turn at the bottom easier. I can carry down 4×8 sheets with a little effort (I took the 16 sheets of drywall down by myself; I was somewhere between life and death afterwards). I try to plan out projects and tools and so forth with the stairs and making the turn at the bottom with all of that in mind.

I plan on sealing off the HVAC closet with custom built doors with filters in them to protect from sucking dust up into it, although the system by itself is pretty self-contained and sealed up well (95% efficient).

Thanks again for the info!


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## TerryDavis (Nov 2, 2012)

> Put your jointer and planer on wheels then you can keep them anywhere and roll the out to use.
> 
> Some ideas, I don t know if there any better but as I always say, food for thought.
> 
> - jbay


Thank jbay for the feedback!

I'm liking the L-shaped top on the cabinets. The cabinets were a pair of 36" vanity base that my neighbor was throwing out…they never made it to the curb. That would definitely help work around the plumbing.

Seeing the bench up against the tablesaw makes me realize that I also have an end vise as well…so I might need to reconfigure the setup of the vises (again, the bench isn't built yet) or adjust the placement.

I'm liking the bandsaw on that wall as well.

Does anybody think that I will have issues pulling large chips from the jointer and planer given the distance to the dust collector if I put them on the far wall??


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## Lazyman (Aug 8, 2014)

You will have to move the jointer and planer out from the wall to use them anyway where they are in Jbays layout so since they need to be portable, you can move them closer to your dust collector when you use them. Assuming you are going to put your lumber rack on the long empty wall in Jbay's layout, you could just put them there below the rack and might not have to move them to use them? Another option for where to store the planer is to make a lower mobile stand for it and roll it under the L-shaped bench when not in use.

I would put the bandsaw next to the drill press (where the planer is in Jbay's layout). That way you can set the DP's table height to act as outfeed support when resawing long boards. That would free up that small angled wall for a tool wall or chest and have it relatively close to the bench/outfeed table.


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## MrRon (Jul 9, 2009)

If you haven't done the lighting yet, I suggest going with LED's. You will save money in the long run, provide a good level of light and it will be a "feature" when you sell. Do not use PVC pipe for air. You can use steel, copper, or just rubber hose. http://www.grizzly.com/catalog/2018/main/?p=292


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