Small shop setup with incoming cabinet saw

[GaryA]

Hi guys...follow on to my dilemma on shop setup (continued from Jet posting in Bargains - thanks again Jeffrey!) Pics attached. It's actually about 11 wide by 19.5 deep, single car garage, overhead door, interior access door, breaker panels accessable (plenty of power to spare). 3 fairly large windows facing the street.

So, I've got Ridgid jointer (unnasembled (in pic in front of DC-should build this weekend) Delta DC, HF 14"bandsaw, Bosch 12" SCMS on MSUV, BT3100 (on its way over to the 2 car garage until I can sell it)now Jet 50" 3HP cab saw (guess I can ditch my small router table since this is built into the Jet saw), paint cabinet, utility sink, etc. Building lumber rack this weekend to get everything off of the floor., have a crappy bench, will build one eventually to replace

I was thinking about putting the saw close to the door on the left side (window side) with outfeed moving towards back of shop, moving the DC just in front of it (got some duct work to do), lumber rack on wall of interior door. I was thinking of base & wall cabinets on the wall where the DC is in the pic across over to the circuit panels (something like what was in the last Shopnotes cover?)? Jointer in front of TS?, bandsaw where it is? SCMS on MSUV under lumber? guess I can ditch the paint cabinet (pictures behind SCMS) and build something that will take no floor space? Any suggestions on saw placement, and overall shop setup are GREATLY appreciated. Also - am I pushing it with this huge 50" cabinet saw to set up an outfeed table as well...or should I do something that would flip up, or does double duty? I'd love to comfortably be able to cut down ply sheets. Thanks!

UPDATE - its not letting me upload the pics for some reason "upload of file failed" - and they are sized correctly - I'll try again soon.

[Hoover]

If you want to have some versatility in your shop layout, it may be a good idea to put your table saw, and jointer on mobile bases. You hadn't mentioned that in your post, so I am throwing it out there. Good luck with your new tablesaw, sounds like it's a great deal.

[GaryA]

Thanks...I do have mobile bases for the smaller items...will I lose any stability on a cabinet saw with a mobile base?

I still can't upload pictures...anyone else having problems??

[Ed62]

I still can't upload pictures...anyone else having problems??

Yes. There's a problem the boss will have to take care of.

Ed

[drumpriest]

I have a 50" PM2000 in my 1 car garage sized shop. Everything in the shop is on wheels except the table saw and band saw. Actually, the PM2000 has built in wheels, but I don't really move it. It is basically center of my shop, but I had to cheat my DC to be partially within the rails of the PM2000, so I don't have full rip capacity of the TS without moving it. I do have about 36" of rip though.

And yes, one reason I wanted a PM2000 is that it's easy to lose stability with some of the mobile bases on the big saws.

[Popeye]

I'm a little longer and wider than you, but not that much. I've got about 14.5' in width. With my Griz and long rails I've got the right side up against one wall. That's the way I was set up with the BT and long rails also. I don't have a garage door so I'm set up with 8' in front and 8' on the outfeed side. My main assembly table/bench ends up being my outfeed table. (it is a modification of the old BT's mobile base).
My saw is on a mobile base and I don't have stability issues. Saw doesn't get moved often so the feet of the mobile are set on the floor.



A good bit has changed along that right wall but the saw hasn't moved. Pat

[SARGE..g-47]

Good morning Gary...

With the space you mentioned, I would put the saw near the outer garage door with out-feed facing out. Build the out-feed to drop on hinges. And if the TS is the main menu in your shop, it will give you capability of opening that garage door (and in Tampa as here in Atlanta, that is not a weater related issue) and your drive-way becomes additional shop.

As a matter of fact... make all your larger tools mobile so you can take advantage of that extra space in the drive-way with all that sun-shine. Install a small shop fridge for Gator-ade with that summer humidity as I lived in Tampa when working for Anheiser-Busch back in 72-78 shortly after returning from VN. ha.. ha...

Regards...

[GaryA]

Great info guys...thanks. So, finally I can post pictures! Here is my shop today (pre-cabinet saw for another week or so). If the saw goes near the door with outfeed facing driveway, i think it'll be too tight with my sink there. Also - with the router table being on the far right side of the extension table on the saw, wont I have to put the left side of the saw against the wall? Good points on the mobile base...I'd like to do it, but am afraid of the stability issues. Based on pictures - any other observations? We just moved in this house in January - so the setup is very undeveloped as far as layout, storage, etc. Thanks

[SARGE..g-47]

Morning Gary...

"Good points on the mobile base...I'd like to do it, but am afraid of the stability issues"... Gary

************************************************** ********

Put it on a Delta Uni-saw mobile base and there is no "stability issue".

I have just completed pressure washing and painting a house hanging from a 40 foot ladder and I have to turn the corner and repeat to trim facia, etc. I'll be 60 in October.. had a leg stint inserted last Nov. and have one bad knee from Sky-diving and another from snow-skiing. NOW we have a "stability issue"! ha.. ha... ha.. ha.. ha..

Regards.... as I'm headed for the ladder now with a reserve chute (leg-breaker) strapped to my belly "just like the old days".

BTW.. Your shop reminds me of my first one.. co-incidentally in Tampa in 1972. The only big tool I had was a Shop-mate circular saw strapped under-neath a 2' x 4' sheet of ply with a retangular hole cut in the center for the hollow ground planer blade to poke through. Set on 2 saw-horse's and I duct taped the trigger down which gave me On-Off by just pluggin it in. I had to move al most everything out to the drive-way to be able to use my "homey" TS and 2 x 4 work-bench!

My.. my... my.... life was simple in those days. Simple indeed as I was totally un-aware that I needed $14,000 worth of WW tools to build something. And with that in mind... some nice pieces of Queen Anne came from that little shop and sit proudly in my ex-wives home at Atlanta Country Club. I'm sure she and her husband enjoy them. he............

[drumpriest]

Gary, here is an overhead of my shop layout. I made this with a tool from Grizzly.com, nice layout tool.

[GaryA]

Thanks for the tip Sarge. I just purchased the Delta Unisaw base on Amazon, so I'll see how it works out (is this going to add much height?)

Keith - how come you chose to put your DC there? Also - what do you do for a bench? Is your assembly/bench one in the same? I wish I had the few extra feet you have. Also - how were you able to downlaod the image from the Grizzly tool?

Going to clean up the shop a bit now, and hang my lumber storage now. I am going to mount vertical 2x4's into the studs, then "L" brackets for the trim, 2x4s, etc. Ideas for sheet goods in a cramped space? Right now, they'll have to sit sideways against the wall. I'll post pics when done.

[GaryA]

See pictures...here is what I did today: installed the lumber racks on the wall to the right, and rearranged everything... couple questions:

1. Big question: should I have put the lumber racks on the other side spanning across the 3 windows, so it would free up that whole wall? After I put them up I was thinking thats a mistake???

2. what about the new layout? (rough and not nearly complete of course) - again the Jet cabinet saw will replace the BT3100 next week. Is it a bad idea to have outfeed going into shop (as opposed to going towards overhead door)

3. Should I ditch the beige steel cabinet (contains my paints, stains, caulk, etc. - could transfer to cabinet or shelves above sink) and put the DC in that corner closest to the overhead garage door? Should I run PVC ducting w/ blast gates?

4. Thats my unassembled Ridgid jointer on the floor. Would it be OK in that location (in front of cabinet wall and behind bench/outfeed)

5. Bandsaw OK where it is (got to assemble that as well - now that I finally have dedicated space)?

[drumpriest]

Gary...

My "bench" is a workmate that folds up, but usually sits right in front of the band saw. I use it on occasion for sharpening things, and holding pieces while routing mortises and the like. My assembly table also gets a lot of double duty as a bench, but has no vice.

My DC is where it is so that it's within easy reach of all of my tools, as I haven't plumbed my shop, I use a quick disconnect and move the hose from tool to tool. All runs are under 14' from a 1100 CFM DC, works well. Also, while it limits my rip capacity at the moment to 36" (down from 52", though 36" happens to be the widest rip that I've ever made for a piece of furniture), it doesn't really limit my cross cut. I can fly pieces over the left hand side of the saw for quite a distance.

If I ever needed extra rip for a cut or 2, I'd just lift the saw on the built in mobile base, and slide it over. I use a crosscut sled, and if the cut is under 3' I reference length off of my rip fence with a block attached, if it's longer, I'm usually using the miter saw.

Most pieces of furniture can be broken down into sub 4' high pieces, bookcases being the major exception. They can be done in pieces, but it's pretty efficient to make them all 1 piece. Usually 5-6 feet for a bookcase.

I would consider just rotating your TS 180, so that the DC sits on the rip side of things, leaving you more cross cut room. With your BT there, your slide miter table is fairly useless.

As to your lumber rack, I dunno that it's a problem where it is. I have 3 in my shop, one for longer boards and one for shorter. The longer one spans above my drum sander and planer. The shorter one is over the jointer. They are high enough above these tools that they don't affect operation at all, so it's pretty efficient use of vertical space.

Plywood storage is a real challenge for a small shop, and I've not really solved this problem. What I do is simply not store it. I figure what I'll need for a project, and buy it, take it home, and rough it out that day. Then I'm storing smaller pieces, and they get stacked behind my jointer or SCMS until used, unless they fit on a lumber rack. This is a disadvantage at times, like when the BORG has super sales on ply, I can't really stock up. But I do have a shed outside where I could store some, and I'm working on making room to do so.

[SARGE..g-47]

Morning Gary...

The Delta mobile base will add 1" to the saw height when the the drop pedal is lowered with your foot. That will give the over-all height 35" which is around perfect IMO. The Delta sits a wee bit short of where I want it anyhoo!

I suppose if ya are really short and the 1" extra bothers ya, just drop by a Goodwill Store and pick up a cheap set of elevator shoes.

And lets get moving on that shop.. the super humidity season is just around the corner in Tampa if I remember correctly. At least it was from my view from across the street from Rocky Point Golf Course near the causeway that crosses to Clearwater.

Regards...

[JR]

Gary, my shop is about the same size and shape as yours. I recently went through a phase with the TS on the left side, as yours is now.

It made me crazy. My big beef was finding a place to stand. You're pretty much going to have to stand directly in front of the workpiece while feeding through the saw.

I couldn't take it, ending up reversing the orientation 180 degrees, and moving fore/aft a bit. I'm still not happy, but at least I can rip a board without having a panic attack.

JR