Sometimes I feel like I spend as much time working on my shop as I do working in my shop. I often tease my wife that if she buys some new knick knack, everything in the house needs to be moved to accommodate adding it into the decor. The same is true with my shop. Last year I added a foldable outfeed table to my tablesaw, and it has created a problem. With the outfeed table where it is, I can't get sheet goods in or out of the plywood rack without folding down the table and I still need to shove the tablesaw back a bit.
The old Layout
A couple of other issues identified while using the shop in the last year are:
This new layout should resolve all the issues except access to the ShopSmith tables which will be less irritating, but not ideal.
I'll also lose about a foot of infeed space for the tablesaw bringing it to 12' from 13', but so far, I haven't needed even that much.
I'll probably also need to move the ShopSmith out of the way to use the STM1800, but the STM is only used for breaking down sheet goods and is usually folded up and stored under one of the MFT's
In addition to rearranging, I moved the bandsaw and jointer to an old cart I built to install wall ovens ... or more accurately a one double wall oven, once, five years ago.
I'll need to replace the wheels on the ShopSmith storage cabinet to lower it about 3/4" so it can be used as an infeed or outfeed for the router table.
I can't wait to see what new problems I'll be creating with this latest revision.
The old Layout
A couple of other issues identified while using the shop in the last year are:
- I had to build a 9' panel for the end of the bookcases in my office and there isn't enough room to run a 9' piece of stock through the router table where it is.
- The tool cabinet blocks one of the doors to the shop so it needs to move when I carry anything big in or out of the shop.
- The bandsaw and jointer are stored on a 5' x 2'3" workbench wasting valuable horizontal space where I could be piling other crap, plus it doesn't really fit under the lumber rack very well and it all has to be moved to get at anything on the upper racks.
- The ShopSmith tables hang off the back of the Accessory cabinet so it needs to be moved to get at the tables.
- Since the plywood rack is stationary, it is difficult to clean the window and curtains behind it. (I'll admit, that one may just prove I'm nuts)
- I need to move the planer to get at the ShopSmith that has the drum sander mounted on it.
This new layout should resolve all the issues except access to the ShopSmith tables which will be less irritating, but not ideal.
I'll also lose about a foot of infeed space for the tablesaw bringing it to 12' from 13', but so far, I haven't needed even that much.
I'll probably also need to move the ShopSmith out of the way to use the STM1800, but the STM is only used for breaking down sheet goods and is usually folded up and stored under one of the MFT's
In addition to rearranging, I moved the bandsaw and jointer to an old cart I built to install wall ovens ... or more accurately a one double wall oven, once, five years ago.
I'll need to replace the wheels on the ShopSmith storage cabinet to lower it about 3/4" so it can be used as an infeed or outfeed for the router table.
I can't wait to see what new problems I'll be creating with this latest revision.
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