More Workshop space, shall I or not..?

My current workshop is a 6ft x 4ft garden shed, its a good one but obviously its a very small space. I do seem to manage though with a lathe one end and a mill the other and a bit of a bench area in between.

A couple of days ago the wife suggested I should move into the other space I have which is home to my part built N gauge model railway, I dismissed that idea saying no I cant do that. However it did start me thinking and the more I thought about it the more it makes sense. Its a room inside a room so to speak, the outer is a stone built shed inside which I built a fully lined and insulated room with a outward opening door but no windows.

It is 6ft 6 ins square so still small but almost twice what I currently have 42 sq ft against 24 sq ft. It has a very good concrete floor and the room is very dry and snug, apart from the door area it has continuous benches all round. The benches would need strengthening though especially where the machines sit. With the mill and lathe bench mounted it would leave a 6ft 6 ins x 2ft bench plus a 4ft 6ins x 2ft bench which after what I,ve grown use to is warehouse proportions. There is good under bench storage, some above bench shelving with room for more.

So whats the problem it has lots going for it just move in there, well ninety percent of me says do it but ten percent of me says hold on what about the railway. I guess its all the time that has gone into the railway that is holding me back though its only part built and needs a few more years to complete if they ever are complete.

I think I need to sleep on it a few more nights.

Hi Ron,

I know what you mean about small workshop, mine is about 2.5m x 1.7m so may be slightly larger. I assume you are also thinking about putting the railway in your shed if possible to free "the other space" for your lathe and mill. Let us know what you end up with.

Thor

I never cease to be amazed at the wonderful results folk can achieve in tiny workshop spaces.

I have a large size attached garage with most of my machines in, a similar sized sectional garage with my other machines in, a garden shed which I'm managing to keep for garden stuff and a large storage space under the house which is my overflow area. And on still tripping over stuff!

It's taken me longer to get the plasma cutter out than to cut the job today.

I could not cope with such a tiny work space so I would always say expand and Ngauge be damned lol

Mick

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Just extend the 6x4 shed. It will take less time and probably cost less than the strengthening of the railway benches.

I would move into the stone-built shed, but then model railways don't do anything for me...

Talking of small workshops, when I was a teenager in the sixties my friend's dad produced the most amazing models from what was literally a coal shed, about 3 ft square. He had a U-shaped bench round three sides, with enough space for him to stand in the middle, with his tools, machines (necessarily tiny ones) and materials ranged round him and up the walls. It didn't need much heating.

George

Just remember that the amount of stuff you have just expands to fit the available space, so there is no such thing as the perfect size of workshop. My workshop is about 5m by 3m and is too small for all I want to put into it, but I know better than increase it's size. 6' by 4' must be very snug and cheap to heat but swinging cats come to mind if one can still use such expressions.

Doug

Well I only slept on it for one night and I am going to move the workshop over, it just makes sense.

The railway can be boxed up for future use and I will only lose 10% of it and that is just some scenery. Model engineering is now my main interest and thinking about it I know I would put little time into the railway in the foreseeable future, just not enough hours in a day.

The new space doesnt need that much doing to it to change over, probably no more than a few days. The bench framework is well built and topped with 12mm MDF but I will add another layer of 12mm WBP ply. A few additional legs will be needed mainly where the mill and lathe sit, it is probably ok as is but belt and braces to be sure.

There is a narrow bench 36" x15" inches deep which will take the lathe and the mill I will place across one corner of a deeper section of bench. There is a small area of bench which can house the bench grinder so that can live in situ and not be stored underneath as it is now. Also the vice can be a permanent fixture, in the little shed I have to remove it to gain space when doing bench work.

That leaves 20 sq feet of bench space, I wont know myself..

The lighting is very good and there is a good number of sockets plus much more storage both underneath the benches and shelving. The little shed can store items I seldom use like the bench drill, vertical bandsaw and scroll saw.

Will post a picture when I have moved over.

Ron

Ron,

You could leave the grinder in the little shed, then you wont have the issue of abrasive dust all over your lathe and mill.

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Hey Ron.

Good call, get yourself in the cosy shop and enjoy.

Just posted more pics in an album of some of my machines, and I still dont have enough lol.

It takes months to build and model the railway and just a few hours to break it all down, anyway its all cleared and packed away and the benches are ready for WBP ply tops plus a few extra legs. Should be moving in by the end of the week looking forward to it..

Plasma:

An enviable stable but not easy to view; even the vertical mill is lying down!

Well I,ve changed workshops and moved in, its nice to have a bit more space and even nicer to have far more bench area. Still got bit of sorting to do under the benches and stuff to junk plus the electrics need moving around. I changed my mind re the position of the mill and lathe, placing the mill on the right hand bench as you enter and the lathe fitted nicely on a narrow bench to the left. This has left as much bench space as possible, still got to fit the vice and the back wall can take another shelf. So a bit more to do and I can get back to some engineering.

Looks a very neat and tidy set up Ron. I could never keep it that clean.

Ega, the photos were all the right way up when I took em, cant get the hang of posting them here at all.

Just moved in Plasma, I doubt it will look like this for long.

Ron, 'breaking down and 'boxing up' track, etc' . Gosh, must have been a big layout judging by the shunter left behind !
DaveD

I know the feeling! I never thought an Edwardian end-of-terrace 2-up,2-down + a bit out the back (the kitchen and its en-suite bathroom) could shrink, but it has - even though I viewed it still furnished and occupied by a family.

Mind you, an industrial-pattern A0 drawing-board on its stand does rather dominate the dining-room, albeit that it's set nearly vertically. There is some room in the centre for the dining-table, surrounded by a motley collection of tools and equipment.

Meanwhile the 16ft X 6ft concrete-block shed that clinched my buying the home has also shrunk. Hacking the motor-box off the back of the Harrison L5 lathe's cabinet and putting the new motor on a frame above the headstock gained some useful width. A half-built steam-wagon right inside the door, and a Clarke band-saw on a trolley filling much of the gap between the Myford ML7 and the bench that holds a Meddings bench-drill and Drummond hand-shaper, don't help.

I put the band-saw on a proper trolley, replacing the, frankly awful, pair of wheels it had when I bought it "pre-loved". All I've to find room for, are a small Denbigh horizontal-mill, another drilling-machine, an engraver, a small fly-press, the lawn-mower, smaller gardening tools....

Most of these smaller machines will also go on trolleys so they can be pushed back into corners when not in use.

Oh sorry, belay the last. The lawn-mower's standing on two tool-boxes, in the dining-room, and the other garden tools are in the bathroom. Don't worry, I oiled their blades to protect against rust.

I have been waiting to see if a member called Beeching would chip in with advice.

I have seen wonderful use made of derelict former railway premises and they make great workshops.

LED strip lights: I know I have mentioned them before but seeing as I just put up a small shelf above the lathe with a light fitted to the underside I thought it may be worth another mention should anyone be interested.

The lights are from Screwfix and supplied for lighting cupboards/cabinets etc. They are LED, 3ft long (range of sizes) cost £14 and come with a pair of mounting clips and a 20 inch connecting lead to connect one light to another end to end. Maximum 8 lights (I think) and the good thing is you only need to power the first light and the rest run in series via the supplied connection lead, good if you need to light a long bench or around a work area or dark corner.

The picture doesnt show it that clear but one mounted above the lathe really does light up the length of the machine which I prefer over a single spot light or similar.