Workshop Space

I was really excited when I saw a classified for workshop space, unfortunately it's a wanted add.

If anyone has 10-12 cubic metres of space going cheap, I'd love to fit it in my workshop.

Seriously though, what are people's top space-saving tips?

Neil

Buy a new machine off ebay that's photographed in a big empty warehouse, that way you get all the extra room.

Get rid of all the boxes that your tools come in. Thing like the nasty plastic moulded cases that calipers, cutters, ER collets are supplied in. A length of wood or metal angle with a row of holes in, screwed to the wall takes up much less room and you can see what you have without reading labels or opening boxes.

I did see a good tip in an electronics site a while ago. Someone had asked what was the best method of storing heat shrink sleeving, he had lots of different sizes and a range of colours which all took up too much room. He got quite a few suggestions but the best one was, put it all an oven for a few minutes!

Ian P

Neil;

Space saving tips:

1) don't do as the UK JohnS does and purchase way too much stuff.

2) if you are a "locomotive" man, build to 3-1/2 not 7-1/4 - it'll save 8x the space. And your machine tools can be smaller, and the pile of materiel smaller, your back not bent lifting, etc, etc.

3) foist some bits over on a neighbour - I've found that I'm the recipient of that one - one fellow club member had too much hardwood and asked me to temporarily store it at my place a few years ago....

The other JohnS - the one with a workshop that does not look like a disaster zone in every picture!

My workshop, an old byre, is about 100 square metres and from about 2.5 to 5 metres high. I don't need advice on how to use only how to fill it - economically! And the yard outside has to be kept clear for swambo's car, and the weans car and motorbike. Life is tough?

On a more serious note.

If I modelled North American stuff in 7-1/4" gauge, rather than my preferred 3-1/2" gauge, it would mean a new house, with garage and some way of getting bits up/down the basement stairs, a trailer (2 bay garage now) and a bigger car to pull the crud around with.

So, maybe a 3-bay garage, to keep a smaller car + bigger car + trailer. And, we'd need a bigger lot, and at $500,000 for land around here for houses, no thanks. (and, no thanks living in the country - did that once and hated the commute)

(Canadian winters = workshops indoors, and most houses here have basements well suited to housing workshops)

I figure if Kozo Hiraoka could survive with a 8 foot by 8 foot workshop in the corner of his living room, I can survive in a bigger area.

This was the old me.

This is the new me

Edited By John Stevenson on 29/07/2013 23:12:22

Use the space above 6ft. ie above the bench and lathe and even above corridors. It may feel a bit claustraphobic at first but just think of it as cosy.

.... and don't drywall/panel the walls. That space between studs is valuable.

I find one of the biggest space wasters is empty boxes, small to large. The ones you think "ooh that'l be handy for storing something in" and it sits on a shelf, with all the others for years with nothing in it.

John S,

I think you posted your pictures the wrong way round

Russell.

Russell,

You are not the only one to say that but if you get the info off the pictures the last one was taken at 5:46 yesterday.

Later on at 11:53 to be precise I nipped out and took this.

Hence the reason for the clear up

Keep the wife out of the garage/workshop and resist "put it there for now" !!!!

If you have one of teh far eastern lathes on teh makers stand then ditch the panel between the two cupboards and make some draws.

And if you can't make draws then find some cheap Bisley office ones.

J

PS the big question is how long will it take for JS's workshop to revert to the first image??

Edited By JasonB on 30/07/2013 11:42:10

That's a good move Jason in fact the baffle in the picture above between the uprights has already gone.

I'll probably make do with one strong shelf to hold chucks and steadies because I need room for the foot brake without banging shins on low drawers.

One disadvantage with mine is there are access panels at both ends but no doors ? RH side holds coolant so can't fit any shelves in there but the LH side is total waste of space, nothing in there except a brake rod.

Pass me plasma cutter.....................................

My wish would be to gut the whole workshoip and fit it with loads of drawers - mostly big but shallow ones, to replace all the random shelves.

I figure if Kozo Hiraoka could survive with a 8 foot by 8 foot workshop in the corner of his living room, - he must be a bachelor?

Too late, I have dry-lined already (space available 8x16 less the lining, but at least its easy to keep warm

Flat roof garage so no strage above six feet

Mini lathe on home built (wooden!) bench

But at least I have more mess than John S, (actually I tidied up at the weekend - as well as painting the banisters - terrible task!)

Neil

Make you own drawers the full depth of the bench and put a partition across them about half way down. This way the tools you use go at the front. The tools you don't use can go at the back.

Frank

as said get rid of "might come in useful boxes etc" finally did that couple of weeks ago and amount of extra space is amazing.

i had bits in there for a car i got rid of 20ys ago thats how bad it was.

made over £700 weighing old wire from dead appliances and bits of metal that might be useful.

For a few ideas have a look at photographs 27 to 30 here http://www.homews.co.uk/page441.html

Harold

Edited By Harold Hall 1 on 23/08/2013 08:40:54

John was that a large skip I seen outside in the last photo....
Bob