Continuing on from part 1 of 'Setting up shop', Alan Holtham sheds some more wisdom on designing your own workshop.
• If you're still struggling to get to grips
with your layout, I've formulated the
following summary for setting up a
workshop, based on about half a dozen
previous arrangements of mine in a variety
of different situations. They're presented in
no particular order, and the list isn't
defi nitive; it's just my personal experience.
• Big isn't always beautiful. A small
workshop is much easier to keep under
control, will save a lot of walking about,
and is cheaper to heat.
• A long, thin workshop is generally more
effi cient than a square one, particularly
with regard to the work triangle.
1] Plenty of natural light is
essential, supplemented with
artifi cial light
• Plenty of natural light is essential,
but preferably not south facing where it
can become dazzling. This needs to be
supplemented with artifi cial light, photo 1,
ideally daylight-balanced, with dedicated
spotlights on certain machines such as
the lathe.
• Woodturning is a very messy process.
If possible, subdivide the space into a
clean and a dirty area, and make provision
for easy cleaning up. Think about safety,
particularly with regard to the problem of
dust and its extraction.
2] Install more
sockets than
you think
you'll need.
Metal is more
robust than
plastic
• Ensure that you have plenty of electrical
sockets on a properly wired and protected
circuit. Go totally over the top with sockets;
you'll be surprised how many you'll
need, and it will save time and frustration
constantly plugging in and unplugging
everything. Ideally, install the metal-clad
type, which are much more robust than
the easily-damaged plastic ones, photo 2.
• Although not as loud as many other
types of woodworking, even turning can
generate anti-social noise, so do install
some form of insulation if you anticipate
working long hours to complete that
urgent commission.
• Think about your likely work pattern
before you start installing machines.
Drawings and scaled cut-outs on a plan
are fi ne, but they can't beat actually trying
things out in situ. Be fl exible in your mind
as regards the eventual layout, and try
machines temporarily in place for several
weeks before you fi nally install them.
• Think ahead, and try to allow for future
acquisitions; it saves having to repeatedly
juggle things around every time you buy
something new. Also, try and minimise
any unnecessary upgrades by buying
the right machine in the fi rst place. The
cheapest is rarely the best, so build in
some spare capacity and buy good quality
in the fi rst place.
3] Small plastic drawer units are
cheap and ideal for storing small
fi xtures and fi ttings
4] Put up
plenty of
shelving
as well for
timber and
fi nishes
• Allow for plenty of storage. You'll
soon accumulate lots of small tools,
accessories and gadgets, all of which are
easily lost in the piles of shavings. Simple,
effi cient and visible storage is the only
answer. I like tool boards for the bigger
tools as you can see instantly if anything is
missing. Small plastic drawers are cheap
and ideal for all those little bits and pieces,
photo 3, but put in plenty of shelving as
well, for timber and fi nishes, photo 4.
Obviously it isn't an ideal world, and you
can rarely fulfi l all of these criteria, and
anyway the goalposts often move as
your working style develops and you go
off at another direction. However, if you
embrace these general principles you
should end up with a safe and pleasant
working environment, though it will never
be perfect, or fi nished!
John Kinch
