# I have a SHOP! (finally)



## reikimaster (Sep 29, 2005)

Well it's been a long time since I was in here. Bought a house, sold a house (owned 2 for a year). Been working on the house for about a year. Started my shop this spring. It has taken a long time to get this far, but it's nearing completion. 16x24 building with one end of it dedicated (and walled off) to gardening storage. Garden section is 16x6. Shop area is 16x18.

I'm going to try to attach a file, but you can probably click on the link to my website to see other photos of the shop. Just exterior for now as I'm still putting in plugs and lights and trying to figure out equipment, storage, layout, etc.
Concrete slab, modified lumber kit from 84 Lumber, 60amp subpanel. Will eventually be able to control interior and exterior lights from in the house as well as being able to lock and unlock and arm/disarm the alarm. For now we have to walk back there if we forget to turn out a light 

Photos « yardbird.net


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## BigJimAK (Mar 13, 2009)

Nicely done, Reikimaster.. and welcome back!!!


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## reikimaster (Sep 29, 2005)

It has kinda minimal lighting in it right now. Just a pair of 2-tube flourescents. My wife asked, "Is that going to be enough light?". I explained that it's ok general lighting but I have to get equipment placed and arranged before I know where I might want task lighting and electrical outlets. I have a general lighting circuit and then I added 2 more 20amp breakers. Still much to do.


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## BigJimAK (Mar 13, 2009)

A shop's a *journey*, not a destination!


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## xplorx4 (Dec 1, 2008)

Great start Jim is correct it is a journey not a destination, make it a safe and fun one!! Keep us posted along the way.


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## reikimaster (Sep 29, 2005)

Well. 16x18 is not real big. Right now I'm looking at my workbench under the window, the divider wall between the shop and garden area is storage cabinet, old dresser with tools and stuff, probably some more pegboard and shelves. The back wall (18ft) will have all my bigger stuff parked....table saw, miter saw, band saw, etc. They're on wheels so I can roll 'em out if they need more room for working. South wall will be half for wood storage and half for my artwork supplies.

Anyways, that's what I'm thinking right now.


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## Chuck-grmi (May 18, 2010)

Looks like a nice shop area to me.

A place for the tools and out of the weather.

I hope you get a lot of enjoyment out of it


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## reikimaster (Sep 29, 2005)

It's starting to come together. I'm keeping in mind the "journey" part and putting things up in ways that make htem easy to take back down and rearrange.  Like.... French cleat the cabinet I put up today. Heavy use of pegboard (one full sheet is floor to ceiling, the other is cut up to wrap around the workbench area on 2 sides). Made a rack for my bar clamps. I only have 8 pipe clamps so those aren't an emergency. I have another cabinet to hang, but right now my router table is sitting on it. It's too tall to use the table that way, but I need to have a way to store the router table so I can hang that cabinet 

The big pieces are in there. If I have to do something I think I can, but I still have stuff in boxes from when we moved so I know I need more storage. And a work table. And some ducting for my dust collector. And hose. And adapters.

Does it ever end?


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## TRN_Diesel (Feb 24, 2009)

To answer your question ...... Hell no! lol

I have to redo my dust collection because I have gotten tired of tripping on the hoses on the floor. Its time to get them up onto the ceiling.

I think everyone will agree it takes time to build a shopfor just you and how you work. Once you have had some time in the shop it will come to you how you want to lay it out based on your experience working in the shop. 

Think of it as a piece of art you are drawing as days pass by you determine what the vision of your dream shop will become and then you build it rather than paint it.


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## reikimaster (Sep 29, 2005)

This journey is taking a lot out of me! 
This past weekend I rearranged a lot of stuff. Made a pair of 18" deep workbenches to go against the wall with storage underneath. Haven't made doors for them or closed them in completely yet. Table saw is on wheels, but it really takes up a lot of room even when shoved against a wall. It's not a big saw or a great saw, but I'm not willing to give it up because there are some things I really LIKE to use a table saw for doing. 

I went to a friend's house with a similarly small shop. He has all of his stuff set up on what looks like a big, low, worktable in the middle of the floor. He has storage underneath it and storage along the walls. Then I realized the whole "low worktable" was actually a bunch of boxes on wheels. He said, "Most of the time it looks like this. Everything is accessible and right here in the middle station. Drill press, band saw, router table, table saw. I can come out and do a little of this or a little of that and if I WANT to set up for a larger, more specialized project, I just roll things around and arrange them just for that project. But don't do what I do. Don't do what anyone ELSE does either. Set it up for what YOU do, because otherwise you'll struggle and curse every time you need to do something."

I think I'm beginning to see the light here.


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## xplorx4 (Dec 1, 2008)

It is a journey, mine started about 18 months ago. In that time I have added 2 scroll saws, both given to me, a lathe also given, a 14" band saw, a second and third planer, I sold one, a Jet air filter and a DC going to only two tools for now, a mortising tool, tenon jig, dovetail jig, a lumber storage rack floor stand drill press and ? number of board ft of lumber and I am sure I am missing something. Keep plugging away and keep your objectives clear for what you want to do. In a couple years or less you will be amazed, as I just was with the Lord has let me accumulate, and it will all fit nicely. Have fun, build well and above all be safe.


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