A Working Woodshop

There is a certain amount of trial and error involved in the reorganization of a woodshop. Being an obsessive compulsive organizational freak, I like to find shortcuts to help me reduce the randomness of the process and cut down on my tendency to over-analyze. I developed a flowchart to illustrate the production process in my shop so that I could compare it with my floor plan. A quick glance usually punctuates the inefficiencies in my layout and I can address them, usually by finding the most efficient compromise. Compromise is the operative word in a small space.

The floor plan continued to evolve through a few key changes. Adding lumber and sheet goods storage to the newly panelled Northwest wall enabled a smooth flow of materials from the North corner where rough materials were broken down to the Southeast wall where the joinery and detail work was done. Moving the raw materials from one corner of the shop to another, before being milled in any way, is a waste of energy – not to mention awkward.

The jointer/planer cluster was split up, the jointer moving into place adjacent to the table saw. (This was another idea gleaned from Mr. Tolpin’s book.) Since I spent so much time clearing an unobstructed path fore and aft of the table saw, it seems only fitting that the jointer should also make use of that space; this relieved me of the burden of clearing two such paths. The thickness planer was placed on skids and set on the floor beside the outfeed table. (Note that the router table was built in to the outfeed.) I moved the planer onto the table saw extension during use – a decision that freed up yet a few more square feet of floor space.

Lastly, I split up my three rolling tool carts and moved one to the South corner next to the lathe. While not a major change it did make the bench area less claustrophobic. The other two carts held tools I used at the bench so they stayed in place.

The end result of this phase of reorganization was to open up the shop, making it easier to move projects and materials from one stage of production to another. I began to focus my efforts on dust collection. Using simple HVAC duct from Home Depot, I piped dust collection to the table saw and jointer, and I added a capped, vertical line beside the table saw extension. I connected this extra duct to the planer during use, capping it off while the planer was stored on the floor. The air compressor was placed under the table saw extension and I never did get a chance to install compressed air piping.

Although the diagram looks uncluttered, looks can be deceiving. What it doesn’t show is the makeshift sharpening station that occupied the area between the lathe and the dust collector (along the Southwest wall). Consisting of a slab of plywood resting on my Workmate, it held most of my sharpening accoutrements. Of course, assorted bits and pieces rested on the floor all around it making for a tremendous tripping hazard as well as being an eyesore. If hand tool use has taught me anything, I have learned that sharpening is a vital woodworking operation that requires its own distinct workstation – whether you are a hand tool freak or not.