%!$ Easy Diy Woodworking Bench Plans For You #!@

workshop-layout-woodworking-network While trying to figure out how to lay out my new basement workshop I couldn't figure out how to place the table saw and jointer in the back part of the workshop. Rather tha fiddle with a cad program, I just cut up some pieces of wood to serve as a layout model for the workshop. I tried to figure out a good layout for where to put my old table saw, jointer, and slot mortiser in the back of my shop (left on the photo at left). As it turned out, even with a nice layout model, I still couldn't figure out a good placement for these tools that didn't result in some sort of interferenc. Of course, shop layout is something that evolves over time and really comes down to one’s personal preferences and tool choice. But here are some simple rules of thumb that came to mind; some more obvious than others. If you have some tips to add, please do so in the comments! 1. Think About Your Workflow. Consider the path a piece of wood takes from the moment it enters your shop. This will help guide you through nearly ALL of your shop layout decisions in the future. 2. Group Tools Sensibly. Tools that perform similar functions or are typically used in succession should be located near one a. Woodworking Network brings you the latest custom wood products, cabinetry and manufacturing news and trends for commercial and residential woodworkers.  Top Headlines. High Volume + Custom Wood Manufacturing. Woodworking Industry News. NewStar Adhesives relocates to new Georgia plant. March 17, | PM. Getting the kinks out of the editing process. The fourth photo is of a typical cabinetmakers workbench. The substances used in the average workshop workshop layout woodworking network relatively few risks to health, especially if you are in contact with them for only a short time. This vise dog is used to secure long workshop layout woodworking network of lumber against other dogs inserted in the bench top. If you have a large space available to you, plan for future additional equipment. Red Book Showroom. I know how hard working in small spaces is and understand why you've done what you have to fit your machines in.

If you keep these tools next to each other, however, you may need to occasionally pull them away from the wall for full access. That brings us to our next tip. So the more mobile bases you incorporate, the better. In my opinion, this is the key element to a successful small shop. The Wood Whisperer is proudly sponsored by brands that Marc trusts.

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Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. Photo shows a recent view of my current woodworking workshop. Make sure the workshop has adequate electrical service and plenty of lighting.

Ideally, a medium sized workshop will have its own electrical sub-panel also known as a pony panel. This panel serves the receptacles and lighting for the workshop and can be readily turned off if necessary. The sub-panel should be wired for the maximum amperage drawn in the workshop and this includes lighting. It is prudent to consider that 2 machines will be operating simultaneously as is the case when a machine and dust collector are running at the same time.

In this case the amperage drawn will increase considerably. Shown is an electrical sub-panel for the workshop. This particular sub-panel or pony panel is located next to an alarm system control box with attached motion sensor. Another consideration in a workshop is the location of electrical outlets. The normal height of an electrical outlet in a home is about one foot from the floor. In a workshop, it is preferred to have the outlets approximately 4 feet off the ground.

This is well above the height of workbench surfaces and it will be much easier to plug small tools in. Consider the location of electrical outlets if designing your own workshop. The quantity and horizontal spacing of electrical outlets in a dedicated workshop should also be greater than in a home space.

It is best to have no more than outlets per circuit breaker since power tools typically draw much startup and operating current. It is also wise to install dedicated V circuits as heavy duty machinery will inevitably need this as a power requirement. Many types of machinery also have an option to be wired for V or V power. In my own workshop, I have at least 4 dedicated V circuits. Each of these electrical circuits has a dedicated circuit breaker in the electrical panel, sub-panel or pony panel.

It is also recommended to label each of the electrical outlets to determine which circuit they are on. This will help eliminate overloading an individual circuit and breaker. Shop lighting should be set up on its own circuit breaker. This prevents the lighting from turning off in the event a tool triggers a circuit breaker. More dedicated circuits and circuit breakers also allow a problem to be isolated in the event a circuit breaker trips.

Another consideration is the ease or difficulty in transporting materials into and out of the workshop. Large doors or windows can facilitate the movement of lumber and finished goods into and out of the workshop.

When designing a workshop, it is important to consider the dimensions of doors and windows of the workshop. Ventilation is also important, and sometimes a common household fan placed in a window of the shop or in the vicinity can satisfy the ventilation requirement. Safety considerations include a non-slip floor, adequate lighting, and room to manoeuvre around equipment.

Fluorescent lighting provides more light than incandescent lighting and is less expensive to operate. Some fixtures come with wires to plug into a receptacle, other fixtures need to be permanently wired.

Grounded receptacles are of primary importance and guard against shock. If the workshop is located in the basement, receptacles should be considered. GFCI receptacles sense small changes in current flow, similar to a short circuit, and disable the power instantly. Portable clip-on spot lamps can be used in proximity of the workbench or stationary machines, to serve as task lighting.

The photos show how banks of fluorescent lighting are used in a typical woodworking workshop, my current workshop. The banks can be switched on and off separately and the concentration of light creates a bright environment. The incidence of injuries is greatly reduced if the work are has large amounts of light. You are also less apt to make mistakes since the work pieces are easily seen. When finishing a project, a bright, well-lit environment shows any surface flaws better.

In my workshop design, the amount of windows was increased to bring in more ambient light. On bright days, I hardly ever turn on any of the fluorescent banks of light. Task lighting is important when doing hand work such as sawing and laying out dovetail joinery. I have a portable lamp attached to each of my four workbenches. Storage is an essential requirement in a workshop.

Without storage, tools would need to be left on workbenches and other work surfaces. Compartmentalizing and arranging your tools for quick access is a excellent strategy for a workshop design. Tool cabinets can be located along the surfaces of walls.

Tool cabinets are typically designed with a low profile so they do not extend out into the workshop excessively. Workshop cabinets also serve to keep dust away from metal tools. Dust on tools can stick to the metal if the air moisture in a workshop environment is high.

Dust attracts moisture and causes rust and tarnishing Workshop Woodworking Layout 40 to occur. For this reason, I keep most of my tools in enclosed cabinets. Each tool has its own place within a cabinet to keep me from searching for the tool. The first photo shows one half of a matching pair of wall mounted cabinets for hand planes.

These are not difficult to build and have mitered frame and panel doors with a hardboard panel. The cabinet itself has rabbet joints reinforced with biscuits. The shelves are dadoed into the sides of the cabinet. The partitions are custom sized for the individual hand planes. Second photo shows a typical wall mounted cabinet for chisels and marking tools, the door has a shatterproof lexan polycarbonate panel.

The cabinet is made of oak, the door is a mitered frame and panel construction reinforced with biscuits. Third photo shows a wall-mounted plane rack. This particular plane rack is directly located above a workbench in order to quickly access the different hand planes available.

Small wall-mounted cabinet designed to hold router bits, drill bits, sandpaper and assorted hardware. Next or fourth photo shows another version of the wall mounted cabinet shown earlier, but for drill bits, router bits and layout tools. Construction is very similar to the previous wall cabinets. The front door is necessary to keep dust out of the cabinet.

This cabinet is made from extra pine pieces lying around the workshop. A wall mounted pegboard is shown last. The pegboard is for clamps, small tools, measuring tools, levels and accessories. Quick access is an important feature of the wall-mounted pegboard. A basement workshop is ideal because heat is already provided from the home through existing ducting; as opposed to a garage or detached workshop building.

Headroom of the basement workshop should be at a minimum of 80 inches of vertical clearance which is beneath pipes and heating ducts. Verify that the basement is structurally sound, and there is not a leaking foundation in the home.

Any moisture problems must be solved before setting up a workshop. Moisture can create problems such as rust on machinery or lumber which will never be at the correct EMC. Installing a dehumidifier can solve some moisture problems and keep it within an acceptable range.

Power tools should always be used in a dry location. Damp floors greatly increase the risk of electric shock because damp concrete provides excellent electrical conduction from the tool right into the ground. It was mentioned earlier to install GFCI receptacles which sense if there is a dangerous ground path created and trips a breaker within the receptacle.

Windows can be enlarged and replaced to provide more light to the workshop, otherwise adequate artificial lighting will need to be installed in the workshop area. Most building codes mandate that a basement have secondary stairs to the upper floor. A stairwell with minimum steepness, and which is turned or split in the middle with a landing, is much safer than a steep, narrow, straight stairwell.

A door that allows access to the basement directly from outside is preferable but not necessary. Central heating will provide more than enough heat for the basement workshop, and additional heating ducts can be installed if necessary. Double-tube fluorescent lamps provide the best, brightest lighting, and are the most economical to operate continuously. A wood floor could be laid over the concrete floor to provide more comfort.

Shown is an illustration of a wider, split stairwell. Although this stairwell includes a turn, it is much safer than the straight, narrow type. The landing serves to break a fall and to rest heavier pieces as they are being brought in or removed from the basement workshop. I added the series of four photos to demonstrate how an area of a basement can be converted into a workshop space for woodworking. This is vintage digital photography of one of my early workshops over 20 years ago.

The workshop was enclosed with walls and a door to contain any dust generated and isolate it from the rest of the basement. A window was added later to allow ambient light from the rest of the basement to enter the workshop area.

The workbench is essentially a structurally rigid table to work on. It must be extremely reliable, both strong and rigid. The top should be very flat, and deep enough from front to back to accommodate your work. The overall height of the workbench should be emphasized, as it should be convenient for you to work on comfortably.

Workbenches can be purchased, but if you design and build one, it is best to follow an existing plan as many sensible details have already been incorporated into the design.

Common features of a workbench are a tool recess at the rear of the top running lengthwise along the tabletop. The tool recess is to ensure that tools do not protrude into the workpiece above the level of the table top. Other common features of the typical woodworking workbench are drawers or shelves under the work area, and two vises.

Vises are very important because holding the workpiece firmly is essential to a good job. Often there is a vise face vise at the front of the bench and another at the end of the bench tail vise or shoulder vise.

These vises work in conjunction with bench dogs to hold long or wide material firmly to the work surface. The bench dog, shown in the second photo, is basically a square or round, wood or metal peg which is inserted at predefined holes in the surface of the workbench. Despite all this, ripping sawing lumber along the grain and working large boards is usually awkward on the workbench.

A pair of sawhorses is invaluable in the shop, on which you can rest the workpiece with plenty of overhang. A sawhorse is also handy in cross-cutting sawing across the grain. Storage is another essential requirement of the workshop. Storage is used for hand tools, portable power tools, finishing materials, and small hardware.

The third photo illustrates a typical woodworking bench with a front vise and storage underneath in a workshop setting. The height of the workbench should be adjusted for your individual comfort, because it is most often used by yourself.

Stand straight and rest the palms of your hands on a surface just high enough so that your elbows are slightly bent. This is your proper upper work height, and the bench should measure this distance from the floor. Bench heights range from 30 to 36 inches high.

Tools should be in close proximity to the bench, ideally the wall behind the bench. A workbench should be comfortable and highly functional. The workbench can be placed in the middle of the shop; you can then work on four sides of the bench. This arrangement leaves plenty of space for manoeuvring large workpieces around the bench. The workbench can also be placed against a wall or on the two sides of a corner.

This arrangement leaves less room to manoeuvre large workpieces, but it offers accessible wall space for storing tools. You can also take advantage of natural light if the bench is placed under or near a window. One of the photos below is that of a small compact bench which is well suited to working with smaller workpieces.

At the front and side of the workbench vises are located which in conjunction with bench dogs are used to hold your work firmly down. The tool tray running lengthwise at the back of the workbench is visible. This bench does not include any shelving or drawers beneath the bench top, but it is straightforward to construct or available to purchase, and is the ideal first small workbench for hand tool based operations.

The fourth photo is of a typical cabinetmakers workbench. This bench is much larger and has a tool drawer incorporated into the bench top.

The side vise is actually a shoulder vise and offers more flexibility than the standard side vise. The length of the workbench offers the woodworker more flexibility in using longer work pieces.

The last photo shows a collection of bench jigs used to fasten work to the workbench surface. The bench jigs are designed to fit into pre-existing bench dog holes. The wide area of the jig surfaces keeps work pieces from rotating and makes it easier to hand plane small and medium-sized boards. The photos show typical metal woodworking vises which are attached to the underside of the bench top.

Replaceable wood blocks are commonly attached to both faces of the metal jaws to prevent marring of the work piece from the metal jaws. Slide-up bars, which are essentially dogs, are located in the outward jaw.

This vise dog is used to secure long pieces of lumber against other dogs inserted in the bench top. A bench dog is inserted at the appropriate place on the bench, and the dog in the vise is raised to clamp the stock flat on the bench top. This clamping system lies flush with the bench top, and permits long planing strokes or sanding operations. The metal vises below can be purchased in different sizes, depending on the size of the average work piece you will be working with.

Workbenches are traditionally made from hardwoods like beech or maple, and many excellent models can be purchased. Workbenches are expensive to purchase, whereas an inexpensive home-made version can be created for your exact requirements. The frame for the workbench is typically bolted together, as carriage bolts can periodically be tightened up. The second photo is a large capacity quick-release vise located at front left of bench.

This vise has added hardwood jaws to eliminate metal contact with the wood being clamped. Third photo shows a pair of back to back workbenches constructed of pine with a hardwood plywood surface.

These benches each have two drawers and a metal vise. This type of workbench with integrated tool storage is ideal for a small shop. I built these two workbenches over 20 years ago and have moved them to each of my shops and they are in use to this day in my most recent workshop as can be seen in the third photo.

Fourth photo shows a top view of the two matching workbenches placed back to back to increase the available surface area of the tabletops. A dovetail jig is in the lower right hand corner. Task lighting is also set up for this bench. Fifth photo shows the front view of another heavy-duty shop-built workbench. A heavy duty vise is installed at the left of the bench. The bench is constructed of pine with a hardwood plywood laminated top.

Sixth photo shows the top left view of the shop-built workbench. The removable, adjustable Veritas surface vise is an effective substitute for a tail vise. Seventh photo shows the top right view of main workbench. The last photo in the series shows a sliding deadman installed on the main shop-built workbench. The sliding deadman allows you to effectively support a longer board which is clamped into the face vise.

The sliding deadman slides along, is removable, and can handle boards and wider panels with ease. This feature allows a person to effectively plane the edge of a long board without additional assistance. Safety rules for a workshop can be summed up in one sentence. Treat your tools with understanding and respect. Do not be afraid of tools.

If tools are correctly used, they will greatly increase your workmanship qualities. Most high-speed operations such as cutting with a tablesaw and routing produce wood chips and are very noisy. Safety glasses and hearing protectors protect against these hazards.

Do not remove or bypass the safety devices added to machinery such as tablesaws and jointers. Blade guards and splitters are there for a reason. Keep a fire extinguisher in the workshop. There are different classes of fire extinguisher A,B,C to choose for wood and paper fires to chemical fires. The second photo shows safety goggles and the third photo shows a variety of common safety glasses.

The next or fourth photo shows an overhead blade guard for the tablesaw. Inside Woodworking Network Previous Next. Wood Pro Expo Florida.

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