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Workbench for Tiny Space (design help)

1K views 9 replies 7 participants last post by  RainMotorsports 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
So I moved into my grandparents old place and the only hope for indoor woodworking is the backroom which current has a 30" deep bench thats about 66" wide. Looking to build a table with a router and extending saw rip capacity to 24" I designed this:

Rectangle Automotive exterior Gas Food Machine


Unfortunately while it fits the idea of having wheels to shift back and forth goes from easing access to the door under the stairs by the HVAC to "The only reason we can still get back there".

Building Rectangle Window Facade Urban design

Instead of the original design. Putting the saw flush with one side of the table and making the table 38 to 40 inches deep it would still have 2' of rip capacity.

But my question is mostly about just having the saw separate. It has 3 holes in each side which can be used to secure it to the table when in use. This probably provides the most usability. I think the sacrifice is getting it level with the table every time. But I can turn it whatever direction I need and take it outside with ease.

Building Floor House Flooring Facade


I could still have it in the table. Some sort of cleated add on surface or a side out fence. But I think simplicity wins?
 

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#2 ·
Are you a power tool only wood worker or is it possible to make a switch over to all hand tools for the time being? A lot can be made with a few saws, some chisels and some planes. Another benefit of hand tools is they typically put off less dust that a table saw or router would. Being in that small of an area about the first cut you make and the room will be full of dust without a good dust collector. just my $.02
 
#3 ·
the other aspect I would consider is safety and overall usability. you would need ample space before the saw and after the saw to safely handle the material being cut, which looking at the images would be my concern. as Notw mentioned, DC would be another safety concern to consider. can you setup mobile TS and do cuts outdoor?
 
#4 · (Edited by Moderator)
Are you a power tool only wood worker or is it possible to make a switch over to all hand tools for the time being? A lot can be made with a few saws, some chisels and some planes. Another benefit of hand tools is they typically put off less dust that a table saw or router would. Being in that small of an area about the first cut you make and the room will be full of dust without a good dust collector. just my $.02

- Notw
Unless it's an under 1 square foot project where I use art supply wood and a chisel I am pretty much power tool only. I'm lazy enough to where clamping my 4 foot level down to rip something with my circular saw stops almost all projects in the design phase. Going from Circular and Jigsaw to Table Saw and Router is life changing. My grandfather mostly used a delta bandsaw and a circular saw back here for the rare project. I intend to integrate a vacuum but dust will be an issue. Big stuff I will take outside. But I'm only ever home when it's dark out and that's why I feel the need for indoors.

I'm not 100% sure what the majority of work will consist of. The saw isnt great. But I probably will still attempt some furniture work. That is mostly what I draw professionally. My first project will be small. Doing this IBM AT PC clone case:
Rectangle Wood Pet supply Hardwood Gas


But next project will be a car bed for my son. Start of quarantine I started drafting this coffee table PC. Trying to adapt to have a house 1/3 the size of our previous where the kitchen was so big that's where I did engine building and wood cutting. Here is the coffee table PC render:
Wood Flooring Interior design Floor Television set


I think I can do with big cuts being outdoors. I will probably have more initial waste than someone with a proper shop. But if am going to come home from work and work on a project, this idiotic attempt at a space is probably my best hope lol.
 

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#6 ·
I guess handling sheet goods is out.

- bondogaposis
Seems like it. If I ever hit the lottery maybe we can dig out under the deck and build a workshop out there. The good news is we have a panel saw at work for cutting down work surfaces. Actually going to ask to use it to build the work bench.

The only part of the first floor model I haven't drawn is the backroom but I roughed it for this. Washer and dryer are 35.5 inches so unless I build the table at 36 I don't have much room. Should have just stuck with the router table. Was silly to thing the saw was being integrated.
 
#7 · (Edited by Moderator)
I think that I would consider a different design that better maximizes the space. I would leave the saw on the cart/bench and remove the router and shorten the out feed area of the bench. For the router, I would make a flip up extension that will also extend the out feed if it is needed. It is much easier to make a router table that folds down or even clamps to a bench top than it is to move around a table saw and re-level it with the bench, especially if the floor is uneven at all. If the bench has locking castors, you can always move it out from the wall to increase the rip width.

EDIT: Here is some inspiration for ways to work in a tiny workshop. You might find some good ideas.
 
#8 ·
In a room that small, I would avoid items that consume a lot of floorspace, especially when you are not using them.

I would look at either benchtop router tables (made or bought), or a saw/router table bench that was not so large.

There are table saw extension wings that double as router tables too, but I don't know of any that fit smaller, job-site table saws like yours.

A home-made router table/extension wing/cabinet left of the saw blade would be a better use of space. When to the left of the saw blade, both the router and saw outfeed in the same direction. A single hinged, fold-down outfeed table for both the saw and router, on the back of the table saw, would be more space efficient. You would have to pivot the saw/router bench 180 degrees to rip or route long pieces, using the doorway for outfeed or infeed room, respectively. You could pivot the combined router/table/saw, with the outfeed table folded down, such that long stock extended out the doorway could also be crosscut on the table saw.

Think smaller, more flexible solutions that consume as little floor space as possible when unused.

The workbench seems over-sized for most projects that could be completed in such a small room.
 
#9 ·
bosch 4100 with gravity stand for your saw (or equivalent manufacturer). Can use outside rather easily. And with a mini Ron Paulk table, can float the contractor saw onto it along with floating a router table.
or flip down table for router.
 
#10 ·
Appreciate everyone's advice so far. Almost had the chance to buy a job site saw today that had an integrated router table and a mitre sled. But still with my current saw. I was ready to pull the trigger on my rockler order but it seems work is changing back to normal pay so I will have to see how the month plays out.

Might take a second to load. I have changed it to still host the saw and give me 2 feet of fence. But the rest of the table goes back to the current tables 30" depth. With wheels I can pull it away from the hvac enough to use the router.


Current mess of the room but at least a real world picture to go off:
 
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