Planned size for woodshop

Where about in Alberta, I have a 24’ x 24’ shop with 10’ ceiling and in floor heating(Electric Boiler) Welcome to check it out if you are in the Edmonton area. I used the Grizzly shop planner for some initial ideas and tool placement.

-- Lifting one end of the plank.

Where about in Alberta, I have a 24 x 24 shop with 10 ceiling and in floor heating(Electric Boiler) Welcome to check it out if you are in the Edmonton area. I used the Grizzly shop planner for some initial ideas and tool placement.

- Andre

I am in Lethbridge. I got a surprise the other day when I went to a friend’s woodshop that was in a double garage I was spoiled at the farm and my other two farm buddies with wood shops had more room than I did. I didn’t realize how careful a person has to be to make the space workable and safe. I wondered if my 21 dimension would be bad of I cut sheet goods that direction a person would need eight feet on both sides of the tablesaw plus room to stand behind the sheet good. That would be really quite cramped In what would turn out to be twenty feet inside. Thoughts? Of course I could cut sheet goods the other way and have 27 feet inside.

Little more than a afternoon drive:) Well if you are ever up here let me Know.
I try to avoid sheet wood if possible, my shop is in the back yard so transporting them back there a pain, more so every year. I use a track saw to break down the sheets when required then do finished cuts if necessary on the T.S.
Guess we all need to set up shop as needed to meet our own requirements?
work more so with solid hard woods and most finishing with hand planes, but recently acquire a 18” drum sander that needs to find a spot? Have a 10” sliding miter saw that hasn’t gotten much use the last few years so it may just get retired to the garden shed?
Beat advice I can give is after being talked into downsizing my shop, make it as big as possible! It will always be to small.

-- Lifting one end of the plank.

Little more than a afternoon drive:) Well if you are ever up here let me Know.
I try to avoid sheet wood if possible, my shop is in the back yard so transporting them back there a pain, more so every year. I use a track saw to break down the sheets when required then do finished cuts if necessary on the T.S.
Guess we all need to set up shop as needed to meet our own requirements?
work more so with solid hard woods and most finishing with hand planes, but recently acquire a 18” drum sander that needs to find a spot? Have a 10” sliding miter saw that hasn t gotten much use the last few years so it may just get retired to the garden shed?
Beat advice I can give is after being talked into downsizing my shop, make it as big as possible! It will always be to small.

- Andre

Lol I have a friend that always say he has never heard anyone say I wish I built my garage smaller! Lol. Yes I will depend on what a person does. I likely will not be using as much sheet good as I used to. I may in a motor vehicle wreck and after breaking my spine I cannot lift that much anymore. I turned into a man about thirty five years older than the calendar says I am. But I hopefully will enjoy the wood shop when built.

Regards Tom

Not big enough. Never big enough. A place to store lumber, clean finishing room, etc. I sure wish I had a half bath. I have a 9 foot ceiling, which seems fine. I wish I could have planned in advance and put the dust collection and power chases in the floor. The table saw drops are my biggest pain in the neck.

If course it depends on what you make. If you just turn pens, then a closet would do.

I reinforced a couple of trusses and put an 800 Lb electric hoist in close to the oversize garage door. It has been handy.

Wanting people s thoughts on a new woodshop.

I am planning a build as an addition to my backyard garage this addition would be just as a wood shop
And the only place for wood related tools etc. The size that fits the lot well and leaves me the most backyard and without getting a waiver from the city would be 21 x. 28 feet. It doesn t have to be this but it would likely fit the space I have the best. So my question is would this be bad dimension?
- 75c

No it wouldn’t….it’s a good deal larger than many of us have, and will almost certainly be smaller than you want at sometime in the future. But look, it’s what you can build (conveniently) and will make a wonderful shop. Go for it, and don’t look back.

-- Our village hasn't lost it's idiot, he was elected to congress.

I have wondered about buying a condo storage unit that is wired and has heat etc. There are a few problems with that idea plus a few bonuses. On the plus side I would have twice as much space! Lol close to the shop I had on the farm. That is a huge bonus. more ceiling height. Interesting that one of you thinks nine feet tall is ok I wondered if I was going to be tall enough ceilings. Eleven feet would match what I am building on to so that would still look decent and have some symmetry! The other big plus is it could be completed with paperwork time not the amount of construction time. And the city permit time etc. Now for the negative way more cost. Also I now would have about a ten Mile drive back and forth through the city I could not walk out the back door to go to my shop. That would be a huge pain in the butt. Other money consideration s there would be a second set of utilities bills every month no matter if I used it or not. An extra tax bill as well as an extra insurance bill. Also the condo industrial bay would be in a metal building noise would likely be awful as well. I have a bathroom in the old part of the garage I would be building on to and nothing on the condo building that is for sale. Yes plus more money, there is a monthly condo fee for upkeep around the building and a reserve fund for future building maintenance. I just don’t have that kind of money to justify that kind of expense and even if by chance I did I would not like the drive everytime I wanted use it. Likely wouldn’t use it much. The cost when I looked at it condo fees were about 75 a month, utilities would be about 250 a month,city tax would be150 a month insurance would be a 100 a month, a tank for fuel to dive my truck at a 100 a month to drive back and forth, plus at least another Fifty thousand or more in upfront cost. I just don’t have 650 a month plus 50000 in upfront money to put into wood working it is about enjoyment which I get zero enjoyment out of spending money. I did look at that place for a short while about a two hour think about. I basically looked at it for being lazy it was completed and done. There was a different building that had a unit a year ago it was a bit smaller than what I could build in my backyard, half the distance but still I thought it was inconvenient. I will not be what I had, it will still be a drive from the house. The one other big negative about building in the backyard is that with what is there already not much space left of the backyard. About 16 feet between the house and garage and seventy feet width of the yard. I personally think that this project will hurt resale but that will not be my problem the nieces and nephews just will not get as much. I plan to only do a maximum of two moves left in my life. One to an old folks home and another to a funeral home. I basically wondered if the shape being 21 wide would be a problem? I could do the free standing idea it would totally destroy the backyard as I would have three pathways to the back alley. The other thing good about the addition is no space taken up with services as the furnace and air compressor and the main panel would be in the old part which would be advantageous.

21×28 will work, however you will want to arrange the machines along the long axis. Running 10 and 12’ sticks for moulding will only work one way.

21×28 will work, however you will want to arrange the machines along the long axis. Running 10 and 12 sticks for moulding will only work one way.

- Jared_S

Yes I was thinking that way as the machine s could be moved out of the way against the long wall and still have enough width to work and lots or the most length I could have the other way. Do you think that is better than 24×24 or about the same? I guess there are costs and benefits to everything. Thank you.

Regards Tom

@75C I have a 16’ x 10’ shed shop and I am trying to make it work for now. I also have a building I own for my office that I could take enough sq. footage to have a huge shop. Even though it is only a seven minute drive from the house it is a deal breaker. I really like walking out the back door for an hour or two for my hobby.

If you built it 20 or 22 feet would be most cost effective as sheet good are in 2 foot intervals. But that said it will only be a few dollars more to go 21 feet. If 21×28 fits best I would go that way.

Do an equipment layout plan to plan for electrical locations like tvrgeek said above.

-- Dave, Vancouver, WA

@75C I have a 16 x 10 shed shop and I am trying to make it work for now. I also have a building I own for my office that I could take enough sq. footage to have a huge shop. Even though it is only a seven minute drive from the house it is a deal breaker. I really like walking out the back door for an hour or two for my hobby.

- controlfreak

Yes that would be my thinking it is nice to walk out your back door and just do a bit. When it becomes work to go and come no longer is the five minute outing that turns into an hour or two ever happen. Thank you for your input. You are helping me confirm my ideas!

Regards Tom

If you built it 20 or 22 feet would be most cost effective as sheet good are in 2 foot intervals. But that said it will only be a few dollars more to go 21 feet. If 21×28 fits best I would go that way.

Do an equipment layout plan to plan for electrical locations like tvrgeek said above.

- gdaveg

.yes I realize that it will be a bit more going to 21. Lol the reason is that gives me the most space without asking for a waiver from the city. So there is a reason that isn’t apparent just looking. Thank you for the thoughts! Do you think this would work as well as a 24×24? This size fits everything better but sometimes it is better to just make things as right as a person can without worrying about the other pictures just wanting the best shape possible.

Regards Tom

For some reason I find a rectangular shape has a better flow pattern? My shop was originally was planned to be 24’ x 30’ then 26’ ended up 24’, wife’s unwelcome input and City building code Crap! As you can see from my neglected workshop page very close to the house:) I have built some out buildings behind the shop but garden and yard stuff fills them up LOL! An now the Trailer is parked in front of the shop. Biggest regrets Size not enough power an NO BATHROOM! at least a sink for the Water stones? Oh ya should of put in smaller overhead door, wasted wall space but good for resale?
I only plan 1 more move, Like my Dad (died with a fishing rod in his hands) not going into any lockup!

-- Lifting one end of the plank.

Everyone is different and you don’t say what tools you have or what you like to make. I would find it impossible to work in that. Boats and cars would not fit in there. My tools alone would be crammed to fit in that space. But what has to got to do with you? Again, it depends on you and what you need.

I work in a daylight basement with ceiling height of 8’ 8” I think. 9’ minus the slab thickness. I have florescent lights on the joists and it works pretty well. I sometimes bump the lights but not broken one yet.

A true 9’ clearance would be good. We going to sell and build another home and this shop I am aiming for 10’ ceilings. With a boat on the trailer it is snug coming in the door and working inside the boat. That extra foot will make a huge difference for me.

-- Jeff Horton * Kudzu Craft skin boats* www.kudzucraft.com