mdw3332 Posted May 17, 2005 Report Share Posted May 17, 2005 I haven't been around here for a while. We moved from Southern California to Salem, OR. Bought a great house in a wonderful area. The best thing is the garage - it will be my office / guitar room and shop. It is a 3 car garage that measures about 20 X 36 feet. I'm having the office built in one corner - about 12 X 14 feet. The rest will be my shop - any advice on general layout and positioning of tools? I have a radial arm saw, good-sized router table, a floor standing radial arm drill press and most of the small / hand stuff I need. I'm thinking that the center piece of the shop will be a 36 X 80" work bench that is on casters. This is a great opportunity as I can do everything the way it should be from the start. Any hints would be appreciated. Thanks in advance. Marty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay5 Posted May 17, 2005 Report Share Posted May 17, 2005 I know that a good dust collection system would be up there on my list. So would a few dedicated benches for various tasks (fretting, sanding, etc...). The central bench idea is great. I have a little one that I can move around and I use it every day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GOG427 Posted May 17, 2005 Report Share Posted May 17, 2005 we really need a new hardware list up there pinned..i added all i know Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DannoG Posted May 17, 2005 Report Share Posted May 17, 2005 Hi Marty, so you made the move. Welcome to Oregon! I was up in Salem today for a job with the state. You'll have to come down to Eugene and see my shop as an example of how NOT to do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdw3332 Posted May 17, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 17, 2005 Jay5, Good idea, I didn't mention that there is a central vacuum system for the house and the collector for it is in the garage. The contractor who is doing my office said it will just be a matter of putting in some PVC pipe and valves. The best thing I have bought so far is a yard blower / vac. It has a patio cleaning attachment which turns it into a large hand held vacuum that works better than any shop vac I've ever used. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdw3332 Posted May 18, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 18, 2005 Hi Marty, so you made the move. Welcome to Oregon! I was up in Salem today for a job with the state. You'll have to come down to Eugene and see my shop as an example of how NOT to do it. ← Danno, I'll take any help I can get. Where are you in Eugene? We looked at some places in south Eugene, but found a "perfect" house in south Salem. If you get back up this way, let me know and I'll show you what I'm doing. Met with the contractor today to get started on the office. Once that's done, I'll set up the shop and unpack all the tools and parts that are sitting in boxes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sexybeast Posted May 18, 2005 Report Share Posted May 18, 2005 If you plan to have a computer in your office, you have to get a good dust collection system and set it up properly, or else your 'puter will get hosed really fast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToneMonkey Posted May 18, 2005 Report Share Posted May 18, 2005 A soft clean area with a cover so that you can lay down guitars nearing the finish and there's no chance of it being scratched by some crap on the bench. BEER FRIDGE, this is obviously the most important part of a shop/office. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devon Headen Posted May 18, 2005 Report Share Posted May 18, 2005 If you don't mind losing fingers, anyway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marksound Posted May 18, 2005 Report Share Posted May 18, 2005 If you don't mind losing fingers, anyway ← Careful, you might offend a leper. I can't believe I just said that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devon Headen Posted May 18, 2005 Report Share Posted May 18, 2005 If you don't mind losing fingers, anyway ← Careful, you might offend a leper. I can't believe I just said that. ← I just came from that thread, too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jer7440 Posted May 18, 2005 Report Share Posted May 18, 2005 I just came from there as well. Marksound you are frickin hilarious! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erikbojerik Posted May 18, 2005 Report Share Posted May 18, 2005 Make sure you have both 120V and 230V circuits Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mledbetter Posted May 18, 2005 Report Share Posted May 18, 2005 save the beer for when it's time to do the groovy paint jobs. One thing that is fun is to go to www.grizzly.com and use their "shop planner" app. You can dial in your floor space and do a shop layout. Just find similar tools in their catalog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doug Posted May 19, 2005 Report Share Posted May 19, 2005 Downdraft table will be a big help. They are amazing things. Dust is so anoying. I had a big bench similar to what you mentioned, but after a while I cut it way down. So much of it just got cluttered with "stuff". I made smaller benches which seems to work out great. I keep one real clean for the finishing touches so nothing gets scratched or dinged. I found that those cabinets with thin wide metal drawers are great for supplies and templates. The good stuff like fingerboards, guitar hardware, fretwire, inlay materials, and some small tools. I keep sandpaper only in one drawer too. So many types of it so it keeps it all together. Get some kind of wide sander. My 16" is about the handiest thing ever. Makes tons of dust though, wow! Hopefully your cantral vac unit is killer. I should have bought a cyclone right off the bat. Had I known how fast those cartidges glog I would have. Of course one can never have enough tools! -Doug Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdw3332 Posted May 19, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 19, 2005 Folks, thanks for the help. mledbetter, grizzly.com was agreat idea. I had been looking for something like that. I did some layouts of the shop and my office on it. doug, yeah a downdraft table is in the works someplace along the line. It's interesting that you mention the big bench and cabinets with wide - thin drawers. I have a flat file cabinet thet is about 3 X 3 ft and about 3 ft high. I took that and mounted a solid core door on top with legs and casters at the end. Basically, I have an 8 or 9 drawer tool chest / storage bin with a 30 X 80" top, and the whole thing is movable. I know that it will get cluttered - everything in my shops becomes cluttered - but it is so great to work on that it will survive. I have so much room that I hope to have several work stations with varying degree of dust protection. A drum sander is about the only thing I would spend significant $s on any time soon. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sexybeast Posted May 20, 2005 Report Share Posted May 20, 2005 I'm jealous. My new house will be done in July, so I'll be asking you guys for help real soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted May 22, 2005 Report Share Posted May 22, 2005 I'd bag the "use the central vac as a dust collector" idea and get a dust collector. The whole house vac will die a quick death and they're a whole lot more money than a Jet or Grizzly collector. One of my customers tried this in his garage shop and the poor sucker (the vac not him) died in about a month at a cost of about $700.00. The sales guy said it just isn't designed to pull that much stuff for extended periods. I'd look at getting a decent 14" band saw with a riser kit. I know some guys who run small furniture shops and guitar shops with no table saw anymore. They rent saw time from me when they have something that is a tablesaw only job and I'm sure I'm not the only cabinet maker around who does this sort of thing for folks. I saw someone discontinuing downdraft tables online. Either Grizzly or Wilke Machinery, can't remember which now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay5 Posted May 22, 2005 Report Share Posted May 22, 2005 I'd bag the "use the central vac as a dust collector" idea and get a dust collector. The whole house vac will die a quick death and they're a whole lot more money than a Jet or Grizzly collector. One of my customers tried this in his garage shop and the poor sucker (the vac not him) died in about a month at a cost of about $700.00. The sales guy said it just isn't designed to pull that much stuff for extended periods. I was kind of worried about this too. You would probably be better off with even a small dust colector and a few blast gates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdw3332 Posted May 23, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 23, 2005 I'd bag the "use the central vac as a dust collector" idea and get a dust collector. The whole house vac will die a quick death and they're a whole lot more money than a Jet or Grizzly collector. One of my customers tried this in his garage shop and the poor sucker (the vac not him) died in about a month at a cost of about $700.00. The sales guy said it just isn't designed to pull that much stuff for extended periods. I was kind of worried about this too. You would probably be better off with even a small dust colector and a few blast gates. ← Guys, Thanks for all the advice - especially about the dust collection. Good to find out now than later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted May 23, 2005 Report Share Posted May 23, 2005 I completely agree. One of the good things about planning it out is the ability to 'do it right' the first time, and using your central vac system is not 'doing it right'. I'm glad someone else pointed that out too. Besides that, sounds great, congrats! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdw3332 Posted May 24, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 24, 2005 I completely agree. One of the good things about planning it out is the ability to 'do it right' the first time, and using your central vac system is not 'doing it right'. I'm glad someone else pointed that out too. Besides that, sounds great, congrats! ← Drak, I'm not going to worry about a finishing area, I'll just ship 'em to you OK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fryovanni Posted May 24, 2005 Report Share Posted May 24, 2005 A good dust collection system is great to have. 14" Bandsaw w/ riser block will get a lot of use. A good drill press is very useful. Overhead routing table is very nice to have. Thickness sander saves a lot of time and keeps the dust down. Planers are nice, but bandsaw w/block and thickess sander will have you covered. A good jointer is very helpful. Good hand planes, spoke shaves, scrapers, carving chisels, and knifes. Hmm... there are so many tools that you could get the list could just go on. It is so much fun setting up shop though, new toys to play with!!!! We will have to meet up and go tool shopping, it would be fun showing you around my stomping grounds. Peace, Rich P.S. Tops on the way, out to see it tomorrow!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guitar_ed Posted May 25, 2005 Report Share Posted May 25, 2005 Lighting. Don't forget the lights. Guitar Ed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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