An excellent question for a woodworking enthusiast is how to go about setting up of good woodworking shop.
Location
It is advisable to choose a location that is somewhat secluded from the rest of the main house. People usually choose locations like a basement, a garage or a shed out in the garden all of which flourish as a woodworking shop.
Read more about setting up wood-shop in a basement.
However, you could be living in an apartment. There are people who convert singular rooms into woodworking shops. But since noise and dust is even more of a concern in a community housing like condominiums and flats, you need to do some extra noise and dust management.
Read more about making a woodworking shop in an apartment.
Seclusion from the main house is recommended for a better working environment. This is especially important if you have young children in the house. A secured location not only makes it more secure for yourself but also for other people in the house.
If you do not have a completely separated location from the house such as a basement or a garage, you can consider converting a room that has a separate entrance.
Layout
The layout of a woodshop is important for many reasons. A good layout will always utilise the amount of space you have.
A good layout makes working easier as well as safer. We suggest that you look online for ideas regarding different layouts for your woodworking shop. You will be able to figure out the most efficient one of the space you are intending to setup in.
The layout plan for your woodshop should also including the ventilation and lighting plans. Both these play an important part in getting the jobs done, especially adequate lighting in the right places.
Everything in a wood shop has to be arranged in such a manner as to cut down clutter. You should be able to move around easily and conveniently and access the things you need without encumbrances.
For example when converting a garage into a wood shop, it is usually advised that the wood storage area be the closest to the door. This makes offloading the wood after purchase that much easier.
How Much Space Do You Require?
Another misconception about setting up a woodshop is the amount of space one requires. You truly do not need a very large space to be able to work on a large variety of projects. An area of 12 x 20 is generally considered a comfortably minimum space for setting up a woodworking shop. A larger space of 24*24 which is adequate for a majority of woodworking projects, even large ones.
However, you can setup in an even smaller place. It will depend on what you are making , the tools you are using and the layout plan.
Therefore, the rule of the thumb is to see the maximum amount of space available to you and then come with a layout plan that suits the floor space. Consider the projects you will be building there and tools that you want to use.
Many woodworkers start without having a workspace at all. They complete the project on site. While a lot of work gets done in this manner, most of the customers prefer that the work be done in the woodworker’s woodshop. Working on the site adds additional hassle and disturbance for the customer.
Having your own woodshop makes you more professional.
Tools and equipment.
The tools and equipment in your woodworking shop will depend upon the jobs you intend to do there, the space you have and the budget you are working with.
Make way for other major additions to the shop like the dust collection system, ventilation system and lots of storage to put away all your tools away securely.
These are 2 great books that you can get for a complete lay down on setting up a woodworking shop:
