How is your shop arranged?

[belbein]

I guess I'm hooked. I just ordered my second Mando kit--an Octave from D. Kawalek. So now I'm starting to think about how to set my shop up for instrument building, and I'm going to have to move a lot of things around. I'm curious about other's set-ups. I know this is hard withoug actually being there, and I know it's a matter of personal workstyle, but I can't visit all your shops and you won't all fit in mine (though you'd be welcome).

So I thought I'd ask this way: what are the different dedicated areas you have established in your shop?

Initially, my thought is that I need

• (1) an area for instruments in the "waiting stages" of finishing to cure
• (2) a large area for assembly
• (3) an area for close hand work [e.g. inlay]
• (4) an area where I can apply finish without gassing myself

... Anything else?

[amowry]

Sounds about right to me. One thing I recommend is having all your stationary machines located in a line along one wall, to minimize the distance to the dust collector. Another thing that I did in my current shop was to build a closet for the dust collector and compressor, to reduce noise and trap dust. The exhaust is on the ceiling of the closet, and is covered by a furnace filter. It's amazing how much this arrangement has reduced airborne dust in my shop.

[MikeEdgerton]

I have been meaning to move my dust collector outside to a shed for years. I need to do that one of these days.

[barry k]

Where do you live , Atlanta.? Come to Savannah and make me an offer for all my equipment. You can see how its set up then. You sure you wanna do this huh? This building thing? Hope you have a great day job ! cause you cant make it building instruments...just saying. BK

[herbsandspices]

It looks conspicuously like a dining room table.

[Bill Snyder]

It looks conspicuously like a dining room table.

Well mine looks a lot like a cluttered two car garage with no room for a car.
I don't have a dust collector so my wife requested that I line all of my stationary equipment up across the garage door end so I can open the door when I am making lots of noise and dust and then use the leaf blower to blow most (some) of the dust out of the garage when I am done making a mess.

[belbein]

Thanks Mr Mowry. I did the up-against-the-wall thing a few months ago. My tablesaw is still in the middle of its half of the shop. This wouldn't be such a perplexing problem if it weren't. Still Curious about how others organize non-machine space...

[JeffD]

Make sure you leave room for the coffee machine.

[Doug Edwards]

Stationary machines? The only one is my drill press. Everything else is on wheels or mobile bases, even though they are lined up against the wall for the most part. It's nice to have the table saw out of the way and it can be used for an additional table. It only gets used for cutting truss rod channels in my instrument building. Planning to add another assembly table on casters.

Here's my shop
Wish it still looked that clean and organized.

[belbein]

Great shop, Doug. A lot of great ideas. Especially that spraying station.

But one complaint: your pix of the Hill Country made me homesick.

[Arnt]

I make mostly guitars, so my shop is probably set up a little different than it would be if I made only mandolins. I recently did this "shop tour" over on MIMF, so FWIW...

http://www.mimf.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=179

[Stephen Perry]

I'm moving my violin oriented shop into a building I have and am restoring. The interior is 8.5 x 13.

Configuration will be:

Door at S end, 9 light wood, dead bolt.

S wall to R of door as entering, 100A panel (can feed my next building, just up the hill), sourced from my main box on the house.

West wall - three windows facing W overlooking main channel, Tennessee River.

W wall south, Shelf against S wall, abutting 6 ft woodworking bench with storage under it housing chisels, planes, measuring tools, etc.

W wall north, wood lathe

N wall storage shelves for wood & supplies

E wall north, storage shelves (I use for instruments in progress etc.)

E wall south, secondary bench housing sanders, bench grinder, metal vice. Drill press (big) & band saw.

E wall will have a heat/air unit in it.

All walls pegboard

Overhead storage.

Metal roof, metal sides above the block.

Sign outside saying "Gianna, Inc."

Old sign outside "Edward Jones, Joiner" from my great grandfather's shop. I use many of his tools, still.

[the padma]

Well all the breakout beasts me keep chained in the garage and only let them out in to the driveway after the snow has left, of course me streach a tart overhead to keep out the rain and not to get sun burnt. Like a table saw, thickness plainer, jointer, band saw...you know...seen one ya seen them all.

Here is pic of me in upstairs shop....




Now if you wanna see more of me other shop go here.


blessings
duh Padma

[Perry Babasin]

Padma, I've said it before, your shop rocks!!

[belbein]

I'd love to stretch a tart overhead. But the mandolins are hard enough to explain to my wife. A stretched tart? Fugediboudit.

[belbein]

Thank you all for your serious and detailed answers. The shops are awesome: Padma, both the one you posted here and the "other shop" are just ... well, there are no words. Anyway, I looked at them all, and I'm going to go back and study them. It's a lot to think about, and exactly what I need. (Now if could just fix this damn finish problem...)

[Jake Wildwood]

"Arranged?"

What a cute question... :D

[Keith Newell]

Barry you wanted an offer on equipment? Are you quiting building?
Keith

[belbein]

Given the way my shop looks, I guess "arranged" was probably the wrong word. There's evidence the Big Bang started in my shop, and it's certainly been increasing levels of chaos since.

[barry k]

Hey Keith, not to highjack this thread but, if someone made me a good offer , yes I would quit. Currently I am still building, but with these other massed produced mandolins coming on scene the last couple of years and flooding the market, I am coming to the conclusion that my efforts are futile considering the competition and price point. I see new builders and when I say new, I mean 10 years or less in expierience getting astronomical prices for the same mandolin that I am building at basically the same price for 20 years. Not crying , just stating facts about certain things and I know all about the "supply and demand" theory and all that. So for now , I just keep plugging along , and have stated before, I had a wonderful 37 year military career , and dont require to sell a mandolin to eat...my belly proves that, but still would love to keep providing quality instruments at a quality price, as long as my patience will allow. BK

[belbein]

Hey! You hijacked my thread! The fine is: tell me how your shop is arranged!