Small Woodshop Setup - 6x12

cavy432 · December 02, 2020, 12:26:13 PM

Hi All,

I'm am new to wood working and am mainly interested in small pieces such as live edge tables, cutting boards, etc. I don't have a ton of space but I do have a nice shed that is 12' x 6' and am thinking of setting up shop in there.

The front and back are 12' and walls are 6'. Does anyone have any suggestions as to the following:

1) Must have tools
2) Best layout

Thank you!

Craig

tule peak timber · December 02, 2020, 01:51:40 PM

Welcome to the Forum Craig. Lots to read and learn here ! Rob WOC

cavy432 · December 02, 2020, 02:31:14 PM

Thanks Rob. Super old school style forum, so hoping I can figure out this platform.

Hilltop366 · December 02, 2020, 02:37:15 PM

Welcome! To me a small shop seems like a place to have hand tools, the dust from power tools will soon overwhelm the air in small area.

For your mentioned projects a sturdy bench and some quality hand planes and hand saws and the minimal sharpening equipment would do the work if your willing to push them.

If you want to use power tools, a way to flatten the slabs would be the biggest time and labour savings so a router and a router sled would be the most portable setup, could be made to fit on your sturdy bench.

doc henderson · December 02, 2020, 03:28:05 PM

In residency in Albany NY, my workshop was a 3 x 6 closet next to my back patio. i used mostly small powered hand tools. skill saw, small table saw, table bandsaw, table drill press. battery drills, impact, sawsall, plug in chop saw. router, and jigsaw. i made a workbench/ shelf. added lighting and 2 duplex plugs. i even had a "spring pole" lathe using a screen door spring. I made rocking chairs, and small stuff, but even made cabinets to go under a board room table top. so i think you can make this work. Plan to make every void into storage. things like clear storage containers that stack are helpful. what do you plan to build. could put in a little wood stove, especially if you plan to steam bend wood. :new_year: so small tools, well organized. HF sells a small dust collector that can be changed from tool to tool, or a shop vac with a turbo top on a trash can.

cavy432 · December 02, 2020, 04:35:44 PM

Quote from: doc henderson on December 02, 2020, 03:28:05 PM
In residency in Albany NY, my workshop was a 3 x 6 closet next to my back patio. i used mostly small powered hand tools. skill saw, small table saw, table bandsaw, table drill press. battery drills, impact, sawsall, plug in chop saw. router, and jigsaw. i made a workbench/ shelf. added lighting and 2 duplex plugs. i even had a "spring pole" lathe using a screen door spring. I made rocking chairs, and small stuff, but even made cabinets to go under a board room table top. so i think you can make this work. Plan to make every void into storage. things like clear storage containers that stack are helpful. what do you plan to build. could put in a little wood stove, especially if you plan to steam bend wood. :new_year: so small tools, well organized. HF sells a small dust collector that can be changed from tool to tool, or a shop vac with a turbo top on a trash can.

I appreciate it. I have plenty of room for power tools outside. I'll do most of the "fine" wood working inside the shed. Workbench with vice grip, hand planing, etc. Mainly going to use my beautiful slabs I get from @Tule Peak Timber and make some coffee tables, end tables, cutting boards, etc. It will just be cleaning up edges, sanding. Not a ton of cutting. Just cutting the main pieces to size

mudfarmer · December 02, 2020, 05:02:00 PM

Quote from: cavy432 on December 02, 2020, 04:35:44 PM
Quote from: doc henderson on December 02, 2020, 03:28:05 PM
In residency in Albany NY, my workshop was a 3 x 6 closet next to my back patio. i used mostly small powered hand tools. skill saw, small table saw, table bandsaw, table drill press. battery drills, impact, sawsall, plug in chop saw. router, and jigsaw. i made a workbench/ shelf. added lighting and 2 duplex plugs. i even had a "spring pole" lathe using a screen door spring. I made rocking chairs, and small stuff, but even made cabinets to go under a board room table top. so i think you can make this work. Plan to make every void into storage. things like clear storage containers that stack are helpful. what do you plan to build. could put in a little wood stove, especially if you plan to steam bend wood. :new_year: so small tools, well organized. HF sells a small dust collector that can be changed from tool to tool, or a shop vac with a turbo top on a trash can.
I appreciate it. I have plenty of room for power tools outside. I'll do most of the "fine" wood working inside the shed. Workbench with vice grip, hand planing, etc. Mainly going to use my beautiful slabs I get from @Tule Peak Timber and make some coffee tables, end tables, cutting boards, etc. It will just be cleaning up edges, sanding. Not a ton of cutting. Just cutting the main pieces to size

Man, Not sure the stuff Tule Peak cuts and posts on here will fit in a 6x12?? :D

Well, maybe the grape vines!

You will have to be diligent about cleaning up, one of my 8x10 has a radial arm saw in it, somewhere, under piles of other stuff

Cgparks87 · December 03, 2020, 10:06:11 PM

I have a pretty small set up as well. I have been working mostly with hand tools using old school methods. Might be something to look into. I took the orientation course on The Hand Tool School and it gave me some basics to expand upon. But I would say the power tools I need to procure would be a benchtop planer, jointer, and decent bandsaw. With those I can really make anything with just a few tools. Good luck in your endeavor!

SwampDonkey · December 04, 2020, 08:16:35 AM

Worked in a 8' wide by 25' long shop for 30 years. Part of my old barn. Has 7' ceiling. Insulated it and have small wood stove. I am graduating to a 20 x 24' shop soon. But that old shop housed a table saw, lathe, belt sander on a stand, planer on a table, band saw and drill press, bench grinder, vise and room for a 4' x 8' table in there and small bench with drawers for my wood dowel maker. Oh and a steam chest. She was tight, but the table saw was used for a bench on lots of projects. ;D

tule peak timber · December 04, 2020, 08:58:39 AM

2 saw horses and a cheap cored door blank from Home Depot for a work surface is how I started 14 years ago. Buy tools as you need them, but working outside where we are at is fine for most of the year. My first tool was a small chainsaw. I did a great deal of reading.........

K-Guy · December 04, 2020, 09:21:08 AM

Another big thing for you in a small shop is to think about your work flow. Have the tools you need in the right spot, it makes your life easier. I've seen some shop layout programs that let you do the layout on your computer first but don't know if they are any good or free(I've never used one and my shop proves it! :

;D ).

doc henderson · December 04, 2020, 09:27:06 AM

you can also print out a grid or get graph paper and print tool pictures to that scale. I did this years ago and i think I got it from a wood magazine. with things like a table saw, or planer, you need enough clear space on either side to let the wood be put in and come out the other side. you will loose efficiency the more you have to set up and take down different tools. I see this when I set things on my table saw, and have to move stuff to use it. and or course I set it on the planer that is next to it. need storage for stuff to keep some work space. easy for me to say!

K-Guy · December 04, 2020, 10:12:03 AM

@doc henderson

I can picture you in shop with your tools on tray and your nurse(tool handler) handing you what you ask for!!

smiley_whacko

Just like in the OR.

firefighter ontheside · December 04, 2020, 11:06:36 AM

Theres a lot of theories on whats the center piece/most important tool in a wood shop. For many its dictated by space. I feel like you don't have room for a large table saw, but perhaps a jobsite saw that could be stowed away. You could consider a flip top cart that could have a planer on one side and other tool on other side, perhaps an oscillating sander. A band saw would be great for breaking down material that will be made into small projects like cutting boards or even bandsaw boxes. Even a 14" saw will not take up a ton of space when rolled into a corner. Thats where I have my 17" bandsaw. That way I can still cut stuff about 3' long as the piece goes into the corner behind the saw.

doc henderson · December 04, 2020, 01:10:02 PM

i still have all my table top stuff. i have cabinet stuff as well, but the other stuff can sometimes fit the bill. do not regret getting it. My shop is a mess. I can find almost anything, but for people that espouse, "a place for everything, and everything in its place", they get a headache and almost have a seizure in my shop. It is a one man show so works for me. still finishing some wiring and sheet rock. day by day.

farmfromkansas · December 06, 2020, 06:22:12 PM

When I was younger, and lived in town, had to get by with one side of a garage, or one corner for my table saw. Would just drag it out in the middle of the space and saw out what boards I needed. Finally when looking at retirement I fixed up an old pole barn for a shop, and find that the bigger the shop, the more you can put in it. Now I wish I had torn down the pole barn and built a 40x60. The pole barn is 26x66.