How big is your shop?

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Henry W

Henry
Corporate Member
Either 12x20 or 14x20, I'm not sure which, 8' ceilings. Sure I wish it were bigger, but my time and energy are what limit me more than my shop size...
 

Rwe2156

DrBob
Senior User
It depends on what kind of ww'ing you do and how many machines. My advice is to allow for expansion or ability to easily add on to the building.

Mine is in our old horse barn, which morphed from 24x60 to its current 36X60. My wwin'g shop takes up 1100SF (roughly 30X36). There is another 500SF area for metal working and repairs (welders, compressor, hardware storage, mechanical tools, etc.). I also recently added a 12x12 lumber storage room. I also have a 14x16 climate controlled room I call my "studio" where I keep all my hand tools, my cabinetmakers workbench and do most of my assembly and finishing in there.

My point is not to boast, but to say I've run out of room!! Which I never would have believed.

If at all possible, I would shoot for at least 800SF or 30x30.
 

DavidS

David
User
My shop is 24 x 28 with a 10 foot ceiling. The high ceiling is great, but wish I had gone a little larger - 24 x 32 would be perfect for me.
 

RandyJ

New User
Randy
16x30 with 9ft ceilings. Insulated, and OSB walls. Has heat/air conditioning. It is packed to the gills!!! My advice is, go big if you have the room/finances. Good luck with your decision.
 

Charles Lent

Charley
Corporate Member
Just resign yourself that whatever size you decide to make, it will not be big enough in a few years. Design it and locate it so you can add on in one or more directions easily in the future. If you can go 24 X 24 it will be a good start. Higher ceilings than most of your stock keeps the lights from being broken as often.

Charley
 

woodlaker2

Ray
Corporate Member
22' x 32'. 12' ceiling. 2 - 9' x 9' overhead doors.

If I went bigger it would be to have separate lumber storage and finishing room. But what I have works for me pretty well.

Have fun whatever you go with.
 

ScottM

Scott
Staff member
Corporate Member
22' x 32' with 9.5' ceilings. Insulated with painted OSB on the wall and ceiling. Often wish I added 2' in each direction.
 

Pop Golden

New User
Pop
Mine is sort of an oddball. It's a single car garage with a HVAC plant in the center. So I have a horse shoe. A total of 650 sq. ft. 8 ft. cealings. 100 amps shop service. 2 220VAC drops and 115 for the rest. I'm a one man shop so I may have over done the wiring. The most unfortunate part is I had to have the garage part concreted. They didn't do a great job. From the front of the garage area to the back the floor drops around 2-1/2 inches in the middle. So if you look clost at some of my photos you'll see wedges all ofer the place. :BangHead:

​Pop
 

Phil S

Phil Soper
Staff member
Corporate Member
24 x 28 with vaulted ceiling and 8 x 21 alcove with 8' ceiling. Full heat and cool and 200 amp service. Dust collection in the crawl space.
But I need more space - please
 

MarkE

Mark
Corporate Member
Always too small.

1-1/2 stories. 570 sq/ft first floor (9' ceiling) for my shop, 342 sq/ft second floor. Second floor was supposed to be for storage, etc., but LOML took over the whole space for her shop/office. She uses her space more than I use mine.

I would have liked to go larger, but could not due to location, zoning, and set back restrictions.
 

danmart77

Dan
Corporate Member
I'm considering tearing down my outbuilding and building a shop.... with the wife's consent. Just curious how big the "average" shop is. I'm looking at 24x24 but that could go up or down.

That would be a good size shop for one person. This might be better served in the workshop forum but what has been stated already is good information.

I built the current shop I am in with my son back in 2013. I have a Medicare card in my wallet so I am not starting out with woodworking.

A couple important inputs to repeat:
Put up high ceilings. Avoid the 8' ceilings as a result of bargain stud prices(93" bargains).
Insulate if you have the money.
Think about OSB interior walls. Its cheaper than drywall and you can hang things easier.
Put in as many electrical outlets as you can. Make sure you put enough 220 outlets.
If you use Duke Power take the power from your house. Do not let them talk you into a separate line. Its more expensive per watt and its 20/month on top of what you use. It is a rip off. To add insult to injury.... you are stuck for 3 years on the deal.

I wish my shop was bigger. My wife always says to people who visit " if he built that shop 100 x 100 he'd fill it up with junk and trip over things before he'd move it."

I hate to admit she has a point. The smaller shop is more efficient in some ways but space is very nice. If I had a bigger shop, I'd probably offer classes that I can not support with what I have. Oh well. Hindsight.


This is the building that I built with my son Connor. We had some moments when "he pulled on the crosscut saw and so did I"
Looking back on it we had some great memories.

The frame was from a house from the 1950s that was demoed. Everything but the siding is used. Shingles mismatched overages put to use.

carriage_doors_locking_009.JPG


shingles_5_1.JPG


Connor's dog Archenta as a young pup.

Chenta_5_1.JPG





This was the first hammerbeam shop I copied and built with 3 other guys for a couple of blacksmiths. The original that you see in the photo was over 140 years old. Durham county would not approve the plans without an engineer evaluation that cost 1200-1500 bucks. I had the timber, plans and access to a crane for a 1 day assembly on the frame. No luck.

el.jpg


Wish I had the energy to build just one more frame but the bones and the back are getting tired.

Best of luck






 

Jerry C

Jerry
Senior User
My shop is 25x25 with standard height ceiling...go higher. I have a toilet and shower and kitchen sink...very helpful. I think a 20x 30 footprint is a better geometry than a square shop....think sheet goods and long boards. I have standard doors...at least one garage type door is needed.
 

cyclopentadiene

Update your profile with your name
User
I feel inadequate, my shop is 16 x20 with 8' ceilings. It would have been great if I had stopped purchasing larger tools. It is a great size for a table saw, jointer, planer, band saw and miter station. However a full size lathe, flat bed sander and router table make it compact. I also have a lumber hoarding problem which uses a lot of space. It works but a little tighter than I prefer.
 

KenOfCary

Ken
Staff member
Corporate Member
Was in a 22x28 two car garage dedicated to the shop. I removed the garage doors and replaced them with walls. Now that I've moved I will have more room. The entire basement at the new house is 26.5 x 46.5, so I'm working now on how to partition it. Want a little garage space, an office, half bath and finish room, but I keep seeing those taking away from the shop space. Still working on the final design.
 

Chris C

Chris
Senior User
Thanks for all the replies. I work out of a one and a half car garage...about 20x20. I need more room now that I have become mechanized. Plus A/C. I can't do another summer without climate control and I need to better control humidity if I'm going to keep making guitars.

I live on a golf course and one condition of this project is that I can't screw up the view. Covenants and setback are a non-issue. I'm thinking 30x30 or so with 10 foot ceilings. Maybe a bathroom. No drywall, likely OSB and insulated. My wife likes a longer and narrower design...like 20x40 but I'm not sold.

My wife wants to build it closer to the house and I'd like to put it back where the current shop is....but that would take away some of the view of the course. I'll bet she wins....
 

junquecol

Bruce
Senior User
Mine is 24 X 28, with 9' ceilings. I have a beam, supported by two steel columns. The beam isn't centered. The beam supports second floor and allows for lifting motors out of cars. The columns have angle welded to one of them that supports bench grinder, and vise. DC and electric come down both columns. The 24' side has two standard insulated garage doors and a personel door. 70 amp electric service. Gas infa-red heater, and window AC in cased sleeve. Second floor for storage, with stairs outside. Ten foot wide concrete apron along front. This is where I do my welding, and use 15" planer. Ten foot lean to across back.
 

KenOfCary

Ken
Staff member
Corporate Member
Thanks for all the replies. I work out of a one and a half car garage...about 20x20. I need more room now that I have become mechanized. Plus A/C. I can't do another summer without climate control and I need to better control humidity if I'm going to keep making guitars.

I live on a golf course and one condition of this project is that I can't screw up the view. Covenants and setback are a non-issue. I'm thinking 30x30 or so with 10 foot ceilings. Maybe a bathroom. No drywall, likely OSB and insulated. My wife likes a longer and narrower design...like 20x40 but I'm not sold.

My wife wants to build it closer to the house and I'd like to put it back where the current shop is....but that would take away some of the view of the course. I'll bet she wins....

When looking at property with an existing shop, I always preferred the ones that had the shop within 10 feet of the house or attached. But that is just a personal preference. Didn't want to be too far away from the house while working in the shop. YMMV.
 

ste6168

New User
Mike
When looking at property with an existing shop, I always preferred the ones that had the shop within 10 feet of the house or attached. But that is just a personal preference. Didn't want to be too far away from the house while working in the shop. YMMV.

I currently work in a 11x18 one-car garage. Not nearly big enough, but I make due. We are looking at moving, and space for a dedicated shop (or a home with one already) is high on the priority list. She wants a craft room/space also, so we'd love to have a loft area in a dedicated shop that could become the craft space. I have to agree with Ken above, though my shop is small, I love that its attached to the house. I wouldn't want it all the way across the yard. Makes it easy to sneak out there for a few minutes here and there when the kids are working on homework or getting there pajamas on. That said, I am still young (31) and have young kids. Things may change as I get older, I don't know.
 
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