[ZackJonas]

Hi Everybody,

I wasn't sure whether this would be the best spot to post this, but I couldn't come up with a better one, so here goes.

About two months ago, I moved up to a new spot in New Hampshire, with room enough on the property to build a new workshop, from the ground up. I'm breaking ground in a couple of weeks, and I thought now might be a good time to ask y'all for some free advice! Take a second if you've got any tips and throw them my way--they'll be much appreciated. Here are a few questions to get your mind working:

a) is there any aspect of your shop that drives you crazy on a regular basis? How would you change it?
i) any equipment choices you made that you now regret?
ii) any layout choices that make work difficult or less efficient than it could be?

any changes on your wish list?

c) what are your power needs and fuel (e.g. propane, coal, etc.) consumption figures like?


Aaaanyway, I won't get too detailed. Anything at all that you can offer in the way of pointers or advice will be considered and appreciated.

Thanks,
Zack

[paul savage]

I'd like to have better insulation for winter and good cross ventilation with a couple of bay doors for summer. If your not comfortable working it is real easy to find something else to do that is.

[jared_foster]

Zack

I live in the south and there is a lot of wind down here. Also there is very hot sun blazing into my forging area in the summer time. My advice would be to spend a day outside forging and make mental notes of how the weather is where you are. Place your doors accordingly. Also I would get as much floor space as you can afford. If there is wind out of any one direction do not put any large doors on that side. Or else you will constantly be sweeping dirt and leaves out of your shop. A problem I have to fight every time I go to do anything in my shop.

[Allen Newberry]

It would be nice to have dirty and clean areas. If you can isolate your grinders etc. you won't have to deal with the dust as much where you are hand sanding.

[Ed Street]

What type of flooring are you planning on using?

[Karl B. Andersen]

a) My shop is in the wrong state

i) I should have got my heat treating oven the next size up in length.
ii) If I was building new, I would make it EXTRA large for future expansion.

I run my entire house and shop with 80 amp service, and have NEVER had a power issue.
I do have a dedicated 100 gallon propane tank for the shop, separate from the house.
(Traded my coal forge for two shotguns!)
Don't worry about expenses. If you're going to be a knife maker, you'll always be broke.

ZackJonas, on 16 July 2012 - 07:15 PM, said:

a) is there any aspect of your shop that drives you crazy on a regular basis? How would you change it?
i) any equipment choices you made that you now regret?
ii) any layout choices that make work difficult or less efficient than it could be?


c) what are your power needs and fuel (e.g. propane, coal, etc.) consumption figures like?

Thanks,
Zack

[Dale Huckabee]

Decide how big you want your shop. Build it twice that size and leave room for expansion. Regardless of how you lay out our work area you will probably change it eventually.

Dale

[Lin Rhea]

I'm not even finished with mine and am already planning to add on. I want an outside (under roof) forging area for coal forging and events.

Part of mine will be air conditioned. The other part will be also insulated and have fans running when it's hot, which is about 8 months out of the year. One thing I did was to finish the concrete smooth as possible and use castors on some of my equipment and tables. That way I can move them around to clean as well as just get things out of the way when I dont need it. I will also have electrical outlets often and some hanging overhead. No wires across the floor. I have lots of windows and the forging area is linear with double doors on both ends for a breeze.

[Jeremy Lindley]

I'm putting together my "shop" at the moment and I envy you a little-mine's just a walled off section of my garage . That being said, I've looked at, taken pictures of, and noted several things from others' shops that I liked. The new area is going to have 220 wired in and as many outlets in general available. It seems there is always something else that needs to be plugged in, from machines to light sources, etc, so I'm trying to put more than I think I'll need. Also, the new area is going to house the hot and dirty work-forge, grinder, etc. The older bench where everything is currently crowded is going to be for leather, etc. I like what Lin mentioned about casters and have seen some other guys use the same technique and I imagine I'll have a few things on wheels which will make the smaller space easier to use, I think.

One thing I plan on trying to install down the road is some track lights over the grinder. I know a few folks with that set up in their shops and boy does having good light while grinding help! Good luck with your shop build, I hope it goes well. And post pics for us to get more good ideas .

Jeremy

[Haley DesRosiers]

Congrats! We're pouring in a week or so too and have been deliberating over every detail all winter long. These are some things we came up with:

A separate and deeper foundation for the power-hammer so it doesn't shake the foundation so bad.

Separate smithy, grinding room and clean room, some will have bat-wing doors betweeen so you dont have to open/close 'em.

Floor drains through the concrete so we can wash down the grinding room and smithy easily.

Put in four-plug receps everywhere instead of the regular two-plugs.

A large section of shop for everything besides knifemaking...I hate clearing the chainsaws off my bench to work on knives.

A dedicated leather station so everything can be left out and ready to go.

A big utility sink with running water for etching and rinsing.

I haven't found one in Alaska yet but I've heard of guys mounting grinders on old barber chair pedestals so you can adjust the height with just a pump of your foot, I think that would be great.

And last but by no means least an open space like we had at our old place as long as our shop with a target on the wall. This so we can play bow/arrow darts to take our minds off the tang hole someone just ground into on a lovely ivory take down (or to settle a friendly squabble over dishes)

Good luck on your project! Great thread, we'll be cruising it to pick up ideas for ours too.