Popular Woodworking 2006-12 № 159, страница 39
SHOP SHOTS: A Shop Made for Many A large machine room at the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship in Rockland, Maine, houses a dozen and a half woodworking machines organized so they minimize potential conflicts. Home shops planned along the same lines will enjoy the same benefits. Planning a shop for a single woodworker can be challenge enough, but what if the shop has to serve dozens of people? That was the job facing Peter Korn, executive director of the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship in Rockland, Maine. Between the school's 12-week courses, its nine-month comprehensive program and a variety of one- and two-week courses, the workshops have to accommodate 300 or so students a year. No, they're not all lined up to use the table saw at once, but shop space still had to be planned carefully so people weren't in each other's way. Like many shops, this one keeps benches separated from the machine room. That's not possible in a one-car garage shop, but it is a strategy worth considering for slightly larger spaces. It keeps hand tools grouped with a workbench and assembly area - what some view as the essential woodshop "work triangle" - and noisy woodworking equipment for rough milling and dimensioning in another. Working at the bench can be quiet and contemplative; milling a stack of lumber is grunt work. Separating the two makes perfect sense. The Center's machine room has roughly 20 woodworking machines of roughly the same size and type that you'd find in a home shop. Only there are more of them, including two planers, Popular Woodworking two table saws, two jointers, two band saws and a pair of drill presses. How they are arranged holds lessons for much smaller shops. Tools that require long infeed and outfeed areas - table saws, jointers and planers - get a central location with plenty of room on each end of the tool. Jointers and planers don't need much side-to-side clearance. The school has paired an 8" jointer and a 13" planer side by side in one area, and a 15" planer and a 12" jointer in another. Because woodworkers go from one machine to the other, there's a minimum of wasted motion. The two table saws are not far from a shared workbench - a handy place to park workpieces as they await ripping or crosscutting. While those machines need plenty of room, a variety of other machines are placed close to walls around the perimeter of the room. In one corner is the lathe, which handles relatively short workpieces. Band saws, a slot mortiser, drill presses and a spindle sander all can be backed up to the wall without affecting their use. It all fills a lot more space than most home woodworking shops. But shrink that to home-shop dimensions and the same layout principles still apply. You can find out more about the Center online at woodschool.org, or call 207-594-5611. PW — SG Everything you need to know about setting up your shop! From getting the most out of your space, to choosing machinery location, lighting, power and material storage, this seven-chapter series offers all the answers. Chapter 3 Placing Machinery The right machines in the right locations will make your woodworking smooth. IN FUTURE ISSUES Chapter 4 Small Tool Organization Balancing maximum storage with accessiblity will save time and energy. Chapter 5 Material Storage Proper lumber and sheet-good storage keeps the materials straight and handy. Chapter 6 Dust Collection Keep your shop (and your lungs) dust free by planning ahead for any task. Chapter 7 , Workstations & Benches Beyond machines, workstations and benches are where everything gets done in a woodshop. Choose well. IN PAST ISSUES Chapter 1 (issue #157) The Right Location Learn the pros and cons of basement, garage and outbuilding shops - and how to make the most of any shop. Chapter 2 (issue #158) Lighting & Power Task versus ambient lighting? 11 Ov or 220v power? Learn the best options for your shop. Order back issues online atpopularwoodworking.com or call 800-258-0929. |
