shop layout suggestions

[edoz]

I'm looking for some tips or hints on a layout that flows smoother. I do too much walking around and it's driving me nuts. The bike parking has to stay, but most everything else could move. Also, due to a roommate shuffle I get to expand a bit into the room off the top of the pic. It's got a 22" concrete block counter all the way around the room. I also need enough room for a double Park stand which I use for brazing. There's a bench vise on one corner of the 66x23 bench, plus I have another one I'll be putting on a pedestal. I've also thought about mounting my bench grinder and arbor press to that bench as well.

[Eric Estlund]

You mention moving walking around to much and you mention expanding- spreading out for spreading outs sake will make it worse. I like to think of work in stations, like "prep", "mitering", "tacking" etc. I try to get the tools arranged in a way that allows me to shift from one station to the next without back tracking. My stations are arranged in a circle so that I can take no more then 3 steps to get from one to the other, or across need be for tools that multi-task.

If I had the space I'd divide into dirty and clean work- have a separate area for mitering, grinding, etc.

[GSmith]

Be the frame... map out the production process and try to build a layout that allows the sequence to "flow" in as little space as possible. For steps that require backwards flow, try and configure things in a "U" or circle, so that you can turn around to utilize equipment multiple times in the production sequence.

Dave Kirk does a lot with very little space.