Efficiency question

[Haynie]

I got 90% of the left side (wood shop) of my shop cleaned. All machines were unhooked moved out sweeping and trashing ensued. I wish I had a picture of this side before I started. I will get a pic of the right side (Metal shop) before I tackle it.

The reason for the clean up is two fold.
1-It needs cleaned bad...real bad
2- I am angry with the flow of movement. Call it a need for wood shop Feng Shui.

Cleaning is tiring work but brainless. Resetting up the space is taxing my brain. This is my first wood shop. The flow between the machines was irritating and I was always tripping over something. How do you folks have your shops set up for flow? I have a huge space to play in I just want things to be set up smartly. Any advice will be appreciated.

 

[mredburn]

Generally speaking I arrange most of my working tools around the perimeter and use a work table in the center. This doent work for all spaces or shapes. I have a fat L shaped space. I have a large saw table set up that is 8ft x 8ft that I use as a work surface when Im not cutting.

 

[jfoh]

I place tools that I rarely use in two corners which are dead areas in my shop. The most used tools are kept near the easiest to get to areas. Sounds simple but it takes time to figure out which items are used most often and what I use only once in a while. If you have to move something to use another tool you are not well organized. Another item that get a lot of use are two mobile work surfaces which seem to always be in service. Never too much work area and never too much wood is my mantra.

 

[watch_art]

My shop is a long and skinny rectangle. Something like 20x8, most of that washing machine, dryer, water heating tank, and shelves for holiday junk. Most of my stuff is off in a little corner.