how much sq ft for your shop

D

Dan Youngs

Active Member
Hello,

My job is moving to Florida.... so I get to pick out a new place to live and select somewhere with a shop. I am looking for input on how small / large I should think about. I am new to knife making but plan to leave most of my household tools with my son in Indiana. I am taking just my belt grinder / drill press/ and leather working tools.... knife stuff ....

so how big would you knife shop be if you we setting up again.... this will continue to be a hobby and maybe sell a few to buy more parts

can I get away with a 1 car garage ?

any shop design ideas would be good food for thought also....

Thanks for your ideas, Dan
 
Personally, I have two shops.... a "hot" shop for my forging, which is 20'x48', and a "finish" shop that is 24'x24'...... If I were to be looking for a new shop, I'd look for something 3x the size(s) that I currently have. The one thing I have learned about shop space over the years is.... it doesn't matter how large your shop space is.....you equipment will quickly grow to overfill it! :)

That being said, for a "hobby" type shop, without forging, I would think that a single car garage would work well (cars have paint so you can park them outside!) I know "professional knifemakers who work out of a 10'x12' portable "shed", and others who have thousands of square feet. I remember the first time I ever went into Wayne Goddard's shop.... its an attached garage, and I was amazed at how well he utilized the space.
 
"it doesn't matter how large your shop space is.....you equipment will quickly grow to overfill it! :smile:"

That's my schight:space ratio,,, it doesn't matter how much space you have, you'll collect enough schight to reach a 1:1 ratio.:sad:
 
Kurt Krueger said:
"it doesn't matter how large your shop space is.....you equipment will quickly grow to overfill it! :smile:"

That's my schight:space ratio,,, it doesn't matter how much space you have, you'll collect enough schight to reach a 1:1 ratio.:sad:
Click to expand...

I am working on reduce my schight:space ratio before the move.... selling my house to my son who left a lot of schight at my house when he moved out.... as did his brothers ..... I plan to gift them back a lot of schight and only take my knife making tools with me.... I tell them I come get it latter just do not throw it out.... "what comes around"
 
I'm in a 10x20' new shop. Since I'm the only one who works there I'm fine with it. Divided it into forge/fabrication room (10x12) and clean room (8x10). A/C in the clean room. Dust collection and lighting was the most important items I had to consider. I have a 36" door on the clean side and a 60" wide overhead door on the forging side. Lots of ventilation and a fire extinguisher on each side.

For a one man shop a single car garage if well organised could work nicely. MHO
 
Make a scaled drawing of your equipment inside a given space. 1 inch per foot is a good scale. I did this before building a new 24 x 32 foot shop in 2009. It's the best investment you can make when looking to acquire new shop space.
Good luck in your move, Fred
 
Thanks guys... it is good to hear some of you are doing well in a one car garage type space. I am hoping for something small and compact but does allow some nice work. For now I am not doing hot work, so I am thinking a grinding area with dust collection and a clean area for finish work and leather work. Up north I need a wood stove during the winter, probably need some AC in Florida.
 
I'm a hobbyist bladesmith/blacksmith and current shop is 12X24. I have all countertop space occupied and most floor space as well. My press which is gas powered is kept in a separate and ventilated room for obvious reasons, but everything else is in this footprint - It is crowded and I'm only a hobbyist. I would love to double the foot print and add a power hammer and bigger electric/hydraulic press, as well as full size drill press
 
I'm working out of a 2 car garage, but my knife making setup takes up half of the garage except my shopsmith is on the other side.
A 10x20 would be a good start, but I'd love to have a dedicated shop with a grinding area and a clean room. If you plan on getting any large equipment like surface grinder, lathe, or mill, plan on at least 20x20. If you plan to use the area for anything else, add space. Use graph paper, the free Google sketch program, or CAD software to layout your shop. If you use graph paper, you can draw then cutout your equipment and benches that take up floor space and move it around easily until you find your best layout. Plan for lights, outlets, dust collection, and if you can, a clean room. If you optimize vertically for storage with shelving, peg board, and possibly overhead storage you can get by with less space if needed or just have more open space. Sam's has some really handy wire shelf units that roll around. They are the NSF certified racks that have tube legs. Being able to roll them around make it easy to move them for cleaning or to just have the freedom to move them easily if you want to reconfigue your shop.
 
Dan,
Where in Florida are you moving to?
I live in the panhandle close to Pensacola.
You will definitely need an air conditioner but may not need any heat if you live in south Florida.
 
I made about 2000 knives in an 8 x 10 room in the basement. My shop is now something like 1200 sq ft - and I haven't finished a knife in it yet. You guys have probably heard this before. It's not how big it is - it's what you do with it that counts. :3:
 
I'm using 1/3 of a 3 car garage. I do sheaths on the (now converted) reloading bench in the basement and my oven is in the basement also. I doubt I will ever get into forging. When I move I'll build a single car garage just as a workshop.
 
I've been full time for 19 years doing the stock removal method and I've done fine in a one car garage in a Apt building.

Remember that its not what you want! Its what you can make work for you!

But like everyone says. No matter how big, you will want more shop space.:biggrin:
 
Wheels. A huge benefit to me is that a lot of my stuff is on carts or benches that roll.

I'm in a condo (apartment) in FL using half of a garage. When I need to use a piece of equipment I roll that cart out into the middle of the floor and work. Then when it's not in use it rolls back to the wall and out of the way.

My belt and disc grinder have a fixed solid bench. I have a vise on this bench, too. This is my dirty work bench. There's a dust collection system under the bench. The grinders are wired 220VAC, so I run a cord into the house and use the dryer outlet when I need to grind.

I have a second work bench that serves for layout, leather work, handle finishing, reloading ammo.... This is the Clean Bench.

Drill press rolls. Tool boxes roll.

I can work in a very small space because equipment does not own the floor space.


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Oh - and a window unit air conditioner lives on a furniture dolly. I roll it to the garage opening and lower the door down so that it rests on the A/C unit. Drop cloths hang from the bottom of the garage door to the floor to keep the A/C in.

Here in Tampa I never need a heater. But that little A/C unit is a life saver. Just dropping the humidity to a livable level is enough. I don't need the shop to be cool per se.


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Thanks guys I appreciate the ideas, they will help me as I consider finding my new home. I am going to Jacksonville. I like the idea of having most things on wheels, and staying organized.
 
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