Tips For Designing And Setting Up A Small Wood Shop 

Setting up a woodworking shop can be a dream for many, envisioning a spacious, 2000-square-foot building nestled on a serene wooded property. However, for most of us, this dream remains out of reach due to practical limitations. In this article, we'll focus on creating workshops that cater to the needs of everyday enthusiasts—the kind of workshops accessible to the rest of us.

Electricity in the Wood Workshop

Electricity is a fundamental aspect of our daily lives, but it often remains a mysterious concept for many woodworkers. Electricity powers our tools and influences our daily routines. Its versatility has replaced older forms of energy. Without electricity, we would still rely on lanterns for light, fires for heat, and oxen for labor.

Shop Layout

The workshop layout you see here represents my current setup, developed over several years to accommodate not only the addition of new equipment but also to enhance workflow. It's a free-standing, two-story barn-style structure with an office and storage space on the second level. Lumber and supplies move in and out through the front overhead door. To the left of the door, you'll find racks for lumber and plywood storage. Across from the lumber rack and to the right of the overhead door, you'll see the radial arm saw, miter saw, and mortise, all using a single fence system for various operations. Above and below these stations, there are cabinets and storage for miscellaneous power hand tools.

All About Workshop Design

Typically, a woodworking shop starts in a corner of a garage or basement. As you accumulate tools, develop skills, and expand your shop, the layout evolves over time. Eventually, you might have the opportunity to design a new shop from scratch or completely reorganize your existing space.

Idea Shop 2000

Our Idea Shop 2000 is located in a 12'x20' building connected to the garage via a covered portico. The shop boasts a 9' ceiling with three electronically operated, venting skylights, along with four windows, French doors, and a pastel color scheme that adds natural light and a feeling of spaciousness to what might otherwise seem like cramped quarters.

Jacques Jodoin's Amazing Workshop

Recently I had the chance to visit a woodworker in the local community known for his extensive workshop filled with numerous tools. He graciously offered to show me his workshop and allowed me to take photographs of it. His workshop occupies the entire basement of a large 1800-square-foot bungalow. Capturing the essence of this workshop required numerous photos due to its impressive size.

Customize Your Shop Space

This article doesn't serve as a comprehensive guide to shop layout, which may come later depending on the time dedicated to this website. Instead, it addresses crucial considerations as you plan your workshop. My shop is situated in my garage, and from the moment we began selecting house designs, I had been contemplating these issues, continuously planning and adapting. This is the nature of the process. I established a minimum standard and ensured flexibility to alter plans as needed or desired.

Workshop Layout

Lumber and supplies are transported through the front overhead door. To the left of the door, you'll find storage racks for lumber and plywood. Across from the lumber rack and to the right of the overhead door, the radial arm saw, miter saw, and mortise are arranged using a single fence system for various operations. Above and below these stations, cabinets, and storage are provided for miscellaneous power hand tools. Adjacent to the radial arm saw and in the corner, the floor drill press is situated, with accessory storage nearby for all drilling operations. Across from the radial arm saw, a separate workstation is set up, featuring a small portable table saw and a router setup with storage underneath for routers, bits, and accessories.