- 1). Make a scale drawing of your shop floor plan on graph paper.
- 2). Measure all your stationary tools, table saw, band saw, workbench, etc.
- 3). Transfer the footprint of each piece of stationary equipment to a second piece of graph paper using the same scale as the floor plan for the shop.
- 4). Cut the footprint drawing out for each piece of stationary equipment. These can be moved around on the shop floor plan drawing for trial placement. Leave enough workspace around each tool to work with standard material. If you need to rip a standard sheet of plywood, you will need at least eight feet of space past the end of your saw table.
- 5). Draw in the locations of your storage cabinets and bench tools. Include racks or storage area for raw material.
- 6). Add locations for dust collection and compressed air plumbing. If possible, add a shed to an outside wall of your shop to shelter your air compressor and dust collection unit. Moving these outside the shop will dramatically reduce the noise level in your shop.
- 7). Lay out the number and location of electrical circuits and outlets. Large 220-volt outlets should be on individual circuits. Standard 110-volt circuits should be planned for projected load. Don't expect to run an entire shop on a single 110-volt, 20-amp circuit. Being overly cautious with electrical layout will prevent future headaches and add little to the overall cost of your shop.
- 8). Draw in locations for lighting. Include windows wherever possible. Natural sunlight is the best source of light for your shop.
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