Well, to placate the city, we’ve removed our glass roll-up door. While a bit of a hit for the design, there are some functional benefits. Namely:
Standard French doors are more energy efficient
It would be easier to convert the lower level to a living space at some point in the future.
It will help the appraisal - [...]
Here’s a possible way to divide shop space:
Reasonably affordable (a four-door set is $150 here)
Pardon the hideous photo. The marketing department of these door companies are a little behind the times
Here’s a cool switch: Hook it to your router/sander/whatever and it turns on a vacuum when you turn on the power to the tool.
Read more here.
Compressed air is one of the most useful “tools” in a modern shop. Here’s a few tips and a general layout for a compressed air system (Illustrations from “Setting Up Shop” by Sandor Nagyszalanczy)
Some important points:
Condensor run (zig zag at beginning of run) should be approximately 25′ long.
Main line should drop 1″ for every 10′ [...]
Layout Options
A major component of shop design is dust collection. Where to route ducting, how to place the dust collector, etc. Here’s three examples of duct placement (graphics from Fine Woodworking, “Tools and Shops,” Winter 2006/2007).
Running Ductwork
Ducting should be run with 45 degree elbows and smooth, radius curved for 90 degree [...]
A few links to how others have set up their studios:
David Marks wood studio
Norm Abrams New Yankee Workshop
Oakridge Studio - approx 800 sq ft studio.
Sample Shop Power Layout
Taken from “Setting Up Shop” by Sandor Nagyszalanczy.
Some comments and suggestions from the book include running tools at 200v instead of 110v (if rewiring is an option). The reason for this is that 220v machines run at half the amperage of 110v motors. Another recommendation is to locate outlets at between 42-50″ [...]
A list of infrastructure and other needs for the shop area:
“Mechanical room” for air compressor and dust collection. Requires ventilation an 220v power for both machines
110v electric drops in ceiling
Duct work for dust collection
220v power for table saw, planer and joiner (currently they are 110v but can be rewired). Route cords through floor or [...]