Shop layout

[guitarwes]

Need opinions on my new shop layout. Building is 24X72' with a 10x10 rollup door on the front left end. Gonna have a 5X10' Bot for producing mostly small plastic parts (and anything else that will generate $). What would you do different for workflow and/or positioning tools. The drill press will be used quite a bit thus the long mitre/RAS/drill press bench.
29787

[Kyle Stapleton]

I would move all your tools next to the wood, you have a lot of walking when you start to process your parts.

[chiloquinruss]

I would make the 4x8 table a rolling table also. Additionally I would make sure all three rolling tables had the same surface height as the ShopBot. Only confusing item in your plan is how does the sheet good storage work? Also I am not sure of the location of the router table in reference to your work flow, it seems to be in the way I think.

If you are a one man shop I would increase the work surface of your table saw so that there is 5 feet past the center of the blade. This allows you to cut a sheet and not have to have a helper on the other side of the saw. Fortunately my table saw and my ShopBot are the same height so that works for my rolling table as well. I am a 1 man shop. Table saw on the left, roll around table right, ShopBot in the back ground. Russ

http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=29794&stc=1

[bleeth]

I like to flow directionally so I put the equipment that does the initial processing of sheet and solid stock nearest where they are brought in a stored.

[gundog]

I would plan for a forklift to move sheets to the CNC if you don't have one now you may want one for the future. I am a one man shop and my forklift makes moving heavy sheets of plastic a breeze a used forklift can be had for not a lot of money.

Mike

[guitarwes]

Thanks for the replies so far.

The workflow will be: bringing in sheets of (mostly) plastic with the forks on my tractor thru the roll up door (on the bottom left of the pic) placing them onto the 4X10' rolling table which will be the same height as the CNC table. From there sliding the sheet onto the CNC machine. Once cut, they will be slid out the opposite end of the CNC onto the 4X8' rolling table where the tabs on the parts will be cut with a jigsaw/razor knife/etc and be stacked onto a smaller rolling table to be de-tabbed with a flush trim bit on the router table that's in close proximity. From there, the parts that need to be furthur processed on the table saw/drill press will move to there on the small rolling table then move back out of the roll up door when completed, essentially a counterclockwise production flow from the bottom left of the pic.

Russ, the sheet goods storage will be for plywood only and will store standing on the long side separated in 1/4", 1/2", 3/4" compartments. The wood rack on the far left of the pic is an 18' long 10' high 3' Deep rack that Home Depot uses in it's stores.

[guitarwes]

Throwing this to the top again for any other opinions......please. Finished with the build and ready to start putting stuff in place.

There is a 24X24 2nd story loft area over the end where the office is (where the stairs are leading up). That extra storage room is great.

[bobmoore]

I spend a lot more time and space finishing projects than I thought I would. Bob

[dmidkiff]

Looks like your sheet goods are too far away from you work area. Lay tape on the floor where you want everything and make sure there is enough space between for movement and transport of goods being processed. You might consider assembly tables.

[joe]

I'm with Bob about the area for finishing. After one becames familiar with the CNC the major time I spend is with fabrication. I've amazed how an hour on the router will provide a full day of finishing. A full day on the router means days of putting it all together. But then again we don't know if there is any finishing at all expected.

Russ always amazes me. Your photo's show plenty of headroom. This looks like a shop made in heaven. I'd need a full time employee just to keep it clean.

[guitarwes]

Thanks again guys. I'm planning to use the rolling tables as a double for assembly/finishing tables. This will be done in the empty space inside the roll up door area. Most of the plastic parts I cutout on the Bot are small and doesn't have to be "finished" unlike cabinets/signs/etc. The sheet goods storage is a place to store them upright until I can load them on the rolling table. In all actuality it's not that far from everything, just looks like it from my poorly scaled drawing.

I have 12' wall height and 16' ridge height. It's really nice to have the extra headroom. The head height under the loft area is only 90" but still high enough to maneuver stuff comfortably.