A Workshop at the Crossroads: The Space Dilemma
In this episode of The Woodworking Shed I'm tackling the issue of space... There's a couple of paths but which will I take?
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The Great Workshop Dilemma
Welcome back to The Woodworking Shed! In this episode, I’m tackling a huge dilemma…
I’ve had fantastic feedback from the community on my posts about the shed and my workbench plans that has really got me to thinking:
Can I make better use of the space I have?
In this post, I’m going to try and deal with this dilemma and set The Woodworking Shed on the best path to success!
What’s the Problem?
I’ve mentioned it several times before, the shed is a shared space. There are bikes, a lawnmower, and various other bits that need to live there.
I have plans in place to try and ensure they have as little impact as possible on my projects. However, several pieces of recent feedback have really got me thinking. Is this the right path?
Am I approaching this the right way? Or am I working myself into creating a cluttered disaster zone that isn’t useful for much at all?
I don’t want to create a workshop that has severe limitations on the projects that I can undertake!
The Shed
The shed is a small space, but it isn’t THAT small.
It’s easy to visualise a small, effective workspace when standing inside it.
Whilst I’ve been working on my sawing techniques, I’ve had my saw horses set up in the same orientation as the workbench will eventually be.
It’s felt cramped.
But that isn’t a reason to change things up, there are a lot of factors involved in that feeling:
I’m working by torchlight (Not ideal!)
There is no storage yet, so there’s junk everywhere.
Saw horses are wider than a proper workbench.
The finished workshop will have lighting, storage solutions to free up floor space, and the workbench will be much narrower. All of this will go a long way towards removing the cramped feeling.
Especially the lighting!
That said, I have predicted that the “storage” side of the shed will take up 2-3 feet of floor space. Effectively making "The Woodworking Shed” 6’ by 5’.
Is that enough space?
The Workbench
The plan with the workbench was always to let the available space dictate its size. The side of the shed I planned to put the bench on is 6 feet long. A little less when you work in the framework and the internal walls.
I set the size at 4 feet, to give some space on either side, or a lot of space on one side - Whichever way worked best.
I could just build it to fill the wall. But having a bench that can only be accessed from one side is limiting. Is that more limiting than having a bench that isn’t long enough? Who knows!
Now, if the shed was emptied, I could build a workbench on the 8-foot side of the shed… Using the same logic as before, this would let me build a workbench that is 6 feet long.
A huge improvement!
Here's a diagram to demonstrate for the more visual readers:
It's also more logical to work down the length of the shed rather than the width. It should help to make the workshop feel much bigger setting it up this way.
A longer bench would add stability when planing too. Something I expect (and look forward) to do a lot of…
Do I really need a bigger bench? I don't know… But the advantages are clear.
Predicting the Unknown
You could argue that the biggest question, the question that could solve everything for me, is: What do you want to make?
This is too difficult to answer fully at the moment…
Because the answer is everything. My passion is towards woodworking, not a specific woodworking niche.
I want to give it all a try. This is a journey after all!
I am sure that at some point I will find a preference and that will lead me in a certain direction. But that’s a long way off…
Perhaps I should just take up whittling… All of my problems would be solved today!
The Fork in the Road: What Now?
I feel this dilemma presents me with two choices, I need to evaluate them both, choose a path and stick to it.
Option 1: Stick to the plan.
Change nothing, maintain the dual-purpose shed and build a 4-foot workbench.
Option 2: Empty the shed - Completely!
Build a storage shed for the bikes and make the main shed woodworking only. With a bigger workbench.
Both of these options have their merits.
Which option would you choose? Let me know in the comments!
Option 1 is obviously the easiest because this is all still theory.
I can quite easily carry on as I am. Stick with the dual-purpose workshop, build a 4-foot bench. And deal with any challenges it may bring as and when they occur.
But one thing that does concern me is moisture - Hey, I've not brought it up for a while!
One bike ride on a rainy day and all that lovely wetness gets dragged back into my workshop where my precious tools live!
If I were to build a new shed purely for storage, it would free up the entire workshop for woodworking, which sounds like a dream. It would allow me to have:
A bigger workbench
A bigger workshop
More tool storage!
Better layout…
The list goes on.
I could also just buy a bike shed. That’s an option. It takes all the fun out of it, though! If I do pursue this option, I will want to take on the challenge myself!
I’ve actually wanted to design and build a custom shed for a while, so this does satisfy a personal goal.
The original plan before The Woodworking Shed ever existed was to do some landscaping and build a custom outbuilding for my projects, but it was going to cost way too much!
I probably still have the sketches somewhere…
A bike shed is much smaller and more affordable to build - And an opportunity to try something new as well.
The only real drawback is time. If I pursue this option, I’m delaying rerouting my woodworking journey to do so.
Perhaps it’s worth it for the benefit?
Choosing a Path
I’ve been so excited to get started with woodworking. Writing about it has done nothing else but fuel my desire to get stuck in and make progress.
However…
I think that the benefits outweigh the negatives, and I should go with option 2: Build a storage shed.
A bigger workshop, fewer space constraints… I want that.
It does mean that I will have to postpone starting woodworking projects for a little while longer, but it will be worth it in the long run.
If I went with option 1, built my workbench, and then 6 months down the line I decided I need more space? I’d have to build another workbench!
Ultimately, I think it would cost me more to not take this alternate path.
I would rather be whittling in an excessive workshop than trying to make furniture in a workshop that is too small.
It’s not all bad news! I have a new challenge to get excited about, I can’t just build it - I need to plan it first - Stay tuned for updates!
Now where is my sketchpad…
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First, I'm expecting great things from the woodworking shed. You crushed this one. I haven't had time to get caught up on the rest, yet. So far, I love what you've done to the place.
Second, depending on how you feel about what kind of life your bikes should live, maybe a car, errrr, bike port out to the side of the shed would be sufficient, maybe something as simple as Makerpipe and canvas. My first house only had a carport. It kept the weather out. Just a thought.
Finally, what's your plan for power tools? One of the reasons I'm focused on hand tools is to keep the shop small, on the other hand, I just bought a small, but not tiny bandsaw, because it was recommended by a few other prominent hand tool woodworkers.
Since I now have 2 subscribers, I'll try to get some content out soon with more details.
Off to work for now.
I went through the same sort of process a couple years ago. We bought our current home when I decided to finally retire in late 2022. The only thing I didn’t like was there was no garage or basement space for a workshop…only a one-car carport…and even though the yard is huge, no real place suitable for building a shop. So, after some number crunching I decided the most cost effective solution was to frame in and insulate the existing carport structure. I wound up with a 15’x20’ shop area, and it’s working well so far…as long as I control the clutter.