How Much Space is Needed for a Woodworking Shop?

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How much space is enough space for woodworking? If you have recently started a woodworking project then one of the most important things that you might be preparing for is your woodworking shop. A woodworking shop is where you would be spending much of your time in pursuing your hobby. It is where you will work, away from your home and office and where you will be placing your tools and materials. It is where you can spend time thinking about your work, new projects, new designs and is possibly where you would keep some of your good projects too, for inspiration. Many good artists, hobbyists and professionals have woodworking shops and if you plan to be a good woodworker someday you should have one as well.

Answer to the Question

How much space is needed for a woodworking shop is entirely up to your preference. There is no particular measurement of a good shop. A poll in Sawmill Creek about the best size of room for a woodworking shop revealed a mixture of answers.

20 x 20 space is adequate

A large number of members agreed that a good round 20 x 20 space is just adequate for a beginner. With just enough space like a garage, you may be able to place a sizable workbench, have a large cabinet where you can place or display tools and a section where you can place materials like piece of wood, metal and more. A 20 x 20 space would just be a good space to start with since you can easily find what you need. No need to move from room to room to get tools and certainly no need to ask anyone for help to get you some stuff. However, a good space as small as this one should have adequate ventilation, must have windows and doors that will easily open for fresh air and should have adequate lighting.

20 x 30 space is just right

Larger and definitely more adequate, a 20 x 30 space would be enough to place two workbenches, expand a tool cabinet or put additional places to secure materials. This amount of space would be ideal to work with much larger projects like cabinets, bed boards and more. But of course a bigger space requires improved lighting fixtures, better natural lighting, more windows and a larger doorway and a good exhaust system. Also this large space can be constructed as an adjoining room or as a separate structure in a backyard.

Larger woodworking spaces is the best

There is no doubt about it, if you have a large spare room inside your home or inside your back yard then you can use this as your woodworking shop. A large room has many advantages. For one, you can have more than two working tables to work with two or more projects and pieces at a time. You can have more cabinets to place tools and equipment in and more space to haul materials in. with a large space, you can have your own studio, have an area where you can paint or finish your work and a lot of space to construct an office.

Why do you need your own home office you might ask? This office could have a computer where you can have access to the web to help you with designs, inspiration and projects, to help you order supplies and to connect to people who love woodworking. An office may also have a printer or even a 3D printer. The possibilities are endless when you have a large space for woodworking at home or in your back yard.

Choose according to the tools and machines you have

Some Sawmill Creek poll members did not particularly provide a measurement or a number to answer the question but suggested that the size of a woodworking room or area should be according to the type of machines you have and other furniture you want to add.

Some of the most common equipment for woodworking that can eat up a lot of space is woodturning lathes, routers, power saws, work benches, other stationary power tools like drill presses, planers, belt sanders, radial arm saws, band saws and more. All these pieces of equipment definitely need space inside a woodworking room. Therefore it is more appropriate to design a room or space according to the size of these units.

If you live in a small apartment or space

There is no reason to give up woodworking because your living space cannot handle your interests! A few suggestions to pursue your woodworking interests:

1. Use your garage

Even a garage with a single- car capacity could be transformed into a woodworking shop. Life hacker has a few tips on how to use a garage as a woodworking space. It says that for a homeowner to start transforming his garage into a workspace he has to initially clean his garage to see how much space he can use.

2. Use a spare room

Perhaps there is a maid’s room or a study room that has been left unused since or you could transform an old stockroom. The possibilities are endless. And just like finding room in a garage as a woodworking space, you must clean this spare room completely and carefully to be able to see how much space you can use.

3. Rent a workspace

If you really need a workspace to work then why not rent a workspace? You may rent some space in a neighbor’s garage or basement or you can look for rental spaces around town. This way you can work quietly and peacefully too.

4. Work at your backyard

A large back yard is a blessing. As long as it is sunny outside, you can take out your tools and work. You may have a tent or simple cover to shield you from direct sunlight. Just make sure you have ample power cords, tables and space to place your materials and you warn people that you are working. In short, safety first.

Conclusion

There is no particular measurement for a woodworking space or shop but it would be a good idea to have a larger workspace to accommodate your tools, materials, power tools and working tables. It is every woodworker’s dream to have his own working space and it is also a good idea to have a separate space for safety’s sake. If you are planning on a woodworking shop, consider the tools, materials and equipment you have to properly have room for everything. But if for some reason you do not have enough space then there let our tips help you continue your woodworking hobby.

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