Ship Modeler's Workbench

[CaptCraig]

Ok everyone. I am just completing the structure for my workshop. There used to be a post on here that everyone was showing their workbenches. Some were TV tables while others were elaborate hobby lover's dreams. I would like to restart this thread so I can get some ideas for my new ship modeler's workshop. I will start by posting my workshop in it's present form. I still have to do the exterior, insulation and electrical, but It's moving right along and I am already thinking about my workspace. So if you have a moment, let's see where you do your best work!

 

[tasmanian]

i think your are kidding this could not be your workshop ?

[fnkershner]

Wow! what are the dimensions? About 8 yrs ago I did what you are doing now. Mine was 12 by 16 feet. The reason for this was that in Washington State if you build a building larger than 200 sq feet enclosed you must get a building permit and inspection. I didn't want to hassle with this in my back yard. I will dig up some photos and post thme for you.

Edited March 27, 2013 by Floyd Kershner

[Pete38]

If you go to this post you will find quite a few workshops and how the people layed them out. There is some good stuff here.

Enjou your new space

 

http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/67-so-where-do-you-do-yours-then-ship-building-that-is/

[fnkershner]

I was trying to find that thread. Thanks! I knew it had been restored.

[CaptCraig]

Thank you all. It is 10'x22'...Don't get too excited. My admiral raises rabbits and chickens, so 1/3 of it will belong to her for her nursery. I live out in the middle of no where, so I don't really require a permit. If I did, I would have to cut off the back 2 feet of it as it is 220sq. ft. The largest you can build without a permit here is 200sq. ft. As you can see, it is not perfect, but I have put a lot of time into it already and I did the majority of the work myself. On Good Friday, I will put the exterior on and the following week, I will hang the doors and insert the windows. After that, my father-in-law will wire the electrical to the utility pole. So I probably have another month before I can build the interior. My purpose for this workshop is only to build model ships and do some gunsmithing/reloading. I no longer have room in the house with 3 children and all of our pets. They love to break Daddy's stuff. I'll post updates. Now I'm off to look at the lost thread posted above. Thanks Pete38! Here's a pic from 2-3 weeks ago:

 

Edited March 27, 2013 by CaptCraig

[fnkershner]

Well I don't know about your hosuehold. But my Admiral said "There will be no sawdust in this House!" So I HAD to build my own shop. I downloaded the plans from the web and made a few modifications and took them to the Admiral for inspection. She said "oh go ahead build whatever you want I will never go out there". But I persisited. A wise captian once told me if they are not happy you will be miserable. So even though she said she would never set foot inside. It now has sheet rock, molding, Paint, & carpet on the inside. And about ever month or so a misterious thing happens - a Knome shows up and the floor is suddenly clean!

[Modeler12]

I am sure that before you started this construction you must have had a pretty good idea of what you had in mind. Since you explained (sorry for my earlier post), I must admit that I envy the fact that you can do this. 

I for one, I am doing things in a garage with (luckily) two cars and find it works for me. It all depends on the tools at hand and how to arrange them. I have to work along walls!!!

I have a bandsaw, sander and scrollsaw all hookup to a vacuum cleaner and can use them as needed. My old trusty Shopsmith is to the right. The 'real' workbench it behind me as I take this picture.

How often do I use all of this?? Not often, and when I go into 'major' I move one or both cars out.

Edited March 27, 2013 by Modeler12

[CaptCraig]

Thanks Floyd and Jay. I plan to have a belt/disc sander much like the one in Jay's photo, a mini table saw, and maybe a scroll saw on one bench and reloading equipment on another. My main concern is the bench itself as I want something very functional well lit. I like the ideas I have seen so far between this thread and the other one that is being rebuilt quickly. Glad to know I was not the only one who enjoyed looking at other people's work spaces!

[BANYAN]

Craig,

 

When I planned my bench space I used a process similar to the following.

 

List the power tools you have (or plan to have); determine their footprints and the amount of space you will need around them (length of stock, size of materials etc).  Do a rough plan layout by grouping the tools that you will need to provide suction/dust control for and see if you can fit them in one area or you need to split them up a it.  You can then plan your dust venting/tubing etc and determine where and how many power outlets you will need (much easier to prewire these before your walls go on )  Also try to arrange your tools  (the sequence/location) with your work process/flow in mind (desireable but not that essential).  The other small consideration I gave (but again, was not a driver) was storage/access to tool accessories for each power tool.  Nothing worse than having to go elsewhere in the shop to get a small 'something' for the tool you are using, or to have to lean so far over the bench it is difficult to grab the item  

 

Just some considerations - hope they help.

 

cheers

 

Pat

[CaptCraig]

Banyan...Thanks for the great tips on the gameplan. I am a bit overwhelmed with the interior planning, but your pointers will help. I did think about the electrical aspect already. The lighting will vary. I will have shop lights, but also nice clean/clear light over the benches. Florecent lighting (in my opinion) is not very good for detail work. It makes my eyes tired and causes me to strain. Then I get a headache. Not sure I will go deep into dust collection. I will setup a shopvac for the sander and the saws, but that's probably about it. Now I'm trying to decide on what to use for my bench surface. Not sure if I want to go with finished lumber or something else covered with lexan or formica.

[Nirvana]

Workshop is planned over on my property, unfortunate other "items on the agenda" has higher priorities.

So far it is a combined office/workshop in the house.

As for permits, living outside city limits I think I have different code regarding size of workshop. But I haven't checked it.

Would like something in the size of 12x20.

Someone told me as long it is not fixed to a foundation and it can be moved from the piers "size" doesn't matter. Once again I haven't got it confirmed.

Besides that would be awesome being able to move the workshop to next location!

[CaptCraig]

Hi Nirvana...I am building mine on cement blocks so I can move it if I need to...at 12'x20' you will have me beet by 20sq. ft.

[Nirvana]

Craig, size doesn't matter, it's the building technique.

I am fortunate having big area to build on.

[Nirvana]

Ah, darn..... seems like we are in the same boat   , my workshop cant exceed the 200sq.ft.

Size will be 12x16, floor footage, which gives me 196 sq.ft

[Nirvana]

The design of my "external" workshop is developing, during the same time I am still working on my ships.
In the office/workshop I have got two sheets of plexiglass each 1/8" thick, this to put schematics/plans in between.

Somehow the feature of inserting an imagine is gone for me. The only way is to providing an "URL"?

Wish to show some pictures from my camera which has been saved on the Pc.

[trippwj]

Dr. Per - click on Use Full editor when you are typing a post and you get the add files option.

 

Look forward to seeing the plan holder!

[Nirvana]

Thank you Wayne, I found it under the "More Reply Options"

 

I went to my local "glass shop" had two sheets of 1/8" plexi-glass cut to order in this case 30"x48"

Perfect for the main portion of the building table.

This way, I can have one plan underneath a protective glass.

It's easy to change the plans as they just slide in-between the two sheets.

Some one in the old type of forum was using this way.

[fnkershner]

_{Nice Job Per, but I thought you were driving this side of the mountains to pick up my shop?}

[Nirvana]

Floyd, When will it be available?

[fnkershner]

Per - Some time in April. I am suspending racing until we moved to get the most out of my beloved shop. As usual the bank sets a date then fails to deliver so we will see when it will happen. It is now looking more likely in May.

Edited April 1, 2013 by Floyd Kershner

[Nirvana]

 Floyd, I need to figure out size of bed and truck.

[42rocker]

Craig

At least on Mondays you can go to the huge Flea market that's right next to you and look for deals on tools and other such stuff.

Tools - think wheels and moving them in and out.

Bench height try to keep the same.

Wheel a couple of items together and you have a long bench to work on things.

Insulation,,, add more then think about more. Remember gun smithing and reloading do not like dust or rust so keep it nice for all. If you are going to be rewelding any parts kits back together then then about outside. Another ship modeler here in Fla talks about moving his sanding times out to his porch. Might want to have a porch. For both reasons.

If you ever go to Hernando sportsman club then drop me a pm about a few things. Have something coming up for rebuilders.

 

Good Luck and enjoy the planning.

 

Later 42rocker

[CaptCraig]

42Rocker...Thanks for the input. I never get to the flea market as I travel to Tampa to work every day. Only when there is a holiday on Monday. Memorial Day may be the next time I can go. I am new to both hobbies. I am building this workshop to house both of them. I am going to insulate and climate control the building as I do not want any humidity in there both for the wooden ships and the reloading equipment and components. I am going to install a portable AC unit and a space heater. I have yet to find a cheaper solution. This weekend I have finished putting up the T1-11 exterior. It will likely be another month or two before I am close to completion. I still have to trim the exterionr, hang the doors and windows, run the electrical, and insulate. Then, I can deal with the workbench which I am sort of engineering now. It will be the length of my portion of the workshop on both sides. This should serve me well. I will have nice vinyl tile flooring so I can have the workshop chair to roll around on. I'm hoping to be in full swing with both hobbies by June. This is a very optimistic gaol given my budget. When I am ready to head out to the range, I will keep you in mind.

[fnkershner]

Per - As I said in the State of WA (where we both live) you must get a permit to build larger than 200 sq. ft. This is why I have 12 X 16 interior space but I have 16 by 18 total building size. As 42rocker mentions I added a 6 foot covered porch. I can sit on the porch and do any sanding and in the past I have setup a table on the porch for spray painting. But I have found that the permit process isn't quite as bad as I thought. So go for it! Submit your design to the county. Besides for all my effort to be legal and avoid permitting I found that when I installed power I needed a permit anyway. Not to mention the plumbing.

 

The siding on my shop is better quality than the house. It is guaranteed for 50 yrs and the roof for 30.

[Modeler12]

Sometimes it helps to think small. Here is a 'work bench' that is portable. Usually it sits on my work table, but now I have it mounted to an ugly block of wood so I can put it right next to the rigging I am doing. The upper shrouds had their deadeyes installed but I had to whip the ends of the shrouds. This helps me since I have only two hands.

[42rocker]

One of the problems that we folks in Fla have is wind codes and codes in general. I'm guessing that where Craig lives there is a 110 mph wind code that you have to build for period. Also the plans normally have to have an engineers seal on them. Big Pain, but as Gov. Bush said one time,, you want to live in Fla build for it.

 

Again try to make the height of your work bench the height of your tools. Think on and off ramps.

Good Luck

 

Later 42rocker

[Nirvana]

 This helps me since I have only two hands.

I wonder if we will have three or more hands in the future, think how much we could build in the same time

[Pete38]

If you ever come up with three or more hands...I believe the Admiral will have control of the extra hands 

[NenadM]

 

3x3m room next to the garage with a boiler for central heating, rearranged as little workshop for any work it is needed. And there clear work desk about 1 x 0,5m and place near to spread sheets on some wooden boards on top of boiler. Tools around on shelves. Cutty has her own closed wall shelve when she is resting from me on opposite wall of room

 

Some problems arise according to the dimension of Her Majesty,and I suppose that workbench must grow 

Edited December 18, 2013 by Nenad M