The compact workshop challenge

[simso]

When I use to teach acoustic guitar building, students would go away and I would touch base with them in following years to see how their future builds were going.

The biggest comment I got back was not enough space at home to build a guitar, so I have set myself a personal challenge to make a workbench here at my home that fits into a 3 by 3 shed in the backyard amongst lawnmowers and gardening tools fishing gear etc.

Clearly not everything can be done like sanders and thicknessers and so forth, but my thought process was with mens sheds available these days, people can easily get that stuff done externally or even purchase it pre done. Those that did my builds here in perth have access to my machinery any way as part of the original course deal.

So challenge is on.

Who here has a super conpact build area they want to share photos off

Steve

[simso]

Purchased one of these benches as they are 2.7meters long and have overhead shelf, and fit into a garden shed

[simso]

First thing, was a Bunnings drop cloth to keep any work clean, yes I also have a second bench attached, but the goal is to fit everything onto this one workspace, from bending sides to shaping neck and so forth

Cut the drop cloth up and screwed it to the bench

[simso]

Filled the bottom with wood, this is going to be new storage area for acoustic guitar builds

[simso]

The first shelf above the bench turns out to be a bit of a pain in the backside (keeps getting in the way) so I removed it and turned it into a middle shelf, dropped some 9mm mdf onto the back for a toolboard

I also fitted the first set of tools onto the bench, bending sides, so I have a electric pipe bender and a flash side bender from LMII, if space gets tight, the LMII bender is first tool to go as it’s a luxury not a requirement and takes up a lot of space

Shooting board on the middle shelf far right, first set of clamps for neck and tail blocks.

First build on a cardboard box far left middle shelf

[simso]

And for giggles, of this bench came a tute for bending sides.

Clearly the resawing was done in my shop first

http://www.mirwa.com.au/HTS_Acoustic_Si ... cture.html

[simso]

Measuring and marking out tools on the very end, trying my best to maximise this space

Set of verniers
Small Set Square,
Three rulers, 1m, 300mm and 150mm
Tape measure
Drilled the back toolboard for two pencils adjacent to the second clamp down

[simso]

My eight dollar shooting board, possibly may even make a tute on making one.

Whilst some of these tutes are totally useless here, for a novice builder it’s possibly a good starting point.

[56nortondomy]

My shed is pretty small, 3.8mts x 2.5mts, I don't have any spare space on the walls or ceiling to put any more stuff ( believe me I'm trying ). It's not much fun when you drop on a guitar you're working on because you have things above it you reach for. Wayne

[demonx]

All my earliest builds were done on a bench smaller than that (it was actually longer but half of it was covered in junk) and only power tools I use were a circular saw, a ryobi 12” thicknesser, a makita hand sander, a Bosch jigsaw and a Bosch hand drill. Everything else was hand tools. Oh, also used to have a air compressor for spraying.

I’d have to dig through old pics for any images. Digital cameras were too expensive back then and getting film developed meant photos were very selective!

[simso]

Dig up those photos mate, post away.

Steve

[simso]

Wayne, no room for a lawn mower in there , squeezing it all in I can see, I couldn’t for the life of me spot the kitchen sink but

Steve

[56nortondomy]

Lucky for me Steve I don't have any lawn to mow so I don't have to worry about that, I guess I cheat a bit I do have some stuff in the garage, all my bending forms and a home made thickness sander ( which I use in the driveway when I need it ). I'd like to put more stuff there but I'm almost in the divorce court as it is.
Wayne

[TallDad71]

Love this game.

I’ve only got 12 square metres to play with but can do everything I need.

The shop

Main bench
Every minute tools in front, others below.

Drill bench
Daylight comes through those windows sometimes here in the uk

Shelves and saw
There’s a homemade integrated table saw under that bandsaw somewhere.

Sanding area
With my integrated down draft area. Oh and another window just in case.

[lauburu]

Fascinating thread.
I've been absent from this forum for quite a while for various reasons - sell house, move to beach town to retire, travel, renovate shack for rental, buy new house, renovate new house, build workshop / garage. Retirement is Hell.

After 40 years of making do, I finally have a workshop. Fully insulated, double glazed and acres of space (actually 6m*8m). It's such a luxury that sometimes I just go in there just to sit, admire and wallow in happiness. Currently kitting it out and unpacking boxes of tools, templates etc. Will post photos when it's presentable.

In the meantime, I'm having a great time catching up on all the stuff I've missed out on.
You're a talented bunch. Thanks to all contributors.
Miguel

[demonx]

After looking through old pics I couldn't find much of the actual workspace (a shed with only three walls, two cars and a heap of junk squeezed in), however I did find these two pics where you can see the bench itself that all my earlier guitars were made on, the bench was given to me and had seen better days, the second pic shows a homemade sanding block which I used to use for all straight sanding, for example fingerboard edges, some joinery etc.

04012008314.JPG (45.24 KiB) Viewed 45835 times

[simso]

512DB4C5-4763-4154-A81D-F4935DCC26D0.jpeg (116.12 KiB) Viewed 45809 times

Your shop almost looks like a catalog advertisement in sears for hunting cabins.

That is smashingly good looking

Steve

[simso]

After looking through old pics I couldn't find much of the actual workspace (a shed with only three walls, two cars and a heap of junk squeezed in

The old saying , from humble beginnings comes greatness, that and a heck of a lot of hard work

Steve

[kiwigeo]

(puts on Yorkshire accent)

"fourteen of us making guitars in a shoe box at bottom of lake!!

[lamanoditrento]

(puts on Yorkshire accent)

"fourteen of us making guitars in a shoe box at bottom of lake!!

ss1.jpg198170e7-6922-43b6-898e-4c2deae084cdOriginal.jpg

The bottom of a lake! Luxury!

[kiwigeo]

(puts on Yorkshire accent)

"fourteen of us making guitars in a shoe box at bottom of lake!!

ss1.jpg198170e7-6922-43b6-898e-4c2deae084cdOriginal.jpg

The bottom of a lake! Luxury!

[TallDad71]

512DB4C5-4763-4154-A81D-F4935DCC26D0.jpeg

Your shop almost looks like a catalog advertisement in sears for hunting cabins.

That is smashingly good looking

Steve

Awww thanks Steve. Its a home from home when my wife has kicked me out. Love it.

[Crafty Fox]

My nano-shed (its so small I have to work on the molecular level). It normally looks more like Talldad's but my kids must have photoshopped messy untidiness onto it
I do have a couple of machines, 6" buzzer and a moveable bench with drum sander and small thicknesser on it, but they get rolled down the side of the house, under cover.

[benldwyer]

After a forced hiatus from building due to a transient work life, I finally set up a temporary workshop in one of my downstairs bedrooms, it works well but looking forward to building a purpose built shed now that I have settled down a bit travel wise...pictures are a bit messy...

[blackalex1952]

So far my vote goes to Wayne (56nortondomy)...I have been in his shed, and the pictures don't do it justice...there are so many tools and items hanging from the roof as well, everything has its place (AND ONLY WAYNE KNOWS WHERE EVERYTHING IS !!!)
Cheers! Ross