Bearhawk Aircraft Bearhawk Tailwheels LLC Eric Newton's Builder Manuals Bearhawk Plans Bearhawk Store

Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Workbench against the wall?

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Workbench against the wall?

    Good day all,

    As I unpack from the move, I'm considering best configuration for my shop. Sadly, at the moment, I have only about 1/4 of the space I had at my old house, at about 10' x 16', as work area. It's temporary, of course, until I can build a garage/shop in another year or so, but I need to be efficient until then.

    As I'm working on spars at the moment, I think I can get away with a workbench on the wall. My spars are 16' 7", so I can make that work in the available space. Getting to the other side of them isn't as big a deal as it would be while working on an entire wing or something. Also, EAA1000 benches in the center might work well, too, but I'm debating how this affects shop flow, having to walk around everything to get to the other side.

    How are those of you that have small shops working around those conditions? I see that Todd Ramsey (Bearhawk Patrol #253, https://www.facebook.com/groups/337308756444689/) has put a lot of his stuff overhead.
    Christopher Owens
    Bearhawk 4-Place Scratch Built, Plans 991
    Bearhawk Patrol Scratch Built, Plans P313
    Germantown, Wisconsin, USA

  • #2
    I thought we were tight with a 28 x 40 building two, but your 10 x 16 beats that! What I found was as the project progressed, placement of tables and things changed, so we put them on wheels. We used the wing shipping containers for our main big tables and put harbour freight dollies under each corner. Had many flat surfaces to collect stuff as well, but everything was moved several times during the four yrs. it took. That 28 x 40 also increased in size with leanto's for parts and equipment. Near as I can tell, you can NEVER have too big a shop--unless you are trying to heat it. ;-)

    Comment


    • #3
      [deleted dumb question because you answered it already re: spar length]
      Now that I think of it, I was able to work on the spars almost exclusively from one side of the table, going around only to fetch an air hose or to move a completed spar out of the way.
      Mark
      Scratch building Patrol #275
      Hood River, OR

      Comment


      • #4
        Working in a small space requires lots of shuffling and tidiness. My garage is only 19'x19' and I have to share it with my wife's car in the winter. I'm guessing your situation is similar? In the winter my wife parks her car outside and I back it into the garage after I'm done working in the evening. During the summer I leave her car outside.

        If I were setting up benches to build spars I think I would set them up toward the center of the garage but offset enough to get a car in. Doing so would allow access to both sides of the workpiece but on something like a spar that may not matter. Having to open the garage door to get to the other side of the project is the norm for me and I'm no longer bothered by it. During the winter opening the door while working isn't an option.
        Scratch Built 4-place Bearhawk. Continental IO-360, 88" C203 McCauley prop.

        Comment


        • #5
          We have a 3-car garage, with the left two bays in tandem, so the 10x16 space will be dedicated, thankfully. My truck is longer than her car, so we may end up trading spaces to accommodate anything that may stick out a bit.

          I'm definitely going to have to think tidy on this one! And organized. Force myself to put tools away and keep the area clean.

          I've never had to think "up" in my workspace, so may have to think about crafty ways to use the ceiling.
          Christopher Owens
          Bearhawk 4-Place Scratch Built, Plans 991
          Bearhawk Patrol Scratch Built, Plans P313
          Germantown, Wisconsin, USA

          Comment


          • #6
            Cars inside? 50 plus years of cars kept outside in northeastern Minnesota, I can only remember 3 years of having a garage available for a car.

            Comment

            Working...
            X