A new workshop!

That workshop was a detached two-car garage, 22′ x 24′, meaning there was just enough space for me to work in. There were times when that space was perfect, but there were also many times when that place was simply too small. I was always one medium-sized wall unit project away from pushing that shop to its limits. Or maybe it was pushing me to my limits. I’m not sure.

I was regularly wishing I had an extra 2′ in this direction or 2′ in that direction. It did have 10′ high ceilings, so that was good. There was no room for any other machines, even if they were small. That wasn’t the end of the world, as I was pretty well equipped, as far as machinery goes. I have a few more small machines now, and a medium amount of additional materials, supplies and accessories. I’d be hard pressed to fit everything back into that 22′ x 24′ workshop.

My current workshop is about 16′ x 26′, but has a second storey. It’s not a good long-term situation, though it’s been great over the past few years.

Moving forward

The current plan is to build a dedicated shop in our backyard this coming summer. I’m afraid I’m feeling pressure from all sides, as the city bylaws only allow for so much freedom. The bylaws state I can have a shop about 20′ x 22′, which is a good deal smaller than my previous space. The good news is I can build up, as well. A second floor will store a lot of the more portable and less used tools and materials. Having said that, I’m still very aware that I have to design and lay out the space carefully if I want to have space I can use efficiently well into the future.

I have the option of asking for a variance from the city, but because we’re close to the main lake that Peterborough is built around, that would force me to pay for a study that would cost upwards of about $7,000 for the variance to even be considered.

And on top of that, our backyard is simply only so large, and I’m not sure about losing just about all of it to my shop. My wife is quite sure though; she absolutely doesn’t want to lose almost all of it to my shop. She’s been pretty clear about that! We spend a decent amount of time in the backyard during the warmer months, as it’s a great place to relax while watching the birds and having the occasional lunch or dinner.

The basic plan

Where I’m at now is to make the space as large as the bylaws will allow (in all three directions), ensure the remainder of the backyard is kept clear for birdwatching and ensure I don’t block the neighbour’s sun or view. On top of that, I’ve got to do my best to keep the interior of my shop as efficient to work in as possible.

I think my next step is to work on shop layout. I could do this with some computer software, but I find it easiest to plan on paper. I’ll draw the top view of the future shop out to scale, then draw and cut out paper machines and storage fixtures, also to scale. I can then place the paper machines on the shop drawing and adjust them until I’ve got things working nicely. Right now, I can adjust the location of doors and windows, so that will come next. Some sort of a ladder or stairway will have to be considered, too, as will a heat source.

Too many options?

I’ve worked in a total of three different workshops over the time I’ve had my business. None of them were perfect, but in each case, I only really had one option: to lay out my machinery and tools within the existing shop walls and use the space to the best of my ability. When you start designing your own walls and window locations, you have a lot more options and that’s great. The downside is that it almost feels like there are too many options. I could easily find myself overthinking this workshop and never settling on a plan, only to find myself in the exact same situation a year from now.

On the other hand, if I did aim for perfection with this design, and not get going on it anytime soon, my wife would be happy watching the birds this summer, not only in peace and quiet, but also with an unobstructed view.

To solve my wife’s bird watching situation, maybe I just need to build a little bird viewing blind at the far end of the yard so she can view without obstruction. She might even find she can get closer to her feathered friends that way. Now that I think about this a bit more, maybe an elevated sitting platform on the back side of the workshop is the real answer. It could be about 10′ above the ground, and would make her feel like she’s almost in the trees with the birds. This could mean this project is in win-win territory, which would be fantastic.

I’m off to cut out some paper machines and scope out the best location for my neighbourhood’s only bird blind. This will be fun.