In high schools, woodshop is an elective class that teaches basic carpentry and woodworking skills. It’s a great way to get students thinking outside the box and parlaying their skills into their future careers.
Today, the number of schools offering woodshop classes has dropped significantly because more technological-based careers are on the rise. However, this trend may change in the near future.
Space
The amount of space available for a woodshop depends on your projects and what equipment you plan to use. Ideally, a workshop has enough room to accommodate a workbench and tools for a variety of woodworking tasks.
A shop should also have sufficient room for stationary power tools like a router, drill press or table saw. The layout should also be large enough to allow for the storage of lumber and other materials.
An efficient and organized woodshop should make it easy to access the right tool for a project at the correct time. This is why it is important to determine the workflow of a project before designing a shop floor layout.
Having adequate lighting and ventilation is essential to working efficiently in the shop. If you are planning on a basement or garage as your workshop, consider investing in heating and cooling devices that will keep the shop comfortable during cold weather.
Equipment
A woodworking shop needs a few basic tools to get started. You can start out with a few essential items, and slowly allocate some budget to add more as you gain momentum (both in terms of work and finance).
Saws are important in any woodworking shop because they allow you to cut lumber at different angles without sacrificing safety. They’re a good investment, and you’ll want a few different models for different cutting tasks.
Levels are also a must have in most woodworking shops because they help you make sure that your finished product is flat and at the right angle. You can purchase a standard level or a digital model, which works with an air bubble in a colored liquid to give you a precise reading.
Clamps are another necessary tool for any woodworking shop, as they’re used to hold pieces of wood together while the glue dries. You can buy general-purpose wood glue or water-resistant glue for outdoor projects.
Safety
Regardless of your level of experience, safety is a top priority in any woodshop. A few simple precautions can drastically reduce the risk of injuries.
Wear appropriate clothes that are comfortable for the environment and also protect you from flying wood chips. It’s also a good idea to remove any loose jewellery before working on your project.
Make sure that you check the stock for any metal pieces before cutting such as nails or screws, which can damage the cutting head or cause kickback (this is a common and dangerous injury).
Inexperienced woodworkers often fail to follow this very important rule.
Power tools need to be used in such a way that they cut against the motion of the stock instead of in the same direction as it is moving. This is especially true when using a router as it has many different blades that spin at high speeds.
Design
The design of a woodshop should make it easy for the woodworker to work. It should also provide adequate space for lumber storage, a workbench and stationary power tools.
Some of the most common shop layouts include an L-shaped or U-shaped configuration. These types of spaces can be very versatile and can accommodate a large number of different projects.
A key component in a good shop layout is efficient dust collection. Many power tools and sanding operations create large amounts of airborne dust that is easily inhaled.
In this shop, James’ tablesaw and other stationary machinery are centrally located to be accessible from all sides. He also uses mobile bases for some of his machines to allow flexibility in larger projects. He also installs an ingenious and highly flexible dust collection hose to each machine.
