Page 78 - Wood Review Dec 202 Full issue

WORKSHOPS
78
Australian Wood Review
The space that I work in is extremely important to me. It’s a space that I need to feel comfortable and creative in. This is where I transform rough timber into furniture and projects. It has to be personal. It has to be my space.
Size isn’t everything
Over the years I’ve moved and lived in different places, so I
have experience assembling and disassembling my shop. I’ve also been fortunate to teach around the globe, which means I’ve worked in many different shops. Spaces have been from as large as 200m2 to as small as 3m2 and I can assure you that bigger is not necessarily better in my eyes. To begin with, you have
further to walk to retrieve a tool and if you are middle-aged like me, you may very well forget what you set off to get halfway to arriving there.
Some workshops I’ve worked in
have been machine and power tool focused, and others have had nothing but lights using the power grid. A great many of them were shops where both hand and power tools were used together in harmony. All of this is to say, some of these shops were a dream to work in while others were a bit of struggle and it had nothing to do with the size, type, or tools used in them.
The key to a functional and enjoyable workshop is one that is laid out well. I can always tell if a shop space has
been thought about and considered carefully. The material flows from machine to machine easily without friction while breaking out the timber for a project. The tools are where they should be – close at hand. The walls are adorned with tools
to be used and personal touches like posters or pictures that mean something to the owner.
If you’re setting up a shop at the moment it will pay off to take the time to consider some critical things like tool layout and lighting, as well as heating, cooling and humidity. If you already have a shop space that you are working in, then you may be happy to make a few tweaks to take your workspace to the next level. I’ve
Designing Your Workspace
Size isn’t the issue – it’s the way you set up your workshop that affects your efficiency and enjoyment. Story by Vic Tesolin.