What do you guys think, is 8’ too narrow for a shaping room? Also how wide and how high above your racks is the shelf over your side lights?
well i would say its doable if its just your stand and planer . but i would def go bigger.
Phil, My room is 8’ x 12’ and it’s really tight, I find it hard to step back from the blank to get a good perspective as I’m shaping. As for the shelf hieght, I think 6" above the stands is pretty much standard. Skip
I like lots of room, my shaping lab is 9’3" wide and 20 feet long, but I have tools, cabinets and a bench to foil fins and sharpen plane blades on too. My lights are at 53" and the racks are set to have the deck of the board at belly button height. One of the Swayholians that dropped by for a tutorial, got his racks from Foam E-Z and he could see right away that when he was shaping, the board was way too far from the floor. As for the lights, don’t try to shield them too much, maybe because of the extra width of my room, the lights are out of my vision field. I see many shapers that over shadow the surfaces of their boards, I like to have light on the deck and bottom, no too much light makes you snow blind
Take the dimensions of the biggest board that you will ever shape. Now imagine spinning that blank around and still having room for your tools, a workbech-table and you should be fine! I shape in a 2 car garage. i have lots of rooom. However if it is nice out I’ll take the stand outside and shape in my backyard. Ahh nature!
Howzit Phil, I’ve built a few shaping rooms for friends and been in a lot more. You want it large enough to be able to move around without bumping into things. In my opinion it should be about 10’ wide and at least 16’ long. Remember you’ll probably have wall racks and your light boxes take up some room.Aloha, Kokua
Having not much room in my latest factory l decided to try what l call a half bay, the room is 6 1/2’ wide and 12’ long,the shaping racks are closer to the lights on one side and the lights area little bit higher on that side. l only work off one side of the board (l always have) so the extra width was a bit of a waste for me. At first it was different but now that l am used to it l love it, l recon that l can see better when the board is flat and when on its rail it gives great shadows. All my tools are in closer reach and above the lights to my back l place a bay length open window so that it dosen’t feel like you are squashed in. Stoked l gave it a go. KR
7 to 9 feet wide is fine. Don’t sweat it…JC shaped underneath a mango tree, kinda dramatic isn’t it!!! I shaped a board underneath a railroad once…
hmm. while we are on this subject. right now i am shaping in a screened in porch. its plenty big enough. as i continue to clear out ill have room for a shapign and glassing rack, which i use just one for both at the moment. as i said its screened in with the lights being a light about 10 feet high and on the wall, and a light from a fan which sits roughly about 2 feet behind the board, and about 3 feet above. it is painted like light blue on the walls. but 2 sides are screemn and the other is blue. my question is does anyone here have any experience shaping out of a larger shed. how much would it run me for ac and an exaust system in a shed. or just how much a reg shed costs would be fine. im trying to upgrade, bc at the moment when i eget packed with repairs i got boards covering the place. any advice, maybe even on how to just improve my porch set up.thanks dk