More planning stuff:
# Step 3: How will these things be arranged?
The objective of this exercise is to produce a functional floor plan for fitting all that stuff into the garage. As previously noted, the main limitation of relying on a floor plan drawn with CAD, or on paper, is that it’s a two dimensional depiction of a three dimensional thing. Useful, to be sure, but limiting.
Software to simulate such a thing exists, but I don’t own it or know how to use it. And it would still be an entirely virtual experience. What to do?
Enter the cardboard.
I mentioned this a few posts back, and felt that it would be worth at least trying. Silly, perhaps, but a simple enough thing to try. My hypothesis was that a cardboard-populated floor plan would allow me to see where everything goes and literally walk around in the “furnished” space. The only ‘virtual’ part would be the cardboard. Everything else would be real. So why not?
BTW, finding large cardboard boxes out here in the sticks is not necessarily an easy thing to do. Fortunately we had a pretty good supply of large pieces on hand, most recently harvested from the shipping boxes for the shelving and topside creeper. Tools used were a utility knife, a framing square, and a sharpie.
Thus equipped I started cutting out two-dimensional representations of the various objects and arranged them on the floor.
And wound up with a floor plan of sorts.
One unexpected benefit emerged almost immediately. While cutting the cardboard to size for each template, I found myself thinking about the form and function of the actual thing it represents; quite apart from where it should go. Oddly enough, doing that made me feel somehow more directly involved in the planning/design process.
Focusing on the individual items is arguably revisiting Step 2. That’s fine, since the goal of the overall planning process is to make this garage as functional as possible. Knowing more about how a piece looks and functions serves that goal. Of course, reflecting on these things made Step 3 take longer than I expected; but it was time well spent.
Two examples of such reflection are the workbench and work table.
The workbench: I originally envisioned this as an uncluttered work space, possibly with a bench vise, a couple of drawers underneath, and enough room underneath for my knees so that I can work at it sitting on a drafting stool. With the exception of adding a desk lamp similar to the one @Orpedcrow uses on his rollaround cart, my reflection confirmed the basic concept. So far so good.
However, seeing the cardboard ‘workbench’ in place, on the floor made me realize that as designed it would be a bit too large for fitting between the vehicles, walls, and the lift. So I shortened it by a foot, and narrowed it by 6”. It’s now 2’x 5’, which seems about right. This was tested by holding the ‘workbench’ at working height and walking it completely around the Subdivision. The larger version wouldn’t have been able to turn the corner at the vehicle’s front end. The reduced version passed.
The work table: In my mind, the work table was to be just that: a plain table with nothing permanently attached to it, ready to provide additional space for projects that might take a bit longer to complete. Sort of like the workbench, only larger.
It took me a surprisingly long time to realize that having both an empty work table and an empty workbench just might be redundant. It’s hard to justify having both in what is turning out to be a more limited space than I had originally thought. There’s a lot of stuff to fit in this garage. Y’all warned me about that, didn’t you? You did.
On the other hand, having a rolling tool table - like @PlayingWithTBI made - makes all kinds of sense. At a minimum, the bench grinder and drill press need to be mounted to something anyway; why not on the same table? Along with a lamp, of course. Being able to put those tools closer to the action certainly seems like a very good idea.
Once again, seeing my 3’ x 5’ cardboard ‘work table’ in place made me realize that it is also too wide to wheel around this garage. It’s now the same size as the workbench (2’x 5’).
And, just like that, repurposing my kitchen table as a work table became a casualty of the planning process. I’ll either build one or find something else to repurpose.
Although arranging objects and walking amongst them was the original focus of this exercise, another unexpected benefit emerged: Being able to look at the construction details of this metal building - the framing, open trusses, and window and door openings - from from eye level.
Why is this perspective useful? Mainly because it helps me think through how and where to attach things to the walls and trusses: the subpanel, wiring, lights, bicycles, yard tools, and brooms (the framing is on 5' centers, rather than 4' or 2' centers). It also helps in locating tools requiring 230V power, like the the welder and a larger compressor. Looking at the framing itself allows me to visualize exactly how the wiring will be run.
The workbench, rolling tool table, rolling tool cabinet, and perhaps even the solvent bath, need to be centrally located. In this context that means grouped around the center of the back wall. From that point, I added the rest of the stuff to the remaining back and side wall space.
When all was said and done, I transferred the measurements to the CAD drawing, and produced the floor plan:
As several folks have pointed out, the arrangement will change as I use it; this seems like a decent place to start.
The point of this step was actually twofold: to find out if everything that I envisioned for this space would indeed fit, and where it should go. Both have been accomplished.
So about that cardboard - was it actually worth doing? I’d have to say yes, it was. Although cardboard didn’t replace CAD as a planning tool, it certainly supplemented it. Using both of them together made for a better outcome, imho.
More to follow.
# Step 3: How will these things be arranged?
The objective of this exercise is to produce a functional floor plan for fitting all that stuff into the garage. As previously noted, the main limitation of relying on a floor plan drawn with CAD, or on paper, is that it’s a two dimensional depiction of a three dimensional thing. Useful, to be sure, but limiting.
Software to simulate such a thing exists, but I don’t own it or know how to use it. And it would still be an entirely virtual experience. What to do?
Enter the cardboard.
I mentioned this a few posts back, and felt that it would be worth at least trying. Silly, perhaps, but a simple enough thing to try. My hypothesis was that a cardboard-populated floor plan would allow me to see where everything goes and literally walk around in the “furnished” space. The only ‘virtual’ part would be the cardboard. Everything else would be real. So why not?
BTW, finding large cardboard boxes out here in the sticks is not necessarily an easy thing to do. Fortunately we had a pretty good supply of large pieces on hand, most recently harvested from the shipping boxes for the shelving and topside creeper. Tools used were a utility knife, a framing square, and a sharpie.
Thus equipped I started cutting out two-dimensional representations of the various objects and arranged them on the floor.
You must be registered for see images attach
And wound up with a floor plan of sorts.
You must be registered for see images attach
One unexpected benefit emerged almost immediately. While cutting the cardboard to size for each template, I found myself thinking about the form and function of the actual thing it represents; quite apart from where it should go. Oddly enough, doing that made me feel somehow more directly involved in the planning/design process.
Focusing on the individual items is arguably revisiting Step 2. That’s fine, since the goal of the overall planning process is to make this garage as functional as possible. Knowing more about how a piece looks and functions serves that goal. Of course, reflecting on these things made Step 3 take longer than I expected; but it was time well spent.
Two examples of such reflection are the workbench and work table.
The workbench: I originally envisioned this as an uncluttered work space, possibly with a bench vise, a couple of drawers underneath, and enough room underneath for my knees so that I can work at it sitting on a drafting stool. With the exception of adding a desk lamp similar to the one @Orpedcrow uses on his rollaround cart, my reflection confirmed the basic concept. So far so good.
However, seeing the cardboard ‘workbench’ in place, on the floor made me realize that as designed it would be a bit too large for fitting between the vehicles, walls, and the lift. So I shortened it by a foot, and narrowed it by 6”. It’s now 2’x 5’, which seems about right. This was tested by holding the ‘workbench’ at working height and walking it completely around the Subdivision. The larger version wouldn’t have been able to turn the corner at the vehicle’s front end. The reduced version passed.
The work table: In my mind, the work table was to be just that: a plain table with nothing permanently attached to it, ready to provide additional space for projects that might take a bit longer to complete. Sort of like the workbench, only larger.
It took me a surprisingly long time to realize that having both an empty work table and an empty workbench just might be redundant. It’s hard to justify having both in what is turning out to be a more limited space than I had originally thought. There’s a lot of stuff to fit in this garage. Y’all warned me about that, didn’t you? You did.
On the other hand, having a rolling tool table - like @PlayingWithTBI made - makes all kinds of sense. At a minimum, the bench grinder and drill press need to be mounted to something anyway; why not on the same table? Along with a lamp, of course. Being able to put those tools closer to the action certainly seems like a very good idea.
Once again, seeing my 3’ x 5’ cardboard ‘work table’ in place made me realize that it is also too wide to wheel around this garage. It’s now the same size as the workbench (2’x 5’).
And, just like that, repurposing my kitchen table as a work table became a casualty of the planning process. I’ll either build one or find something else to repurpose.
Although arranging objects and walking amongst them was the original focus of this exercise, another unexpected benefit emerged: Being able to look at the construction details of this metal building - the framing, open trusses, and window and door openings - from from eye level.
Why is this perspective useful? Mainly because it helps me think through how and where to attach things to the walls and trusses: the subpanel, wiring, lights, bicycles, yard tools, and brooms (the framing is on 5' centers, rather than 4' or 2' centers). It also helps in locating tools requiring 230V power, like the the welder and a larger compressor. Looking at the framing itself allows me to visualize exactly how the wiring will be run.
The workbench, rolling tool table, rolling tool cabinet, and perhaps even the solvent bath, need to be centrally located. In this context that means grouped around the center of the back wall. From that point, I added the rest of the stuff to the remaining back and side wall space.
When all was said and done, I transferred the measurements to the CAD drawing, and produced the floor plan:
You must be registered for see images attach
As several folks have pointed out, the arrangement will change as I use it; this seems like a decent place to start.
The point of this step was actually twofold: to find out if everything that I envisioned for this space would indeed fit, and where it should go. Both have been accomplished.
So about that cardboard - was it actually worth doing? I’d have to say yes, it was. Although cardboard didn’t replace CAD as a planning tool, it certainly supplemented it. Using both of them together made for a better outcome, imho.
More to follow.
