New Shop !!!!

[Mojo]

I guess I never posted any pics of our new shop. I thought I would post them in the event someone may need a couple ideas. While what we are doing will not work for everyone, there are a few storage ideas maybe that might help.

The shop itself is 1,600 sq ft and includes two offices, a reception area, bathroom and kitchenette.

The main table is 12 ft x 24 ft and has double sewing stations. A twin needle on one end and a long arm on the other. I should have made this table 10 ft wide instead of 12. The reach across the table is too long. Opp's.

The second table is 14 ft long by 6 ft wide. This also has a double sewing station. A twin needle at one end and our Chandler 406 at the other. There are two working carts on wheels we use that has all of the tools we need. We duplicated each tool for each cart. These things are so handy and dirt cheap at Harbor Freight. Everything we have ( except the cutting/sewing tables ) are on casters so we can move things around easily. Each table has a hot knife station and the knife is stored on a little shelf under each table. Both tables are wired with 12 ga wire and have multiple outlets around the tables. The edge of the main table is covered in 18 ga stainless steel 3 inches wide and runs 20 ft down one side and 10 ft down one end. We use this as our cutting surface for the hot knife and razor knife. The table tops are all made of 3/4 inch melamine.

Both tables have storage underneath and one serves as our fabric cut storage with double racks that are vinyl surfaced to keep from snagging fabric. The tables are all skirted with scrap acrylic cuts to keep the dust from settling on everything. There are two industrial racks that are 10 ft tall. These hold storage items such as vinyl cut's, shipping boxes, parts, etc.

We have a shipping station with a dedicated computer and our UPS label printer as well as the floor scale for weighing shipments. Next to this table is our vertical box storage. Speaking of shipping almost all of our fabric comes in full rolls. Some of the vinyl weighs 65 lbs and our UPSA drop point is in the reception area. So I bought an oxygen tank cart that we set the rolls onto and wheel them through the shop to our storage racks. I bought this cart off E-bay for $ 80. It was brand new and a back saver. Miami liked it so much they are buying them for their warehouses. The rolls sit perfectly in the cradle with no chance of them rolling out.

I built a fabric rack on one wall that is elevated. This holds our most common fabric that we use daily. I had no room at the ends of the tables to make a horizontal fabric rack. We have wooden production boxes on casters that are all lined with carpet and they hold fabric that have been cut for orders that are in progress. Of course we also have our order board as well. We use color coded clipboards for each order with red being priority, blue is needs to be done soon and black is for non priority. When we have numerous orders lined up it helps us distinguish what needs to get done right away.

The reception area has cable TV and comfortable leather chairs for customers to sit in while waiting. We also have a product shelf with parts and other items we sell.

We have a nice kitchen with microwave, cabinetry, fridge, Keurig and counter space. All the cabinets were given to us by our next door neighbor who is a cabinet maker. They were all brand new but he needed them out of his show room because he was moving new ones in.

The entire shop is air conditioned as is each office. Of course the Boss ( wife ) got the big office and I got the small one. I built the offices myself as the shop when we got it had none. The bathroom was gutted and completely redone as was the reception area.

In one corner of the shop is the equipment we need for manufacturing parts for the new company we started a few months ago. That has my metal band saw, chop saw, grinders, drill press, etc

There are a series of pictures here that shows the different stages. It was a boat load of work but well worth it. We needed this space badly.

Here are the pictures:  http://s181.photobucket.com/user/throgmartin/media/New%20Shop/Curting%20Table%20Frame_zpsszz3gu8y.jpg.html

Chris

[SteveA]

Glad to hear the most capable person got the bigger office -
It great that all the ideas you guys have can be implemented in house.  What a great space - and plenty of height -
Did you get the lumber from a big box store or a local yard ?   The table tops -  are flat and level - how was that getting it so perfect ?
Add a coffee maker in the waiting room and customers won't leave

SA

[jojo]

Nice!! What is the tabletop made of? Formica countertop?

[Mojo]

Steve:

Yes I bought all the lumber at Lowes. We have a commercial account there. I learned a trick on how to get all the seams level. I used 1 x 6's that ran across the seams in long lengths. On the seams width wise I used 1 x 6 x 12 ft. On the lengths I placed 1 x 6's so they intersected.  I screwed them down on top of the 2 x 4's providing a level surface. The seams all came out level this way.

Jo-Jo. The table tops are done in 4 x 8 ft sheets of melamine. These are double sided and resemble formica. You can get them at Lowes or Home Depot. I will tell you they are heavier then all get out.

Chris

[scottymc]

Nice shop Chris,  :) probably the only one in the country with a bobbin winding room, but yeah we'll call it your office. ;)

[Darren Henry]

Nice shop Chris. I'm very happy for you.

My table was only 5X12 and I had a hard time cutting all the way across it. Luckily I was already short when I built it so I made sure I had easy access to both sides. grin.

How do you find your sewing stations placed that close to the end of the table? I have about he same length of table behind my left elbow, but often wish I was further down the table [like Mike's set up] when I'm sewing awnings and tarps. They keep hanging up on the end after falling on the floor.

[Mike]

How do you find your sewing stations placed that close to the end of the table? I have about he same length of table behind my left elbow, but often wish I was further down the table [like Mike's set up] when I'm sewing awnings and tarps. They keep hanging up on the end after falling on the floor.

I was thinking the same thing I have 6 feet behind my machine and I wish I had 3 more feet .  I was wondering is that AC chris?  was it thee already or did you  put it in I havnt seen any in commercial spaces around here. are you in an industrial park?  my last place was it was cheap no ac until io did it and in the back of the park hidden hence cheap and I kinda need or it helps me to be seen even though most of my new customers come from online and fid me but some do see me now at the boat dealers even though im out back adain

[kodydog]

Really nice setup Chris. You'll spoil your employees with that air conditioner. :) Last May I worked in a building similar to yours. Except it had no AC and no insulation. Around noon it started to get hot and by 2:00 when the Florida sun beat down on that metal roof it was unbearable. The upholstery room had a window rattler that couldn't keep up.

[brmax]

Excellent workspace there Chris
That is some table for you all to work on, and the building height can be an asset in many ways.
Look forward to more exciting photos, the mobile carts sure can be a benefit as area work stations get bigger. As you know in shops the ability to have a cabinet or tool cart mobile is great.
Interested in the project carts for sure, and wished I had that kinda room, more pics more pics.
I know the trick is to make great coffee so keep at it.
good days ahead
Floyd

[Mojo]

Funny you guys mentioned that table and machine set back. Rick mentioned it and I am going to move the machine forward more.

I am happy with the shop but it is not quite what I wanted. Our plan is to stay there for two years and then buy our own building. We rent this one and it is in an industrial park.

Mike, the AC/heat pump system was already there, thankfully.

Chris