It’s never too early to think about space
In the back of your head, you might be
thinking that one day it’s possible that you might add a CNC Router to your shop, then
you’ve got a lot to think about.
There’s a number of factors that go
into a woodworker taking the plunge into digital woodworking. The size, space,
and cost of a CNC Router, software choices, integration and workflow changes, learning
CAD, CAM and more. Each of these is a topic deserving of several blog posts or
articles, but I thought that I’d start off with an overall consideration to get
you thinking about it. As a first step, let look at the impact a CNC could have
in your shop. Other than cost and learning the question I’m most often asked
is, “how much space do I need?”
The question I ask in return is, “what
do you want to do with it?” In my case, I look at a CNC as a versatile
tool for hybrid woodworking. Like everyone, I’d like to get the most out of my
tools and use them to get real work done. Therefore, when it comes to a CNC I
want to be able to cut patterns and parts for furniture, do joinery and 3D
carving. These are jobs that usually require CNCs bigger than the smallest
table top machines. That doesn’t mean that they have to be a large 4×8 CNC, but
it does mean the machine will take up some of your precious workshop space.
How much space? A CNC with extra
workspace around it takes up a noticeable amount of room in a workshop. Figure
a 2×3 CNC takes up about a 4×6 space. A 4×4 might need 7×7. Basically, you should
allow a few extra feet beyond the overall footprint in every direction. That
makes a CNC much more like a large fixed tool. Closer to the footprint of a
table saw than a router table. Let’s look at a couple of scenarios.
How does a CNC fit in an established workshop?
Unless you have a large shop, placing a
CNC in an established workshop could be complicated. Particularly, if you
already have a number of large fixed tools. In my case, I designed and planned
my shop for a CNC years before I finally got one. Of course, the reality is
that the assigned space quickly got filled up so, I had to rearrange my shop to
make room for it. You might find yourself in that situation too.
Fortunately, after setting up a
few shops, I picked up some lessons along the way. Starting with my first,
very tiny shop, I put all my fixed tools on mobile bases.
Though my current shop is nearly 10
times the size of my first workspace, I’ve kept my tools mobile. Mobility
allows me to store and use more tools in a limited space. I position them
optimally as I need them and roll them out of the way when I don’t. They take
up less room when idle. Only my table saw has a permanent home.
My fairly large twin spindle 3×6 CNC is
also on wheels. It sits on heavy duty feet that rest on large pads that move
the wheels out of the way when not needed. Though the CNC’s location in my
shop is semi-permanent, I keep it mobile for another reason. I can move it out
a bit when carving large pieces that are over 8’ in length.
What about fitting in a CNC in a small workshop?
As I’ve often mentioned, a CNC is
unlike other power tools because of its unique versatility. It does a number of
jobs well. And, although I use it regularly, I’m not planning on giving up most
of my other power tools as long as I have room for them as dedicated tools are
often faster and nice to have around for certain tasks. But for woodworkers
with small shops, cost and the space requirements of any large tool are always
important considerations.
There are various ways to accommodate a
CNC in smaller shops. One is to put it on a mobile base so it can be rolled out
of the way when not needed. But if your space is really limited, you might want
to think of a CNC and the overall picture of a modern woodworking shop in a
different way.
Depending on the work you want to do,
it’s possible that the versatile CNC could also serve as a substitute for other
single purpose power tools in the shop. For example, if you’re a dedicated hand
tool woodworker with little shop space and a preference for jointer planes over
powered-jointers, your shop could look like this:
- 2×4
CNC
- band
saw
- router
table
- table
top drill press
- table
top planer
- jobsite
table saw
There are certainly other ways to
approach the issue of shop space. Some woodworkers might work together and
consider sharing a CNC at one location. Or, others may choose a different style
CNC with a small footprint and expands its capability with a moveable
table.
If you’re new to woodworking
If you’re new to woodworking, open to
digital woodworking and haven’t yet fully equipped your shop, your approach to
layout and function may be different than other woodworkers. You might take a
more contemporary approach and centralize around a CNC instead of a table saw.
Add a few additional fixed power tools, a joint making tool (like the Festool
Domino or Leigh FMT for example), a good collection of hand tools and the
skills to use them and as always, a great workbench.
In any case, even if you’re at the
earliest stages of considering a digital tool like a CNC router for your shop,
it’s never too early to start thinking about where it might live. Planning
helps. I know from personal experience. I had the power, dust collection and
the basic space worked out years early, I just forgot to allow a couple of feet
around it in all directions.
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