[Harp-L] Re:Workshop Design

[Michael Easton <diachrome@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Mike,
I've changed my set up 6 times over the past 12 years using 6 different
locations in my house. As your business grows and/or changes so will  
your work area.

I've been working on designing a space for the shop the past couple of  
years rather then
settling on occupying a confined space already available.

After being in the business 12 years I finally know what I need to do  
to create the most efficient shop
for working on chromatics. My needs are different from your needs and  
they are different from
the needs I  had or could appreciate when I first started out.

Consider what is most important to you. Is your focus on milling  
parts?  altering existing parts?
tuning? Customizing?  If you  customize you need to have the tools and  
parts in place to repair.
 Set up work stations that allow you to move from one area to the  
next with little effort.
Try not to crowd all your tools and parts in one area where it makes  
it difficult to move around.

I'm converting my unfinished 2 car garage into a finished shop  
starting this spring.
The plans are to have a shipping and receiving area, cleaning and  
sanitizing station, an bench area just for table top cutters and  
sanders,
floor space for large floor standing tools, a parts storage area and a  
special temp and humidity controlled room just for tuning and repairs.
Also in the works is an area for replating parts and a soldering and  
brazing station to repair broken slides.

I would have never been able to plan a shop like this my first or 8th  
year in business. It all came together from the different needs that
came about over the years.

Leave yourself flexible enough to change with the business.  The first  
6 years are the toughest because that's where most of the doubt and  
burn-out
occurs.

I'm going to post a YouTube video once the shop is completed. No one  
has done a walking tour video of their shop that I know of.

Good Luck
Mike
btw, my wife use to live in a house you described before we got  
married.  It was built on a hill so you only  saw 1 level from the  
front but it had 4 levels from the back with 2 basements.
We almost bought it from the landlord but I'm glad we didn't.  Too  
damn many stairs to climb.


On Jan 11, 2011, at 10:29 AM, harp-l-request@xxxxxxxxxx wrote:

> Message: 1
> Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2011 09:14:50 -0600
> From: Mike Fugazzi <mikefugazzi@xxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: [Harp-L] Workshop Design?
> To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
> Message-ID:
> 	<AANLkTimpsavbs7g7WvB93J=4y5LbHGJ+MLRbT3-kdL9-@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
>
>
> .......I have plenty of room available for harmonica tech work, but  
> need some
> inspiration for how to set things up. I'd be interested in any  
> pictures of
> work areas for harmonica or other generally small hobbies/jobs.
>
>
>
> ----------
> Mike Fugazzi
> vocals/harmonica