How would you equip and arrange a new wood scene shop?

wfactd

Member
I work at a Junior College and am seeking advice on how best to layout and equip a new scene (wood) shop. It will be built as part of a larger expansion project of our existing fine arts building and is expected to be around 3000-4000 SF. We would be replacing our current shop which is around 750 SF and most of the equipment in it. Included as part of the square footage we are asking for av shop office, tool & hardware cage, and warehouse racks to store flats, platform, etc. Storage for specialty scenery, props, and furniture will not be part of shop square footage.

So given these few parameters, how would you equip this scene shop? What items are must haves, luxuries, and dream items? How big of a paint area? We currently are wood only, but would you include a space for welding as a way of future proofing? Eventually we are going to have to cut items, but before we get there I want to plan for the ultimate scene shop. Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated. If you have photos or floor plans that you could provide that would be amazing. Thanks!

P.S. We are working with a Consultant on this project. Also, I will be posting similar posts for a costume shop, and project / prop room, so if you can help with those areas as well please do so.
 
I would try to make separate rooms for things with roll up doors between them. A wood shop with a miter saw station with 8+ feet of table on each side of the saw, and storage cabinets above and below. A table saw somewhere in the middle with more table built around it for ease of cutting sheet goods and to double as a work table. And probably another 4x8 or 5x10 work table with space to work on all side of it. Make sure all the work tables have power built into the tables or pull down reels above so you don't have to have extension cords all over the floor. And storage for raw sheet goods and other lumber, preferably near a garage door to the outside so you can back a truck right up to it for easily unloading new materials. Then a separate room for painting. One for storing your finished flats, platforms, etc. And then another room for metal work with plenty of 220v plugs for welders, plasma cutters, etc. Having the seperate rooms will really help keep the dust and mess contained. To further that goal I would want a dust extraction setup in the wood shop and exhaust fans in the paint and metal shops. Compressed air plumbed into all 3 shop areas with hose reels spaced out along the walls and a couple more on the ceiling in the middle of the rooms.
 
I suggest a radial arm saw rather than the mitre saw, and the 8' tables on each side with 16' clear space on each side of it. Ripping 16' stock is a pain on a table saw. You also can put yotu portable router table on the radial saw table to make custom mouldings if needed.
 
I suggest a radial arm saw rather than the mitre saw, and the 8' tables on each side with 16' clear space on each side of it. Ripping 16' stock is a pain on a table saw. You also can put yotu portable router table on the radial saw table to make custom mouldings if needed.
I like a nice radial arm saw myself. But they're nearly impossible to get unless you can find a nice used one or are willing to spend really big money on a big industrial saw. And I'm not sure an insurance company would even let them have one in an educational setting because of the perceived danger of them.
 
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I like a nice radial arm saw myself. But they're nearly impossible to get unless you can find a nice used one or are willing to spend really big money on a big industrial saw. And I'm not sure an insurance company would even let them have one in an educational setting because of the perceived danger of them.
A large radial arm saw with all of it's guards in place is easily safer than a small saw with it's guards removed to increase capacity.
Operating a naked eight or ten inch blade gets a little scary.
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard
 
Give some thought to the flow of materials through the shop. New materials must enter the shop and be stored alongside existing materials awaiting use. Materials will then move from storage to be cut and shaped on one or more saws, etc. Then to a table (usually) for fabrication into components. These components then move to a larger open space to be assembled into a complete set and painted. (In some places, these steps happen on stage.) You want that flow to be smooth and keep moving in one direction. You don't want a bunch of lumber piling up inside the door because a big set piece is stored against the lumber rack, and then that piece can't get out because the lumber is blocking the door.

Tools and supplies for each process should be stored close at hand to where each process takes place.
 
Agree with @kicknargel. Logistics take precedence over the cool toys. If the flow of the space is wrong, it makes everything go slower and with more difficulty. In my college shop, the 3/4" ply storage was UNDER the TS outfeed table. And this was a small space, so no room for a panel cart behind the saw with sheets ready to go. Determine where your materials are entering the building, and where they'll leave the building (or where the stage door is). At my last shop we put metal working closest to the dock door, then woodworking, then paint. It flows from raw materials, to the welders who make the skeleton, to the carps who put the wood skins on, to the scenics who make it pretty. Its a royal pain to shuffle units back and forth, moving crap out of the way and going against the flow. Do logistics first.

Then get the toys. Big dust collector with all the bells and whistles. Big band saw. Big table saw. Big router table. Big sanding center. Most of theater is built with plywood, you most likely don't need a jointer/planer, shaper or other tools for use with 'real' wood. They take up a lot of floor space. Put your work tables on wheels, a 5x10 work top is exponentially better than a 4x8 for theater work.

Metal Shop. If you're planning to grow into it, its hard to know what you'll need. Make sure you're set up well with lots of available power in various configurations. You're not likely to use metal working equipment down in the 120v range. Also make sure you've got 30' of open wall space. You'll need that for your material racks. Steel and Aluminum sticks come in 20-24' lengths. I've done a lot of full-stage-width flown walls made of aluminum. Very helpful to have enough floor space to layout the whole wall. Also helpful if that floor is able to receive blocking of some kind to build jigs and such. We had a plywood deck laid over the concrete that we could screw to. Some people view that as a safety hazard since you're welding on a flammable surface. idk, it worked for us.

Paint Shop. My college shop didn't have enough floor space to lay out the biggest drop our stage could hold. But, we did have a paint frame. Of course, it requires your building to have a basement. But man, that thing was useful. If your new space could have a floor big enough for a full drop AND and paint frame, you can get to work on two drops at once. Another big ticket item (depending on your needs) would be an ACTUAL spray booth, with full size doors at each end. Hanging up plastic sheeting doesn't keep the fumes contained for very long.

That's all the ramblings i've got for now. Its fun to plan out the dream shop. I hope the budget can keep up with you!
 

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