[pianotech] ideal shop size

[Ron Nossaman]

Al Guecia/AlliedPianoCraft wrote:
> My shop is 40'X28' and works for me. Whatever size you select, I would 
> make it in two separate sections. One side for dirty work. Sawing, 
> sanding, drilling, (polishing polyester <G>) with good dust control. The 
> other for regulating, stringing, damper work, storage, etc. I can 
> work on 4 pianos in my space, but no more than that.
>  
> Al
>  
> 
>     *From:* William Monroe <mailto:bill at a440piano.net>
>     *Sent:* Friday, March 20, 2009 11:00 PM
>     *To:* pianotech at ptg.org <mailto:pianotech at ptg.org>
>     *Subject:* Re: [pianotech] ideal shop size
> 
>     Hey John,
> 
>     Mine is 20x40 and it's tight, but workable.  I've got four
>     instruments set up right now - M, O, 5' no name, and a 9'.  Three
>     would be more reasonable, but it works.  I'd sure be happy to have
>     say a 15 x 15 or so finish room.  I'd say shoot for 1000 sq. ft. and
>     maybe a finish room.  More later, gotta go to bed.
> 
>     William R. Monroe

John,
I'd have fewer scars from the waist down if I'd had more room 
to move between things. As you've seen, I have half a shop - 
the dirty half. Clean work gets done in the dirty half as well 
as dirty work. It's a (WAS a) two car garage, 19'x20'. With 
the workbenches, shelving, furnace, cabinets, soundboard 
drying box, killer wood pile, re-saw band saw, and dust 
collector, the effective work space is about 14'x15'. Within 
this space are another band saw, table saw, planer, and 
assorted "floating" junque. The remainder is working space. 
Through about half of the summer last year, that space 
contained two Ds, and a B, all set up.

Point being that I'd LOVE three times the space, but having 
less doesn't mean you can't function. I'd say if you can't 
find room to work in 800-1000 feet, you ain't trying. Oh, and 
go for about 10' ceiling height so you can hang tools, clamps, 
or whatever, overhead as much as possible to keep the walls 
from closing in on the work area. I wouldn't recommend this in 
an earthquake zone, but you should be fine.
Ron N