Most home workshops are a garage corner, a shed or a cellar, and the machines arrive one at a time. A bandsaw and a sander or two can share a small space comfortably if you plan around the way each one is used. The questions are the same in any room: where does the work go in and out, where does the dust go, and where do the blades and belts live?
Give the bandsaw room in front and behind.
A bandsaw needs space along the line of the blade: in front for the board you feed in, behind for the part that comes out. To rip or resaw a board of a given length, you need roughly that length clear in front of the blade and the same behind it. Sideways it needs less, but leave room round the table to swing wide pieces through a curve. Put the saw where that line runs into an open door, a window or the length of the room rather than a wall.
Benches and sanders.
- A bench sander or belt-and-disc sander is used standing, with the work held on its table. Bolt it to a bench or stand at a height where the table is a little below your elbow, and leave room on the side the belt runs off, where dust and chips are thrown.
- A handheld belt sander needs a bench with a way to hold the work: a stop, clamps or a vice. A non-slip mat helps for small parts.
- A belt grinder throws sparks. Keep it away from sawdust, rags, finishes and the dust extractor, and ideally on its own bench of metal or a fire-resistant top.
Machines on wheels.
In a small space, a mobile base turns a machine that stands in the way into one that can be rolled out when you need it. Choose a base rated for the machine’s weight with locking wheels, and lock it before you work. Tall machines such as a floor-standing bandsaw are top-heavy; move them slowly, on a level floor, and never with the motor running.
Light, power and dust.
- Light. Good, even light on the blade and the line you are cutting matters more than in most rooms. A task light at the bandsaw helps with curves.
- Power. Plan sockets where the machines will stand, so cables don’t trail across the floor. Machines with large motors may need their own circuit; check the plate and the manual, and use an electrician for new wiring.
- Dust. Plan where the extractor or vacuum goes and how the hose reaches each machine. Short hoses with few bends work best. See dust extraction for bandsaws and sanders.
A home for blades and belts.
Keep the consumables next to the machine that uses them: blades coiled and tied on hooks beside the bandsaw, belts hung over a wide peg near the sanders, each labelled with its size. Keep the manuals there too, or a note of where the PDF is. With the sizes saved in My Workshop, reordering takes a minute; keeping a spares list explains what to stock.
Keep a clear floor.
Offcuts, cables and dust on the floor around a bandsaw are tripping and slipping hazards next to a moving blade. Clear up as you go, with a vacuum rather than a broom, and keep the area in front of each machine free.
Look up the sizes for your machines ↗︎