Software for laying out shop design

[hotrodaddict]

Hi,

I am looking at building a new shop soon and am wondering if any of you know of an online design site or software that will help me design the layout/floorplan of my new shop? I am looking for software that already has footprints of normal shop items (workbench, lift, welders, refrigerator, air comp, lathe, mill, etc) I am wanting to start with a general floor plan and then place all shop items where they may go to make sure I design the organization of the shop from the start so everything has it's place.

I could draw it out on paper or draw it out with common software apps but would like something that will make it faster to design and easy to move items around while I am trying to organize the layout of all equipment.

Any/all help is appreciated

Thanks

 

[flashpuppy]

http://fbibuildings.com/Pages/FBiPlanner.html

It's free!!

 

[Iseman]

Not a Machine shop layout, more on the lines of a Wood Shop. It has a few tools and benches. May give you a few ideas. Hope this helps.

http://images.grizzly.com/shopplanner/resources/shopplanner.aspx

 

[PhantomEB]

I play around with the Grizzly one lots.

 

[bigoldjimbo]

Google Sketchup! My new best friend!

 

[brownbagg]

what you do is decide how big you want the shop, then double it. Once built you open the door, push all your junk in and slam the door shut, Finish

a shop changes layout every hour, a program not going help

 

[hotrodaddict]

Thanks for all the input guys. I'll take a look at these. It will be a few months before I can start so I have plenty of time to get the design to my liking. This site helps a ton!

 

[Varkwso]

fbi is fun to play with - be nice if it had lifts in the options.

 

[BillK]

Hotrod,

When I moved my business a few years back, we went to the craft store and bought a 2' x 3' pc of posterboard. I did a drawing of our new floorspace to scale and then I made little scale cutouts of all of our equipment, tool boxes etc etc. I started placing them where I though everything would work, then messed with the layout till we got it pretty good.

I thought that was a lot easier than doing it on the computer, and I already had several floorplan software packages. You can visualize it a lot easier sitting on the table in front of you in my opinion.

 

[krooser]

So what happens after all that planning and you buy more stuff?

I built (rather "rebuilt") my shop and put my tools and machines in where I thought they would fit best... I have rearranged the shop at least three times in 14 years... things change. I built another wall, made a "parts dept.", built ANOTHER wall, put in a sliding door to seperate the shop into two areas, etc.

Since I built the shop I've added a plasma cutter, milling machine, ironworker (bought it and sold it), big drill press, blast cab, parts washer, a mobile work bench, a portable 6X10' steel body/frame jig and a lift.

I'd be screwed if I had been stuck with a set of "plans'... but that's just me.

 

[justin caise]

Google Sketchup! My new best friend!

I second that.

My long winded reply was lost due to timing out...
suffices to say "Go google."

Nice forum by the way.
JC

 

[Varkwso]

So what happens after all that planning and you buy more stuff?

I built (rather "rebuilt") my shop and put my tools and machines in where I thought they would fit best... I have rearranged the shop at least three times in 14 years... things change. I built another wall, made a "parts dept.", built ANOTHER wall, put in a sliding door to seperate the shop into two areas, etc.

Since I built the shop I've added a plasma cutter, milling machine, ironworker (bought it and sold it), big drill press, blast cab, parts washer, a mobile work bench, a portable 6X10' steel body/frame jig and a lift.

I'd be screwed if I had been stuck with a set of "plans'... but that's just me.

I agree - I will always be buying more tools...

I am looking at locations of lifts (footings in concrete), doors, windows and in floor lighting locations (under lifts). It would also be nice if all my current equipment fits in the new building.

 

[krooser]

I agree - I will always be buying more tools...

I am looking at locations of lifts (footings in concrete), doors, windows and in floor lighting locations (under lifts). It would also be nice if all my current equipment fits in the new building.

If you have 4" of 3500LB. concrete you don't need footings. The footings I poured for my lift are 30' away from where I ultimately put my lift... so much for planning!

My lift is HEAVY... far heavier than any "hobbyist" lift you'll find today and I've had about a 9K load on it without any problems.