Best way to set up a shop.....

SClow303 · November 24th, 2010, 12:05 AM

I thought this may be a good topic as I am about to move into a new space. Today I was approached by a neighbor of mine that owns some commercial property. he had be leasing a spot to an older man that retired from printing about this time last year. I had been looking for a spot to upgrade from my current, small location. This new spot is in no terms large but for myself is a major upgrade. It is 2000 square foot and has some great things already set up by the previous tenant. It has a 12 foot garage door that leads to a 18 X 24 area. In this area he has these great shelving units with a horizontal strip notched to allow for approx 400 screens to be stored. This room leads into a 23 X 24 room which has a huge 10 X 4 table and some very sturdy shelving on the wall that he used as a heat press station. This room also has a washout area built into one wall. Off of this room is a restroom and a 4 X 12 closet type of space. This room has both regular lights and darkroom lights and the small closet is all darkroom. On the other side is two rooms. The front room is approx 20 X 34 and the rear room is approx 12 X 17. The rear room was set up as a dark room with some very nicely built, very strong shelving. There is also a sink in this room and an area to tie in a washout booth drain. The front room is wide open at this point except for a free floating wall just standing in the room. I will attach a quicky diagram I just made up. There are several water hook ups and drains in the space. My question is how are you guys setting things up? What is the most important things to put where. I currently run two Harco manual presses, a 6/4 and a 4/4 with a numbering system attached. I have a harco exposure unit and a workhorse washout booth. I have two small dryers, an atlas 6 foot and an AWT 7 foot. Plans are to move up to a gas dryer when needed. In the dark room I was hoping to have my emulsion station, my nuarc registration table, and a drying rack for emulsed screens. I was also going to put my washout booth in there but was worried about the moisture it may cause. I would like to have my burn unit in there but mine is the open Harco type with the light mounted on the top. I can easily make an opening into the small closet and place my burn unit inside there from the the dark room side. I also have two Hotronix Swinger presses to fit in here somewhere. Anyways..... I will post up some pics here and a diagram and just thought those who have been through setting up a shop may lend some insight into what they have done, or would do differently now! I do want to build a small clean office space also somewhere in the mix. I even thought about using the current darkroom area for this but have no issues with building walls are knocking some down! There are no load bearing walls in this space. Both sidewalls are the load walls so I have free reign between them! so give me your thoughts guys!

SClow303 · November 24th, 2010, 12:10 AM

Once I get my configuration all set up I will be spraying everything with some gloss white paint.

wickedcool · November 24th, 2010, 06:03 AM

You should definitely NOT put the washout booth with the new coated/drying screens. For the reason you pointed out, and an overspray issue. You'll get little spots of overspray ink in a 10-12 foot radius from your washout booth. Even when you can't see it right away. But mostly for the humidity. You want coated screens to properly dry in a controlled environment.

I would use that little area behind the free standing wall for office space. Put a desk or two along the free standing wall and hang a couple of posters and a calender on the wall to finish up that unfinished side. Or paint it. I'd hang an 8ft light over the space too.