This may sound funny, but my ""Shop" is 9' by 10'

It has the following in it:
1. A 10" Black & Decker Table Saw ( The new one they came out with last year) Surprisingly good quality for the price.

2. A Sears 34" tabletop radial drill press, mounted on a rolling base, that is capable of horizontal drilling.

3. A Sears tabletop bandsaw (Sorry I bought this, piece of junk!) Thought it would do the "little" stuff. Boy was I wrong. Anything taller that 2-3/4" won't fit.

4. Old Craftsman 16" scroll saw on base.

5. Sears 7-1/2" chop saw I bought when I was cutting molding for our house. (Tore out the old dark Walnut and replaced it with Red Oak)

6. 4' sears joiner on a rolling base.

7. A combo Belt and Disk Sander on a rolling base.

8. Finally I temporarily mount on my 2-1/2' by 5' work bench, My Jet Mini Lathe and Jet 8" Planer.

As you can see, I don't have a lot of room left, but everything is portable!

After looking around, I chose a Jet 1100 DC system and using 4" metal heating duct and fittings, I ran the ductwork around the shop walls, at bench height. Using "Y" fittings, I gave myself at least two access fittings per wall and one location to connect a floor sweeper. Each outlet has it's own blast gate so I can shut off everything but the tool I'm using.

The long and short of it is that by positioning the duct work with "Catch" fittings at the tool, even the dust from sanding is caught by the DC system. Before installing the system, my wife was all over me each time I worked in by shop. (Forgot to mention that the shop is in the basement.)
I haven't had a "Dust" complain since. I can't mount one of the ceiling units to catch the little I miss. Only have 7'6" to the joists.

"Just one OLD man giving FOOD FOR THOUGHT!" :wink:

The Other Bruce

WOW ... pretty impressive workshop model. Maybe there should be a contest to see who can pack the most "usable" gear into a compact, efficient workshop ... I think I know who I would recommend as a contender :wink:

:roll: My workshop:
Built on a trailer bed 8' X11'. Contains floor drill press 16-1/2" delta, Radial arm saw Black and Decker, 6" rockwell jointer, 1 hp compressor.14" bandsaw, ryobi scroll saw,8" bench grinder, 30" woodturning lathe, 24"X12" belt and disk sander, 12" planner. Yep very congested but I have my stool and a radio there to help me plan things. I am good at making shavings and sawdust just like my dad said about 50 years ago. :wink:
Tony

Tony .. what a great idea. Your father may have been right about your talent in making shavings and dust ... but he may have overlooked your innovative genius. You might even start a new trend ... build a shop on a trailer frame, means that it is much easier to transport from one location to another. A friend of mine recently moved coast to coast and had to pack all his tools into a container and waited months for it to arrive, then had to unpack and set up.
Great idea
Colin

On a scale of 1 to 4 for toxicity level, purpleheart is rated a 2 and is commonly reported to cause nausea and malaise. Otherwise it is not known to be carcinogenic or cause heart, skin or breathing problems. Of course, any wood dust should be avoided as much as possible.
Jeff

Hmmm ... you are right, we should all do what we can to avoid wood dust as much as we can, but at the same time it's nice to know how toxic things are that we are working with. 2 of 4 to me means use it, but be cautious ... good to hear, thanks Jeff