Re: Post Your Workshop pic/s
 

Here's the latest panoramic of our workshop I can find, from the end of August. It is a "portable" temporary building on campus, located right here (the middle of the five small buildings).

We rearranged a bit in November, moving the portable shelving units to the panelled wall to the left, and the green workbench/storage box to the right of the 'bright" window. It's much smaller than the classroom we were working in our first four years, but we don't have to set it back up as a classroom at the end of each build session, which is both a blessing and a curse (especially the days before bag and tag when housekeeping was put way on the back burner).

We have a 12 foot built-in rack for metal, wood, and PVC stock, a 2'x4' freestanding 5-shelf unit without wheels, two 16" x 48" shelf units with wheels, an approx 15 drawer toolchest, two storage workbenches, two 4'x6' workbenches, two 3'x5' workbenches, and a couple of old desks for computer programming, as well as a freestanding drill press.

We also (this year at least) had a half-covered concrete pad behind the classroom where we built last year, (100 ft SSW of the workshop) where we do most of our saw, grinder, and large projects like building defenses and pit displays. We keep these tools on a cart which stows to the right of the position where the photo was taken.

It slopes about five degrees towards the back

Re: Post Your Workshop pic/s
 

Here's our build space today right before our final unbag period. It is a classroom in our school, which we share with a teacher.

Since there are classes in this room during the school day, we need to stuff everything into our very messy back closet (the second picture), which we also share with the teacher and an art teacher in the adjoining room. Like GeeTwo mentioned, this forces us to clean up, but also is somewhat annoying. Over February vacation, we didn't have to clean up, so the room became catastrophically messy.

Our practice area (not shown), is a carpeted meeting area in the center of the middle school wing, which is also in use during the day.

Re: Post Your Workshop pic/s
 

Three years this is what our shop looked like. It was a 20 foot shipping container with about 1/3rd being used for storage. We were able to field an Einstein caliber robot with what we had in there. It wasn't easy, but we never settled for good enough.



Our bench grinder wasn't even inside, poor thing was bolted to a broken table outside under the eaves. It has a much nicer home now and doesn't need to worry about being stolen anymore.


In fall of 2013 we got a Bridgeport mill and a Harbor Freight lathe(not shown) and wired our crate up with 3-Phase power via a $300 extension cable 50 foot long to plug into the classroom. We split the phases off to 3 circuits, one for north outlets, one for south, one for the switchable overhead lights, and all 3 going to the Bridgeport at the back of the crate.


Even our shop last year and our meeting space were tiny and ill equipped compared to what we have now. But we only have it because of our persistence with the school and our eternal vigil on Craigslist hunting for good deals.

I really do miss being able to tell people we work out of a shipping container, it's really far more inspiring to people. I suppose that's the march of progress however.

Re: Post Your Workshop pic/s
 

I've been trying to figure out if local building code will allow me to construct a building with single story sections made out of shipping containers joined by a central structure. Specifically so that if I need to move any part of it one can back up a truck.

Handy if they raise my property taxes :yikes:.
Leave behind the small central structure with roof and concrete floor like a gazebo in a field.

Re: Post Your Workshop pic/s
 

That actually seems like a really good idea. Luckily the weather will hold up for you guys most likely. Most of our build season we are battling snow. Every once in awhile we can open the garage door but that has only been the past few weeks.

Re: Post Your Workshop pic/s
 

If you live in the greater NYC area, the answer is no. The building codes will not allow that. You might be able to get a variance if you have the will and the money to fight the local planning board and city council.

I looked into something like this a few years ago, basically the shipping containers would be considered something akin to sheds or temporary shelters. All requirements for the building would have to be satisfied by the central structure. In most of this area, there are some rather restrictive minimum square footage requirements.

Re: Post Your Workshop pic/s
 

Not entirely true. I live in Long island (Greater NYC area) and a burger place opened up down the street made out of shipping containers.

http://syossetjerichotribune.com/wp-...r_012716A1.jpg

Re: Post Your Workshop pic/s
 

Northern, NJ for me. I suspect each local town here would view it differently. Mount Olive would probably say no, since they seem to have issues with truck boxes of any sort. Long Valley, which has farms, might view it differently. As well might towns in Warren County or Sussex County.

I wouldn't be adverse to pouring a pad for the containers, removing the doors, or obviously meeting the relevant building codes. I figure they let people on my road build a house from prefabricated parts on a pad it's not all that much different once you put the container on the pad.

Re: Post Your Workshop pic/s
 

The idea is you would be stuck basically making them permanent structures any way with the added fun of having to fight the planning board in the process. Now a 'temporary' shop with RV style power and utility hookups..... that could probably be done with a minimum of hassle.

Re: Post Your Workshop pic/s
 

Here is a picture of our workshop. The image itself is a screen shot from our website, hence the text.

In this room we have a cnc mill, lath, and router. TIG welder, manual mill, chop saw, drill press and grinder.

We also have access to the school's metal shop(mills, lathes, welders) and wood shop(table saws, chop saws)

The picture is taken from the upper level balcony in the room which is were our programers usually work. below them on the first level we have a storage room that houses all of our raw stock and old components.

Re: Post Your Workshop pic/s
 

My 1996 Dodge RAM B3500 with 3kW continuous inverter and 3ft fiberglass cap agrees.
Unfortunately it was a grooming van, so after I removed the all natural 'shag' carpet it needs some welding :p.

Re: Post Your Workshop pic/s
 

This is a great thread. As a parent just turned Mentor for our second-year team, I see shop setup as a key element for a smooth and efficient workflow. I plan on introducing the team to some concepts of LEAN Manufacturing, especially the concept of 5S to eliminate waste in all of our workspaces and using Kaizen to get the job done.

Once I get a handle on this, I'll gladly share any information I can that helped us with organizing our shop area. In the meantime, if anyone here is interested in improving efficiency, please take the time to read the links above.

Re: Post Your Workshop pic/s
 

Team Caution works out of one of the warehouses of Microchip, one of our sponsors. We have access to a "Full" field space, Robot storage, and a 80ft x 30ft space, split into 2 rooms. (Programming and Workshop). Basic tools. Drill press, bandsaw, chop saw, bench grinder, break, arbor press, vises, belt sander, and a broken mini-lathe.

Our walls for our field disappeared over the summer, so its just an old carpet, which will hopeful be replaced in a few months.

The workshop will be going through some upgrades over the off-season, which will allow for more raw stock storage and better overall layout. (maybe some tool upgrades as well...)

Team Caution is an AZ community based team.

Re: Post Your Workshop pic/s
 

You had me when I saw the box of donuts in the third picture. :D

Re: Post Your Workshop pic/s
 

We have been working on this project for years. Our whole program here at Hawthorne has grown out of our FRC Team 207 and has become the School of Manufacturing and Engineering. These are just a couple of pictures of our shop, not including bench space. We just moved into a purpose built part of our school that houses our manufacturing and engineering academy a little over a year ago. If you have questions ask away, we have been through the whole process, design, build, purchase, install, and "breaking in"
The last picture is our Robot gallery that houses every robot we have built. and doubles as a half field during build season. At least in theory we haven't had the chance to build a half field yet.






Team 207
Metalcrafters