Building a workshop on a budget: Five easy steps

Whether you are a mechanic, a manufacturer or creator of artisan wooden products, running your own workshop can be a great next step in your career. However, with a long list of essential tools and machinery (as well as specific requirements to ensure a safe and comfortable workplace) the cost of building a workshop from scratch can soon add up. Fortunately, however, there are ways in which you can keep the cost down. Here are five easy steps for building a workshop on a budget.

Ventilation

Ventilation is essential for any workshop to ensure that it is a safe and comfortable working environment. Depending on the material from which your workshop is built (for instance, a steel hangar) and with heavy machinery operating at full capacity, your workshop can become very hot. Furthermore, noxious fumes and dust in the atmosphere make for an unsafe and unclean air quality that you and your staff are breathing in. However, how can you provide great ventilation if you cannot afford a technical ventilation system? For an affordable option, industrial fans help to regulate the temperature inside a workshop, and exhaust fans are a tried and tested method of air purification. 

Plasma cutting machine

A cutting machine is one of the most essential pieces of equipment for your workshop; however, it can also be one of the most expensive. A plasma cutting machine provides the most cost-effective method of cutting a range of materials, such as stainless steel and aluminium, at a range of thicknesses. It is a reliable method that has been around for many years and as such, has gone through a consistent process of improvement. Developments in plasma cutting have brought greater control and improved cut quality without the need for subsequent time-consuming reworking. Visit kerfdevelopments.com for more information about finding the right plasma cutting machine for your workshop. 

Tools

In addition to heavy machinery, you will need hand held tools such as hammers, drills, and screwdrivers for precision work. To stick to your budget, look for high quality and well-maintained second-hand tool sets. Craigslist and Ebay have plenty of affordable options. You could also check out local estate sales and auctions or connect with other industry professionals to see if any are getting rid of a few tools. 

Flooring

Your workshop flooring should be hard wearing and easy to clean to be able to withstand everything that is thrown at it. However, you might not have the budget for expensive epoxy resin flooring and, if you are renting your workshop, you may not be allowed to extensively modify it. PVC flooring is a budget friendly flooring option for workshops that is easily cleanable and non-slip. If you are heavily restricted by either your budget or the terms of your rent, however, and have to make do with an uncovered concrete floor, think outside the box when it comes to protecting your floor from spillages and fluids. Cat litter, for example, will protect your concrete and soak up fluids, and can be purchased at budget prices.