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Show us your unit and tell us why it’s special?
Hey guys
I’m changing units between Xmas and New Year, I needed something with a little more room and seeing as though I won’t pay that much extra I thought I would take advantage.
I’m wanting to get more organized, I’m currently moving junk around from place to place in order to get things done, be great to see how everyone else it setup.
I thought it would be good to say what’s the best part of your setup and what you would like to improve on.
I’m sure all of us could benefit from this so I thought I’d start.
Excuse the mess, I’ve not a huge amount of room.
#1: Good: I love my little vinyl stands under my table, they’re just Ikea legs, I want to improve these by adding colour patches to the front to show you what colour it is at a distant.
#2 Good: I’ve got a 3m table which is great in length but not wide enough, so next time I would like to make it at least 1800mm wide but would prefer 2000mm to be on the safe side, this way I can get my 1600mm media on and still have extra room.
#3 Bad: Laminator acts as a table top for putting rubbish on, not great at all especially when you want to use it
#4 Bad: Not enough room to get between the printer and the wall, didn’t think about having to carry media around it, some of that stuff is heavy on your own.
#5: Bad, Not enough room around the back, I’m using the space to store media but lifting and loading some banner material to the printer while not knocking over any media is almost impossible and takes every bit of strength I have to do it.
#6: Good: My heat press is on wheels, the swing press takes up so much room but the wheels allow me to move it and then put it back once I’m done. Would I still keep it as it is with the bigger unit? Not sure but it works great here and for anyone with limited space.
#7: Bad: Laminator’s not quite wide enough, it does 90% of my work but I can only use the full width of my printer if I’m doing banners, my printers 1600mm but my laminator is just short.
I doubt anyone will benefit from my setup but it gives you an idea of what I have to work with.
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33 Replies
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Wow Dan, that looks really cramped. I can see why your looking to move.
I like my unit although the downsides are:
The wall by the computing area is curved so it really limits the layout of the office. Also one less wall to utilise.
My work bench more often that not becomes a dumping ground and fills up quick.
there’s no garage or undercover area so when the weathers bad I have to use a garage near by.
Space is limited so I don’t have a laminator. Anything that needs lamination get’s outsourced. This is a real problem for me at the moment.The good points:
It’s secure, warm and looks fairly professional when people come to see me.
I avoid the rush hour traffic as it’s out of town
Most of all it’s CHEAP!! :smiles:It would be good to see some more established premises to get ideas for the future.
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Jeeze and I thought we were tight on space.
Back in September we expanded into the adjoining unit, doubling our floor space, best way to see it is the 360 images on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/seymoursignand … 3525733306
After 6 years of struggling with space, I’m really happy with the space, we’ve just spread the production into one side, and the other half is empty (except some of the previous tenants bit’s they’ve not collected yet), for doing vans, making up signs.
It’s taken a few years to accumulate the machinery, getting laminators, & plotters to accommodate the full print width of the printer.
Good –
# Reception Area – No more Joe Public walking in on you, and seeing the junk everywhere.
# We can fit LWB, Hi Roof vans inside
# Meeting/Board roomBad –
# Plotter is just a tad too wide, so the door doesn’t open fully :bangshead:
# Lots of empty space to fill with more junk
# It’s bloody cold
# We’ve got to pay for it
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Now you’re just showing off lol.
Both good examples compared to mine.
Funny enough I can work around mine fine, it’s just the rubbish and loading the media on the machine, oh and a spot where I could store long rolls of media, oh and a fitting area oh…. I can go on all day but you’d get bored.
Going to get a nice glass table top for my next unit, 6mm toughened glass, just need to find a place that does it cheap enough, been quoted £398+vat for a 2000mm x 3000mm with polished edges, seems a bit steep to me.
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quote Daniel Evans:Now you’re just showing off lol.Both good examples compared to mine.
Funny enough I can work around mine fine, it’s just the rubbish and loading the media on the machine, oh and a spot where I could store long rolls of media, oh and a fitting area oh…. I can go on all day but you’d get bored.
Going to get a nice glass table top for my next unit, 6mm toughened glass, just need to find a place that does it cheap enough, been quoted £398+vat for a 2000mm x 3000mm with polished edges, seems a bit steep to me.
that’s about the going rate for a large lump of glass Dan, I need 3.1 x 1.9 x 6mm toughened and it’s £378 incl vat, that’s at cost to my window mate!
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We’ve just moved units, from 600sqft agricultural to 800sqft industrial.. going to do a proper write up soon but here’s a few pics..
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Still settling in but lots more space and it was a good oppo to have a good clear out!!
I’ve no idea why the photo’s won’t show on the desktop, seem fine on my mobile app!
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I need a bigger space also. Will put some proper ones up soon to dark down the bottom of the garden now.
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After 30 years in Business and two moves im finally happy with my Unit.
Ive made my own vinyl wall racks out of offcut dibond, aluminium angle and plumbers overflow pipe (email me if you need the cnc cut template for the vinyl
I had an office made underneath the mezzanine floor and laid the wooden laminate floor and made the tables using breakfast bar style legs
i made sure all the Printers and vinyls where kept in the dust free office where they wouldn’t get cold in the winter[SNOWFLAKE]️ and it keeps the heating bill downI also have my main unit outside the office to do vehicles and cutting etc ,
All the tables outside the office area are on wheels so i can move stuff round the unit
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I do not have any recent pictures, but have "part" of an old video from a couple of years ago.
Not a great look round, but gives you the general jist of our print room area.$this->BBvideo_pass(‘$8’, ‘$4’, ‘$7’)
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Robert wins lol!
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I’ve had this cool old studio in the West Sussex countryside for the past year, but I’m off back to New Zealand soon, so sadly I am leaving it behind.
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quote Jamie Hunt:After 30 years in Business and two moves im finally happy with my Unit.
Ive made my own vinyl wall racks out of offcut dibond, aluminium angle and plumbers overflow pipe (email me if you need the cnc cut template for the vinyl
I had an office made underneath the mezzanine floor and laid the wooden laminate floor and made the tables using breakfast bar style legs
i made sure all the Printers and vinyls where kept in the dust free office where they wouldn’t get cold in the winter[SNOWFLAKE]️ and it keeps the heating bill downI also have my main unit outside the office to do vehicles and cutting etc ,
All the tables outside the office area are on wheels so i can move stuff round the unitThis looks like a really nice space to be working in Jamie :thumbsup:
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Looks awesome Rob, lots of machinery there :thumbsup:
I need to sort some more vinyl racks out :thumbsup:
I love Simon’s workshop, looks like a real creative place, with great character :thumbsup: Is the move back to NZ permanent?
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I really must make the effort to give it a good tidy up sometime. The only place that looks tidy here is the front reception area
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As a trade supplier of metalwork to the trade our set up is somewhat different to you guys dealing with end users but thought i’d throw a few pics into the mix anyway…..
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dont know if this post is depressing me or motivating me i have space but to many things to do and no time to do it
best photo is the capri i love classic cars
sometimes its hard to know what way to organise things instead im putting up with things instead of changing them , you would probably laugh if i sent a photo of my workshop -
I like my set-up much more than how it was previously. I used to work out of my rented house between several rooms. Unfortunately, the owner decided to sell and had me moved out (end of July).
I’d been negotiating a farm unit since the beginning of March. It was all pretty much agreed. I’d paid to have the place emptied, I removed all of the internal offices/false walls, taken up all of the rotten flooring and then cleaned the whole thing out just awaiting them to lay a flat concrete floor.
By the time it became apparent that they weren’t going to hold up their end of the bargain, I had 2 weeks to find somewhere and move.Fortunately, I dropped lucky with where I am. It used to be a modular domestic storage place, but they built another building and have started to convert this one into a business centre. I have about 750 sq ft, but as it is modular, the side wall can be taken down, moved along and put back up in a day. So I can double my floor space practically over night.
I don’t have space internally for vehicles, but just outside my door is a huge bay that I can bring vehicles into if and when required.
The rent is a bit high for the space, but then, the bill is inclusive of service charges and considering the situation I found myself in, I didn’t really have a choice. I do pay for my own internet and bin services.
Good 1.
Clean, dry, warm and everything is all now in one room.Good 2.
Only 1 payment for everything.Good 3.
Very easy to increase the space/size if required.Good 4.
Lots of room to bring vehicles into when needed.Good 5.
No fixed term lease agreement. I pay everything a month in advance and can quit any time I like. If I’m completely out by the end of the month I’ve just paid, there are no other costs involved.Bad 1.
Rent is high per sq ft of space. Again though, I didn’t really have much choice in this.Bad 2.
I have no visibility to customers.
People find it difficult to find me as I’m actually inside a much larger building. So I don’t have any outside wall space to advertise myself or what I do. And the owner is dead set against everyone putting up their own signs on the outside of the building as he thinks it will make the place look untidy.I’m still arguing the point that if he wants to rent to businesses, most of them will want people to know where they are.
Still in negotiations at the moment.Bad 3.
No direct water feed or drains in my unit. This is particularly bad as I also have hydro-dipping equipment in storage and can’t get this side of the business sorted out. I wanted somewhere where a person could bring their vehicle and I could totally ‘pimp’ it up. But rather than trying to wrap fiddly pieces of interior trim, I could just dip them. Plus all of the other bigger stuff; wheels, bumpers, helmets etc.Bad 4. I have one 2.4m x 1.2m table and one 3m x 1.8m table. Unfortunately, like others, my larger table has started to become a dumping ground for ‘stuff I need to sort out later’. Would like another bench the same size, or slightly larger, but need to wait till I can afford to either move, or increase the unit size.
All in all, I’m happier with the unit from a workflow perspective, but not too happy about all of the limitations. Unfortunately, due to really small amount of time I found myself left to sort stuff out, I’ve spent a fortune in having to get everything sorted- deposits, electrical installations of required lights and plug sockets etc and a whole host of other unforeseen things.
I just need to stick this out, build up my funds again and look for somewhere that has everything I need.Oh, by the way. A couple of those units look far too tidy.
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quote Patrick Donaghey:dont know if this post is depressing me or motivating me
Pmsl [emoji1]
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Heres mine, moved in in May this year with great plans to make it look brilliant but as with most things i set up just to get working and haven’t got round to changing things.
Pros – right on the roadside, 4 times the size of last place, lots of parking out back,
Cons – its freezing (old stone building, high ceilings), no indoor space for vehicles, limited to what signs we can put up outside due to planning, its twice the price of last place
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Wow
I can fit my current place into a small corner or all your places, really hits home about the space I’m working in.
I do cheat a little though, I’m in a building with others so when they go home, I set up tables in the communal area and work in there but that means working late.
I also have a sneaky storage area in an out of use lift, I’ve opened the lift up and put a cabinet in front of it, just looks like a cabinet to anyone looking but I removed the shelves and backing and you just walk through to the lift, had it for 7 years and not one person has noticed.
I see a consistent trend amongst sign makers, what messy buggers we are lol and it’s not just me that use the table as a dumping ground.
They’re all really nice setups and I am extremely jealous of the space, even my new shop doesn’t have the amount of space you guys have.
@Hugh, why a 3.1 x 1.9m table, any reason for those dimensions? Also is 6mm strong enough? I’ve been told that due to the size I should pay extra and go for 10mm. What are those black boxes under your bench?
@David I notice you have an epson printer, what do you use that for, looks like a 7900 which I believe is water based ink?
@Andy you place is huge, some nice bit of kit there along with Rob, wow!
@Patrick Show us, It can’t be worse than mine and if it is you’ll cheer me up lol
Why does everyone have their laminators next to the table? I thought of doing this so I can put boards through, is this the reason?
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Secret storage…Love it :claps:
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Secret hiding place wins :claps:
Yes the Epson we bought from a customer of ours for £500 😆
We print posters on it, it’s quicker than firing up the Seiko, and perfect for printing 1 off posters. :thumbsup:
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quote Daniel Evans:@Hugh, why a 3.1 x 1.9m table, any reason for those dimensions? Also is 6mm strong enough? I’ve been told that due to the size I should pay extra and go for 10mm. What are those black boxes under your bench?
Why does everyone have their laminators next to the table? I thought of doing this so I can put boards through, is this the reason?
Hi Daniel,
the table is 3.1 x 1.9 in two long halves, it’s made from old school science desks I think, took it from the guy I bought the printer from. it’s also good to have a big bench, allowsme to work all around a 1.5m print without it hanging off the table – if need be.
the black boxes? oh – under the smaller bench! they are actually from a mate of mine who owns a vending machine business, they’re originally kenco or Flavia capsule holders!! I use them because I sell a branded & packaged product which is long and thin, makes for easy storage. I also make a lot of branded decals for another industry and this keeps them organised.
The smaler glass topped bench is 3.6 x 0.8m, it’s that big because that was the length of my original timber workshop in the garden (queue infamous photo from Phill!), I worked from that 12×8 shed for 6yrs!
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quote Daniel Evans:WowI also have a sneaky storage area in an out of use lift, I’ve opened the lift up and put a cabinet in front of it, just looks like a cabinet to anyone looking but I removed the shelves and backing and you just walk through to the lift, had it for 7 years and not one person has noticed.
That is one hell of a secret hiding place
One of the best things Ive read on the boards, what man on here wouldn’t want one of those :smiles: :thumbsup:
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Just imagine – one day you go into the lift and the door closes behind you and won’t open again :yikes:
No one would ever know you were there or what had happened to you :awkward:
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quote Phill Fenton:Just imagine – one day you go into the lift and the door closes behind you and won’t open again :yikes:
No one would ever know you were there or what had happened to you :awkward:
😆 😆 😆
Is that not your worst nightmare :awkward:
Have a good time is Aussie Phill :thumbsup:
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No one has notice in 7 years!?!?! 😆 :claps: :praiseyou:
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You could also use it to dispose of a dead body…just remember to to give it a spray of Glade air freshener every now and then.. :awkward:
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quote Daniel Evans:I also have a sneaky storage area in an out of use lift, I’ve opened the lift up and put a cabinet in front of it, just looks like a cabinet to anyone looking but I removed the shelves and backing and you just walk through to the lift, had it for 7 years and not one person has noticed.
You could also cut a hole in floor and roof of the lift, insert some ladders, hey presto.. now you’ve got the entire lift shaft to use as storage space..(You can have that idea for free 😉 )
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quote Phill Fenton:Just imagine – one day you go into the lift and the door closes behind you and won’t open again :yikes:
No power to the lift, checked that just in case lol
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I think he is a modern day Mr Ben, he opens the door and enters then he has a days adventure as a sign maker…
Whats was this topic about anyway? :awkward: 😆
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quote Hugh Potter:(queue infamous photo from Phill!), I worked from that 12×8 shed for 6yrs!
Photo?…. What Photo? ……Do you mean this one? :awkward:
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That’s the one Phill, you don’t get threads like that one on UKsignboards these days 😆 😆 😆
Daniel, since this is an open post your secret hiding place is maybe not so secret anymore 😆 😆 😆
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