Good morning, Joe~
My shop is set up for decoys, boats and any other woodworking I need to do. But, I am intrigued by your post and thought I would at least mention some features that I think are useful for decoys - whether or not I have them in my shop.
Machinery
Band saw
Drill press
more and more I find myself using my orbital sander hooked up to my good shop vac
Benches
For heavy work - high (34") bench with vise.
I use a common "mechanics vise" - set at an angle on the corner of my bench so I can get to my decoy with my draw knife at any angle and at a comfortable height when I am standing.
For fine carving and painting - low bench (30").
I hang decoys in progress - gunners - using light wires from a rack (strip of pine with holes bored every 10 inches) on the ceiling above my tall bench.
Power & Light
I put 110V outlets every 6 feet of wall space. Most are about 4 feet above the floor. Height varies depending upon locations of windows and benches.
2 outlets in the ceiling - above my high bench and my low bench - because these benches are not against walls but in the middle of the room.
A bunch (26) of cans (recessed) in my ceiling. I began with CFLs but am upgrading to LEDs with "daylight" bulbs ~ 5700 degrees K
I just installed 2 smaller 5000 degree K floods in 2 cans - for illumination when I photograph my birds indoors.
Storage
I keep my patterns in drawer in a standard metal file cabinet
Paints are in another drawer in same cabinet
Carving tools are in a flatter drawer in a workbench
I keep my jigs - that I screw to the bodies or heads when I am working on them - in a drawer
Knives, eyes in wooden boxes on an open shelf
I have display shelves over each of my 5 windows - but they are all full. I need some long "working" shelves to put batches of decoys when in progress.
Miscellany
I have a roll of paper towels mounted on a wall - so I can grab them with one hand while working - near the GoJo hand cleaner and solvents for cleaning brushes.
I have 1 roll of wax paper and 1 of brown mailing paper mounted beneath either end of my low "assembly bench". I pull them up onto the surface when I am painting or gluing up batches of gunners.
Measuring cups, sticks for epoxy and stored nearby.
I do not have running water in my shop so I keep a 2-quart bottle of clean water with my solvents.
I have a "cyc" (pronounced "sike") for photographing my finished birds. It is basically a curved piece of painted 1/8-inch Masonite so there is no horizon in the photos. I use flat paint in a medium tone. I mostly shoot outdoors in indirect light but sometimes use artificial light.
I use a large wooden "woodworkers clamp" for clamping my hollow wood decoys. I pad the jaws - rags wrapped in cellophane packing tape - and mount the clamp in my vise when gluing.
I have ~ 6 pairs of hearing protectors hanging throughout the shop - because I never turn on any tool or machine without. I have googles and dust masks as well.
I keep a couple of pairs of reading glasses on a designated window ledge - so I can always find them.
2 or 3 comfortable chairs - for other carvers or visitors.
HVAC
I heat with a wood stove - an old Vermont Castings Defiant. It really helps curing paints, glues, tile mastic.
I plan to add AC for this summer. My shop is designed passive solar - but once in gets too warm/humid in late July and August, I need relief, especially for fine work.
I can ventilate the shop as needed with the existing windows and doors - .as for evacuating fumes
Hope this helps. I am sure many others have many other useful features and ideas.
All the best,
SJS
