Hi,
I’m moving in to a house later this year with a small barn. It is two car size with a second floor and a basement. 1840s era. Post and beam, no insulation, power is inadequate.
My plan is to convert it into my new shop, possibly with a garage add-on. Anybody if Norm wants to do a “This Old Shop” episode?
My question is for those of you who have built your shops already–anything you like that you did right? Anything that you wish you had done? I have lots of ideas but this is a lot more space than I am used to and maybe not as much as I’d like.
Thanks.
Brian
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For years before moving, I used an unheated drafty barn for woodworking. If I had owned the property instead of renting, would have insulated and heated the building in a heartbeat. Light surface rust will constantly build on all metal surfaces due to constant condensation problems. Temperature swings will cause more wood movement as you try to complete projects. Better to address wiring, insulation and heating before trying to create a woodworking shop.
Don - Down here in the gulf coast region (Houston) we're lucky in that we rarely have to heat our shop. But, wood movement is something we have to learn to live with. When the relative humidity is around 99%, we sometimes have to wring out the water from the wood before using 8-) . But, if you build stuff taking into consideration that movement of the wood is a certainty, then there will be no problem.
Brian - what part of the country are you in??
PlaneWood by Mike_in_KatyPlaneWood
Brian,
Don has given you good advice. Get the structure where you want it and then get the shop together. I've got an 1890s three story carriage house/shop. Before even starting the "woodworking" I spent a great deal of time and money trenching for gas and 220v power (ran a subpanel), then running all the electrical, lighting and heat, finally dust collection and power tools. I'm just about ready for woodworking after a year of labor.
Get the basics in and move from there.
Best,
Seth
mistake. There is no win
and there is no fail . . . there is only
make."
John Cage
I was thinking a year, too. :-( I just got my basement to where it is workable. SWMBO is going to wonder why I'm always working on the shop!
I understand your problem.
My biggest hurdle is cost. To do everything that is needed using new materials would cost a lot of money, so I use recycled stuff when ever I can.
I have set up a workshop in a shearing shed. The thing was still being used when I started with it. ( I just told everyone that if they wanted to use it they had to work round some gear )
It had 3/4 of the floor as slats to let the sheep turds out, all the gates/yards etc. to say it got cold and draughty in winter would be putting it mildly.
What I did was to rip up the slats and put down ply. I am currently working on getting some windows in, then insulate and line. Once that is done I can start putting tools in their final spots. My power supply is a piddly 20 amps. I have fluro tubes and make sure i only run one machine at a time.
All avenues to get more power hit the 6k mark FAST. The cheapest way so far I found to get more power was to buy the power generating part of a generator for 3 phase. ( about $1200 ) and hook that up to a second hand diesel car motor that I can pick up for 300 bucks.
Until then I will perservere with what i have.
For insulation i am saving my planer shavings. It gets rid of them and keeps me warm without spending a fortune. ( the shop is 8 metres X 13 ).
Heating I am doing with a wood burner. I got that for free. No end of offcuts around to feed it.
It will come together. Just be patient, grab a good deal when it arrives. Sounds like a fantastic building. At least you will be working right? Sam Maloof started off in an old chicken coop he couldnt stand up in.........
regards AJ
Wood Hoon
Wood insulation and wood burning heat! Just add some wet linseed oil rags and you're all set. Be careful out there!
Fiberglass insulation ain't that much money and the insulation factor is much, much better. Oh, safer too.
Best,
Seth"Nothing is a
mistake. There is no win
and there is no fail . . . there is only
make."
John Cage
LOL. I make sure all my linseed soaked rags are spread out flat to dry.
Fibreglass insulation is about $95 per bale. I would need a lot of bales to do my shop. With the money it would cost i could buy a really nice tablesaw,bandsaw,jointer etc. The shavings are free, and also dont require the use of an energy intensive product. The chips are made from wood that is mostly recycled anyway.
The wall behind the woodburner will have fibreglass ( I'm not THAT dumb :) ), then a layer of cement fibreboard, followed by a 1mm thick steel sheet with an airgap all round. The woodburner will sit on a concrete pad and the flue will pass through yet more cement board. I dont think the risk of fire is any greater after all this for having chips in the walls elsewhere. I look at the dust and timber already in the shop and reason that if I have a fire in there I'm pretty much screwed anyway.
I am trying to not only reduce my costs, but use materials that are enviro friendly. It can get pretty interesting at times.
Wood Hoon
I know that a lot of the old homes in my neck of the woods were built with sawdust as the insulation. These homes date back more than a 150 years and some are still around today. Scott C. Frankland
Newfoundland Wood Worker
Well thats interesting. I knew sawdust was used for ice warehouses, but had no idea it happened in dwellings. I have never seen it here. It is only the last 20 years or so that has seen it become compulsory for insulation in a house. before that the solution was not to use any at all.
Our climate however isnt severe, so that helps a lot.
My workshop gets awful cold though. We are at the start of winter now, and already if i start the RAS, the 'breeze' from the blade numbs my fingers.
Wood Hoon
If you can't muster up enough sawdust you can always use straw too.Expressions Fine Wood Working and Cabinetry..A division of Schefer Engineering Inc., Santa Rosa, Ca.
I did consider straw, but thought it could be more difficult to ensure it was dry.
I also wondered if rodents would be a problem if they got into it. Not that they wouldnt make rodent apartments in sawdust, but I just figgured it would pack tighter and make it harder for the lil buggers to get established.
I saw an article once where the people insulated their house with a sawdust,straw and mud mix. it was poured into moulds and then pushed into the wall cavity. The only problem i had with this was the enormous amount of time needed to make the mould to fit each cavity, or trim each 'block' to fit. I thought pouring chips in would be way better.
Wood Hoon
For the rodent problem, just mix a little DeCon in with the sawdust or straw and pack it into the cavity. Moth balls will also deter the little buggers.
Are you planning on using any type of moisture barrier material ?Expressions Fine Wood Working and Cabinetry..A division of Schefer Engineering Inc., Santa Rosa, Ca.
Moth balls, thanks for the tip. I had no idea that worked.
What is 'DeCon'?
I am putting black paper on the outside face. ( kind of a tar paper stuff ) and will use brown craft paper on the inside to hold the chips in while I put on the boards. I figgure that will be plenty as its all houses get. Tyvec is used more and more on houses, but is expensive in comparrison.
Wood Hoon
DeCon is the nastiest rodent bait made. They may sell it by another name down under.Expressions Fine Wood Working and Cabinetry..A division of Schefer Engineering Inc., Santa Rosa, Ca.
Thanks. I wont use any though. I have 2 cats that love catching and eating mice.
Hmmmm, if any do get in I could always shut the cat in for a couple of days.
Wood Hoon
Straw is not only a good insulator but also an excellent fire fuel. Our community lost a million dollar home about fifteen years ago that when built had a layer of straw between the first and second floors. No one knew of it, and the fire department couldn't understand (until the next day) why the fire kept getting behind them so quickly. Straw would be a VERY poor choice for insulation.
Good afternoon Brian,
In this months 'Furiture and cabinet making', a british magazine, there is an article by one of the contibutors who moved to a small farm and turned a barn in to a workshop. It is not detailed, and of course the climate in England might be different to where you are, but he laid down a concrete slab, put polystyrene foam and then plywood on top. He also insulated the inside against cold and damp. This may be a worthwhile consideration before you start wiring and plumbing.
Regards,
Ricky Briggs.
OK, Thanks. I'll check it out.
Might be worth also considering how much time involved to use wood chips as opposed to fiberglas batts. The latter goes up very easily and quickly, and no extra $/time for potential wood chip pest problems.