This summer I moved from San Diego to Maine. I managed to take all of my shop tools, and a lot of my stock, but most of the way my old shop was organized was attached to the walls and had to stay in California. So I’m starting my new shop from scratch, and not at all happy about it.
Meanwhile, all I had to do in the kitchen was to put the pots and pans and dishes away in their cupboards and I was in business.
What would it be like, I’ve been thinking, if shops were like kitchens — part of what people expected to find in a house, and ready to use the day you move in. For one thing, shops might be more standardized than they are, one shop to the next. Or would they?
Any thoughts?
Replies
Riverprof, your question is deep. Got me thinking too. I bought my house that was advertised with a "shop room" in the basement. When I saw the house for the first time the "shop" was in a room with the furnace. About 10' long by 6' wide. Not much of a shop in my mind but still it was there with a workbench against the wall and old glass jars with the lids screwed to the ceiling to hold various screws. The rest of the basement was a family room complete with x-Xmas lights for mood lighting and a broken pool table. When I bought the house the first thing I did was clean out the "shop room" and get rid of the cabinetry and workbench against the wall and turn the basement family room into my real shop. The "shop room" was converted into a lumber storage room (I know storing lumber next to a gas furnace is not the smartest thing to do but I gotta store it somewhere). I've enclosed a few pics of the original shop room and family room as they are today.
I think if the world were woodworkers shops would be considered big enough place to stick a tablesaw and rip a piece of plywood safely. Anything less would be a hobby room.
Edited 12/29/2006 7:06 pm ET by mvflaim
Nice shop, mvflaim.
Thanks Riverprof!
Well you know in some parts of the world they take the kitchen with them when the move (I kid you not) the cuboards are all designed to be moved. So you COULD do that with a shop i guess. Only thing is getting it all to fit into the new one.
Doug Meyer
I don't think you give serious cooks enough credit. I doubt they see all kitchens as fungible and merely a matter of loading their pans and utensils into the cabinets. They want their particular viking range, frost king refrigerator, counter set up, butcher block, convection ovens, outlet and sink arrangements etc.
But even assuming shops were as common as kitchens, I gues all I'd be hoping for would be at least 400 square feet, well wired, minimum 8 foot ceilings, and as much natural light as possible. I'd want all my own machines as they are what I chose and know how to use well. I'd want my own bench that I built. I'd even want to set up my own storage for the most part. I suppose if the prior occupant built some nice tool cabinets or a wood rack, I wouldn't complain, unless they conflicted with my desired layout.
standardized shops? dream on.
We have moved 5 times, and in the process looked at any number of houses. Nothing even akin to a "workshop" although one did have an 8x10 craft room.
If home workshops were a selling feature, there would be more listings advertised with this feature.
lesson learned... if you is gonna make a shop, make it moveable. That way if the prospective buyer wants a shop, they will write it into the offer, but if the prospective buyer couldn't give a holler or a hoot, why then you can either take it with you or sell it off at a garage sale.
I ain't ever regretted leaving behind 2x4 workbenches with a 15 buck flourescent light overhead.
Eric
Eric
Eric,Maybe I'm dreaming, but maybe not. Over the next 15 years, tens of millions of boomers are going to be retiring, "right-sizing" their living arrangements, etc. Some of them are going to be looking for houses with shops that they can move into.Natural light, wiring, open space -- my current basement fails on all counts. I have a center chimney and lally columns under the center beam, giving me basically two 12' X 30' spaces that are cramped at the center. One of those two spaces is crowded with furnace, washer, and drier.But enough about my current space. Seems to me that the standardized shop would be pre-plumbed for compressed air and ducted for dust collection, and would have a space to install a compressor and a cyclone (preferably outside). It would have fixed storage for stock. Ideally, it would have floor receptacles at a standard spacing -- maybe eight feet -- for electrical power.Best yet would be a clear division of space between the power triangle (table saw, jointer, planer) and a bench room.
If shops were like kitchens most men wouldn't be able to find their way around them and the wives would be doing the woodworking along with all the cooking too! ;-)
I was in a job where I was transferred around and quickly got tired of rebuilding shops. I constructed all of my cabinets on rollers and in a size that could be used in a number of configurations. Some cabinets had upper and lower sections but the upper sections were attached (and easily detachable) from the lower sections. When we would move into a new house, I would assemble my cabinets in whatever configuration made the most sense and would be partially up an running. My bench top was lagged to the base with 4 bolts so easily came apart for moving. My rack for wood storage was free standing and was fairly easily put together and taken apart in sections with deck screws. Except for wiring, dust collection and stationary tool reassembly, I could be up and running in short order.
I have now retired to Maine and am building what I think will be the shop that I'll use until I'm moved to "the home." I'm still using those cabinets on rollers.
Scotia
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