Many of us have to make do with the space we have. We are unable to move for financial, family, or we just like where I live. We also are unable to add on to our house or add an out building. But we still want to woodwork. I’ve modified my woodworking depending on where I have lived. Taking up wood carving when I lived in an apartment. But no matter where I was living and what space I had, I always found a way to further my knowledge of woodworking.
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I live in the suburbs. It’s a quiet court. I really like my neighborhood. I have a two car garage that serves as a place to park my car and a woodshop. Currently my shop is workable but in order to be efficient, I have to plan the operations I am going to do that day. Otherwise, I might end up with a tool I need buried behind another.
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I’m in the process of re-designing the shop. I have a pretty good idea of what I want to do and I know that I will be making alterations to the design along the way. I’m not looking to create the dream shop but making the most of what I have.
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So, what would you do to make your existing shop better?
Len
“You cannot antagonize and influence at the same time. ” J. S. Knox
Replies
I would say get a permit from the local authorities to build a car port as in with a protective cover for the cars and keep them outside and under it !
to make my existing shop better I would increase its size a bit (10x bigger sounds about right). I curently work in a space that is about 88 square feet and at times I find it a challenge to get anything done. I wish you better luck in organizing your shop than I have had with mine lately
-pjw
I worked in a single car garage for years. I rigged an overhead system that allowed me to drop down an assembly table. roll it out of the way and use the tracks overhead to support plywood I had to cut on the tablesaw. I wish I had a picture.
My dining room is on the back side of the garage. I won't mention who objected to the idea of opening up the wall. Although, Matt's tool storage cabinet would really look nice in there.Len
"You cannot antagonize and influence at the same time. " J. S. Knox
Len ,
I hear what you are saying , Imo having most machines portable and on castors or rolling carts or tables to quickly enable you to move them in and out without lifting helps .
When I worked out of a garage I made a workbench that hinged from the wall and used pipe flanges to screw the pipe legs on when in use and just let it hang down flat against the wall when not in use .
regards dusty
Len,
The two greatest pieces of advise I have for you are:
1) Get lots of storage - shelves, drawers, cabinets, etc. If you don't you end up with every horizontal surface (bench, table saw, jointer, floor, etc) covered with everything else. Not very efficient space usage. Also make everything easy (logical) to find.
2) Harmonize working heights. Make your tablesaw on it's mobile base the same height as your workbench the top of your jointer's fence. That way, nothing is in the way of the other and they also act as infeed/outfeed support.
Chris @ www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com
- Success is not the key to happines. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
Chris,
That's my brother's philosophy. If it's horizontal then it's perfect for storage. Drives my sister-in-law nuts.
I managed overhead space above the garage door for the Christmas, camping and sports gear in the garage. Right now I've got decent storage for all the rest of the tools. All the roll around tool carts are at the same height. What I'm really looking to do is make the space more efficient.
I've ended up a casualty of downsizing. On the bright side, the Art Directors I worked with, are asking me to build custom pieces. So that's what driving the need for the re-org. Len
"You cannot antagonize and influence at the same time. " J. S. Knox
Len,
I have been building a shop in my two car garage for about 3 months now. I can fit my wifes car in with lots of room to spare and everything is organized chaos. My garage has a step at the entrance to the house. Makes everything even more interesting with a 4' wide raised area...
On my left wall I have these Items lined up. A drum sander, a chop saw, a 1/2 high drill press on a cart, a table Saw with router table, a 14" bandsaw. All are made cart style with storage under. All are the same height with the chop saw 1/2" higher than the rest. They can move independent or set up as a unit or remain in place. The TS rolls to center stage and a table folds up. DC 4" comes down from overhead and attaches to the back.
The back wall is a workbench, tool storage unit. huge 28" full extension drawers for tools, routers etc. Cabinets above for misc tools etc. Next to that and as of yet unbuilt, is a stand for my sharpening station, Jet sharpener and water stones.
The right wall has a 7' tall cabinet for my wife, TP water bottles etc. Going down the wall is my Jet lath, 8" Jointer and 15" planer. Cabinets are being built for above these tools for storage of finishing materials etc.
Today I was building a workbench, that is a torsion box, with fold down legs. It will have a vertitas twin screw and rockler side vise on it. Been fun designing this beast. It has ring bolts on the ends and will connect to 1/8" cables and that will go through pulleys and a crank system to raise it above the garage door for storage! Crank it down, undo a clasp, the legs hinge down, drop on a lower streacher style and it is ready to go. Works as part outfeed also. My door opener broke so I replaced it with the new types that does not have a rail down the center of the room. SO I have about 14" of room above the door that was wasted! Open the door after it is down and I have great light for nice days, plenty of those in AZ.
My DS and air compressor are in a shed next to the shop and are piped into the work shop. Pretty efficient work space for one guy, need more space for big projects and finishing room. So the tools go away and that happens center stage.
I planned mine in sketchup, found a great library of tools and storage and could play around with the location of items etc. Read a ton of books and articles on this also so I could maximise the space. A dream shop, not really, but the best I could do on my budget. What do I really want, more TIME.
Morgan
PS I can post photos if you like.
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Edited 5/26/2008 11:05 pm by AZMO
Morgan,
Photo's would be great. I really would like to see your workbench.
It sounds really similar to what I have planned. But the devil is in the details. I'm planning to do a assembly table that gets hoisted up to the ceiling as well. (Great minds think alike...eh.)
I'm in Southern CA and have a lot of nice days to open the garage door as well. The only problem is, it attracts the neighbors at the most inopportune times. I do enjoy my neighbors visits but I've learned to keep the door closed when I'm doing a glue up. Len
"You cannot antagonize and influence at the same time. " J. S. Knox
Funny you said that, no one bothered me yestereday all day, until I was gluing up the leg assembly for my bench.... I told him to watch quietly and I would be with him in minute.
I post some pics tonight of the bench, which is not completed. You might have some suggestions also. Details Details Details.... Why we love woodworking. <!----><!----><!---->
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I have to agree with the person who screamed A.C.!!! I have one tiny window in my shop but haven't invested in a little unit yet. I live in south Mississippi and it's already unbearably hot and the humidity makes finishing rather difficult! Yet if I put a unit out there my poor girls will likely freeze to death (2 ball pythons my husband hates and refuses to let live in any other room in the house).
Aside from that, when I bought this house the shop was already there and it has a crude assortment of benches attached to the walls made of old closet doors cut in half so they are far too narrow to do much of anything on and set up so high I can't make use off them anyway cuz i'm so damn short! I'd tear all that crap out and build a real workbench, and then level out the amateur poured, seriously uneven concrete floor! But i'm not complaining, the shop itself is what sold me on the house and I love having it. Slowly but surely I will redo it and make better use of the space i'm thankful to have.
If we were to talk about dream shops.... i'd have to wish I could use my 300 sq ft sunroom instead. A dozen windows, all the light I could ever need, a TON of space! But it is part - kids playroom, part - gym and will most likely stay that way til my kids are grown.
~Malice
Malice,
I don't mind the heat and humidity as long as I'm lounging with a nice cool drink. But in the shop...ughhh.
You could put a heating mat under the pythons and then install an AC unit. Len
"You cannot antagonize and influence at the same time. " J. S. Knox
Well they have an extensive heat lamp system, but the tank sits directly under that tiny window as it's the farthest corner away from the power tools. I would have to do some serious rearranging of the shop to relocate them, which I guess I will do eventually... last year the temp in the shop got over 100 degrees during the day - great for the snakes, bad for this transplant yankee!
Though as of about 15 mins ago it may no longer matter, hubby got an offer from his job's corporate office in St. Louis and I fear no amount of bitchin is going to keep him from moving us to that horrible city. I may end up not having a shop anyway *sigh*.
~Malice
What don't you like about St. Louis? There are certainly some drawbacks that arise from being in the middle of the continent, but for me it ranks pretty near the top of the list of mid-American metropolitan areas.
-Steve
I have never actually been there, and am basing my judgments purely on city statistics, but I grew up in a big city and much prefer the laid-back semi country life I have here now. St Louis has a reprehensible crime rate (Something almost non-existent here in little Ocean Springs MS), very little in the way of moderately priced homes...you either buy a half million $$$ + home or you live in the ghetto (again, speculation after studying the real estate market). Here I have a lovely home in a wonderful neighborhood that just needs TLC that cost less than 90k. My children are in the best school district in all of MS here, and I have family/friends here. Up there I will be left alone while hubby travels 60% of the time to the companies various properties. And of course I have spent a great deal of energy in this place, watching and helping the community rebuild since Katrina and do not wish to leave it behind. So asside from the housing market and crime rate, I guess it's more "I dont want to leave this place" than not wanting to go there. I'm sure it has some wonderful upsides, but i'm not interested in trying to sell my house in this market either.
~Malice
St Louis has some very nice suburbs. I have some friends who lived in Kirkwood for a number of years (they have since moved to Michigan--job change). They're certainly pricier than small-town America, but nothing compared to the left and right coasts. In general, the western (Missouri) suburbs are nicer than the eastern (Illinois) ones.
The Midwest and Plains states are, to a large extent, a cultural wasteland, but St Louis is a very pleasant exception to the rule, with opportunities (symphony, theater, etc.) that are usually only found in cities that are quite a bit larger.
-Steve
I'm almost certain the corp office is on the Missouri side, which is nowhere near any of their casino properties, go figure? But I have heard that the MO side is nicer than the IL side. If he decides to take it i'll have to go and experience middle-America I guess. I grew up in the North East and have lived in the deep south for 12 yrs now... maybe it's time to see something else, but I will keep pushing him to consider the job at NASA here that he also has an interview set up for.
Isnt St. Louis considered in Tornado country?? Hurricanes I can handle, atleast you get some warning! Tornados scare me!
~Malice
I lived in the Oklahoma City area for eleven years. When people ask me about tornadoes, I tell them that during those eleven years, there were only three occasions in which a tornado came within striking distance of my house. ;-)
Of course, one of those occasions was significant enough that it now has its own Wikipedia article.
Seriously, though, while tornadoes are a common occurrence in the Plains, and can be very dramatic, each individual tornado affects such a microscopically small area (in the cosmic scheme of things) that the chances of being directly harmed are miniscule. Hurricanes and earthquakes, on the other hand, while much rarer, have far more wide-ranging effects.
-Steve
One idea I have not read about in Knots is using a lift for a garage shop. My wood shop is in my basement, and we use the garage for cars. My son and I build and tune street cars. I added a lift to store a car on and we use it when working on cars. My wife parks under it. When I bought my lift, the sales rep told me of a couple of wood worker that use a four-post lift for a wood shop. Simply build a platform on it and set up the major tools and bench on the lift. Lower the lift when you want to work in the shop and lift it when you want to park a car. My lift shipped was less than $2000 and it is a commercial four-post lift. It sits on the existing concrete floor and has a set of casters that can be installed to move it around. I have seen less expensive lifts on eBay. I have a tall ceiling in my garage but sense most wood working tools are not as tall as a car you would not need as much ceiling height for a wood shop. I did have to add a high lift kit for the garage door.
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In one shop, they used an extra long lift and put it perpendicular to the door in a two-car garage. Just opened the door to run long stock. The there one put the lift in the middle stall of a three car garage so there was room on both sides of the lift to work.
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This would not work for everyone but if you are short on space, it may help.
I think that would only work if you have very high ceilings. I just measured the distance from the top of my rather small car to the 8' ceiling, and it was 39".
-Steve
39 inches minus 4 or 5 for the lift leaves 35 or so. Table saw, bench, thickness planer, jointer are all less than 35 inches tall. Band saw and floor standing drill press would not fit. May have to take the blade guard off the saw and lower the blade before lifting it. Could even use some adjustable legs to get tools up to a comfortable working height and lower them for storage. I have seen a bench or assemble table on knots where someone built in height adjusters.
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But like I said, it may not work for everyone and for the money it may not be worthwhile.
I have a friend who has one in his garage. Head clearance is pretty low. It works for him because he only stores his cars.
I was thinking about a similar idea years ago. My idea was to have a lift mounted against the wall. The crazy idea was to make a bench and have it ride up and down with tools mounted to it. Rolling tool carts or mobile tools underneath. I'm still toying with idea but I live in earthquake country. Len
"You cannot antagonize and influence at the same time. " J. S. Knox
Although I don’t live in earthquake country, I would think it would have to be a very big one to knock my lift over. It is very stable, especially with a car on it.
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There is a type of lift used for stacking parked cars that has a single post that fits against the wall and is open on three sides. I considered adding one to park my pet car on to keep it out of the way. Unfortunately, before I bought the additional lift a RAT B#*%^& took the car out while I was sitting in traffic waiting for someone in front of me to make a left turn. When I find another car like it I will add the lift for storage.
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Using a lift for a wood shop seems like a workable idea in order to save space. Kinda expensive but a lot cheaper than adding on to your house or building a free standing building. My lift is 18 feet long and 8 feet wide. With some over hang I could build a platform a couple of feet wider. I have thought of moving the wood shop up to the garage but we keep blowing up engines J and playing with things that go fast. Car shop and wood shop to not go well together. Motor oil and raw wood … not good.
Ohmigod, what a great post!!! I took over my son-in-law's garage/shop when he married and split. He's a mechanic by trade, but his father-in-law keeps talking him into buying all these woodworking tools: table saw(s), jointer, miter saw drill press, on and on. I will definitely send him a copy of this post.
Only problem is, the house they just bought, I don't think the garage is quite tall enough.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
I spent the last two days spraying dye with an HVLP gun. Now that is another thing I need to figure out. A knock down spray booth. I've got ideas but I need to finish this project for a client first. I'll pass them on as I figure them out.
BTW. I use a single location for my air supply. The garage/shop is small enough that a 20' hose reel is enough. I would like to move the compressor outside. I just haven't found a good location yet.
Traveling the rest of the week. Niece's is graduation. Len
"You cannot antagonize and influence at the same time. " J. S. Knox
Len,
I figure my neighbors garage will work for a spray booth. He left for California and his condo for the summer. I am sure he won't mind ,>) hehe.
Funny, we do seem to think a like. I just bought a 25' hose real and will mount it to the ceiling and pipe over to it. Nice having the compressor outside in a shed building so I don't hear the thing.
I will finish out the bench or close to this weekend. Maple legs are complete, jaw vise material is ready to mount and drill. Some dovetails to cut, and assemble it. I am sure I won't get it mounted to the ceiling but I can tilt it up for another week.
Have a great graduation trip. Buy some work gloves for her and some champagne for the parents! Yahoo.
Morgan <!----><!----><!---->
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AIR CONDITIONING!!!
And two or three big windows to let in the natural light.
My shop is in my (attached) two car garage. It's so hot I can only work a few hours a day between May 1 and Oct 1. There are no windows in the garage or the door, so even if I could rig up a window AC unit, (I'd have to get permission from the local architectural committee first), there would be no natural light with the garage door closed.
I have this recurring dream. It's August. I'm in my shop and the west wall is all windows. I'm at my tablesaw wearing longjohns, my huntin' coat and a fur hat. The AC is blowin'. My pet polar bear is curled up in a rug and shivering...
Have you insulated your garage door? I did several years ago and it makes a huge difference. I used to have a old window air conditioner mounted in a door that I could roll in front of my side door. That worked pretty well.Len
"You cannot antagonize and influence at the same time. " J. S. Knox
My door is insulated but the weather stripping along the top and sides needs help, also I get a lot of 'wind leakage' between the door panels... does anyone have hints on how to fix these issues? When is is below freexing and the wind is blowing I really notice it, the door faces west and the prevailing wind is out of the west... brr
I've seen insulation kits at the dreaded HD. I think you could just buy some adhesive backed foam tape for in between the panels. My door has aluminum panels which have a formed tongue and grove. I have had to adjust my panels once. I loosened the bolts on one panel at a time and adjusted it up or down. It wasn't too difficult.Len
"You cannot antagonize and influence at the same time. " J. S. Knox
Len,
thanks.
My doors are steel outside with foam core and vinyl inside. I was thinking of putting foam tape between the panels but afraid that it would have side effects like bowing the door... when you put the foam tape between panels did you expand and 'calibrate' the gap with a spacer like a piece of 1/8 hardwood or plywood strips?
Dane
Dane,
There is quite a bit of play in between the door panels. I actually bought some 1/16 thick neoprene foam tape from McMaster-Carr. It seemed to do the trick. There's all different types at McMaster.
Although, I'm wondering if you just tried to adjust the gaps. Would that solve the problem?
Len
"You cannot antagonize and influence at the same time. " J. S. Knox
I guess I'll adjust them tomorrow, and wait a wile for the snow to start blowing ;)
I would strengthen and flatten the floor. My shop is an old country store (Civil War era). The floor is 1"thick t&g strip flooring on true 2x8 24"o.c. Over the years, the floor has sagged, the joists have warped, the piers have sunk. The end result is a wavy floor that will not hold much weight. I can't complain at all about size, but there have been some great deals on equipment that I cannot buy because it would take my whole shop down to the ground. Don't take you concrete floors for granted.
Since I live in a planned community, I'm fortunate that the builder of my home did the right thing. They built to code plus. I have a pre-stressed concrete slab. Used all the latest and current technology of the time.
I like the fact your shop is in a building with so much history.Len
"You cannot antagonize and influence at the same time. " J. S. Knox
I'm remembering something The Woodwhisperer said (paraphrased): " . . . and if your one of those people who uses your garage to park your car in, I've got nothing else to say to you." Sorry, but I'm with him on this one.
Brian
Sometimes, in order to remain a happy couple, and with 33 years of practice, you know what to battle. I have no problem sharing the garage with a car. It moves out, I set up and when finished I clean up. Surprising how much more organized and clean I keep the space. IN a perfect world I would love Matt Teagues shop, set in the woods, office, bath and windows.
Its not just about where you work, it is about what you accomplish. Right? <!----><!----><!---->
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"IN a perfect world I would love Matt Teagues shop, set in the woods, office, bath and windows. "
And that was part of my point in starting this thread. Most of us are not in a perfect world but it doesn't mean that we can't strive to make what we have a little closer.
I was looking for other ideas that maybe would work for me. (And others.) Many of yours are the same as mine so in that way you validate what I was already thinking. Ah...but I may be preaching to the choir.
BTW. The niece's graduation was perfect. Granted she was just graduating from middle school but she has a world of happiness ahead of her. Len
"You cannot antagonize and influence at the same time. " J. S. Knox
Heard you were up by FG territory. Sounds like she has a go of it. I hate being under the weather.
Have my bench assembled, vises installed. I am attaching the legs this week and some moving cross bracing. I have a lift system designed and bought a commercial one to try out. If it won't work I will return it. Will post some pics when finished, and I will email you some sequence shots.
Morgan <!----><!----><!---->
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I was In the Bay Area of Northern Ca. A little south of Seattle.
I did speak to her. She's very tired but getting better. Which is good.
Look foward to the pictures.
ThanksLen
"You cannot antagonize and influence at the same time. " J. S. Knox
You are very right about that. Makes me feel much better about my workspace, though it wasn't a garage in the beginning so I haven't had to try and wean the cars. It's counterintuitive: the smaller the space, the more time it takes to get around in it.Brian
So I am not the only one who feels like they play dodge ball in the shop? It was 102 on Sunday, and I rode my bike for 2 hours in the morning and worked in the shop the rest of the day. Lost 4 lbs in one day.... A lot to said for building pens and small boxes HEHE.
Morgan <!----><!----><!---->
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Len: Like many of the readers of your topic on your workshop, there are so many different responses that will deal with everything from size of the shop, storage, benches, etc. When it comes right down to it, we all work and create in the shop we now have. If you have a good solid bench, good storage, and power tools on wheels, and good lighting and reasonably good dust control (dust collectors, whatever), what else would really make you much happier than you are now? That's a rhetorical question - no response necessary!
It occurred to me that I never described my shop. I would take pictures but it's full with desk and hutch being built. Yes, the car gets put back at the end of the day.
Looking in from the garage door.
To the left is:
Upright compressor - Speedair
Clamp storage - So anally organized my neighbor said I need a life.
Shelves piled with all type of stuff, fasteners, stains and paints, tools, and wood.
A Kennedy full of pneumatic, plumbing, wrenches and the like.
A Emco Compact 5 Metal lathe and mill on tool cabinet with all my model building tools in it.
A Woodpecker router table with an Incra Wonderfence.
A restored 1940-ish Sear Craftsman 6" x 48" belt sander and 10 inch disc combo unit. No dust collection what so ever.
And a jumble of wood. All those years of playing tetris is finally paying off.
The back of the garage/shop:
The door to the house.
Cabinets on the wall filled with more assorted goodies.
Grizzly 1023s cabinet saw
Rolling tool cart with a Dewalt 12" compound miter saw. Underneath is a Hitachi PR12A planer and jointer.
A 13" Laguna bandsaw.
My restored 1936" Delta 14" bandsaw.
The water heater....
Right side:
The door to the backyard. Above it sits my Leigh dovetail jig.
Drill press (Crappy Harbor Freight one) It has served me well.
Hanging cabinet on the wall with more hammers than I have a right to own.
A workbench mounted to the wall that is used as a shelf. Right now the grinder is sitting on it and the Steel City Mortiser. And a ton of other stuff nestled in around it.
My !970-ish Delta variable speed lathe. I won with all the tooling from work.
Two Kennedy tool boxes packed to the brim.
A Delta Scroll saw
In front of the lathe is my big heavy rolling workbench. It has a abrasive chop saw on one end and a wire feed welder on the other.
High above my head is the mountain bike, Christmas decorations and a boat load of vintage models that haven't been built.
So that's my shop.
What I would like to do is remove some of the shelves from the right left side and put the miter saw, mortiser, grinder(s) there on movable carts. My plans are to revamp the garage so it is efficient and comfortable to work in.
Len
"You cannot antagonize and influence at the same time. " J. S. Knox
Len do you know how to use Sketchup? I can send you some files to start with..
Morgan
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Morgan,
I've used Sketchup before and I'd appreciate the files. I really should learn it better and it would help if I didn't have to build every piece of equipment.
My problem is I'm so well versed in AutoCAD, Rhino, Form-Z, and an assorted other programs, I won't spend the time to learn another program. I actually have a layout of the shop from ten or twelve years ago. Since then I've just shoved more tools in and jockey them around. So I've never updated it. Len
"You cannot antagonize and influence at the same time. " J. S. Knox
I found this very helpful, but still things do change!!!
Down the street from my house, a Harley rider has a house. Lots of riders in and out, mostly guys like some of the Knotheads. Has a Harley light display at Christmas on his roof. When he bought the house, he bought the house directly behind him also. He took the wall down that seperated the two homes and paved the entire back yards. His next step was to cut in garage doors on the back of the extra house. He has the entire house gutted and turned into a shop through the doors. The front of the house looks just like suburbia!
Now that would be a sweet setup!
Morgan Check your email box.
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I'll bet you don't have any HOA.
At one time, my neighbor was going to move and I thought of buying their house and doing something similar. Their house is at the end of the court. So it wouldn't have bothered anyone. They decided to stay which is good because they are nice people and sometimes it's better to have good neighbors.Len
"You cannot antagonize and influence at the same time. " J. S. Knox
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