Shop space

[WoodDrummer]

I posted this a while ago, about building a new house:
http://www.woodworking.com/dcforum/d...rum=DCForumID8

I have another thought and I wanted to get some input from the ladies and gentlemen who frequent the forum.

We will have plenty of living space, we are planning for more kids and building more than we need now to accommodate that. The house includes a 3-car garage, 2 bays for a shop, 1 bay for Kim's car (she's never parked in a garage to date :). The house also has a full, unfinished basement. I'm having rough plumbing installed and we'll probably have a rec room and a guest room down there at some point. I can leave a sizeable area for additional shop space.

Here's the idea: Power tools in the garage for milling and part prep. Then I'd take my parts to the basement for hand tool work and final assemby/finishing. At first, it seems like a PITA to have my tools split between two locations, however, it actually gives me much more shop space. I can fit my power tools in 1 or 1.5 garage bays and have benches and tool racks in the basement. Of course with larger pieces like a large book case or dining table I would keep the project in the garage and drag hand tools up there, however, with smaller projects I would end up doing most of the work indoors.

Has anyone done something like this? Is it a completely BAD idea?

[beamerweb]

Boy that's a tricky one, innit?

I'm not a patient man. I'm also not always the most prepared when it comes to "the next tool" i need. Two or three weeks of rolling my eyes and hoofin' it back and forth for that one stupid tool I forgot to grab would end up with one of these two possible results:

I'd use the wrong tool to avoid yet another trip.

OR

I'd buy two of everything and that would negate the space savings.

That's if I went about it the way yer thinkin. It's rare in my shop that the process can be split on the power|hand line. There are so many processes that I switch back and forth between that it'd really take a lot out of me to run back and forth.

I propose an alternate designation of space, if you can. Draw the line between more discrete processes. Finishing is one of those steps that is nicely isolated and dang near requires it's own space. Only problem is being neighborly about it if you're in the basement. Fumes and such are probably not something your wife wants to deal with on a regular basis, but maybe you can work out some waterborne finishes or some good ventilation while you're still in the building stage.

Another good process that isolates well is rough processing. Generally the jointing/planing goes on early on in the build and you really don't see those two tools much after the major glue ups are done. Now, I don't like to use my table saw for this step anyway, so maybe your method of work dictates otherwise. I use my bandsaw for rough ripping and a CMS for the quick crosscuts. If the stock isn't Four-Square, it rarely goes through my table saw.

I think you get what I'm after .. think about the various steps of a project and try'n isolate them. You don't wanna be running downstairs for a chisel to clean up that round corner in the rabbet you just routed or dragging parts back up to the garage to route grooves those drawer parts you just finished the hand-cut dovetails on.

[WoodDrummer]

Thanks for the insight, you are right. When I think about it, I do reach for quite a few hand tools even when I'm milling or cutting/routing. I will go between spindle sanding and the spokeshave as well.

I would love to buy all of my tools over again. But then I'd be running one place or another for my favorite and I also don't have that kind of cash anymore (new house). Thankfully I have a pretty complete shop and don't have to lay out and big purchases after the house.

Everyone who looks at the size of the basement thinks I'm nuts for not putting the entire shop down there but they haven't seen the dust problems and are not thinking about the .5 micron and smaller particles that will be sucked DIRECTLY into HVAC which is located in the basement. Not to mention noise.

I should probably try to build lots of modular cabinets and make good use of the 2 bay garage. That way, if I need to park inside in a snowstorm, I can.

[dbriski]

I wouldn't split your tools in the two spaces. I maybe would build an extra bench to put down there in the winter months if you want to work on some small stuff, but that would only be when its too cold... or too hot to work in the garage and I would carry the tools down there. Also its a good space to do veneer work or such if you do any of that. I would say to use it to store your long term lumber, If you buy a large lot because it was cheap, store it down there. If you need more space in the garage, maybe put some of your very infreaquently used portable tools down there.

I would plan into your house build a finishing space. If possible put another smaller room out behind the garage for your finishing room, and spray booth if you get or have spray equiptment. You could call it a "wash room" or "Mud Room." Put a sink in there and some cabinets/counter and such to store and prep your finishes.

I am just thinking, idealy that is what I would do.

You also might want to think of an Air Compressor/DC closet or shed, inside out outside of your garage (maybe in the wife's bay)

[WoodDrummer]

This is a good idea for the future. The 3rd car bay extends past the back of the house so I can deepen that for a finishing room.

[FrankC]

I went through that when I first moved into this house and found it to be pretty much a pain, tool you need is always in the other shop so you end up with two of a lot of things. Every tool has its place in the one shop but when brought over to the other shop ends up on the bench in a pile and can't be found next time you need it.

You could possibly do finishing in the basement if you built a sealed room with a ventilating system.

Sawdust Making 101
http://sawdustmaking.com

[arcticfox46]

Unlike my friend Jason - I am very patient.

I sort of have some stuff between my shop and a couple of other places.

One place is the cellar. I don't really have my shop space there anymore - but there are a couple of things there.

The other place is in my van. The van is just outside the shop. In summer when the doors are open - its not too bad, the van is like a BIG toolbox. When tha doors are closed - that's another story.

I actually bought two sets of tools - one for the van, and one for the shop.

No - if at all possible - keep it all to one place.

I have a 2 stall? 26x26 garage. I sometimes find it small.

I have wood stored in my 10x20 shed 100 feet from the house - ehh - I get what I need and bring it in the shop - not bad.

I have wood stored upstairs in the garage - pull down stairs - royal PITA.

Now - with that said - I am thinking of setting up a small - metal cutting work area in the old shop in the cellar - but that is years away - and maybe never.

[WoodDrummer]

I may consider doing a small bench and have a 2nd set of vintage hand tools in the basement. That way I can stay busy in the coldest months doing some small boxes 100% by hand. It would be easy to cart the essential hand tools down there and have a small bench with some good vises. I love to do small Doug Stowe type boxes and it would serve as a practice area for hand tools. Yep, I like this idea.

My wife has the craft room and her parking bay so she's happy, she isn't real interested in the basement at all other than a rec room for the kids.

[woodchuck1954]

I would keep everything in the garage. Not so much because of the inconvienance of the back and forth, but because if you have kids in your plans, you will need all the house space you can get, raising a family. If the basement is large enough to accommadate a rec. room, guest bedroom and still have extra, its always nice to have one or two rooms for office space and/or other hobbies. You get the garage for shop space. How about your wife? Does she sew? Do either of you do any weight lifting or any other excercise, that needs space. Sure, right now you probably think you have extra bedrooms for some of those uses. But once the babies start popping out, it doesn't ever stop. And pretty soon you are thinking about converting some of your attic into bedrooms and other types of living space. Don't think about today, think about tommorrow.

[mlwmerk]

I agree with woodchuck1954.

One exception - when you learn where babies come from, ie, what causes babies, you might want to apply those lessons to space the babies out over time.

I have my shop in the basement and you are right, even with every precaution, LOML, TOWMBO still fusses about the dust in the house.

I'd use the third stall in the garage, insulate the heck out of it, put in a wood floor and drywall it and use it as the shop. The garage door will give you great access to the space. Maybe even put a connecting door between stall #2 and the shop #3 stall for cold weather access.

Walt in CT