Workshop Information
Location
Canada
I'm currently in the process of setting up my new shop
When it's done, I'll update this section but for now here's my old one…
Like many others, I have a shop that is too small
.
Mine is in the crawlspace of our townhouse. Thankfully I've got really good neighbours that don't mind the noise from time to time. There are two ways into or out of my shop, one is the trap door in the hall closet and the other is the short but relatively wide window in the crawlspace. I have 6'6" ceilings in two areas with some much shorter areas connecting them. In order to enlarge the usable space, the first thing I did was put a floor down over the sand and rock along one wall. This new floor now serves as a place for my 6" jointer and my sharpening station.
I've used a shop vac with a bunch of pvc pipe to handle dust collection, three blast gates in the shop, one that is split for both the table saw guard and the dust port in the cabinet. Mobility is an absolute must for my space, everything except the mitre saw and the lathe is on wheels. In my main space I can usually only have one machine set up for use at any one time, everything else is either tucked under the bench or wheeled into the bathroom. The bathroom is now really just a storage area with a sink for cleaning up.
In all I have two areas, my main working area is about 8' x 8' and the other is an 'L' shaped space that fits my jointer, mitre saw and smallish lathe.
With the limited entrances to my shop, anything larger than an average coffee table must be assembled upstairs or outside.
The tools:
Table Saw (Craftsman version of the Ryobi BT3100) with Lee Styron's incredible "Shark Guard" system
Dewalt router mounted in one of the tablesaw wings
Ridgid 14" Bandsaw with 6" riser
Ridgid Drill Press
Bosch 10" Sliding Compound Mitre saw
General Interanational 6" Jointer
Mastercraft Lathe
Dewalt 13" thickness planer
Ridgid Oscillating Sander
General International Air Filtration System
Given the small entrances into the shop, the table saw, drill press, bandsaw, jointer and lathe all had to be carried down in pieces and assembled in the space they occupy. I'm not looking forward to moving, I'm going to be spending weeks taking everything apart and carrying it back up through the trap door.
Besides the limited space I also have to deal with there being only one breaker running power to the shop. Eventually I'll drop a couple lines down into it but for now I run an extension cord down and take it from machine to machine as I use them. The biggest problem this leaves my with is not being able to run my dust filter while I'm working (thankfully the shop vac dust collection can run on the shared breaker without tripping it).
Although I can't wait for the day when I have a double garage shop, I still count myself lucky for having the space I do. Not many people living in townhouses have a woodworking shop hiding under their living room.
D.
When it's done, I'll update this section but for now here's my old one…
Like many others, I have a shop that is too small
. Mine is in the crawlspace of our townhouse. Thankfully I've got really good neighbours that don't mind the noise from time to time. There are two ways into or out of my shop, one is the trap door in the hall closet and the other is the short but relatively wide window in the crawlspace. I have 6'6" ceilings in two areas with some much shorter areas connecting them. In order to enlarge the usable space, the first thing I did was put a floor down over the sand and rock along one wall. This new floor now serves as a place for my 6" jointer and my sharpening station.
I've used a shop vac with a bunch of pvc pipe to handle dust collection, three blast gates in the shop, one that is split for both the table saw guard and the dust port in the cabinet. Mobility is an absolute must for my space, everything except the mitre saw and the lathe is on wheels. In my main space I can usually only have one machine set up for use at any one time, everything else is either tucked under the bench or wheeled into the bathroom. The bathroom is now really just a storage area with a sink for cleaning up.
In all I have two areas, my main working area is about 8' x 8' and the other is an 'L' shaped space that fits my jointer, mitre saw and smallish lathe.
With the limited entrances to my shop, anything larger than an average coffee table must be assembled upstairs or outside.
The tools:
Table Saw (Craftsman version of the Ryobi BT3100) with Lee Styron's incredible "Shark Guard" system
Dewalt router mounted in one of the tablesaw wings
Ridgid 14" Bandsaw with 6" riser
Ridgid Drill Press
Bosch 10" Sliding Compound Mitre saw
General Interanational 6" Jointer
Mastercraft Lathe
Dewalt 13" thickness planer
Ridgid Oscillating Sander
General International Air Filtration System
Given the small entrances into the shop, the table saw, drill press, bandsaw, jointer and lathe all had to be carried down in pieces and assembled in the space they occupy. I'm not looking forward to moving, I'm going to be spending weeks taking everything apart and carrying it back up through the trap door.
Besides the limited space I also have to deal with there being only one breaker running power to the shop. Eventually I'll drop a couple lines down into it but for now I run an extension cord down and take it from machine to machine as I use them. The biggest problem this leaves my with is not being able to run my dust filter while I'm working (thankfully the shop vac dust collection can run on the shared breaker without tripping it).
Although I can't wait for the day when I have a double garage shop, I still count myself lucky for having the space I do. Not many people living in townhouses have a woodworking shop hiding under their living room
.D.
