Replies

1. 
   GRW | Jul 03, 2011 05:29am | #1

   Shop Space

   Ian,

   My starter home was a condo on a slab. No reasonable shop space there. I utilized

   a portion of my folks basement for a short time until I was able to move to a home where

   I could set up a better shop space.

   I know these ideas might not meet your needs or interests, but you might concider...

   1) doing more field work. Built-ins and high end finish carpentry where you can actually

   create woodwork on site instead on in your space.

   2) take a WW class or better yet teach a class at a local craft/WW school where you can

   get access to shop space. The schools in my area allow instructors to use the shop

   whenever the shop is open, and most instructors are only active teaching 50% or less of

   their class time. The rest of the time students are working on their own projects. Most

   instructors use this time to work on their projects.

1. 
   CedarGroves | Jul 05, 2011 07:06pm | #2

   The space I have now is the barn at my folks house but its an hour away one-way, and that can really become a pain when you are in the shop as much as I am (daily). I come from a family of carpenters and woodworkers so I was lucky to always have a shop available to me.... something I never appreciated till I moved out on my own a couple years ago. I've had it all from a fully equipped 20x50' shop (not Norm's level but good enough) to building various projects off a couple sawhorses and the back of my truck.

   As a carpenter I've done my share of build ins and on-site construction, but that doesn't work all the time and some clients can be easier than others. Generally the people I work with want a "big box store" experience in the sense that while they want custom tailored options, they want it delivered and set up with as little fuss as possible - a big reason I pre-build everything I can.

   I'm not aware of many WW classes in the area, but I do make use of the local technical college if I have a lot of heavy ripping or cutting to do. Generally I find that with a little planning I can still accomplish most everything I want to do right at my apartment - just as long as I do the heavy work elsewhere.

   -Ian

2. 
   byhammerandhand | Jul 05, 2011 07:48pm | #3

   I have always had a shop, with tthe exception of an apartment with a balcony.  

   But, I've had some friends with different solutions:

   - Rental space.  One friend rented a few hundred square feet in an old textile mill/ / warehouse.   He was paying $150 a month, utilities included.  Some of his flatmates had rock bands and small industrial shops.

   - Take classes at the local adult ed at college or high school (where those still exist).  Basically buying shop time.   One friend told me the instructor came out the first night eating a candy bar, "Use the equipment carefully, I'll be in the office if you have any questions."

   - Clubs, guilds, coops that share woodworking space.  Tools were handled different ways.

   - Several friends who went into retirement villages and they had a wood shop.  While you may not qualify as "retired folk," maybe you can work a deal for training or other  work for time in the shop.

   - I don't know the rules, which I'm sure vary, but what about a rental storage unit to do handwork in?   I know a guy who rented one, put in a sofa and a lamp and went there for cigar smoking.

   - Shop and mom and dad's place