Ok, so I’m in the Army and moving (again).
We’re moving from Virginia (near Mel’s Woodcraft) to El Paso, TX. We bought a house already. When we were looking, my priority was for a house with a three car detached garage, but the wife was concerned about insignificant things like the schools and neighborhood. We battled it out and I now have a one car attached garage. Well actually it is between a garage and a carport. It has a standard door and two walls. the fourth wall (exterior) is open. I wouldn’t quite call it a carport, because it does fall under the footprint of the house’s roof (spanish tile on this portion).
I plan on closing in the garage. Looking on the bright side, I plan to put windows on the exterior wall, so this wil be my first shop with natural light. Also the wife has agreed that it will be dedicated to my shop, so no other junk will be stored there (only my woodworking junk). I am looking for your input/ideas how to get the most out of this small space. Here are some points:
I pretty much have all the standard power tools i.e. Table Saw (w/ router table), Drill Press, 12″ Planer, 6″ Jointer, Chop Saw, Mortiser, Smallish Lathe (old Dunlap). I also have a 24×24 CNC shark. I also have a 30×72″( I think) bench (veritas double plank design).
The dimensions are 9′ 10 13/16″ x 19′ 3/4″.
Questions/Comments:
o My table saw has a 52″ table – I’ve thought about cutting the rails and making that smaller. I don’t do a lot of plywood any more. I’m concerned that it is too big.
o How would you light this garage i.e. hang fixtures from the sloped ceiling?
o Any ideas on how to take advantage of the vertical space?
o I’ve thought about changing the garage door into a pair of doors to get rid of the tracks and opener.
o Any ideas on how to close out the wall in a unique way?
o Any ideas about cooling the space for the hot summers?
I’ve attached some photos. The space is currently empty – the stuff is the previous owner’s. I also attached a rendering from sketchup with a couple of models from the 3D-warehouse.
Thanks for any input or advice.
Regards,
Justin
Replies
justin, dude!
it seems, judging from the pictures, others have already invaded the space! and what a space it is, THAT is one tiny shop. reminds me of my first "shop"--the crawl space in between the walls of a converted attic. had a good 4'x4' of working room, i did. you know, that without a doubt, you're gonna get plenty of advice from all the likes of us. in my small experience i've found that simply getting started in some new digs, with what ever project one is in love with, lubricates most of the questions towards their answers. things sort of work out when we just get started making. in short order one sees where this and that ought to go. perhaps start small,(pun intended), little boxes maybe or a smallish wall unit.
eef
Yep, that's a small shop space, alright. Is there room behind the garport (garage/carport) for a storage shed of some sort? If so, that might solve part of the problem.
For lighting, I'd use 4' fluorescent fixtures on chains. But, you'll need to keep them above the line of the garage door.Hanging any sort of storage from the celing will depend on the rafter structure. Most likely, it's not strong enough for anything serious, storage-wise.
I'd put a shorter fence on the TS, but store the logner one for when you'll have room for it. Sheet goods can always be done with a circular saw with a guide system. (Might be a good excuse for a Festool TS 55 while they're on sale.) You'll likely want an auxiliary work area outside, anyway, for use when the weather is nice. Oh, wait! You're moving to El Paso. ;-) (Ft Bliss, I assume?)
Remember, it's an adventure. Make the most of it with good spirits.
New shop
By all means remove the garage door and install a wall with double doors, (so long boards can extend outdoors when necessary) a window and AC. (to control heat and humidity!) But save the door and hardware which may be needed for Resale value of the home.
I too work out of a single bay shop and have found a blessing in mounting my machines on HTC rolling bases.
I hung my fluorescent light from the ceiling (high enough to clear long boards) and hung a ceiling fan. The only problem with the fan is if it is installed under a light, it creates a very annoying flicker as it rotates.
Frosty
Thanks everyone,
Is there room behind the garport (garage/carport) for a storage shed of some sort? If so, that might solve part of the problem.
Directly behind the garage is a ~10' square office. I thought about using it as a bench room, but it is probably too small for that, and I do need an office space also. There is a concrete pad on the property where I intend to put a shed, so that will help with storage anyways.
Hanging any sort of storage from the celing will depend on the rafter structure. Most likely, it's not strong enough for anything serious, storage-wise.
I don't plan to hang anything from the ceilings other than lighting and possibly dust collection. I'm thinking of putting a lot of cabinets on the walls, maybe like two sets one on top of the other. I'd need a ladder to access the upper ones though.
Remember, it's an adventure. Make the most of it with good spirits.
Yeah, we've lived in El Paso before, so we're looking forward to the move. It is Fort Bliss. Unfortunately I'm sure the first few months will be filled with "New House" chores...
I too work out of a single bay shop and have found a blessing in mounting my machines on HTC rolling bases.
Yeah, most everything I have is on mobile bases. I just found another HTC on craigslist, so I'm going to pick it up. Probably for my drill press. I got an old Rockwell/Delta radial arm drill press for $50, but it weighs a ton...
The only problem with the fan is if it is installed under a light, it creates a very annoying flicker as it rotates.
Thanks, I hadn't thought about ceiling fans. That would be an economical way to get some air moving. I've seen that effect before also, so I'll have to plan to in order to avoid it.
Thanks for the advice!
Justin
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