Setting up a new shop

[MartinPens]

I posted in general conversations and realized there is a thread for this.
I just moved to Oregon and I'm converting the third garage bay into a shop/studio. Contractor starts tomorrow adding a wall, door, and then on to 220 for the lathe and another 220 for the ceiling mount heater. I'm doing a G-Floor Levant in gray with a section in connecting foam squares. I've insulated the garage door. I'll put up some photos when things start to go together to get a progression of things.

What do you have in your shop that is your favorite part or that you couldn't live without? I'm starting with a blank slate, so I'll be scouring this thread to see what others have done. Thanks for sharing everyone.

 

[Curly]

LED lights when the the place was built 4 years ago. I put up 16, 4,000 lumen, 6,000K batten fixtures in an area the size of a 2 car garage (635 sq ft). That works out to 100 foot candles per square foot which is recommended for detailed work. The same level of light for you would be 8 fixtures. You'll love being in a bright shop. I bought directly from China as there weren't too many options that didn't cost 4 or more times as much. There are more available now but it was still more economical for one of the turning club members to buy direct from them last week.

 

[EricRN]

I am jealous. We've been thinking about living or putting an addition on our current place. Dedicated ship space is a must. Until then, I'm stuck wheeling things out from the wall and putting them back when I'm done.

 

[wolf creek knives]

I have a dedicated shop and will have one when I move in a few months.
Can't live without.
1. Insulation
2. LED dedicated shop lights on their own switch that I can have on at each work station.
3. A heater (whole room like you have in your house. Mines an Empire Propane heater that keeps my shop at 70.
4. Windows that open
5. Double door
6. Plenty of work space
7. Task dedicated work benches (knife making, leather working and other projects)
8. The right tools for the right job
9. A sign outside the door that say "No Trespassing". Another sign says "Knock before Entering".
10. A CD player
11. Plenty of shelving to store stuff
12. Plastic totes to store all my kits etc. in and help in organizing your shop

Things I can live without.
1. Dust- get a good dust collection system
2. Clutter- if you don't use it in 6 months get rid of it
3. Tools I'll never use
4. Nosey neighbors
5. Same neighbors who want you to make them something for free all the time
6. Again, same neighbors who think they know more than you do after doing it yourself a thousand times
7. Tools that are supposed to make life easier but really don't

I could probably go on for a long time but I think you get my drift. Hope the new shop comes along and works great for you.

 

[Brandy]

I wouldn't want to go without being able to open the overhead garage door on the nice days. It makes it much more enjoyable

 

[444]

The best suggestion I could make is to increase the shop size by 400% and you will find that is even too small!

 

[MartinPens]

I have a dedicated shop and will have one when I move in a few months.
Can't live without.
1. Insulation
2. LED dedicated shop lights on their own switch that I can have on at each work station.
3. A heater (whole room like you have in your house. Mines an Empire Propane heater that keeps my shop at 70.
4. Windows that open
5. Double door
6. Plenty of work space
7. Task dedicated work benches (knife making, leather working and other projects)
8. The right tools for the right job
9. A sign outside the door that say "No Trespassing". Another sign says "Knock before Entering".
10. A CD player
11. Plenty of shelving to store stuff
12. Plastic totes to store all my kits etc. in and help in organizing your shop

Things I can live without.
1. Dust- get a good dust collection system
2. Clutter- if you don't use it in 6 months get rid of it
3. Tools I'll never use
4. Nosey neighbors
5. Same neighbors who want you to make them something for free all the time
6. Again, same neighbors who think they know more than you do after doing it yourself a thousand times
7. Tools that are supposed to make life easier but really don't

I could probably go on for a long time but I think you get my drift. Hope the new shop comes along and works great for you.

I like your list. Most things are checked off. I'm working on lighting. Will likely need to go with 5,000K daylight fluorescent for now.

 

[MartinPens]

I wouldn't want to go without being able to open the overhead garage door on the nice days. It makes it much more enjoyable

The insulated garage door opens and I have a window as well. Working on a non-permanent way to seal off the edge of the garage doors where the cold wind still tends to come in. But once the 7.500 watt heater gets going I may not need to worry about it. Thanks

 

[MartinPens]

The best suggestion I could make is to increase the shop size by 400% and you will find that is even too small!

I hear you!! I having to really think smartly about how I use the space in the single car. It's 12 x 25. A lot smaller than I thought it would be now that it's walled off. Fortunately I have a closet for the dust collector and room on the other side of the wall for some storage shelving.

 

[444]

Why not remove the garage door and put up a permanent wall with a normal door or a double door while you are doing all the other work, it is not going to be a garage any more.

 

[Gary Beasley]

I posted in general conversations and realized there is a thread for this.
I just moved to Oregon and I'm converting the third garage bay into a shop/studio. Contractor starts tomorrow adding a wall, door, and then on to 220 for the lathe and another 220 for the ceiling mount heater. I'm doing a G-Floor Levant in gray with a section in connecting foam squares. I've insulated the garage door. I'll put up some photos when things start to go together to get a progression of things.

What do you have in your shop that is your favorite part or that you couldn't live without? I'm starting with a blank slate, so I'll be scouring this thread to see what others have done. Thanks for sharing everyone.

Storage is pretty important. I found the rolling wire racks are great for shorter pieces of exotic woods I accumilated and multiple sized stackable bins for pen kits and various wood and acrylic blanks. Old file cabinets are good for stashing tools and supplies out of the dust and the prefab kitchen shelves with doors a great way of setting up wall storage for books and manuals, etc. Also nice to have a mini fridge tucked away somewhere to store CA and casting resin.

 

[wolf creek knives]

Why not remove the garage door and put up a permanent wall with a normal door or a double door while you are doing all the other work, it is not going to be a garage any more.

That's what I did. When my wife and I designed our new home (we'll move in in June), the architect wanted to put a roll up door in the shop. I told her no and she wondered why. I told her, put in a roll up door and I loose that wall for shelving etc. So no roll up door. I did put double doors in so I have the ability to move larger items back and forth. My wife has this funny idea that I'm going into the furniture business again. I told her a couple bedroom side tables and maybe a couple coffee tables but that's it, oh maybe a head/foot board for the master, but that's it...I say now, ask me in a year for photo's.

 

[MartinPens]

That's what I did. When my wife and I designed our new home (we'll move in in June), the architect wanted to put a roll up door in the shop. I told her no and she wondered why. I told her, put in a roll up door and I loose that wall for shelving etc. So no roll up door. I did put double doors in so I have the ability to move larger items back and forth. My wife has this funny idea that I'm going into the furniture business again. I told her a couple bedroom side tables and maybe a couple coffee tables but that's it, oh maybe a head/foot board for the master, but that's it...I say now, ask me in a year for photo's.

Taking out the garage door would diminish how the front of the house looks and affect the resale value if/when we sell in the future. I have a long workbench in front of the garage door and it will be nice to have it open on warmer days.


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[wolf creek knives]

Taking out the garage door would diminish how the front of the house looks and affect the resale value if/when we sell in the future. I have a long workbench in front of the garage door and it will be nice to have it open on warmer days.


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The new place will have side load garages so the front of the house doesn't have any garage doors. In my old shop before I moved back to Montana I had a shop with a garage door and like you I opened it in the summer time but it always seemed to blow everything to the other end of the shop. Plus it was a hugh heat loser in the winter months. But, if you're looking at resale then your doing the right thing. I did see your pictures posted and I like what you've done. Good luck on your new shop.