New to the Craft. Where to Start? - Question of the Week

December 26, 2007 | Filed Under Blog, Question of the Week 

This week’s question comes from Eric. He writes:

I finally have a two car attached garage that I’ve talked my wife into letting me keep as a workshop only. The trouble is, I watch all the woodworking programs and shows, and I don’t what to do first. Like most people my age (29), I haven’t got an extensive budget. First, how do I get started? I have a router, compound miter saw, lots of hand tools, clamps, compressor, nail guns, skill saws, a jig saw and a Dremmel. What’s the next major tool to buy? How do I arrange my garage? I’d like to maximize the space with areas to keep stock and a little bit of yard storage too (no sheds with my HOA). I haven’t found a functional plan that works for me yet. Any ideas? Lastly, will you send me a list of a novice’s guide to starting a working shop out of a two car garage? I was quite impressed with your shop and aspire to have one of my own one day.

And here was my reply:

“Hey Eric. Congrats on the garage. From your list of tools, it sounds like you have everything needed for a small weekender shop. But if you plan to get serious, there are 3 major tools that you will eventually need. The tablesaw, the planer, and the jointer (in that order). How soon you need them is up to you. My suggestion is start building projects. As soon as you hit a wall because you don’t have a particular piece of a equipment, thats how you know what you next purchase will be. Lots of people buy pre-dimensioned lumber and cut their sheetgoods with a circular saw. So its certainly possible to survive without the big set of tools. As far as arrangement, the best thing to do is look at other people’s shops. The best place to do that is here: ShopTours.org You can even see my old shop in there (3 car garage).”

“Just remember that a shop is always being rearranged. I have yet to find the “perfect” setup. Check out this article I wrote on the topic. And you might find some helpful info here as well: Fine Woodworking Article”

Comments

14 Responses to “New to the Craft. Where to Start? - Question of the Week”

  1. Tomcat1066 on December 26th, 2007 3:39 pm

    Just some FYI to Eric, Grizzly has an interactive program that will let you play around a bit with shop layout. You can place equipment and move it around to see how it will work in your shop. The downside is that it is all Grizzly products, but find a Grizzly product close in size to what you have or are getting, and it should give you a fair idea. Just go to grizzly.com and look on the left hand side.

  2. thewoodwhisperer on December 26th, 2007 3:51 pm

    Excellent suggestion. I’ve used that program a number of times myself. Very simple and fun.

  3. Tomcat1066 on December 26th, 2007 5:47 pm

    Yeah…I use it to fantasize about my dream shop.

    However, it’s great to help tweak a small shop to hold more stuff than you would think can fit and still be usable!

  4. Vic on December 26th, 2007 6:07 pm

    Eric, as you go forward, I would also suggest you start thinking what type of woodworking interests you most. That decision can change whether you center your shop around a tablesaw or, instead a bandsaw. While I have both, my main interest is in curvilinear work over panel work. Therefore, as I set up shop, the work-flow will center around the bandsaw. Tomcat, thanks for the heads up on the Grizzly program. I’m almost ready to start placement in my new shop and that will come in very handy.

  5. baldy on December 26th, 2007 7:38 pm

    Well Eric here is my 2 cents!! I built a 12′x24′ shed in the back yard to house all the other “stuff” that one requires to store and half of it is for lumber storage. Tablesaw and outfeed table in the center pushed towards the garage door. i have a big 16′ door. On the right side of the garage looking to the door I have my jointer/planer and SCMS and a work bench. On the left side I built a 16′ work bench/small tool storage etc. I ran a 20 amp 120V extension cord to my table saw to give it some juice. Fluorescent lights above the bench and TS. The only thing I don’t like so far is that I have to open the garage door to jointer boards longer than 30″. Hope that helps a little.

  6. John Heaney on December 26th, 2007 10:46 pm

    “…there are 4 major tools that you will eventually need. The tablesaw, the planer, and the jointer (in that order).”

    I’m dying to know what the fourth tool is.

  7. thewoodwhisperer on December 26th, 2007 10:48 pm

    lol. OK so there are only three. :)

  8. Tomcat1066 on December 27th, 2007 3:11 am

    Don’t worry Marc. There’s three kinds of people in this world. Those who can count, and those who can’t ;)

  9. Steve on December 27th, 2007 6:35 am

    Could the fourth be a bandsaw?

  10. Jonathan on December 27th, 2007 8:31 am

    Eric. Start with a plan. Measure out your shop and your tools - including the ones you don’t have, but you think you will get soon - and play around on paper. I would suggest including the infeed and outfeed of each of the tools. Here is a layout that I created as my “starting” plan. http://www.theworkshopproject......out_v2.gif

    I agree with Marc, that the shop is always going to change and evolve. Don’t get hung up on getting it right. Just get it done right now.

  11. Kelly on December 27th, 2007 4:50 pm

    Dream shop electrical recommendations ….

    I had the chance to start over with a new shop earlier this year in a three stall garage. One stall would always be woodworking equipment, one for the wife’s car and one for my truck when it’s really cold out (below zero) here in Minnesota. So far it’s working out well.

    I was starting from a basic 22’ by 34’ three stall garage shell and added the following:

    1. Electrical – outlets and lights
    2. Mechanical – heating and cooling
    3. Insulation – walls and ceiling
    4. Sheetrock – taped, finished and painted a bright white

    The best advise I would pass on to others is to add enough electrical capacity and lighting at the beginning, especially if you are going to cover the walls with sheetrock or paneling. Here’s my recommendations for electrical:

    1. High output aperture industrial fluorescent lights every five feet with 3-way light switches on both ends of the shop

    2. A minimum of two 220 circuits, alternating the circuits with every outlet, spaced approximate 16” or 32” apart

    3. A minimum of four 110 circuits with GFCI, alternating the circuits with every outlet, spaced every 16” or 32” apart

    4. Ceiling drop cords for both 110 & 220 centered in each stall

    5. If your shop is attached to your house and you have a hardwired smoke alarm system required by the newer electrical codes, be sure to add at smoke, fire and heat detector in the garage and connect it to the house system. That way if there’s a fire in the garage, especially when you are not in the shop, everyone in the house will know right away.

    6. Wire for a heating system (ceiling mounted furnace, etc.) and cooling system (window AC unit, sump pump, etc.) now, even if you will not install them until later when funds are available.

    7. Make it a pleasant place to spend time by installing a cable or satellite TV outlet. If you don’t have a cordless phone or wireless Internet access, pull cables for the telephone and computer network.

    8. The one thing I omitted and will likely retrofit next summer is a high CFM exhaust fan to use when spraying finishes, the typical box fans in the windows just don’t cut it for my home made finishing booth. It would have added $300 during construction to enlarge the furnace chimney through the roof, now it will cost double that with the necessary permits (city requires a wall switch operation and inspection) and exterior changes to the garage side wall.

    By having so many lights installed, it really helps eliminate the shadows when doing finishing work and keeps you sane during the long winter months in the north. By placing your outlets on at least every other stud, you eliminate to the need for unsafe extension cords and there’s always an outlet within easy reach. Additionally, with all the cordless battery chargers, pencil sharpeners, radios, etc. that get plugged in, you never run out. The ceiling drops came in handy when I needed to move the jointer and planers close to the garage door openings to mill some 15’ boards, the 220 circuits where within easy reach.

    I spent about $2,500 on the electrical work that split out as $1,100 for materials, $200 for permits and $1,200 for labor by a licensed electrician. Those with more time, patience, and electrical knowledge might tackle this project themselves, but I appreciated the fact it was all done in three days.

    As you correctly state, the shop layout is never perfect. The only machine of mine that has not moved at least once in the last year is the table saw and the 3’ by 7’ out-feed table I attached to it.

    If you would like a PDF copy of the electrical layout, email me at kelly@breit.com.

    Cheers,

    Kelly

  12. Danny Boy on December 27th, 2007 8:38 pm

    I’d like to ask a follow up questions, if I may. Is there a specific reason to get a planer before a joiner?

  13. thewoodwhisperer on December 27th, 2007 8:52 pm

    For your reference Danny Boy: http://thewoodwhisperer.com/wh.....-the-week/

  14. William on December 31st, 2007 7:50 am

    Excellent electrical advice from Kelly. The best thing I did early on in my “2-car” shop was to install a dedicated 60 amp sub-panel and run a bunch of 110 and 220 circuits and lots of lighting. Even if you decide to move down the road, a tricked out garage can be a selling feature. Be sure that everything is permitted and meets or exceeds Code.

    I think the key to the small garage shop is to mobilize your forces - everything goes up on wheels, preferably a good roller stand that sits down firmly on the ground. Even my Unisaw is mobilized, though only for shop cleanout purposes since rolling it around knocks the long extension table out of alignment.

    An important consideration in small shop layout is infeed and outfeed space. I position my table saw centered from left to right near the garage door, giving me about 14 feet of infeed. I can still have an outfeed table and be able to close the garage door.

    The other consideration is maximum use of storage space. All my “bench top” tools (planer, drill press, etc) go on top of shopmade roller cabinets with lots of drawers for storage. Shop furniture makes for great first projects, by the way.

    My problem is where to store the scuba gear, but that’s for another forum.

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