A split shop layout, anybody have one?

[Alan Tolchinsky]

Hi All,
I'm thinking of putting a shop into half of a two car garage but that won't be enough room I don't think. Does anybody split up their tools into two locations like a garage and a room in the basement? I want to get at least one car in the garage all the time and don't want to move machines around all the time hence the "split up" idea.

I was thinking of having the table saw, jointer, bandsaw, and planer in the garage. In the basement I would put the bench, router table, SCMS, drill press etc. Most of the basement is finished off so I can't use much of it.

Anybody done this? How did it work? Thanks in advance for any ideas/experiences here

[Chris Padilla]

Alan,

You may wish to edit the title! ;)

[Brent Beelby]

Alan,
My shop is split in two. Planer, chopsaw and tablesaw are outside in this one car garage/shed and all other tools including bench are in my porch/mudroom/laundryroom. My advice is......Park the car outside....the split shop sucks.
Brent

[Roy Wall]

Alan,

I have a weak contractors saw, bandsaw, & drill press in the garage...

Bench and hand tools all in basement...

Not the best way to go....but I look at it like the basement is for assembly and final fitting / finish... and it's cool in the summer and warm in the winter:)

[Alan Tolchinsky]

Alan,

You may wish to edit the title! ;)

Why Chris? I don't see anything wrong with it. :) Thanks Alan

[Jules Dominguez]

You didn't say whether the garage and the basement are on the same level and adjacent. If so, it wouldn't be much of an inconvenience. My tools and equipment are in three separate rooms, adjacent to each other, in the basement, and that's not a problem. It would be a big problem to me personally if they were on different levels. But I'm an old grouch and get irritated pretty easily.

[Frank Pellow]

I have my tools in a seperate stand-alone workshop building (constructed last year). But my painting and finishing is (mostly) done in my old shop in the basement. The division seems to work well.

[John Miliunas]

Alan, if you're content with "leaving at least one car out" of the garage, then I'd probably "split" the whole garage into two work areas. One which would largely have main equipment permanently or semi-permanently placed, while stuff for use on the "car side" would be either, "planted" against the outside wall(s), with the rest being mobile. Put your most frequently used tools on the "no car" side, setup and ready to "rock", while the other side will have stuff ready to "roll".:) :cool:

[Kirk (KC) Constable]

My shop is half on one level, and half one step up to another level...and even that's a pain. I can't imagaine being geographically separated.

KC

[Lee DeRaud]

Put your most frequently used tools on the "no car" side, setup and ready to "rock", while the other side will have stuff ready to "roll".:) :cool:I just hope you realize that they won't let you into heaven until you apologize for that awful pun.:eek:

[Alan Tolchinsky]

I'm starting to think the split shop might be somewhat of a pain. The basement and garage are separated by one level and I'd have to either go through the house or around the outside of the house to go between the two spaces.

John, What you said makes sense to me about having one side of a garage for the main stuff and just moving some things around.

Thanks all so much for your ideas. Alan

[Sam Blasco]

I had a two level shop in Miami, not truly split, but a loft where I did all my assembly and finishing. it had its charm, and the stairs kept me in decent shape, but I can't say I miss it. especially the ramp i had built and had to lower everytime a finished piece needed to make it to my loading bay. Really not fun when it is time to install a kitchen.

[Jim Dannels]

My first shop was on a boxed in porch, it measured 7 1/2 ft X 16.
At the time I had only a Drillpress, Scrollsaw and router table in there besides my bench. I had a benchtop saw in the garage and broke down material before I took it into the shop. It worked ok so long as projects were not too large.
A split shop would be far better than none at all, so do what you must but keep woodworking.
Currently I am set up in my garage, all tools are lined up on one side that extends 8 ft past the door. This garage is 28X30.
So my work area is L shaped. There is a built in cabinet/bench across the front 9 1/2 ft long. I have my bench 3 ft out from that so I can work on either bench.
I can still get my S-10 and the wifes Voyager in if desired.
If I need the table saw it rolls out into the floor and then back against the wall.
If you put your tools on mobile stands you can do fine in a limited space.

Cars i n the garage are optional.

[Frank Pellow]

Alan, maybe it is not such a big factor since you quite a bit south of me, but an advantage of my basement finishing room is that my paints, stains, etc. will never freeze there. Usually I do keep my shop above freezing in the winter but, on occasion, I do turn off the heat and things could freeze if left there.

[John Miliunas]

I just hope you realize that they won't let you into heaven until you apologize for that awful pun.:eek:

Sorry Lee...Guess that was pretty awful!:D On the other hand, I hear the He's got a great sense of humor. I mean after all, He did let someone design and actually produce the AMC Pacer, didn't He?:D :) :cool:

[Lee DeRaud]

Sorry Lee...Guess that was pretty awful!:D On the other hand, I hear the He's got a great sense of humor. I mean after all, He did let someone design and actually produce the AMC Pacer, didn't He?:D :) :cool:My favorite is the duckbill platypus.:p

[John Miliunas]

My favorite is the duckbill platypus.:p

'Ya see there...YOU know what I'm talkin' about!:D :cool: