Workshop-2-Be

[Lon LeBlanc]

Well, the refinance loan funded yesterday, to build a garage where you see the top of the parking deck in the picture. However, below the garage will be a brand-spanking new workshop and storage area. I had to compromise on shop space in order to convince 'Mrs Lon' to go along with the new loan, but I'll still get a 14 x 20 shop area out of the deal, an 8 x 20 storage area to compensate for a house that was built with scant closets, and a garage that will actually be used for cars. We get a lot of winter snow up here in the mountains of SoCal, and it will be nice to have a place for the cars and the snowblower.

My next door neighbor is the contractor and also a cabinet maker with his own workshop behind his house. We've already talked about shop layout, and I'll post some more pictures as we break ground and get the process underway.

Lon

45885

[Frank Pellow]

It looks like exciting times are ahead for you. We love to see shops being built, so please keep us posted on the progress.

Lon, one word of advice that I expect many fellow-members will echo. If you can possibly extend the size of your shop, do it. That is the advice that I heard here when I first showed the propossed plans for my new shop. I followed the advice and increased the size of my shop by about one third and I am very glad that I did so. Like you, the person that I needed to convice that my shop should be bigger was my wife.

[Tyler Howell]

Welcome Lon,
Sounds like a most excellent adventure

[Jim Becker]

Congrats on the upcoming project, Lon! And welcome to the 'Creek!

[Marty Walsh]

Lon,

Welcome to the creek...and congrats on the new adventure you're about to start. Both Frank and I have shop threads here, which might help answer questions that come up. Frank's thread was VERY valuable to me, and I 'borrowed' quite a few of the designs and decisions he documented. Frank's shop is done, and came out fantastic. Mine is still a work in progress as evidenced by my almost daily updates to the thread.

Oh, and what Frank said...GO LARGER if at all possible!

Good luck and post progress reports and pics...;)
- Marty -

[Lon LeBlanc]

The Surveyor boys were out this morning, and I told them I'm looking for 300' wide and 400' deep, so that I can build a bigger garage. Dang county plot plan records! I'm constrained on the sides and front by 15' setbacks...and on the back of the proposed garage by the existing house. But, I'm just a casual/hobby woodworker, and have been working out of a 4x8 foot space beneath the house up until now...or the wide-open spaces of my deck. 14x20 will be quite a step up. In a previous divorce, all my tools went away, save for an older DeWalt RAS. I'll be starting all over again. Planning to aquire a 10" TS first, and eventually a jointer, planer, BS, and DP. Those will come in time, and will have to be scaled to fit the shop. I've read the threads on 8" jointers, for instance, but will probably go with a 6", to better fit the available space.

Stay tuned, and thanks for the encouragement. The first thing to go will be the existing deck and stairs. So, the only way we'll be able to get into house will be via the lower deck and back door. That promises to be a whole lot of fun in the winter months.

Lon

[Kyle Kraft]

Lon,

Welcome to the creek!! When I went to the township to beg for permission to put up a shop building, I gave them a larger dimension than I really planned to build, with the supposition that they would make me downsize the building and I would simply build to the smaller, desired size. To my surprise, they approved the plans as written, so I went to the builder and told him to make her another 8' longer, and I am sooooo glad I did!

After the brief pain of paying the loan off is passed, the sweetness of a larger shop will linger on and on!!

[Art Mulder]

Lon, post them drawings!! I bet you'll get lots of suggestions.

Since you're talking 14x20 and 8x20, I'm assuming that the overall space is actually 22x20 ? With a dividing wall?

I'm working out of 11x23 right now, and I would be delighted if it were 14' wide instead. Narrow is awkward. I think every foot wider makes for a better shop.

So my first suggestion? Make the partition between the shop and storage to be removeable. Suppose in future you decided to convert it all to shop?

Next idea... If you could make the storage 8x14 instead of 8x20, then you could carve the last 6' out of the storage for a dust collector + compressor closet. I don't have one myself, but I've seen lots of people who like that.

Have fun with it!

[Lon LeBlanc]

Lon, post them drawings!! I bet you'll get lots of suggestions.

Since you're talking 14x20 and 8x20, I'm assuming that the overall space is actually 22x20 ? With a dividing wall?

I'm working out of 11x23 right now, and I would be delighted if it were 14' wide instead. Narrow is awkward. I think every foot wider makes for a better shop.

So my first suggestion? Make the partition between the shop and storage to be removeable. Suppose in future you decided to convert it all to shop?

Next idea... If you could make the storage 8x14 instead of 8x20, then you could carve the last 6' out of the storage for a dust collector + compressor closet. I don't have one myself, but I've seen lots of people who like that.

Have fun with it!


Art,

Good idea! L-shaped work space would give me a full 22 foot run along one wall.

Lon

[lou sansone]

welcome lon and best wishes

lou

[John Bailey]

Welcome Lon,

Keep us posted, you'll find lots of good advice here. I kept pictures coming when I was building my shop, and the wealth of knowledge was unending.

John

[Corey Hallagan]

Very cool Lon! Congrats and I am looking forward to another new shop being built here! Yours sounds very interesting!

corey