[OP]
Member
I am tossing the towel on working in the garage this winter. I do have a spare room on the second floor that is pretty much doing nothing right now. What is everyone's thoughts on turning that into a workshop?
I can see 1 flaw and that is it is above my bedroom, so if the wife wants to sleep, I gotta be quiet. No babies or children to worry about yet so that isnt an issue.
Member
Kyle,Originally Posted by Kyle Foster
A hand tool shop shouldn't be a problem except have you run the idea by SWMBO?
ken
Contributor
No reason you can’t do small projects inside. I did half a dozen in our kitchen apartment.
My advice is to get your wife interested. Make something she can use (spice rack, bookshelf, whatever). Talk to her about how you are going to make it, and what she wants it to do.
I have spent many pleasant afternoons and evenings in the shop with my wife. She hands me stuff, or just sits on the saw bench and we talk while I do whatever I am doing.
[OP]
Member
What does SWMBO mean?
[OP]
Member
Excellent idea. That means that it will be easier to get nicer tools.
Contributor
SWMBO = She Who Must Be Obeyed
Member
Maybe some insulation in the garage and an electric space heater would be cheaper and quieter.
Just a thought.
[OP]
Member
Drat. That could be an issue if I cannot get her on board with helping me in the shop.
[OP]
Member
If it wasn't a rental, that would be a definite but the landlord has it rigged so that's not possible without a lot of work. The upstairs in this house has old pine planks for its flooring so if I drop a chisel on it, it isnt going to hurt it either.
Contributor
It’s from the British book series Rumpole Of The Old Bailey. PBS also ran it as a tv series. Worth a look, Rumpole an older lawyer not from the upper class is wise,witty and irreverent.
Last edited by David Silverson; 01-29-2019 at 10:34 AM.
Contributor
Kyle,
There are folks on the Neaner Forum that are in a similar situation who work inside the house, so hopefully one or more of them will chime in.
To me the biggest issue will be issues with keeping things clean and keeping sanding dust out of the air, etc. I would figure out a way to always clean up, have a good rug right inside the door to that room and one in the hall just outside the room, sweep and then shop vac the floor often during the work periods, etc. You should want to have the floor in your spare room/shop just as clean and sawdust free as the rest of the house.
Because of those issues I would not sand in that room or use any power tools that will make fine dust. Plan your work so you can do those things in the garage or outside on the days during the winter when it is not as cold outside. It may also mean that you may have to put off doing some of the dusty stuff a few days until it one of those rare days when it is not so terribly cold in the garage or outside. However, when those few warmer Saturdays hit you should have all of those tasks lined up and ready to go so you can make hay while the sun shines and do every bit of those dust making/noisy tasks that you can, not doing anything inside until you have done EVERYTHING that must not be done inside.
For what its worth, many of us on this site are oldish coots who have been married many years to the same woman, my case over 40, so make sure your wife knows you love her and want to do things in a way that she is OK with. That may mean making compromises in the way you like to do things in the shop so they are OK with her. For the women, the house is normally a much higher priority than it is to the men, that is just the way it is, so be understanding about that.
Just my 2 cents.
Stew
Last edited by Stew Denton; 01-29-2019 at 11:42 AM.
Member
My shop is in the basement, which is unfinished, but contains a large piece of carpet and pad over the slab. It’s also my exercise room and we have storage there.
The only power tool I use in the room is a drill, and I only do minimal hand sanding down there and then vacuum immediately. My work does not invade on the rest of the house.
I love having my shop in the house. Absolutely love it.
I told my fiancé I was putting the shop down there. She has a space upstairs for her hobby, so it was a non-issue.
Contributor
This is an old video of my former workshop/dining room/kitchen. The best part is when I mention the bandsaw and Amy says, “all the ladies are jealous.”
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=uKdJkejiYP0
Here is the key to making this work: the first project, and every other project after it, need to be something for her. She will then embrace your home workshop, no matter how invasive it becomes.
By the way, my new shop is in a room adjacent to the master bedroom.
Moderator
One other issue is that hand chopping mortises tends to propagate low frequency vibration and noise through the frame of the house. Not good when SWBMO to sleep.
Dave Anderson
Chester, NH
[OP]
Member
So I got the all clear from her with 2 conditions. If it gets to be too loud, she is kicking me out. If I start tracking saw dust and shavings through the house, she is kicking me out. I'm not too worried about the saw dust and shavings. Just gotta be a little meticulous about that. The noise might be an issue I think. I am not going to use power tool anything so it is hammering and hand sawing that she wont like.
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