Moving garage workshop to office warehouse?

[Todd Zucker]

I have had a workshop in the garage for quite a few years. No natural light or windows, and kind of cramped.

I have an opportunity to move everything into an office/warehouse. The warehouse is not insulated, but the woodworking tools and machines could share a portion of the office area, which is air conditioned and spacious. Trying to figure out if I need to do anything special to keep dust and noise out of the rest of the office space. Mainly concerned with the AC ductwork being shared by both the office and the woodworking area, which was not an issue when everything was in the garage.

[Jamie Buxton]

I did the same move. I left all office functions -- mostly design work -- in my home office. The shop just has the woodworking stuff. Sawdust does get everywhere. My home is now much easier to keep clean.

[Matt Lau]

What sorta woodworking do you do?

I've had some luck with doing a festool style dust collection system (3d printing is your friend).
That being said, dust and noise will probably go everywhere.
You might be able to rig something up with some drapes/curtains to block dust and noise.

During the height of COVID, my Canadian dental colleagues had to drape off each operatory to isolate them.
Quite a few just used shower curtains.

[Todd Zucker]

I mostly build tables and free standing cabinets but would like to expand into other things.

The current “office” at the front of the office/warehouse gets covered with dust even without any woodworking going on. Like I would like to vacuum the computer screen and keyboard with a brush attachment every week.

But the main office space I am looking at is detached from the warehouse. Separate entrance. If I put machines in half of that space, it seems like the entire office is going to get filled with dust, unless I can seal it off.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

Dust from sanding machines and the processing of MDF, particle board, and masonite are big culprits in causing the whole shop to be filthy. Of the several shops that I work in the one that stays the cleanest has all the big machines in a room with its own heater and no ductwork. All of the hand held power sanders have their own shop vac attached. All of the shop vacs have drywall dust bags inside. The dust collector in the machine room is a big Oneida with a pleated final stage filter. The office there takes about a month to become super dusty.
I enjoyed the "No Sanding" thread. My hopes for the future are to spend more time siting quietly, working with hand tools.

[Zachary Hoyt]

I have learned to be resigned to dust and mess. My motto is "Filth without squalor".

[Rick Potter]

Is this an office where other people work? Hate to say it, but this might be an OSHA thing. An office worker with allergies, etc., etc.

[Todd Zucker]

Based on these comments, I am going back to Plan A: cram everything in the garage and make it work.