Converting Garage into Shop

[Greg Peterson]

I'm getting to the point where aside from having a space that is clearly defined and setup for woodworking, I'm just getting tired of calling the current space my shop/garage.

The garage is 19x23. I moved the washer and dryer into the garage last year to free up space inside the house and because the front loader washer really vibrated the floor pretty good. It's nice having them out of sight and quieter to boot.

What I plan on doing first is upgrading and relocating my electrical service. Current service is 125 A. New service will be 200 A and meter head will be on north end of house (shop area). Current meter head is on east side in the middle of the house.

Upgraded service panel in house last year to Siemens 200 A, 40 space unit. After the new service is installed, I'm going to install a 100-125 amp, 20 space panel in the shop which should provide me with plenty of room.

The laundry area will be eight feet wide by 10 feet long. I'm going to use 2x6 studs for the wall, sheet rock on the laundry room side and not sure if I should use OSB or sheet rock on shop side. Prime concern is noise insulation. The DC will likely be going outside on the east side of the house in a boxed in environment for weather and ambient noise purposes. Neighbors aren't really all that close enough to pose a noise problem. But still want to be a reasonably good neighbor, especially if the neighbor sells off the half of his lot that is adjacent to my lot.

So my shop will be kinda an L shape. Currently two old garage doors, but I want to upgrade one with something that has some insulating value and remove and wall in the other door. Maybe put a window in there for cross ventilation on nice days.

Anyway, the T&G knotty pine paneling has been carefully removed and stowed out of harms way, so I'm left with open walls all through the garage right now. Eventaully, I'll be stuffing R13, kraft backed insulation inbetween the studs and re-installing the knotty pine panels.

Oh yeah, I have a stud or two that I really shoul replace due to termite damage. No current infestation but I do keep a lool out for these little buggers.


So, while I have a blank slate for the next few weeks, any idea's or pitfalls to avoid?

I want to eventually have a 3-5 HP DC and cabinet saw. My power requirements currently are pretty minimal. But even firing up the contractor saw makes the lights flicker until the motor gets up to speed. And my sawzall (I know that isn't exactly a fine woodworking tool, but it sure comes in handy doing projects around the house) simply makes the lights go dim.

Electrical plans are:
2 overhead lighting circuits
4 120V outlet circuits
3 240V circuits

[Steve Clardy]

Lots of receptacles. 48" up
Good lighting.
Consider inside sheeting [or your present pine] 4' up, then rip 1/4"x4x8 pegboard in half, hang that above the lower sheeting, then fill in above.
No use to have pegboard up too high so you can't reach it.
If you are to have hanging upper cabinets, put in nailer blocks [2x6] between the studs. Gives you better, more solid place to hang cabinets besides just the studs.

[Greg Peterson]

"If you are to have hanging upper cabinets, put in nailer blocks [2x6] between the studs. Gives you better, more solid place to hang cabinets besides just the studs."

Excellent suggestion. Never even considered cabinetry.

All outlets, or at least most, will be 48". I want a couple of hanging boxes. One for the TS and one for the work bench. I have two outlets on the wall on each side of the workbench now. Bench end is up against the east wall where I put in a 4x6 slider window (no window before. Glorious light pours in). Would like on hanging from ceiling at west end of bench, that way I won't have to break out an extension cord if I'm working at the end furthest away from the window.

[Steve Clardy]

Well. I'm a self employed cabinet maker, staircase builder.
So anytime I see, hear of bare walls, I always try to mention, especially to the framers where I'm bidding a cabinet job, is to install cabinet blocking.
Makes a much better [and easier] job hanging cabinets.

[Norman Hitt]

The 48" Steve mentioned for the wall plug height is good, BUT I decided 53" would be better, because it definitely gets the plugs above any 4' paneling that always seems to get leaned along a wall, and also it puts the plugs above most things that always seem to get set on a wall mounted cabinet or bench top, so you don't have to move anything to FIND a plug. (You can mount the plugs "Laying down" instead of standing up like they normally are, if it would put the bottom of a wall mounted cabinet too high). I would also recommend putting wall plugs in every 4' along the walls where you will be doing bench work then you don't have to be plugging and unplugging different tools you are alternately using in a given location.

The nailers Steve mentioned are also great, but when you get the paneling, drywall or whatever you use to cover the walls installed, I would suggest installing a "French Cleat" continuously along the wall, (fastened through the drywall and into the studs AND the nailers, then you can just hang the wall mounted cabinets or pegboards or whatever on the French cleats and if you want to rearrange them, you just slide them to anyplace along the wall that fits the arrangement you want at the time, (and believe me you WILL change your shop around more than once as you use it AND as it miracuously fills up with more tools). I'm still working on my shop, but when finished, I will have a continuous French cleat from one end to the other of each of three walls, and the other wall will be used for the wood storeage system, and yes, I have "Built in Nailers" (as such and VERY sturdy) built into those three walls.

Just remember, Wall Plugs and Lights are like Clamps, you can NEVER have TOO Many., and it is sure easier to install it BEFORE the paneling goes up than later.

[Larry Fox]

Norman mentioned it and I will second it - LIGHT and lots of it. My shop is essentially a 2-car garage and I have 6 2-tube, 8' floresent (sp?) lights in it and there are times I wish I had more. My walls and ceiling are white but if your's are going to be darker, I would advise maybe even more light. I would also suggest looking into something for the floor as walking and standing on concrete for an extended period of time will really kill your knees, hips and back.

[Ben Grunow]

Ditto on the lighting suggestion but one thing to watch with lighting. THe small tube, electronic ballast flourescent lights can cause electrical interference which eliminates FM reception (thats right- no radio reception only static). I found this out the hard way in my lasst shop, maybe someone else has had this problem or knows why it happens.

I hung an automatic recoil extension cord form the ceiling in the middle of my shop and I use it all the time. Sometimes I find myself looking for a cord only to remember that its there (end hangs about 80" above floor). I have an air hose reel too to make the hose cleanup faster.

Making sound proof walls works best if the studs are staggered so the finishes on each side of the wall are not touching the same stud and transferring the noise. Use 2x4 studs on a 2x6 top/bottom plate and frame 16" on center but stagger the studs by 8" (hope my explanation makes sense). Insulate with soudnproofing insulation.

Good luck. Show pictures before and after.

[Greg Peterson]

More great idea's.

• Plenty of light. Just when you think you have enough, add 1/3 to 1/2 more.

• Putting the outlets horizontal at 53" eliminates that whole sheet goods covering the outlet syndrome.

• Sound proofing/reduction - Staggered studs.

Here's one that hasn't come up, and I've only recently dealt with. Air compressor. I have a PC 6 gallon pancake oil less (yeah, I know now. Consider it a lesson well learned). I would like to have air hookups available at various places. Thinking about building a sound baffled and locked cabinet outside the shop for the air compressor and DC. That compressor is so noisy.

I've read the debates about the various schedules of copper pipe versus black pipe. Pro's and cons.

Anyway, I am going to the permit office in the next day or two depending on lunch schedule and find out first hand from the county what they want. I went to the HD in Oregon City and the guy in the electrical section probably spent an close to an hour with me talking about what typically needs to be done and by who. Did some rough calculations on what my amperage demands were realistically going to be and looked at a myriad of options for wiring up the shop. He said that Clackamas county is really good about working with people on these permits.

Anyway, if there was anyone here that was trying to get some help Saturday morning at the Oregon City HD, sorry. Tom was a wealth of insight and practical experience I just couldn't ignore.

[Al Killian]

Major lights, you could put them on a few different circuits so they all do not need to be on at once.

Outlets -Where ever your bench is thats where you will need lots, plus others every four feet or their abouts.

220- You said only 3? If you plan on getting a larger TS, DC,Jointer. You will need atleast 4. What about your BS 110/220? What size motor is on your compressor?

For noise levels you can get that blown in stuff from the BORG and maybe add a sheet of half inch foam. this will kill most of thr sound. Place heavy rubber pads under your tools ,which will also slow down the noise level.

[Greg Peterson]

Band saw, jointer and planer are future additions. But good point on the 240 outlets. I know where the heavy/big power equipment will be going, so adding more 240 outlets in the area isn't a big deal.

Probably end up going with a Dewalt DW735 planer when the funds become available. I need the space savings that a lunchbox planer provides.

As for the jointer and bandsaw, I'm not sure yet, but they will at least be 240 compatible.

As this is a one man shop, I'll have enough amperage to handle my work requirements. I'll run out of space before I run out of power. But isn't that usually the case?