Small Basement Shop Size???

[Adam Slutsky]

Well I finally have had enough of the frozen woodworking in my garage and have decided to move the shop into my basement. I need to share the space with the wife and kids and am deciding on how much space I need. I'm looking for the minimum space that I need to put a table saw, 6" jointer, router table, drill press, miter saw, small band saw and dust collector (that I will buy). Everything will be on wheels. The area is 13' wide and I need to wall it off so I'm deciding on how long the space should be. If I want to cut an 8' sheet of plywood with the TS in the middle, how long should the room be? I'm thinking 18' so that I will have 2 feet to stand behind the saw. Is that cutting it (no pun intended) to close? Do I need a 20' long shop to cut the 4x8 sheet of plywood? Any thoughts on this?

[Lee Koepke]

I wish I had a digital version of my basement. I have a similar situation. My difference is I have a daylight basement with an overhead door. I have roughly 14' x 22' of work area, and another 8' x 22' or so of "storage" and future finishing space.

One thing to consider, if you have a enclosed basement, can you get (easily) full 4x8 sheets down there. you could rough cut uptop then finish below. That way you arent limiting your layout to be based on 8' sheets.

[glenn bradley]

Lee makes a great point. I don't know that I would want to wrestle with a full sheet in a small space. Whip up a shop made guide for your Circ-saw and break the panels down up top. You could even store your sheet goods and other lumber up top and save that space downstairs for working.

[Adam Slutsky]

I can get 4x8' sheets into the basement via a door from the garage. But it is not easy. I'd like to do all the cutting in a room that is sealed off from the rest of the basment to reduce dust/noise. Right now I end up doing some of my work in the garage (or outside on the driveway) and some in a very small (9'x11') room in the basement. Maybe I'm getting old but it seems that this winter has been really cold in New Jersey!

[Peter Quinn]

I'd buy the wife and kids some warm coats, let them use the garage, and take the whole basement yourself. Saves you the trouble of building the wall.

[glenn bradley]

I'd buy the wife and kids some warm coats, let them use the garage, and take the whole basement yourself. Saves you the trouble of building the wall.

Alright Peter. You saved me. I had a different response planned but felt it was too smarty-pants. You know something like this:

"I need to share the space with the wife and kids and am deciding on how much space I need."

ALL OF IT!

"I'm looking for the minimum space that I need to put a table saw, 6" jointer, router table, drill press, miter saw, small band saw and dust collector (that I will buy)."

ALL OF IT!

"The area is 13' wide and I need to wall it off so I'm deciding on how long the space should be."

AS LONG AS THE BASEMENT!

"If I want to cut an 8' sheet of plywood with the TS in the middle, how long should the room be?"

AS LONG AS THE BASEMENT!

"I'm thinking 18' so that I will have 2 feet to stand behind the saw. Is that cutting it (no pun intended) to close? Do I need a 20' long shop to cut the 4x8 sheet of plywood? Any thoughts on this?"

This is the perfect opportunity to follow your shrink's advice and display a healthy sense of selfishness. Your doing it for them. It will make you a better person. They will understand.

[Adam Slutsky]

Well I guess I asked for it! I do need to use some of the rest of the basement for storage, laundry et. Also, I want to build a wall to keep the dust confined as much as possible. So I'm looking a 13' wide by 16 to 20 foot long space for a shop.

[Lance Norris]

Adam...I posted my dimensions in the thread about my basement shop. My shop is 15x16 with a 5x11 corner I cant use because of my furnace and water heater. Go back and look at the pics for some ideas about your shop. I think with the dimensions you posted, you can do it with a little creative thinking, and dont be afraid to re-arrange the furnitureif you have to. My layout has changed a number of times over a couple of years as I added and upgraded machines.

[Anthony Whitesell]

In my case I don't have space to cut sheet goods in my shop. The working portion of the shop is 8'x11' with a 2'x4' closet area. I have on area for working an other various places to stick things while they're not in use. How many tools can one person use at once? I have a 5' wide fixed wing TS on wheels which stays in the work area. Everything is on wheels. The 2'x3' router table on cabinet, the 12 1/2 inch planer is on a flip top mobile center, the bandsaw, and sanders are all stored elsewhere and rolled into the work area when needed. The wood is stored elsewhere in the basement and the DC also sits outside the work area and is piped in.

How often do you cut sheet goods? I personally don't cut them that often. When I do I can either roll the TS outside or use a straight edge and circular saw with sawhorses.

Just some words from someone else that much share the basement with other things.

[Rick Gifford]

Adam I have a 11X20 shop. I have an 8" jointer, 18" bandsaw, soon will have a XACTA with the 50" worktable tablesaw, a cyclone dust collector, mini lathe, bench across one 11' wall and down 8' on the 20' span (L-shaped workbench), and I have a woodworking bench in the middle.

Enough room for everything? Like to have a little more, but it all fits and I really don't feel overly cramped.

My other tools are benchtop or portables and stowed away when not used.

So 20' of length should be fine for your basement area. Steal all you can of course! Try to claim a little more for wood storage if you can.

[Michael Lutz]

I have a 13' by 23' space in the basement which I share with the heater and hot water heater. I would suggest cutting down sheet stuff prior to carting it to the basement. I currently have to struggle moving the sheets down to the shop by myself, until I can clean the siding out of the garage. I can cut 10' long boards. While I have equipment on wheels, I find I don't move it much. I have a Cabinet saw, two benches, 8" jointer, mini lathe, scroll saw, cyclone, radial arm saw, wood storage, and tool storage in this space.

Mike

[John Morrison60]

Adam
I also have a 12 x 20 foot shop that is only 10' wide for the last 6 feet.
I am in the process of reconfiguring my space prior to retirement, when
I will have more time to be in the shop. I think this is enough space, the
key thing is to think through carefully how you work, and what you would like
to have more space for. I am moving my table saw, adding a cyclone (which
fortunately I can put just outside the boundaries of "MY" space), and adding several
new tools that I have never worked with. I decided that
I really can deal with an unmovable table saw. I also put my router table on the end of my TS, and am configuring lots of drawers for storage. These are all changes
that came about because the way I work, and what's important to me has changed
over the last 5 years.
I am looking forward to having a room that I designed as carefully as I laid out the
family kitchen for remodeling.
I will have a true "workshop" rather than a "room with tools".

Good luck
John

[Nathan Odle]

Hi Adam, if you have a small basement shop, you might like to look at the layout I'm working on for one that is probably even smaller

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=76213

[John W. Willis]

http://www.workbenchmagazine.com/mai...bbasics02.html This helped me get more use out of my 10x14.

[Adam Slutsky]

Thanks for all the input. The wood magazine ayout tool is great!