Where to go from here?

[Cochese]

My workshop is 12x12 (probably more like 11.5x11.5). Okay, it's a shed. But it's been good to me so far.

As I continue to add tools and experience, I have to ask myself where I need to go from here. I've transformed it from a shed full of crap to what I think is a respectable shop. I'll have pictures at the end to show my progress. This space also stows a bit of excess things, such as Christmas decorations and my lawn mower.

The exterior is ply. On the side farthest from the house, it's damaged and needs repair. Some water damage on the inside wall at that corner, but nothing major. I need to clean up the woodpile next to the shed and fix that. The interior is also ply, very thin. Had crap carpet, and I tore it out. Floor is in good condition, actually, with only one damaged part that makes the floor uneven in a 1sqft area. Floor may be some sort of fiberboard, but I'm not sure. The roof is only a couple of years old, and in good shape. I need to replace the doors, as they are ply and have bowed out.

It's a 7' ceiling, perhaps an inch or two less. Wired for a light inside and out, and one outlet. However, from all the information I've gathered, it was never permanently hooked up to any power source. As such, I have to run a 12ga cord out to the shed anytime I need power.

Right now, anything big gets done out front, on the hill. Yeah, a hill. Uneven surface. The shed sits on the ground on the uphill side, on blocks on the other.

I feel I really have three scenarios which I could go for here.

1) make do. Keep everything the same, and look into running a panel out there and try to use space the best. Level out the ground in front to use my tools. Remodel the interior walls and ceiling to OSB, etc.

2) add on. Knock out the back wall, perhaps add another 2'-4'.

3) build another one next to it.

There's a couple of things that interfere with each of those scenarios, to varying degrees. First off, I'm at 144sqft. That's the limit for anything without a permit. I am also (I believe) at the minimum distance away from the property line for the floor space. Anything bigger needs to be further away. If I add on, I may be able to get a variance.

I'm also at the upper limit of getting anything back out of this house as far as equity goes. Pretty much anything I do from here on out I won't make up when I sell. And I have no idea how long I'll be here, as the house is quite lacking in other features. 5-10 years is a good range.

I'm definitely itching for power, more so than more space. But I think that's a major exposition that for probably the next year at least isn't going to happen. If at all. I have no idea how much it would be, something I'm going to have estimated sometime in the next few months.

I think I've hit on all the relevant points. I'm going to put in a couple of new outlets when I get the opportunity, that's not a huge expense and it's fairly easy. Here's a question - is there any easy way to have it where I can hook up the extension cord right inside the door to the 'shed circuit?' Keep everything plugged in and out of the way and only have to plug one thing in when I go in. Only way I know to do this is use a bunch of extension cords and power strips, something I'm extremely leery of doing. I'd continue to only use one tool at a time.

[Cochese]

Pictures:

Early this year:









Now: (anti-clockwise from door)

[pelligrini]

Oh man! I totally understand your situation. I'm in a very silimar space. I started out with many of the same problems as you too. Some I've solved, others I've just learned to deal with or work around. Others are still waiting for solutions.

A couple quick points for now:
Remove anything not shop related. Any items out there for storage etc., find 'em a new place. The space is valuable, and it will be even more valuable as you accumulate more toys.

Get that woodpile away from the shed ASAP. I did that on mine, I had to replace the lower 30" of T1-11 along one side. I also had to use a bunch of chemicals to kill the termites that were moving in.

[natausch]

I think you've made good progress with the conditions you were provided.

Here is an idea, painful and a bit expensive, but if you really think you're not going to get more equity out of the house by adding a permanent shop why not build one that you can take with you when it's time to move on? My brother has a 18x24 that is a temporary, sitting on blocks with a skirt. It wasn't cheap, but he moves for work quite a bit and instead of looking for a place with workspace he finds a place where he can drop it down.

[Pappy]

Like you and Erik, my shop is a shed. Add a PT plywood deck in front to give you a level work area. (Mine is 12x16)

Check with a camper dealer for a male receptical that can be mounted in a box. I have my DC and compressor in a small side building and run power to it this way. I also used one under my trailer when I was drag racing to power my trailer.



The add on to the right serves as wood storage. Erik has the same set up but his storage area is larger easier to access. I plan to rebuild mine to a similar size to his.



Another option, if you can't go out, go up!



The supports are now covered with cut down used hollow core doors for project/supplies storage. The tops of the cabinets are now usable space and braces on the other side hold saw boards and router guides.

[woodturner]

My brother has a 18x24 that is a temporary, sitting on blocks with a skirt. It wasn't cheap, but he moves for work quite a bit and instead of looking for a place with workspace he finds a place where he can drop it down.

How does one move a shed that large? Seems too large to put on a trailer and two with a pickup. Does it disassemble for transport?

[natausch]

http://www.amishwoodworks.com/2-Car%20Modular%20Gargaes.htm

It helps alot if the company you work for has to pay for your move. Last move he used two flatbeds for the shop and another trailer for his shop and wood supply. Not bad considering his family only used one other trailer for the rest of the house.

[pelligrini]

The add on to the right serves as wood storage. Erik has the same set up but his storage area is larger easier to access. I plan to rebuild mine to a similar size to his.

What ever you do, just be sure to make it tall enough to walk in without having to bend over. I curse the bright idea I had when I made mine short. Yea, I saved some money on materials and I didn't cut into the existing roof that was working fine.

Hands down, I swear it was the stupidist thing I've ever planned out. My back takes a big toll when moving in there all stooped over. The worst part is my skull. I've yet to knock myself out on a rafter, but I've come close a few times. If I need to be in there for any extended amount of time I'll put on a hard hat now.

Just don't make the same mistake I did; thinking that a short space would be OK because you would only be in there on occaision.

[Cochese]

Some good ideas. Depending on the cost difference between running 20A and 30A sub, a dust collector may or may not ever be in my future here. I'd rather have 20A than not have anything at all.

Unfortunately, for now, the other stuff in the shed has to stay. I've gotten rid of over half of it, but some stuff will have to stay until I can get (perhaps) the Christmas stuff under the house. I think I'll plan for that around the first of the year. I'm also thinking about adding an inlet in to make hooking up a bit easier, until permanent power can be run. Keep everything hooked into standard outlets that can be used later, and run it to the inlet so I can keep everything plugged in and neat.

I will say that I'm at the limit of what I can do with that, though. Vacuum with router? Sehr gut. With anything else? Verboten! Well, the drill press will be okay. Noticeable slowdown with the table saw and miter saw, because I hit the 20A threshold.

It won't be this weekend (because I don't want to die), but I'm going to start on leveling the area in front of the shed soon, and using pavers, possibly. Other than that, I really don't have a plan.

[pelligrini]

As I continue to add tools and experience, I have to ask myself where I need to go from here.

Sort out the waterproofing and structural issues as soon as you can. It's a lot easier to fix things and do repairs before you get the place too full of stuff. Pay attention to the floor and framing. My shed is developing problems because of things I never fixed properly to begin with. The floor framing is rotting some now from water damage, bugs and age. Once you start loading the place full of tools, clamps, fasteners, cutoffs, jigs etc. the loads can really add up, especially on the perimeter framing. All the loads from the stuff on the walls, rafters, upper shelves gets transferred to the perimeter framing. I've got a couple floor joists crushing from the rot and loads. My foot just went through the OSB floor in the corner that got wet a few times from a leak I didn't fix promptly. You would probably want to add some more support blocks to your shed, especially on that long side on the downslope of the hill.

Like you and Pappy, most of my cutting gets done out in front. I'm glad I don't have to deal with a steeper grade like yours. A deck out front would probably be the easiest solution. You could possibly regrade it. I'd build a deck because I'm not too fond of digging and moving dirt. If your deck is high enough you might be able to run any future DC ducts under it too. I'm hoping to improve my work area in front of my shed this summer. Currently, I have a 10x4 deck right in front of the shed and a 30"x10' concrete slab in front of that. If you go with plywood on PT framing, be sure to use marine grade plywood. I used some PT 3/4" plywood and it's turning into a wrinkly mess. The wood deck in front of mine slopes away from the shed and the slab is cracked and not level either. It beats working out in the grass and dirt, but I really want a larger, level, work area.

Before I finally put in a big subpanel in my shop I backfed a circuit in the shop for the lights, stereo, and a tool outlet with an extension cord plugged into an outlet on the back porch. Instead of using a male outlet like Pappy mentioned I had a replacement appliance cord from HD wired into the J-Box. I just plugged the shop into the extension cord. When I later added a shop-vac I ended up plugging another extension cord into an outlet in a nearby bedroom circuit. I ran that cord through the bedroom window. Putting in a sub-panel has sure been nice. I’ve got 60 amps out there now, with the capability of 220v. I designed it to handle a lot more, but I only have a 30amp breaker at the main panel on the two legs going out there right now. I had an available 220v dryer circuit that wasn’t being used at the main panel as I had put in a gas dryer. The best thing about having decent power other than not having to futz with extension cords, voltage drops, tripped breakers, no outlets etc.; is that I can finally switch on the 15amp window AC unit I installed in the back wall. Having enough power for a couple electric heaters in the short winters is nice too. I put two duplex outlets in a waterproof box on the front of the shed fed by 2 separate 20A circuits, plenty of power for the saw and DC out front. Putting in the subpanel wasn’t too expensive. I picked up a contractors kit from HD for the panel and it included more enough breakers for what I wanted to do. The 6/3 cable was the most expensive. I had a pretty long run from the main panel to the shop hence the bigger gauge wire.

I'll see if I can dig up some photos.

[woodturner]

It helps alot if the company you work for has to pay for your move.

I've relocated several times with corporate-paid moves. Just convincing them to move my lumber stash has been an issue - the policy usually covers "household goods", which excludes sheds, etc.

Your employer (or his) must be more generous than mine .

[Cochese]

Okay, I'd like to turn the discussion toward maximizing my space. I think that rolling stuff outside is going to be the only solution at this place, and I'm okay with that. I just have to figure out how I can store everything, still get to it, and have everything work together.

The 21829 is 36" high, or close enough that we can use that as a base to get started. Obviously, I need to incorporate a work surface that is the same height, to allow for use as an outfeed table. I've already started that process by making my drill press cart that height and on casters.

The other thing I need on casters is my planer cart. I have two choices - make the top 36" high when the planer is flipped over, giving me more surface area for the saw, or make it just a couple of inches shorter and let the drill press cart and possibly the saw be outfeed tables for it. Another possibility for the planer cart is to be able to do both, by introducing a riser underneath the planer. But how much more weight will that introduce to an already unbalanced unit?

My other choice would be to not make either 36" tall, but make them a few inches shorter and stow them under a rolling workbench that is that high - thus making the worktables themselves the outfeed for the saw, and have the drill press cart and planer cart work with each other. The only problem with this scenario is cleaning off the tables anytime I needed them for the saw. I wouldn't have this problem at all with the DP and planer carts.

I think nesting is my solution here, whichever way I go. I would have loved to have room for something like this:



But I completely don't have room for it. I still have to also find a better place to store my miter saw and the little stand I made for it. Speaking of which, if you know of a way I could store this under a table and easily bring it up to a workable height, please chime in.



Thoughts?

[pelligrini]

I hardly ever use my saw inside my shed. I don't have some of the tools you do, like the miter saw.

My solution for an outfeed table was this knockdown version made from a hollow core door. http://www.bt3central.com/showthread.php?t=41179 I can put it on my saw anywhere and on any surface. Like when I used to chase the shade all around the yard. It can serve as a light duty worksurface too. The sliding dovetail legs are quite sturdy.

[Cochese]

It's certainly a good idea. I'm wary though of having to store something else in the shed that's a unitasker. I'm starting to think more about stuff like, 'where does it go when I'm not using it?' 'Will I have to move it to do something else?' Those sort of things. I'm already at the point where I have to wheel the saw outside, due to everything else in the shed.

I don't saw inside, either. Well, only in emergency situations. When I get my area all leveled out, I'm envisioning rolling the saw out, then rolling one of these cabinets or tables out and hooking up to it.

[pelligrini]

Those questions you are asking yourself are good ones. Very necessary for small spaces.

I considered making it a multitasking table by being able to use it inside, but it was really too big, especially after I built my bench. I hooked up some brackets on some 12" metal shelves I have on one wall. It worked fairly well, but the area loss was too significant.

Storing that outfeed table of mine can be a pain sometimes, with it getting in the way. It's fairly easy to move around. I put it in the 5x12 storage area I built next to my shed most of the time. It leans up against the shelves and drawer base if not on the saw or in the shed storage.

One thing to consider about your planer is the height it'll be at for use. I put my DW735 up on a 36" cabinet base a few times. I really didn't like having it that high as the tables would be at almost 40".