ACK!!! My full time shop is becoming a garage again!

[atgcpaul]

So we had a baby a month ago. Then we decided to trade in our 10yo car
with the dying AC for an SUV. We didn't get full trade-in value because of
how badly dinged up the hood and roof were from the walnuts falling overhead
from my neighbor's tree.

So now my driveway, which could park 3 cars and allow any one of them to
enter or exit, is down to a 2 car park and only the last car can get in and out
(driveway goes from 3 lanes down to 1). I forgot one night last week and
parked under the tree. Nice little dent in the new car's hood by the morning.

I can't get a parking tent because we live in a historic district and I can't
widen the driveway for the same reason and because there's a utility pole in
the way. Closest street parking is on the far side of the house. So to keep
the cars looking decent, I'm going to park one in the garage.

So I've decided to revert my full time shop back to a half shop and half garage
for the new car. I'm really not looking forward to it. I have 200bf of walnut
leaning up against one of the doors and a whole lot of other junk in the way.
Most of my tools are on wheels but that doesn't mean I still like having to
put them away everytime I use the shop. The only bright side is when I
started WWing, I had a full-time 2 car garage which was sometimes a shop.
I was much more compact and organized then. I'm hoping by having to keep
things mobile, I can get back some of that organization.

I figure I'll be WWing again in a few years at the rate it takes me to clean. I
never thought I'd be going the other way with my shop.

I'll post pictures of the transformation when I can.

Paul

[bigstick509]

Sorry to hear about your downsizing, I've been going threw a downsizing myself. My son picked up another Datsun 240Z that I'm temporarily storing in the shop/garage. I can't park it outside because of condo rules and regulations. Hopefully he will come up with a way to take it back to Virginia with him when he comes in for a visit at the end of the month. For all us shop/garage guys it seems like a constant battle between cars and woodworking for the limited square footage we have. Looking forward to some pic's of what you come up with for the transformation.

[steve-norrell]

ACK!!! My full time shop is becoming a garage again!

What a pity!

I feel your pain - - every year. Up here that happens every year, around the end of October. The only difference is that the two-car garage becomes a two-car garage. Shop size is reduced from the two-car garage size to a mere 8 x 16 feet.

Almost all my "stuff" is on roll-around cabinets and can be easily moved out of the way of the cars and back out again if needed. Relieves the pain better than aspirin.

Salvation comes in mid-to late-April when the cars can go back out on the driveway.

Deepest sympathies, Steve.

[natausch]

In the same boat. In winter my half of the two car goes back to a two car. My wife is very firm about keeping her car in the garage during the week unless I'm in the middle of a large project and need to expand to her side.

The positives are that it keeps you organized, makes you focus at least one part of the shopday to cleaning and organizing and helps you not to purchase a single-use tool that is too large or unwieldly.

The downside is that you're opening the garage several times a day and have to be extremely dilligent about waxing your cast. When it rains I shudder.

[unknown poster]

Why not trim the walnut tree? Especially if it is damaging your property.

I was on the other side of this situation a few years ago, my neighbor put in a pool and then he discovered that my gumball tree was dropping gumballs in his pool. He trimmed the limbs that hung over his property and the problem was solved.

[atgcpaul]

Why not trim the walnut tree? Especially if it is damaging your property.

I was on the other side of this situation a few years ago, my neighbor put in a pool and then he discovered that my gumball tree was dropping gumballs in his pool. He trimmed the limbs that hung over his property and the problem was solved.

That's an excellent idea but the tree is so close that cutting those limbs
would be like cutting the tree down the middle. I'm a bit of tree hugger and
dabble in bonsai so I'm sensitive to how this tree looks. We also live in a
"Tree City" so any of these major cuts need to be approved by City council.

By winter, the nuts will be gone and I can park outside again. At least this
gives me reason to reorg the shop.

[LinuxRandal]

I hate to be the bearer of bad news:

You had a baby a month ago.................
Your going to be in the shop less. Both due to noise and due to having your hands full. If you get shop time, it will be something the wife or kid needs.
Your probably going to be needing (if you don't have one) a good hand tool bench, so you can do stuff more quietly.
The wife is going to be MUCH happier in the winter, unloading the kid in the garage. That will pass onto you.

Your losing a shop, but for a GOOD reason. Now the kido is going to be causing you to even loose focus on the shop. It won't be ww'ing in a few years due to organization.

[SHADOWFOX]

Paul,

I feel your pain bro! Was there 3 years ago however I had to move my shop from the garage to the basement (not a walk-out basement) so that my wife can park the SUV in the garage. The other half of the garage is occupied by mower, snow thrower, other lawn and garden stuff and clutter. Needless to say I have not really had time to do any major project in the shop for the past 3 years due to school, baby, and full time job. Now that I am done with school and the little girl just turned three I can slowly get back to the shop. One thing I did notice though is that when you do need to make something you do finish it rather quickly because you know you don't have much time because you have to go back and help the wifey with the baby. No regrets though because I enjoy spending time with the little girl.

Kindest Regards,

[chopnhack]

++ what LinuxRandal said. Sorry to break it to you as well, I am on baby #2, the first one is three and the second just turned 1, my shop looks much like it did before the first was born, as a matter of fact, if I dig up an old post I am almost certain that I discussed cleaning up my shop sometime in '08? Don't feel bad about it, we all have to put our toys away sometimes Free time becomes an unfound luxury I am assuming until they go to school. And its probably a good idea to spend the first 3-6 months inside with wife and child to get into a routine together. There are a lot of stresses little one's bring. Enjoy