Shop Space or Big Machines

[MBG]

I work out of a 2-1/2 car garage. One bay is for my wife's car. I have acquired many nice big tools:

Unisaw w/router in wing
8" Jointer
15" Planer
60 gal. Compressor
16/32 Drum Sander
17" Band Saw
Floor Standing Drill Press
Workbench
Cyclone Dust Filter
SCMS
Sharpening Station on Cart
etc...

I worked on a large kitchen-living room-dining room-foyer remodel that include lots of tear down and rough construction. I did all the work myself. I even built my own entry door and all of the kitchen cabinets including a 10' x 5' island.

This took approximately 2-years to complete. I admit now I think project burned me out. Lost interest in the woodworking hobby I loved. I gave it some time but decided to sell my Unisaw since I used my track saw system for 90% of the kitchen project. I did end up buying the Craftsman 21829 for the cuts that require a TS (my first TS some 20 years ago was the original BT3000 that cost me a little north on $500).

I then tried to perk myself up by turning a midi lathe. I made a few bowls and really liked it so I bought a bigger lathe with the funds from my Uni sale. Some days I regret selling my Uni but little I can do about that right now.

I've been thinking of moving things around in my garage shop since I bought the big lathe. When I built the kitchen cabinets I used rough sawn lumber and milled it all myself. I had a 6" jointer and bench top planer but justified an 8" jointer and 15" planer to use on this project. I'm have a hard time deciding if I should keep these or sell and go back to smaller machines to gain some space in the shop - the jointer especially hogs space. Just don't want to think later I should have kept them too like my Uni.

Anyone else go through this woodworking mid(to late) life crisis?


Thanks,

Mike

[greenacres2]

Well Mike--kind of. But i'm on the accumulation side of it. Got a 3 car garage with enough room for 1 vehicle. May have an old project car on the way, so we're considering adding on to the garage already. That said--I've been trying to figure out how to fund a trade up to an 8" jointer (as much for the table length as anything) and too often it would be very convenient to be able to plane 14" on my 13" planer. I'm grappling with it all--what i have is way better than most, and the bigger tools are (at this moment at least) a "want" more than a need.

At any rate, with winter setting in and an unheated shop--i can spend the winter watching for a deals on dreams. Good luck in your pondering!!

earl

[JimD]

Mike,

I'm downsizing because of a move as I shared in another thread. My Inca 8 5/8 jointer is a tool that may not complete the move. I know I should prepare rough sawn wood by jointing a face and edge to make it straighter but I tend to just shove it through the planner instead. If I do not use the jointer why struggle to find space for it? That is the debate I am having. I also have had issues getting enough thickness in the final board when I've been more careful about getting a flat face and edge first (edges I tend to do on the table saw).

My essentials are boiling down to the track saw (best way to deal with sheet goods and handy for lots of other things), table saw, some sort of crosscut saw (I have a RAS and 12 inch CMS but am debating a sliding miter instead to save space), planner (Ryobi AP-10 is fine) Jet mortiser (not really terribly essential but not a big space waster either), router table (also could do without but I have a nice homemade one with screw adjustment I like) and more portable tools. I will also have some sort of assembly table/bench/outfeed table if I can figure space for it. It's likely to be a storage spot for portable tools too.

I've made one kitchen and looking forward to another. As long as I have the essential tools, I am sure I can make the future one. My wife is talking raised panel doors. With the router table I can do these but they might get bought this time. Depends some on how patient she is. The biggest issue is all the more essential projects that have to be done first.

Jim

[capncarl]

I think that a lot of us woodworkers, as well of other hobbiests that use a shop building have missed a lot of shop time due the temperatures in the shops. I'd venture to say that if the first thing we installed in the shop was a heater and air conditioner rather than a pile of tools we would enjoy our shop time a lot more. Nothing like trying to work in my shop when it is 100 f and have enough sawdust stuck to my sweaty skin to make plywood. After the temp drops below 40 you have to bundle up to the point you can't do anything. If my heat pump window ac died today I would be on the way to town to buy its replacement. It was the best shop tool that I have ever bought!
capncarl

[JimD]

My last two shops have been in the basement but my future shop will not be. I've found the technically unconditioned basement space to be very livable from a temperature standpoint. I was surrounded by conditioned space so it was not as cold or hot as the outside. My future space will have a room over the garage above it but I don't know if that will be enough. The three exterior walls may be too much and I also don't know how often the room over the garage will be conditioned. It contains the bedroom for our daughter who is in college and has it's own HVAC. So it may not really be conditioned - which will not allow it to moderate the garage temperature much.

[vaking]

JimD,
Just to clarify - basement implies that it is under the ground level (at least partially). Under the ground level temperature is usually very stable for natural reasons. It does not need much heating in the winter or cooling in the summer. I had recently installed a new heating/AC covering my first floor and basement. In the process I had a conversation with HVAC contractor about calculating system capacity. According to him - calculate what you need for first floor. If you need to include basement - add a little, something like 10%. I am in NJ - may be rules are different elsewhere though.

[lrr]

I work out of a 2-1/2 car garage. One bay is for my wife's car. I have acquired many nice big tools:

Unisaw w/router in wing
8" Jointer
15" Planer
60 gal. Compressor
16/32 Drum Sander
17" Band Saw
Floor Standing Drill Press
Workbench
Cyclone Dust Filter
SCMS
Sharpening Station on Cart
etc...

I worked on a large kitchen-living room-dining room-foyer remodel that include lots of tear down and rough construction. I did all the work myself. I even built my own entry door and all of the kitchen cabinets including a 10' x 5' island.

This took approximately 2-years to complete. I admit now I think project burned me out. Lost interest in the woodworking hobby I loved. I gave it some time but decided to sell my Unisaw since I used my track saw system for 90% of the kitchen project. I did end up buying the Craftsman 21829 for the cuts that require a TS (my first TS some 20 years ago was the original BT3000 that cost me a little north on $500).

I then tried to perk myself up by turning a midi lathe. I made a few bowls and really liked it so I bought a bigger lathe with the funds from my Uni sale. Some days I regret selling my Uni but little I can do about that right now.

I've been thinking of moving things around in my garage shop since I bought the big lathe. When I built the kitchen cabinets I used rough sawn lumber and milled it all myself. I had a 6" jointer and bench top planer but justified an 8" jointer and 15" planer to use on this project. I'm have a hard time deciding if I should keep these or sell and go back to smaller machines to gain some space in the shop - the jointer especially hogs space. Just don't want to think later I should have kept them too like my Uni.

Anyone else go through this woodworking mid(to late) life crisis?


Thanks,

Mike

Mike,

I think my wife would have driven me crazy about deadlines if I took two years for a home project! But that sounds like an incredibly huge project. I am remodeling a study now and that is a huge project for me.

I have a small basement shop so most of my tools are mid-sized. I had figured out a remodel of my shop to make room for a SawStop table saw, but have decided to invest in a Festool track saw instead. My biggest gripe about my BT3100 was its inability to break down sheet goods easily. The track saw will solve that. I've been blown away by the projects I've seen using the track saw.

I've even ditched my plans to build a big, heavy workbench that would double as an out feed table. Instead, I'm building a 36"X84" MFT-style table, since I have access to a large CNC router. I've completely changed my views on shop and tool purchase plans. I've bought the bench dogs, clamps, long guide rail, and a handful of accessories for the track saw and my yet-to-be-completed bench. Once that is done I'll actually go buy the track saw!

Finally, although I've done woodworking for almost 40 years, I just bought my first lathe about 3 years ago. Found it to offer a completely new woodworking excitement to the hobby. I've done 30+ pens, numerous wine stoppers, segmented tool handles, and reversible screwdrivers. For these, I buy plastic handled ones at Home Depot, and I "Dremel" off the plastic handle. The metal socket is then installed in the turned handles.

I hope you have finally found a way to keep the hobby interesting long term. The lathe certainly did it for me.

[capncarl]

MGB, my shop equipment fills a 3 car sized garage, The only way I could justify woodworking tools in my welding/mechanic space is to install wheels/casters on everything so it can be rolled into it's home against a far wall. Nothing has a designated work site, even the table saw, jointer and planer. I am even going to install casters on my workbenches and cabinets.
capncarl