A “Dream Shop” like this is fun to think about but not really a viable option for most of us. Still, by making smart tool-buying choices and using limited space efficiently, you can turn your own modest shop space into a hardworking part of your home that provides a pleasant place to retreat.

      Woodworking virtually demands its own space. The necessary power tools are fairly big. The materials, too, are bulky. And with each project you undertake you’ll undoubtedly have a few wood scraps or pieces of hardware left over that you can’t bear to throw away. And since most projects are completed over a period of days, weeks, months or even years, they’ll need a place to reside. Also consider others: woodworking in action isn’t always neighborly—the tools are generally noisy and they generate a lot of dust, which can be a real nuisance to those who share your home. Confining the mess and noise to a dedicated area will make everyone happier.

      There is no “correct” order to follow when setting up or rehabbing your workshop space. Certainly, it’s always good advice to think and plan a bit before you start knocking out walls, running new wiring circuits or maxing out your credit cards at the tool store. But don’t get so hung up in the planning and dreaming phase that your workshop never comes into being. Take a few chances, see what works out well for you and your family and what does not. Experiment as you plan. And don’t forget that the more pleas-ant and comfortable your shop environment, the more likely it is that you’ll spend time in it—and the more likely you’ll be to finish the projects you start.

      The more pleasant and comfortable your shop environment, the more likely it is that you’ll spend time in it.

Choosing Your Space

      Without a doubt, the best shop is a large, separate building, with plumbing and heat. It is divided up to include a storage area adjoining a large door to the outside, a central workspace, and a finishing room that’s walled off from the rest of the shop and ventilated to the outdoors. Obviously, establishing and maintaining such a shop requires money and space that most of us don’t have available. So look for realistic alternatives.

      The two most common shop locations are the basement and the garage. Shops have been set up in spare rooms, attics, even in closed-in porches. When assessing potential shop areas, or considering upgrading or remodeling your current shop, keep the following factors in mind:

      Space needs. You’ll want to have enough space to maneuver full-size sheet goods and boards that are eight feet or longer. Ideally, this means a large enough area that you can feed large stock into a stationary tool with enough clearance on the infeed and the outfeed side.

      Access. You’ll need a convenient entry/exit point so you can carry materials into the shop and completed projects out of the shop.

      Power. You should never run more than one tool at a time (except a tool and a shop vac or dust collector). Nevertheless, you’ll need several accessible outlets.

      Light. Adequate light is essential for doing careful, comfortable, accurate and safe work. You’ll need good overall light (a combination of natural and artificial light sources is best) as well some movable task lighting.

      Ventilation/climate control. To help exhaust dust and fumes, you need a source of fresh air and dust collection. Depending on where you live, year-round shop use likely will require a means of heating and/or cooling the shop as well as controlling humidity.

      Isolation. Keep the inevitable intrusions of noise and dirt into the rest of the home to a minimum.

       The Basement Shop

      The basement offers many advantages as a shop location. It’s accessible yet set off from the rest of the house, and the essential house systems are right there. Drawbacks tend to be limited headroom, negligible natural light, concrete floors and overall dampness/poor ventilation.

       The Garage Shop

      The garage, especially one attached to the house, offers the convenience of a basement shop with fewer drawbacks. Overhead doors provide excellent access, greater headroom, lower humidity and better ventilation. The main general drawback is that garages are usually home to one or more vehicles and a host of other outdoor items. A good solution is to mount your stationary tools on casters so they can be wheeled out of the way to make room for other things.

      TIPS FOR SUPPLYING POWER & LIGHT

      Mount a power strip to the base of your workbench, assembly table or workstation where you’ll be using more than one power tool. Retractable extension cords provide an additional power supply and can be hung from the ceiling to stay out of your way when not in use.

      An articulated desk lamp provides focused task lighting that’s easy to move wherever it’s needed in your shop. Incandescent lighting is the best choice for task lights that are used frequently.

       Calculate your power load

      A tool’s power requirements should be listed on a plate on the motor housing.

      Add up the total wattage (amperage times voltage) of each tool and light on a circuit. Note: Use the wattage listed on incandescent bulbs. The wattage requirements for fluorescents needs to be increased 20% to account for the lamp ballast load. Generally, the maximum load for a 15-amp circuit using either 14-gauge or 12-gauge wire should be under 1,500 watts. A 20-amp, 12-gauge circuit should not carry more than 2,000 watts of load. Include every item in the circuit that draws power, whether you plan to run them at

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