Setting Up A Woodworking Shop At Home

Setting Up A Woodworking Shop 

Where is your woodworking shop going to be located?

First of all you should decide the type of woodworking product you are going to make.

Will you be making tables, cupboards and furniture for the home, or are you more interested in fine woodworking, like turning, carving or scroll sawing.

A typical small woodworking shop in the home

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Are you an old school hand tools man or a power tools fanatic?

Lets look at the options……

Attics

Attics can offer a wide open space, however there are a number of drawbacks……..

Does the Local Authority allow woodworking workshops in attics? You may think you can get away with it but nosey neighbours may have other ideas.

Can you evacuate the attic rapidly if a fire breaks out?

Will the floor support heavy equipment?

Noise and vibration may be unacceptable to other members of the household

Headroom may be limited

You will have to install a means of ventilation and dust extraction, as the roof space will become very hot in summer

Access will be restricted, so you may be unable to get large sheets of ply etc…. into your workshop.

Basements

Basements do have the advantage of a solid floor and they are also cool. Unfortunately they do have many of the drawbacks associated with attics.

An added snag is the presence of damp, which can ruin expensive equipment and tools.

Garages

Garages are certainly the best option for establishing a workshop within your home. Even so there are a couple of drawbacks which may influence your decision.

Noise and vibration can be transmitted through dividing walls, which can make life uncomfortable for members of your family, especially in the evenings.

A woodworking shop in a double garage

However these factors are probably outweighed by the benefits. Your garage probably has an existing power supply, which will probably need to be augmented with additional power points. A complete electrical upgrade may be required if you plan to use large machines.

It is important to have good lighting to ensure that work is carried out safely. A new dedicated lighting circuit may be required, or you might have to consider installing new skylights or windows.

Many home garages have little or no insulation, so you may have to install insulation to ensure your garage is comfortable to work in through the winter and that damp is reduced.

Here is a typical woodworking workshop layout for a double garage.

Every layout should be tailored to the individual requirements and abilities of the craftsman. Factors that influence the positioning of equipment, benches etc…. is a wide subject which will be covered in a subsequent post.

You may like to view ‘Jay’s Woodshop Tour‘, which is a comprehensive look around a professional woodworking shop. My thanks to Jay……. you will find his website at https://jayscustomcreations.com

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