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#1 ·
Getting Set Up / Making a Plan

Over the past couple months I've really been getting in to this woodworking thing. I've spent way over $1000 on blades, bits, a new table saw, and woods and hardware for jigs.

I've been doing all this in a narrow strip of my 2 car garage thats about 5' wide and 12' long. Some genius decided that the homeower would only ever need 1 outlet in the whole 2 car garage, so I've been swapping plugs when I need to switch to a new tool, using extension cords, and using plug strips.

For dust collection I've been using a shopvac and for air filtration I've been using a box fan sitting behind me and blowing toward the door. It's less than ideal and not very safe- I'm very careful to cleanup afterwards but there is a disgusting amount of dust floating around in the garage when I'm routing or sanding, so I need a solution to that.

Oh yeah, I have a 17' long 1968 Fury III taking up 75% of the garage too.

To make matters worse, I've got a baby on the way. I can already feel my fun budget getting pinched :) Not to mention the fact that everyone tells me the wife is going to want to park in the garage with the baby so she can quickly and safely move the baby and it's 200 lbs of gear in to the Pilot when it's raining or hot out.

So, I need to make some changes.

Here are my plans:

Space:

Right now, I have an old car taking up 75% of the garage. To fix this, I'm going to buy a car cover and park it in the driveway. After that I'll do some heavy cleaning and move my "workshop" to the far wall of the garage where the Fury is now sitting.

This will empty my garage and and double my space for woodworking. This will also make room for my wife to park her car beside the door for when the baby comes. That, and if I need the whole garage for cutting sheet goods, big projects, etc. I can always pull the car out and get the full 2-car garage width.

Electrical:

The one outlet thing sucks. I can only run one tool at once or I'll trip a breaker, I have to use extension cords for everything, etc. To fix this my buddy noknot and I are going to run 2 new 20A circuits to the opposite wall where my workshop is going to be. This will let me run two big draw tools like a table saw and dust collector at the same time.

Because of the design of my finished garage with a bonus room up top, we're going to build a bulkhead off the side of a structural beam in the roof and run the wires across that way. Then we'll split the wall in to two circuits with 2 outlet boxes each.

Dust Collection:

I've done a lot of reading on lumberjocks and on other websites about dust collection and I've decided to go with the small rockler wall mount dust collector. I know the drawbacks, but I need something compact and I don't mind switching the hose between tools- I do that now with the shopvac. One day when I have more space I'll invest in a 2HP monster. It's going to go on one of the 20A circuits on the "woodworking wall". This with all their "dust right" accessories will be a big improvement over my tiny little shop vac.

Air Filtration:

I scored an old 800 CFM blower from the HVAC shop beside my office for free- I'm going to build an air filtration box similar to this one made by Bullgoose

Storage:

I've been looking at shopnotes and I think I'm going to do something similar to the cabinets in shopnotes #97, but thats a little way down the road.

Once I get the garage cleaned out I'll start taking pictures and document the process. I'm not sure if I should post it as a project or not, but I'll document the steps somehow.
 
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#3 ·
Jason, I was recently in the same situation as you were. I had a very small part of my two stall garage set up with tools but as I got more into woodworking I quickly learned I needed more space. I too was expecting a new baby and my wife wanted to park in the garage this last winter.. Once the snow melted I started building my shop. My situation sounds a lot like yours so here is my advice on it now that I have my shop set up.

Electric- I only had a few outlets and two small lights in my garage. I didn't really plan it out well before hand but I added more outlets and replaced the two lights with a few rows of florescent fixtures. After a few months I had to redo it again. The reason I had to redo it is because like you I also only planned on using half of my garage for the shop and the other half for a car, lawn mower, ext ext. A few months later I realized I was going to need the whole garage. I then added a couple more breakers and re arranged the outlets. My advice to you would be to plan on needing more power and more outlets in your garage now so that you don't have to redo it if you should decide on more later. I run my whole shop on a double pull 60amp breaker which runs to a sub panel with 3 breakers for outlets and two for the lights. I think you can have somewhere between 5 and seven outlets on a single breaker. If at all possible I would wire the whole garage so that they are there if needed. If you buy a larger roll of wire there will be plenty there to do it all. If not I would at least have a plan as to how and where to add should you decide to expand the shop later. Running wires was a pain once I had shelfs, cabinets and tools in the shop.

Lumber- I don't think you said anything about wood storage. My biggest problem once my shop was done was that I did not plan out enough space to store cut offs and lumber. I never imagined I would have the amount of small cut offs that I have now. Shop notes have a lot of under table and above head storage ideas for lumber. I wouldn't skip on this at all.

Dust Collection- This is another thing I didn't plan on. I figured I would be ok in the garage with the door open. I cant offer much advice because I am working on putting one in right now.

Baby- Here is how you get past the whole baby thing. You tell your wife that you think it would be really special for you to build the babies crib or rocker or what not yourself. You use that as the excuse as to why you need to take over the garage and buy tools. If she ever complains you work in the garage to much just tell her its for the baby. Once you build a crib she will be so happy and will feel bad about making you move the shop for the car. If she wants the garage after the baby is born just tell her you now have to build a changing table and when your done with that she can park in there… After the changing table then go onto the next baby project! Sooner or later she will come to terms with the fact that you no longer have a garage but a workshop with a garage door.

Good Luck!
 
#4 ·
Jason,
Sounds like you have put a lot of thought into your project. Actually, I just did the same thing to my garage so, please feel free to checkout my new workshop pic's and ask any questions you like.

I do have a couple of suggestion:

First, the electrical - you will need more.

My house has a 200 amp service and in my main panel I had an empty space for a double pole breaker. I purchase a 100 amp 'Workshop Load Center' from Lowes for about $100 it came with a 100 amp main breaker, 4 20-amp single pole, and a 40-amp double.

I bought additional 1 - 100 amp (I put this in the main box and wired the subpanel off of it - I know it is redundant but I can kill the power at either location), 1 - 30 amp (tablesaw) and 1- 20 amp amp (bandsaw). I added 4 - 20 amp receptacles each on their own circuit.

Cost break down:
sub panel: $100
3 additional breakers: $36
100' roll 12/3 wire $83 - used less than half of the roll
16' 10/3 wire $20 (tablesaw and bandsaw)
4 20amp outlets,water resistant boxes and covers: $48

The feed wire for sub-panel could get pricey depending on the distance (I mounted mine right beneath the main to end of my work bench and I was lucky to get my wire for free) but it would have cost me about $25.

The total cost to isolate my tools and get plenty of outlets was about $325 and about 4 hours - it was well worth every cent and skint knuckle.

Second thing is you might want to reconsider the t collector. I originally considered the wall mount option but after talking to several people that owned them including the manager at my local Rockler store they all said it doesn't have enough CFM's to move the debris from a jointer or planer.

The Rockler Store Manager demonstrated this using the floor models with the 28' expandable hose connected to a 6" Delta Jointer. After seeing the demonstration I decided it was worth the effort to jockey my shop around and fit a full size collector.

One thing I do regret is not taking before photos for a comparison.

Good luck,
 
#5 ·
you have a good plan///keep at it and before long you will be set up and running…a little more efficent then you are now…when its right you will be able to improve and have what you want…when i started wood working i was in a room that was maybe 8×10…a very humble setting…....when i went from that to the shop i built…it was heaven…..20×30 with 10 foot walls…...its been my salvation…and you will one day have yours…enjoy the journey…
 
#6 ·
Sounds like you plan will be the same as what I've been blogging on my renovation. I even want to run some additional wiring across the I-beam in my ceiling (I figure you can only put so many holes in your wall studs before you weaken it) and the air filtration plan (literally got the blower unit today). Good luck. It's a lot of work, but I can already see benefits and I've still got a ways to go.

Oh, and one major difference. I don't have a cool car in my garage. Just a minivan (same situation as yours) and a mobile lumber rack taking the place of your classic.
 
#8 ·
Hey guys, thanks for the 220v suggestion. The honest truth is I don't plan to stay in this house very long (2-3 years max) and I can't see spending the additional expense on adding a sub panel, wiring 220v, etc. I don't think it will add much to the home's value and honestly it might take some away.

Also, with a new baby on the way I can't really see my wife approving of the purchase of any new "big" shop tools that will require the extra voltage. She's already watching me like a hawk!

This project is about adding a reasonable one-wall workshop to a house's "working" garage, not to build the New Yankee Workshop. I'm completely cool with staying under the 1 1/2 hp level for now- one day when I build my 2000 square foot building in the back yard you can bet it will have 220v, a huge dust collector, and more.
 
#9 ·
Jason,
I fully understand not wanting to invest a whole lot in house you plan on selling and I'm in the exact same position, including a baby on the way (due in 6 weeks). We actually planned to sell our house last year but with the economy and the housing prices there is no telling when we'll be able to move on.

However, when I can finally sell this house everything I've done will come with me all I need to do is disconnect the wiring from the main box and load my bench up. I attached the sub-panel and 3 of the outlets directly to the end of my bench. The final outlet I connected to the under side of the table saw with zip ties.

I still have a little tidying up to but you can get an idea with a couple of pic's:

 
#10 ·
crypt thats a scary setup I can think of so many reasons why not to do that. Jason your wife is watching you and for the right price she will never find out your hidden agenda (evil chortle). Thanks for the buddy props and all this time I thought we were friends.Well downgraded once again.
 
#11 ·
Noknot,
I know my setup is not to code but a permit is not required because this is considered a temporary setup. However, I did have one of my company's licensed electricians review the work and only two things he said would be flagged was the height of the sub-panel and the exposed wiring is not in conduit.

Neither of these concern me as I am the only one working in the shop. Do you see something else that I should consider?

Thanks,
 
#12 ·
noknot- I thought buddy was an upgrade, considering what I've been calling you. I've got the Fury out of the garage and the wall cleaned out. I've gone ahead and cut out for the boxes and wire races on the wall and drilled all the studs. All we need to do on Sat is install the breakers, do the cross-ceiling run and pull cable.

Crypt- lol thats nuts. I like how your romex runs down to the floor level- is this in a basement or a garage?Everything I do will be in compliance with the national electric code and in agreement with standard home building conventions- wire staples within 12" of the box, uniform 44" height for the boxes, wires through studs with nail guards, etc. I work for a fire protection company- it really wouldn't do to have my house burn down because of bad wiring. That and I'm trying to do something that might add a little value to my home for someone looking, not something I can yank out and take with me.
 
#13 ·
It is the garage and when I build a permanent dedicated shop I too will follow the applicable building codes. However, in the current situation I don't really consider the romex or the outlet boxes anything more than an extension cord or a power strip laying on the floor.

I have worked for two companies in two different industries and they both used the same type of setup for their shop environments. The only difference being that the breaker box and outlets are attached to an A-Frame on casters.

To bring in an electrician and pull permits the cost would have been over $2500 and that is if they didn't find anything else that needs to come up to code - my house was built to code in '92.

In the current (and foreseeable) housing market the added value = $0 and at least this way I can take my $325 investment with me and re-use the components.
 
#14 ·
Crypt I was not saying it wont work, I look at it as one nicked wire from a dropped tool you could get hurt. I hope you will look at pocket holes blog about this when its finished it may help give you some ideas. Pocket hole start posting the pics so the fellas can see it step by step. Thanks again It was fun.
 
#15 ·
I always like to see pictures of others projects big and small. I take every opportunity to learn from someone's experience. The ideal thing for my setup would be to build a shallow ramp over the cables to protect them and normally the dust collector hose runs along side the wire - it was removed for the photos.
 
#17 ·
Electrical wiring is in

In my last post I explained that my garage only had one outlet in the whole 20×20 space. Today noknot and I fixed that by hooking up the wiring for the new garage "workshop wall". I haven't repaired the drywall yet, but these pictures let you see how we ran them.

First we cut a strip of drywall out to run the horizontal wires:

2010-07-09-21-09-14-967
(click to enlarge)

Then, we ran the wires down the central beam that runs across my garage. I know this looks kinda, uh, scary now but this will soon be covered by a bulkhead that I'm going to build out about 4" out from the side of the beam. The 2-gang box hanging down in the middle will be mounted in the new bulkhead, giving me a spot to plug in shop lights, air cleaners, and maybe a cord reel.

2010-07-10-22-17-43-243
(click to enlarge)

Here it is with all the outlets wired, tested, and buttoned up- now all thats left is the drywall.

2010-07-10-22-16-55-015
(click to enlarge)

There are two GFI protected 20 amp circuits- the first two outlets from the left are on one circuit for the dust collector, the other 3 outlets are on a separate circuit so I can run more than one thing at once (i.e. table saw and dust collector, etc.).

After that, noknot and I drove for an hour and a half up to Rockler and got the rest of the pieces to hook up my dust collector, which is arriving on Monday. During the never ending drive through downtown Atlanta (twice!) we both remembered why we normally shop online for Rockler crap.

Then, to celebrate, I plugged my router table and table saw in to the new outlets and made myself a zero clearance insert.

2010-07-10-22-18-36-491
(click to enlarge)

The house didn't burn down, so I consider the whole wiring project a success.

Here is the old blower I scored for free that I'm going to make an air filtration system out of- it makes an awesome garage fan when you're trying to wire a workshop up in Georgia when there is 100% relative humidity.

2010-07-10-22-19-04-394


Yes folks, those are authentic 1968 Fury III bumpers in the background. I know, impressive.

Then, I told my wife to go make me dinner. Here she is doing it:

1276125949536


And these are the hamburgers she grilled me:

1276125996507
(click to enlarge)

All in all, a pretty good day.
 
#21 ·
So Guys, I think I've made this a "real hobby"

At 1AM tonight, way past my bedtime and out in the garage while my wife slept, I emptied my first bottle of Titebond.

I remember buying it a month ago and thinking "thats a lot of glue, that'll last me forever".

I'm pretty sure there is a rule somewhere that says when a new woodworker empties his first bottle of wood glue he goes from "goofing off in the garage" to full blown woodworker addiction.

Is there a hotline or something I can call? I might need help. I'm actually thinking about buying a gallon jug!
 
#37 ·
I might be getting a little out of control

I read somewhere that there are 4 essential tools for any shop:

  1. Table Saw
  2. Drill Press
  3. Router
  4. Band Saw

Well, I just ordered the last one I was missing, a Jet 10in Band Saw



Have to love Amazon Prime with $3.99 next day shipping for a bandsaw!

I've read the reviews and this one seemed like the best deal for my needs- something compact and with the features and options I was looking for (fence, dust collection, extension wings, etc.)

I'm pretty sure my wife is going to clamp down on my spending now- she already thinks I'm out of control but likes that I've found a hobby. I work way too much with a full time job and my own business at night, so woodworking is a nice release. Still, with the recent purchase of a table saw, dust collector, and enough baltic birch to build a small house (for the router table and various jigs) I think I've about reached my limit.

I've got the wiring and drywall done on the "workshop wall" in the garage and the dust collector hung. Last night I put the last coat of wipe-on poly on the router table and stand, so it's complete.

As soon as I do a little cleanup and set up the new band saw I'll be posting pictures- then I need to start on the cabinets and storage!
 
#38 ·
nice.

the beginning is always more expensive than down the road as you need to tool up. although… later when you get better, your lumber selection will probably rival the expense of the tools if not more ;)
 
#45 ·
Today I learned an important lesson.

Today I learned an important lesson: The dust collector remote will fit right through the dust collector cleanup nozzle.

I just finished routing some dados and was cleaning up, using the "shopvac" nozzle on my dust collector hose to suck up the stray dust around the router table. I heard something solid go in and didn't think anything of it (I've sucked up a stray screw or brad before, it makes a neat tink noise going through the blower) but then when I looked for the remote I couldn't find it.

I put two and two together, realized that thing bouncing it's way along the collector line toward the impeller was my remote, and sprinted across the garage to hit the power switch on the collector.

It was sitting in the elbow about 3" from the impeller intake.

I think I'll keep it in my pocket from now on.
 
#54 ·
New shop-built air cleaner and a great deal on used tools

Shop-built Air Cleaner

I tend to do my woodworking once the sun goes down and it cools off, so to keep from waking the neighbors up I usually do it with the garage door closed. This was pretty brutal on my lungs even with a dust collector so I built myself a shop air cleaner.

It's built around a 1 micron bag filter and 2" pre filter from an actual commercial shop air cleaner (about $45), one sheet of 3/4 ply. The blower motor is a 12" squirrel cage blower that moves ridiculous CFM. I got it free from an HVAC friend out of an old AC unit.

I'm eventually going to take some decent pictures and make a proper project post, but this past weekend noknot came over and helped me hang it up so I could start using it. It's hung with steel angle iron lag bolted in to studs, so it's not going anywhere even though its heavy as a mo-fo. It was not fun to hang, even with 2 people.







There is some questionable joinery and dados (I'm a noob, what can I say) and I haven't quite figured what I'm going to do to pretty up the discharge end, but it works great and the box ended up air tight.

Awesome Deal on Used Tools

Tonight I picked up a used Rigid 13" Planer and 6" Jointer for $100 each. They're not the prettiest things in the world (and need some love with the steel wool after being in storage for a while) but I think I got a great deal on what would have cost me $800 new from Home Depot.



Man, jointers are heavy. What do you guys think? With a little love I think they'll be as good as new.

The Planer came with all the tools and a brand new set of blades that haven't been installed yet.

I think I'm going to build the combination chop saw / planer stand in Shopnotes #75 as I don't really have a good place to keep or use my chop saw yet- I've got just enough plywood in the garage to get the job done.



(I'm pretty sure I'd break some law to post the plans, but here is a picture I found)

So yeah, I've pretty much got my weekend planned out.
 
#55 ·
Great job. And a great gloat on the toys. Your craftsmanship looks good from here. How many "pocket holes" did you use? lol You gotta keep up your namesake, you know. lol If you check with some of the cabinet shops in your area, you might be able to score some free melamine for the top of your miter saw table.
Looking forward to the completed saw?planner station.

Put a block of ice on the discharge end. lol Rand
 
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