Reply by BTimmons

Yeah, the size is just an estimate on the smaller end. I may be able to widen it by a few feet and lengthen it by 8-10 feet.

My backyard is a good size, but it’s still a backyard in a residential neighborhood. Part of asking here is to figure out whether or not this idea is even worth it at all. I would be forced to use a lot of hand tools and minimize powered equipment to some extent. For instance, edge jointing could be on a router table or with a handplane, as opposed to dedicating floor space to a large powered jointer. For flattening wide boards I could use a planer with a sled to true up one side before sending the other side through, then move the planer (on a cart, probably) back against the wall. It may be a game of musical chairs with my equipment all the time. I just don’t know. This could all be a bad idea, which is why I’m asking for advice.

If it is worth it, the building type I’m thinking of is fairly minimal. Plywood over 2×4 framed walls, cheap insulation, probably a wood frame floor, that sort of thing.

-- Brian in Arlington, TX - Laziness is the foundation of efficiency.