Building my first workshop! Need advice please!!!

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truckerdave

truckerdave

Member
Joined
Dec 7, 2008
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134
Location
Rochester, New York
I am starting on my first ever real work shop. I have been offered room in the basement. an area that is 10'X11' with 7' ceilings, it is almost a square area.

The floor is of course concrete and the ceiling is open rafters. My only limitation is that I have to build 2 walls and frame out for a door in order to contain any dust that might escape whatever dust collection system that I end up acquiring.

Speaking of dust collection/air filtration, as this is a relatively small area, about 750 cubic feet, if my math is correct, what system will give me good results for the money? This shop will be used primarily for hobby woodturning as I have very little desire to do flatwork anymore. I wont be doing this full time, just a hobby.

I will need lighting and multiple electrical outlets installed to make this a workable shop. Any suggestions on where to place them and types I may need?

I have a Jet mini-lathe with the very real possibilty of acquiring a much larger one in the future, my 8" bench grinder, a table top bandsaw (hoping to upgrade to a much bigger one soon also), tabletop drill press, 12" compound mitre saw, and plenty of workbenches and shelving for working and storage. Any suggestions/drawings/pics of how I should arrange these items for the most logical and ease of use?

Additionally the outside walls are the basement foundation, should I insulate these walls (yes they are dry.) Should I also insulate the ceiling somehow as my Better Half works from home and I am a little concerned about the extra noise.

I really appreciate any advice (and pics/drawings) from those of you that may have completed this type of job. Are there any concerns or potential costly mistakes that you may have experienced that you can help me to avoid?

Thanks in advance for all your help!!!
 
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If your house were being built today, the basement walls would be framed in, insulated, and have a vapor barrier - that's New York law. That fact, plus the consideration that it will be more comfortable for working, leads me to suggest framing and insulating the walls. And adding a coat of sheet rock will also add to the comfort and help with dust control.

I suppose that sheet rocking the ceiling would be nice, but I dislike sheet rocking, and absolutely hate doing it on ceilings, and it's convenient to have the ceiling joists available as hanging space. Sheet rocking the ceilings would help manage dust.

Lighting - obviously, you will need both area lighting and task lighting. I have a 4' two-tube fluorescent fixture over my workbench, and several ceiling-mounted lamps for area lighting. I also have a light in a reflector directly over my lathe.

Receptacles - you can't have too many! I suggest having at least one, if not two dedicated shop circuits, preferably 20a (#12 wire). I have a GFCI on half of my shop because I have a wash tub with a sump pump to lift the gray water to the ceiling so that it will flow into the house drain, but it's a good idea even if you don't have any water.

Having a wash tub is awfully convenient to be able to wash hands or paintbrushes.

The arrangement really depends on the configuration of the walls and doors. I have both a door into the main basement and a door to the outside (a bulkhead door) - the bulkhead door was intended to address the eventual need to be able to get replacement furnace or water heaters into the basement, but it comes in handy to be able to get material into the shop, tools outside, etc.

My experience is that the noise from the lathe isn't a serious problem in the rest of the house. The table saw is another matter - and also the yelling that takes place when things don't work the way they were supposed to.
 
Outlets, no further apart than arms length from one to another. Dedicated circuits, too. I like mine to be high enough that there is no bending over to reach them, thus saving the ole back. :eek:

Light, as much as you can get ... nice bright, daylight output bulbs. Do not mix different brands of bulbs ... they almost always never put out the same light color. :wink:

Insulation ... Definitely! Styrofoam cut to fit the joists. The solid doesn't collect dust like the pink glass stuff.

Solid counter tops ... 3/4" MDF with a good sealer applied to allow easier cleanups.

Get busy as time stands still for no one alive. :rolleyes:
 
You might consider having an electrical sub panel put in the basement if its not to much trouble or expense for you. All the plugs in my shop are 48in off the floor so they are above the work areas and not more than 8ft between them. They are also double plugs so I have 4 plugs at each location. 20amp circuits. I also recommend framing, insulation and drywall. painted drywall will really help reflect light.
 
Everyone's needs are different, so your shop should reflect what you want in a shop and how much money time and work you want to put into it. Electrical was a big part of mine. You don't say whether you will need 240 volt or just 120V. Also, how close is your main house electrical panel to the shop space and how many free spaces are in the panel. You may need to install a sub-panel in your shop, like I did. Made it very easy to wire the shop then.

Good lighting is essential. You want about 100 footcandles of light. With 110 sq. feet, you'd need a total 11,000 lumens with 100% efficiency. You should allow about 40 to 50% fixture efficiency so that means you need your T-8 bulbs to total about 25,000 lumens when added together. For bulbs rated at 3000 lumens, you'll need about 8-10 bulbs in all your fixtures. These should be distributed as uniformly as possible and extend to within 2 feet of the walls.

One of the best things I did was to install a small exhaust fan, which vents outside. Mine is rated at 300 CFM, but I have it on a variable speed controller and rarely run it full speed. When making dust, I turn the exhaust fan on and this keeps the shop at a negative pressure relative to the rest of the house. It prevents dust from getting out of the shop. Nothing beats a good dust collector for primary dust control. In addition to the dust collector, I also have an air filter.

I also recommend painting your basement floor with epoxy garage floor paint. This makes it easy to keep clean and looks good. I mixed a little silica anti-slip powder into the paint before applying it and my floor is not slippery, yet is not rough to the touch. A perfect combination.

Dave
 
monophoto said:
I suppose that sheet rocking the ceiling would be nice, but I dislike sheet rocking, and absolutely hate doing it on ceilings, and it's convenient to have the ceiling joists available as hanging space. Sheet rocking the ceilings would help manage dust.
Click to expand...

I would say that even if you leave the rest of the ceiling open, you should
definitely sheet rock over the area you will use for finishing. You would be
surprised at how much debris comes down through the ceiling if it isn't
covered. Just walking on the floor over your lathe can drop all sorts of
little dust specks all over your drying pen..
 
Thanks so much for all the helpful suggestions!!!

I intend to take "before, during, and after" pics to keep everyone updated on my progress, assuming there is any interest. If nothing else, I will keep the pics for my own gratification.

Dave Turner
To further clarify, the house was built in 1926. The basement is dry and has almost no electrical outlets in it. The main breaker box is in the opposite corner as my futureworkshop, about 20'-25' away.
I very much like the idea of a ventilation fan vented outdoors. There would be a window in my room that I'm certain I could use to install a fan.
Also the no slip painted floor is a great idea, perhaps I can do the entire basement that way.

mredburn,
Are you suggesting a sub-panel with dedicated circuts be my best option for electrical? I do not have any 240v tools, so i dont see the need for that. You mentioned each plug is a double plug, does each plug get it's own, seperate 20 amp circut?

Monophoto,
when built, the room will not have a door directly outside. The water heater, furnace, and everything else will be outside the room. So just picture an empty room, 10'x11', the door can be anywhere I want. Any suggestions on how to place my power tools?
 
In my little corner basement shop I covered the floor with some of those interlocking workshop mats.... everytime I drop a tool I'm glad I did !
Dust collection is important, too! I went with the Delta 50-760. It will run on 120v. and has 1200cfm and two inlets.
I bought one of those lights with a magnetic base and a few electrical box (junction box) covers. Screw the covers wherever you want to be able to move the light. I need to get more ... the one I have stays mounted over the lathe (along with two other ones). You can't have TOO much light!
I mounted plywood over one bench area and used strips of wood ripped at 45 degrees (french cleats) that get screwed to the plywood. Then whatever racks, shelves etc. get the mating cleat, allowing them to be moved around on the wall as my needs change. (which really means wherever I put them they stay .... but at least I COULD change them if I wanted to) These racks are really handy for such things as mandrels, drill bits, punches, lathe centers, etc.

Look forward to seeing what you come up with!
 
Dave A sub panel would allow you to pull seperate circuits whether 110 or 220. If you just tap into a nearby house circuit and turn on the power tools you will probaly notice dimming of the lights etc. My outlets were supposed to be wired so the left outlet and the right outlet were different circuits. 3 differents circuits in all in the shop. I had my house wired so the lights and outlets are on totaly different circuits. All the outlet circuits are 20amp and all the light circuits are 15 amp in my house. If I trip a circuit breaker for the outlets the lights dont go out in the room. It might pay to have a qualified electrician take a look and see what he recomends. If your house is older you may not have a large enough service to put in a sub panel without upgrading your main panel. I have 2 200amp panels for my house. that may be a little excessive for your uses.
A lot depends on the draw of your power tools and what your future requirements would be. How much does your saw use? How big a lathe how many people will be working at one time etc.


Mike
 
A very worthwhile recommendation, especially if you do not have an outside window for light. DAMHIKT

mredburn said:
....I had my house wired so the lights and outlets are on totaly different circuits. .... If I trip a circuit breaker for the outlets the lights dont go out in the room. ...
Mike
Click to expand...
 
There have already been a lot of great suggestions here, so I won't repeat most of them. I'm with the group that suggests you don't skimp on the electrical aspects - good lighting, and lots of outlets; at least two circuits for lights, and two or three for the plugs.

Next most important thing for me would be the floor. You are going to have a small space so I would suggest covering the whole floor with something that will insulate and protect tools. Something ideal for this is horse stall mats. They're about an inch thick, made of recycled tires or something like that, will probably last forever, and they make for a great solid floor covering; either for your entire shop, or just around your machines. They weigh a ton, so they're a two person job to move around, but they also cut fairly easily with a good sharp utility knife.

Have fun on your project.
 
These are pics of the first wall of my future workshop. The room will be 11' X 9'. Hopefully I will have the second wall built by this weekend and drywall by the end of the month
 

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If you are seriously considering a full-size dust collector, you should consider framing-in an approximately 5 x 3 foot closet OUTSIDE your shop. You can keep your dust collector within. This will free up some much needed space in your shop and, with proper sound insulation, provide a much quieter working environment. If the dust collector isn't noisy, you are more apt to use it. Just something to consider (and I wish I had room to do this).
 
Run a minimum of 2 each 20A circuits, using different color outlets, to every location. That way if you have two items running, such as a saw and shop vac, they do not trip one 20A circuit. I have a 60A subpanel in my basement, and 3 20A circuits in my shop, and use ivory colored outlets in the ceiling (for drop down cords), and orange and gray in wall outlets.

I also have 30A 220V circuits for radial arm saw and bandsaw, there are selectable voltage motors on those two tools.

I have separate breaker for all ceiling lighting. Our basement also has a finished TV/exercise room, so more 15A and 20A circuits (for powering AV gear). There is also a dedicated circuit for bathroom, and a dedicated 20A circuit for freezer in the food storage area. (Read "One Second After" and discover how much stuff you should buy for the big event - flood, winter storm, or EMP strike ...:eek: )

Oh, one more -- I located my compressor in the garage to minimize noise, and I routed a 220V circuit from basement subpanel out to garage to power it.

You cannot have too much power!
 
Last edited:
LeeR said:
Run a minimum of 2 each 20A circuits, using different color outlets, to every location. That way if you have two items running, such as a saw and shop vac, they do not trip one 20A circuit. I have a 60A subpanel in my basement, and 3 20A circuits in my shop, and use ivory colored outlets in the ceiling (for drop down cords), and orange and gray in wall outlets.

I also have 30A 220V circuits for radial arm saw and bandsaw, there are selectable voltage motors on those two tools.

I have separate breaker for all ceiling lighting. Our basement also has a finished TV/exercise room, so more 15A and 20A circuits, including a dedicated circuit for bathroom, and a dedicated 20A circuit for freezer.

Oh, onew more -- I located my compressor in the garage to minimize noise, and I routed a 220V circuit from basement subpanel out to garage to power it.

You cannot have too much power!
Click to expand...
\

I'd love to have those 220 circuts. My old time radial saw (1959) on 110 loves electric. With the old farm house I live in, the last time I fired up that saw it shut down the wife's computer with the brown out. She now has the plug in her desk. I don't even ask for it any more.:crying:
 
GColeman said:
Try this application from Grizzly. You can put in the size of the shop you intend to build, then place tools where you want them.
http://www.grizzly.com/workshopplanner.aspx
Click to expand...

Thats an awesome way to try different options.

The other tip from the above chain is the one on french cleats. See this thread: http://www.penturners.org/forum/showthread.php?t=73302&highlight=french+cleat

The first post in that thread has a great link to a storage organization idea... In my next shop setup, I plan on using several of those ideas, but using the french cleats rather than his more complicated 'hook and slat'. With a space that small, you're going to want to utilize your wall space the best you can.
 
GColeman said:
Try this application from Grizzly. You can put in the size of the shop you intend to build, then place tools where you want them.
http://www.grizzly.com/workshopplanner.aspx
Click to expand...

Thats an awesome way to try different options.

The other tip from the above chain is the one on french cleats. See this thread: http://www.penturners.org/forum/showthread.php?t=73302&highlight=french+cleat

The first post in that thread has a great link to a storage organization idea... In my next shop setup, I plan on using several of those ideas, but using the french cleats rather than his more complicated 'hook and slat'. With a space that small, you're going to want to utilize your wall space the best you can.
 
I finally got both walls drywalled and complete (with ALOT of help!). All that is left to do now is seal all the cracks between the wall and rafters with something to keep as much dust as possible IN the workshop, away from the furnace filter and the rest of the house. I was thinking of getting that very thick ?styrofoam? insulation and cutting pieces to size and figure out some way to secure those pieces in place. (duct tape?)

Then I can begin to move tools into the room.

Then I can start turning again.
 
The spray can insulation acts like a glue or they have spray foam glue itself. the duct tape will dry out and fall apart after a while. and if youuse the spray foam glue as it will seal in all the places you dont get it quite as close as youwanted to.
 
Working in a basement, at night, if the lights go out, it is REAL dark. Put lighting on two different circuits, so only half the light goes out. A spinning blade does NOT stop immediately, so if you DO lose all light, don't move!! Wait till you hear the blade stopped---then look for the flashlite!!
 
Dave; Just saw this thread; I hope you have done this already.

Make sure you get a building permit, and have the electrical installation inspected by a licensed electrician. When I insulated my work area, I installed a circuit for lights, two extra GFCI circuits for outlets. I wired the outlets, the electrician came and hooked up to the panel, inspector came by and gave it his stamp. All cool.
 
ed4copies said:
Working in a basement, at night, if the lights go out, it is REAL dark. Put lighting on two different circuits, so only half the light goes out. A spinning blade does NOT stop immediately, so if you DO lose all light, don't move!! Wait till you hear the blade stopped---then look for the flashlite!!
Click to expand...

Excellent Idea with the lighting!
I will also include a rechargable flashlight down there as well, in case we lose all power. THANKS!

randyrls said:
Dave; Just saw this thread; I hope you have done this already.

Make sure you get a building permit, and have the electrical installation inspected by a licensed electrician. When I insulated my work area, I installed a circuit for lights, two extra GFCI circuits for outlets. I wired the outlets, the electrician came and hooked up to the panel, inspector came by and gave it his stamp. All cool.
Click to expand...

Permits? Inspections??? Who needs all that hassle???
:confused::confused::confused:
Actually I don't like electricity at all. When we go to rewire for my shop, (I want to have the entire house rewired too.), I will be having a professional do the job.

So if anyone knows an affordable qualified electrician around the Rochester-Irondequoit area.......PLEASE let me know!!!
 
My shop burned to the ground in a wildfire in 2003. When I rebuilt it, the electrician and I got a little silly. I love it. It's a 720 sq ft. 3-car garage with a 2-car garage door on one side and a man-door where the single garage door should be.


  • 100A subpanel

  • Nine sets of T-8 fixtures, 2 lamps/2 fixtures each set; in a 3 x 3 array, with the 4 corners on one circuit and the center and remaining fixtures on another circuit for 100 ft candles.
  • 2 ceiling fans, and they help a lot!
  • 6 110V circuits
  • 5 220V circuits for equipment I don't have yet but might someday
  • A dedicated 220V circuit with a separate 110V control circuit and relay for my dust collector (3hp ClearVue)
  • A dedicated 220V circuit in the crawlspace for the air compressor I'm going to buy someday
  • The outside lights are 4-wayed, with switches in the shop, upstairs, and in the house. It's nice being able to walk to and from the shop at night with the lights on.
  • 110V outlet in the ceiling for a cord reel
  • Another one up high inside at the front for another cord reel
  • A GFCI outlet out front
  • CAT5E cabling and a wireless router
  • Big wall pack light over the garage door
  • Garage Butler automatic door closer to keep my goodies out of sight if I forget to close the door.
What I forgot:

  • Sink to clean up in! DUH!
  • Adequate wall space. I put in big windows, which are nice, but sometimes I would rather hang tool cabinets there instead.
  • A main emergency disconnect and big red alarm button in case I stub my toe or worse, which I don't want to think about.
  • Intercom with the house.
  • Compressed air piping. I remembered the power but not the pipe.
  • Another GFCI outlet on the other side of the big garage door.
  • Task lighting, but I really didn't know how the equipment layout was going to end up.
 
MyronW said:
My shop burned to the ground in a wildfire in 2003. When I rebuilt it, the electrician and I got a little silly. I love it. It's a 720 sq ft. 3-car garage with a 2-car garage door on one side and a man-door where the single garage door should be.


  • 100A subpanel

  • Nine sets of T-8 fixtures, 2 lamps/2 fixtures each set; in a 3 x 3 array, with the 4 corners on one circuit and the center and remaining fixtures on another circuit for 100 ft candles.
  • 2 ceiling fans, and they help a lot!
  • 6 110V circuits
  • 5 220V circuits for equipment I don't have yet but might someday
  • A dedicated 220V circuit with a separate 110V control circuit and relay for my dust collector (3hp ClearVue)
  • A dedicated 220V circuit in the crawlspace for the air compressor I'm going to buy someday
  • The outside lights are 4-wayed, with switches in the shop, upstairs, and in the house. It's nice being able to walk to and from the shop at night with the lights on.
  • 110V outlet in the ceiling for a cord reel
  • Another one up high inside at the front for another cord reel
  • A GFCI outlet out front
  • CAT5E cabling and a wireless router
  • Big wall pack light over the garage door
  • Garage Butler automatic door closer to keep my goodies out of sight if I forget to close the door.
What I forgot:

  • Sink to clean up in! DUH!
  • Adequate wall space. I put in big windows, which are nice, but sometimes I would rather hang tool cabinets there instead.
  • A main emergency disconnect and big red alarm button in case I stub my toe or worse, which I don't want to think about.
  • Intercom with the house.
  • Compressed air piping. I remembered the power but not the pipe.
  • Another GFCI outlet on the other side of the big garage door.
  • Task lighting, but I really didn't know how the equipment layout was going to end up.
Click to expand...

WOW!
Sounds like the Garage Mahal!!!
 
Finally finished the walls!

Started moving my tools into the room.
I have started reconditioning my tools and realigning everything.
Already making sawdust!!!
:biggrin:
I am probably going to install some short of shelving system on the empty wall so I will make the most efficent use of my very limited space
 

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