stephanielsikora@gmail.com Posted July 11, 2014 Report Share Posted July 11, 2014 Hey, all! The short version of this story is that I have moved in to my grandmother's house, which has a two-car garage. I can set up my shop in half the garage, but there are various family members storing things in the garage as well. Part of my cost of rent is to keep storing these things, and my mother made the (reasonable) request that I not do any "sawdust-creating activities" without having a way to isolate my shop from the rest of the garage (and other family member's items) I plan to have my shop set up in the front quadrant of the garage, so that I can have the door open three seasons. I want something that will more or less block off the rest of the garage for sawing and sanding, but is easily moveable for more space for things like staining and assembly. I'm thinking some sort of... Curtain? But I don't have any great ideas on how to make that happen. Anyone have any awesome ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodbutcher74 Posted July 11, 2014 Report Share Posted July 11, 2014 Even with the best dust collection I don't know if you can prevent the dust from migrating out of your work space. I would try covering the "stuff" rather than containing the sawdust in your shop. My advice is build your mother some nice pieces and she might tolerate some dust on her things. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trip Posted July 11, 2014 Report Share Posted July 11, 2014 You may want to PM Marc... During his numerous shop moves (which are a story in themselves), he had a similar issue. I believe he built a knee wall (or pony wall, I forget the actual term) and (I think) ran 6mil sheeting from the wall to the ceiling... Drop him a line... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave H Posted July 11, 2014 Report Share Posted July 11, 2014 I would curtain off the storage area from shop area with plastic sheeting from floor to ceiling. Or cover everything with old sheets plastic sheeting may condensate damaging items below. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jHop Posted July 11, 2014 Report Share Posted July 11, 2014 Dust covers existed in Victorian tymes for a reason... and they are still in use for that same reason. No matter what you do to contain the dust at the source, dust will still migrate everywhere. (One of the interesting facts about libraries and the barrister bookcases: much of the dust there is from fibers from the books themselves separating from the paper, and drifting about the air currents as dust. The lids on barrister bookcases were as much to protect the books from air as to reduce the dust that might collect on them. Oh, and provide an attractive place to secure and display them, too.) I'd throw drop cloths/ dust covers over the stacks that people cannot fit into containers, and use storage totes and tubs for other items. (It also gets it into "stackable" quantities, which can help with storage.) I'd also consider shower curtain rods, or longer curtain rods (not the flimsy metal ones that extend) or dedicated dowel stock. Shower curtain rings can help so you can move the sheeting/plastic aside to get behind them. In the end, though, the best solution is a hard case. So this is an excellent opportunity to build cabinets into the wall! (And an excuse to insulate and use your new shop.) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodbutcher74 Posted July 11, 2014 Report Share Posted July 11, 2014 Two of my shop walls are consist of blue plastic tarps that are supposed to be waterproof. They are sealed at the ceiling and at the floor. Once you raise a cloud of sawdust sanding or sawing there's no containing it. The fine dust will find a way out. I have read other posts from folks about basement shops and how it's almost impossible to contain all the dust no matter how well they sealed the area. Not trying to throw a monkey wrench into the works, just letting you know my experience. Good luck and even if it means vacuuming the "stuff" once in awhile don't let that slow you down. Give'em hell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted July 11, 2014 Report Share Posted July 11, 2014 Perhaps another way is to put their things in totes with lids. I store a lot of stuff in my garage this way (next to my wood shop) and this keeps the dust off of the stuff as well as protect the stuff from normal "shop" activity. This would probably open more space for you as well. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jHop Posted July 11, 2014 Report Share Posted July 11, 2014 Perhaps another way is to put their things in totes with lids. I store a lot of stuff in my garage this way (next to my wood shop) and this keeps the dust off of the stuff as well as protect the stuff from normal "shop" activity. This would probably open more space for you as well. Good luck. Not to mention protect the stuff from accidents when finish spills, lumber bumps into it, or tools fall. And provides multiple "temporary" assembly surfaces.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beechwood Chip Posted July 11, 2014 Report Share Posted July 11, 2014 It will help if you set up a "negative pressure" in your shop area. Seal it off as well as you can, and then set up an exhaust fan that pulls air out of the garage. That way, air is flowing in through every little gap in your air seal, so it's harder for dust to get out. Dust will still get out - for example, it will travel out on your shoes and clothes when you leave - but the negative pressure will help. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tim0625 Posted July 12, 2014 Report Share Posted July 12, 2014 I sense trouble is on the horizon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indy Cindy Posted July 12, 2014 Report Share Posted July 12, 2014 I agree with putting covers on the stored items and things in large containers or boxes. Periodically take a leaf blower or compressor and blow everything off and out of the garage. Make sure a car isn't sitting outside the garage to receive all of the dust. It is helpful to do this frequently to prevent a gigantic dust storm. Also, clean up every day sweeping up chips and visible sawdust. Don't track it into the house or rather vacuum it up if you do. Use a dust collector of some sort on your tools to eliminate as much dust as you can to begin with. If they see you making a true effort they will be more forgiving of your additional dust. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tim0625 Posted July 13, 2014 Report Share Posted July 13, 2014 I agree with putting covers on the stored items and things in large containers or boxes. Periodically take a leaf blower or compressor and blow everything off and out of the garage. Make sure a car isn't sitting outside the garage to receive all of the dust. It is helpful to do this frequently to prevent a gigantic dust storm. Also, clean up every day sweeping up chips and visible sawdust. Don't track it into the house or rather vacuum it up if you do. Use a dust collector of some sort on your tools to eliminate as much dust as you can to begin with. If they see you making a true effort they will be more forgiving of your additional dust. Maybe I should pretend my shop is attached to the house? It would stay cleaner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indy Cindy Posted July 13, 2014 Report Share Posted July 13, 2014 Maybe I should pretend my shop is attached to the house? It would stay cleaner. My original training was in a shop where we were required to clean up after ourselves. It was useful to get into that habit. The only thing worse than working in your own mess is working in someone else's. That plus sawdust on the floor is slippery and dangerous. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drzaius Posted July 22, 2014 Report Share Posted July 22, 2014 As Beechwood said, negative pressure is the key. Before I got my garage finished, I used part of the basement as a shop. I stapled poly to the walls & ceiling & then used a large box fan with a couple of HEPA furnace filters in front of it to blow air out of the space through a hole in the poly. It worked very well. There was no dust collection on any of the tools but the only dust that got out of the shop was what I tracked on my shoes. It took only few hours to do the poly & set up the fan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beechwood Chip Posted July 22, 2014 Report Share Posted July 22, 2014 Since you are in a garage, negative pressure will work well. In a basement or any area with combustion, you need to be careful using a negative pressure approach. You can end up sucking air down your flue and out your exhaust fan, pulling the combustion gases into your shop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tim0625 Posted July 22, 2014 Report Share Posted July 22, 2014 My original training was in a shop where we were required to clean up after ourselves. It was useful to get into that habit. The only thing worse than working in your own mess is working in someone else's. That plus sawdust on the floor is slippery and dangerous. But Cindy....if you clean up ALL the dust and lathe shavings, you don't have anything to spit into before your dip drowns you. What do you do?? Heck, negative pressure, positive pressure....my detached garage with 2 sliding front doors is so drafty, I think my pressure inside is the same as outside. Not to worry though....with a 3 ton heat pump screaming through the back wall, I can cool it down! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indy Cindy Posted July 23, 2014 Report Share Posted July 23, 2014 But Cindy....if you clean up ALL the dust and lathe shavings, you don't have anything to spit into before your dip drowns you. What do you do?? Ewwwwwe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drzaius Posted July 24, 2014 Report Share Posted July 24, 2014 Good point about the furnace. You don't want to do what I suggested if there is a furnace or other combustion appliance in the work area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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