When your shop is a garage

[baok]

I thought I’d bring up the subject of trying to do woodworking in a garage that you actually park cars in.

I do it because I cannot bear to not do woodworking. It’s a curse I guess. But I also cannot bear to leave my cars out in the driveway. Parking inside is one of the great luxuries of home ownership in which you don’t have to scrape ice off the windshield in winter, any built up snow that accumulates during your commute will melt off overnight, your car doesn’t get beat up by hailstones, and it’s not unbearably hot in the car when you get in it during the summer. All of these things are likely where I live in Oklahoma; I’ve had each of these things happen – usually at least once a year.

But it does limit the woodworking you can do. It would also be a great luxury to be able to simply walk out into a shop and start to work rather than having to make space to work. I know this because my Dad had a large shop when I was a kid (and I guess he was about my age now at the time). Because the cars are in my garage, it’s a huge pain to even get to my bench, table saw, or router table. As a result, instead of putting things away, I will often just stack things onto one of the aforementioned flat surfaces and so when I do get time to go out and build something, I end up having to back the cars out (and I have a teenager who parks behind me so I actually have to move three cars) as well as cleaning up and putting things away before starting work. I can never just walk out and do something. And when I do attempt to work with the cars in there, I end up with a rear view mirror gouging me in the back while I work.

It’s actually a bit worse than that. Because of the cramped space, I can usually not get to my shopvac or even to a broom; therefore, my bench ends up piled high with chips and dust. So there’s that to deal with before working or, as frequently happens, I just work away in the filth. If I drop a small drill bit, I’m in trouble.

And I actually have a slightly larger garage than normal. Most garages I see on new construction are barely large enough for the two cars that they are advertised to hold. Mine actually has about four feet on either side that I can use and (much to my wife’s chagrin) I have those spaces filled up with my tools.

This is why every woodworker (or any tinkerer in general) needs a dedicated space. My experience is that in the dead of winter, it’s miserably cold and in the dead of summer, it’s unbearably hot. So any workspace really needs to have a heater and air conditioner. This has me wishing for a house with a basement.

I don’t know where in the United States houses have basements but it seems like any house above the approximate latitude of Kansas has basements. Those that are south of there do not. I’m not sure why homes began to be built without basements but when they did, we all lost a lot of storage space (and of course, workshop space). A very few older homes in Tulsa have a basement and of those that I know of personally, about half have problems with water coming in and are equipped with sump pumps. So maybe water infiltration is always an issue and is just something you plan on.

This is enough of an issue that I’m actually willing to move. My wife is OK with this since she’s never liked our house too much anyway. We bought in haste 15 years ago when my job moved me here and she’s always wished we had bought somewhere else. So we’re looking for something with space for a shop. This can be tricky since some neighborhoods have regulations against any buildings in the back yard but I think I can probably win approval for such a project by calling it a “studio” rather than a “workshop”. Even in my own mind, the word “workshop” calls to mind a pole-barn or cheap outbuilding from Home Depot while “studio” calls to mind a quaint little creative space. I think I could sell that to a lot of homeowners associations by just promising to make it look like the house.

But until then, I work in the garage and to do anything meaningful I have to back the cars out. But that’s better than not doing woodworking at all. I’d be curious as to how others deal with cramped spaces like this. Besides putting your tools on wheels (which I’ve already done) I’m not sure what else to do.

Does anyone have any brilliant ideas?

[TheNehlsEnd]

Are you restricted in putting up one of the car ports that sell for around $600.00? This would kill 2 birds with one stone. I know in some areas of Oklahoma its easier to put up a car port than a shed. Another option might be to find someone elderly that has a garage that they don't use, but need someone to care for the lawn and do some light handyman work. While these suggestions may not be feasible its all I can think of short of moving since you would have the wife's blessing in that decision.

[Dave H]

a carport would be an excelent idea but go ahead and build one instead. i used to have one off my garage where i used to live i would roll the tools outside on warmer days on sunny days it was shadey on rainy days it was covered, and acouple fans and sanding was excelent. take a look at this option might be cheaper than moveing. carports are pretty easy to build as long as your not tying into your garage than i becomes alittle tougher.

[mikem]

Greg,

A little over a year ago I completely gave up on the notion of parking either of our cars in the garage. This is also when I started buying bigger tools that take up too much space. Being in Southwest Ohio, we get a lot of the same weather you described as well. This was a tough call, and not without a bit of griping from my wife about scraping the windshield after a snow/ice storm.

When it comes to this type of space one way or another a sacrifice must be made. I know as my interest and time at the tools have increased, the more the space needs to be dedicated to woodworking. When I was more of the occasional, "hey we need this!" woodworker, the car won out.

[tombuhl]

Greg, when you mentioned having your tools on wheels, I thought you could put wheels on your cars as well. But you've probably thought of that.

Two Smart cars in one bay and tools in the other.

No easy solutions, but car port type arrangement offers promise if neighborhood allows.

Or lean-to type work space off the back of the garage, with entry connecting to garage, could give you some room to play.

Maybe keep the tools stashed in garage when not working, but a workbench and some storage could be left in the covered, but open area.

I had an uncle who would build a porch, then enclose it for more year-round living.

but would then miss having a porch, so would build another open porch.

then in a few years would enclose that

and on and on

Quite a large house by the time he passed on.

[woodhack]

Greg,

A little over a year ago I completely gave up on the notion of parking either of our cars in the garage. This is also when I started buying bigger tools that take up too much space. Being in Southwest Ohio, we get a lot of the same weather you described as well. This was a tough call, and not without a bit of griping from my wife about scraping the windshield after a snow/ice storm.

When it comes to this type of space one way or another a sacrifice must be made. I know as my interest and time at the tools have increased, the more the space needs to be dedicated to woodworking. When I was more of the occasional, "hey we need this!" woodworker, the car won out.

I'm right with you there Mike. I found an incredible deal on a 55" table saw and I KNEW I would have to enter into serious negotiations with the boss. Although our weather here in Socal is no where near as harsh as Ohio weather, I have to detail the bosses car 4 times a year and bite my tongue when she takes it to the more expensive hand car wash. But it's worth it to have my machines all level and stable.

[Rapid Roger]

Hi Greg,

I live in Kansas and my problem was even worse than yours. We only have a single car garage and it belongs to the wife's car! We do have a basement but, it is not too good for wood working. The basement is dark, damp and has 6'-6" ceilings. My solution for a shop was to add another garage size room on the BACK side of the current garage. There wasn't room on the side to add-on there.

My shop is 15' wide x 20' deep and has 9' ceilings. I put the old roll-up door between the two rooms and replaced the front garage door with a new one. The walk door between was the old back door to the back yard and I added another walk door out to the patio/back yard. I have a window on all three sides of the shop and 6 fluorescent light fixtures to see with. I have an electric heater with a thermostat for winter and a window air conditioner in one half of the north window for summer. I have a beer-box, a flat screen TV and this computer in the shop with all my tools.

I do move a car to roll out the table saw or planer or jointer and keep the dust in the garage. (yes, I still have to sweep-up and vac the garage when I'm done)

I am retired so I do "live" in my shop except for eating sleeping and getting rid of a beer now and then.

If the van is in the drive and the garage door is open, walk on in and back to the shop, I'll be there!

Just something to think about.

Rog

[baok]

Greg, when you mentioned having your tools on wheels, I thought you could put wheels on your cars as well. But you've probably thought of that.

Two Smart cars in one bay and tools in the other.

No easy solutions, but car port type arrangement offers promise if neighborhood allows.

Or lean-to type work space off the back of the garage, with entry connecting to garage, could give you some room to play.

Maybe keep the tools stashed in garage when not working, but a workbench and some storage could be left in the covered, but open area.

I had an uncle who would build a porch, then enclose it for more year-round living.

but would then miss having a porch, so would build another open porch.

then in a few years would enclose that

and on and on

Quite a large house by the time he passed on.

Two smart cars in one bay - now there's an idea.

[jtetterton]

Make the kid park outside and put your car and the wife's in one bay, then you have a bay all to yourself

[susieq4131]

Why not move the vehicles out permanently and enjoy a more spacious shop with room for new woodworking tools?

SQ

[SawSucker]

Greg, I totally know what your saying. Our garage has also been my wood shop for over 20 years, I have to move vehicle out to use it, and I agree that it's a pain and not very efficient because of constant setups and putting stuff away. I have everything fairly well organized, and as dust free as I can manage, for now it has to work, which isn't a totally bad thing, I've seen many people that have far less efficient setups. One rule that helps is that it is my man cave, and nothing belongs in there without my approval. If it isn't woodworking or vehicle related, the chances of it being out there are very slim. I'd luv to have a dedicated shop, but until I win the lottery, or woodworking actually becomes profitable, my shop won't be changing.

[edh]

I have a two car garage,,24 x 24, two doors. One side is my shop and the other my vehicle when i'm not in the shop. Now that the kids are gone, I'm trying to talk the wife into letting me convert a basement bedroom into a hobby room where I can do some non power tool work in the winter.

Lots of resistance from the missus because she says we need it for overnight company. I keep telling her that if we get enough company to fill up 3 spare bedrooms, I'll go to a hotel while they are here.

[samhell]

My garage is about 24 x 24. I put a car and a truck in it. All my machines and benches are around 2 of the outer walls and the table saw is on wheels and fits nice in the corner with the longer wing sticking out so that the car kind of fits under it. The planer, jointer, spindle sander, etc are all on mobile carts that kind of fit together off to the side when not being used. My big drill press, bandsaw, lathe, and main workbench are all usable even with the vehicles in the garage. I have to share one wall with a washer and dryer I can pull the vehicles out and setup the machines in 5 minutes or so. So, it can be done. Its not the best solution but it works. We don't store any junk in the garage, its all up in the rafters or out in a barn/shed thing we have.