Recommendations on what to do next for my tiny workshop in the basement

Hello everyone,

This is my very first post and I am excited to be here. I hope this post is in the correct section. Long story short, I just bought a house with a huge and empty basement (almost 900sq ft) so I am starting to build a workshop to satisfy my thrist for building things with my hands.

So far, I have acquired two major power tools, table saw and bench drill from craigslist and they are very well maintained and useful for a beginner like me. Unfortunately, I am not sure which tool to acquire next for the workshop that would that will help me the most while developing useful skills. Here's my list of tools I plan to acquire in the next few months so. what I would love is your recommendations on which steps I shold take to make my workshop functional and operational so I can start building.

1. Lathe
2. Grinder (to sharpen tools)
3. Router (want to build my own router table)
4. Planer
5. Jointer
6. Dust Collection
7. Proper light fixtures (only have two single light blubs)

Granted, it will take me up to a year to acquire everything to make my basement a fully functional workshop that I can make bowls, cabinets, doors, furniture, picture frames, vases, et cetera. FYI, I am not in this to make money but to enjoy the experience and make my house the envy of the neighborhood.

Anyway, enjoy the pic of my workshop and I look forward to being on the forum.

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Matt

You might want to consider putting everything or almost everything on wheels. My shop is in the basement and it is small too. I pout everything but my floor model drill press on wheels. I can move things easily when needed.

Having everything mobile would be my plan too. Also if you are getting into turning, a band saw is a good tool to have. Something along the line that would resaw at least 12" if budget allows.

Hi Matthew, welcome to the forum! I'm also in the process of setting up a basement workshop, but in a much smaller amount of space. FWIW, my first consideration was that the rest of the house will be sharing the same air as the workshop, so whatever dust I create will travel everywhere in the house. So, my choice has been to first set up a good dust collection system. I'm concerned about the fine dust particles that float in the air, get caught up in clothing, and are a hazard to our health. So, some serious dust collection that will capture dust at the source and pull the micro-particles out of the air is a top priority for setting up my shop and I'm working on that installation now.

Next steps will be to get my saw operational (a radial arm saw for me) and then a good solid work bench. Woven in between is lighting. I've found the current generation of LED strip shop lights to be excellent and moderately priced, like this one from Home Depot. It works well mounted up between my floor joists with the diffuser screen just at the bottom edge of the joist - light dispersion is good, output at 4,000 lumens is great.

Enjoy your shop!
Rush

Matthew,

Congratulations on the purchase of the house and be aware that woodworking can easily become addictive :D!

There will be a wide range of comments and suggestions stemming from your post. A few questions come to mind in terms of planning your shop and subsequent purchases. They include, but are not limited to:

- will you be keeping the full basement devoted to woodworking or do you need space for other functions (storage; laundry; family room)? What will be the expected final size and layout?
- how much flexibility do you have in terms of electrical system - you will likely need dedicated 120 and 240 volt circuits over time?
- what kind of "toy" budget (I said earlier this is an addictive activity) is at your disposal (do you have easy access to good quality used equipment or will you have - or prefer - to purchase new)?
- will you want individual machines / stations (ie individual table saw; jointer; planer; etc) or will you consider multi-function machines (there is no right or wrong answer; just preferences)

As many people will likely mention, one of the (if not "the") first steps in my mind is dust collection (particularly given that you are working "inside" the house).

I believe this is the start of what will be an interesting journey for you and a no less interesting thread!

Regards,

Jacques

Proper dust collection is a must. I personally would invest in at least a shop vac and a mobile dust collector 4" with a good filter bag. I would not use your table saw in the house without at least a small dust collector attached. The shop vac will handle your router table and sander.

I would make a router table next, but a quick and dirty one. A lifetime router table can be an investment in money and it is not advisable to build one with or without bells and whistles until you understand what bells and whistles you need. Going Q&D will allow you to assess that. I did it that way (fixed base router bolted to plywood), then ultimately went to an Incra set up with a lift, so caveat emptor: I am prejudiced that my journey was the right one ;)

Jointer and planer would be next in my opinion. If you don't have

Welcome to SMC, Matt! Looks like you have a great place for a workshop, and a door at the basement level to boot. Nice!

For workshop ideas you should check out the sticky http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...ease-post-pics! That should get the creative juices flowing!

The first tool that really changed my woodworking life was a decent table saw. I went from a B&D 8" portable to a 10" Delta contractors TS. If there was funds for a cabinet saw, I'd have gone that route. But that was some 25 years ago and that old contractors saw is still going strong.

My next step was a table-mounted router. I installed it in one wing of the TS and while the fence has gone through upgrades, the router and lift are still serving me well.

The next big game changer was a decent band saw. I went with an 18" Jet and my only regret is that I didn't anticipate wanting a larger resaw capacity. Some 14" bandsaws today have a resaw capacity 30% more than my 18".

But the most important "tool" in my workshop turned out to be a REAL workbench. After I had it set up I wondered why it took me so long to buy one. I made drawers and filled them with hand tools. And that's when I found woodworking a real pleasure.
http://julimorcreations.com/Images/W.../workbench.jpg

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Originally Posted by George Bokros

You might want to consider putting everything or almost everything on wheels. My shop is in the basement and it is small too. I pout everything but my floor model drill press on wheels. I can move things easily when needed.

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Actually, the picture only shows less than half of the basement so I dont really need to move tools around. In fact, I probably have enough space for everything I want on the list plus several more tools such as a CNC, laser, et cetera. With this said, I already have the table saw on wheels because I often need to move it around so I will have enough room to cut long pieces.

Last week, I worked on the table saw to make some crude picture frames and the entire basement was totally filled up with smoke and floating dust. Of course, I was wearing a fancy mask so my lungs were ok but my girlfriend was pissed. So, I think you guys have convinced me to put dust collection on the top of my list before doing anything else.

Also, I have laundry set up in the open on the other side of the basement which is why my girlfriend was pissed due to dust getting into the washer/dryer. So.... dust collection before I can cut any wood. :(

Oh by the way, is there a way to do spelling check before posting?

Matt

Thank you guys for your wonderful feedback and I agree with pretty much everything you have said.

First step is to get a dust collection system then build a sturdy workbench. From there, I'll start acquire slightly used tools over several months. Heh, more toys to play with.

Matt

Insulate the walls, ceiling and consider a wood floor as it is easier on the feet, back, and dropped tools. Do this first! Outside access door – insulated?, how secure?

Agree with others about the need for a good dust collection system/cyclone, especially if the house HVAC system is also in the basement.

Have the electrical panel/system reviewed for expansion/needed modification(s). Put switches and outlets 52” above the floor so as not to be blocked by sheetgoods.

Lighting: do not scrimp to save a few bucks. Wire the lights to only illuminate where you are working. Often times it is not necessary to light the entire shop.

Think security: does the house have a security system and can you tie in the basement? Word gets out on the street very easily about who has what in their house, garage, basement, etc. Same with the telephone system --I do not depend upon my cell phone.

Start with basic machines and buy based on quality, not on price. Take a culture trip to the tool emporia and examine all the machines. A table saw should be centered in the shop to allow for cutting sheet goods. Moving machines around can get old very fast. Big jointers and planers are nice, but take up a great deal of room to run the wood through. If was starting over, I would still buy a SawStop and a jointer. Instead of a 15”planer, I would opt for the DeWalt 735.


For hand tools,take another culture trip for a hands on examination. Ergonomics are important and if it does not feel right in your hands, look at somethingelse. Again buy based on quality, not price.

Make a large scale drawing of the shop and cardboard cut outs of the desired/wanted/needed machines and where you want to put the machines, the HVC, water heater, washer/dryer,etc. The larger the drawing the better -- it provides a much better idea of where and how things will or will not fit in. Do not forget about a workbench with access on the front and both sides. Do not be surprised about how quickly the area will fill up. Yes a great deal can be packed into 900 square feet, but will you have necessary room to do the wok and move around?

I would hold off on the lathe and grinder. Water stones work very well for tool sharpening. If I was to buy a lathe, I would seriously consider tooling that has the replaceable carbide inserts. When dull, just replace the insert or turn it to expose the sharp edge.

My advice is this. Put dust collection and cleaning up first on your list. With a basement shop, I find that keeping things clean is the hardest part of getting anything done. Dust and fumes seem to get everywhere. Second, is don't focus solely on power tools. Its the hand tools -from measuring to planes to screwdrivers - where the money is.

If you think 900 square feet is tiny, then come visit my micro 250 square feet shop. :eek:

When I designed my shop space in the finished basement, it was built around the dust collection system. I don't want anything leaving the shop and getting into the rest of the house. The Minimax SC2 saw is already in place and operational, but I haven't started on the miter saw cabinet or workbench yet.

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Originally Posted by Julie Moriarty

But the most important "tool" in my workshop turned out to be a REAL workbench. After I had it set up I wondered why it took me so long to buy one. I made drawers and filled them with hand tools. And that's when I found woodworking a real pleasure.

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That is a really nice workbench! Where did you buy it and was it already assembled or did you put it together in your shop? I am looking to buy rather than make, but the bench can't be completely assembled, else it wouldn't fit down my basement stairs.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ray Newman

...Make a large scale drawing of the shop and cardboard cut outs of the desired/wanted/needed machines and where you want to put the machines, the HVC, water heater, washer/dryer,etc. The larger the drawing the better -- it provides a much better idea of where and how things will or will not fit in. Do not forget about a workbench with access on the front and both sides. Do not be surprised about how quickly the area will fill up. Yes a great deal can be packed into 900 square feet, but will you have necessary room to do the wok and move around?

I would hold off on the lathe and grinder. Water stones work very well for tool sharpening. If I was to buy a lathe, I would seriously consider tooling that has the replaceable carbide inserts. When dull, just replace the insert or turn it to expose the sharp edge.

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I strongly agree with Ray about making a drawing. Planning the whole thing now can avoid costly mistakes. The plan is very helpful when installing a DC since you will know where to put the major drops. Also important for planning electrical runs and lighting placement.

I don't agree with the lathe comments, but I may be a little biased. :) I say get a lathe soon and get started with woodturning! The lathe was the first thing I moved into my new shop. Well, besides the cabinet saw which was easier to set into place with the fork lift before the walls were up! I put plywood on the top and used it as a work table.

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JKJ