basement shop pics

[Paul Wunder]

Another person with a clean, neat shop! How do you find anything?

Congrats. Really nice.

Paul

[Art Mulder]

I'm able to do most things down there without disturbing life upstairs. Most of what I do is lathe work, so I'm not making too much noise anyhow. Some of the loud tools require a little discretion after our 7 month old twin boys go to bed though.

As a parent, and as a fellow basement-shop owner, I would suggest that you not worry too much about the muted noise from the shop. The kids will get used to it. Mine did.

I've heard from various sources that the folks who always tiptoe around once kids are asleep are the ones who have trouble with kids waking at the slightest bit of noise. Instead, just continue your regular lives, they will sleep through it all.

(though I would also ease into it, quieter tools first, don't jump right into running the router! )

Also agree it looks like a well organized space. About the only thing I would want extra is more headroom. It seems on the low side -- is that drop ceiling as high as it goes? It barely clears the door! But then at 6'3" I admit I'm taller than most.

[Aaron Wingert]

Art I totally agree with you. We vaccum while our boys sleep in their swings in the living room, talk while they sleep in the car and try not to tiptoe around them too much. Buuuuut, when you have infant twins sometimes being quiet is worthwhile just so you can have a break for a half an hour!

I'm 6'7" and I have to duck under the soffit where the duct trunk and steel beam were enclosed. Framed it as tight as possible and it is about 6'7". The drop ceiling is about 3" below the floor joists...As tight as I could get them. Most of the headroom is no problem at all as long as I remember to not try to set 8' boards or my 8' pipe clamps on end! Not ideal, but I won't have ideal until I win the lottery!

[Kevin Gregoire]

im so jealous of you guys with big shops, im a clean freak but its hard to keep up in
a small shop with everything bunched together. but anyway, yours looks great!

and if you have more basement left i would build a small sound proof room at the far
end away from your shop and sound proof it and install your DC in their and just run
the main pipe from the DC over to the center of your shop and drop down some pipes
straight to each machine?

lots of possibilities with all that space!
good luck

[Art Mulder]

I'm 6'7" and I have to duck under the soffit where the duct trunk and steel beam were enclosed. Framed it as tight as possible and it is about 6'7". The drop ceiling is about 3" below the floor joists...As tight as I could get them. Most of the headroom is no problem at all as long as I remember to not try to set 8' boards or my 8' pipe clamps on end! Not ideal, but I won't have ideal until I win the lottery!

I think I'm more stubborn than you, Aaron, perhaps.

Ducking was one of my line-in-the-sand deal killers.
I refused to buy any house where I would have to duck in the basement, at all. I grew up in an old house, with a short basement, and as I grew tall I bumped my head many times on beams and I was NOT going to live with something like that in my own house.

[Aaron Wingert]

I think I'm more stubborn than you, Aaron, perhaps.

Ducking was one of my line-in-the-sand deal killers.
I refused to buy any house where I would have to duck in the basement, at all. I grew up in an old house, with a short basement, and as I grew tall I bumped my head many times on beams and I was NOT going to live with something like that in my own house.

Art when you're 6'7" tall without shoes on, you just get used to ducking all the time anyway! Plus the price was right, and it was built by my family in the 50's. I bought the house right after college and didn't have the money to be too particular. If and when I build a home someday, it'll have 9' basement ceilings.

[David Helm]

Art when you're 6'7" tall without shoes on, you just get used to ducking all the time anyway! Plus the price was right, and it was built by my family in the 50's. I bought the house right after college and didn't have the money to be too particular. If and when I build a home someday, it'll have 9' basement ceilings.

If and when you build a home, forget the basement shop and go for a dedicated separate building. Never have to worry about noise or dust in the house and never have to worry about ducking.

[Chip Lindley]

Great shop Aaron!

Let's see...wife's car is in the garage now. So, what if she decides she wants a home theater or romper room in that wide expanse of basement? Hmm...

Every woodworker should have a Pre-Nup Agreement!

[Zach England]

The bottom of the floor joists in my basement "shop" come to about 1 inch above my head (I am just under 6 feet). There's a beam in the middle I have to duck to get under, so I stapled pipe insulation on the edges to protect my forehead. I think most of the basements in my neighborhood are the same way. It's kind of a pain, but I am not sure the foundation could deal with an excavation. I'll probably look into that at some point.

[Dan Karachio]

Hi Aaron, as a fellow basement shopper, I like this a lot. I envy your outdoor access. I have it, sort of, with a hatch, and it has made for tough times getting heavy equipment down there. Two observations (and I may be completely off). Do you have enough out feed room from the TS? Looks a little tight for long long pieces. Second, I noticed your jointer sort of tucked in next to the bandsaw with both along the wall. For me, I have found both tools to be far more useful and used to have a dedicated spot and no rolling required. That way, I can use them the second I want to. It may just be a quirk of mine, but again, I find it makes the shop a better place for me. Enjoy!

[Aaron Wingert]

Dan you're right about the outfeed on the table saw. I have plenty of room to rip an 8' sheet on the infeed and outfeed sides, but I doubt I could rip a 10' board based on where the saw is placed. But, I just don't work with hardwoods longer than 8', or at least never have needed to yet. If it ever comes to that I can move the saw a little. Most of the work I do is really small pieces....I'm not building many bookcases!

The jointer is on a mobile base so I just roll it out to use it.

Yup I know I'm lucky to have the walkout access! Getting all the big tools from the front of the house to the back of the house through the yard was certainly not easy though.

[Jeffrey Makiel]

Nice! It's got to be a lot more comfortable than a garage shop.
-Jeff

[Igor Petrenko]

This shop looks fake. Too clean and not enough clamps

[Art Mulder]

This shop looks fake. Too clean and not enough clamps

Ha! I challenge you to show us a shop that does have enough clamps!

(and I guarantee that someone here will say "I need more than that...")