Woodworking Shop in Basement?

[Lee Schierer]

Don't forget to check to see if you can get a 4 x 8 sheet of plywood and longer boards down the stairs. And don't build any cabinets or other projects that won't go up the stairs when they are complete.

[mreza Salav]

have a basement shop (not walkout) with a set of stairs that turns 90 degree. I've taken down all my tools (except one) by dis-assembling them and strapping to a dolly.
That includes a 700lb cabinet saw, drill press, bandsaw, lathe, and a whole bunch of other things. The only thing I asked for help with was my 14" J/P (I did disassemble that too but the bare bone base was barely manageable by two movers). I dread the day I have to move out and take them out...
For dust collection I have upgraded to a clearvue (enclosed in a closet for more sound protection) and a good home built air cleaner. The air in the shop is almost always way cleaner than the house and outside.
The good thing about basement shop is you can hop into it in seconds and it's always warm and comfortable. I'd like to have a garage shop in our next house; I've recently bought a 24" bandsaw and I cannot take that down there. So it stays in the garage until we upgrade our house in the next couple of years (hopefully!).

[Ole Anderson]

I agree with Eric, a dedicated shop in the basement is better than a multi use garage. But then I have a walkout basement, but just less than 8 feet to bottom of the joists. And I can always get 2 vehicles in my 2.5 car garage.

Wednesday we had a big warming spell with rain. I opened the garage door, it had been 40 in the garage, and instantly everything including all of my garage tools were covered with condensation. I have a heater in there, just don't turn it up unless I have a brake job to do. Hate to think of all of my wood shop tools being covered with condensation.

[Rich Konopka]

I just moved out of a basement shop and I hired movers to move my MM16, TS, DJ20, DP, and other tools. I had a bulk head / Bilco entry. I did not like the workshop in the basement because it was dusty and it would always find its way upstairs. It was great in the winter and great in the summer. Ceiling was eight feet except where the ducts ran. I am planning a new workshop that is going to be a walk out basement with higher ceilings and great southern exposure with natural light and ocean views

[Jim Andrew]

In some cities, you can put a shop or garage behind the house on a corner lot, if the lot is deep. But check the setback, as it varies. Also, if you are looking at houses, some basements are deeper than others. When someone wanted a little deeper basement, I used to pour the floor level with the footings, gaining about 4". What I did was trowel the inside 4" of the footings, and then just screed the concrete level with the footing.(For the floor)

[Matt Meiser]

Here's a great basement shop: http://www.chrisbillman.com/Shop/Current_Shop_V3.htm

He's got a 90 degree turn from the front hall to the stairs, then another on the stairs but has some nice full-size equipment down there. The shop tour is a little dated so check out his equipment reviews for more updated pictures.

[Ole Anderson]

I am planning a new workshop that is going to be a walk out basement with higher ceilings and great southern exposure with natural light and ocean views

Yea, me too, in my dreams!

[Peter Kelly]

You'd be amazed at what some people have moved into a basement through a Bilco door.
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...es/page3&pp=15

[Rod Sheridan]

B3 003.jpgB3 005.jpgB3 009.jpgI have a small basement shop and have moved combination machines weighing 800 pounds into my basement by myself.

The first photo shows a Hammer B3 Winner on the shipping pallet in my garage.

The second shows the machine on top of a piece of plywood with 4 swivel casters bolted to it.

The third shows the machine being pulled up the ramp onto the false porch made out of the shipping pallet, a couple of jackstands and blocks.

Th entire art of moving machinery is to think like ancient Egyptans, rollers, ramps and levers, no brute force and hernias required.

All of the above work was done alone, with the help of my shop cat.

Machinery move continues in the next post.......Rod.

[Rod Sheridan]

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Here the move into the basement continues.

first photo is the machine going into the house.

Second photo is the machine inside the front door.

Third photo is the machine on top of my stair climber. The machine had to make a right angle turn onto the landing at the top of the basement stairs which is only 1 metre square.

Since there's no room for a person to stand on the landing, the stair climber was built, it rides on a 2 X 8 down both sides of the stairs, and provides a platform onto which the machine can be pushed. (The stair climber was built to be level with the landing).

The winch on the stair climber then lowers the wedge shaped climber and machine down the stairs. Once again, all this is done by myself and the cat Ellington.

At the bottom of the stair, the stair climber is halted, and the Genie lift goes under the end of it. The two uprights are unbolted from the climber, the Genie lift now supports that end of the platform.

Rod.

[Rod Sheridan]

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At the bottom of the stair, the stair climber is halted, and the Genie lift goes under the end of it. The two uprights are unbolted from the climber, the Genie lift now supports that end of the platform.

The genie lift is lowered a couple of inches, the winch lets the platform down the stairs a few more inches, repeat until the machine is under the floor joists above.

Once it's under the joists, a couple of pullers are attached to 2 floor joists and the machine is now supported by the 2 come-a-longs.

The stair climber is winched out of the way, the new machine lowered to the floor, all by one person and a pesky shop cat.

The 2 red straps hold the plywood base with casters onto the machine.

There you are, an 800 pound machine in the basement by one person and a cat.

Last autumn I winched an A3-31 back out of my basement using the reverse of this, and then down a staircase at my brothers house.

At my brothers house, we had a straight shot down the stairs so the stair climber wasn't needed, it went down the ramp strapped to a plywood base with casters. Once again, one person, no sweat.............Rod.

[David Wong]

Rod,

That photo sequence of your move is awe inspiring. I had tons of issues and sweated bullets getting my Hammer A3-31 off it's pallet. I feel like such a wimp.
Thanks for posting these photos.

[Rod Sheridan]

David, glad you liked the photographs, how do you like your A3-31?

Regards, Rod.

[Ray Newman]

You received good advice.


My concern is dust control vis-a-vis the furnace, water heater, water softener, etc.

No matter where they are located in the garage or basement and you build a shop around them, give some very serious consideration to ways of controlling and filtering out dust, finishing fumes, etc.

[Art Mulder]

1) how to get my 325 lb. 10" table saw and 350 lb. 17" bandsaw safely down (and up, at some point) the typical basement staircase. And, 2) the effectiveness of a 2hp dust collector dealing with dust issues in an enclosed basement area--especially when I use my Performax 22-44 drum sander

Ken, although I don't have great photos for you like Rod, I took my 17" Grizzly bandsaw into the basement shop from interior stairs. The solution is of course partial disassembly: the table comes off easily, as do the doors. The wheels are bit trickier, as is the motor, but manageable. The two 14yr old boys who helped ease the machine down the stairs were also a help.

I can't speak to the drum sander as I don't have one. However I do have a single bag 2HP DC in my basement and I've never really had any issues with dust in the rest of the house. I do have Tablesaw, Jointer, Planer, Bandsaw, and various hand tools.

Don't forget to check to see if you can get a 4 x 8 sheet of plywood and longer boards down the stairs. And don't build any cabinets or other projects that won't go up the stairs when they are complete.

I always have the lumber yard make the first cut in 4x8 sheet goods. Makes it easier all around.

I did not like the workshop in the basement because it was dusty and it would always find its way upstairs.

As I said, I've never really had issues with dust, so I'm really puzzled when I read comments like this. I have shop shoes that I take off when I leave the shop, and a mat at the door to catch dust. I also closed off the header spaces above the joists, so the shop is fairly closed off. I'm not sure what you and others are doing different from me that causes the dust to make it's escape.

I'd prefer a walkout basement, but I'm not sure I'd like a totally separate shop. I like having it within the conditioned space of the house, and close at hand.