Alternatives to a home shop

[david kramer]

I recently moved (to Santa Barbara, CA) and I was thinking that I'd put my shop in the garage of the new house. Unfortunately, looking at the garage, it's far from ideal. It has a low ceiling and is very close to the living areas. So there will be noise and dust problems.

I might be able to build a small structure on the property, but the land is sloped, so it will be expensive. And getting permits around here is next to impossible, so that's a long-term solution.

In the mean time I'm wondering about other options for finding space for a shop. I guess I could try to rent something at a U-Store-It kind of place. But that would definitely have power and lighting issues. Not to mention security etc.

Does anyone have any creative ideas about finding space to set up shop reasonably inexpensively?

Thx
David

[Jim Becker]

David, my gut is telling me that "inexpensively" in your geography will be a major challenge simply because anything to do with real estate is expensive even in the current depressed market. As you say, there are issues with the storage rental situation and other forms of space rental get pricey based on a recent thread in this very forum area. But you might want to keep your eye on "private space" that sometimes comes up for rental in local papers, etc. Some folks will rent a garage or other facility to help pay for their property costs...just be sure you are clear on responsibilities for utilities and the security aspects of such an arrangement.

Two things to consider...hooking up with another woodworker or three or adjusting your woodworking methods and tooling to better fit the space you have. The latter is likely more practical for general woodworking activities and would include using hand tools and more portable options, such as a guided saw/router system. Arranging for time on someone else's large machine for a specific task could help fill in the gaps when you really need that for a particular project.