Outfitting Your Home Workshop: Part 1
Planning your unique workspace to suit you.
Today’s “17 Step Commute”…
Temp: Currently 48. High of 62 today 😎 with lots of sunshine.
Humidity: 1 on the “Soup” scale. (1=light broth, 5=thick chowder)
Conditions: Airish. Longpants and sweater required.
Estimated Travel Time: 16 seconds.
Coffee Level: Empty (but hopeful).
Preconceptions of Starting a Home Business
Many think that starting a business requires a huge outlay of cash for new tools and bulk purchases of stock to make a big splash when you finally open a store. While this may be true for brick-and-mortar stores, I have found that growing your home based business “organically” reduces waste of funds. Your enterprise will tell you where and when to focus your working capital.
In 2008, I had very few woodworking tools and limited resources. I was given a dilapidated 12” Craftsman bandsaw (1980s vintage) that some long-time friends passing through our area had picked up at a yard sale for me. This inspired me to revive my dormant craft, starting with wooden name keychains for friends, family and coworkers . We were working on a shoestring budget.
On days off from my paper mill job I rehabbed the saw with new tires, guides, belt and blades, the motor was still good. Julie and I combed garage sales, flea markets and thrift stores for tools that might be needed and broken down furniture I could upcycle for raw materials. So, for a few dollars investment (less than $500.00), we supplied our start-up.
In the beginning, while we already had a steady paycheck coming in, the bulk of the monies that came from my first couple years of sales went primarily back into upgrading tools and stocking wood bins with variety.
The beauty of working for yourself as a “sole proprietor” is that you set up the rules. Once you start receiving customers at your home or hiring employees, you run into the likelihood of city inspectors and zoning regulators taking an interest in your shop. They are bent on taking your money and making you conform to their rules. I prefer the “down-low” approach.
Your Workspace
When doing it for yourself, setting up a workplace is a matter of personal preferences. It is your space. It need not impress anyone else. It is to be a haven, suited to your own personal liking, promoting creativity, giving comfort and enhancing productivity. Someplace that you look forward to being.
Aside from tools and materials, you should surround yourself with things that inspire and make you smile. Music, lighting and environment are all adjustable to your moods. Your workbenches need to be at the heights that are comfortable to you and appropriate to your work.
Take in mind that it will be an evolving process. Resist making permanent fixtures, benches and cabinets until you live with it awhile and see which direction your work wants you to go. I have rearranged my shop at least a dozen times in the last 15 years, and it continues to mutate. It is a never ending job of tweaking.
Don’t forget your fur buddies. Your cats and dogs must find their comfort, too.
Atmosphere
Your shop climate should keep you comfortable, but friendly to your craft. Here in Florida, as hot and humid as it is, I have restrained myself from air-conditioning my shop as the nature of wood reacts to temperature and air moisture changes. Also, the dust I make would require frequent filter changes. On particularly hot days, I can always take a break and duck in the house to chill awhile.
While working, I rely on fans to cool me and blow dust out into the world. We only get a few days a year when shop heat is desired. I keep a small space heater for when I will be in one area for a while, like when sanding a batch of keychains and/or chopsticks. I am mindful not to let it get near combustibles (BOOM!) or accumulated dust, and I UNPLUG it when not in use!
Ventilate to stay healthy. If your craft creates any nasty fumes or not, it is ultimately important to keep the air moving outward from your space. I no longer use aerosol finishes in my regular processes, but when I did I sprayed at the open door with fans at my back, blowing outside. My shed breathes quite well, so a couple of well directed squirrel-cage fans keep any fumes and airborne dust outflowing. I think it would be quite embarrassing to be found dead alone, overcome with paint fumes and 911 one button away from being pushed.
Dust collecting is easiest at its source. While it sounds great to have a central dust collector system, with tubes run directly to each tool and blast gates to control each, the expense and bother of installing it in the space of a small shop is not warranted. In my opinion, a portable shop vac (or two) is sufficient if run simultaneously with each machine. It only takes only a few seconds to hook up to most of your dustiest machines. This is particularly needed when sanding, which produces fine dust that seeks to float into your airways. Tools like table saws, lathes and planer/jointers quickly make piles of larger particles and chips that may impede the performance of the machines themselves. I use a simple two-stage collection bucket that is easily filled up and dumped without having to clean the vac and filter every time.
Sanders on right and table saw on the left. The shop vac is central with a 10 foot hose and 2-stage collection bucket. It reaches every machine. Tunes are a “must have” in my space. They set the tone of my moods, create energies and inspire on a subliminal level. I use a bluetooth speaker and my phone to listen to whatever I am feeling at the moment. Since the shop vac is rather loud, I use noise canceling headphones (also bluetooth) if I am running it for 20 minutes or so. I sometimes stand at the sanders for 3 or 4 hours, shaping and smoothing chopsticks and keychain names. The headphones keep you in the groove and protects your inner ears from the damage that the dBs from the vac will do, as long as you are reasonable with the music’s volume.
Lighting is getting more crucial for me. Age has determined that I need more light to see the work I am carving or sanding, so I have additional task lights on areas that require detailed work for hours at a time.
Outfitting Your Workshop: Part 2 - Tooling up your workspace coming next Monday.
Every order is carved individually by hand, in the order that they are received. Some weeks are busier than others. I usually carve and ship within 3 to 5 business days.
If you are enjoying what you see… I like it hot and black. 😉
I publish twice a week, “News & Sneak Peeks” on Fridays and “17 Step Commute” on Mondays. If you are already a subscriber, feel free to comment below on this blog or suggest any tips you might have stumbled across in your business building process.