How to Build a Basement Woodshop
While there are several drawbacks to building basement workshops, there can also be a number of benefits. Basements are easy to maintain climate control and there's a certain appeal to being able to go right down the steps and work on your latest projects. However, some drawbacks, which should be considered before beginning this project, include the difficulty of getting supplies to and from the shop and the complications of proper ventilation and limiting the spread of sawdust.
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Instructions
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Ventilate the basement properly by installing fans and dust collectors to control the spread of sawdust and keep any chemical finishes from being trapped and concentrated in the air. Put fans in the windows to draw air in or out of the basement when using any chemicals. Use dust collectors whenever cutting wood to keep down the level of sawdust in the air, which can become a nuisance if it spreads to the rest of your house.
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Install any overhead lighting necessary. Basement workshops need to have plenty of lighting to make up for the lack of natural light.
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Make a plan for the layout of the basement workshop. Have a place dedicated for lumber storage, a workbench, peg boards for hanging tools, other tool storage, chop saw table, table saw, planer/joiner, bandsaw, and any other equipment you use frequently. Think about a logical order of the equipment when setting it up, so it's easy to move your project from one station to the next. Consider the access to the basement and plan so that it's easy as possible to haul materials and completed projects up and down the basement steps.
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Set up your equipment according to the plan you made. Hang peg boards, build workbenches and jigs as needed and assemble the parts and stations.
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Tips & Warnings
Consider the kind of projects you like to create when planning your workshop layout. If you make large pieces of furniture frequently, a basement workshop may not be the best choice, but for smaller projects it can be ideal.
References
- Photo Credit Set of old hammers on wood background in old workshop image by Oleg Kulakov from Fotolia.com
