As many of you know already, I am moving my shop back to the old space. I have some big changes in mind and this video gives you a good idea of what?s to come. I plan on releasing a series of these short ?Shop Journal? posts in true video blog fashion so you can keep up with the latest developments. I am really excited to get back into the old space and I hope you enjoy this inside look.
Want to have fun with my SketchUp Shop Drawing? Download it here!
Want to catch up on my shop saga over the last few years? Check out our Shop Video Archive.
Hey Marc,
Have you thought about painting the floors and adding a finishing room? Also, with the “power-tool-nook” how are you gonna run power? I have all my big tools against the walls, and am just about out of room. I have yet to find an easy way to run power to the middle of the shop. Thanks and good luck!
I did think about getting an epoxy coating on the floor. Then I thought more about the costs and what it would actually do for me. Although it would look very nice, I am not sure it provides enough increased functionality for me to justify it. As for the power tool nook, I will just run a few 220 outlets along the wall. Any tools in the middle of the shop will simply have their cords run through the expansion gaps in the concrete with a little tape over them. Much easier than trying to drop power from the ceiling.
As for the finishing room, I sort of have one already. Im just not sure I’m going to keep it. Its a long story but its part of the patio that was turned into a room. Problem is it really doesn’t work for the house part of the equation. So that might be going away.
unless you’re looking for a certain appearance, it’s tough to justify the expense of a finished floor. although you could incorporate powermatic yellow with black and gray accents if sponsored, lol!
the only true advantage for residential is adding resale value, perhaps it’s something you can offer to sweeten the deal some day when you have a buyer lined up…that floor looks well used, lol!
Personally, I’m about to put in a cork floor in my basement work shop.
Lumber liquidators has some stuff for $1.49 sq.ft. (or $1.29 if you need 1000 sq. ft. or more). I actually thought about doing epoxy, but decided that something functional would serve my needs better.
It will make the concrete floor easier on my feet standing for a long time, and on tools and/or parts that inadvertently hit the floor. Sure, the foam mats work, but I have issues when I’m cleaning up or trying to move any of my tools on wheels.
Plus you have the other benefits – it’s acoustical so it won’t reflect sound the same way concrete does very important for my basement shop. Harvesting cork from trees doesn’t kill them – they can harvest the cork bark many times…and I know you like environmentally responsible products.
I use a paving paint that is dry in 1 hour. Keeps to cement dust in the slab instead of lifting every time a push a broom over it. Works great and is cheap.
What 3D software did you use for your shop layout? And great video. Thanks
That’s just SketchUp. You can download the program for free and I provided my working file above if you would like to take a look around. :)
If my memory serves me right, Marc had a finishing room built off the garage previously. Perhaps now he will actually get to use it as such. Great idea of putting up walls to give more storage and layout options.
How long is Nicole going to remind you that she never got to park in the garage at either of your houses? ;-)
Looking forward to the rest of the shop journal videos for the old-new shop.
You know, the irony of it is that at our new house, she still won’t be parking in the garage. The truth is, we now have a circle drive and she likes parking in front of the house. So now that she CAN park in the garage, she prefers not to. But you can bet my truck will be in there!
Great video Marc, on the new walls how do you plan to finish them out? Just drywall, or do you have something else planned like Ply with the french cleats on it?
I will most likely use the t&g pine sheets like i have in the shop now. Makes it look like a real wood shop and gives me something nice to screw stuff into.
I’m just now able to compose myself. I’ve been sobbing non-stop at your pain of dealing with such a large space. It just tears me up seeing you in SO much pain. ILUM!! LOL! Seriously, nice approach going back into the old space. As you know, I have a big dividing wall in my shop. It adds a lot of functionality.
Your going to have to call your buddy up and tell him that he was just storeing the torsion box-bench for you and you want it back now. ha ha cant wait to see the new one you build.
Marc,
Have you considered using t$g for a floor in the wood shop. many of the old timers like Ttaig Fried found it easier on their feet. Or will your just wear walking shoes? LOL
It crossed my mind, but I decided against it. That’s a lot of area to cover and I just don’t think its worth the effort for me. I have rubber mats at every work station and that really does the trick for those long days. Wood floors would indeed be nice, but this doesn’t feel like the right place for it.
I bought a cheap pair of gel insoles at CVS for like ten or twelve dollars maybe two months ago. WOW, I can’t imagine not having them. I work in a basement standing on concrete all day. What a difference, and it’s a cheap enough thing try. They feel a little funny at first, but they really do make a huge difference.
Two planers? Or is one your drum sander?
The SketchUp drawing has some place-holders since the tool set I used didn’t have everything. So the extra planer is just a place holder for the drum sander.
Also; no natural light near the hand-tool arena?
There will actually be plenty of natural light coming in the windows now. Also, the garage door is right there next to the hand tool area should I need any extra. But the lighting in that shop is pretty darn good anyway, even without the light from the windows. I set it up so that I could film at night without a noticeable difference in the videos.
I look forward to seeing the new-old workshop take “evolving.” The old shop certainly was a, how shall I say — hodgepodge, mishmash, mess? Or put another way, it looked like mine but with a lot more stuff.
Sorry you can’t well the house but you certainly will maybe we’ll get some some good ideas of do-overs done right.
Maybe I’ll get to see it again one of these days in its new glory…
BTW, some people up the street from us in Oakton moved here from Phoenix several years ago and still haven’t sold their house. One of our sons was renting in a nice house in Las Vegas that was so far underwater I think the owner almost drowned. Hopefully the housing crunch will soon come to an end. Glad you can roll with it for a while.
If you’re ever in town Jim, let me know. Would love to have you stop by!
Downloaded the SU model…and it was a bit creepy. Like I was sneaking around your house. Weird.
Anyway, happy to see the new shop in the works. Now paint those walls! :)
Wow, how exciting. I was curious if you had thought to leave any of your less used tools (lathe) at your new house 3-car garage shop to save on space in your old-new shop. I know moving that lathe (even if you hire help) is not the easiest task. Can’t wait for more videos!
I am just hoping I can fit everything with no problem. While I won’t be leaving it behind, I might try to find an alternative place for it in the new old shop if space becomes an issue.
Have you ever thought of raising the floor like they do in some computer filled spaces. You could use some 8″ joists and cover it with cheap underlayment and leave access panels at key locations (just in the power tool area).With this setup you could run dust collection in the floor and connect it to each machine without cumbersome hoses hanging down all over the shop. You could also run electricity in the floor and not have to worry about cords lying all over the floor. The wood would be easy on your feet and you certaintly have a high enough ceiling for this application, which could easily be removed at a later date if you move.
Certainly an interesting option, but its a bit more time/effort/expense than I want for this space.
In the end of that video it looks like the one bay that’s going to be used for your parents car isn’t going to use the entire ceiling height. Have thought of using the above-the-car-space for storage? We all need a lot of storage space right.
/A
If I wind up needing the extra storage space, I just may wind up having to go vertical.
Marc,
In one of your earlier videos you blew the shop out with a leaf blower. Do you think it will be harder to do that with the big power tools being in the back of the shop instead of closer to the garage door?
No not really. In fact, it might even be a little easier now. Not because of the location of the tools, but because the new wall helps create more of a narrow “corridor”. Truthfully though, I don’t have my big fan anymore so I might not do the blow out anymore. That was a big part of the process and I really need extra help pulling the dust out of the shop. So maybe I’ll just rely in my step-dad and his sweet shopvac skills from here on out. :)
Marc probably a bit late but wouldn’t it have been an idea to put in roof joists above you car parking space instead of the steel bars? This would have stabilised the walls & also have created a mezzanine floor for storage as you seem to have a very high ceiling
Just a thought after all storage is like clamps ….you never have enough
Best
Trevor
wow, 6 car spaces of shop floor between two houses! I’m jealous, very jealous since I’m stuck a temporary two car area. I was wondering why the dust collector would be going back in the same spot and not closer to the “machine nook”. Must have something to do with the exterior layout of the house…
After this move you may be able to add a new section to your website…professional shop setup guru! Need help with your shop setup? Just call Majha Markie!!
Good luck and have fun…
haha I am definitely becoming “experienced” in that area huh?
And yes you are right about the dust collector. Its a noise factor mostly.
I have an area similar to you I think, but I separated all the machinery to one room, and have a separate assembly area. Mainly to keep the noise and dust down in the area I spend most of my time in. Have you considered doing this? Its also great when the machine shop is messy, I just close the door and forget all the cleaning I should be doing.
Marc,
Seems like this would be a good opportunity to build a new bench to go with the “new” shop. I have built two and after working on a B&D workmate for years that were excellent upgrades. I remember that you have mentioned several times the short comings in your current bench, now might be the right time for an upgrade.
Best of luck and can’t wait to see the finished space.
Regards, Josh
Dang, this is the most exciting part. But also the scariest because the doubt can creep in that you’re missing an opportunity or a major component.
Are you recirculating your dust collection air or discharging it? What about on 110 degree days? Are you taking make-up air from outside? If so, can the AC handle it? Looks awesome so far…definitely will keep up w/ your build!
I already went through an entire summer with the DC exhausting outside. Frankly, it never made a detectable difference in the temperature of the room. So I plan on doing the same thing. Much nicer than dealing with filters and recirculated air.
And you are totally right about second guessing yourself. But nothing is in stone so I can always make changes down the road.
After seeing this video I kind of have mixed feelings. I am looking forward to the shop jounal updates and see the shop transform, yet I do feel for you 2 with this real estate stuff. Good luck with everything.
OK, three words…. “chroma key wall”…. oh what fun you can add to your vids….maybe the new wall over the garage door…lol
Hey Marc,
Noticed the Jet planer/combo in the opening shot… what’s up with that? I have it too. I don’t remember you ever mentioning it before.
One more thing, it looks like the new partition wall is pretty close to the garage door… will there be room for the doors of the parked car to open?
That was from when I first moved into the new house. I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to setup all of my tools. So I had the jointer/planer there so I could at least get some work done. As it turns out, I never had to make use of it. And yes, there is enough room for the car. Its basically a single space carport now.
The Jet combo you never used…wouldn’t have worked anyway. I went through 3 of them and gave up…impossible to get coplanar tables.
Hi Marc,
Moving a shop twice? You are quite the glutton for punishment. :@)
I’m sure you’re not at this point yet, but after looking at your SketchUp model of your shop, I’d consider putting your jointer and planer where you have your lathe. If you think about how you are going to be milling lumber, you’re going to have to move a board from the rack to your SCMS to cut it to rough length, then walk around the tablesaw to joint/plane it, then back to the tablesaw again to rip it to final width. It’s better to line the machines up so that it matches your workflow, so you can just go down that wall to mill a board.
I love Nicole’s comment, by the way. My shop is small enough so that it could fit into the area you walled off where your parents will park their car.
Yeah I think I’m sick in the head Wilbur! Interesting thoughts. I guess everyone has their own personal workflow and approach to each machine. For me, I typically do my rough cutting, then I head back to the bench or the assembly table. I typically take that time to reevaluate my parts before milling to final size. So as long as my joiner, planer and drum sander are near one another, I consider that “efficient enough”. Also, I like to approach my planer from the right side and my drum sander from the left side. So it can be a little tricky to get the arrangement just right. The tools are easy enough to move so I’ll be playing with the arrangement for quite some time before committing. The sketchup drawing is just a ballpark idea. Appreciate your thoughts on the subject.
hi mark .
love the new old shop.
i would have made the partition wall different . i would have made it a wall of cupboards so that the space wasnt wasted.
i would have created small area (maybe 3 feet deep ) inside the door behind the stud wall. i would use this for the compressor and cyclone etc
i would now put in a mezzinine space for storing lesser used tools and accesories.
Hey Marc,
Have fun building the new/old shop! I don’t know if someone has awnsered this question but I will ask it anyway. I am pretty new to sketchup how do you put the fillers in place of the tools? Where is the tab for filler pieces?
Thanks a milliion,
Alan
I’ll stick my nose in here if that’s Ok, Alan. The tools are a set of components that you can get from the SketchUp 3D Warehouse. You just import them into your model and move them around as you like. The easiest way to get them would be to download Marc’s model and go from there.
Thanks Aaron!
Isn’t the housing crash great! I am excited to watch what you do with the new shop. My wife is pregnant again, so I am on hold and will be re-doing my shop over then next year or two once the baby gets integrated in! So I am looking for ideas. Thanks for sharing!
Oh and those steal supports are curious looking try and get more footage of those!
Mark
Hi Marc,
So glad to see this new old workshop starting to come together at last. With the hind sight of having a shop here before you should have a better set up than the first time. Hope you are in it producing masterpieces very soon.
Thanks,
Donnie
i feel your pain i moved my shop and family from calif. to here in phoenix about 8 months ago 28 foot truck and 600 miles later. went from a 1200 square foot shop to a 2 car garage (ouch). anyway i had my floor epoxy painted did it my self you can buy it in 5 gallon buckets by bear paint made cleaning up dust very easy with a dust mop and if you use a bright color it reflects light better than plain concrete. need help moving your tools? i have some spare time coming up
Hi Marc
Just a small not to tell you about a small problem I have encountered using your site. I recently downloaded a new version of Internet explorer (9) but I cant see the videos on your site when using it so can you tell me what codecs I need? Thankfully your site still works with Firefox.
Hey Mark. IE9 is still in beta so you might confront some bugs. It might be worth doing a few Google searches to find out what other beta testers are saying. Here’s one such article I found:
http://www.webtlk.com/2011/02/.....va-applet/
Marc,
I don’t have anything to add…I know you think through “most” everything before you step into action. I appreciate the site, and hope to get some ideas for my shop. (A little 12×23 section of the basement.) I’ve been wanting to “fix it up” for years…work, money (lack there of), and time (now with 2 beautiful children) has kept it at bay and only a dream. (I have many tools, some still unopened, (FROM 4 YEARS AGO! pathetic, I know) So I may just try to live vicariously through your experience so it feels like I am actually getting something done. (if you don’t mind)
Thanks Marc!
Jerry,
You’re not alone. I’ve got you beat. Some tools have depreciated in the boxes they came in. I resolved to not think about it, just do it. Building a multifunction bench for assembly, support for table saw when running a large sheetgood, and my compound miter saw. Everything else takes priority, like all this $%^^@%% snow. Got two sections framed. That feels good. When that is done I assemble my drill press, jointer, and make some big mistakes with all that scrap material laying everywhere in my shop. Just give yourself an hour to put it together. After its done your other work efforts/repairs can be done faster?
DocSavage45
Hey Doc,
I know what you mean….Just do it. In 2009 I took a class with a friend for a week and we each built a work bench. (I finally moved it into the workshop about a month ago. I love it by the way) But now it sits in the middle of the mess, instead of my original plan of rearranging the shop and building some cabinets. (The exact layout of the “new and improved” shop is somewhat of the cause for taking about 18 months to actually bring it in the shop.) So I finally just did it. I may need to take it out when I actually decide on the layout, but now I at least get to benefits of having a “real” bench. Next on my list is to restore a 1946 Unisaw…basically replace all the bearings and save up for a new fence system. And while I’m doing that refurbishing a 1950 Delta heavy duty lathe with all new bearings as well. Then I need to figure out how to use a VFD to generate the third leg of power…it has a 3/4 hp 3ph motor. (The list goes on…and not just for the workshop. About 5 years ago I bought a wooden kayak kit. It still sits in my garage.)
The snow, snowmagedon you must be referring to…The way I see it, it’s almost March, only 2 more months of winter.
Jerry
Very interesting.
Is your layout final, or is still a work in progress?
I’m looking forward to seeing actual footage of the layout once you move in!!
Jerry….An idea? Your friend and you both built benches? I use to have a friend alternate with me so we could combine our time and energy. I would spend a day helping him with his task list and he would do the same. For the most part it worked well because two is exponentialy (sp?) more efficient, Got my shop/barn rebuilt that way. The other thing I am doing is making the individual task the most important thing. Does not seem so overwhelming? I have also decided to not add to the list. LOL, Like yesterday…had to remove snow from roof/fix the cable, etc..and I was going to finish framing the bench! Oh yeah it’s snowing AGAIN!
Doc,
I love the idea of helping each other out. We do live about 90 minutes apart, but when we are talking about the progress that could be made with help…way worth the drive. Never hurts to ask. Right?
Good luck with the snow…remember, lift with your legs, not your back!?! (And when you have time, have fun with the framing of the bench.)
Jerry S
Jerry,
Thanks for the good wishes. When my friend would come and help it was at times a clip from the three stooges movie. We just had to discuss what we were going to do before we did it. Ever try to hang trim on the edge of a roof by yourself? Oh yeah, being up on a ladder and having forgotten a tool? Lots of wasted time. Remember this “don’yt get mad, the problem is fixable, the friendship is harder to repair.” LOL
DocSavage45
update: Got the bench built. Put a wood vise on it that sat in a box for many years. I can see why good vises cost so much.LOL Interesting how it accumulates stuff???
Sorry that the house didn’t sell but I’m glad that you get your space back.
Someday when I grow up I hope to have wide open space to work in.
Looking forward to more updates.
Have a good day.
Marc,
Yes! Very exciting! Enjoyed your exclusive vids on Powermatic too.
Two things:
1) with the DC at the front of shop that’s a long a$$ run to “Power Tool Cove” (ooooo I kinda like that name) are u gonna lose any CFM? Just always heard, short a run as possible.
2) the chroma key wall is actually a pretty good idea. A gallon of the stuff is only bout $25-$30. I think I got mine from b&h for my small vid studio at Intel in Chandler. What I learned was don’t just paint the wall but also the floor in front about 6 feet out. You can do full body shots. Which the chicks really dig :). It’s gotta be very even for good keying. Even textured wall can throw it off. So just primed drywall is best. Also with your space, and ceiling you can really take advantage of flying your lighting up off the floor and a chase controller. Makes setting up super quick and would make filming ready to go with minimal setup. But going green screen all times is overkill, so a retractable backdrop would seal the deal and give u options. Backdrops are dirt cheap and I just use a 10′ 1/2″ electrical conduit for the curtain rod. Runs about $4 at BORG store. And king size sheets for $10 at wallymart make greed backdrops. If u wanted to still Want tools hanging behind u as a backdrop a 8×6 panel on casters does the trick. Hell, you could also paint the mobile panel chroma and put backdrop on it.
Hey Cliff. I am considering moving the dust collection back a bit. There are other logistical house-related reasons why I can’t go back too far, but obviously the closer it gets to the tools the better. So we’ll have to see what I can pull off once I’m in the space.
Marc,
Dude! Put that DC out on the patio aka spray booth aka lumber storage aka miter saw setup aka “you got too much room to work with”, and punch a hole in the wall and get the db’s down in the shop and outta da’ way!
And I was serious about what I said about the green screen with backdrops. You would have a total blast with what you can key out and key in. Imagine, sitting cross legged on the floor in a kilt cutting dovetails by hand in a picture perfect scottish highland meadow while Nicole brings you a frothy stein of freshly brewed honey mead.
Hey Marc,
Thanks for sharing, always good to see a shop set up.
What a great opportunity to set up… again…
Dan
Hi Marc, started watching your video’s some 6 months ago, and found them so entertaining that i have not had time to do any woodworking, having retired from the steel construction, I was looking for a hobby with a bit of a challenge, I have learnt a great deal, especially in techniques, you also uncover your errors which makes this more human. fantastic, it shows that even professionals can get it wrong, many thanks,
Ron, Liverpool Uk.
Marc why all shops are poorly decorated and are all the same?, why a workshop has to be messy? I’ve never seen a modern workshop, with lots of color, pleasant to work, why, Greetings.
Hmm good question. Probably because with all the dust, no one wants to take the time to make them look attractive….
Hey Guys,
Did some reading while reconstructing the walls and floors of my little barn. Color will affect the light on the project. The additional windows is a great idea for two reasons. 1. More wide spectrum light. 2. Free lighting! For security reasons I did not put windows on the street side of my shop. So I have less light coming in. Using both white and bright as well as soft light bulbs in my light fixtures. But I am guessing Marc has more sunlight than he needs in Arizona. LOL
DocSavage45 :)
It almost makes me cry seeing all the unused Festool hardware lying around during your video tour of the old shop space.
I would love to have a second dust extractor or a Sysport and there they are unused and just collecting dust.
How about some kind of contest and then give your unused Festool stuff away. I bet there are a lot of us that could put the stuff to very good use.
Thank
Greg Powers
Hey Greg. Just because its in the old shop space doesn’t mean its “unused”. I’m moving my shop there in a few weeks and those are the things I don’t need right now that I was able to send over ahead of time.
Paint the floor, the refelected light will brighten up the place more then you can imagine, from dim cave to light and airy with the same light, the surface can become slipery if wet so some anti- skid added to the paint should prevent that
Dude, time for another video update.
+1 for update. cant wait
Marc -
definitely love the big space – very jealous.
I’m wanting to do the wood floor with T&G plywood over 2×4 sleepers which allow to run power in the floor+ prevent that freshly sharpened chisel from hitting the concrete. Much like the butter side down toast problem… I never drop a dull tool.
Just a general question – what is with the super tall garage doors? Someone parking RV’s in the Garage? Just seems odd for general residential stuff.
Cheers
Dave
Yup, the original owner had an RV.
+3rd the video update its been a couple of weeks
I’ll have an update as soon as there is something to update you with. :) The windows are done but I don’t want to put up a 2 minute video showing you windows. So as soon as the move gets underway, I’ll put up an update for you guys.
Hi Marc and Nicole!!! You’re not alone when it comes to not being able to sell your home. My Grandparents own a beautiful home out in Carefree (Outside of Phoenix) and they too have been having a difficult time selling theirs. I think the bigger homes are a little more trickier to sell in this market right now…but it’ll happen when it’s meant to happen. Wishing you all the best in your New-Old shop!!! I bet it’s going to be nice getting a fresh start without all the tools being in there to make it difficult. The walls and windows are coming out nice and I think making the separations are going to be great for tool storage for you!!! Have fun and thanks for the videos, always fun and great way to learn new ideas. Happy Woodworking!!!
Marc -
Well … here’s my 2-cents …
Think about lining up most of your tools that work over stationery wood … CMS, Moritsing machine, RAS, drill press. I don’t think that you have a RAS … but you get the idea. I have those four machines lined-up in my shop on one wall … all based on one back fence (fence on the Mortiser and the RAS are adjustable if needed).
In addition, I have most of the machines that get wood fed through them … out in the middle.
Of course, most woodworkers think that their shop setup makes the most sense. And I’m no different!
Chester
Hey mark!!
Nice looking shop. I’m moving my shop from OH to GA so I’m doing the same thing you did. And hey I didn’t see that jet jointer/planer
before, I’m thinking of getting the same one how do you like it? But don’t compare to your powermatic.
I would recommend against it. It doesn’t really work very well.
whats the best way to ground a new dust collection system
Plug it in. :)
Actually, I don’t ground my ductwork. I don’t receive static shocks because of the placement and I don’t really believe there is a huge risk in an ungrounded system. I know some folks will run copper wire inside the ductwork as a ground though.
Hi Marc,
I’m from Qu