Popular Woodworking 2006-10 № 157, страница 38

In woodworker Doug Matthews' two-car garage, the walls have been significantly reworked to provide a more comfortable shop. To gain more natural light and to avoid dealing with a garage door track attached to the ceiling, the garage door has been replaced with a pair of slid-ing-glass doors. This door option still leaves ample room for moving materials and projects in and out. Windows (that open for fresh air) have been added on two walls. Also notice the wood subfloor that has been installed. This helps level out an uneven floor and makes standing in the shop all day much easier on the feet.

Jon Magill's converted garage shop above shows the best of both shop and garage worlds. This three-car garage has similar space issues to the one-car garage at far left, but leaves much more room to move around. Multiple machines can be used at one time, rather than one at a time. The garage doors can be opened to bring in fresh air and light, or closed during cool or rainy months. All of the machinery is on mobile bases and collapsible horses. In 20 minutes, two cars can be parked out of the elements by storing the woodworking equipment in the third bay.

during inclement weather. As to lumber and sheet goods, if you have the room to store them, great. If not, buy for one project at a time.

As I mentioned earlier, you do have an issue with the track system for the garage door, especially if you've added ambient lighting to your ceiling. The door needs to clear that lighting when open, and you need to be able to work without that lighting when the door is blocking those lights. In a perfect world, a two-car garage maintains one garage door and the second door is replaced with sliding glass or carriage doors.

As mentioned in the basement section, climate control and electrical supply can add a challenge to a garage shop. Most garages aren't heated and even fewer are cooled. Most woodworkers opt for heating their shops with space heaters or even small wood-burning stoves (a great option for making use of your wood scraps). Either will take the chill off, but you need to make sure your heating option is safe and that there is no risk of fire.

As for cooling, most woodworkers opt for a T-shirt, a pair of shorts and a couple of well-placed fans.

For power, most garages have a minimum service (a single 15-amp breaker) supplied. This is sufficient for running a single bulb and the garage door opener, but when you start running a planer or table saw, it's just not enough. Consider running a separate sub-panel with four 20-amp breakers and the option of one or two dedicated 220-volt breakers. Once the sub-panel is in place you can split the power off to wherever it's most convenient. This is extra work, but well worth the time and expense.

Lighting in a garage shop is the same as in a basement shop: general ambient lighting throughout, with task lighting over the most commonly used spaces.

I mentioned security and noise as issues with the basement shop. If you're in a garage shop that is visible from the street, you can't help but let the neighbors and the casual observer know you have tools and machinery around. We're not worried about neighbors borrowing tools (though that's an issue

in its own right), but rather with theft. Improving the locks on any exterior doors is a worthwhile precaution.

Then there's the noise issue. Make friends with your neighbors and remember to be courteous with your woodworking activities. Planing 12"-wide boards at 7 a.m. on a Saturday will not make you any friends.

And even though you're in the garage, dust and smells can still get you in trouble. At the very least, make sure you've got a good floor mat leading into the house to remove some of the dust from your shoes. If possible, add a second door and buffer space to keep things cleaner in the house. Fumes? Just try to be considerate.

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