Television and radio commercials have usually been starting with something along the lines of “in these troubling times”, and, while true, they can be annoying and probably an unpleasant reminder of the not-so-cool predicament we find ourselves in. However, this pesky pandemic has changed much of our habits or even completely turned our whole lives around, new hobbies have been adopted and some of them transitioned from hobby to an actual occupation. If you’re reading this, then you know exactly what I’m talking about: woodworking. Maybe you got into it out of boredom and, luckily, you had some woodworking tools at your disposal; now you’ve grown to love it and are looking to have your own shop to make whatever your heart desires. If you’re looking for tips, you’ve come to the right place.
Air Filtration System
A person is only as good as their health, which means that the absolute first thing you should think about putting in your idealized woodworking shop is an air filtration system. Working on and with wood creates a lot of incredibly thin dust which, in addition to being a health hazard in and of itself, may contain dangerous pollutants. A shop air filtration system is primarily for safety reasons, but it also functions as a workshop facilitator since it would be pretty hard to concentrate on what you’re doing with dust everywhere.
If an air filtration system doesn’t suit you or fit within your budget, we recommend using face masks and protective glasses to avoid inhaling any major airborne debris, albeit less successfully.
Size and Layout
Working wood requires a lot of space and proper organization. To begin, the ideal size for a shop is up to debate, there’s no straight answer because every shop is different and depends on the individual needs and objectives of its owner. However, if you don’t have much space to manage, the bare minimum should be a 75 square foot room. It all depends on the number of tools you’re going to have around and their respective sizes as well as the materials, which brings us to the next point. Aside from the main workshop space, we heavily recommend having an additional, smaller room dedicated exclusively to the storage, because - and this only applies if you’re serious about this, which you are - you’re going to be moving around a lot with plenty of material. And this absolutely mandatory “moving around” we’re mentioning can only happen if you manage your space successfully. Drawing a blueprint of the room with all the tools incorporated is the ideal facilitator of space management, you should always be aware of how much wiggle room you have. Also, consider larger doors and windows than those you have at home.
Cleaning Dust
We’ve finally arrived at the fun part: cleaning! Having your workspace consistently clean is a priority, you need to make sure no dust sits on your tools for too long and especially while they’re working. Dust is a health hazard for you and your tools. So, make sure you keep everything clean from the most obscure corner to yourself. This means that you’re going to have to get rid of the dust right at its origin: the woodworking machines. To make the cleaning process easier and less dreadful in prospect, you should consider acquiring a dust collection system which you can attach to the machines so that the produced dust goes directly into the central dust collector instead of the ground or your other machines.
Lighting
Efficient working requires efficient lighting - in order to see exactly what you’re doing, not make mistakes that can be traced back to you, and, most importantly, not harm yourself in the process, you need to keep the entirety of your shop well lit. You should consider ceiling lights and individual or portable lamps that you can adjust depending on the task at hand. Everything is better if you see absolutely everything.
Final Touches
With your new woodworking shop up and running, there’s one last thing to keep in mind: safety. Make sure you always, without exception, use protective glasses, as wood can become dangerous especially when being tampered with. Gloves may be equally important, your hands are the driving force of your woodworking, and keeping them protected will go a long way. Earmuffs are optional but still needed, its use depends entirely on the noise produced by the machines, some are loud and some are deafening. Regarding safety, the last but not less important things we recommend are: always read the instructions, be focused, practice, keep everything dry, remember to unplug machines, keep a fire extinguisher in the shop, and lastly, be confident!
From this point on, you’re ready for woodworking and woodworking is ready for you.
That’s it from us, we hope this guide was helpful and if you need anything else, just read this article again!
