South VA,
Your garage plan is really shaping up nicely. You've laid it out so clearly that I was
able to virtually move in & check it out against my personal workflow. :0)
Anyway, based upon working on multiple projects in varying spaces over the years,
here's a couple of 'Quality of Workshop Life' thoughts to consider:
1) Windows. They seem like such a luxury, but for me about midway through a long
winter season (when all the doors must be closed) if I'm working in a sightless box
it gets harder to drag myself out to the shop & make some progress? On the other hand,
if there's a window to see out it makes a huge mental difference/feel for yours truly.
It also makes the space feel much larger than it is. (Check out @BuiltToWork 's shed
in reply #7 to see what I'm talking about.) This could be a personal weakness of mine,
but a window in the sightline of where you are going to spend the majority of your time
will really make the place a 'get to be' instead of a 'got to be' space. (I'm thinking of one
on the back wall in addition to the ones of the side walls?)
2) Sound. If you are working in a shared commercial space with several coworkers the normal
din is something that's out of your control. But working in your own space you get to make
as much or as little noise as you wish. When I'm making real noise I always insert the earplugs
and/or earmuffs. But when I power through whatever & now I need to stop and think about
the next step of the project, it is really nice to be able to remove the hearing protection and
be greeted with quality silence.
This is why I so appreciate the latest generation of LEDs that deliver quality light AND are
*quiet*...especially when compared to the nonstop 60Hz buzzzzzzz from many fluorescent lights.
A 2-speed 36" exhaust fan (giving you up to 10,000 cfm on high speed if needed) running on
low speed is 10x less irritating to listen to than a 24" exhaust fan on high...all day.
And isolating the air compressor in a small external lean-to is a huge improvement in day-to-day
overall quality of the workshop experience. I know that they only make noise when they are
running...but the constant wondering if the machine is going to start up & startle you gets old.
(I know, we all think that we get used to the sound of intermittent compressor activity...but the
first time you work with the compressor in a different room/outside lean-to it's a game changer. :0)
The shop radio. Some mechanics prefer no music or talk radio in their shop. And when I'm working
tight on a problem with another I'm in that camp. On the other hand, if I have a few hours of solo
detail-oriented tedium in front of me, then a decent sound source really helps. Not concert quality,
or that spendy...but clear & clean enough that I don't have to turn it up in order to follow someone in a
technical video, or enjoy a Pandora music feed, if you are picking up what I'm putting down.
Your garage plan is really shaping up nicely. You've laid it out so clearly that I was
able to virtually move in & check it out against my personal workflow. :0)
Anyway, based upon working on multiple projects in varying spaces over the years,
here's a couple of 'Quality of Workshop Life' thoughts to consider:
1) Windows. They seem like such a luxury, but for me about midway through a long
winter season (when all the doors must be closed) if I'm working in a sightless box
it gets harder to drag myself out to the shop & make some progress? On the other hand,
if there's a window to see out it makes a huge mental difference/feel for yours truly.
It also makes the space feel much larger than it is. (Check out @BuiltToWork 's shed
in reply #7 to see what I'm talking about.) This could be a personal weakness of mine,
but a window in the sightline of where you are going to spend the majority of your time
will really make the place a 'get to be' instead of a 'got to be' space. (I'm thinking of one
on the back wall in addition to the ones of the side walls?)
2) Sound. If you are working in a shared commercial space with several coworkers the normal
din is something that's out of your control. But working in your own space you get to make
as much or as little noise as you wish. When I'm making real noise I always insert the earplugs
and/or earmuffs. But when I power through whatever & now I need to stop and think about
the next step of the project, it is really nice to be able to remove the hearing protection and
be greeted with quality silence.
This is why I so appreciate the latest generation of LEDs that deliver quality light AND are
*quiet*...especially when compared to the nonstop 60Hz buzzzzzzz from many fluorescent lights.
A 2-speed 36" exhaust fan (giving you up to 10,000 cfm on high speed if needed) running on
low speed is 10x less irritating to listen to than a 24" exhaust fan on high...all day.
And isolating the air compressor in a small external lean-to is a huge improvement in day-to-day
overall quality of the workshop experience. I know that they only make noise when they are
running...but the constant wondering if the machine is going to start up & startle you gets old.
(I know, we all think that we get used to the sound of intermittent compressor activity...but the
first time you work with the compressor in a different room/outside lean-to it's a game changer. :0)
The shop radio. Some mechanics prefer no music or talk radio in their shop. And when I'm working
tight on a problem with another I'm in that camp. On the other hand, if I have a few hours of solo
detail-oriented tedium in front of me, then a decent sound source really helps. Not concert quality,
or that spendy...but clear & clean enough that I don't have to turn it up in order to follow someone in a
technical video, or enjoy a Pandora music feed, if you are picking up what I'm putting down.
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