www.KitGuitarsForum.com

I have been one of those people that has complained about, and been limited by, space. I am a homeowner, but it's not like I was able to "build" a full shop in the house or adjacent to it.

Our basement has a utility area that had a big workbench in it, next to a washer, dryer and a shower. I built my first two guitars there.

Here it is.



It worked out ok, because it had to, but it was far from adequate.

Around the corner from this space, was a big room. In the far corner of it, ever since we first moved in, 8 years ago, has been my "office." But in reality, it's been more like a "mound." My junk was starting to get piled there. And on the near side of the mound was my 8-yr-old son's "area." Another mound.

Well, it took a lot of planning and shuffling stuff around, and a yard sale or two. But I've finally got it configured in a way that I can be happy with. Last summer, I did some 3-D drawings to see if I could make it work, with furniture I already had or could make, for free.





This would be my assembly/setup/french polish area. I also wanted play music in there and listen to tunes.

My son's mound was completely extracted. Then I built a wall across the basement and put an antique door in the wall. I put a vapor barrier on the studs before hanging drywall. I did all this in December. I put the drywall on and hung the door last week. (If I could do this, anybody can do it.)

Here's the outside now.



And here's the door, looking into the office/shop:



Views of the four walls:









(I wasn't planning on having the power tools be in there, they have just been sitting there temporarily so I could clean them up. btw, that POS ryobi saw is leaving my life soon, and forever!)

And out in the garage I have another area for sawdust making stuff:



It was getting to the point where there would be days when I didn't feel like working on anything, because I would have to shuffle too much stuff around in order to even work on it. I still don't have much space, but it feels good to have carved out this small one.

I have a heater in there, as well as a small humidifier. In the spring I'll be getting a dehumidifier, and we'll see how that whole struggle goes. Before, the basement could feel so drafty, 15 degrees or more cooler than the upstairs, but installing the wall, even without insulation, has helped out in that regard, tons.

Pretty cool! When I get the exterminator to come to lay down some mother-in-law traps and finally eradicate the mother-in-law infestation in my basement, we plan to make most of the basement a play area for my two boys. I will then have an extra room in which to do my guitar making. I suspect humidity will be an issue, but so far my mother in law has not become covered in mold or mildew so I think it might be OK down there for a guitar or two.

Martin,
That is so great!!! Good for you!
It is nice to be able to go out to the "shop" and just start working.
I still have to share my guitar making with my knife making shop. The interest after 21 years is leaning more toward the guitar making, so I may be changing things in the shop so I can do that. Right now, I set up portable work tables to do most of the guitaring.....but it is pretty quick to do.
I wish I had a space other than my garage to do all this in too.
Yours looks great.

Kevin

Thanks, guys.

Looking good Martin!