For some time, undertaking projects have been weather permitting – usually on the rickety back-deck table in the sun, or on the garage floor if rain was lashing down.
Invariably it meant constant trips to the cupboard where the tools were kept, a huge effort putting them all away and the inability to walk away and leave things for another day in a state of creative limbo.
It was inescapable. We need a ‘workshop’.
Why spend money and time on something that in itself is nothing more then a potential place to create things?
- For a start the old adage ‘a place for everything and everything in its place’ is still true. The common thread that unites a professional kitchen, an operating theatre, or a local car repair shop is that a space is set aside to do a specific task and all the tools are at hand. Once this has been achieved whatever I set out to make, repair or take apart is likely to be easier. Well that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.A workshop minimises the obstacles to creativity and enables the path from imagination to completion.
- As well as being a practical solution it just as importantly has a psychological bonus. If my creative environment feels right chances are I’ll be successful.
- There is only so long I can get by holding odd-shape objects while I drill into them, or saw them risking my fingers. A workshop means a bench and a bench means a vice which transforms the simplest tasks. Lighting can be fixed so I’ll never again be guessing where to drill a hole. Power can be at hand so I’ll never again be sharing one socket for six items. See where I’m going with this?
From the outset there is no competition when it comes to a workshop – it can be as big or small as I wish, as well stocked with tools as I like or can afford. I’ve seen them all – from modest ones to the kind of monsters that could churn out a spacecraft. I have back end of a double-garage that has my name on it.
Our inspiration lay dormant following a visit to a chap in Te Aroha a while back. He had a triple garage with one third dedicated to the workshop. It had a home-made walk-around bench with what can best be described as a suspended contraption over it, much like a Victorian kitchen, which housed an assortment of lengths of timber and carried the lighting. The walls were decorated with shelves filled with audio and testing gear in various states of repair and tools lay ready to use in all directions.
The workshop was notable not for any particular project but for its overwhelming sense of purpose, namely to make or fix things. It invited you in and reassured you that whatever you had in mind could be achieved within its space. And that’s what we’ll set out to achieve, in our own way.
We need somewhere to be creative independent of the weather. The weather is not just about rain, sleet and snow (not much of the later in Auckland, fair chop) but light. Above all we need somewhere to be inspired and reassured that no matter what mad idea we came up with (and we have a few), it would have its best chance of success because it was ‘made in the workshop’.
You’ve had enough of aching knees while you drill bits of wood and you’ve accidentally left one too many saw marks on the deck table for comfort. That’s it. Enough. Time to build a workshop.
From the outset be assured whatever you come up with will be an improvement on not having one. It’s not a competition. You can’t get it utterly wrong.
What works for you is all that matters. There will always be better workshops. Maybe the person down the road has one – you’ve seen it in their garage lit up at night as you walk past with the dog. Be inspired, maybe even a little envious, then put it out of your mind.
Fit for Purpose
Let’s take a simple look at what’s needed to maximise your creative and productive space. Let’s assume your needs are simple enough.
- You want to drill and cut materials straight and safely.
- You want to glue or paint things and not have them move while drying.
- You want to take things apart to fix them and not lose the parts.
- You want to store your tools and hardware and have them easily accessible, and know when they are not where they should be.
- You want to keep your knees off the ground.
- Above all you want to create a workshop on a budget and do it yourself.
Finding the location for your workbench
First, identify the space where your workshop will be.
The Garage?
In most cases the obvious solution is the garage. Most Kiwi garages have enough space for a modest workshop – even the single car ones. Usually this will be at the end wall. You can get by on a modest bench depth – even 600mm is usable. The space needs to be dry and ideally damp-free. Tools and electrics don’t like the damp. Basements are another option, but again damp-free is advised.
The Garden Shed?
If you have no garage or basement maybe consider the shed. No shed? If you have the garden space maybe consider buying a small shed (or yes you could build one, but that’s another project all together)! Size-wise you can get away with quite a small space. The main requirement is to be able to stand up in it. Even a 2m x 2m shed can provide enough space for a couple of benches with access through the middle.
The Carport?
Carports are not ideal for workshops as they are not enclosed and so not fully weatherproof. If it’s your only option then maybe consider it as a fair-weather workshop (OK for rainy days but not suited for winter work, and not suitable for tool storage). You could have outdoor power but this requires water-proof sockets which need to be wired in by a qualified electrician.
Commonsense should prevail: whatever your solution, don’t box yourself in.
Or, if you really don’t have enough room to rotate a moggie (not advised under any circumstances) accept there are certain jobs you won’t be able to do. You need room to move around and not trip over anything. Workshops should be fun, not dangerous.
Read here about the next step – Building a Workshop
