2 Car Garage...Woodworking and Cars?

[GFarra]

Hi Everyone,

Is it possible to create 2 separate working environments in a 2 car garage for 1) working on my car, and 2) woodworking......I still want to be able to park my cars in there!

I didn't want to put up any walls in the garage....woodworking creates alot of dust....which doesn't go well with car stuff...perhaps I can use a barrier such as screening or those plastic drape things you see at the butcher shops.

How many of you have mutli-functional garages...tell me what things are shared in the same space....I need some ideas to create a space where 2 unrealted things can live together

The garage is 20x18 with a single rollup door.

Thanks,

George

[bmwtinut]

Your best bet would be to have all your tools on carts that can rollout of the way and have a good dust collection system. The dust collection system will really cut down on the amount of dust. Check out the website for WOOD magazine. They have several shop tours on the site that show how to set up a woodshop for multi use. Also check out the woodworking forums on the AugustHome Publishing website. There are many people that have dual purpose garages. There are also many more who just leave the car outside on that site, what a shame.
I thought that I was going to be in the same situation as you when searching for a house this past year but I ended up buying a house with a 1 car garage and a basement. So the woodshop goes in the basement and the car in the garage.

[kgb]

Hook up a killer vacuum / dust collection system to your woodworking area. And i would have acurtain that I could pull shut between the two areas.

[geekysteve]

There is a great article in the Winter 2003/2004 issue of Fine Wood Working Tools & Shops Annual Issue about a guy who set-up his garage to function as a full-fledged workshop as well as a two-car garage.

It's issue #167, and is on sale until February 29, 2004 at most bookstores.

[White968]

For 10 years I had my wood shop in the garage with my 2 cars but it was 20x25 deep. Everything was on wheels (table saw,router table,bandsaw,drill press,jointer and dust collector) except the workbench. I pulled the cars out when working on projects because there was no room otherwise and it allowed me to keep the dust off the cars. It also kept me from dinging a car with a piece of wood or a tool. I am lucky that my shop is now in my 1200 sq/ft basement since my new garage is 20x20 and I barely have room for my vehicles. It can be done but you have to clean up everyday if you want to get the cars back in that night.

Good luck,
Mark

[dboat]

I agree with everything here. I added an overhead dust collection box, I got it on sale at HD. It had filters in it and I would let it run for at least 30 min after I had cut wood in the garage. It really helped keep down the dust. This was in addition to a dust collection system..
Let us know what you do.
Dana