The Minimalist Woodworker. Vic Tesolin

room,

       adding a place to work requires little space. Evan’s small bachelor

       apartment doesn’t have a ton of room in it but when you’re resolved

       to work with your hands, you make room. The small bench is up

       against the wall and tools get stored in nearby drawers and on

       the shelf under the bench. Evan is a timber framer and a heritage

       carpenter by training. But in his urban apartment workspace he

       makes spoons with hand tools. In this space, a large window by the

       bench provides the natural light any woodworker craves. The same

       spare concept would work well in almost any home.

      A bench stop and simple body weight stabilize

       a panel when handplaning an edge.

      Spoons and other utensils are frequent projects in Evan’s apartment workspace,

       but boxes or other small projects are possible as well.

      A simple hole in the benchtop is outfitted with

       a stop that helps secure work in place.

      UTILIZE YOUR UTILITY ROOM

      When all you have in a finished basement is the utility room, then that’s

       where you go. Ken has managed to make a functional shop in about 100

       square feet that includes even a table saw. You have to be fastidious about

       organization in a space this small. The old adage ‘a place for everything and

       everything in its place’ takes on a whole new meaning here. Ken turns out

       smaller projects like occasional tables, bookcases, and boxes with ease. In

       a similar setup, simple hanging shelves or pegboards are an easy solution.

      With enough planning, a small space transforms into a

       well-equipped shop that even includes basic power tools.

      In tight quarters it’s even more

       important to have a place for every-

       thing. A tool cabinet and chest house

       Ken’s hand tools neatly in one corner.

      Regardless of the type of

       woodworking you enjoy,

       a stable work bench is at

       the heart of any shop.

      GOOD LIGHTING IS A MUST

      If you decide to go hand tools only, then the only electrical you will need is

       lighting. The most efficient type of lighting is fluorescent tubes but II prefer

       LED lighting, which is becoming more affordable everyday. Either way, look for

       general lighting that will illuminate the space and task lighting to augment the

       overall lighting. Task lighting fixtures can be had inexpensively so don’t be afraid

       to set them up wherever you need it.

      My shop has a few machines so I run 110 volt power on 20 amp breakers to

       make sure that I don’t blow a circuit. This pretty standard electrical setup allows

       me to run my small dust collector in tandem with a tool.

      Flourescent lighting no longer means buzzing

       fixtures. Even inexpensive fixtures allow warm

       light designed to replicate natural light.

      Mobile and adjustable, directional LED light

       fixtures offer an easy fix when work requires

       a closer look.

      Smaller power tools like grinders often come

       with light fixtures built in. If not, inexpensive

       magnetic fixtures can be easily added.

      HEAT AND AIR KEEP IT COMFORTABLE

      Having the ability to control the temperature

       and humidity in the shop is certainly nice. If

       you are working in a basement or elsewhere

       in the house, you will benefit from the

       conditions in the house, which are usually

      great for woodworking. My shop is in a fully

       insulated attached garage. The insulation

       makes it easy to heat in the winter, which is

       pretty important up here in Canada where

       -30°C isn’t uncommon. A small 220-volt

       construction heater takes care of all my

       heating needs. I can

       keep the shop at a

       cool 50°F most of

       the time so that glue

       and finish doesn’t

       freeze. I usually only

       pump up the heat

       for glue-ups and

       finish applications.

       I don’t worry too

       much about being

       cold because

       working primarily

       by hand gets the blood pumping.

      In the summer it can get up to 30°C outside

       but the insulated space only gets to around

       25°C. I find that the killer in the summer is the

       humidity so I keep a dehumidifier in the space

       to keep it around 50 percent humidity. Just

       reducing the humidity makes it comfortable to

       work and my tools don’t turn orange either.

      It’s also good to have some way to ventilate

       the shop so that you aren’t breathing in fumes

       from finishes. I simply open the garage door

       and put a box fan in the gap to exhaust things.

       You can also install a ventilation fan like those

       found in a bathroom to get the job done.

      In warm climates a simple window unit air

       conditioner may be all you need to tamp

       down humidity and keep it cool.

      In larger spaces, PTAC units, like those found

       in many hotel rooms, do a great job of both

       heating and cooling.

      Northern climates might

       require only a small space

       heater to keep you warm.

       Adding a little physical

       work with hand tools

       never hurts, either.

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