Garage vs. basement workshop.

[dnoyeB]

I Know we have been over this a few times, but I have a few technical questions.

My basement is mostly finished and only space available is in the "furnace room." What are the issues concerning the impact of dust on a furnace and hot water heater. I alread know what happens when you get tons of dust on the doorbell transformer..

My wife does ceramic stuff, so I figure the basement is a better place than the garage!? She is going to want a furnace to fire the clay, and eventually a sink possibly, and there is bathroom right next to furnace room, and gas and electricity are available in basement.

The room is pretty small. probably 12' x 25' and has a furnace and hot water heater, breaker panel, poured cement walls and cement floor, bordered by metal frame wall to the living area.

I'm not a 'woodworker' but a dabbler. I already have a computer room as thats my main hobby. In fact I tried to get rid of the table saw but ended up buying a Miter saw instead.

Because fundamentally I am a dabbler and have many hobbies, I want to put the shop in the basement. So im hoping for dust solutions as that is the main problem I am seeing for a basement workshop.

[john]

Call 1-800-445-4669 for assistance.

[Andy]

I had the same question of garage vs basement a few weeks ago - I assume you looked at the archives? Some good responses with pros and cons.

basement workshop.

You're planning to paint ceramics and do woodworking in the same basement? Even if you have a dust collector, you can plan on at least some dust spreading all over. An ambient air cleaner would probably help some, but my advice is to have your shop area isolated as much as possible from the rest of the basement, especially if your wife is planning to do any painting, spraying finishes, etc. One thing that was mentioned in response to my previous post was that you'll also want to isolate yourself from the furnace air intake, as I'm sure you don't want to be blowing sawdust all over the house. My little shop (less than 100 sq ft) is currently in a basement, and it's closed off from the rest of the basement (and the furnace). Chip collection is handled by a shop vac with HEPA filter, and I have a home-made ambient air cleaner, but a little dust still manages to get out to the rest of the basement. Get the best (finest micron size) bag or filter cartridge you can afford for a dust collector, and seal yourself off from the ceramics finishing area as much as possible. Good luck, Andy

[dnoyeB]

Dude, I can't just call a number. Simple advice on the ability of a dust collector to collect enough dust to keep my house furnace and hot water heater safe is what I am after. I probably should have asked the question in much simpler fashion.

[Doug Miller]

Combustible dust and any source of ignition is a bad combination. So is dust and air handling equipment -- you don't want sawdust spread throughout the house.

I don't imagine airborne sawdust is going to do her ceramics any good.

If you can erect a wall segregating the furnace and water heater from the shop area, and still leave enough space for a decent shop, that might work.

Dust collection is a must. So is a separate air filter unit. (Delta and JET both make good ones.) And keep the dust away from your furnace and water heater.

[Bill Waller]

One of the things that the other responders have missed entirely is that ceramics creates its own very fine dust. Sawdust pales in comparison.

Ceramic dust is not combustible but is finds it's way everywhere.

The other problem is moisture. Working with clay (yes I do have experience) requires that the material be damp until the raw form has been completely worked. Without going into the specific details of keeping things damp, let it suffice to say that the moisture in the air is noticeable.

Then it is set to dry for a period before firing. Sometimes, the dry piece also needs attention. That is done with scrapers and sometimes even sandpaper. This makes for heavier dust that can actually be cleaned up with a dustpan and brush before destroying a perfectly good Shop Vac.

Personally, I would never consider mixing mud and wood in the same shop space.

____________________ Bill Waller New Eagle, PA

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[Mike Berger]

I'm not convinced that dust is the major concern.

• Access to electrical panel. Does your garage have the capacity? How about plumbing?

• Comfort. Can you heat/cool your garage where you can be comfortable all year around, or will this have to be seasonal?

• Access. Can you move your machinery and material down the stairs?

In my case the first two items were the deciding factor. It's a major issue to move wood and metalworking machinery down (and someday back up) the stairs. But it's a comfortable and convenient environment, and easy to add to or reconfigure as needed. Dust hasn't been a big issue for me.

dnoyeB wrote:

[daryl1138]