Basement Shop - P?

Welderd · Jul 21, 2009

So I've started thinking of turning my basement into my shop since my other options are to drive to a buddies or use the in-laws barn. I've got a couple builds planned so it will be mainly for fabrication but wondering if it's be ok for maintenance.

My basement is a standard basement with a walkout. Found security double doors to replace the sliding glass ones and they will be big enough to get in.

Things I'm worried about are:
smells - the furnace is down there and gear oil stench could be spread thru out the house
floor - don't want to stain it all up with stinky gear oil but I need it smooth to manuever the rigs on wheel dollies
sparks and stuff - I have a small section I was planning on putting sheet metal on the walls and ceiling and doing all that stuff in there but it might turn out too small. Any other suggestions for wall coverings?

What other drawbacks are there?

CHASMAN9 · Jul 21, 2009

Need 220 wiring for welder. You are right about ventilation though, need at least a good fan for moving air. Co2 and smoke detectors will go off without ventilation. Ask me how I know. :dunno:

Best thing is to go to John G's garage and take notes... :****:

Jeepnron · Jul 21, 2009

Don't do it! As convenient as it may seem, you will wish you had a shop. I do just little things in my basement and the smell and noise just go straight up in the house. Don't get me wrong it beats not having any place but it sure has its drawbacks. :****:

P · Jul 21, 2009

I removed the Fire Detector and Carbon thingy in my basement . Yes a fan for moving air is critical and you need to put forethought into when you do heavy fab so you can open garage doors.

I pay attention to sparks and grind off very closely , I sweep evertime I do anything and never leave anything on the floor. We also use our garage for our primary entrance and exit . Im extremely anal about catch pan's and drip pans etc. JRich's rig is not allowed in my garage for fab anymore from leaving messes :flipoff1:

If its only you and all that its really no issue as you have to clean up and deal with that stuff anyway so unless your messy its no problem. It gets much more stressful when other people work from your garage if your anything like me because I am a creature of habit. I put certain things in certain places so I dont have to hunt ****. Get others around and that goes to **** quickly. ( another reason I dont care to work out of others garages, or with thier tools not worth my aggravation... maybe Im OC in that way )

Get ballistic curtain's if you have a small area you want to keep everything containted to. Basically its a great area to work but requires you pay alot more attention to what you are doing and what it may affect. I enjoy working out of my basement very much though. I have had to deal with the shop seperated from the house and also with leasing a larger shop "in town" and it is a real time killer and motivation sucker when you have to come and go from your work.

Just my .02

P · Jul 21, 2009

Jeepnron said:
Don't do it! As convenient as it may seem, you will wish you had a shop. I do just little things in my basement and the smell and noise just go straight up in the house. Don't get me wrong it beats not having any place but it sure has its drawbacks. :****:

Well yea when your using a grinder to TN cut your TSL's in the basement your gonna have issues !

:flipoff1:

Bones · Jul 21, 2009

P's place seems to work out pretty good. I am sure it gets noisy upstairs and you have little ones as well to think about.

P is also pretty damn organized and tidy the last couple times I was there.

P · Jul 21, 2009

Id prefer a large sweet ass shop in the back yard obviously... But I wont complain about what I got since its waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay better then what I've had !

zukiscott · Jul 21, 2009

YES.......... for a basement shop......

FANS

220 AMP POLE & 40 AMP DOUBLE POLE FOR THE ,WELDER, BIG GRINDER , DRILL PRESS ETC.

WELDING BLANKETS FOR WELD & GRINDER SPARK SHOWERS......

AND A FRIDGE FOR THE BEER , GO PISS BEHIND HOUSE IN WOODS... YOU DON,T TRACK METAL SHAVINS UPSTAIRS THAT WAY

AND UPSTAIRS WILL JUST HAVE TO SMELL FUNKY WHILE PROJECT UNDERWAY..............NO WAY ROUND IT DUDE.......

I LOVE MY BASEMENT SHOP......ITS AT MY HOUSE............... :dblthumb:

Jeepnron · Jul 21, 2009

Yea my wife has put the TN cut inside the basement out of commission. Outside only for that project from now on.

Another thing to think about is what type of utilities you have, natural gas or electric. Fumes are combustible :****:. So you have to be even more carefull if you have natural gas and have hot water heater in the basement. Ask me how I know ;D. I had a small flame up at my old house. Nothing to big but it got my attention that's for sure. New house is all electric and I do not worry about it.

Budget YJ · Jul 21, 2009

How did using the grinder work out for the tires :dunno:

I'm gonna cut mine like the ones on the black caddi buggy that was on xtreme4x4 ;D

Cole · Jul 21, 2009

Budget YJ said:
How did using the grinder work out for the tires
I'm gonna cut mine like the ones on the black caddi buggy that was on xtreme4x4 ;D

Grinder will work but it takes time and is extremely nasty. Also smells horrible. Did I mention is makes a really big mess.
Best bet is a sawzall and a wire brush wheel to clean the area up with.

Welderd · Jul 21, 2009

no room for the big shop out back. Had one and it was definitely the best solution, just a short walk every night.

So smells suck - what are the worst and most common? what ones can you deal with and what ones suck?
I could install a duct and exhaust fan to vent during bad smell events

House is all electric

I'm also anal about my stuff and I don't like using others places for the drive and the trouble findin stuff and obligation to keep their shop their way

xjkrawler · Jul 21, 2009

we run a wood working shop out of the basement... and the occasional axle overhaul or something of that nature. the worst smell i have found is deff old gear oil. we have a serious of doors that you have to walk through to get to the stairs. as long as we leave those closed and run a huge shop fan in the double doors. we also put insulation and OSB in the ceiling to keep the noise and smell down. yet it somehow still makes its way upstairs...worst part about it is the bedrooms are right above that area...

Welderd · Jul 21, 2009

my house is a 2 story so the bedrooms are seperated by an entire level
I'm worried that the furnace/ac unit being down there would spread the smells to the house though

I also have a 1.5yr old and another one in the practice stages but I think I could be quiet when they are sleepin

BamaTJ · Jul 21, 2009

I have one also. Most has been covered, smells, smoke, noise and fumes all go straight up. I would think a lot about ventilation and putting fans in strategic places. Also try to limit your fab shop/area to an out of the way place so you can make a mess and not get everything messy. Be anal, keep it clean and organized and it will be fine. One good thing is that if it a true basement it will probably stay pretty cool, mine does. I enjoy spending time down there, but take messy jobs out to the driveway when I can. I worked at my in-laws in the past and this is way better!

xjkrawler · Jul 21, 2009

rockwild said:
I'm worried that the furnace/ac unit being down there would spread the smells to the house though

yeah our ac/duct work runs right down the middle of our basement. with the unit raised up on a platform right outside the basement wall. never had an issue with it picking up odors or anything.

CheapJ7 · Jul 21, 2009

ill bet the taco is 12 times cleaner than that broken down ass buggy P....

just cause its dissasembled at the moment...

P · Jul 21, 2009

CheapJ you'd be surprised... hell I even took all the empties outta the buggy laughing1

Jeepnron · Jul 22, 2009

Budget YJ, I actually used the regular old hot knife groover with a #12 blade first and then have been going back and cleaning them up with the grinder and a special wheel that Woodlee gave me. Works great but it still takes a lot of time. I probably have about 35-40 hrs in doing all four 44" tires. Plus it throws tiny pieces of rubber everywhere and smells like a dragstrip when you are doing it! :****:

Budget YJ · Jul 22, 2009

Cole said:
Grinder will work but it takes time and is extremely nasty. Also smells horrible. Did I mention is makes a really big mess.
Best bet is a sawzall and a wire brush wheel to clean the area up with.

Thanks!
How do you get into the center to just cut the centers?

Jeepnron said:
Budget YJ, I actually used the regular old hot knife groover with a #12 blade first and then have been going back and cleaning them up with the grinder and a special wheel that Woodlee gave me. Works great but it still takes a lot of time. I probably have about 35-40 hrs in doing all four 44" tires. Plus it throws tiny pieces of rubber everywhere and smells like a dragstrip when you are doing it! :****:

Thanks!
Mine are 44 tsl's also
Is the wheel from woodlee the one that looks like a chainsaw??

Sorry for the side track