Need workspace help

FWIW, here are my thoughts:

Garage is probably better than a room in your house. Making stuff will generate sawdust and finishing fumes you don't want to re-circulate to everyone in the house, plus it's hard on your heat and air system. Garage may be harder to control the temp in, but you won't be as worried about messing it up. You'll need someplace elevated work on, like a bench. I have 3 workbenches I've built, but you will be just fine w/a couple of sawhorses with plywood on top until you can build/buy better. In fact, that's still what I use to finish/paint on. Ana has an article about getting started, and there are several posts on the board about what tools, etc. to start with. Check those out for a good shopping list to start. 

Depending on your budget/experience w/tools a jigsaw is, in my opinion, a better first choice that a circular saw, although it will be slower to cut bigger pieces. I'm a fan of the Kreg jig, but it's not a requirement to start with. Don't be afraid to buy used power tools, except for anything with batteries. Buy those new, so you know the batteries are ok, or you can get a refund on them.

Joe

Buy a 1x4x8 or whatever length you think you may use often and a sheet of plywood next time you go out.  Bring them home and take them into your workspace.  You'll get an idea where will be the best place to set up your tools to move your material and not beat the heck out of your walls and fingers when you have them in your new workspace.  And you will already have a couple pieces of material that you will use for projects later.  I also use pegboard for my hand tools that way they are up where I can see them and get to them fast. 

Tools...i agree with Okie...jigsaw is a great one to have.  I love my compound miter saw for trim boards.  All depends on how much change you want to chuck.  Sander, Kreg jig, circular saw, drill, etc.

Good luck with this...I'll take pics when I can and maybe that will give you some ideas. 

Hello,
I'm a new member as well. I'm excited to start my first project, and I'm a starter... so I'm both excited and nervous. Well, my 1st project is to build a simple twin bed base to put my Moroccan couch/mattress on
So, I need to shop for some tools as "a Drill" and "Jigsaw"

Please post recommendations regarding : voltage I need (12V? less or high, brands, cordless vs cord, price range, where to get a better deal ...). Same please for a jigsaw? ... will it work for me to cut wood with? (such slats, cleats...)

Thank you

Hey Moroccan,

These are just my opinions and I am not a professional woodworker...just a great hobby that I love.  I would go with a cordless drill just for the mobility and also it is easy to accidentally cut a cord when it's laying around..yes i have done it..ha!  Porter Cable and Ryobi are relatively inexpensive brands that have a warranty and are sturdy.  Dewalt is the best in my opinion but is on the expensive side.  18V is the best voltage again IMO.  It gives you good power for driving lots of screws....12 and 14.4V will do but the 18V has more power.  I think I paid $119 at Lowes for a Porter Cable 18V kit last year that had a drill, circular saw, sawzall, 2 batteries w/ charger, bag and the useless flashlight that all kits throw in. 

Jigsaw again go cordless if possible but this is less important to me than having a cordless drill.  But an 18V cordless jigsaw will probably run you about $60 without a battery (you should get batteries with your drill if you buy a kit...make sure you get the same brand and voltage so the same battery fits both).  It will work for cross cutting wood...like if you need to cut 6 inches off a 1X4x8' but will be hard to rip a board like if you are cutting a 2x4 its entire length...you can do it but it will be time consuming.  If you need to cut long cleats i would get a table saw if you want to spend the money. A table saw will allow you to cut the cleat at a 45 will keeping a nice clean edge.  Hope this helps and good luck,  Don't be nervous if you mess up, start over or try to fix it...just watch those cords!!

Thanks Hailoffire for your answer !!
I'm planning to get my wood cut at the orange store (for the major cuts). However, I need a jigsaw to make the easy ones.
Well, it's time for me to hit the web and look for good deals !!

Hi everyone! Been on ana-white.com for a while now but haven't gotten into the community's forums until now. Wow, what can I say about workspace? I live in a 3-bedroom apartment and I WISH we had a garage. But since we don't I have done my first project in the kitchen, just because it's got wood floors and not carpet. I probably would have to talk my hubbylove into getting a garage instead of just a carport because I really want to finish more projects soon! hehe

I would definitely use the garage for a workspace if it's available. The very first tool we bought from Lowe's  was a 12V drill. Although we should have gotten the 18V had we waited a little longer. But I was impatient and wanted to start building already! haha... I am going to convince the hubby to get a jigsaw next!  I'm eyeing the Black & Decker Smart Select Jigsaw because it's not as expensive as the others on the market. I can't wait! I wanted to do the cuts myself because the last time I had them pre-cut at the store, the person didn't quiet do exactly what I instructed him to do. I look forward to having a real working space and some tools! I am just addicted to the projects here! hehe

Good Luck, everyone! Y'all take care and be blessed! 

My workspace:

http://www.facebook.com/photo......0050856342

That's my workbench, with everything cleaned up nicely as I had just finished it and needed the space clean to get it into place.  Here's the same bench set up for work:

http://www.facebook.com/photo......0050856342

Note that there's been an emphasis on cheap.  I decided I needed a vice, but good ones costs hundreds of dollars.  That one costs $3 for the hardware, and the wood is scrap from making the bench.

Here is a link to the workbench I made.  http://uffdaprojects.blogspot......bench.html

I have a small garage so I put the workbench on casters so it could be moved around.  On big work days, I pull the bench out into the driveway for more room.  I really like the manuverability to it. 

I think I will be adding another shelf this summer since I am out of storage room.  I was also thinking of adding a peg board to the side for hand tool storage.

Amanda

Nice bench.  I like it as a good mobile solution.

I came very close to building this bench: http://thewoodwhisperer.com/to.....workbench/

Ultimately I didn't because I decided early that I wanted to use more hand tools and fewer power tools, because I dislike noise. A lot of hand tool use includes beating on stuff with a mallet, and the torsion box workbench won't stand up to massive amounts of that. I also like the holdfasts for gripping my work, because I'm too cheap to buy vises, and holdfasts don't work well in torsion boxes either.

But unless you're planning to become a neandertal like me, the torsion box would be a really good bench.  Especially if you take Amanda's excellent castor idea and make it mobile.