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So, due to being empty nesters, my wife and I are downsizing homes. We are seriously considering a home in Charleston, West Virginia's East End Historic District, a National Register neighborhood filled with 100 year old homes. Of relevance here: The particular home that interests us the most has a brick wall, cement floor basement with an outside door, floor drains, decent ceiling height with exposed joists above, good natural light (for a basement) and sufficient square footage. All good for the relocation of my shop.

My specific question: This basement has a separate brick walled room, about 12 X 12 feet, that was the coal bin back when the house was heated by radiators fed by a coal-fired boiler. I am trying to think of all the possible uses for such a room. Could you help me out with that?

In my current home, I have all of my stationary machines in a separate room, but the coal bin is too small for that. It could be a spray booth, but I don't spray finishes. It could be a humidity controlled room, but the whole basement is probably small enough where I could keep the humidity for the whole space inside the right parameters most of the time.

The room won't be wasted space, no matter what, but your ideas about the best way to use the space would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for your help.

I would put my dust collection and compressor in that room, insulating the ceiling and walls for sounds deadening. You'll need a few vents for the DC air pressure to equalize but that's what I'd do. One room to isolate the noise of a DC and compressor would be a dream.

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That's a great idea, Rod! My DC is pretty loud. Also, I don't keep my compressor going on a regular basis, but if I put it in the coal bin and plumb for air, maybe I'll use it more often. There is enough room in there to also use it for lots of storage, which could reduce the clutter factor. Very strong suggestion. Thanks!

I have to have a break room and ideally it would have one of those windows looking into the shop so that I could see when I am being a slacker...

Sounds like the problem to have and extra room.

Seriously though when I was building or repairing in my home shop I frequently wanted to go look something up on-line and having a computer and comfy place to sit was a real plus.

Yep, a desk with a computer and a comfy executive chair are mandatory. But I'll have those in the big room. Using good dust collection, I have not had trouble keeping the computer and paperwork moderately clean. Good idea, though.

I kept my homebrew in the basement coal bin of a house we used to own.

That's not much smaller than my whole shop! Not a bad problem to have.
In Boston you could rent it for $600

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Burton
http://www.legeytinstruments.com
Brookline, MA.

A good friend of mine, also a well respected luthier, put a small room on the side of the shop he built. It is approximately 5'x7' with a built in bench along one wall and a cabinet big enough to hold his go bar deck. The room is used only for his glue ups and French polishing. Much more efficient to dial in the proper temp and humidity, don't forget dust control, in a small room than the entire shop.

Air compressors are noisy and it is nice to have them isolated. I wound up buying a Kaeser to limit the noise level. I have also buildt separate exterior rooms and large insulated boxes to hold them. Saw one that was huge and buried underground.

Lots of uses for the room. Let your priorities be the guide.

Homebrew? I found that my spare bathroom is an excellent place to store my beer. And it doesn't get better than a tiled shower for a cool temp in those hot summer months for fermenting your wort. A built in emergency drain in case things get out of control and easy cleanup too.

Tim

Lots of great ideas! So far, the "loud room" idea from Rod is the one that sounds the best (given my current needs), but I've got time to consider all options.

The humidity controlled room is also in the running, Tim. Yes, it is easier to control RH in a smaller space. I could probably store all the wood in there, do all glue-ups in there, etc. But, the only natural light is the old coal chute, which is now a small window. I feel like I would be spending a lot of time in a small space, and I would rather not do that, when I have a larger space with more light in the same basement. We'll see what works best once we buy the house and move in.

I don't make beer, wine or moonshine at home, so that fine suggestion would work better for someone else, I think.

Renting it out as an "efficiency" would work great, Burton, if I were in Boston. That's "wicked smaht." But, you know, location, location, location. Folks can get OK apartment space here in Charleston for not too much money.

At 12 x 12, you could easily split it up. You have a room for the DC and compressor and still have space for a small controlled room for glue ups and French polish.

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What's this about space for french polishing? I do mine on the coffee table in the living room while watching movies on TV, Way too boring to do otherwise :^)

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Jim Kirby
kirby@udel.edu

12x12 is a bigger coal room then we have in our old house. But our coal room is way to scary to do anything besides seal it up

For him I think it is more about dust and contaniment control.

I'd do it in front of the TV but I always seem to drip ice cream on things