Archive of 'Shop Comfort Archives - The Art of Woodshop Design'

• How to Make Your Own Workshop Garage Door Insulation

  Written By Bobby.
  In Shop Comfort

  

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  “But my garage door is already insulated! It came that way!” Well, not like this! My workshop garage door came pre-insulated with some fiberboard with a plastic coating behind the metal panels, like only ¾”. But, during the summer, the heat comes right through in the afternoon since it’s facing west. The fiberboard is just not enough to stop the heat from the metal panels. It does help slightly with noise.

  In previous articles about your shop’s comfort, I emphasized the use of radiant barriers to keep your shop cool. You see, when your walls, roof, and doors heat up during the day, they give that heat back to you in the form of radiation. Not nuclear exactly, but heat. If you go into your attic, and put your hand near the roof sheathing during the summer, you’ll feel the radiant heat without even touching it. This radiation heats up all the objects around it, and thus your whole woodshop. That’s why you start sweating when you step into your hot garage in the summer.

  
  

• How I’m Soundproofing My Shop Part II

  Written By Bobby.
  In Shop Comfort

  

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  In the last post, How I’m Soundproofing My Shop Part I, I explained how I break down my sound abatement strategy to both limit the sound coming from my tools and limit the sound allowed to escape the shop to bother others.

  I just categorized the approach like this:

  
  

• How I’m Soundproofing My Shop Part I

  Written By Bobby.
  In Shop Comfort

  

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  I’m particularly sensitive to shop noise because I had several neighbors near my shop. Below me and next door to my apartment bedroom shop.

  For the most part, I restricted my woodworking to when my neighbors weren’t home, either during lunch or when they went out somewhere.

  I got creative with sound-attenuating strategies so if I made a few quick power-tool cuts, it wouldn’t be as bad. I swore that when I built my ultimate shop, I’d incorporate quite insane soundproofing so that I could do whatever I wanted in complete freedom.

  Soundproofing your woodshop is vital to maximizing your freedom. Imagine if you could do woodworking anytime–late night or early morning without fear!

  
  

• Secrets to Easy Roof Improvements with Ludicrous Benefits to You

  Written By Bobby.
  In Shop Comfort

  

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  Wanna do something pretty easy that’ll allow you to double your shop time?

  Seal up your workshop and blanket it with the right layers, you’ll pretty much be able to go out there without fear of being uncomfortable.

  What you want to do first is define the boundaries of your shop’s envelope. In other words, what is the inside of your shop? Ceiling, Walls, Doors, Windows, Floor. This boundary is your protection from heat, cold, sound, bugs, and moisture.

  
  

• What To Do With Those Bare Walls

  Written By Bobby.
  In Shop Comfort

  

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  You’d probably rather be cutting tenons or curves on the bandsaw, but something you’re overlooking is right in front of you. Those bare shop walls. Whether it’s concrete block or un-insulated wood framing, it’s letting in the hot summer radiant energy and letting out your expensive heat in the winter. And, if it’s wood framing with empty stud bays, there is nothing stopping your loud tool noise from annoying the neighbors or the people inside your house.

  If you could get your shop envelope under control, you’d solve so many problems. There are days when I know I can’t go in the shop because it’s way too hot or cold. And as you know, shop time can be a rare commodity. So walk out into your shop and take a look—what can you do to stop air infiltration, block and absorb noise, block the sun’s radiant heat, and keep in your shop’s warm air in the winter

  
  

• Proven Ways to Enhance and Increase Your Shop Time

  Written By Bobby.
  In Shop Comfort,Shop Systems

  

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  Gain permanent control over your comfort, freeing you to focus on woodworking.

  
  

• Wrap Your Shop for a Lifetime of Comfortable Woodworking

  Written By Bobby.
  In Shop Comfort

  

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  A comfortable shop is a productive shop.