How to Start Woodworking in a Basement or Apartment

One of the most common reasons people shy away from woodworking is that they think they need a huge garage or workspace. But you can successfully set up a small hobbyist woodworking shop in any space, even in an apartment. A compact wood shop just takes a little planning and preparation.

First, as most eager but hesitant potential hobbyists realize, you have to be much more thoughtful about tool selection. A 14-inch band saw? In your dreams. In a small space, you’re going to have to rely on bench-top or handheld tools. (It is possible to forgo power tools entirely in favor of hand tools, but that’s a discussion better left for another time.)

Then there are material considerations, such as how to bring full-size sheets of plywood home to cut down to size (you don’t). And safety and cleanup are two more concerns: Proper ventilation and dust collection, a cinch in a larger shop, can be quite a challenge (and a potential health hazard). Nevertheless, you can set up a great wood shop in a small space, and we’ll show you what you need.

If you ask 10 woodworkers which powered tool they use most, eight or nine will probably tell you it’s their table saw. A full-size table saw can be used for breaking down large sheets of plywood, sawing tenons and plenty more.

A large table saw just isn’t a feasible fit in most small shops. But you should be able to get away with at least a portable table saw. Never mind veteran woodworkers who might look down on these compact tools–they’re well-suited for many of the smaller ripping and crosscutting operations you’ll need to perform. Some of the more compact table saws, such as the new Bosch GTS1031, can be stored horizontally or vertically.

If you need to do a lot of straight or angled crosscutting, a miter saw is a no-brainer. Though it’s not as versatile as a 12-inch sliding model, a 10-inch miter saw is affordable (typically at under $250) and can handle 6-inch-wide boards, while remaining small enough that you can stow it away on a shelf.

For larger rip cuts or breaking down a large sheet of plywood, a circular saw or track saw is the way to go. There are many straightedges and guides that can help you achieve straight and accurate cuts with a circular saw, or you can make your own.

A track saw, such as those by Festool and DeWalt, makes things even easier and offers greater accuracy, but these saws are also quite a bit costlier. With a circular saw, you have to keep the shoe pressed against a guide while pushing the saw forward. Track saws, on the other hand, pop onto their tracks and need only to be pushed forward. Track saws often feature splinter guards to help reduce tearout as well for smoother and straighter edges.

A 10-inch or 12-inch drill press won’t replace a handheld drill, but it will be helpful when you need to accurately place holes with repeatability and control. Certain drill bits, such as Forstner bits, are also far safer to use in a drill press than in a handheld drill.

There are, of course, many other power and hand tools to consider when you try your hand at woodworking. But once you’ve got these basics, you can add more gear to fit your particular plans.

In a small space, there’s not much room for one-trick ponies: You need gear that can do many different things, and that goes for your work space and stands, too. You can add a wood clamp to a multifunction workbench, but you probably need compact work or tool-holding stands to make up for the lack of a large work surface. Occasionally you may need to take your work to another room or even outside, in which case portability is also important.

The three stands we recommend taking a close look at are the Rockwell JawHorse, HTC PM2650 Tool Stand and new DeWalt Heavy Duty Workstand. Rockwell’s JawHorse is an exceptional portable clamp, and can support certain bench-top tools as well. The HTC stand, meant for bench-top tool and workpiece support, can be used with or without out feed-support extensions, which allows for quicker setup and breakdown. DeWalt’s new work stands can be used as heavy-duty sawhorses, or you can even attach a miter saw or bench-top tools to them.

If you have a small shop, you’re probably not going to have the option of milling your own lumber to square. So the easiest way to go is to buy boards in the thickness and width you’ll need. When buying sheet stock at a lumberyard or home center, the employees there can usually cut boards or sheets down to approximate sizes for you on a panel saw–sometimes for free, but typically for a fee.

While nothing beats hand-selecting project boards yourself, there are many online vendors that will ship lumber straight to your door. Woodworking supply shops, such as Rockler and Woodcraft, offer precut lengths of S4S boards that have all four sides surfaced.

If you have access to rip-cutting equipment, such as a table saw, track saw or band saw, another option is to order individual boards or a project pack from an online wood supplier such as Bell Forest Products or Woodworkers Source. Both can provide custom cuts or board selection for an extra fee.

When working indoors, I try to avoid materials like MDF (medium-density fiberboard) and particleboard because of the formaldehyde and chemical binders present in them.

If you have a small shop, you’re probably not going to have the option of milling your own lumber to square. So the easiest way to go is to buy boards in the thickness and width you’ll need. When buying sheet stock at a lumberyard or home center, the employees there can usually cut boards or sheets down to approximate sizes for you on a panel saw–sometimes for free, but typically for a fee.

While nothing beats hand-selecting project boards yourself, there are many online vendors that will ship lumber straight to your door. Woodworking supply shops, such as Rockler and Woodcraft, offer precut lengths of S4S boards that have all four sides surfaced.

If you have access to rip-cutting equipment, such as a table saw, track saw or band saw, another option is to order individual boards or a project pack from an online wood supplier such as Bell Forest Products or Woodworkers Source. Both can provide custom cuts or board selection for an extra fee.

When working indoors, I try to avoid materials like MDF (medium-density fiberboard) and particleboard because of the formaldehyde and chemical binders present in them.

Cleaning up sawdust can be an ordeal. To make it as painless as possible, spend some time at the beginning and during a project to control and direct where the sawdust goes.

In an indoor or basement shop with industrial carpeting, lay down inexpensive laminate flooring to make your life a bit easier at the end of the day. Be sure to anchor the panels or place a large rubber mat beneath to keep them from sliding over the carpet. (Covering up your carpet is even more critical if you want to go beyond wood and work with a material such as aluminum in your indoor shop; metal shavings dig into any kind of carpeting and are incredibly frustrating to clean up.)

To prevent sawdust from spreading too far away, try some temporary walls. FastCap’s 3rd Hands and ZipWall’s ZipPoles are great for creating quick barriers. FastCap’s poles are stronger and more versatile, but ZipWall’s are quicker and easier to set

Another great dust control accessory is FastCap’s ChopShop saw hood, which helps prevent miter-saw-created dust and debris from spraying all over the place. Designed for contractors working in a customer’s home, the saw hoods do their job well and can be folded up and stowed for storage.

The Big Gulp dust hood is an alternative that can be connected to a dust-collection system for use with a variety of power tools.

Household vacs are not designed to handle large quantities of sawdust or wood chips. Their filters clog up quickly, greatly reducing suction. While you can get away with using a small cordless vacuum for small messes, a shop vacuum offers greater power and capacity. Whether you already own a shop vacuum or are shopping for your first, consider purchasing disposable bags or a washable and reusable CleanStream filter.

Another option to consider is an expensive but efficient Festool dust extractor. These dust extractors are designed to work with other Festool tools, but they also match up with most other brands’ compact power tools as well. A nice thing about Festool’s vacs is that the hoses dock neatly inside the units. There’s almost nothing I value more for a compact shop than self-contained storage.

If you’re looking to collect the sawdust from a planer or shaper, or other large tool with a 4-inch collection port, you’ll be better off with a full-size dust-collection system.