Official Luthiers Forum!

Hey all, my new shop is in the basement of my home and I was wondering
if there are any precautions I need to be aware of with it being in that
location? I understand the humidity is a factor and I've ordered a
hygrometer from lmii. Once I find the actual humidity I'm sure I'll need a
humidifier and a dehumidifier depending on the season. My home also
has electric heat, does that become a factor? Also is there anything else I
need to be aware of? I live in southwest Ohio also if that makes a
difference humidity wise. My shop makes up about 1/2 of my basement
and is enclosed with plastic (three concrete walls and a thin plastic wall
for dust). I believe there is one register in the enclosure. Thanks to
anyone who can help. good times, brandon.

Why do my sentences keep spacing like that. I HATE THAT....

My old boss and one of the greats in this business has most of his shop in the basement of his home. This includes a really nice spray booth. Most of his big tools are in the garage. He builds 30 plus guitars a year in his basement home shop. Make sure keep up with electrical and not under power it, and vent it with proper explosion proof fan if going to spray(make a dedicated spray area.
Long answer is yes you can do it in basement, and probably have more room than a lot of folks here. Hesh uses a spare bedroom in a condo. Thing is he is extremely organized and smart on how he does his shop.

My old boss and one of the greats in this business has most of his shop in the basement of his home. This includes a really nice spray booth. Most of his big tools are in the garage. He builds 30 plus guitars a year in his basement home shop. Make sure keep up with electrical and not under power it, and vent it with proper explosion proof fan if going to spray(make a dedicated spray area.
Long answer is yes you can do it in basement, and probably have more room than a lot of folks here. Hesh uses a spare bedroom in a condo. Thing is he is extremely organized and smart on how he does his shop.

I built for 2 years in a basement/garage. If doing it inside home, and building up, make sure to take care of humidity concerns. Do it right and no problem

sorry for double post, I thought I had hit the stop button

Thanks Stan

Another thing that you should keep in mind is if you use any thing that produces flammable or explosive fumes/vapors you probably have an igniter on your furnace and a pilot light on your water heater.  These devices and say the fumes from a leaky spray booth could be very dangerous for you.  If you are not finishing in your home all the better.

Also, be sure to get a good fire extinguisher, locate it near your exit so you have options in terms of booking or staying and fighting the fire.  Mario recently reminded us to turn the fire extinguisher upside down periodically and tonk it with a rubber mallet to keep the powder loose.

Good question Brandon and thanks for asking it.  What others may read here may really help someone someday.

Good stuff as usual. I never really thought of the explosive angle there,
thanks for the insight. Good times, Brandon.

Be sure that you have adequate dust collection. Not only for you in your shop, but to prevent it from contaminating the rest of your house. Allergies to some wood dusts are fairly common so best not take any chances and prevent it from the start. My wife has asthma so it was actually my first tool purchase.    

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Don Atwood
Arlington, VA

Don beat me to it. Make SURE you have a good dust collection system. Any dust you create will find its way into your house and it wont be long before the stuff up there will be wearing a light coat of the dust.

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Reguards,

Ken H

Not to beat the dust issue to death, but if it gets all over the house, you'll be breathing it all the time, not just when you're in the shop.

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now known around here as Pat Foster
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com

Yes i work in my basement shop (Dungeon). The main issue I have is humidity and the fact that there is an oil furnace. Dust is an issue. That being saw dust. It manages to get sucked threw the heating system and can make the whole house dusty. I have to be careful with spraying finishes with a lit furnace. Ceiling height is also an issue with me since my ceilings are only 6 1/2 feet high. yes that right. So duct work hangs even lower in certain areas then that. My head sure knows that by now (ouch). So if i build any tall projects i need to either keep them under that height or build in two parts and assemble upstairs.

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Guitars, guitars and more guitars.

If the basement walls and floor are not dry absolutely because of insufficient moisture barriers and faulty drain pipes etc you may have problems with keeping the RH in the room constant. Items stored on the floor can develop mold or rust, enclosed cabinets can be especially problematic and should not be hung directly on the walls and always have a space behind the back. The key is always having air circulating around everything.

Since you probably have little or no daylight you must make sure you have sufficient artificial lighting, and painting the walls white or in some light color helps a lot.

Good smoke detectors are another must, and should be heard also if they go off when you are not in the shop.

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Rian Gitar og Mandolin