I don’t have enough room in my house for an area just for modeling and my garage gets too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter. I was considering buying one of those wood or metal buildings used for lawn equipment or storage and converting it to a hobby room. I could put one of those window air conditioning units in it. Anyone done this? What do some of you space deprived people do for a hobby area?
I haven’t seen a tool shed coverted, but I would think that if you’re going to do it right, you would need to get a good, wood frame style shed in order to avoid the very problems with heat and cold (and humidity) you say you have in the garage. By the time you buy the shed [mine is 8’ x 12’ and cost me just over $700], insulate it, install a window shaker, wire it for electricity, and put in all the shelves, furniture, and cabinets you need, you’re going to be looking at a hefty chunk of change.
I would go the other route. Why not upgrade your garage? By insulating it and putting up sheet rock, you could then either extend the house air conditioning/heat to the garage or put in a seperate air conditioner and a heater. You will probably spent about the same or maybe a little more than you would for the shed, but you will definitely be increasing the value of your house by much more than the money you put into the project…especially if you do most of the work yourself.
Just a thought, and good luck with whatever you decide.
Enjoy your modeling…
or build inside the house, and buy an ac unit?
This is exactly what I did, and I have no regrets. Luckily, the garage already had sheetrock, but I had to insulate the attic area above. I also bought those insulation panels (which after looking at, I believe are nothing but high-priced styrafoam) which are placed in the overhead garage doors. I initially had planned on installing a window-mounted AC unit, but opted to extend the AC/heating from the house. The end cost was much less than purchasing one of those sheds.
There really isn’t a problem with the heat or cold, which is good because the garage is where my wife and I have our exercise equipment.
If only I could get rid of those darn spiders! I have to clean away webs weekly!
Mark
Another problem with our garage is that we have my wifes Durango and other crap in there. I have to move stuff to do my modeling which sometimes keeps me from messing with it. If I somehow extended the airconditioning to the garage, I would need to insulate the attic in the garage area. There is none above the garage. But wouldnt I also need to do something with the garage door? It is just sheet metal or whatever that cheap stuff they make garage doors out of. I couldn’t put a window unit in the garage. It is brick on the two external sides besides the garage door. Also, if I wanted to do some ventalation for the airbrushing fumes, the garage would be a real hassle. As it is now, I open the garage door and use a good mask. But I still don’t think its good enough with enamels and laquer thinner.
HEY,
Dont feel bad, i have to work on my bedroom floor. I have about 1/4 of my room devoted to models, but the only thing resembeling a table in my room has a TV on it. So i sit on the floor, have one of those rolling plastic tool boxes(holds alot of stuff) and put alot of stuff on that tv stand and on a bookshelf i have next to me, but man do my knees hurt after about 1/2an hour. Oh well, better than working at my kitchen table and having to pick up every night.
Randy
I Think making a tool shed into a model room is a great idea. For power you could run an extension cord through a hoel or something, the put one of those adapters with 6 other outlets on it. That should give you enough power for a compresser, dremel, and a tv or radio. Id like to have a model space like that. Mine is scattered through out the a whole shop. Well, hope you get something figured out. Good luck.
john
If you plan to run all that stuff through a six plug outlet on an extension cord, you better have a BIG cord. Otherwise, you might want to call your fire department and have them start an engine in your direction. You’ll be needing it soon.[xx(]
I too have to move the wife’s car out of the garage when I work, or at least when I airbrush. My modeling area actually consists of two areas: my “construction” area and my “painting” area. They are spaced on different walls by necessity rather than choice. I am fortunate in that I have a window in the garage, and this is where my paint booth is.
As far as the garage door, as I mentioned earlier you can get insulated inserts. They are available at Home Depot or any large hardware store and are not outrageously expensive. I was surprised by how well they work. And insulating the attic or space above isn’t too difficult, assuming you have easy access to it. Just don’t do it in the heat of summer!
I had initially thought about purchasing a shed, like you, but after adding up the costs involved it was actually cheaper to redo the garage. Despite the fact I have to move the car when I paint, I believe that I get more modeling done with my current set-up than if I had a shed. Just being able to walk directly from the house to the garage is a plus (hey, I have a small bladder![swg])
Mark
RE: Anyone converted a tool shed into a hobby room?
No, but my wife told me to consider converting the dog house a few times[:D]
My neighbor has a shed converted into a shop and it is nice. He has it set up to take with him if he moves as well and can run off a generator and propane if he wants. It cost him about $2500.00. He has to keep it mobile to avoid taxes and additional permits. Not having a foundation will limit the effectivness of heating and cooling and will allow critters access to live under the shed.
Anyway, whatever you do, check your building codes. Our city requires a permit if you are running electrical to a shed and then they will inspect it. Which is smart, you don’t want to be running an AC, heater, refridgerator, compressor, TV, stereo, and microwave off a 10 GA extension cord attached to a 15 amp breaker that also services your bathroom. The wife may get a little upset while she is sitting on the pot, drying her hair, and the lights go off and she starts smelling smoke because you turned on your compressor. Same goes with adding electrical services for AC and heat to your garage, have a professional check out your set up and give you some suggestions before starting. Adding the area of a garrage may put on more work than your current heating and cooling system may allow, so you may need options of a seperate units for the garage or a larger system for the house.
Scott
I built my own shed to store tools etc, just before returning to the hobby. Now it is a fully functional garden modelling workshop, with power, heating, lighting, TV, radio, mini-fridge and phone line so I can use my laptop online.
This is a pic from last year.
And one from inside
I find it much more peaceful to work outside, no distractions and I don`t get in anyones way. However on a summer evening you can get carried away and have to be called in when the rest of the household are going to bed.
GO FOR IT !!!
hobby space is prime real estate…should be priority numero uno
(imo)
I am in the process of building one , started out as a tool shed before I got into the hobby and now is planned as more of a hobby room. One day it will be finished.
My late father once invented a hobby bench that folded up against the wall, then slid behind an armoire, where it became a door for the wall-mounted cabinet (which he also made) in which he kept his tools, paints and other modeling items. He kept his half-finished models on a shelf in the closet. Unfortunately, I don’t have pictures of the bench, but it was truly a clever idea. When I was house-sitting for my folks last summer, I brought my modeling stuff to their house and used Father’s hobby bench. I loved it! Unfortunately, I live in a small rental apartment and can’t really fill my walls with screw holes, so when my mother had the combination office/hobby room remodeled, my brother got the hobby bench.
I built my own garden hobby room just before my son was born last year because my indoor hobby room had to make way for his arrival[:D]
It’s a really great place for me to work and it’s fully powered including fridge,TV and sound system. Oh theres a couple of work benches in there too!
If you get the opportunity to build your own hobby room-do it! It’s definately worth the cost and effort.
There’s some pics of it on RonUSMC’s gallery if anyone fancies a look.
OMG, when i first posted this topic only a little over a week ago I was considering buying a shed for a hobby shack. Before I knew it, today we signed a freakin contract on a damn house that will have more than enough room for my office/hobby room. Damn, how in the hell did that happen?? Went from wanting a little more room to a new house… ack. Oh well. It will be a nice house but less money for hobby. 
Congrats on the house deal! My wife keeps making hints about a bigger house and the advantages it would have for modelling…I think she’s using dirty tricks to appeal to my darkside…don’t know how long I can resist against that level of temptation. [:D]
Hehehehhe, I rented the studio apartment next door to ours and stuck my wifes bedroom in there, then “stole” the now EXTRA bedroom into a modelling shop/trainset room…