A Leather Work Room In Your Home?

[ShortBBL]

I have a question for those who have their work area set up in your home, as most probably do. Just how dirty will the work area get? I am in the middle of setting up shop in my garage BUT, it'll be winter soon and no way to heat this garage. My basement (we are renting) is finished so it has carpet and I do have a room about 12x10 (plus a walk in closet in the room) that I could use for my shop, but I wonder if it would be way too messy. I have a shop vac!

For equiptment, I have:

Floor Drill press

Table 4x24" sander (vacuum hooks up to it and actually works pretty good)

Cobra Class 4 on the way!

Big Table.

Maybe a room with carpet just won't work. What do you all have to say about the idea?

Thanks!

[wareagle]

We do leather work in our apartment. and have a few rugs down and have never had any problems (Knock on wood). Leather dust is fairly easy to clean up the biggest problem I can foresee is spilling a dye or paint. We also do wood turning and turn plastics, the plastic throw offs are by far the hardest to clean up (static cling and barbed edges act like hooks on any material).

Edit ....

Also heavy equipment will leave a indent on the carpet .... use a steam iron and damp towel, then rough it up using your hand or a carpet comb, to remove it

Edited July 6, 2010 by wareagle

[Dwight]

One thing you could do, . . . go to a local building supply, . . . try one of the "bargain" outlets, . . . buy the cheapest of their "click together" flooring they have, . . . enough to cover the room.

You have to leave 1/4 inch or so all around it, . . . you cover that crack with the blue tape used by painters for edging, . . . and you duct tape the doorway edge to the door threshold. You also need to get the foam for putting under it, . . . don't skimp on this.

Here in central Ohio, . . . you could get it for less than $200, . . . and it will not only protect the carpet, . . . but it is super easy to clean up, . . . chairs roll easy on it, . . . and you can put it down in an afternoon.

Spills shouldn't go through it if you get to wiping it up quickly, . . .

Then, when you get ready to leave, . . . pull it up, . . . put it in your truck, . . . take it to the next place.

My leather work shop is my desk in our great room. We have linoleum floors (that'll change in the not too distant future too, to most likely the above mentioned click flooring). I do my sanding in the mud room (with a small vacuum on the sander), . . . my staining and finishing is also done in the mud room, . . . and my only inconvenience is the "grab and hide" when unexpected company starts down our 600 foot driveway.

May God bless,

Dwight

Edited July 6, 2010 by Dwight

[ShortBBL]

Thanks for the replies!

I think I'll give it a go. I am pretty careful, so it should be ok. The hardest part now will be getting the giant 9' Solid core door that I use as a table, downstairs!

[SamTexas]

I have a question for those who have their work area set up in your home, as most probably do. Just how dirty will the work area get? I am in the middle of setting up shop in my garage BUT, it'll be winter soon and no way to heat this garage. My basement (we are renting) is finished so it has carpet and I do have a room about 12x10 (plus a walk in closet in the room) that I could use for my shop, but I wonder if it would be way too messy. I have a shop vac!

For equiptment, I have:

Floor Drill press

Table 4x24" sander (vacuum hooks up to it and actually works pretty good)

Cobra Class 4 on the way!

Big Table.

Maybe a room with carpet just won't work. What do you all have to say about the idea?

Thanks!

Hi Short BBL

I have a 10 x 10 room that is carpeted and even though I am a klutz, have never messed it up. I like the idea about the clip together flooring and will check that out too. One thing I do have a problem with is ventilation. If you are using glues or finishes with very strong vapors, be very careful with any open flame or close confinement. Being in Texas we don't have basements, but I know some of friends up north have their heating units in theirs. That can be a real danger in an enclosed space.

Good luck,

Sam Texas

Edited July 6, 2010 by SamTexas

[ShortBBL]

Hi Short BBL

I have a 10 x 10 room that is carpeted and even though I am a klutz, have never messed it up. I like the idea about the clip together flooring and will check that out too. One thing I do have a problem with is ventilation. If you are using glues or finishes with very strong vapors, be very careful with any open flame or close confinement. Being in Texas we don't have basements, but I know some of friends up north have their heating units in theirs. That can be a real danger in an enclosed space.

Good luck,

Sam Texas

Sam, thanks for the comments and concerns. I am going to go for it and set up shop in my basement level. The room has a window thats about 4 foot square and when glueing up items, I can open it up and blow the stink (fumes) out with a fan placed in the window. I think it will work good. We have forced air heat, so no open flame anywhere near this room. The hard part will be hauling the heavy items down there! ouch!

[Kevin]

I think glue fumes are heavier than air, so be careful.

Kevin

[ShortBBL]

I think glue fumes are heavier than air, so be careful.

Kevin

My furnace IS in the basement two rooms away. I wonder what special precautions I might need to take? I dont plan to spend large amounts of time glueing.... hopefully just opening the window and having the fan blow it out while glueing will do the trick.

[King's X]

I am set up in a small sitting area located in our master bedroom. It occasionally gets dusty, but I just have to get the kids to vacuum. The drill press is located in my garage. I don't have a sewing machine, but if I did, I would probably find a way to fit it in. I do have a corded drill that I clamp on the bench for my sanding. It is not too bad, I usually vacuum right after. As for the fumes, it just depends. I do have some emergency cans of Tandy Contact Cement, but the wife knows to exit the room immediately when deployed. I did find some green label contact cement at Lowes on clearance in a one gallon. According to their label it can be used for leather and materials, but mostly used on counter tops. What I like about it is that it does not smell at all. I just glue both sides, it dries and CAREFULLY put them together. I haven't had one project split yet.

Good luck

[Shorts]

I've commandeered one of the small bedrooms upstairs for my shop. It works. It's not terribly dirty but it could use a cleaning. I vacuum in there once a week. Where the dust collects is on the wall, the blinds, base board ledges, fan blades...etc. At this point in time it's not a big deal. Surfaces can be wiped down for a thorough cleaning. As for the nice new carpet that's in there, it's not a big deal. I'm not careless but I do have some dye spots and splatters and smudges in my dye area.

Overall we're not light-colored carpet fans. We'll be pulling it out for hardwood so not a big concern to keep it pristine but I still take care of it. Things happen.

Dwight has a good idea about laying down a simple floor. I was thinking of doing the same. An option besides wood flooring is some composite squares like they have at the gyms/fitness centers or for the garage. Buy as many as you need and click them together. Since its a pretty small area it won't break the bank. I think my area is 10'x11', plus a 3'x2' closet IIRC. I don't have my press in there, it is in the garage. I don't have room for it.

I'm starting to think about building a bigger workbench and some more shelving. The trick will be getting it in the room. I'll have to build it in pieces and assemble it in the room. No way what I want to build will fit through the door, much less up the stairs. And for a little fantasy time, I've though about where in the yard I can build a sweet detached workshop

Edited July 8, 2010 by Shorts

[ShortBBL]

I've commandeered one of the small bedrooms upstairs for my shop. It works. It's not terribly dirty but it could use a cleaning. I vacuum in there once a week. Where the dust collects is on the wall, the blinds, base board ledges, fan blades...etc. At this point in time it's not a big deal. Surfaces can be wiped down for a thorough cleaning. As for the nice new carpet that's in there, it's not a big deal. I'm not careless but I do have some dye spots and splatters and smudges in my dye area.

Overall we're not light-colored carpet fans. We'll be pulling it out for hardwood so not a big concern to keep it pristine but I still take care of it. Things happen.

Dwight has a good idea about laying down a simple floor. I was thinking of doing the same. An option besides wood flooring is some composite squares like they have at the gyms/fitness centers or for the garage. Buy as many as you need and click them together. Since its a pretty small area it won't break the bank. I think my area is 10'x11', plus a 3'x2' closet IIRC. I don't have my press in there, it is in the garage. I don't have room for it.

I'm starting to think about building a bigger workbench and some more shelving. The trick will be getting it in the room. I'll have to build it in pieces and assemble it in the room. No way what I want to build will fit through the door, much less up the stairs. And for a little fantasy time, I've though about where in the yard I can build a sweet detached workshop

Wow... that's what you think about for fantasy time? LOL Sorry... I had to.

[Shorts]

Wow... that's what you think about for fantasy time? LOL Sorry... I had to.

lol That's only one of my fantasies

[ShortBBL]

lol That's only one of my fantasies

Ok... whew... I guess this got off topic. ha ha

[dirtclod]

After moving my shop 4 times to a bigger and better place each time. I screw everything togeather now as far as work tables, racks and shelves. The third time i moved the door on that shop was to narrow to get my work table through the door. I had to cut one side off to be able to get inside. It was nailed togeather so it was cutting the wood and the nails to get it apart. Then i had to take it apart again to get it back out the door when i moved to the shop i have now. It was rebuilt useing just screws and only screws. Ever thing i am building now is screwed togeather so it can come apart pretty easy if i it needs to.

[BAD HIDE]

Depending on what you're making, and what machinery you have, you don't need much space. I'm crammed into a 9X12 spare bedroom as well, and more than a corner of that's for oil painting, but having everything compartmentalized and portable really opens up the room. Tables that fold up or down out of the way, shelving to store everything, and tools all in totes or smaller cases so you can just grab what you need without having them all out all the time really helps. I had hardwood flooring, but since it's a rental and the floors are really nice, I picked up a couple of super cheap outdoor 6x8 carpets that I just threw down to keep it nice. clean up with a regular household vac is totally doable. Where I'm gonna put the Cobra when I can afford it is another story.

[hivemind]

I ain't gonna lie: my workspace is a frigging mess. I regularly just brush scrap and hole pills off the bench onto the floor, spill stuff, work with hot wax, and never clean up. I also use a belt sander and a bench mounted scroll saw without ever sweeping up. I clean about twice a year.

I cannot imagine having my shop upstairs where the mess would matter...

[RobDude30]

I use a very small area in the corner of my bonus room for my workspace. The room has light colored carpet. I bought one of those clear plastic chair mats (rectangle-shaped - about 4'x6') from the local office store and have it under my bench. Serves two purposes -- allows my chair to roll easily and lets me contain any spills or splatters. I dust and vacuum occasionally to get up the leather dust.

[TigerPal]

Those plastic chair mats also make good cutting surfaces = IF you don't mind getting down on your hands and knees.

[Fredo]

I think glue fumes are heavier than air, so be careful.

Kevin

Yes they are, most flamable liquids give off fumes that are heavier then air. this is the driving reason behind the code that says all gas fired water heaters must be a minimum of 18 inches off the ground.