Below 265 SQ/FT 200 Square Foot Tiny Texas Workshop

[goofiefoot]

Yeah, my back was ok - it was my knees that got me, since I stored the panels flat on the ground.

I more got frustrated by the process, rather than by the day. This part of the build took place over about 3 days of work. The first day I spent a lot of time standing around thinking through how best to do things. The second day went really well, and I got a lot done. It was that third day that I was trying to get stuff done after work and started making mistakes, while navigating around impending rain. Dealing with the dust, wearing the mask, particularly hot days, and heavy materials added up to make this not my favorite part.

The Hardie panels are fiber-cement siding. They come pre-primed, and are meant to be weather-facing. You do need a special blade to cut them, and the dust can be hazardous, so masks are a must when cutting.

As far as the rain, it was definitely helpful to just throw everything into the building! That's the thing I'm most looking forward to - having all my tools in one <organized> space and I can work out of the weather in climate controlled space. Here on the Texas coast, I mostly want to get out of the heat and humidity, but we do also get frequent pop-up storms.

For the seams, I'll be using Big Stretch caulk, as it's supposed to be one of the longer-lasting solutions, and can deal with expansion/contraction. For the larger gaps, I plan to do it in two stages - caulk the edges, then come back and fill in between. I will paint over it with a high-quality exterior paint, so maintenance should be minimal.

As always, I appreciate you following along and sharing your thoughts!

 

[goofiefoot]

I haven't got a ton done on the tiny workshop lately. Between almost daily rain, and other house priorities, I have only been able to finish up the siding - which I'm certainly pleased about! I don't like working with the Hardie material, though I'm confident it will pay off in the long run.

I shored up the gable ends, which I was dreading, since I'd be working off the ground, and having to be precise with angle cuts. It ended up being a non-issue, and I was able to knock it out over 2 evenings after work.

I took my time with the measuring and marking out the cut lines





The panels require a 1/4 inch gap between the bottom and the flashing, so I used a couple of 6" drill bits to rest the panels on as I nailed them into place



As humid as it's been here in Rockport, any time I cut Hardie, I'm coated with a significant dusting that sticks to my sweat. It's pretty gross. The Diablo Hardie Blade has been a perfect investment for this project. It cuts through the siding like nothing!



I'm glad to have the siding done. Next step is to figure out the soffit. I've got the supplies, and just need to block out all the attachment points under the gable ends and along the sides.



I'll be posting the video soon. I appreciate all of you who are following along here, and subscribing to the YouTube channel!

 

[captain14]

Jason

thanks for the update. How do you clean up all the cut off debris from the siding? You should hose yourself off outside before you venture inside to cleanup.

Maybe think about making some scaffolding to work on the soffits? Or at least get one of the work platforms that fit on the Gorilla ladders. Your feet will thank you.

 

[goofiefoot]

Jason

thanks for the update. How do you clean up all the cut off debris from the siding? You should hose yourself off outside before you venture inside to cleanup.

Maybe think about making some scaffolding to work on the soffits? Or at least get one of the work platforms that fit on the Gorilla ladders. Your feet will thank you.

For the small cutoffs, I simply pick them up and throw them away. I've been holding on to the larger pieces in case I need them, and will probably give them away once the build is done if I don't have any immediate use for them.

I do typically rinse off with the hose when I'm done. Between the humidity, the sandy ground, the mosquito repellant, the construction dust, and just generally being hot, it's always nice to cool off with the hose and wash off all the gunk.

Good call on the platform for the soffit work. I've been meaning to order one so thanks for the reminder!

 

[goofiefoot]

The gable end siding video is live! It's a little shorter than typical, but gives a good overview on the process. Check it out:

Thanks for following along!

 

[captain14]

Jason

I watched the video this afternoon. Thanks for update. Looking forward to the soffit chapter of the shop.

 

[goofiefoot]

It's been a while but I'm still plugging away on the workshop. I finally have the soffits installed, and the shop is all closed up.

This part required a lot of extra framing and blocking to support the thin Hardie soffit material.



The worst part of the Hardie panels is cutting them. Even with a good quality Hardie blade, there is a lot of dust, which gets all over you when you're sweating the Texas heat and humidity.



The side perforated quarter inch soffit panels came in 12 foot lengths, and these were near impossible to handle by myself without breaking them, so I cut them down to 4-foot lengths to make the install go easier on me.



For the end gables, I ripped down quarter inch 4x8 Hardie sheets to size. My wife helped hold the panels on the front side, and I ended up building a jig to hold them on the back side (this worked much better).



I'm glad to have this part done, and the shop closed in. I still have some trim to install, and of course, I will be caulking and painting, but this gets me to a good point to start working on the inside. First thing - running electrical.

I'll post the video link below for the soffit install. Thanks to all of you for following along!

 

[goofiefoot]

The soffit install video is live! This was a more process-heavy install than I was expecting, so the video is a bit longer than typical, but I think it turned out pretty good.

Enjoy!

 

[captain14]

Thanks for the update. I’ll watch the video next.

It was hard to tell but did you use the multi-tool to trim the rafter tails?

Make sure all the nooks and Crannies are sealed on the soffit and fascias are closed off or every bird and squirrel will find its way in to build nests. They destroyed my first sets installed on my three dormers. The new ones are much better designed and built.

 

[goofiefoot]

Thanks for the update. I’ll watch the video next.

It was hard to tell but did you use the multi-tool to trim the rafter tails?

Make sure all the nooks and Crannies are sealed on the soffit and fascias are closed off or every bird and squirrel will find its way in to build nests. They destroyed my first sets installed on my three dormers. The new ones are much better designed and built.

Thanks! Yes, I used the tool to trim down the rafter ends so the soffit would sit flush behind the fascia. I'll be adding more trim and caulking seams to seal it in as much as possible. I certainly don't want any critters getting in.

 

[captain14]

Amazing tools! When the contractors were doing my roof shingles along with new fascia and trim, one of the bolts fell out dropping everything else. I used his big pickup magnet and recovered all the pieces. I asked what they used prior to their general popularity? We made do was the answer. So what ever worked.

 

[goofiefoot]

I've not been idle in the pause in posting. Lately, I've been working on running the electrical in the shop. My dad is a licensed electrician, and as a kid, I often went with him on jobs to help run wire (mostly wriggling into tight spaces), so this kind of work is familiar - though I found I was a bit rusty. Case in point - I bought the wrong 12 gauge wire so I spent a good deal more time stripping out the stiffer ground-burial-rated stuff. Oh well, live and learn.

I installed an 8-breaker sub panel and will have 60 amp service from the house panel.



A neighbor lent me his Hole Hawg to get the outlet holes drilled. This thing is a beast, and a lot of fun to run. It certainly made quick work of the wall holes.



Running wires went quick, as it was what I was most experienced with. I really enjoyed this part.



Filling the sub panel completely made it a bit of a challenge to wire neatly, but I'm pleased with how it all turned out.



As it sits today, all the interior switches, plugs, lights, and the breaker box are wired up and ready for power.



My house panel is an older style CH panel, and I was unable to find the correct breakers locally. My dad was able to get the 60 amp breaker at his local supply house, so I am picking that up this weekend and getting the power on by Sunday!

The video turned out pretty good for this one, and it will be live later today. I'll post here once it's set.

 

[goofiefoot]

The electrical video is live! If you enjoy watching someone drill holes and run wires, this video is for you.

Enjoy! As always, feel free to send me feedback!

 

[goofiefoot]

The power is on, and I spent this weekend getting the workshop insulated! Here in south Texas, we are not getting any autumn weather yet, so it was hot, sweaty, itchy work, especially wearing long sleeves and a mask.



I started with the ceiling, so that was a full day working over my head. I am pleased with the results.



There was a lot more to do to finish out the walls, though that work went a lot smoother.



I cut it WAY too close on the amount of material I bought, but I was able to use every scrap to finish out the walls. I do plan to go back with some expanding foam to fill in the corners, and that should cover everything.



It's amazing how much this made a difference in sound! It's so much quieter in here, and that's going to be great for filming my videos. Speaking of which, this episode is live, and I will link to it below.

 

[goofiefoot]

Check out the insulation installation video! It's a pretty straightforward process, so I had some fun with timelapse shots.

Thanks for watching!

 

[captain14]

Jason

I just watched the electric and insulation videos.

Can you provide a link to the lights you have in the ceiling and your thoughts on them? I have seen different Versions an multiple websites.

Whats the HVAC plan when you get there? Ceiling fans?

thanks

 

[goofiefoot]

I just watched the electric and insulation videos.

Can you provide a link to the lights you have in the ceiling and your thoughts on them? I have seen different Versions an multiple websites.

Whats the HVAC plan when you get there? Ceiling fans?

These are the lights I bought - 2 Pack Led Garage Lights 100W

So far, I think they're awesome! They are bright and I like that I can adjust them to put light everywhere I need it.

As far as cooling and heating, I will be installing a 6000 BTU window A/C in the opening you can see in the thumbnail of my last video above. Here in south Texas, I won't have to worry as much about heating, but I do have a nice oil radiator heater I can use if I feel I need it. We'll start there, and see if anything else is needed. I don't anticipate much more than that.

 

[goofiefoot]

I am pleased to share the next stage in this tiny workshop build. I spent some time installing 3/8" plywood as the wall covering inside the shop, and it turned out great! I still have to trim things out, but it's awesome having a (near) finished look inside.

I originally planned to use 5mm poplar plywood from Lowes, as it was one of the less expensive options, and looked nice. However, about the time I was set to go buy it, it jumped considerably in price - almost a 50% increase! I then opted for the 3/8" which was a few bucks cheaper, and I figured having the extra thickness would work out better in the long run. I needed 27 sheets to complete the shop, which worked out to about 900+ pounds of lumber.



Once I got some final trim pieces in place, and cleared out the shop, I began installing the ceiling panels. I screwed a couple scrap boards together to screw to the top plate of the wall hold the bottom of the plywood, and pre-drilled all my screw holes to help the solo installation go smoother. Other than some on-the-fly readjustments, it went ok - just slow and steady.



I bought the WEN Track Saw a while back, paired with 2 Powertec Tracks, and I used the heck out of it for this stage of the build. It was nice to simply line up my marks and go, and be confident of a straight, accurate cut. I used the stock blade for this, and it worked just fine, though I will definitely be buying a better blade for future projects.



Putting up the wall panels was easier, though still slow-going, since I wanted to ensure all my measurements were dead-on, especially for the outlets and fixtures. There are a few places that I'll notice where things aren't perfect, but I'm pleased for the most part. I did screw up one panel around the door, where I measured an inset and cut from the wrong side, but it was nothing a scrap piece of ply couldn't fill in. I didn't total it up, but I used almost an entire 1,000 piece box of 1.5" screws here.



I probably took more time than necessary on this stage, just being careful in my measuring and cutting. I spent 4 days getting this done, so putting up that last panel felt really, really good. Once I get the trim around the doors, windows, and edges, the interior will basically be done and ready to actually do some shop work!



I put a lot of detail of my progress into the video, so you can see how it all came together. I'll post that below.

 

[goofiefoot]

As I said above, this video shows a lot of the progression of the work, as well as some detail in my measuring and cutting. I hope you enjoy!

 

[captain14]

What are your plans for the interior finish?

The video may answer this question but how far off the floor is the bottom of the plywood? You certainly don’t want to wick water up the wall.

I’ll watch later tonight after the evening chores are complete.

 

[goofiefoot]

What are your plans for the interior finish?

The video may answer this question but how far off the floor is the bottom of the plywood? You certainly don’t want to wick water up the wall.

I’ll watch later tonight after the evening chores are complete.

I plan to keep the plywood raw, which is why I spent so much time measuring and cutting. The screws are all aligned, and the joints as tight as I could make them without compromising some shift in the structure. I will put trim around the doors, windows, and A/C, run some along where the ceiling and walls meet to hide that edge, and at the peak of the vault. Other that, it's ready to go!

I used a piece of 1/4" plywood to space the panels off the floor for just that reason.

 

[goofiefoot]

And just like that, 7 months later, the build is done! I finished up the interior trim, and painted the outside. I am very pleased with the results, and I can't wait to get in there and start working on projects!






I had the paint matched to our house paint. It's hard to see here, but the match is outstanding, especially with the stucco pattern Hardie on the shop and the real stucco on the house.



I'm loving the plywood interior, and the trim brings everything together well.





I've been moving my tools back into the space, and I'm going to purge some of the stuff before I move it in. Ideally, this needs to stay as clean and organized as I can make it to be usable.

The end of the build is only the beginning, so from here on out, I'll be posted my projects and builds in this thread. Thanks for following along!!!

 

[goofiefoot]

I buckled down and got things knocked out in this video. I cut down 8.5 hours of footage into this 12.5 minutes.

 

[captain14]

The last time the new shop will be completely empty and nothing on the floor. Looking forward to see what projects you will work on this winter.

I know you considered a work area in front of the doors, but when does your weather break in Texas and you can’t work outside?

 

[goofiefoot]

The last time the new shop will be completely empty and nothing on the floor. Looking forward to see what projects you will work on this winter.

I know you considered a work area in front of the doors, but when does your weather break in Texas and you can’t work outside?

The work area is still definitely on the list, and I'll probably knock that out soon. My first priority is getting everything sorted and only taking the things I need into the shop.

Here in south Texas, we only have short breaks where we can't work outside year-round. We had that freak freeze last year that stayed for a week or so, but other than that, our weather events may only last a day or two, then it's pleasant again outside.

I really appreciate you following this thread!

 

[goofiefoot]

Shopping for a new bandsaw led me down several paths - what do I need? how much should I spend? do I buy new or used?

Ultimately, I decided to build a tool I could grow with, that fit in my relatively small budget. I'm pleased with the results!

I picked up the Porter Cable 14-inch bandsaw at Lowes. To order the Porter cable bandsaw riser block kit, I contacted Porter Cable customer service at 1-888-609-9779 and requested part number XOJX. The kit was around $100 and they shipped it out in just a few days.

I'm hoping to make some small lumber resawing from local logs, so I added the Kreg Bandsaw Fence which looks like it will do nicely. I grabbed a 1/2" blade and 1/4" blade in the larger 105" size.

I'm looking forward to throwing some sawdust with this thing!

 

[goofiefoot]

Keeping tools mobile in the tiny workshop is crucial for a usable, organized space. I installed a WEN Mobile Tool Base on my Porter Cable bandsaw so I can easily move it around when I need it.

.
I do have some projects in the works, and I'm looking forward to sharing some craftsmanship more sooner than later. Stay tuned!

 

[goofiefoot]

I put together a full recap video of the tiny workshop build, and thought y'all may like to see the entire build from beginning to end. Enjoy!

I've been navigating between my 2 Youtube channels, and I'm happy to use my original channel to "introduce" the newer one with this video. Feel free to subscribe to both! I'd love to have you along for the ride - whether it's outdoor living or building stuff.

 

[goofiefoot]

As I'm moving all my gear into the shop, I'm striving to keep it all organized, easy to grab, and out of the way. This is an ever-evolving venture, so I put up some french cleat systems all the way around the workshop to give me the flexibility to move and shift things as-needed as I'm figuring out my workflow (as well as buying new stuff).

Most of what I'm showing here is for the small items, and I plan to build more to house things like saws (with blade storage included), small cabinets, and of course, better, more mobile carts for some of my big tools. Stay tuned!

 

[goofiefoot]

Now that I'm actually using my small workshop, I'm realizing how important it is to keep the dust in check. Luckily, I had a lot of scrap material laying around to build this surprisingly effective dust filter!

To prove I AM actually using my shop as, you know, a shop, I'll share one of my first projects. I finally got my european mount back on the pronghorn I shot in north Texas in October, so I wanted to make a plaque for it to hang on the wall.



I think it turned out great, and the best part about building this is I found a local guy setting up a sawmill to sell locally-sourced mesquite, live oak, and other native species. I was able to get a sampling of lumber to try out, and hope to build a relationship so we can work together on some more custom work.

The mesquite is amazing to work with. I ran the plaque through the planer a few times, then hit it with some sanding. It's nice and hard, and the grain and figuring is gorgeous!



I've heard live oak can be tricky to work with but we have a ton of it around from Hurricane Harvey in 2017. The grain is crazy and looks like it would make some interesting pieces. I ran a small piece through the planer and there was a lot of tear out around the cracks and holes. I'll have to play around it with more.



We'll see what we can do with these. I'm excited to get into more projects, and should have some ready to share more sooner than later.

 

[captain14]

Jason

I just watches the video for the box fan filter. Did you happen to add some electric motor oil to the motor while you had it opened up? There might be a port in the backside. great idea.

Have you made a scrap wood bin for the shop yet?

Have you named the pronghorn as he watches over the shop

 

[goofiefoot]

Jason

I just watches the video for the box fan filter. Did you happen to add some electric motor oil to the motor while you had it opened up? There might be a port in the backside. great idea.

Have you made a scrap wood bin for the shop yet?

Have you named the pronghorn as he watches over the shop

Good call on the motor oil, but I did not think to do that when I had the fan open. It operated as-expected without any noise, so it didn't occur to me to do anything but clean it up.

A lumber holder is definitely on my to-do list. I've got boards stacked up and leaning against walls right now, and that's not sustainable.

Pronghorn is on the wall in my office - I'll give some thought to a name.

 

[goofiefoot]

I've continued to work on getting tools and stuff off my workbench and shelves, and threw together a holder and charging station for my cordless drills out of scrap wood. Then I added a quick bit holder to keep those close at hand.

I also found a couple of Facebook Marketplace deals I couldn't pass up, so the shop is really filling out with tools. I've got to stop soon or I won't have room to work!



I've been looking for a drill press off and on for a few years, and this one I just couldn't pass up. It's dirty and has a few dings, but it turns straight and is perfectly square!



I've been wanting to learn lathe-work for some time, but couldn't justify the start-up cost. I bought this off an older gentleman who had all the original parts, and the manual! The full set of chisels was a bonus.

 

[captain14]

I can see you working on the “Annex” next summer with all the skills you learned last summer!
I’ll watch the video later tonight.

Consider a timer on the battery chargers since you are not out there everyday and you don’t need to fry the batteries.

 

[goofiefoot]

I can see you working on the “Annex” next summer with all the skills you learned last summer!
I’ll watch the video later tonight.

Consider a timer on the battery chargers since you are not out there everyday and you don’t need to fry the batteries.

Yeah, space is definitely becoming more of a premium. I'll probably be going vertical next with storage - that's part of the reason for the steep roof pitch and vaulted ceiling.

The charger timer is an awesome idea. I'll look into what might work best.

 

[captain14]

I have seen some members use an appliance (AC) or light timer and remove one of the tabs. They set it for about an hour to top off the battery. As always make sure the timer is able to provide the correct level of power.

My M12 and Dewalt 9.6 chargers take roughly an hour to bring batteries back up. I keep my chargers in the basement so after dinner I’ll go down to unplug them

 

[goofiefoot]

I've enjoyed using my shop-vac-based dust collection system, but have hated the room it takes up and dragging the individual components around the shop, so I built a cart!

It works well and keeps everything together, and most importantly, it's keeps things stable so I don't have to worry about the bucket tipping over while in use.

I hope y'all are enjoying the shop projects. More sooner than later I hope to actually move on to creating things for something other than workshop organization.

 

[captain14]

Jason

Good video. You mentioned that all you have done is projects for the shop. That’s similar to buying a welder, the first two projects are always building a welding cart for your equipment and a table to weld on.

Do you have a link for the quad plug as you called it I think.

 

[goofiefoot]

Thanks! Here is the link to the Automatic Vacuum Plug.

 

[goofiefoot]

I came across some old photos from about 6 years ago when I restored my grandfather's old Wilton bench vise and was pleased on how well the restoration went, as this vise still looks and works as awesome as it did when I put it back together.


This is the condition before I began restoring it. It worked great then!


Here is the newly restored vise - 6 years ago.


...and here it is today, right at home in the tiny workshop.

I put together a video of the restoration:

I've been continuing to get things organized - building french cleat holders for smaller tools, and planning out where my larger tools and workbench might end up.