How I created my scale model workshop!

As I mentioned in the last Kit Chat newsletter, one of the best things a scale model hobbyist can do is create their own bit of dedicated space to pursue their craft. In other words set up their own craft workshop.
It is the only way work on model kits can be progressed uninterrupted and more importantly be left out during hiatuses without the worry of someone inadvertently disturbing the workspace or even damaging your model aircraft or whatever you are working on.
I guess there is also the other side in that others in the house may not appreciate your hobby taking over a room they use too. And they are certainly unlikely to appreciate the room and its contents getting covered in plastic dust, paint over-spray and spilled glue and paint, not to mention the odours!
I suppose most plastic modellers might have a workbench set up in the corner of a room in their house, such as in a study, lounge or the kitchen. Obviously if space is limited there is no option but to use the space available in imaginative ways. Smart storage solutions then become essential!
However if you are fortunate enough to have a few hundred quid spare and some spare space, then what I did may be of interest.
To set scene let me give you a bit of background. Around July last year I moved with my family to a new house. This dwelling should do me till my last breath with a bit of luck, it will be a blessed relief because I am sick of moving house (five times since 1994).
And joy of joys the new house has a double garage. This really got the ideas flowing, not because I want to keep my cars pristine, but because it was a great opportunity to build a craft workshop. I couldn't wait to make it happen, however there were other pressing tasks to finish first, so the project got delayed a little.
This turned out to be a good thing because initially I was going to put up stud walls within one quarter of the garage to create an entirely new room. However that would have been expensive, would have been pretty much a permanent feature and would have taken me a long time to realise.

So as time went by, an idea evolved that had the potential of being a lot cheaper and much more flexible. Namely putting up a garden shed in the garage.
I know that sounds like a crazy idea but stick with me for a minute. Here are some advantages:

• It is pre-fabricated, so all I have to do is screw it together.
• As a wooden building within a brick structure there is an element of insulation, which can be further enhanced very easily.
• It is light and can therefore be moved around the garage without too much hassle; so if you want to change the configuration of the space it is not a big problem.
• The roof is sloped and flat meaning that the garage door can still open unhindered.
• At 7 ft by 7 ft it is big enough inside as a workshop and takes up less than a quarter of the space in the garage.
• Because the garage floor is already there you do not have to prepare the ground, as you would do if the shed was outdoors.
• Painting it (inside) is a doddle and only took a few hours.
• Electricity can be supplied by simply using an extension lead without having to go through the rigmarole of installing cabling and wall sockets as you would have to do with a purpose built room.
• Because it is only a single layer wall it is very easy to create vent outlets, such as for an Xpelair unit in the roof or in the wall for a mobile air conditioning unit to blow out waste hot air.
• And lastly, if at some point in the future you decide you would rather have your entire garage back and actually use your shed as a shed in the garden, it is a simple case of taking it apart (to the extent that it can be moved through gates and along alleyways) and relocating it to the garden, leaving the garage untouched.

So there is method in my madness! Naturally I had to keep this idea to myself initially so as not to scare the other half into an immediate and point blank refusal. (I find using the gentle approach, in which new concepts and ideas are introduced piecemeal, gets a much more positive response, even if it takes a little longer!)
So without further ado this is is a step-by-step guide to how I did it.

1. I bought a garden shed that fitted inside my garage. I took care to take accurate measurements of the three dimensional space available. I then browsed online for a shed because I had access to all the dimensions to verify the style of shed would fit in the space. Naturally if you want the garage door to open up over the top of the shed then you will very likely need one with a flat roof. The online shed retailer I have used on a number of occasions (and so too on this one) is http://www.gardenbuildingsdirect.co.uk/. They have always been excellent and I highly recommend them. The shed I chose was this one http://www.gardenbuildingsdirect.co.uk/Wooden-Sheds/BillyOh-Corner-Shed.
2. Once I had made my selection I made doubly sure that it would fit in the space it was destined for. I even marked out the footprint of the building with spray paint and created life size models of the furniture I intended to install to ensure there would be enough room. With my mind assured I placed the order. It arrived within a week if memory serves.
3. I followed the assembly instructions carefully until it was complete (although for obvious reasons I skipped the roof felt stage). Fine-tune maneuvering can still be done at this late stage by wrapping a rope around the base of the structure and dragging it. It would have been easier with two people but I just about managed. If you are going to try this it is important that the force is exerted on the edges of the floor because if you pull on the walls it will distort and damage the structure itself.
4. Once in it's final resting place I started fitting it out. The first stage was to install another layer of flooring as the floor that came with the shed is pretty thin and flexed far too much. I used a couple of sheets of tongue and groove chipboard floorboard, cut to shape using a jigsaw. These pieces were then dropped into place creating a much sturdier floor.
5. The second fitout stage was painting. Because I wanted as much light as possible I chose a bright white emulsion. I have to admit I chose emulsion to save money, however it was a mistake. On the next trip to B&Q I bought a decent white wood primer and a high quality bright white wood paint to finish off the job. I painted everything white, walls, ceiling and floor. It really did the trick and means that the best use of light is made.
6. When the paint was dry it was time to start thinking about the work table. I knew exactly what I needed and so started looking online and then at a couple of stores nearby for something appropriate. I found nothing and eventually decided to create my own from left over wood in the garage. I had a piece of plywood and a piece of the chipboard flooring left over so I cut them to size with the jigsaw and cleaned up the tongue edges of the latter. The chipboard was attached first. I decided to use the shed wall in lieu of legs on one end and a single leg bolted to the floor at the other. It is a little bit wobbly but no worse than a commercial flat pack table from Argos for example. There is a picture here of the underside of the table showing how it all fitted together. On top of the chipboard went the slightly larger piece of plywood, and was glued into place. After I was happy with it, this also got a couple of licks of bright white paint.
7. The next stage was to install a long fluorescent strip-light on the ceiling. This was left over from the shed at our old house so I didn't incur any additional cost there!
8. Then came the power. I am a big fan of keeping things safe and simple, and I am no electrician, so when it comes to power I simply use a trusty multi-socket extension lead with surge breaker fuse. The multi-socket is attached to the wall with a couple of screws and the cable is tucked away along the floor edges where wall meets the floor. It was held in place with cable nail-clips.
9. For a bit of storage and because I had enough space I installed a lightweight plastic shelving unit, held to the wall with a plastic cable tie on one side and a bracket on the other. This was nicked from the Garage, but I soon found extra space for the items already on it so no harm done. I also put up a shelving unit, also salvaged from the left over from the previous shed.
10. Two folding chairs and stools were purchased from Argos for seating and that was it.
11. Then all my modelling gear was brought in.

As is usual no job like this is ever fully complete. My father visited soon after completion and within a couple of minutes he made a fair point that there was no air extraction system. Luckily I had a spare one of those in the garage too and so that was put in the ceiling in a jiffy.

Then last week the hot weather came and after years of resistance I gave in and bought a mobile air conditioning unit. This is used wherever it is most needed but if it is in the workshop to allow the hot air to escape I made a hole in the back wall so that the unit can simply be wheeled up to the hole and the outlet pipe fed into the hole.
I also had a couple of vary painful knocks on the head while walking through the door. Hence the strip of black foam padding you can see in the image on the left!
So that is it. If I had bought everything new (except for standard tools used) it would have cost less then £500 in all. Not bad for an extra room in the house. The best bit of all is the drinks fridge is not three yards away from the door of the shed!

P.S. If you have done something similar do post a comment or email me to share your ideas and experiences.