When I started TheApartmentWoodworker.com over two years ago, I had one goal in mind: chronicle my foray into handtool woodworking in a confined space with a limited set of tools. For almost two years, that confined space was my high rise apartment in lower Fairfield County, Connecticut. There were ups and downs to woodworking in that apartment: the ups being mostly proximity-related, and the downs being primarily noise-related. I’d like to think I was successful in that respect.
I don’t talk about it much, but I no longer live in a high rise apartment. But I do still woodwork in a confined space. Instead of a dining nook facing an inside wall, however, my shop is now a 12′ x 13′ ground floor bedroom with a south facing window. Once you factor in wood storage, the usable space is more like 12′ x 9′. Quite comparable to the overall space I had in my old apartment.
Seen here, with the aforementioned blanket chest.
I would go so far as to say the only real difference from my old setup (aside from all the natural light) is having a full size workbench, rather than a series of clamp-on workholding solutions. And that is something I was working on anyway when I still had my apartment. I will also note that instead of driving 45 minutes each way to my parents’ house to use my miter saw or my thickness planer, they’re tucked away nearby.
So, all in all, I’m keeping the name of the website. I hope you will stay with me on this adventure and all the (hopefully) great things to come.
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The Apartment Woodworker 
12’x13′? Luxury I tell you 😀
8’x6′ here 😦
Finished pieces don’t fit, and you have about 4’x2′ of floor space you can stand in.
Le sigh.
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We make due, though. I won’t be building any boats, still.
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Nor I, and after the monster of a crib, I forsee many small, tiny, SMALL boxes in my future 😀
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(Liking the blanket chest btw)
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Congrats on the new shop.Trust me, no matter the size of the shop it will be filled so the working space is usually the same :-).
ken
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Seems to be the way of things!
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So the “previously the apartment woodworker” is growing up…
I’ll stick around unless you get a barn – in that case I’ll unsubscribe because of jealous
😛 lol
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It’s a deal!
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Will do!
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Most important for joyfull woodworking imho is a solid workbench. Space is nice, but 2nd priority as long as you have enough room for your ellbows 😀
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That’s like a dream come true. What a beautiful space!
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Fresh out of rehab 5 yrs ago, my workbench consisted of a 90’s comp.tower I found in an abandoned hotel storage unit; just so happened to call the next unit over “Home” at the time. Really admire that you have the ambition/savy to have this site up and running. Where there’s a will there’s a way, “Eh”?
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