Painting and Building Spaces

[irishserb]

Just curious, do you conduct your hobby painting and building in a “shop area” or a “living space”?

I’m surprised by how many gamers have a painting desk in a finished living space.  If I did that, there would be an immediate area of discolored patchwork floor space, and further out a fragmentation ring, where cuttings and bits land, when being clipped and cut.

Well, maybe not that bad, but I would be concerned that through mishaps and occasional accidents, that I would permanently damage the living space in some way.  So I have a shop-like basement (actually a cellar with stone walls, more dungeon-like in some ways than not) where I work.

I realize that not everyone is able to have a shop area for various reasons, but over the years, I’ve become aware of a number of gamers who have the physical space, but limit there work space to a small desk or table in a finished living space, and in some cases, are able to do so without mishap for decades.

[Steve Johnson]

My only option is a smal kitchen table to do some painting and modelling. Cutting bigger stuff up etc I use the garage or the workshop at work. If only I had a permanent space set aside for such stuff!

[Darkest Star Games]

I took over the dinning room as my hobby space/computer room.  It used to be an exercise/drum/aquarium space until my marine aquarium crashed and I moved my drums to a more sound isolated room (master bedroom).   Put barn doors up to keep the critters out (surprise: it doesn’t!) and to keep SWMBO from having to be bothered by the mess (another surprise: it doesn’t!).  Honestly not enough space.  I would have bought a shed but we already have one which SWMBO took over and filled with stuff that we do not need and will never use (unlike all of the minis and projects that I have which will never be completed or played with ).  I have been lucky so far in not spilling any paint on the carpet, and my DIY spray booth for my airbrush is lackluster, mostly because the window in that room is not operable.  Rattle can stuff is done outside.  I have had some metal bits get lost in the carpet when snipped, then found by bare feet at a later date.  I don’t know that my family would accept a separate building for my space anyways, they’d never see me (or be able to bug me).  Maybe I should rethink all of this!

"I saw this in a cartoon once, but I'm pretty sure I can do it..."

[Geof Downton]

irishserb wrote:

area of discolored patchwork floor space, and further out a fragmentation ring, where cuttings and bits land,

This is exactly what persuaded my wife to permit, nay, encourage me to have a large shed in the back garden. I do sneak indoors to paint when the shed’s too cold.

One who puts on his armour should not boast like one who takes it off.
Ahab, King of Israel; 1 Kings 20:11

[Cerdic]

Shed in the back garden for me! It’s got electric, heat and light, so I can use it all year round…

http://28mmreview.blogspot.co.uk

[Deleted User]

I have a little corner for myself and it is as you described “…discolored patchwork floor space, and further out a fragmentation ring, where cuttings and bits land…”

[Thaddeus Blanchette]

I have destroyed the living room table. Needless to say, I have a very understanding partner. In our new house, however, I will have a dedicated workspace!

We get slapped around, but we have a good time!

[willz]

I have a 8 x 6 foot small room as my painting and hobby work area, excess stored in loft and in the garage.  I use the garage as a workshop for terrain and large projects (between April and September after that it’s cold).  I spray paint any undercoating outside on dry days, the garage is remarkably tidy as I invested in 6 shelving systems from “Big Dug” last month, so come the warmer months I have a neat and tidy work area.  If I come into a bit of spare cash would not mind having the garage turned into gaming room.  I get to use the kitchen table every now and then to push my toys around.

Willz.

[Autodidact-O-Saurus]

I’ve had various set ups over the years. Before I was married I used the living room floor of my tiny apartment. Our first house saw me banished to an unfinished basement dungeon where I had to fight the spiders and cobwebs. But, I could place blankets,  a couple of 2x4s overlaid with plywood over the dining room table for a temporary gaming surface in the proper living space. Our next house provided me with a right proper man-cave with plenty of room for anything I desired–a desk for painting a 5.5×10 foot gaming table, built in bookcases, etc. The wheel of fate turned again and I was reduced to having a small desk in a spare bedroom for painting but all my gaming stuff was in storage for the next three years. The wheel turned  and I now have a man-cave with plenty of space though it’s a rental property so I have to keep in mind that someday I’ll be moving–probably to a smaller space.

Self taught, persistently behind the times, never up to date. AKA ~ jeff
More verbosity: http://petiteguerre.blogspot.com/

[Nathaniel Weber]

For my routine painting, I set up at the kitchen table with my mobile painting tray (the kind with sockets for paints). It works wonderfully and set up is fast enough that I can make use of little 15 minute blocks of time to paint.

For gaming, my father-in-law found and bought me a small used trailer home, the little ones often used as offices by contractors on large work sites. (He is an absolutely master of the used/for trade market!) We got it wired for electricty and water and had a septic tank put in, so it is entitely self contained gaming space! I will have ample room for both a 6×4 gaming table and a separate space for large projects, like terrain building.

[OldBen1]

I have a wet bar downstairs, although I never drink.  I have taken over the bar as my crafting domicile.  It’s pretty sweet especially since it has a mini fridge.

[Gaz045]

I set up a desk in the portacabin/shed…..quickly buried it under ‘projects’ so dug it out and moved it into the office…….buried that one again after filling the shelving that took its place in the shed……..got another desk for the conservatory/sun lounge and buried it……..but now actually paint at the dining room table keeping projects in stackable and easily moveable boxes and crates ready for Sunday lunch relocation………!

"Even dry tree bark is not bitter to the hungry squirrel"

[Tony Hughes]

I’ve got a large room (3.6×5.5m) plus some storage space in two other rooms. I have to share the room with a tumble drier and all my DIY & gardening tools but, with storage round the walls I only have room for a 1.6×1.2m table which doubles as my workbench. With only two of us now in quite a generously proportioned 3 bed house I’m lucky to have that much but I’m expected to store stuff there when the family visit and both grandsons want be in Grandad’s ‘playroom’ too.

 

 

[Mike Galvin]

Started in a spare corner of the living room. Branched out into a section of a 12X24 shed. When the wife filled the shed, she decided I had earned my own work area after 35 years. Now I have a 16X16X16 2 storey shed/man-cave that only I have a key for. The upstairs is my work/play area with room for a 5 Foot work bench, Shelving all along the walls, and room for a 5X8 gaming table in the center. The downstairs is for bookshelves with all my military/history themed books, and reference material. It also is the display area for militaria gathered over the years. Wife is definitely a keeper. Having an understanding partner definitely makes this hobby easier. The benefit for the wife is, I no longer want to race cars, chase women, or spend all weekend partying. Overall, I got the better end of the deal, as I am too old to do all that other stuff anymore.

[Altius]

I’ve got a room I’ve turned into an office with two desks. On one desk I have all of my work stuff, and the other one is my painting station. I’ve got a nice sound system in there, neat racks of paints and other supplies, a great lighting system and a bookshelf full of reference books. The nicest feature of all is a door, which I can close any time I like. My wife calls it “the cave”, but I keep it nice and clean. I know she hates a mess, so I try not to antagonize her too much.

Where there is fire, we will carry gasoline

[Author]

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