Woodworking in a New York City Apartment
January 9th, 2009 in blogs
Stephen Scott, associate editor
77 users recommend
Matt's bathroom workshop. Be careful reaching for the soap...
Photo: Matt Paldy
Matt Paldy lives in a small place. His studio apartment on Manhattan’s upper west side measures 14’ by 19’. Within those 266 square feet, though, he’s managed to make room for his hobby.
Last week, Matt sent these photos of his 5’ x 5’ bathroom woodshop, where he makes boxes, serving trays and other small items. As soon as I saw them I knew I had to post them here. Here’s what he says about his set-up:
“I move individual tools, such as the band saw, drill press, Dewalt DW745 tablesaw, and router table in and out of the bathroom as I need them. I made a workbench that straddles the tub. I store the tools against a wall when I'm not using them, and make a sad attempt to cover them with a sheet to make them less of an eyesore.”
He describes the process as "arduous," but says the extra effort is worth it.
"Woodworking, even in the constraints of the bathroom, gives me an escape from the stress of living in Manhattan. Manhattan is a city that favors disposable items and it's easy to become disconnected from nature, the earth, wood, and the pleasure and appreciation of making something by hand."
For a closer look at Matt's work, check out his website here. He told me he also plans to try selling some of his pieces outside the Museum of Natural History on weekends. If you're in the city, you might stop by for a look.
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Comments (8)
I can tell you're not married either :-) Posted: 6:36 pm on February 25th
I'll second the recommendation for Rosenzweig Lumber in the Bronx. And I've had several folks building projects in my shop with lumber from ML Condon--they were very happy with waht they found up there.
By the way, if you are a woodworking enthusiast in NYC, short on space (who isn't?), and are looking for a place to learn and build stuff, check out Makeville Studio in Brooklyn (www.makeville.com). Posted: 9:09 am on February 25th
Posted: 8:27 pm on January 19th