I visited a friend today.  He moved to a "retirement village" a few years ago and is a main player in the facility's woodshop.  I have visited several different ones of these at various places.  Observations:

• There is not really enough room for more than a couple of people at a time.
• You can't rely on setting something up and having it stay that way if multiple people are working.
• There is not room to store much like lumber, or projects in progress.
• There is too much stuff -- a lot of people bring big parts of their shops.  I think there were six sanders, three band saws, and 4 or so dust collectors.  And racks and racks of parts and hardware.  I did not notice an excess of clamps, but have seen  this at other shops.
• My friend said that you could never depend on stuff working right.  He keeps his own saw blade and puts it on a table saw before using, then takes off when he's done.   I am familiar with this at the theater shop and furniture bank.   Stuff never gets put back, or put back in not the right place.
• At least it was fairly neat.   I made two 4x8 assembly tables for the theater shop and they are usually piled high with junk such as cut-offs, tools left where last used, stuff made and just left there, etc..

and that's why i have my own shop.

Same reason I have my own shop.

Saw the same things at the place where my Mom and Dad moved to. 

Hmmm, I've not had the opportunity to visit a retirement village with a wood or workshop.  I can see where all of the comments would be a shortcoming.

OTOH - I think if I were a resident of such a place I wouldn't want to be taking on big projects.  If the woodshop is equipped with "donated" stuff, who is liable if someone looses a finger?  I am not a lawyer, but companies get sued every day even though disclaimers have been posted and agreed to.  Might be more of a place just to hang out, rather than the golf course, for me

Typically in these retirement villages, and even all-age HOA's, they have noise restrictions and restrictions what can be done in your garage. More than likely this village has an HOA that prohibits activities that generate noise in your home.

The community woodshop is better than nothing for sure, but it sounds like they need some rules, some regular meetings to take place, etc etc.

But! If you are using hand tools, you could have a beautiful shop in your garage in a retirement village, and nobody would be the wiser

A lot of things could be done in your basement or garage including assembly and finish.  Just go to the shop when machinery is needed.  Would be awkward working that way.

On the plus side.  Turning isn't noisy.

I think if I was ever there, I'd have to take up carving, or just rent some outside space.

11 minutes ago, kmealy said:

I think if I was ever there, I'd have to take up carving, or just rent some outside space.

 

The wonderful thing about carving, and small crafts, is they can be done in your home. Specially viable in the winter as Peter Follansbee takes advantage of his heated home.

You can also sit on your favorite sofa with the missus, she watching her favorite tv show or needle pointing, and you simply drape a blanket over your legs and press a catchall pocket into the insides of your legs.

Image Source: P. Follansbee

 

 

My oldest sister's husband had to give up his workshop when they retired to a small, one-bedroom apartment, but he kept his carving tools. Now his "workshop" is a 2-foot square of plywood with raised edging on three sides. He places it on the kitchen table, and keeps busy chip-carving Celtic crosses, wooden utensils, and other small items. No noise and very little clean-up!

 

Sadly my "make it" addiction isn't transferable to chip carving or whittling or carving of any kind save for CNC 3D carving.  I do foresee the time when I may have to say goodbye to my tools, but I also can envision the estate sale that happens when I'm found dead at age 105 bent over my workbench with my last table design project still in clamps. 

23 hours ago, kmealy said:

There is not really enough room for more than a couple of people at a time.

I disagree--we have our building and are planning a new addition. we have over 800 members, although a LOT are snow birds.

 

23 hours ago, kmealy said:

You can't rely on setting something up and having it stay that way if multiple people are working.

Depends on what you are "setting up" A machine? a glue up?

23 hours ago, kmealy said:

There is not room to store much like lumber, or projects in progress.

 

100% agreed

 

23 hours ago, kmealy said:

There is too much stuff -- a lot of people bring big parts of their shops

Not allowed unless you are donating it & then if we have enough of that particular item it is put up for sale

23 hours ago, kmealy said:

think there were six sanders, three band saws, and 4 or so dust collectors. 

Only 6 sanders? we have 3 drum sanders. 2 mini Jet drum sanders, a spindle sander, stationary disk sander, a large panel drum sander, a larger belt sander. 2 large resaw band saws, 3 14" band saws, 2 floor drill presses

 

23 hours ago, kmealy said:

My friend said that you could never depend on stuff working right.

We have a maintenance crew go over every machine every Saturday morning.

23 hours ago, kmealy said:

At least it was fairly neat. 

True. We have a central dust collector (5hp) and various shop vacs.

 

If you're interested here's an old tour of the shop on "youtube"  sun city hilton head woodshop tour 

 

 

 

BTW  a LOT of us also have our own garage shops!!

My BIL, who's 16 years older than me, went to a retirement home a number of years ago.  He took me on a shop tour.  One person had a little desk in the corner where he worked.  Other than that, it was a center section with tools, tools around the perimeter, and a 3' walkway between them.  He said he didn't think you could ever have too many clamps but was pretty sure that after everyone brought theirs, it might be the case.  They did repairs and small projects for the community areas.

21 hours ago, John Morris said:

they have noise restrictions

In many states (maybe a majority), noise restrictions are the purview of incorporated cities, and other organizations (eg, HOA's) have no jurisdiction.  Nevertheless, I try not to run the table saw, even with the door closed) after 9 pm.  Sometimes courtesy is the more important rule.

57 minutes ago, PeteM said:

In many states (maybe a majority), noise restrictions are the purview of incorporated cities, and other organizations (eg, HOA's) have no jurisdiction.  Nevertheless, I try not to run the table saw, even with the door closed) after 9 pm.  Sometimes courtesy is the more important rule.

Not a problem here. Mainly because I'm in bed by 9 pm.

7 hours ago, Gene Howe said:

I'm in bed by 9 pm

9pm is the new 10 or 11pm------so I hear

I live in a cul-de-sac with three other neighbors. I just resorted to bribery. They all have bowls, ice cream scoops, and now the tab pull tools. I have fixed a few broken drawers and one neighbor who’s daughter and SIL built a house just up the street had their cabinet guy disappear in the middle of the job, so I spent a couple weeks finishing it up for them free of charge. Now they all come over and hang out in the shop. No noise complaints. 
Paul