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Hi guys just a quick question for those of you who live in an apartment/condo/high rise/etc.

I assume you normally use your balcony or outdoor patio to do some of your prop building stuff especially if it comes to stuff like wood cutting with a jigsaw or using strong smelling substances like bondo. Given strata laws against things like noise or smell complaints how do you guys go about building to ur props?

I live in Vancouver, Canada and the laws are quite clear about it but I think it’s hit or miss to why you can get away with.

I do small things in my apartment, using paint pens to detail things, or other quiet things. Loudest thing I work on is usually stuff involving my dremel. If I need to do anything louder or messier like spray painting, I go to my parents house which is like a 15-20 minute drive away.

Since you live in Vancouver though, you can maybe try and find a local maker space where you can go and work a couple days a week.

Anything involving a drill or dremel I do in my apartment, if it's particulary messy like something involving resin, I'll kind of wrap everything in a large see-through garbage bag so it collects most of the dust.

For bondo and spray paint there's no other option but to do it outside. I don't have a porch or balcony but we have a small path behind the apartment that I'll usually set up a small spot with a large cardboard box to surround whatever I'm doing. The paint/bondo smell dissipates before it gets to the building even though I'm only about 8 feet away from the building itself.

Thanks for the replies. I think I can get away with most things since it’s not like I’m doing loud machinery for long periods of time.

Have any of you used a jigsaw and if so do u do it outside or inside? Is it a lot louder than a dremel? Looking to get my hands on one finally and would like a small one probably the Walmart one.

https://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/6000200737421

I used a jigsaw indoors when cutting mdf for my packs motherboard and it was fine. I'd say it's louder than a dremel but not inordinately so, just have a setup so it can collect whatever debris falls from what you're cutting and consider getting something to cover your mouth so you're not breathing in whatever it is you're kicking up.

When I was living in a smaller place, I used to get around it by doing all my noisy stuff during the day when most people were at work. As for the smellier stuff, I made sure to do it near a window with a fan blowing out to minimize complaints. I also found that storing and organizing my materials neatly helped keep things low-key.

For inspiration on managing projects in tight spaces, check it out—I came across some helpful advice on making your space more efficient. It really helped me figure out a balance, and now I have a little setup that works!

Yes, it's a pretty gray area, and a lot depends on your building and the patience of your neighbors. If you're using a jigsaw or something noisy, it's best to do it in the middle of the day when most people are at work. Some buildings have what's called “repair hours” (usually 9 to 17), so it's worth checking with your management company's rules. Even when I was in Chicago, and the repairmen were doing my roof, I still warned my neighbors, even though the repairmen from https://ilroofers.com/ are real professionals and do everything quickly and quietly.