# Shop tour.



## TowMater (Jan 11, 2009)

Finally got my shop space mostly cleaned up and organized thought you all might like a peek at my little shop, it's 20'X24' with a HVAC unit and Water heater sitting right in the middle that I didn't bother to photograph.

First up, my blank storage. Pen blanks and Bowl blanks. To the lower left you can just see where I store the bulk of my project wood (below the landing of the stairs going up).







Next up is the mini-lathe bench with grinder, it's not finished as I haven't installed all of the drawers and closed everything up but I've fairly happy with it.






To the left of that is the HF lathe I use for small bowls and buffing.






As you turn left from there there is a shelving unit that will come out in the coming days so I didn't bother to take pictures of that. This is where the tablesaw, and dust collector sit. I also have my clamps sitting there which I need to get organized soon. Just beyond that is the 8" jointer.






As you turn the next corner the stand I made for the bandsaw and drill press sit there. The bandsaw is apart as I have new bearings that need to be installed. Sitting next to the stand is a RBI Hawk scroll saw a friend of mine purchased without telling his wife and asked me to store it in my shop for him for "A couple of months max". That was about 18 months ago.........






Next to that is the staging area (Walnut is for a TV stand I'm working on). Under my plane storage you can see the benchtop material I'll be workin with and next to that is the Leigh D4 I got off of CL for $100.00.






Last but not least is cutoff storage, my crappy old Whiteside bench I had to bolt to the wall behind it so it wouldn't walk all over the shop. Above are a couple of storage lockers with miscellaneous finishing and fastening hardware and above that is some storage for some QSWO I picked up a while back.
Just to the left of the bench is a staging area for projects in progress such as bandsaw parts and an emmert vise I'll be putting on the bench.






So that's my shop such as it may be. Big shop projects for the year are the bench and a router table, both of which I have 95% of that stuff for already just need to get up the gumption to build them. Only refurb I plan on doing this year is the DeWalt MBF RAS I have sitting in the garage.

Thanks for any comments, and if you have any questions or would like a better pic of something just let me know.

Todd


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## GaryMadore (Jan 11, 2009)

Wow! Nice digs. I think I speak for most of us here when I say "I hate you!" 

Hey, are you planning on making a nifty fold-out (drop-down? hinged? you know what I mean) tool holder for your HF lathe?

Cheers!

Gary


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## cowchaser (Jan 11, 2009)

Alot nicer than mine since I only have 1/2 of a 2 car garage, but still seem to share with everyone elses crap. 

Looks like your dust collection bag might need dumping...lol.


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## TowMater (Jan 11, 2009)

Gary, No on the mod for the HF lathe. I wanna talk the wife into a bigger lathe.

Dustin, I used to operate out of the garage, I like the basement much better.


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## arjudy (Jan 11, 2009)

That place is a lot cleaner than my workspace:biggrin:


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## THarvey (Jan 11, 2009)

TowMater said:


> As you turn the next corner the stand I made for the bandsaw and drill press sit there. The bandsaw is apart as I have new bearings that need to be installed. *Sitting next to the stand is a RBI Hawk scroll saw a friend of mine purchased without telling his wife and asked me to store it in my shop for him for "A couple of months max". That was about 18 months ago.........*
> 
> Todd



Dang!!!

I need a friend like that.

Nice setup.  I am envious of your space.

Tim


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## Woodlvr (Jan 11, 2009)

Todd,  You had better ship the  Hawk to me for storage, (and maybe a little use). 
Niceto have friends like that, huh?


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## TowMater (Jan 11, 2009)

He hasn't said anything to me about it in over a year, might not even remember buying it by now.

More money than sense kinda guy.

Keeps saying he's gonna build a shop on his 5 acre lot, haven't seen any footings poured yet......

He'd give you the shirt off his back if you needed it though so it's all good!


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## jimofsanston (Jan 11, 2009)

*You Stink*

all i have is a 10X18 metal garage that the wind blows through all the time and i have no room to turn around in. I have been out there all day cleaning and moving things to get more room to work in.


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## Paul in OKC (Jan 11, 2009)

I like the box of Eggos in with the blanks. Always good to keep a supply of snacks handy!


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## TowMater (Jan 11, 2009)

That box and the box on the bottom are my worthless wood boxes, the one in the middle is full of Desert Ironwood. Love the look, hate the smell when turning.


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## fernhills (Jan 11, 2009)

Hi, your shop is almost like my basement shop 11x24 shared with HWH, well pump, and water filtering system on one end. Have the same type tools accept scroll saw in there as you (different brands though) but do have the same crappy work bench. Got to hang shelves on at least one wall yet, will make things easier for storing stuff. That room was just made for a utility room. The rest of basement is finished off but we don`t use it as that anymore. We use it for storage and crafts, i am now spilling out into the main room where i assemble and plan and make segment pens. It is heated there. I always had basement shops.


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## johnnycnc (Jan 11, 2009)

Nice shop,you got WAY more tools than me!


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## edman2 (Jan 11, 2009)

Nice Todd. I'll try to not be envious while I am standing in my unheated garage freezing!:biggrin:


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## TowMater (Jan 12, 2009)

Your welcome to come work in my shop any time Freddie!

Temp is constant, light is good and by the end of the weekend I should have all my power outlets in place and I can get rid of the extension cords! (only outlets I really bothered with to this point were the 220's)


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## VisExp (Jan 12, 2009)

You have a nice looking shop Todd.  I like your collection of hand planes :biggrin:

Here are a couple ideas that may help you with some of those longer items sticking out of the cabinet your lathe is mounted on.


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## TowMater (Jan 12, 2009)

Interesting you should mention that as it's tonights project. I have a 2X6 cut to attach to the side nearest the mini. Will bore holes in it when I get home and then cut a couple of 45's for attachment to the side of the bench.


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## Steve Busey (Jan 12, 2009)

Very nice digs! Just two questions: 

What's that weird stuff at the bottom of each picture? Someone says it's "open space" - where can I get some of that?

And in the last picture, what's that strange looking thing with the long yellow stick in the middle of the pic? 

Great shop - have fun, Todd!


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## FloridaDon (Jan 12, 2009)

Todd,

Very nice.  How do you handle the ventilation with a basement shop?  Or isn't it a problem?

Florida Don


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## TowMater (Jan 12, 2009)

I have a dust collector and ceiling mounted air filter for particulate matter, any finishing is done in the garage so fumes aren't an issue in the shop other than some smoking CA from time to time.


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## TowMater (Jan 12, 2009)

Steve, had I taken before pictures you wouldn't have seen the first or the second in the pictures, but every once in a while I feel the need to hose everything out.  This years shop projects are all about organization.


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## wdcav1952 (Jan 12, 2009)

Dang, I bet you eat quiche too!!

Real men don't clean their shops!!!!!  :biggrin::curse:


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## Fred (Jan 12, 2009)

*SUGGESTION TO YA ...*

TomMater and Others out there in IAP cyberland ... I have a suggestion for ya. Get a large 30 gallon plastic garbage can and put your dust collection plastic bag in it and then slip the contraption back under the dust collector. That way the bag is completely protected from getting ripped open as you go about your business in the shop. What a way to make the largest instant mess in the world! 

This will also save you from the devastation that will/can occur (DAMHIKT) if/when a large chunk of wood is flung into the collector bag and out through the side ... closely followed by a very large majority of the dust, etc. already in the bag.

Also, a presort device such as a cyclone lid will - if properly installed - completely separate the majority of shavings and ALL of the large chunks of debris from the collection bag. This will in turn SAVE the dust collector's impellers and filter from any possibility of impact damage. 

Believe me when I say that the cost of the additional debris collection separation FAR, FAR, FAR outweighs the cost of a new impeller and downtime while you get it installed. Not to mention the downtime while waiting for the part to arrive. Unfortunately I have been there and done that ... 

I use this one ... http://www.ptreeusa.com/dustacces.htm#401 ... and have it on top of a 30 gallon stainless steel trash can I got from Home Depot for around $35 dollars or so. DO NOT USE A PLASTIC CAN HERE as it will collapse from the pull of the vacuum. 

It has saved my dust collection system from damages way more times than I can count. I no longer hear any loud - and damaging - 'clunks' whenever a knot or piece of cut-off is vacuumed away. In all honesty, it really is a very good "safety device" to always have in one's vacuum intake line. 

I just cut the vacuum line right at the impeller port leaving a five foot piece of line and spliced this setup into the vacuum line and then connected the other intake vacuum line back onto the side of the cyclone lid that has the elbow inside the metal trash can. 

It is imperative that this elbow is slightly aimed at the side of the can as the debris slows down when hitting the side and falls out of the vacuum airflow. No problem at all and most, if not all, of the impact dangers are completely eliminated.

Another plus to this is that you can empty this trash can of all the 'big stuff' way more times (and way easier as well) and let the ton of dust continue to fill the _dust_ collection bag which can now be emptied about 3-4-5 times a year.

http://www.ptreeusa.com is a great place to do on-line ordering for a vast amount of things that are all to often not in stock at the larger places like Woodcraft, Rockler, etc. Peachtree's main business is from online orders and they just about always have what one might ever need in a pinch. For me it also is a big plus since they are about four miles from my shop and I often stop/shop there on my way to Woodcraft. They always have 4" and 2.5" plastic fittings that are always sold out at Woodcraft and/or Rockler and their selection is second to none.

BTW, the smaller cyclone lid item is perfect for use on the drill press ... but I still put the larger one on my DP and bandsaw vacuum line. I don't think I have ever emptied it in five or so years of putzing around out there. After all, time is better well spent in turning more wood into more fine dust/shavings/etc., than in emptying trash cans ... :biggrin:

Do yourself a favor and at least check out this contraption! I bet you a real dead and bone dry spalted Georgia Dogwood blank you will like the idea and application. Let me know ... my e-mail is on my profile page.


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## Gagler (Jan 13, 2009)

Todd-

No work could possibly be done in a shop looking as bad as this one.....it is WAY too clean!  Actually, I'm jealous - you have what appears to be lots of space, and everything is very organized.


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## TowMater (Jan 13, 2009)

It was very disorganized before I spent over two days getting it to this point. I have some large projects coming up (WW'ing bench and router table) that I needed the room for. I have a few smaller projects to complete first that will allow me some even better organization.

I rough milled the leg and skirt material for the bench Sunday evening and it will sit for about 3-4 weeks before I begin that project so I have some amount of time to burn yet getting these smaller projects out of the way.

Fred,

I think I understand why you posted, looking at my DC you can see where a 6" 5/8" lag bolt got sucked up into my shroud and did some damage. I agree a seperator would be a great idea, and once I get my clamps up off the floor and organized on a wall field I will set a seperator there and get a permanent fix for the shroud. I begin that project tonight and it should be done by the weekend!

Thanks for all the kind words, if anyone is ever in the KC area (southern side) and wants to drop by for a chat just drop me a line here.


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## TowMater (Jan 13, 2009)

wdcav1952 said:


> Dang, I bet you eat quiche too!!
> 
> Real men don't clean their shops!!!!!  :biggrin::curse:



Bacon Asparagus with a nice side of dry champagne please.:biggrin:


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