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8iowa

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View 8iowa's:homeworkshopprojects (2)blog (3)reviews (3)forum topics (32)buddies (24)favorites (0)activity logWatch

1393 posts in 1561 days

Location: Gainesville FL and Michigan's U.P.
Website:

I'm an engineering graduate and retired businessman. In '03 we built our vacation home in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, and two years later moved our Winter residence from Fort Myers to Gainesville Florida.

For 25 years, in fort Myers, I used my Shopsmith in 1/2 of a two car garage, a tight space, but I was able to do a lot of work, from mundane home improvement projects, to shelving units, and even a really nice hooded cradle for my first grandchild. Moving to Gainesville, I was confronted with the project of completing the closure of a two car carport. Although I have been able to do some work with my Shopsmith, the workspace is still very much a work in progress.

Up North I'm in much better shape as I have now completed the construction of a 24' x 28' workshop. This shop is the subject of my recent blog.

-- "Heaven is North of the Bridge"

Latest Activity | view all »

replied on choosing the right thickness planer? 17 days ago
replied on Jointer knives. 27 days ago
commented on workshop finished 30 days ago
commented on Passing of a great lumberjock 46 days ago
commented on shaker night stand 48 days ago
replied on Frustrated resawing rough lumber - tips? 56 days ago
replied on Not even a beginner but interested, what can I do without a workbench? 64 days ago
commented on For a cheap box store hand saw I was very surprised at how well it cut 64 days ago
commented on 1937 Packard 69 days ago
replied on I need a chainsaw 83 days ago
commented on Strip Canoe #2: Stripping Is Done! 103 days ago
replied on DC power Vs Noise 104 days ago
commented on Great product, excellent company. 111 days ago
replied on Shaper vs router table 112 days ago
replied on Who has a pin router - overarm router? 118 days ago

Latest Projects | view all 2 »

Latest Blog Entries | view all 3 »

Workshop | view details »


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21 comments so far

View GaryK's profile

GaryK

10251 posts in 1788 days


#1 posted 1561 days ago

Welcome to LumberJocks! Enjoy yourself.

-- Gary - Never pass up the opportunity to make a mistake look like you planned it that way - Tyler, TX

View rikkor's profile

rikkor

11294 posts in 1674 days


#2 posted 1561 days ago

Welcome to LJ. You will like it here.

View cajunpen's profile

cajunpen

7159 posts in 1865 days


#3 posted 1561 days ago

Welcome to LumberJocks. Enjoy the community

-- Bill - "Suit yourself and let the rest be pleased." http://www.cajunpen.com/

View Max's profile

Max

43642 posts in 2073 days


#4 posted 1561 days ago

Glad to see that you have made Lumberjocks a part of your Woodworking experience… Welcome…

-- Max "Desperado", Salt Lake City, UT

View Scott Bryan's profile

Scott Bryan

27277 posts in 1621 days


#5 posted 1561 days ago

Welcome to LJs. I am sure that you will find this to be an exciting and rewarding element of your woodworking journey.

-- Challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful- Joshua Marine

View gene's profile

gene

2184 posts in 1683 days


#6 posted 1561 days ago

Welcome to the wonderful world of LJ’s (Enjoy) Come on in, The water’s fine, fine, fine.
You can ask, show, teach, learn, and Share woodworking experiences.
There’s something here for anyone that likes working with wood.
Plus new friends
God bless

-- Gene, a Christian in Virginia

View Karson's profile

Karson

33902 posts in 2200 days


#7 posted 1558 days ago

Welcome to LumberJocks. Glad to have you aboard.

-- I've been blessed with a father who liked to tinker in wood, and a wife who lets me tinker in wood. Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †

View Teri's profile

Teri

88 posts in 1562 days


#8 posted 1549 days ago

Thanks for the advice on the workshop walls. I have about half of them finished, and I too used OSB, painted white. I would have loved to use plywood, but too expensive right now with all the other costs associated with getting this shop set up. I haven’t purchased the lights yet, I’ll take your advice to heart on that. What did you do for heat?

-- Teri, Kokomo, IN

View 8iowa's profile

8iowa

1393 posts in 1561 days


#9 posted 1549 days ago

Teri:

Hopefully, your workshop is insulated. This will make a big difference.

I have been struggling with the question of heat, especially for the shop in the U.P. I was going to install a “hang from the ceiling” 45,000 BTU propane heater. This of course would also require me to put a 250 gallon propane tank outside the shop. The cost would be around $1500. That’s bad enough, but my second thoughts center around the fact that I am not up there in the dead of Winter.

My shop here in Gainesville FL is a two car carport converted to garage. I insulated it as best that I could and heat it with a single 5100 BTU ceramic type electric heater. It does just fine on those cool mornings when the temperature gets down into the 30’s. Highland Woodworking (highlandwoodworking .com) in Atlanta has these heaters on sale for 29.95 each. I purchased three. Two of them will go to the U.P and I think that this will be all that I will need for the cool Spring mornings up there. These are “smart” heaters that have a thermostat and can be programmed to run a certain number of hours. A couple of these heaters may be all you need. With the cost of propane as high as it is, electric heat is competitive.

Regarding lights, on another posting I described how I have mixed incandescent and electronic ballast fluorescent lights. My T-8 fluorescent tubes are rated at 5000 degrees kelvin (closest to natural light) and the incandescent bulbs help to raise the CRI (color rendering Index) as close as possible to the ideal rating of 100. I know that the old style magnetic ballast fluorescent fixtures are cheaper, but they hum and flicker.

-- "Heaven is North of the Bridge"

View Mario's profile

Mario

901 posts in 1851 days


#10 posted 1547 days ago

Welcome to the site , from another Yooper. I was born in Houghton and now I am forced to live as a troll in the lesser part of the state.

-- Hope Never fails

View PanamaJack's profile

PanamaJack

4473 posts in 1877 days


#11 posted 1542 days ago

We welcome you to the one and only LumberJocks. We hope that you enjoy your stay/visit each and every time you show up on our door step. If you should need any woodworking question answered, don’t hesitate to ask. Somebody’s gonna have a good answer for you.

-- Carpe Lignum; Tornare Lignum (Seize the wood, to Turn the wood)

View Napaman's profile

Napaman

4690 posts in 1877 days


#12 posted 1539 days ago

Welcome to LJ’s…I noticed you use Shopsmith…I am a newer woodworkier and bought a used 2003 520 last year…and love it…have barely touched its uses…learning a lot each time I use it (which is tough in the school year as a teacher)...

I am going to add you as a buddy so I can see your work when you post it…I hope you post some picts of your shops…so I can get some ideas…

Enjoy the community…!!!

matt

-- Yo HO HO...sail boat building is fun...

View Bureaucrat's profile

Bureaucrat

18316 posts in 1452 days


#13 posted 1194 days ago

Congratulations on a year in Lumber Jocks!

-- gjd Southcentral Wisconsin

View woodworm's profile

woodworm

13551 posts in 1390 days


#14 posted 1194 days ago

Congratulation on your 1st annivessary with LJ’s

-- masrol, kuala lumpur, MY.

View Will Mego's profile

Will Mego

307 posts in 1512 days


#15 posted 1046 days ago

I just now noticed your comment on my profile about living in Naperville, IL in the 70’s. That’s actually just 5 mins from where I am (or less) I drive by that block all the time. I think that property is for sale, in fact. Does THIS look like it?

-- "That which has in itself the greatest use, possesses the greatest beauty." - http://www.willmego.com/

showing 1 through 15 of 21 comments

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