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92K views 306 replies 93 participants last post by  JoeLyddon 
#1 ·
Revamping my Dust Collector ductwork

I just put this into this series to tie things together, but it's not in the proper order, so bare with me..

Hi,
Today, 6/21/2007, I changed the name on this blog, so members could find it easier.

Things sure get haphazard, & messed up when you by a new piece of equipment, especially when you're cramped for space. I bought a new planer about a year ago, & I've been in a tangle ever since.

The first thing I had to do was rearrange all my power tools. After that I had to relocate all of my dust collector ductwork. I decided to replace the 4" plastic pipe with sheet metal. I also bought some new fangled blast gates from Penn State Industries, equipped with switches that turn on the dust collector when each gate is opened.




With the new pipe I ran a 5" main line the length of my shop, branching branching off with 4" to each machine. After cranking it up , & running it the first time, I notice the system seemed much quieter. I guess using a 5" main cut down on the friction.







Now that this is done I need to straighten out the rest of my shop, & start producing.
 
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#2 ·
I too just added a Powermatic planer to my shop and am having trouble organizing everything. My shop is 24' X 40' so it should have lots of room, but it is suffering from clutter. Is there any guidlines or maybe articles that would help put the machinery in its proper space?
Thanks!
Bruce
 
#3 ·
Hi Bruce,
You make me so envious, You could fit 5 of my shops into yours.

It just so happens that December 2006 issue of Popular Woodworking has just what you need. It should be available at your magazine store right now.
It's a fairly good article.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Woodworking Essentials: Machine Placement
by Scott Gibson
Page number: 49; Article length: 8 pp.
The right machine in the right place will make a huge difference is making your workshop time more efficient and enjoyable. Learn how to arrange your shop for easy workflow and see how other woodworkers have handled this situation.
 
#5 ·
Dick: Hey that is a great article from Fine Woodworking. It sounds like I am almost already there. My Unisaw is located in the center of the shop with the 8" jointer on the left side of the table saw. What I am puzzling over right now is the location of the planer. I have my cutoff saw located along the longest wall along with the radial arm saw. The dust collector is in the corner, but I plan to upgrade to a cyclone type and move it to a shed outside in the future. I will pick up the magazine you mentioned and report back to you with what I learned.
 
#6 ·
Bruce,
Glad it helped, but I'm still jealousof all that room.
I bought my dust collector from Pennstate Industries. They have a ductwork design program if if you haven't installed all of your ductwork yet. It may help you out
http://www.pennstateind.com/store/ductdes.html
 
#8 ·
Hi,
I just renamed this Blog, for those interested in dust control.
 
#9 ·
Things to do 12/04/2006

This one is also out of the order intended, but I'd like to keep these things together.

I still haven't completed the workshop reorganization project. There seems to be so many distractions that sidetrack me.

I recently made a combination shield, & dust hood for my lathe. I looked at a lot of them that you can purchase, but I opted to design my own to fit my own lathe better. It slides under my lathe bed.



I guess you can put this into "Getting workshop organized", category.



I also shopped around the INTERNET for a lathe chuck for my ancient Craftsman Lathe. I found one I liked at Grizzly. http://www.grizzly.com/products/H6264. I just received it a couple of days ago, & haven't had a chance to try it out yet. It should be a new experience for me, after many years of using a faceplate.

I've also been surfing the INTERNET, trying to find Secretary desk plans. I haven't found any that have satisfied my appetite, so I guess I'm going to haul out my drawing board, & design my own. That's usually what happens to me on quite a few of my projects.
 
#10 ·
I was just outside shoveling our sidewalk. We finally got a little 4" snow cover to help insulate the ground this winter.
 
#15 ·
Trying my best to get back in my shop !!

I've been spending to much time on my PC. So I'm kicking my butt out to my shop, & see what I can get accomplished.
 
#37 ·
My report on yesterdays excursion to my shop.

Once I got out there, I shook off the shakes immediately.

I commenced to install my new Triton router into my router table. I had to cut a new opening in my table for a larger router plate. It took me awhile, because I had lay the new plate into position, & scribe a line with a sharp knife. Then clamp down some guide boards in order to rout out the new opening. I ended up with a perfect fit. After fastening the router to the new plate, I dropped it into the table. Then I ran a test with a few scrap pieces. I'm going to like this new machine. It runs real smooth, with plenty of power.
I also tested a new lock miter bit I had ordered with my new all in one router plate, it worked great.

I have to admit, I ended up with a fairly productive afternoon. Now I hope to to venture out there again today. I think today is going to be clean up the shop day.
 
#38 ·
once you get in the groove, productivity just keeps going and going.

glad to hear that you shook off the withdrawal symptoms first :)
Did you have nightmares last night? (another symptom)
 
#57 ·
I'm changing my tune about my pin router

Remember yesterday, I was thinking about getting rid of that big old Stanley Pin Router. After looking at what it can be used for, I've changed my mind. I dug out this big chunk of Birch sawed from a stump. (A logger was kind enough to leave it there after cutting it.) In about 2 hours I flattened the thing out, pretty handy hey.
For all the years I've had this machine, my only thought of for using this was pin routing. I'm now going to make fence setup, so I can drill mortises with it.

This thing was cut at an angle, & was about 4" thick. now it's about 2 1/2 " thick



After some sanding, I gave it a coat of Linseed Oil, to see how it looks.



I'm planning on making a clock out of it.
 
#67 ·
Making a Rustic Clock

On #3 of this series I flattened out a slice from a Birch stump. I went on & completed the job today. I also added it to My Projects.
The size is about 25" x 20' x 2 1/2" , & it weighs about 20 pounds. I made the motor cavity larger to lighten it up a little.

_The other day I routed out the backside for the clock motor.


I checked out the motor installation.


Carved some numbers on the face.


I carved a Maple leaf for the pendulum weight.


I hung the clock today.

I stained it with an Ipswitch Pine Stain, & 3 coats of Minwax Polywipe.
 
#78 ·
Slatwall storage system, homemade, switching from Pegboard.

I started on this shop building project shortly after I retired.

I'd like to show you what I've accomplished so far.

My garage measures 20 X 24 feet, & I wanted to partition out a shop area.
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In order to have a shop 8 feet wide, I had to resize my garage door from 12' to 9 '

Notice the car hiding under a warm blanket of snow.


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This is the floor plan. I don't get much garage space, but my car sits outside all of time anyhow.
Its used mainly for storage.



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I only had a 7' ceiling so I made a vaulted ceiling over the shop area.

I converted the 2×4 rafters to 2×10s by screwing 9 1/2" plywood gussets to 2×4s.

Taking advantage of the vaulted ceiling I added 3 small bubble skylights. I really love those skylights.
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Even with their small size, 16" x 16" they give a lot of natural light.

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Exterior, showing the skylights.


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I got this old natural gas furnace for $25, I have to shut it down when the outdoor temp gets over 50, because the pilot light makes it too warm. You may notice the 2" PVC pipe trap connected to the furnace. I blocked the indoor vents so it draws in combustion air from the outside
I hung it up high for added floor space.

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My shop has been in such an awful mess I decided to do some revamping for better tool storage.

I've had pegboard, but have never liked it very much, so I've been looking at whats called Slat wall paneling.

It's pretty expensive though, for a 4X8 sheet close to $200.
This is an example of the store bought panel.

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I came up with a poor mans way of doing it.
I made a slat wall out of this pine paneling, I had it in my wood supply.
I had paid $4 a pkg. that covers 14 sq. ft. I think you can get it for about $6 now.

I cut the tongue, & grooves of, & rounded the edge.

I ripped some to 1 1/8" wide furring strips, & this is how it turned out.
I painted the background green for a contrast.


Now I have a couple more walls to do, then I'll start hanging tools.
 
#86 ·
Slatwall storage system, Homemade, paneled walls are done now.

This is a continuation of #5 in this series.
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I have the slat wall paneling completed.

Now how am I going to arrange my tools? I bought the material at Lowes.

It's 5/16" X 3 1/2" X 8'

14 Sq ft. in a package. Other big box stores handle similar products.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



This is the last wall, I ripped my boards in half to 1 5/8". I like it better this way. There's more slots for arranging tools. The space between the slats is 5/16". The furring is 1/4" x 1 1/8"

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Some of the tools hung, but I suppose I'll be rearranging them as I go along.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Here's the first wall I diid with the wider boards.

I also made a hanging bracket for my pipe clamps.

They used to be all over the place. My other clamps are on the same wall too.


Notice the pile of cut pieces of Brazilian Cherry flooring. I can hardly wait to get stared on my next project. They're all cut to the proper length already.

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I bought these glass reinforced nylon hooks from, outwaterplastics.com.

They were about 1/3 the cost of steel, but they're plenty strong enough.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I made some brackets for heavier things by epoxying the nylon to some flooring.





~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Good for hanging my handscrew clamps


Now if I can get rid of all of the clutter I've accumulated over the years, I'll be all fixed up.
 
#123 ·
Installing Oak Parquet flooring.

One of the main reasons I put the new slatwall system in my shop,

was because my Son brought me some Parquet flooring he had salvaged from his job.

He couldn't see throwing it in a dumpster,

so he brought it to his "Dumpster Dad".

I couldn't put down a fancy floor without doing something to the rest of the shop.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I laid some out to see what it would look like.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I put down some 7/16" Oxbord for underlayment, because the old floor was kind of springy.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I had to shift my equipment to one end, & do a portion of it at time.

I ended up laying it across the short way. I think it makes the narrow shop look wider.



I,m glad I have casters on most of them. It made it much easier.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I had to stop here yesterday with about 3 more feet to the end,
because I have to trim off the bottom of the door.


I think it'll be much more enjoyable playing out here now.
 
#124 ·
Dick, this is a nice addition to your shop. It will dramatically improve its appearance and goes nicely with the slat wall. There is a great deal to be said for improving the look and appearance of a shop. Not only does it improve the shop's overall appearance but it simply makes it a more pleasant area in which to work.

Nice job.
 
#140 ·
I had to make some parquet tiles yesterday.

I misjudged the amount of tiles I had, so I manufactured some more yesterday.

I guess I miscounted the bundles I had made up.

I couldn't find any to buy, so I made some.

I made about 60 more tiles.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is the area I have left to do in one corner of the main shop area.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here's some views of the tiles I made.

I used some Black Ash instead of Oak, but it's what I had in my stockpile.




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I planed the boards to 1/2", then cut them to 3" X 9". Then chamfered all the edges.

A long drawn out process. The Ash look similar to Oak. Good enough for a shop floor


 
#150 ·
Today, I laid the tiles I made

I glued down the tiles that I had made.

I'll have to wait a few days before I can stain them.


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#162 ·
Today, I renovated my dust collector canister shaker

I told you what happened to me the other day about my sawdust storm.


You can check out my forum topic about this.

Whenever I had to operate the cleanup flappers, I had to climb a ladder.

It was really awkward.

Besides that I could only turn the lever a little over 180 degrees,

because it is located in a corner.

So I put my thinking cap on, & jerry-rigged a cranking mechanism.

I dug around in all of my stash of junk, & found just what I needed.

The pulleys, & belt came from an old clothes dryer.

I was recently going to throw them out. Now I'm glad I didn't.

The shaft for the drive pulley is a steel dust mop handle, just the right size 7/8".

I had to break down, & buy a few parts.

A 3/8' drive universal joint socket, so I could use my speed wrench for a crank.

Also a couple of 10 MM nuts, so I could have something to clamp the driven pulley onto.

All in all this project set me back $5.00


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Here is the before image. The top of the canister is 9 1/2 feet high.


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This is an image of my new cranking mechanism.


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This is the final installation, & it really works great.

At first I thought it may crank hard with the driving pulley being larger, but it turns quite easy.

With this set up, I get a lot more vibration because it turns much faster..




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By the way, I never showed you pictures of the corner of the shop floor completed.

I still have to finish the L area of the shop. I decided to move my lathe in there.
 
#184 ·
Using steel rebar for a lumber rack, and Expanding my shop.

I've been way to crowded in my shop, especially since I went from a radial arm saw to a table saw.

A radial arm saw works fine in a narrow shop, because it's against the wall

Plus adding a thickness planer.

I haven't use the automobile side of my garage for years now.

About all its been used for is to accumulate things.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is a rough sketch of my floor plan. I plan to keep the partition down the center, so I won't have to heat the whole area all of the time.

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The first thing I have to do is dig my way to one of the walls.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is what I mean.

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When I finally found a wall, I sheeted it with OSB board.
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Then I cut some 1/2" Steel Rebar into 12" lengths in order to make some lumber racks.


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Then I pounded them into some 2" deep holes I had drilled.

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This is what I ended up with on the first wall.

A nice neat lumber rack, & a very inexpensive way of doing so.
 
#185 ·
Hey Dick
Wa hoo a larger shop always up for that . Good fix on the lumber storage storage(in case Larrys tunning in we'll call it Timber storage) I guess you know Grizzly has a shop layout program that helps with this kind of project. Nice Hat! Look forward to future updates.
 
#200 ·
Vaulted ceiling, and Skylight

My garage has only a 7' ceiling, so I pulled out the ceiling joists, & added 2 X 4s with 9" plywood gussets to the rafters to accommodate 9" R-30 insulation. I did this in my existing shop about 18 years ago. Doing this took out about 2" of sag in the old rafters.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I had a small bubble type skylight leftover from the other shop that I hadn't used, so I installed it in

this ceiling. For such a small opening, 14 1/2" X 14 1/2" it sure give out a lot of light.


I searched for this type, but they don't make them anymore.
The company now only makes the Tubular type skylights.

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The Skylight installation process.













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Quitting Time!

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A Big Thank You to Barb for most of these fine pictures.
 
#219 ·
Installing a new window.

I was going to cover over this window, I decided some extra natural light would be nice.













Thanks again to Barb on taking most of these pictures.
 
#239 ·
Finishing the window with shingles.

We finally got some decent weather, so I rushed out, put some shingles around the window.

I couldn't salvage enough old shingles for the job, but it didn't turn out too bad.

The new ones will gradually blend in while aging.








Photos by Barb!
 
#251 ·
I'M PROUD TO ANNOUNCE MY 80th BIRTHDAY TODAY!

This is my Birthday Gift. I'm presently in the process of building a bench for it.

I'll be posting it when it's completed

I had to get this new lathe, because I have some larger wood from a Black Walnut I had to have taken down in our

yard.

I'd like to make some larger things with the wood. I couldn't let it go to the chipper!


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Addendum:

I dwelled on wether to buy a new lathe at age 80, but I remembered my 90 year old neighbor. He painted his stucco house all by himself at that age, so I said to myself, "GO FOR IT"!


Lego Machine Automotive exterior Automotive wheel system Rectangle


Lathe with the extension attached!
Surveillance camera Automotive exterior Composite material Rectangle Security
 

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#252 ·
I'M PROUD TO ANNOUNCE MY 80th BIRTHDAY TODAY!

This is my Birthday Gift. I'm presently in the process of building a bench for it.

I'll be posting it when it's completed

I had to get this new lathe, because I have some larger wood from a Black Walnut I had to have taken down in our

yard.

I'd like to make some larger things with the wood. I couldn't let it go to the chipper!


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Addendum:

I dwelled on wether to buy a new lathe at age 80, but I remembered my 90 year old neighbor. He painted his stucco house all by himself at that age, so I said to myself, "GO FOR IT"!


Lego Machine Automotive exterior Automotive wheel system Rectangle


Lathe with the extension attached!
Surveillance camera Automotive exterior Composite material Rectangle Security
Very nice. Will be pursue a complete set of wooden dishes…....or artsy vases and stuff…........?

Just got back from La Conner last evening 23 deg here in Anchorage…....time to take a nap….....(-:
 

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