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As The Shop Turns

8K views 23 replies 11 participants last post by  Grumpymike 
#1 ·
Keeping it real

I have so much to do to get my shop organized, I have promised myself that I will not try to build cabinet grade, furniture grade shop cabinets, drawers, or shelves. Here's the big HOWEVER: Okay, I bought C grade plywood, but I found some 3 1/6 thick cherry ply left over from our kitchen remodel that I can use for the sliding doors on my upper storage shelves, and since I'm doing that, I can't resist adding lacewood edge banding to cover up the plywood edge, since I have some lacewood that I can rip for that purpose. The problem is once I do this, I have set a precedent!
 
#4 ·
Getting to know my saw on some plywood boxes.

So, I have these places in my shop that beg for some cupboards, with slide-by doors. They are not assembled yet, but I have pics to try to explain what I am talking about.

So here is the space I'm talking about. Minus the clamps that are temporarily hanging there I am putting up a series of long narrow cabinet boxes in between each set of brackets.



I started with 1/2 inch plywood. I try to avoid 3/4 inch ply whenever possible because it's so much heavier and hard for me to work with right now. They are various widths from 15 to 41 inch wide, and are 10 3/8 deep and 11.5" high. On some of the longer cabinets, I may have to add a support in the middle so the bottom doesn't sag under weight. I have cut dados for slide-by doors that will be made out of some 1/4 inch cherry ply I have left over from our kitchen cabinets. I have some nice leftover lacewood that I am going to use for edge banding on the face.



So far I have cut the pieces for all the different widths, and the side pieces, plus I have cut all the groove for slide-by doors. I have yet to cut the Cherry for the doors.



When I'm able to get back into the shop they are ready for a light sanding and light coat of lemon oil, and then cutting the doors and assembly. I am planning to mount them with french cleats.

I have really enjoyed using my new Sawstop TS for this project. This is the first time in my life to have a nice saw in my own shop. It was so easy to use and I was actually surprised that my cuts were straight and accurate. I could get used to this!
 
#8 ·
I'm actually making a bit of progress.

I have all the parts cut for 10 of these, each a different size in order to fit between the brackets that are holding up my wood storage shelves. I had some cherry plywood pieces that were the right size for cutting the sliding doors out of, and I used some Lacewood scraps I had to cover the plywood edge.

I used 1/2 inch plywood because I didn't want to have to deal with the weight of 3/4 inch and I thought I could get away with it. I still don't regret that but didn't get away with it as well as I thought. It turns out that 4 gallons of paint need a stiffer board to hold them up, so even though I used a french cleat the length of the cabinet, I also had to anchor it to the shelf board above it, and use a shelf bracket (not shown) underneath it in the middle in order to keep the bottom from sagging.

The thing I don't like about the french cleat is that I ended up with a small amount of dead space above the cabinet in order to get it in there above the cleat and drop it down onto the cleat. I'm not really sure how much strength the french cleat is adding, but I am thinking about changing the mounting by just screwing a piece to the wall and then to the cabinet without the cleat. Anyone have an opinion on how this will change the stability of the mounting?

Natalie



 
#16 ·
Dust Collection What do I really need?

This is not a question of what brand to buy, and I already know that I want a cyclone with the micron filter canisters. My question is about how much power do I need for my shop. I don't want to get something that is good enough but not great. I want great performance without overkill.

My shop is just shy of 500 sq ft and I will have the typical tools. I don't expect too many times when there will be anyone else but me in the shop, so essentially I will be using one tool at a time. I have a dedicated 220 outlet for the DC and I have 100 amps going to my shop. I am thinking that 2.5hp will be powerful enough. I have also considered 3.5 and 5hp systems. The ratings say that a 2.5hp is adequate for a 2500sq ft shop. So really, do I need anything more than that with all things considered?

Thanks Natalie
 
#17 ·
My shop uses one 16 amp breaker switch. All electric in Norway is 220DC. This works for my 2hp bandsaw while running my 2hp DC. Like you. You need enough to power your vacuum system, your highest HP tool, and your lighting/heating with a little safety margin. Soft start tools help too since they do not switch on to full power all at once and they don't use their top rating while running. I know zilch about electrics, so this is just from my personal experience. An electrician can give you the best advice.
 
#21 ·
Revised Dust Collection Question

Okay, so my question is not so much about electricity but about suction.

Will 2.5hp provide enough suction to clear the dust from my shop? I will have 8 drops and the lengths of ducting no longer than 20 ft. I will rarely be running more than one tool at a time.

Thanks
 
#22 ·
Hmmm, I'm not an expert but I have been looking into this for my new shop …
You are not giving enough information to give an answer because the HP is not the difinitive answer to cleaning your shop. Air flow is …
It is a combination of the hose size, impeller size, motor size and speed, and add in static pressure and loss in the ducts … Then you will consider the filters and types.
If you just want to clear sawdust, a shop-vac with 2-1/2 inch duct will work if you put blast gates at each machine.
But … If you are talking about fine dust in the air, you are looking at more air volume and finer filtration like .5 micron.
There are several good books available on dust collection at most wood worker supply stores and on line. Each author will have a bit of different slant on the topic, but the basics are all the same.
Do a bit of home work, study, and then decide on which one you want, and go for it … Good luck
 
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