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#1 ·
A blank slate

Wood Building Window Shipping box Machine


Today, I installed a light, the shop finally feels usable, and the lightbulb is dimmly glowing in my mind.

We have been looking for a house for the past year and a half and finally moved just before Thanksgiving. Moving is a bittersweet experince - leaving a place with so many memories that we made so comfortable over the past 10 years and then starting over - and the excitement of a fresh start, a new space, and a new neighborhood. Three months later, we are pretty much settled and love our new house! It's a 115 year old frame victorian, 2 flat that has been really cared for over the years. We are fortunate to be the latest care takers of such a beautiful building, that so many before us charished. It's a good street with good neighbors and a good community. A great move for my family.

The shop on the othe hand…

My old shop progressed over 10 years, so I had a place for every little everything and I knew where it was all located. When we moved, I put all my hardware into coffee cans and boxes and tried to stay organized. I actually shed a little tear while I was packing up the shop - that was the hardest part for me to leave behind.
As organized as I tried to be with the move, the unpacking part really sucks. After 3 months, it's still tough to find an 1-1/2" screw - and I know I have two boxes of them somewhere! But, I am generally organized, I split the new space into a material storage area and a work area.

My new shop is located in the basement and is about 400 square feet with 7' ceilings. The old shop was about 100 square feet with 8' celings. The old shop was shared with the laundry room and the avacodo tree (who had to live in the shop during the winter). Although I loved the old shop, quarters were really cramped.

The material storage is about 8' x 20' and is broken down into electrical, plumbing, lumber, hardware, miscallaneous, miscallaneous, and miscallaneous. I found an old work bench down there that hadn't been used in at least 10 years, so I cleaned it up and piled all my scrap lumber on it. (It took me about 10 trips in the SUV to move all my scrap lumber and plywood to the new house.)

The work area is about 12' x 20' and boy do I have plans for it! Lumber break down area, assembly table, general work bench, miterbox station, desk/ office, etc. Once that light went up, the possibilities flooded my mind!! I am more excited about my new space than I ever have been.

Currently, I am working off saw horses and a scrap of plywood. Not great , but certainly an acceptable bench to get things going.

I plan on using my scrap lumber to make a bunch of shelves and cubbys to get all that hardware orgazanized - my vision is the hardware store. I am going to build a partition wall to keep all the saw dust out of the hardware store and I am thinking about keeping my office in that hardware store, too.
I am going to build a big ass bench about 12' long and 2' or 3' wide. I have a bunch of old tables and furniture that I have collected over the years that I plan to modify for assembly tables and tool storage. Some of the most immediate issues include:

Lighting - currently just one light.

Electrical - currently just one outlet with a lot of extension cords and power strips.

Ventalation - these 100 year old windows are all painted and nailed shut. I need to move some air through the space.

Dust collection - I don't know what to do here. I'd like to do the full blown, balls out dust collection system, one day. For the moment, I have two shop vacs.

Heating/ Cooling - It's about 50 degrees down there, this super cold winter. I need to put some heat in. I plan to insulate all my piping from the octopus boiler, so I know the shop will get colder. I have not decided on a heat source just yet. I don't know what summer will bring, but I hope that a couple of ventalation fans will keep it cool.

Drainge - only one floor drain and several pluming issues that need resolution.

Security - need to complete installing window bars. The snow has that issue on hold. Also need to build a partition wall to divide my space from the rest of the basement, which the tenants use to do laundry.

Access - the stairs down to the basement are really tight. I am thinking about putting a hatch in the back porch and hoisting everything straight up and down with a gantry, to avoid the stairs. CC's bookcase is still unfinished because I can't get the damn thing down the stairs! I am going to have to build a dust enclosure in my living room and finish sanding it in there. Ugh.

There is more, but that is enough to list for now. It's an exciting project to build a new shop from a blank slate. I am really stoked about it! I hope you enjoy my blog as I write about my journey to a proper work space.

Thanks for having a look. J-

Wood Floor Flooring Hardwood Beam
 

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#2 ·
A blank slate

Wood Building Window Shipping box Machine


Today, I installed a light, the shop finally feels usable, and the lightbulb is dimmly glowing in my mind.

We have been looking for a house for the past year and a half and finally moved just before Thanksgiving. Moving is a bittersweet experince - leaving a place with so many memories that we made so comfortable over the past 10 years and then starting over - and the excitement of a fresh start, a new space, and a new neighborhood. Three months later, we are pretty much settled and love our new house! It's a 115 year old frame victorian, 2 flat that has been really cared for over the years. We are fortunate to be the latest care takers of such a beautiful building, that so many before us charished. It's a good street with good neighbors and a good community. A great move for my family.

The shop on the othe hand…

My old shop progressed over 10 years, so I had a place for every little everything and I knew where it was all located. When we moved, I put all my hardware into coffee cans and boxes and tried to stay organized. I actually shed a little tear while I was packing up the shop - that was the hardest part for me to leave behind.
As organized as I tried to be with the move, the unpacking part really sucks. After 3 months, it's still tough to find an 1-1/2" screw - and I know I have two boxes of them somewhere! But, I am generally organized, I split the new space into a material storage area and a work area.

My new shop is located in the basement and is about 400 square feet with 7' ceilings. The old shop was about 100 square feet with 8' celings. The old shop was shared with the laundry room and the avacodo tree (who had to live in the shop during the winter). Although I loved the old shop, quarters were really cramped.

The material storage is about 8' x 20' and is broken down into electrical, plumbing, lumber, hardware, miscallaneous, miscallaneous, and miscallaneous. I found an old work bench down there that hadn't been used in at least 10 years, so I cleaned it up and piled all my scrap lumber on it. (It took me about 10 trips in the SUV to move all my scrap lumber and plywood to the new house.)

The work area is about 12' x 20' and boy do I have plans for it! Lumber break down area, assembly table, general work bench, miterbox station, desk/ office, etc. Once that light went up, the possibilities flooded my mind!! I am more excited about my new space than I ever have been.

Currently, I am working off saw horses and a scrap of plywood. Not great , but certainly an acceptable bench to get things going.

I plan on using my scrap lumber to make a bunch of shelves and cubbys to get all that hardware orgazanized - my vision is the hardware store. I am going to build a partition wall to keep all the saw dust out of the hardware store and I am thinking about keeping my office in that hardware store, too.
I am going to build a big ass bench about 12' long and 2' or 3' wide. I have a bunch of old tables and furniture that I have collected over the years that I plan to modify for assembly tables and tool storage. Some of the most immediate issues include:

Lighting - currently just one light.

Electrical - currently just one outlet with a lot of extension cords and power strips.

Ventalation - these 100 year old windows are all painted and nailed shut. I need to move some air through the space.

Dust collection - I don't know what to do here. I'd like to do the full blown, balls out dust collection system, one day. For the moment, I have two shop vacs.

Heating/ Cooling - It's about 50 degrees down there, this super cold winter. I need to put some heat in. I plan to insulate all my piping from the octopus boiler, so I know the shop will get colder. I have not decided on a heat source just yet. I don't know what summer will bring, but I hope that a couple of ventalation fans will keep it cool.

Drainge - only one floor drain and several pluming issues that need resolution.

Security - need to complete installing window bars. The snow has that issue on hold. Also need to build a partition wall to divide my space from the rest of the basement, which the tenants use to do laundry.

Access - the stairs down to the basement are really tight. I am thinking about putting a hatch in the back porch and hoisting everything straight up and down with a gantry, to avoid the stairs. CC's bookcase is still unfinished because I can't get the damn thing down the stairs! I am going to have to build a dust enclosure in my living room and finish sanding it in there. Ugh.

There is more, but that is enough to list for now. It's an exciting project to build a new shop from a blank slate. I am really stoked about it! I hope you enjoy my blog as I write about my journey to a proper work space.

Thanks for having a look. J-

Great entry. It made me smile reading the first paragraph…I don't think I've ever heard someone describe moving that way, but it captures it perfectly. Looking forward to seeing your shop come together. Good luck!
 

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#3 ·
A blank slate

Wood Building Window Shipping box Machine


Today, I installed a light, the shop finally feels usable, and the lightbulb is dimmly glowing in my mind.

We have been looking for a house for the past year and a half and finally moved just before Thanksgiving. Moving is a bittersweet experince - leaving a place with so many memories that we made so comfortable over the past 10 years and then starting over - and the excitement of a fresh start, a new space, and a new neighborhood. Three months later, we are pretty much settled and love our new house! It's a 115 year old frame victorian, 2 flat that has been really cared for over the years. We are fortunate to be the latest care takers of such a beautiful building, that so many before us charished. It's a good street with good neighbors and a good community. A great move for my family.

The shop on the othe hand…

My old shop progressed over 10 years, so I had a place for every little everything and I knew where it was all located. When we moved, I put all my hardware into coffee cans and boxes and tried to stay organized. I actually shed a little tear while I was packing up the shop - that was the hardest part for me to leave behind.
As organized as I tried to be with the move, the unpacking part really sucks. After 3 months, it's still tough to find an 1-1/2" screw - and I know I have two boxes of them somewhere! But, I am generally organized, I split the new space into a material storage area and a work area.

My new shop is located in the basement and is about 400 square feet with 7' ceilings. The old shop was about 100 square feet with 8' celings. The old shop was shared with the laundry room and the avacodo tree (who had to live in the shop during the winter). Although I loved the old shop, quarters were really cramped.

The material storage is about 8' x 20' and is broken down into electrical, plumbing, lumber, hardware, miscallaneous, miscallaneous, and miscallaneous. I found an old work bench down there that hadn't been used in at least 10 years, so I cleaned it up and piled all my scrap lumber on it. (It took me about 10 trips in the SUV to move all my scrap lumber and plywood to the new house.)

The work area is about 12' x 20' and boy do I have plans for it! Lumber break down area, assembly table, general work bench, miterbox station, desk/ office, etc. Once that light went up, the possibilities flooded my mind!! I am more excited about my new space than I ever have been.

Currently, I am working off saw horses and a scrap of plywood. Not great , but certainly an acceptable bench to get things going.

I plan on using my scrap lumber to make a bunch of shelves and cubbys to get all that hardware orgazanized - my vision is the hardware store. I am going to build a partition wall to keep all the saw dust out of the hardware store and I am thinking about keeping my office in that hardware store, too.
I am going to build a big ass bench about 12' long and 2' or 3' wide. I have a bunch of old tables and furniture that I have collected over the years that I plan to modify for assembly tables and tool storage. Some of the most immediate issues include:

Lighting - currently just one light.

Electrical - currently just one outlet with a lot of extension cords and power strips.

Ventalation - these 100 year old windows are all painted and nailed shut. I need to move some air through the space.

Dust collection - I don't know what to do here. I'd like to do the full blown, balls out dust collection system, one day. For the moment, I have two shop vacs.

Heating/ Cooling - It's about 50 degrees down there, this super cold winter. I need to put some heat in. I plan to insulate all my piping from the octopus boiler, so I know the shop will get colder. I have not decided on a heat source just yet. I don't know what summer will bring, but I hope that a couple of ventalation fans will keep it cool.

Drainge - only one floor drain and several pluming issues that need resolution.

Security - need to complete installing window bars. The snow has that issue on hold. Also need to build a partition wall to divide my space from the rest of the basement, which the tenants use to do laundry.

Access - the stairs down to the basement are really tight. I am thinking about putting a hatch in the back porch and hoisting everything straight up and down with a gantry, to avoid the stairs. CC's bookcase is still unfinished because I can't get the damn thing down the stairs! I am going to have to build a dust enclosure in my living room and finish sanding it in there. Ugh.

There is more, but that is enough to list for now. It's an exciting project to build a new shop from a blank slate. I am really stoked about it! I hope you enjoy my blog as I write about my journey to a proper work space.

Thanks for having a look. J-

Wood Floor Flooring Hardwood Beam
Congrats, on the new abode and the increased space for your shop!

My shop is in the basement also & is transitioning from Dungeon to Lair….
You have a lot of work ahead of you….
With a fantastic payoff at the end!
Oh wait, there is NO end, a shop is NEVER complete!!!

Enjoy the journey from basement to woodshop!!!
 

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#4 ·
A blank slate

Wood Building Window Shipping box Machine


Today, I installed a light, the shop finally feels usable, and the lightbulb is dimmly glowing in my mind.

We have been looking for a house for the past year and a half and finally moved just before Thanksgiving. Moving is a bittersweet experince - leaving a place with so many memories that we made so comfortable over the past 10 years and then starting over - and the excitement of a fresh start, a new space, and a new neighborhood. Three months later, we are pretty much settled and love our new house! It's a 115 year old frame victorian, 2 flat that has been really cared for over the years. We are fortunate to be the latest care takers of such a beautiful building, that so many before us charished. It's a good street with good neighbors and a good community. A great move for my family.

The shop on the othe hand…

My old shop progressed over 10 years, so I had a place for every little everything and I knew where it was all located. When we moved, I put all my hardware into coffee cans and boxes and tried to stay organized. I actually shed a little tear while I was packing up the shop - that was the hardest part for me to leave behind.
As organized as I tried to be with the move, the unpacking part really sucks. After 3 months, it's still tough to find an 1-1/2" screw - and I know I have two boxes of them somewhere! But, I am generally organized, I split the new space into a material storage area and a work area.

My new shop is located in the basement and is about 400 square feet with 7' ceilings. The old shop was about 100 square feet with 8' celings. The old shop was shared with the laundry room and the avacodo tree (who had to live in the shop during the winter). Although I loved the old shop, quarters were really cramped.

The material storage is about 8' x 20' and is broken down into electrical, plumbing, lumber, hardware, miscallaneous, miscallaneous, and miscallaneous. I found an old work bench down there that hadn't been used in at least 10 years, so I cleaned it up and piled all my scrap lumber on it. (It took me about 10 trips in the SUV to move all my scrap lumber and plywood to the new house.)

The work area is about 12' x 20' and boy do I have plans for it! Lumber break down area, assembly table, general work bench, miterbox station, desk/ office, etc. Once that light went up, the possibilities flooded my mind!! I am more excited about my new space than I ever have been.

Currently, I am working off saw horses and a scrap of plywood. Not great , but certainly an acceptable bench to get things going.

I plan on using my scrap lumber to make a bunch of shelves and cubbys to get all that hardware orgazanized - my vision is the hardware store. I am going to build a partition wall to keep all the saw dust out of the hardware store and I am thinking about keeping my office in that hardware store, too.
I am going to build a big ass bench about 12' long and 2' or 3' wide. I have a bunch of old tables and furniture that I have collected over the years that I plan to modify for assembly tables and tool storage. Some of the most immediate issues include:

Lighting - currently just one light.

Electrical - currently just one outlet with a lot of extension cords and power strips.

Ventalation - these 100 year old windows are all painted and nailed shut. I need to move some air through the space.

Dust collection - I don't know what to do here. I'd like to do the full blown, balls out dust collection system, one day. For the moment, I have two shop vacs.

Heating/ Cooling - It's about 50 degrees down there, this super cold winter. I need to put some heat in. I plan to insulate all my piping from the octopus boiler, so I know the shop will get colder. I have not decided on a heat source just yet. I don't know what summer will bring, but I hope that a couple of ventalation fans will keep it cool.

Drainge - only one floor drain and several pluming issues that need resolution.

Security - need to complete installing window bars. The snow has that issue on hold. Also need to build a partition wall to divide my space from the rest of the basement, which the tenants use to do laundry.

Access - the stairs down to the basement are really tight. I am thinking about putting a hatch in the back porch and hoisting everything straight up and down with a gantry, to avoid the stairs. CC's bookcase is still unfinished because I can't get the damn thing down the stairs! I am going to have to build a dust enclosure in my living room and finish sanding it in there. Ugh.

There is more, but that is enough to list for now. It's an exciting project to build a new shop from a blank slate. I am really stoked about it! I hope you enjoy my blog as I write about my journey to a proper work space.

Thanks for having a look. J-

Wood Floor Flooring Hardwood Beam
Being an old dude, lighting is #1 in my book … The cheapo shop lights, around $10 would be a great addition. take out the light bulb, wire in an outlet and plug in the shop lights … brighten up your world.

I moved my (basement) shop from Kansas City to Surprise Az, (two car garage) then a year later my new 24X48 shop was finished (so to speak … they are never done) and another move into the new shop … now the great challenge is I know I have a box of screws, just where are they???

I hope that you will enjoy your new shop space as much as I enjoy my new haven …
 

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#5 ·
Little Red Wagon

Table Interior design Stool Wood Idiophone


I took a LJ's advice and installed another light fixture. Brigher is even better! And I love having so much room to work.

Today, I was re-building the boy's wagon. I have room to perform my layout, use the router table, use the table saw, drill, and paint all without of having to put anything away! What a dramatic improvment from the old shop.

The old shop was so small, that I had to completely put everything away with one operation before I could start the next (God forbid I had to go back and repeat an operation due to some mistake). Now I can completely spread all over the place and it's a joy!!

I am unsure how I am going to permanently lay things out, but as I use the space, it becomes more clear where things may end up. At the moment, I have three work areas:

Main work bench is a peice of plywood on saw horses. I use this area for lay out, measuring, and have the chop saw set up here.

Side table is my Aunt C's old coffee table. She was going to throw it away several years ago and I snagged it and stored it in my backporch. It's now a great little shop table. It's too low, but I am going to extend the legs and think I will use it for a glueing & painting station.

The back table is my cousin B's old dining room table. I traded her a couch for that table about 10 years ago. At the time, my wife really liked the table and my cousin was sick of it. It was our dining table for a long time. When we moved, my wife became sick of the table and told me to throw it away. So, I moved it into the shop. I use this table as a staging area for hardware, keeping things to the side, etc.

I am thinking about building one big bench in the middle of the room, but I like having three seperate benches for different kinds of work. The path forward will unfold.

More snow again, today. Ugh.

Thanks for having a read. J-
 

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#6 ·
Big Progress

The Broken Carpenter. Funny to think, I felt quite broken when I came up with that blog title. It's been a year since; and I feel very much changed.

Last year, my family and I moved to a new house, mostly we moved due to family issues, and mostly we wanted to move. But, a little bit, neither my wife nor I really wanted to move. When we finally left, it hurt. There is still bad family blood to this day. And I say to everyone out there that love is grand!! Anyways…

We landed in this new spot - another 100+ year old building that just needed a little love and a good care taker. We painted it - the brightest color on the block. We had some parties; some laughs, and made new friends… Then, low-and-behold! We didn't even miss our old spot anymore and we got a good thing goin. Oh yeah, baby, we are quite happy, here.

I have been working on the shop on/off for the past year, but really in earnest, just on the weekends, since this past Thanksgiving. I sneak down there any time I get chance, many times to my wife's displeasure as she thinks I am hiding from her, which I'm not, at least I don't think so. Hmmmm?

Last spring, I built a partition wall between the laundry room and the shop. I finished it up about 2 weeks after the tenants moved in. I was worried about kids getting into mischief in my shop, in my absence. It looks pretty cool, I built this custom door to blend into the wall, the passage into Squinty's Lair….



In the late 1800's, they didn't pour concrete slabs in basements. A lot of basements had a gravel floor topped by a thin layer of cement/ mortar. It's called rat proofing and works well enough to keep rats out. But the cement is only about an inch thick and it's ridiculously weak. Here's a picture of my floor in the old coal bin. I cleaned this room up and now use it for a storage closet. See that weak-ass cement?!? It's not even concrete, just the water-rich-cream. Very flimsy.

Floor Flooring Composite material Gas Concrete


When I was in college, I worked for my uncle one summer. We were remodeling a basement just west of down town Chicago. I remember this family was really rich and lived so close to down town. They lived in the same kind of two-flat that we are in, but they had the money to do it up right.

My uncle built them an astonishing game room/ movie theatre in that basement; it was beautiful. But, we started with a nasty, 100 year old basement. The first thing we came across was this thin little slab. I remember my uncle cussing, "I can't build on this s-t." Boy he was right; it's so thin that it heaves when you walk on it. Just good for keeping rats out. So, my uncle gave me a sledge hammer and a shovel and told me that since I was busting out the cement, I should dig down a foot while I was at it, to add more head room to the basement. Then I'd have to haul all that dirt and cement out in 5 gallon buckets. That was one tough summer, but a good job for a kid. I still remember that hard summer as being really fun!

Back to my basement. It has half rat proofing and half concrete slab. Old boy poured a slab in 1946 over half this basement. He stamped the date with a horseshoe imprint in the concrete, right in front of the door. Its' very cute. I love finding these clues from the past.

No help from the horseshoe, though. I wanted a partition wall in my shop and it worked out best on the skinny. So I needed to dig it up and put in a footing. Might as well, make it a load bearing wall.

Since we were busting up concrete, best to dig a ditch and build a strip footing. My uncle was a good teacher.

Although, he's a little boy, my son helped. He was really, surprisingly eager for the concrete work. He would wake up early and rouse me to work! I gotta tell you guys that every year older, I am less eager for concrete work, it's starting to hurt a little. I am glad my boy will be there to help me one day.

Bookcase Shelf Book Shelving Publication


Wood Flooring Floor Hardwood Wood stain


With footing done, I framed the wall, drywall, paint…

Property Wood Interior design Floor House


And put in a bunch of lights, then built some shelves

Property Bookcase Shelf Shelving Wood




I am SO HAPPY to have my screws, nails, nuts, and bolts, pipes, hardware and fittings all out in the open so that I can see them. I haven't had to go to the hardware store in a month because of all the stuff I have finally unpacked and organized.

All this furniture, I've had stored under the back porch or in the garage, at the old house. Some stuff I found here, left by old tenants. All the plywood is scrap. All stuff I had at the old place and moved to the new place. It's way better here! I have so much more space; I am actually giddy about it!

I fit a little office in my storeroom. Just more furniture that my wife discarded over the years, and I have kept, knowing that one day I would have my very own space. TaDahhhhhh…..

Wood Interior design Automotive design Floor Flooring




I hung that cabinet on the wall. I believe it's from an original built-in bookcase upstairs. Someone took it out, a long time ago, and left it down here. I hung it up to showcase my precious monkey head and other bits of nostalgia. But, the cabinet needs a lot of work.

It's not the man cave, it's the bill-paying center.

The great thing here, is that all this old furniture is out of my shop. Now I am de-cluttered

Wood Machine Engineering Alley Building


Floor Wood Flooring Gas Machine


I know it still looks cluttered. But check out my previous post and you can see how much I have gotten out of there. All this clutter is shop related; I'm not being defensive; I' m just sayin; it's stuff I need; for the shop…

Prior to our arrival, the tenants ruled the roost around here. So, every time "they" came up with a new wiring system for the internet, it got installed in this building. There are phone lines and cable lines of every kind running in every direction of this basement. Furthermore, there is electrical armored cable running all over the place. On top of that, there is stereo wire run all over the place. It's insane! I spend just about every Saturday morning chasing wires, testing circuits, running new conduit, re-wiring, etc. As I work out electrical issues, new lighting and power get installed. I am working off a lot of extension cords, but they are getting fewer with time.

You may have noticed that everything in the Store Room is up on blocks. We do get a little water down here, but it's just on the rat proof side where I have the Office and the Hardware Store. Last summer, water depth was less than ½" and that was a pretty wet summer; so the blocks are adequate.

When we were digging that footing, I dug a sump and made a drywell from a piece of perforated pipe and some gravel. My hope is that sump is adequate to hold whatever water seeps in, through that old limestone foundation. The sump is a good monitoring well for me keep on eye water levels and then decide what my next drainage move should be, if any.

The floor in the shop is on the proper slab, which is solid, super hard to drill into, and relatively flat and level. It's a great shop floor.

  • Still on my To-Do List:*

    Need better access in/ out of the basement. Tough one.

    Heating/ Cooling. Another tough one. Very cold in the winter and a bit humid in the summer. I'm hanging visquene along all the brick walls, as a vapor barrier.

    I have to wall off hot water tank & make storage closet. Got to keep the dust away from that gas flame.

    Have to complete a dust barrier between the Store Room and the Shop. Dust can still make it up between the joists. I need to fill them all with something so the dust doesn't migrating over the wall.

    Dust collection is high on my priority list. My wife bought me a dust collector for my birthday. As I sort out the electrical madness, I will get a circuit over to the shop, dedicated to dust collection.

    Also, I want to get two of the windows to open/ close. These 100 year old windows have been painted shut for at least 20 years. Most of them are nailed shut to keep bad guys out. When I moved in, I put bars up right away. But now I want two of them to open, so I can put in a fan and create a cross breeze. Bar removal in sight - not fun.

    And the big thing, the thing that I have been dreaming about is to build a work bench! I type, slack-jawed and salivating, with visions of vices & big table tops in my eyes…. Oooooooooooh

    I can't wait to make a bench, some benches, some cabinets, places to store my tools. I got plans, ladies and gentlemen, big plans! I got all the garbage out of my shop and now it truly is a blank space. My mind is lit on fire with the possibilities. A painting station, a chop-saw bench, a table saw & router station, an assembly table, stuff hung on the wall, some cool posters…

    The creative space I have been longing for, for a very long time. I finally have it and it's GREAT. The broken carpenter is whole again!

Thanks for reading and take care.

J-
 

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#7 ·
3



So the last house didn't work out and as such either did the shop. We just moved into a brand new apartment building and it's nice not having to spend my time dealing with 125 year old plumbing and electrical issues. I have a basement shop with decent headroom and OK lighting; it's remarkably better than my previous shop which was akin to a dungeon.

I have about 450 square feet of open space. We moved in just as the contractor was completing work on the building. He agreed to leave all his scraps, so I have a boat load of wood: 2x dimensional pine; lots of oak flooring, wainscoting, trim, baseboards; and lots of mdf trim. I already built a lumber rack from the scraps and you can see all he left me. There is a whole other pile on the floor (not seen in the photo) and another pile in the garage! What a jackpot of lumber. My next few projects will only cost me the hardware.

Take a look at my updated workshop for more details.

Thanks for reading. J-
 

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#8 ·
3

Wood Floor Building Flooring House


So the last house didn't work out and as such either did the shop. We just moved into a brand new apartment building and it's nice not having to spend my time dealing with 125 year old plumbing and electrical issues. I have a basement shop with decent headroom and OK lighting; it's remarkably better than my previous shop which was akin to a dungeon.

I have about 450 square feet of open space. We moved in just as the contractor was completing work on the building. He agreed to leave all his scraps, so I have a boat load of wood: 2x dimensional pine; lots of oak flooring, wainscoting, trim, baseboards; and lots of mdf trim. I already built a lumber rack from the scraps and you can see all he left me. There is a whole other pile on the floor (not seen in the photo) and another pile in the garage! What a jackpot of lumber. My next few projects will only cost me the hardware.

Take a look at my updated workshop for more details.

Thanks for reading. J-
Congrats on another move, and carving out some space for another new shop. 450 sq ft isn't too bad for an apartment setting. Is it in a two car garage?

And nice score on the scrap lumber from the construction. I can totally envision a half man-cave/half woodshop, with triple recessed wainscot shadow boxes and a dedicated finishing room with hardwood floors.

I don't know what it is with the mindset, but I am the same when it comes to saving/scrounging/hoarding (but in a good way! not a reality TV show kind of way) scrap from construction projects. As a General Contractor for commercial work, I find myself saving some of the strangest left over materials from some of my jobsites, in the hopes that I can use it someday.

Good luck on the new space!
 

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#10 ·
Dust Mitigation

Wood Gas Machine Automotive exterior Bumper




Happy Holidays to all! It's been a little while since I have posted; 3 years. It's been so long that I had to reset my forgotten password! I've made some upgrades to the shop since my last post, 3 years ago. I constructed a rolling table for my portable table saw and a rolling table for my chop saw. I didn't document those builds, but here a couple of pics from when I completed them in 2017. Tables were made completely from scrap lumber that I salvaged from a job site - they were building a house on my street. I took all the contractor's scraps for workshop furniture. As I was building, it became clear why the first carpenter through these in the scrap pile - not a straight board in the pile. But, I was able to make things work. Both tables are outfitted with a shop vac and cyclone.

In all my reading about dust control operational issues, I elected to go with local dust control for each saw. The duct work seems both pricey and prone to clogs. I find even with the short runs of hose between saw and cyclone will easily clog with chips and dust.

The local dust control works great, when it's working. I did not foresee the electrical issues. When I run the chop saw and the shop vac at the same time, I trip the breaker every other time. Especially, if I am cutting through some tough wood. Same issue persists with the table saw. Some simple wiring will address the problem, but since my shop is in the basement, next to the circuit breaker, it's easier for me to just keeping turning the breakers back on. It's even easier yet to just not turn on the shop vacs and let the dust fly. Poor options.

I will, one day, get to rewiring. So I set up an additional whole shop dust mitigation system that works pretty well. It consists of two pieces of equipment:

Make-up Air Unit #2


and Exhaust Fan #2:


I rigged the exhaust fan, so it can be pulled up out of the way to shut the door; also made with scraps.

Then, we have air filtration system #1:
Wood Font Bag Motor vehicle Metal


I suppose I will deal with this unit when I get that re-wiring project.

Thank for giving me a read. It's all in a days work. SP
 

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#11 ·
To the Work Bench!

I purchased these 2Ă—6s in February 2017. One could say I've been distracted from this project, since then or one could say I've had other obligations, since then. But, I am getting to it now and the lumber has certainly acclimated to my shop. I bought about 50 boards and found 35 of them stayed straight while sitting in the shop. You can see the pile behind my chop saw, in my last post.

So, here's the plan. I'm a lefty, so I decided to move the vices around, as noted at the bottom:

Handwriting Wood Rectangle Schematic Font


I'm currently planning a 34" total height, but may adjust as I go. I've been experimenting with different heights on saw horses.

So, I picked my 31 best boards, cut them to length + a little extra, and ran them all through the table saw to knock off the top 1/4" having the chamfer. This also got rid of some ugly spots here and there.
Hood Musical instrument accessory Wood Automotive exterior Tints and shades


Wood Hardwood Wood stain Plank Flooring


Wood Gas Machine Hardwood Engineering


Wood Tool Workbench Hardwood Engineering


Wood Hardwood Wood stain Plank Flooring


Then, the moment of truth, glue up:

Wood Urban design Engineering Ceiling Space


Building Wood Floor Flooring Engineering


Wood Flooring Floor Wood stain Plank


Lot's a spillage. I have to admit, I'm out of my depth here and learning as I go. I didn't really know how I was going to deal with all this glue, until I took a plane to it. Some elbow grease and sweat lead to this:

Wood Building Electricity Machine City


Wood Tints and shades Hardwood Font Brick


This is my first time using a hand plane. My noodle arms are soar, but a completely satisfying tool to use. I love the feel and sounds and smells. Power tools have always produced a dust that smells like corn flakes (at least, to me.) The plane produced wood shavings that smell like the forest. Amazing! I'm hooked on hand tools and am looking forward to my new journeys in wood working.

Thanks for giving this a read. It's all in a days work. SP
 

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#12 ·
To the Work Bench!

I purchased these 2Ă—6s in February 2017. One could say I've been distracted from this project, since then or one could say I've had other obligations, since then. But, I am getting to it now and the lumber has certainly acclimated to my shop. I bought about 50 boards and found 35 of them stayed straight while sitting in the shop. You can see the pile behind my chop saw, in my last post.

So, here's the plan. I'm a lefty, so I decided to move the vices around, as noted at the bottom:

Handwriting Wood Rectangle Schematic Font


I'm currently planning a 34" total height, but may adjust as I go. I've been experimenting with different heights on saw horses.

So, I picked my 31 best boards, cut them to length + a little extra, and ran them all through the table saw to knock off the top 1/4" having the chamfer. This also got rid of some ugly spots here and there.
Hood Musical instrument accessory Wood Automotive exterior Tints and shades


Wood Hardwood Wood stain Plank Flooring


Wood Gas Machine Hardwood Engineering


Wood Tool Workbench Hardwood Engineering


Wood Hardwood Wood stain Plank Flooring


Then, the moment of truth, glue up:

Wood Urban design Engineering Ceiling Space


Building Wood Floor Flooring Engineering


Wood Flooring Floor Wood stain Plank


Lot's a spillage. I have to admit, I'm out of my depth here and learning as I go. I didn't really know how I was going to deal with all this glue, until I took a plane to it. Some elbow grease and sweat lead to this:

Wood Building Electricity Machine City


Wood Tints and shades Hardwood Font Brick


This is my first time using a hand plane. My noodle arms are soar, but a completely satisfying tool to use. I love the feel and sounds and smells. Power tools have always produced a dust that smells like corn flakes (at least, to me.) The plane produced wood shavings that smell like the forest. Amazing! I'm hooked on hand tools and am looking forward to my new journeys in wood working.

Thanks for giving this a read. It's all in a days work. SP
Wow, great progress! And no better time to figure out planes than now! Looking forward to the next installment!
 

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#15 ·
Those Legs!

So, I have these 6Ă—6 scraps that I salvaged from a local builder. Good legs!

Wood Shelving Window House Rectangle


I cut them to approximate length and then ripped the ends on the table saw. As you can see here, my handsaw skills need some work.

Table Tradesman Wood Saw Gas

Wood Bumper Gas Automotive exterior Vehicle door


Wood Flooring Wood stain Floor Hardwood


Wood Wood stain Burin Hardwood Flooring


Wood Wood stain Wall Hardwood Plank


After some experimentation with the chisels, files, mallet, lack of finesse, disappointments, and perseverance; they came out OK. It seems that working with hardwood is easier than with pine. The pine is soft, stingy. I find that oak, for example, shaves off more precisely.

Wood Headgear Hat Hardwood Plywood


Here, you can see how crooked the tendons get where I started hand sawing. Glad they were cock-eyed in, and not out. I have some chisel work to do!



I flipped over the top and started dry fitting to see how things will go. This was a big operational mistake. As soon as that top was in a usable flat condition, I started using it. At first to wrap Christmas presents. Then to fix something. Then to investigate something. Then to work on honey-do project. Then to do some woodworking. On and on and on. So, here were, nearly Halloween, and still haven't gotten back to those legs. They are often in my way and I just need to finish them up and start using this table proper!

Table Wood Workbench Desk Floor


Wood Floor Flooring Hardwood Plank


…and, there are four legs with tendons, just about good to go. Bottoms need some clean up and the outer tendons are going to be mitered.
 

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