a1Jim's Workshop

Wow Jim, I’m speechless. It’s a little like Disney World for WW’ers.
You are aware that router bits are interchangeable aren’t you? :)
A dream shop for sure, but even so, in the midst of all that plenty it’s nice to see an “homage” to the basics in the form of the “garbage bag dust shroud”. We’ve all been there for sure.
My first word will be my last too. Very impressive. Wow…..

-- JMP

Very nice shop!

-- masrol, kuala lumpur, MY.

Jim, this is a really nice shop space that you have to work in. You have a wonderful collection of hand tools and your shop is well organized. I like the headroom that you have in there. You don’t have to fight with a full sheet of plywood to get it moved around in there. I also like the way you have used the vertical storage space available to you in your shop. I would enjoy working in there.

Thanks for the post. I enjoyed visiting with you.

-- With God's help all things are possible- even woodworking. Woodworking is not just a hobby, it is an (expletive deleted) expensive hobby.

Great workshop.

-- ...it's rennovation time!!!

That is quite the shop you have. I would of never guessed the shop was that big. Thanks for posting.

God Bless
tom

-- Mc Bridge Cabinets, Iowa

Very cool shop. I like it.

-- Drink once, cut twice. New website up.... lazylarrywoodworks.com.au

admitting that you have a router problem is the first step! That must be the largest private collection of routers in the world. ;-)Love the 14 ft ceilings. Great space.

-- Brian, Folsom, CA http://www.brianfullerdesigns.com

Hey Brian It looks like you have a great shop,I thought about attending routers anonymous.

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

I really need to stop looking at everyones shops and tools, I keep drooling on my computer and my wife thinks it will short out. Plus I have a bad habit of not cleaning my drool off the keys and screen and she hates working on wet keys (kind of like not putting the toilet seat down)

Great looking shop !!!

-- Don S.E. OK

Great shop, Jim. Love the overhead space you have. If I try hanging jigs overhead in my shop, they usually get raked off the ceiling the first time I move a large piece of lumber around. I was able to cut my router fix early, so I didn’t have to do all of the 12 steps, but sometimes I think I’m not cured. :] Thanks for the post.

-- Tim -- http://tmuli.com

Hey Tim
Thanks , I tried planning me shop out really well but there are always things you would change if you had a do over. every time I complain about not having enough room my wife says are you crazy a lot of people would kill for a shop like yours. This brings me back to being grateful for what I have. I really love your side board you made definitely a notch above what I call quality plus . Great Job

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

Thanks, Jim. I’ve got the same situation. My shop is 24’ x 24’, but for the past 3 years 1/4 of it has been partitioned off for other uses. I’m just starting to reclaim that space, and for awhile, I’ll be in hog heaven with all of the extra room. As soon as I get an assembly table or some stationary tools in their, it’ll start shrinking again. Enjoyed looking at your posted projects. You’ve got quite a variety of styles that you do very nicely. I guess my favorite is the Roycroft secretary, since I’m an A & C fan.

-- Tim -- http://tmuli.com

Jim – I thought I would nose around in your shop and all I can say is Wow. I have tool & shop envy! By the way your projects are also really nice.

-- If you are not living on the edge you are taking up to much room.

outstanding! where do you leave the spare key again?!?

-- When in doubt - There is no doubt - Go the safer route.

Key? Am I suppose to lock my shop I knew I was forgetting something. Thanks

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

Jim: A great looking shop. What do you have stored upstairs.

-- What happens in the workshop stays in the workshop. No wait that doesn't sound right. Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †

Thanks Carson
Upstairs was planed as a show room ,but turned into a returning son’s bedroom and storage. For now

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

Hey Marc
I didn’t see you in there today.You have some cool projects also.

Jim

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

Yes child proofing the home is tough. They still seem to get back in.

-- What happens in the workshop stays in the workshop. No wait that doesn't sound right. Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †

Yes Karson I call it the yo yo syndrome them come and go come and go.

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

Hay Jim Great Lookin Shop

-- Jim, Kentucky

Hey Jim
Thanks Jim. Are you close to the Derby ?

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

My word… you have a lot of routers….. Excuse me, im drooling….. lol :) Nice shop!

-- Adventure? Heh! Excitement? Heh! A Woodworker craves not these things!

Hey WoodSpanker
It’s all part of being a tool nut. I see your in Beaverton it’s good to hear from a fellow Oregonian.

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

WOW! I work in a basement shop into which I cannot get a full sheet of plywood. I would be a bit toting member of router’s anonymous. I buy one every chance I get. My wife doesn’t understand. I hope to someday have a space 1/4 the size of yours in which to work. Thanks for sharing. Les

-- kein Schaden ohne Nutzen

Hey out2
It’s not always the space or the tools it’s the passion and desire to make what you wish. From the looks of your computer desk it sure looks like you have the passion. But a few tools don’t hurt!

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

Nice nice nice. I’m like most and have a basement workshop with a little of this and that. Yours is like the shop the guy has on This Old House!! Your projects are great.

I didn’t really start any woodworking until my dad passed away and so I had all his tools in storage, and one day just got them out and set them up and started buying some more. I don’t guess that ever ends.

So I will excercise my right as a consumer and update as I can.

Hey Cato
Thanks , It’s not always what you have it’s, what you make with what you have. keep on keeping on.

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

damn how many routers do you have holy crap

-- kosta brownsville brooklyn my home

Hey Kosta
does’nt every body have 27 routers. It helps so you don’t have to change router bits all the time.

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

i thought i was happy with 10 foot walls…man i think i would forget what was up the last 4…but great shop..i love seeing the collection of tools from years of wood work… do you like the grizzley machines…i almost went that rout but settles on some delta tools…and i thought i was hitting it big when i got my second router…har…but great shop…....i guess ill have to take a few pictures of my shop…good job jim…grizzman…and thanks for a warm welcome…

-- The Grizzone

I’ve seen a fellow Ljer who made his bench out of one sheet of plywood and a handsaw no power tools . to Me this fellow is a prime example of a the most passionate about his woodworking more than all of us . This is who we have to admire more than guys like me who have tons of tools. The Guys who keep plugging regardless of how big there shop is or how many tools they have.
Hey Grizz I do like grizzly tools mine have worked great. I look forward to photos of your shop.

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

Thats crazy you are in oregon right cause there is a ton of wood there. My cousin live in washington state and he said that once the loggers are done cutting all the trees the burn alll the limbs he said that he goes up there and he getts small logs and turns them

-- kosta brownsville brooklyn my home

Hey Kosta
Yes I’m in Oregon. Most of what they log is fir or cedar , it looks like a bomb went off when there threw. I hate what it looks like it starts as a beautiful green hill side and then it is a disaster area. But that’s how many people make there living up here. It’s great your cousin makes some use of the wood left behind other wise they will just burn it.

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

Great use of overhead storage!

I am sooo jealous of that high ceiling. ;^0

-- - Please help keep Lumberjocks an enjoyable escape by refusing to participate in political discussions. Simply spit out the bait and ignore the thread...

Hey Barry
I had the luxury of building my shop instead of converting existing space. Your shop looks great with lots of nice toys

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

Anything bad to say about your Laguna experience? Seems to be a popular topic lately.

-- Just 'cause a cat has kittens in the oven, it don't make 'em biscuits.

Hey Pitchnsplinters

I”m afraid you hit a subject I can go on an on about .I have had pretty bad service from Laguna and I think there products are over priced and under engineered. If I had it to do over I would save $2000 and buy a Grizzly
band saw. It seems like laguna is riding on the good reviews they had in the past.

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

Great looking shop Jim. Must have missed the first post.

-- Jerry--A man can never have enough tools or clamps

Hey cabinetmaster
Thanks ,you have posted some way out outrageously wonderful cabinets.great work

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

yea well you know that they have crews come in and replant it so you know they have to rep;ant the trees and it looks like hell after there done

-- kosta brownsville brooklyn my home

hey how big is you jointer

-- kosta brownsville brooklyn my home

Hey Kosta
Thats a 12” spirial head jointer. Do you have any new vidios going on. or projects? Your right about the replant
Thing.

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

well im workign on the desk organizer i finished sanding it early this mornign and finish it tommrow hey just a quick tip if im going to put pollyurthane on my project do I put that before or after the stain

-- kosta brownsville brooklyn my home

Hey Kosta
You definitely go with stain first and then your polyurethane. Depending on the kind of wood and stain you use you may want to use a wash coat of dewaxed shellac first before your stain to help stop your wood from blotching and be careful about mixing oil base products with water base products. Hope It works out great for you.
Jim

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

ok well im using cedar and pine I know I should be using poplar but it was all I could find should I do any sanding or anything like that between coats

-- kosta brownsville brooklyn my home

Well On the pine I would use a 1lb cut of shellac before any thing then a light sanding with 220. if you have gel stain it would be best then let it dry thoroughly ,no sanding after the stain, then apply your clear coat. I don’t know how rough your wood is but I would sand starting at no finer than 100 grit going through the grits 120,150, and up to 180 before the shellac
Hope this helps
Jim

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

ok thanks because right now I sanded everything to 150 so I will sand it to 220 before I start finishing

-- kosta brownsville brooklyn my home

The 220 is after the shellac has been applied.

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

I gotta say I am Gobsmacked. Dont know if that is an Australianism. It means stunned. You must have an amazing memory. I would not be able to keep track. As I starting out my workshop is only small (yet to post some images (soon)). One day I aspire to have a setup close to yours. Stunning.

-- Life is about solving problems and trying not to be the cause of those problems in the first place

ok so im gonna get down there today sand up to 180 then im going to look and see what I have as far as finiahes and laqur oh by the way isnt laqur really toxic to breathe in

-- kosta brownsville brooklyn my home

Hey Woodfix
I takes a while to get things the way you want them,I’m still working on it.
Kosta
Any finish you use you should always finish with good ventilation and an a respirator.Lacquer Does have very strong fumes.

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

A great looking shop, you make me jealous.

Speaking of lacquer, my wife has multiple chemical allergies, & once when spraying some lacquer I went into the house.

The fumes were still in my clothing, & it bothered her really bad.

Now I let myself air out for awhile before I go in.

-- -** You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream ****************** Dick, & Barb Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

Thanks Dick I am very susceptible to many fumes like perfume.cigarette smoke but oddly enough lacquer fumes don’t affect me. I have to blow my clothes off really well if using poplar because it affects my wife.

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

We can’t even go to church, because of perfume.

You’re lucky this doesn’t affect your woodworking.

-- -** You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream ****************** Dick, & Barb Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

I’m the same with perfume instant headache , I can’t believe how much perfume and after shave some people put on . Restaurants are another area were food servers do you in with perfume.

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

We only eat in drive in places to avoid perfume.

They make a lot of industrial strength perfumes nowadays.

Barb developed allergies shortly after I retired, so I thought I was the problem.

But we kind of think it may have come on after she had Lyme disease from a tick bite.

-- -** You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream ****************** Dick, & Barb Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

It looks like you may have what we call in Canada as: G.A.S.

Gear Acquisition Syndrome

Its very contagious and there is no known cure. I’ve heard that only a wife can slow it down.

Amazing Shop!

Steve

-- Steve ~ Measure once, cut twice... or is it the other way around?

Hey Steve
Thanks I confess steve eh

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

yea I think marc spannulu said that too thanks

-- kosta brownsville brooklyn my home

Wow! Love the 14’ height. Beats crawling through the attic for extra storage. Thanks for sharing!

-- Jeff, Dayton, OH

Wow jeess you guys over there really know how to build a workshop

-- cut it saw it scrap it

Hey Kosta
I think Marc is one very intelligent person.
Hey Jeff
that’s why I built it that tall I was tired of bumping the ceiling in my past shop.
Hey Andy
Well I try

Thanks Guys

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

Thanks for sharing. It’s so valuable seeing how the experienced lay out their shop. I can see the thought that went into much of your use of space. Great shop!

-- "We are what we repeatedly do; excellence then is not an act but a habit." ---Aristotle

Thanks for the complement Jimmy

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

i was thinking jim , have you thought of doing an inventory of all your tools and fileing it with the librabry of congress…..or maybe the smithsonian…i dont know if i could choose which router i would want to use…..maybe it would be eny miny moe…....a collection to be proud of…..grizzman….

-- The Grizzone

Hey Grizz
I thought thats how you found my shop through the smithsonian.LOL It’s nice to have good tools but I’d rather be proud of what I make with the tools than just the tools. Thanks . It seems like I saw you have a pretty cool shop earlier today.

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

Jim…. What a shop….. You can build anything in there…..

I love your posts and comments…. It’s all about learning….

Rob

-- Happy and safe woodworking, Flcopper169@aol.com

Hey Rob
Thanks for the positive input. The replica of the ark I was going to build wouldn’t fit LOL It looks like you have a very cool shop yourself.

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

man you were right I mixed my own finish of golden pecan and red oak and I put it on my project that I sanded to 220 and then I finished a cut off of that same board that was sanded to 150 and the 220 kicked ass thanks

-- kosta brownsville brooklyn my home

Hey Kosta
I’m glad it work out. I’m looking forward to seeing your finished project.

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

yea I actually thanked you in the video and I will have some pictures in a few days

-- kosta brownsville brooklyn my home

Thats cool thanks

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

oh I forgot to ask you do you use a splitter or riving knife on you 66

-- kosta brownsville brooklyn my home

I feel that both splitters and riving knives are good Ideas I don’t use ether if I have problems with the wood pinching the blade I use 1 or two small wedges to keep the Cerf open. It’s not something that happens that often particularly with a 5hp saw that can cut its way through most slight pinching. With all saws it’s not a bad Idea but after 20 plus years I have not had a problem,but there’s always a first time. If I ever repalce my powermatic 66 I’ll buy a Saw Stop and it has a riving knive.

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

splitters and riving knives are good if your not experianced with your saw, sont get me wrong acidents can happen, but i use my saw for cutting datto’s and making tennons , and so many other use’s, i would be removing it all the time…there are tools that you can use to help with saftey, push sticks, featherboards and also scraps of wood clamped to your fence and used as hold downs….ive seen the saw stop saw’s and they would be a nice saw to have…however i dont think my delta is going to give me the chance to get one…and your powermatic jim wont give out on you either i dont think…but saftey on table saws is most important…it comes down to personal choice..grizzman

-- The Grizzone

Hey Grizz
your right there are other saftey measures and I say use all at your disposal .And I also agree that’s it’s a personal choice what you use and what you don’t use in the way of saftey and the type and brand of tools we use.

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

Sorry Jim, I’m jealous, what a shop do you have and what a tools, unbelievable.
What is life hard, from my point.

I wise you all the best.

Schummie.

-- Greetings from the Netherlands.

Hey Schummie
It’s not just the tools or the shop that makes great projects, It’s the craftsman. My best back at ya.

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

You really know how to hurt a guy Jim…......all that gear and its not here…...but Fedex could fix that.!

-- I will just keep doing it till I get it right.

I wonder how much fedex charges for a 600lb table saw to Australia LOL

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

27 routers!!! I don’t even have 27 router bits! Jim you need help. The first thing you have to do is get rid of quite a few of those routers. I can keep them hidden for you to remove any temptation. Just send them to me at the following address…................

In fact maybe you should send the whole shop….... just to be sure.

-- Mike, American in Norway

Hey Stefang
Old world craftsmen like you could make what ever you want with a rusty spoon an a brick, you don’‘t need those tools like I do. I think the shipping for a few thousand pounds of tools might be a little spendie to Norway. I think I forgot to count a couple routers I have four of them in router tables.
Jim

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

Jim, I am sure you have forgotten much more about woodworking than I will ever know. But the important thing to me is to have fun. Hobbyists like me have the luxury of being able to spend whatever time it takes to get the job done, whereas a professional has limited time and a lot of overhead. It’s really great to belong to a website that gives us access to woodworking pros like yourself for advice and encouragement. Woodworkers should be proud that they are among the most skill sharing groups around.

-- Mike, American in Norway

Stefang
That’s very nice of you to say but I’m in the junior league compared to a great number of LJ ers .I too am grateful for all the topnotch woodworkers and all members that all share in some way.

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

Jim that is an awesome shop. You can send some things to hide out here on the east coast if you like.

I love your shop it’s happily, lightly in places,” a little ” overcrowded like mine but very exciting place to browse.I also like your choice of tools you have aquired over many years a lot of great trophies have been colected ,and hung on display.Once again just a man after my own heart I wish you every good moment to enjoy it for many years to come my brother God Bless Alistair

-- excuse my typing as I have a form of parkinsons disease

Hey Alistai
Thanks for your kind words , I would really like to see your shop. I hope things are as good as can be with you.

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

Real Nice Shop Jim, BUT, I sure wouldn’t want to be in it during an earthquake. Is it just a one man shop?

John

-- http://www.webshots.com/user/jahness

Hey Jonh
This is a one man shop now days. It was built to code which includes eathquake standards.

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

gee jim , i looked at your shop a while back , on your home page !
i didn’t know about this post until just now .
your shop is deffinetly good ,
and makes me want to work on my new one more .
the space is really helpfull.
i like to just walk up to my tools and use them ,
not have to set them up and take them down !
iknow things are slow now ,
but am hoping this all picks up soon .
heres looking at you kid !

-- david ,new mexico ,allheart

Jim,
I was just wondering…I know Todd told me has has not changed his spiral cutters yet after almost four years of use…he has rotated them…but has still not used all for sides yet.

I know you have had your Planer for a little over two years now…How have the spiral cutters held up so far…how many times have you had to rotate them so far ?

As you know, I just bought the 15” version…and while I have only ran it for a few weeks so far….I have used the heck out of it. I have ran hard maple, mahogany, walnut and oak through it almost daily so far…and I would have already had to change out the blades on my old planer…so far it is still cutting like a hot knife through butter and I have yet to have to rotate the cutter blades… SO I was just wondering how much time I may be able to expect from them before a rotate.

Thanks
Don

-- Don S.E. OK

Hey David
I saw your shop in one of your post and it looks like a great shop. I don’t think you nead to any changes.
Hey Don
I have not had to rotate my planner or my jointer and there still working great. At 2 years and counting.

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

You have not even had to rotate them yet ?? Then WOW .....am I even more happy with my purchases !!

-- Don S.E. OK

Great shop ! I love all the patterns and jigs !!! I keep all of mine too . How do you like the Grizzly , I have never used any of there stuff ?

-- Rsoper rreposs@optonline.net

Hey Richard
Thanks. I saw your shop earlier it has a good layout and really nice equipment you’ve done so great work also. I’ve had really good luck with Grizzly tools I recommend them to everyone, they have good prices ,good customer service and I haven’t had ant problems to date with the five different machines of theirs I have. Hows business on your end of the country?

Jim

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

Hey Jim , Were A little slow , How about you ?

-- Rsoper rreposs@optonline.net

John
Were a lot slow only 5 small jobs since October. I live in a little town (just 1200) and even the larger town 25 miles away is only 20,000. Good thing I don’t have overhead or debt.

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

I plan on showing this to my wife… “see, honey…me taking up the entire basement isn’t as bad as it could be…” It will give her a taste for what she’s in for!

Thanks for sharing, great space!

-- Ryno

Hi Jim, one question, I saw you have some powermatic and laguna tools, wich brand do you consider is better? Or you recommend something else?
I ask, because in a medium term, I expect to change my current tools for someting like this brands in a bigger workshop.

-- Oscar

Hi Oscar
If your talking about table saws I would recommend Saw Stop 3 or 5 hp. Most other tools I would recommend Grizzly. if you have unlimited funds Powermatic makes good tools also. There are many power tools that go up in price from there that bigger shops use. I think Laguna is over priced and customer service is not that good and would not buy there band saw again.

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

Hey Jim, You have some serious equipment there. I agree Laguna will not be my next band saw ether. I had a Mini Max MM20 and I am still sorry I sold it 5 years ago along with a 16” combo joiner/planer, I needed the cash and there was 12K tied up in two pieces of equipment. OH well water under the bridge. If I had the saw stop I would not have had to sell the mini max equipment to pay the Hospital bill. I still have my finger and was lucky they did a good job fixing it along with 6 months rehab.

-- Sell it here> http://woodworkerslist.com

Looks like you need a router!! Now that’s a shop!! It makes me droool!

-- burl, Indiana,

Wow, my finger got tired scrolling down to do a posting. Maybe you need to have a website on just your work shop!? Your shop is very well kept and a great example of getting the most of what you got. I have two shops but, they are very messed up, it will be a long time till I would be able to show mine. Too ashamed….. And sadly, when they are clean, they get messed up very quickly. I like to have about 5 different things going on at the same time. A mood woodworker, is not a clean woodworker. Write a book about keeping it clean and I would buy one….... Thanks for sharing the holly ground with us…..

-- Hacksaw007

Thanks guys I’m still working on organising but I’m very grateful to have a shop with some pretty good equipment. It’s not always whats in your shop but comes out of it.

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

Holy COW!! Thats a hell of a shop there!!

Everything you need, and probably some stuff you forgot you had. WOW. Awesome setup, thanks for sharing..

-- Longovette@Roadruner.com

Hey James some times that’s the case Thanks

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

Very nice Jim, I hope my woodshop looks like that when it grows up!
Dave

-- See some of my creations at: http://www.etsy.com/shop/76Winger

Nice shop, I would love to build a kitchen in your shop, expecially with all those routers, great deal. The 13 spindle, the 20” planer, drum sander, etc… Some day I hope to add some nice toys. Jerry

-- Jerry Nettrour

Thanks Dave and Jerry it takes time to get the tools you want and you never stop organising things.

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon