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9K views 12 replies 7 participants last post by  Notw 
#1 ·
Feeling crampy

In the beginning….............

Building Wood Interior design Table Shelving


Beer Fridge - Check
Tools - Check
Works bench area - check
Matted floor - check

Wood Lighting Cabinetry Interior design Building


Free Cabinets - awesome!

Property Wood Cabinetry Interior design Floor


Coffee Table build - feeling the campiness of the small woodshop - something has to be done

To be Continued…...
 

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#2 ·
Feeling crampy

In the beginning….............

Building Wood Interior design Table Shelving


Beer Fridge - Check
Tools - Check
Works bench area - check
Matted floor - check

Wood Lighting Cabinetry Interior design Building


Free Cabinets - awesome!

Property Wood Cabinetry Interior design Floor


Coffee Table build - feeling the campiness of the small woodshop - something has to be done

To be Continued…...
You've got all the room you need.
 

Attachments

#3 ·
Feeling crampy

In the beginning….............

Building Wood Interior design Table Shelving


Beer Fridge - Check
Tools - Check
Works bench area - check
Matted floor - check

Wood Lighting Cabinetry Interior design Building


Free Cabinets - awesome!

Property Wood Cabinetry Interior design Floor


Coffee Table build - feeling the campiness of the small woodshop - something has to be done

To be Continued…...
It's getting there.
 

Attachments

#4 ·
Feeling crampy

In the beginning….............

Building Wood Interior design Table Shelving


Beer Fridge - Check
Tools - Check
Works bench area - check
Matted floor - check

Wood Lighting Cabinetry Interior design Building


Free Cabinets - awesome!

Property Wood Cabinetry Interior design Floor


Coffee Table build - feeling the campiness of the small woodshop - something has to be done

To be Continued…...
I can't help but feel sorry for you. Ok for small projects (or not), but way too crowded and difficult to keep clean. If you have a good sized living room and not many guests…...........
 

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#5 ·
Dont kill the Shop Vac

My shop vac has been there for me for years and have had no problems with it. Been reading about importance of dust collection and since I never even cleaned the filter once in 8 yrs thought I would give him a break and my lungs too. The wife came in the WoodShop/laundry room and caught me in a snow globe type situation and insisted (I use that term loosely) that I do something. Besides, her clothes had a nice layer of sawdust on them. I don't recommend that.

Decided to head to HD and buy a new filter and a bag for the ShopVac…...$50 later I decided that there must be a cheaper way so I found this. I returned the filter and bag to HD. Thanks drez20001. Its a very simple build and only cost me about $25. I found extra hoses on CL for $10.

Dust Collector project from YouTube



And the space continues to disappear.
 

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#6 ·
PushBlok

I have seen a few posts on here w/ a DIY on the GRRipper. I built this to fit my current needs. I noticed that the GRRipper models have much more functionality with the blade opening and width adjustments. I will modify as needed but currently this simple designs works great. Of course the main focus was something heavy duty to keep the wood stable and my hand safe. Also, since I have been working w/ cutting thin strips the 1/8 inch end is working great.

Glued a few 1Ă—6's together, rubber gym floor matting as the base (use a utility knife to graze the surface area for better gripping), and leftover PVC works great as a handle. I received my 1/4 flanged inserts which work great (thanks HuckD). I still have a few knobs left I bought off AMZN and will convert to making my own soon.

Wood Table Creative arts Workbench Saw


Wood Table Gas Automotive design Engineering


Hood Motor vehicle Automotive design Wood Gas


Wood Machine tool Creative arts Gas Machine
 

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#7 ·
PushBlok

I have seen a few posts on here w/ a DIY on the GRRipper. I built this to fit my current needs. I noticed that the GRRipper models have much more functionality with the blade opening and width adjustments. I will modify as needed but currently this simple designs works great. Of course the main focus was something heavy duty to keep the wood stable and my hand safe. Also, since I have been working w/ cutting thin strips the 1/8 inch end is working great.

Glued a few 1Ă—6's together, rubber gym floor matting as the base (use a utility knife to graze the surface area for better gripping), and leftover PVC works great as a handle. I received my 1/4 flanged inserts which work great (thanks HuckD). I still have a few knobs left I bought off AMZN and will convert to making my own soon.

Wood Table Creative arts Workbench Saw


Wood Table Gas Automotive design Engineering


Hood Motor vehicle Automotive design Wood Gas


Wood Machine tool Creative arts Gas Machine
Nice job.
I don't see why that wouldn't just as good as a store bought version.
 

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#9 ·
Miter Saw - just wouldnt fit on the counter top

A found a decent fix for my space issues regarding placement of the Mitre saw. Since I first got the saw I didnt mind moving it back and forth from the countertop to the workbench for each use. Of course this turned into a pain once the workbench was in use full of materials. With the width of my counter being just a little short to both store and use the sliding Mitre saw I couldn't use it to full capacity with the saw hanging off…...also very dangerous. My solution was to mount the saw on a 3/4 inch plywood base. Make this base slide so I could have full use of the saw and then slide it back for storage. I used 1/4 knobs w/ bolts and cut a slot in the plywood and drilled holes in the bottom of the countertop to achieve this. It works like a charm and I now my Miter Saw has a fixed station in my shop. To store it I just kick it over to 45 degrees and slide it back. Works like a charm.

Gas Engineering Machine Wood Hardwood


Ready for use, back of slide is just a hair off the wall.

Cabinetry Drawer Wood Hand tool Shelf


Cabinetry Drawer Mitre saws Gas Tool


Automotive tire Motor vehicle Tool Engineering Automotive exterior


Wood Tool Gas Bumper Machine
 

Attachments

#10 ·
Miter Saw - just wouldnt fit on the counter top

A found a decent fix for my space issues regarding placement of the Mitre saw. Since I first got the saw I didnt mind moving it back and forth from the countertop to the workbench for each use. Of course this turned into a pain once the workbench was in use full of materials. With the width of my counter being just a little short to both store and use the sliding Mitre saw I couldn't use it to full capacity with the saw hanging off…...also very dangerous. My solution was to mount the saw on a 3/4 inch plywood base. Make this base slide so I could have full use of the saw and then slide it back for storage. I used 1/4 knobs w/ bolts and cut a slot in the plywood and drilled holes in the bottom of the countertop to achieve this. It works like a charm and I now my Miter Saw has a fixed station in my shop. To store it I just kick it over to 45 degrees and slide it back. Works like a charm.

Gas Engineering Machine Wood Hardwood


Ready for use, back of slide is just a hair off the wall.

Cabinetry Drawer Wood Hand tool Shelf


Cabinetry Drawer Mitre saws Gas Tool


Automotive tire Motor vehicle Tool Engineering Automotive exterior


Wood Tool Gas Bumper Machine
wow great solution and simply great idea to use the plywood as a base plat
 

Attachments

#12 ·
A Router Table you can eat off

My current workbench is a hand-me down kitchen cabinet from my mother in law. A mid grade 3 drawer w/ a butcher block top. I didn't want to take it at first but then thought…...this would be nice in my woodshop. I threw some wheels on it for mobility and the drawers actually are convenient for holding hold a lot of my power tools. Top is semi sturdy. Fast forward and I thought this would be a great router table.

Table Furniture Wood Desk Wood stain


Table Wood Automotive exterior Hardwood Desk


Deciding on a router plate:

Did I even need a router plate? Thought about just attaching it to the 1 inch top but finally decided against it. I wasnt really worried about sag but losing that 1 inch movement and more and more a router plate was making sense. Now which router plate to choose from? I always tend to start out with the "Making it on my own" approach then narrow it down to see if purchasing it is the better option. I looked into buying Lexan, Polycarbonate, or aluminum plates and then modifying. Prices were a bit higher than I thought….all around $25 -$30 for 1/4 to 3/8 plates. With that price and having to modify the plates to fit multiple inserts I felt buying a plate was the best option. There were plenty choices for a fair price. I looked at a few and read some reviews and the ones that stood out for me were the Kreg, Woodpecker, and Bench dog plates. I almost purchased a used Woodpecker plate off of Ebay but price jumped a little too fast. I did like the Kreg plate but opted for the Bench Dog (Blank) plate for abt $63. A little more than I wanted to spend but it being aluminum I felt it would last a long time. It came w/ one insert and you have the option to buy additional inserts for abt $8 a pop. I will most likely just make my own.

Wood Table saws Saw Table Gas


Routing the table top to fit the plate:

I was surprised to see templates being sold w/ router plates. Just the fact that it was being sold made me second guess the difficulties. It wasn't actually that bad. There are videos out there that do walk you through the process of routing for the plate and they do make it seem much more difficult than it actually is. I chose to build a two sided template rather than four. Once I routed the two sides I just re-clamped and did the other two. Grabbed the jig saw for the cut-out leaving about 1/2 inch on the sides and 2 inch corners. It turned out really well but I found that the workbench top was not flat…...uh oh.

Wood Gas Composite material Rectangle Plywood


Rectangle Wood Flooring Composite material Table


Table Wood Floor Flooring Wood stain


Table Wood Desk Electrical wiring Engineering


Workbench top:

Maybe I should have done this before I started but I didnt…... I put a square across the table top and it was a bit wavy. To fix this I attached supports on the underside and that fixed it. Way sturdier now too.

Wood Wheel Automotive tire Hardwood Tire


Modifying the Drawers:

I kept going back and forth for how big to make the Router area under the workspace. I finally based this decision on ease of access as I would be fumbling around w/ the router in place…..for adjusting the bit. I chose a pretty large area which I am happy with. Made the modifications to the top drawer and boxed off this side of the router workspace for now. If I feel I need access to the router form this drawer side I will attach it w/ hold down knobs for easy access.

Wood Gas Hardwood Automotive exterior Composite material


Wood Gas Hardwood Wood stain Plywood


Wood Shelving Floor Wood stain Hardwood


Brown Window Rectangle Wood Fixture


Router Access:

To me its very important to have frustration free access for router adjustments. I did think about a router lift but the expense was ridiculous. There are a few videos available showing you how to make your own but since I only have one router and may need to use outside of the table I didnt take that route. I watched a video of Norm Abrams making his router table and saw that he put a door for access. The door is a nice touch but thought I would go an even easier route at first by attaching a removable flat Plexiglas cover held by two knobs. I may opt for the door at a later date but for now this approach is simple and easy. I also made a notch for the chord and I already have a switched receptacle in place.

Table Furniture Computer desk Desk Wood


Wood Table Tool Gas Wood stain


Finished:

Table Wood Wood stain Hardwood Gas


Table Wood Wood stain Rectangle Hardwood


Table Wood Wood stain Hardwood Rectangle


Wood Electrical wiring Gas Cable Wire


Wood Gas Table Hardwood Wood stain


Behind the scenes:

Like always parts of this project took much much longer than expected.

Plexiglass: While drilling one of the holes it shattered the side so I had to cut another piece and start again.

Drilling: I recommend a drill press when doing this. Just drill a couple of holes and done….not so fast. For some reason it took me a long time to accomplish this. I had to keep resizing the hole and the same for the flush counter sink…I dont know maybe it was getting late in the day or something.

Drawer: I had all three drawers out of the cabinet. Two are of the same height with the top one being smaller. I needed to modify the top smaller drawer but the one I grabbed was not the right one. I ended up modifying one of the taller drawers. Once done I put the drawer in and it wouldn't close…..geez give me a break!! The fix was easy though, I just swapped the fronts since the drawers are the same size.

I am happy with my new router table. Next step is making the fences.
 

Attachments

#13 ·
A Router Table you can eat off

My current workbench is a hand-me down kitchen cabinet from my mother in law. A mid grade 3 drawer w/ a butcher block top. I didn't want to take it at first but then thought…...this would be nice in my woodshop. I threw some wheels on it for mobility and the drawers actually are convenient for holding hold a lot of my power tools. Top is semi sturdy. Fast forward and I thought this would be a great router table.

Table Furniture Wood Desk Wood stain


Table Wood Automotive exterior Hardwood Desk


Deciding on a router plate:

Did I even need a router plate? Thought about just attaching it to the 1 inch top but finally decided against it. I wasnt really worried about sag but losing that 1 inch movement and more and more a router plate was making sense. Now which router plate to choose from? I always tend to start out with the "Making it on my own" approach then narrow it down to see if purchasing it is the better option. I looked into buying Lexan, Polycarbonate, or aluminum plates and then modifying. Prices were a bit higher than I thought….all around $25 -$30 for 1/4 to 3/8 plates. With that price and having to modify the plates to fit multiple inserts I felt buying a plate was the best option. There were plenty choices for a fair price. I looked at a few and read some reviews and the ones that stood out for me were the Kreg, Woodpecker, and Bench dog plates. I almost purchased a used Woodpecker plate off of Ebay but price jumped a little too fast. I did like the Kreg plate but opted for the Bench Dog (Blank) plate for abt $63. A little more than I wanted to spend but it being aluminum I felt it would last a long time. It came w/ one insert and you have the option to buy additional inserts for abt $8 a pop. I will most likely just make my own.

Wood Table saws Saw Table Gas


Routing the table top to fit the plate:

I was surprised to see templates being sold w/ router plates. Just the fact that it was being sold made me second guess the difficulties. It wasn't actually that bad. There are videos out there that do walk you through the process of routing for the plate and they do make it seem much more difficult than it actually is. I chose to build a two sided template rather than four. Once I routed the two sides I just re-clamped and did the other two. Grabbed the jig saw for the cut-out leaving about 1/2 inch on the sides and 2 inch corners. It turned out really well but I found that the workbench top was not flat…...uh oh.

Wood Gas Composite material Rectangle Plywood


Rectangle Wood Flooring Composite material Table


Table Wood Floor Flooring Wood stain


Table Wood Desk Electrical wiring Engineering


Workbench top:

Maybe I should have done this before I started but I didnt…... I put a square across the table top and it was a bit wavy. To fix this I attached supports on the underside and that fixed it. Way sturdier now too.

Wood Wheel Automotive tire Hardwood Tire


Modifying the Drawers:

I kept going back and forth for how big to make the Router area under the workspace. I finally based this decision on ease of access as I would be fumbling around w/ the router in place…..for adjusting the bit. I chose a pretty large area which I am happy with. Made the modifications to the top drawer and boxed off this side of the router workspace for now. If I feel I need access to the router form this drawer side I will attach it w/ hold down knobs for easy access.

Wood Gas Hardwood Automotive exterior Composite material


Wood Gas Hardwood Wood stain Plywood


Wood Shelving Floor Wood stain Hardwood


Brown Window Rectangle Wood Fixture


Router Access:

To me its very important to have frustration free access for router adjustments. I did think about a router lift but the expense was ridiculous. There are a few videos available showing you how to make your own but since I only have one router and may need to use outside of the table I didnt take that route. I watched a video of Norm Abrams making his router table and saw that he put a door for access. The door is a nice touch but thought I would go an even easier route at first by attaching a removable flat Plexiglas cover held by two knobs. I may opt for the door at a later date but for now this approach is simple and easy. I also made a notch for the chord and I already have a switched receptacle in place.

Table Furniture Computer desk Desk Wood


Wood Table Tool Gas Wood stain


Finished:

Table Wood Wood stain Hardwood Gas


Table Wood Wood stain Rectangle Hardwood


Table Wood Wood stain Hardwood Rectangle


Wood Electrical wiring Gas Cable Wire


Wood Gas Table Hardwood Wood stain


Behind the scenes:

Like always parts of this project took much much longer than expected.

Plexiglass: While drilling one of the holes it shattered the side so I had to cut another piece and start again.

Drilling: I recommend a drill press when doing this. Just drill a couple of holes and done….not so fast. For some reason it took me a long time to accomplish this. I had to keep resizing the hole and the same for the flush counter sink…I dont know maybe it was getting late in the day or something.

Drawer: I had all three drawers out of the cabinet. Two are of the same height with the top one being smaller. I needed to modify the top smaller drawer but the one I grabbed was not the right one. I ended up modifying one of the taller drawers. Once done I put the drawer in and it wouldn't close…..geez give me a break!! The fix was easy though, I just swapped the fronts since the drawers are the same size.

I am happy with my new router table. Next step is making the fences.
nice job, it looks real good
 

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