dbhost's Workshop

My shop is a shared space with lawn & garden, bicycles, camping gear, a canoe, and of course a LARGE BBQ smoker and a couple of smaller grills.

The professionals, and the name brand snobs won’t like my equipment, but every single item in my shop earns its keep, and there is a long list of stuff here that simply works. Nearly everything was bought used, on sale, with a gift card, or with some coupon.

The list is…
- Ryobi BT3100-1 fitted with the wide table kit (extended rails), wide table legs, router accessory, Shark Guard, custom belly pan with 4” port. Freud Diablo 40T general purpose blade. Oshlun SDS-0630 6 inch Dado. The table top is scrap ply and hardboard from the shop. I recently installed a Bench Dog Pro Plate, and Rockler miter track. (Pic one of the six included in the gallery to the left)

- Black & Decker “Firestorm” 10” compound miter saw and stand. While missing some features, it’s right there with the DeWalts… It’s fitted with an 80T Freud Diablo crosscutting blade. LOVE it. I occasionally run out of capacity on this thing, and wish I had a 12” dual bevel slider… Maybe one day…

- Central Machinery #32208 14” band saw with riser block, Olson Cool Blocks (SKU # CB50050BL – Imported 14 in.) , a Grizzly GO555 tension release mechanism, a Carter Cobra Coil tension spring, Craftsman band saw fence, a 4” dust collection port upgrade with added 2.5” dust port on the upper blade guide. A Carter Wheel brush, a selection of Timberwolf blades, A Rockler snake arm light, and urethane tires are on the upgrade agenda, I have it mounted up on a Central Machinery universal mobile base which keeps it able to be moved around the shop on the rare occasion it needs to be moved. This in turn keeps me from getting a hernia…
The Grizzly tension release set to the released position.

The Grizzly tension release set to the set position.

You can follow my thought process, or lack thereof on the band saw upgrades in my blog series Hot Rodding A Harbor Freight Bandsaw . This saw works amazingly well, especially considering how inexpensive it was…

- Old Skil 14 amp circ saw. (Circa 1993). Assortment of blades including plywood blades, Hardi blades etc… I have this all housed in a heavy ballistics nylon tool bag for organizational sanity purposes… Works so well no need to upgrade.I have an 8” piece of 2.5” x 2.5” aluminum angle that I use for a cutting guide. The front of the shoe of the saw is marked where the kerf will be. I am using Irwin blades and so far getting good results.

- Ryobi variable speed reciprocating saw with an assortment of the decent BiMetal blades from Milwaukee.

- Old cheap Skil jig saw with Bosch blades

- 2 @ Hitachi KM12VC routers, 1 fixed base in the router wing on the table saw.

- 1 Black and Decker Firestorm plunge router. Not even suitable for a boat anchor.

- Wide assortment of router bits and accessories including 1/2” and 1/4” shank bits in sets, and a few specialty profile bits… The big box of bits is the 66 piece set from MLCS, and is the 1/2” shank set. I am pleased as punch with this set. The smaller set, is the Skil 30 piece carbide bit set that I got from Lowes. They have come down in price since I got mine. Mine was marked at $109.00, but the box was damaged. I got the tool manager to knock the price down to $70.00, and I replaced the acrylic face to the box. This is a reasonable set for the occasional router user, but the bits burned hardwoods something fierce. I would not buy them again.

The MLCS bits I own all have worked way better than my expectations, and MLCS has been a stand up company with top notch customer service. They are highly recommended here!

- Northern Tool 16 speed floor model drill press. Basically the same thing as the Central Machinery #43378 but with Burgundy and black paint. This is fitted with a Grizzly drill press table, Rockler DP accessory tray, and Rockler Drill Press Magnetic Retractable Chuck Key Holde. The DP is about to be mounted to a 3/4” ply mount base, which in turn is going to be bolted to a Harbor Freight mobile base. I really like the way this is set up, except for the accessory tray. It isn’t as useful as I had hoped.
(Pic in the gallery on the upper left).

- Craftsman 3/8” VSR corded drill with case. Not sure of the model. I got this after I burned up an old B&D my dad gave me. I’ve probably had it for 20 years now.

- “Ryobi 3/8 VSR clutch driver drill with cord. I had the Craftsman dedicated to a Vermont American drill press jig for the longest time. I got the Ryobi because it didn’t overdrive screws. Love this drill. Not as powerful as the Craftsman, but I haven’t blown out any screws with it yet either…

- Central Machinery #34706 lathe with shop built tool shelf and ballast box / shelf. Wood River Chuck, Benjamins Best lathe tools. The shop built tool shelf has holes that SNUGLY hold the tools without cases like the knockout bar, faceplate, spanners, etc…

- Central Machinery #97869 2HP Dust collector fitted with a Wynn 35A cartridge filter. Plumbing is 4” S&D (Yeah I know, but 6” is out of my price range for now). Blast gates are Lee Valley Self Cleaning models. Unfortunately the plumbing for my DC system is scattered throughtout the floor of my shop right now. This is one of the in progress pieces of the shop. You may notice the stand the DC is sitting on. That is a basic 2×4 and plywood stand with stamped steel corner braces. This brings the DC up to the point where there is FAR less hose and fewer bends to get to the separator, and gives space for the air compressor.

-Shop built Thien Cyclone pre separator based on a plastic 55 gallon drum. I whipped this up in about two hours with lots of distractions. It could be better, but overall, I am happy with it. All I would redo is the baffle, and it works great so who cares? Not like anyone sees inside my dust bin right? This helps keep the filter on the DC clean longer, and stuff out of the lower bag of the DC… I recently had to redo the ports as I found out the hard way that the lid for a 55 gallon drum, and sewer and drain rated PVC pipe both tend to flex too much for hot melt glue to hold them together. My hot glue has been replaced with clear adhesive silicone sealant, which permits for the flexing, and stays tight.

- Central Pnuematic 40400 2HP 8 gallon oil lubricated air compressor. Not a big fancy one like I would have liked, but it provides ample air flow for my needs, and is conservative with the space usage in a small shop. I snagged this on sale for $79.99, threw the 20% off coupon at it, and then bought the extended service warranty.

- 50 foot Goodyear air hose and Harbor Freight fittgins.

- Central Pnuematic 16 gauge brad nailer.

- Central Pneumatic 28 degree framing nailer.

- Central Pneumatic 23 gauge pin nailer.

-Ridgid 12 gallon wet / dry vac plumbed to a Thien Baffle equipped trash can separator. The vac is also fitted with a Ridgid HEPA rated filter. The pic shown is an older photo, the system is no longer stacked like this, nor hooked up to hard plumbing, but instead has been relegated to underneath the extension wing of the table saw. A 10’ hose connects the cyclone to either the Shark Guard on the TS, handheld power tools, or benchtop stuff that has the 2.5” port. No need for additional plumbing any more!
(See pic of table saw, look under extension wing for my Vac and Thien Cyclone)

- Cheapo Lasko 20” box fan with a 3M Filtrete allergen filter duct taped as an air dust cleaner. I am praying it works right, the 4” hose to my DC slipped out of its clamp while I was cutting some MDF in the shop tonight!

I have also build a “Tool Stacker” basically a system based on Rubbermaid closet standards, and brackets, used as a rack, and 3/4” plywood mount boards to store the tools in the rack, and allow for quick, and easy clamping to my benchtop to allow them to be put to use QUICKLY. In that stacker I have…

- Ryobi 8” Bench Grinder model BGH-827#. I had a BGH-616 but when I went with a OneWay Wolverine sharpening jig, I found things just don’t line up with a 6 inch grinder all that well, so an 8 inch upgrade came into play. (My tool stacker photo shows the old BGH-616). The grinder also sports Norton 60 and 100 grit white aluminum oxide grinding wheels.

- Ridgid EB4424 Oscillating belt / spindle sander. Sale again… Father’s day deal at Home Depot last year. A LOT of folks love these things, and for good reason! They do exactly what they are supposed to do!

- “Ryobi AP1301 13 planer. A great little planer for the money. Knife changes are easy…. Very little snipe when used right. This one was a valentine’s day gift from my lovely bride on our first married valentines day. I cherish this tool!

- Sunhill Machinery SM-150B 6” Bench top Jointer. This appears to be discontinued now. Too bad, this is a nice little benchtop unit. A great piece of gear for a small shop! This same jointer was also sold by Sears with the Craftsman name, and by Wilton, all of them appear to be discontinued, which leads me to believe that Geetech is no longer making them.
(See pic on gallery with the band saw, the tool stacker and bench tools are right behind the band saw)

Above the lathe, and the router bits and small parts cabinets, is a simple open shelf that houses all my hand held power tools. Those include….

- Ryobi Corner Cat detail sander#, and quarter sheet sander# fitted with dust collection adapters that go to the shop vac.

- Skil Random orbit sander fitted with dust collection adapter to the shop vac.

- Ryobi Biscuit Joiner#.

- Ryobi “6 buffer#.

By the shop entrance door is…

- Shop built clamp hangers with a dozen each 6, 12, 24, and 36 inch bar clamps (mostly HF, but a few Jorgensons), plus spring clamps, corner clamps, cargo straps with shop built corners, and a few, but not enough hand screws. All those clamps. On sale…

On top of this I have and use most all of the obligatory bits, blades, hand tools, personal protective equipment, storage bins etc… that I need. What I don’t have I add as need be, and money makes itself available.

Heating and cooling in the coastal Texas environment is a bit tricky in this currently uninsulated space. For heat, a standard 1600 watt oil filled electric radiator keeps the shop in the 70s on the rare occasions that the overnight lows dip below freezing. Cooling right now is simply blowing air conditioned air from the house into the shop with a box fan, and working as fast as I can so I can get back inside before I fry my skull off…

Several space saving, or at least space maximizing projects have been done, or are under way. Most of them designed as skill builder projects.

-I am in the process of building cabinets to house the plastic small parts cabinets in my shop, as well as hold my measuring and marking tools, router bit cabinets, and other small woodworking items.

-Lockable cabinets will be built to hold chemical stuff that I do not want youngsters into. I am considering potentially replacing the existing shelving system with lockable shop built cabinets for neatness, and juvenile safety sake…

-A 6’ x18” deep plywood shelf was mounted above head height using cheap closet shelf brackets, which allows the space just below the ceiling to be used for my hand held power tools and their accessories excluding the routers. (for now). (The handheld saws, and sanders will be moved to the workbench when the lower shelf is finished, the routers will go on this wall shelf).All of my handheld stuff that did not come with a case or a bag, got a bag of its own. I used inexpensive tool bags from Lowes and Harbor Freight.

-A simple clamp rack was built, using scrap 2×2 and 2×4 lumber from previous projects. Over that a shelf / rack system was put together with cheap closet shelf brackets, and scrap plywood, with biscuits, screws and glue holding a simple vertical mounting pad, that I have mounted spring type broom clips, which hold my pipe clamp collection.

Every woodworking shop needs a workbench. Right now I have 2, both are in need of work though. Bench #1 has been an evolving piece of equipment as my needs have changed over the years. It is a very basic, 2×4 and plywood construction, joinery courtesy of Simpson Strong Tie connectors. Dimensions are 24” deep x 8’ long, x 36” high. This bench was originally designed and used for auto and home repair tasks, and was fitted with an old Ace Hardware bench grinder, and 6” machinists vise. Those have both been replaced with newer, more appropriate for woodworking alternatives. The grinder was replaced with a Black Friday special Ryobi 6” grinder, and the vise, which can be swapped out via wing nuts, is off of the bench now. A Wilton 7” woodworking vise is fitted to the rail. No wooden jaws have been fitted to it, yet… As you can see from the photo, it is pretty much always a mess… This bench will be shortened to 6’ in length, and the 2 rear legs will be replaced with 84” tall legs to allow for moving the peg board to the bench, and adding a shelf to the bench top.

An old pic, but a good one to show the bench…

A current pic of the layout of the peg board over the work bench. The bench top is rarely that clean…

Bench #2 is a project presently still in progress. It is a modified version of the design featured in the Fine Woodworking Get Started in Woodworking Season 2 video and magazine…
The top is 2 layer lamination of 3/4” Birch ply, the base is cedar. I have finished it with BLO, and wax. Vise is a Central Forge 9” Quick Release model from Harbor Freight. My design changes from the FWW design are a longer top surface, 6’ instead of 5’ 2”, and recessing the lower shelf and mounting it on cleats instead of cutting slots and mounting the shelf to the tops of the lower spreaders. I just feel the flush mount buys me that little extra bit of space that otherwise would be wasted. Not to mention it looks better… All I have left to do on this bench is the lower shelf. I am already putting it to fairly heavy use…

Upcoming improvements to the shop that are not listed above are…
- 60 amp sub panel run to the garage, dedicated circuit to the Table saw, a dedicated circuit to the dust collection, and the remainder going to everything else…. Lighting will stay on the current 20 amp circuit. Addition of 2 more 4 foot lighting fixtures, and a few magnetic task lights will help finish up the electrical.
- Spray in foam insulation in the walls, and finish insulating the doors.
- Air Conditioning improvements.
- Small non WW stuff that can be put in totes and stored in the attic are on their way.
- Lighting power receptacles added to the current lighting circuit and run along the center of the shop ceiling. There is currently 1, and a single bulb fixture. The single bulb fixture and box will be swapped for a receptacle and box, and a new receptacle / box will be run toward the front between the doors. Considering the load that was on this circuit previously, I am not worried about overloading it with florescent lights…
- A small plastic storage shed out back to house lawn, garden, BBQ stuff, and bicycles. I have seen several of the Liftetime 7×12 sheds on Craigslist for around $400.00 recently.

Sorry I went so long, but if you see me elsehwere, you will notice I tend to be a bit long winded. I hope you enjoyed seeing my shop. And for those of you working on a lower budget, if you shop on deep sale, and used like I did, you can put together a very well equipped shop for not much more than some guys have in their table saws… My shop is proof!

I’ve said it here, and many other places before, Ignore the brand name snobs, unless you plan on reselling your stuff while you are still alive, or make your living doing woodworking 8+ hours a day (neither description fits me), aim for best bang for the buck and you can end up with a pretty nice shop for not a horrid amount of cash. (Still not dirt cheap, I could have gone cheaper, but would have ended up with a far less functional shop).

And for what it’s worth, anyone that wishes to donate to my shop fund is free to do so… :-D

-- Trying to follow the example of the master.