Where it stands. . . .
After doing a bunch of topical stuff (painting, drywall patching, etc.) my wife and I are about to start some major remodeling projects in our new house. Before I start projects like new cabinetry and some new furniture, I need to get the shop set up to work efficiently. Prior to moving into our new house, I cobbled together parts for my shop-a set of cabinets with a laminate counter top for a bench, a cheap dresser for a miter saw stand, etc. Well, I finally have some dedicated shop space (my shop will be in our garage along with at least one car), but nothing I currently have works well together! That means it's time to build a bunch of new shop furniture!
My first post to Lumberjocks was a rolling sheet-goods rack I made to park under my lumber rack. After that, I started on my current project-building a new workbench base. After that, I plan on building a rolling miter saw stand and rebuilding my drill press stand. If all goes well, I hope to follow those up with a "superstation" for my contractor saw, better incorporating a router table, adding some storage, adding a folding out feed table, and improving dust collection.
I have recently been buying some new tools for the shop and upgrading others, so I'll be posting several reviews to share what seems to be working, and what isn't. I'm not a tool snob! I am interested in results, rather than names, so I'll inevitably post reviews of low and mid range tools. I don't do woodworking professionally and I don't run a production shop, so I can't justify the expensive stuff! I try and work smart with the tools I have, and make sure they are sharp and well tuned. As was said by someone much more experienced than me, sharp, cheap tools will always work better than dull expensive ones!
So, that is the basic goal for now-get the shop set up so that we can do more interesting things in a few months. We have a 2 year old son, two dogs, and a bunch of other obligations, so time is sometimes hard to come by for shop projects. Progress will undoubtedly be slower than I would like, but then again this is a hobby, and process is just as important as the result! Hopefully, along the way, I will learn a bunch from the others on this site, and I can share some of the progress and mistakes I make along the way.
After doing a bunch of topical stuff (painting, drywall patching, etc.) my wife and I are about to start some major remodeling projects in our new house. Before I start projects like new cabinetry and some new furniture, I need to get the shop set up to work efficiently. Prior to moving into our new house, I cobbled together parts for my shop-a set of cabinets with a laminate counter top for a bench, a cheap dresser for a miter saw stand, etc. Well, I finally have some dedicated shop space (my shop will be in our garage along with at least one car), but nothing I currently have works well together! That means it's time to build a bunch of new shop furniture!
My first post to Lumberjocks was a rolling sheet-goods rack I made to park under my lumber rack. After that, I started on my current project-building a new workbench base. After that, I plan on building a rolling miter saw stand and rebuilding my drill press stand. If all goes well, I hope to follow those up with a "superstation" for my contractor saw, better incorporating a router table, adding some storage, adding a folding out feed table, and improving dust collection.
I have recently been buying some new tools for the shop and upgrading others, so I'll be posting several reviews to share what seems to be working, and what isn't. I'm not a tool snob! I am interested in results, rather than names, so I'll inevitably post reviews of low and mid range tools. I don't do woodworking professionally and I don't run a production shop, so I can't justify the expensive stuff! I try and work smart with the tools I have, and make sure they are sharp and well tuned. As was said by someone much more experienced than me, sharp, cheap tools will always work better than dull expensive ones!
So, that is the basic goal for now-get the shop set up so that we can do more interesting things in a few months. We have a 2 year old son, two dogs, and a bunch of other obligations, so time is sometimes hard to come by for shop projects. Progress will undoubtedly be slower than I would like, but then again this is a hobby, and process is just as important as the result! Hopefully, along the way, I will learn a bunch from the others on this site, and I can share some of the progress and mistakes I make along the way.