Inspiration for those with small shops

It was cool to see his tablesaw, rarely used, hanging on a wall. That was a good article. I’m not so challenged by my shop dimensions as by my obsession with filling it with tools. LOL

-- You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation. (Plato)

I hear you, Tom! Me too! I keep filling up all those empty spots with more stuff.

I just need to get busy and start making some things. But that’s coming. I have been gearing up for some projects, and hopefully, now that the weather is turning cooler, I’ll be out in the shop more.

That’s another thing, this guy didn’t have heat or air conditioning in his shop. Wow, what a role model for me ;^D

-- Tom, Surfside Beach, SC - Romans 8:28

Also interesting is his use of hand tools.

-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov

Wayne,

Yes, that is interesting. I’m always thinking that someday I’ll get good at this, when I just get all the great power tools I need. But, having all the great power tools doesn’t make you a master woodworker.

That was one of the things that amazed me about that violin maker – he didn’t have a lot of expensive equipment. But, he was very good with his hand tools.

-- Tom, Surfside Beach, SC - Romans 8:28

In many cases hand tools can be quicker, quieter and cleaner than machines….. I think this ties back to the question about woodworks losing their woodworking ways....

-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov

Wayne, You speak the truth!

That is so true. When you fire up those machines, it scatters dust and chips everywhere. When you work with hand tools, the mess is much more limited – and controlled.

Maybe, one of our problems is that we subscribe to woodworking magazines that are always fueling our lusts for new and better tools, instead of just getting more proficient with the ones we already have. I know I have a problem there. That blog entry you linked to seems to be making that point.

The problem isn’t always that we need a bigger shop or more tools, we just need to get busy and start using the tools we have to their fullest potential.

-- Tom, Surfside Beach, SC - Romans 8:28

Tom – this was a great article. They’ve been running a series on different shops and it’s amazing how much can get done in a small space.

I am like others, the more tools I have the better I must be getting. Yeah right! My only small shop story is when I had a one car garage (just barely) and a friend was going through a rough split up. She told me she had no bedroom furniture——most folks need at least that much. I was really just getting started into serious woodworking and I was making my way through some of those 2×4 furniture books. (By the way – this is not such a bad way to get a basic start on things.) Anyway, I made an amoire, footboard, headboard and two bedside tables by cutting the wood in my garage and then bringing it all into my kitchen to assemble and finish. I ate a lot of pizza while I was doing this. That was almost 10 years ago and when I last saw my friend about a year ago she still was using the furniture. It wasn’t the best stuff but apparently, my small shop did ok.

As an aside – I did learn when finishing drawers not to put finish on the sides—- they have a tendency to get stuck. After about three months I had to rescue one drawer——couldn’t get to it really because I used a dust cover. Ended up having to get creative and used a metal spatula to pry it up then grab the top with a small pry bar. My tolerance was a bit to close and combine that with finish it was a disaster waiting to happen.

-- Betsy - There is no strength where there is no struggle

Betsy,

I have sometimes said that maybe one of the best things for America would be an economic slowdown, because we have just gotten caught up in this frenzy of wanting more stuff all the time. My father had half the shop I have, but he was very content with it and made a lot of serviceable projects for the household.

That’s why I found this Popular Woodworking article so inspirational was because here’s this guy who has become famous for his outstanding woodwork, and he’s got this tiny shop. That speaks volumes to me.

You built a bunch of furniture for someone, and did it very inexpensively – and their still using it today! And, you did it in a small shop with only a few tools compared to what you now possess. Great story!

-- Tom, Surfside Beach, SC - Romans 8:28

I too have a small shop. Half a basement in a modest home. Some of my tools are in the garage and the back porch too. Always dreamed of having a really huge place to work on my projects. Maybe someday !

-- ..... smalll army of cast iron wingnuts !! cool photo in FORUM

Ha, I’ve got the small shop, now I just need to find a master woodworker…

-- Rob (A) Waxahachie,TX

Dan,

Your work is inspirational as well, and…you have a small shop! This is an encouragement to me.

Like Mot said on the other thread, what we need is some skill sharing, so that we can do more with what we already have.

-- Tom, Surfside Beach, SC - Romans 8:28

Hi Tom;

Just one more example of size doesn’t matter!

I worked for a long time in my basement. (or actually, part of my basement).

Being in a larger shop also has it’s drawbacks. You end up spending a fair amount of time walking back and forth.

The need to fill it with tools can get expensive too!

Lee

-- by Lee A. Jesberger http://www.prowoodworkingtips.com http://www.ezee-feed.com

Robs,

OK, you’ve got the small shop, and now you/we just need to start developing skills.

That’s another thing that the article said about Robert Millard:

“And did I mention that Millard has never taken a woodworking class? All his work, from veneer to inlay to finishing, is self-taught.”

How about that – he’s never had the good fortune to attend a woodworking class of any kind. He is self-taught. That means that we too can develop skills by reading books and talking to others who do woodwork. That is inspirational, isn’t it?

-- Tom, Surfside Beach, SC - Romans 8:28

Lee,

Thanks again for your always wise comments. I love to hear stories like these. Not that I think I’ll ever achieve the level of perfection that guys like you and Mark DeCou have attained, but as you have said – you used to work in a small shop in half of your basement.

Right now, if I never bought another tool or machine, I have enough equipment to make a lot of nice projects. I even have enough room in my small shop.

And, as you have said, Lee, all that space could be a problem, because you have so much room to fill it with more equipment. I’ve got to say, that I never would have thought of that situation!

-- Tom, Surfside Beach, SC - Romans 8:28

Not bad for working out of his one car garage!

Click here to see some of his other projects.

-- Tom, Surfside Beach, SC - Romans 8:28

Gosh, Tom, you guys have about said it all. For 11 years I had the saddle shop in a building that was 16×18 and at one time worked wood in there as well. I eventually had to move the Shopsmith to the milk house which was 11×11. I’d move it outside to work on bigger pieces. There is one electric motor in the saddle shop. That is on a small sewing machine that I really don’t use that much. My splitter and harness sewing machine are run by hand and foot. Everything else is done by hand. It is entirely possible to do great work with hand tools. The machines don’t design the pieces. They just make it easier.

-- Thos. Angle, Owyhee Design, Oregon

”It is entirely possible to do great work with hand tools. The machines don’t design the pieces. They just make it easier.” - Thos. Angle

I agree Tom, but you can’t help but think that machines and gadgets will get you there quicker if you watch Norm Abrams, or if you read the average woodworking magazine. Whether you realize it or not, you are being told that you need all that stuff if you’re ever going to get good at it. At least that’s the impression that I get. That’s why it was so “inspirational” to me to hear about this man who has a shop almost as small as mine, and he’s making such great pieces – and he hasn’t had any formal training either.

Obviously, this man is not your run-of-the-mill type of hobbyist, but it does send a loud message that big shops and equipment are nice, but not absolutely necessary for producing great work and, in the case of us “hobbyist’s” just having a lot of fun making things.

I’d like to have Debbie’s job of going around doing shop inspections. It would be fun to see how others have arranged their shops, and also to see that there are those small shops where great work is produced. I think that that’s what the author of this PW article was struck by.

Sounds like you’ve known what it’s like to be cramped too, Tom. And, you sure know how to make some beautiful projects.

-- Tom, Surfside Beach, SC - Romans 8:28

This reminds me of an old Blog of mine. My shop is still small. I’m thinking of doubling the square footage. I know then it will still be too small. The bigger the shop the bigger the projects!

-- http://www.woodsongsfurniture.com

Yes, Dennis, it seems like a very similar train of thought.

I hope to have a larger shop someday, but I don’t have to be discontented with what I have now, I just have to make smaller projects, as you have said. And, as Mot said, quit bringing home more stuff to squeeze into my little shop ;^D

-- Tom, Surfside Beach, SC - Romans 8:28

My brother George, also a handtool enthusiast told me last night about a fella in North Dakota that the local WW Club went to visits. Apparently this guy makes a living making Windsor chairs. He lives out in no where—which if you know North Dakata = that’s about everywhere. Anyway – this man shows them his “shop.” It is in a damp basement and he has one flourescent bulb for light. He uses mostly hand tools to build what George told me were exceptional chairs. So here’s one my vote for downsizing!

-- Betsy - There is no strength where there is no struggle

Hmmmmmm…..Does the size of the shop or number or quatlity of the tools make a better craftsperson (being politically correct)?

In my humble opinion…NO.

I belive that tools are an extension of my hands and that my hands are an extension of my heart and mind, but they don’t make the projects….I do as a craftsman using tools in a room.

I helped my dad growing up bulid several woodworking projects and restore 3 vehicles in a 2 car garage. It was his abilities, not the tools or garage space. I have always wanted a big shop, loads of tools and all the nice toys…..but ya know what….I AIN’T GOT CLUE ONE HOW TO USE THEM….sooooo how does that help me. My new personal goal is to buy a tool, learn it, use it, and then master it.

As a paramedic, I have watched other medics, nurses and even doctors absolutely go bananas over what they were seeing on a monitor, machine or test, but simply forgot to ask the patient what was going on….treat the patient, not the machine. So who needs all the nicest-newest toys if you can’t use them correctly and safely and incorpirate it into your projects.

Adrian3.5G

-- Adrian ..... The 11th Commandment...."Thou Shalt Not Buy A Wobble Dado"

Good blog. I’m sure that the wood working magazines are just devices to make us want more tools. I’ve always been a tool guy, ran my own auto repair shop and worked for GM dealerships, who needs to stay away from so many magazines and tool catalogs. But tools are so neat. ;-)

-- Only the Shadow knows....................

Great post Tom.
I read an article once about a fellow who had a power outage and did his best to complete a project under deadline. We forget that some of the finest furniture ever made was done entirely by hand tool users who didn’t have the benefits of electric lighting, let alone a power tools, carbide cutters, etc. I blogged within my first week here about the distraction that occurs when we get taken up by every new tool or method presented by the tool manufacturers. If I had stuck to the plane, a good backsaw and a set of chisels, who is to say that in my ten years at this hobby I would not by now be able to knock out tight dovetails in a few minutes like Frank Klaus.

Now I love my tools to no end, but I have to recognize that to a certain degree their acquisition is an end in itself and not necessarily the best way to built things or the best way to build skills. More reason to look inward to make sure I am not subscribing to the “He who dies with the most tools, wins” school of thought. He who dies leaving behind pieces of enduring quality and design, pieces that will last hundreds of years, that someone cherishes…really won the race for the long haul.

And when my table saw gets out of kilter, and I get angry and frustrated, I am getting wrought up in something that is entirely outside the realm of woodworking per se. The blog entry Have we lost our woodworking ways was indeed an eye opener. As is this gem…

-- "Bordnerizing" perfectly good lumber for over a decade.

Betsy,

A damp basement with one flouresent light? Wow! That’s like my friend, the violin maker. He had a cheesy Craftsman table saw (8”) with no extension wings, and a “no name” lathe that he got somewhere second hand. But, he made violins. He also made his own tools to carve and shape wood. These kinds of guys amaze me.

-- Tom, Surfside Beach, SC - Romans 8:28

lazyfiremaninTN,

“My new personal goal is to buy a tool, learn it, use it, and then master it.”

That is a great goal!

“So who needs all the nicest-newest toys if you can’t use them correctly and safely and incorpirate it into your projects.”

The guy in this article didn’t have the latest toys. It would have been a “disappointment” to go in his shop and think it was going to the look like The New Yankee Workshop. In fact, his main workhorse, his band saw, didn’t look like anything amazing, but his work sure was! I still haven’t found his table saw, which was supposed to be in the picture somewhere, but his work was amazing.

The lesson for me is to get organized, be content with what I already have (somewhat… ;^D), and get busy making sawdust. I’ve spent too much time feeling sorrow for myself because I don’t have a shop like Norm’s.

-- Tom, Surfside Beach, SC - Romans 8:28

John Gray,

“I’m sure that the wood working magazines are just devices to make us want more tools.”

I couldn’t agree more. That’s how they’re making their money. The tool manufacturer’s advertisements. And, I must not fall into the “I just need one more tool” mentality. Heck, I’ve got enough right now to build almost anything.

“But tools are so neat. ;-) “

I agree with that too. But, it’s an expensive obsession too. I’ve been encouraged recently by all the guys on this site who are making their own planes. That’s neat! Maybe we’re learning something here.

-- Tom, Surfside Beach, SC - Romans 8:28

Doug,

“We forget that some of the finest furniture ever made was done entirely by hand tool users who didn’t have the benefits of electric lighting, let alone a power tools, carbide cutters, etc. “

Preach it! That’s what a lot of us tool junkies need to be reminded of over and over again.

The fact is, the people who profit from making the latest “accessories” for our craft don’t ever want us to learn to be content – how are they going to make more money if we do that. Now, I don’t have a problem with anybody making money, but my shop isn’t getting any bigger, and if I keep bringing home more stuff to fill it up, the next thing I’m going to have to do is put on an addition. And, then I’ll be able to buy even more stuff. If we’re not careful it becomes and endless cycle.

“More reason to look inward to make sure I am not subscribing to the “He who dies with the most tools, wins” school of thought. He who dies leaving behind pieces of enduring quality and design, pieces that will last hundreds of years, that someone cherishes…really won the race for the long haul.”

That is very profound! Great thoughts, Doug!

-- Tom, Surfside Beach, SC - Romans 8:28

Not buying the newest and best just to be filling an internal hole, or keeping in the “Most tools” race has been a tough thing to learn, and is an uphill battle. I thank you for this post Tom. It’s a reminder of what is real and what is important.

-- "Bordnerizing" perfectly good lumber for over a decade.

True, he is an artist, but he’s also pretty much a hand tool guy, for the most part. Power tools take up a huge amount of room compared to hand tools.

Doug,

It is an uphill battle because as one poster has said, “tools are so cool…” ;^D

Thanks a lot, Doug, for your great thoughts here!

-- Tom, Surfside Beach, SC - Romans 8:28

Jon3,

Yes, Robert Millard is a hand tool guy. I hope I can catch the spirit, because I don’t have room to be a “power tool guy.” They really do take up a lot of room, and as Wayne said they make a lot of mess and dust. Plus, you can ruin a piece a lot faster with them.

I like what Dorje said on another thread about how you can only set a power jointer for a 1/32” cut, but hand planes can remove shavings of around .003” of an inch. The other day I was in my shop, and after I planed a piece of oak, I grabbed my digital caliper and measured it, and I believe it was like .012” That’s cool!!!

-- Tom, Surfside Beach, SC - Romans 8:28