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Workshop Information

Location
United States
My shop is pretty rustic, putting it kindly, compared to many that are posted here. It is basically a circa 1930's single car garage that was extended in length at some point with local stone. I replaced the roof twenty years ago and added electricity and that's about it as far as improvements! But it is more than some people have, and I make the best of it!


Inside the door, to the left, is my band saw, a small belt sander, and scroll saw. Parts bins hang on the walls behind these and long bar clamps hang from the window sill. The cabinet underneath has painting supplies and a wireless laptop on a slide-out shelf. The kerosene heater moves to center stage in the winter and I block off half the garage with plastic to try and keep warm.



The back wall of the garage holds the miter saw, air conditioner, reference books, and stereo, with rotary tools and other items hanging from the wall. A very important tool for me is a comfortable office chair. I can carve a lot, when I am sitting down in comfort.


This plain but sturdy work bench has served me well. The drawers below hold various carving tools, stones, burrs, and pyrography stuff. I keep a few screw drivers and pliers at the end, an easel for reference pictures and drawings, a couple of racks full of my favorite carving gouges and knives, and a power honer on the end to keep them sharp. The pegboards behind it hold rasps, saws, and different drawing tools. Practice pieces, skulls, and odds and ends line the broad ledge under the windows. I hang my rotary tools from the bungee cords hanging from the ceiling when I am power carving.



This is my old Delta table saw. The right wing holds a router with a lift I built and my t-square fence. The red drawer catches saw dust and the other two hold router bits and stuff. The cabinet under the router holds other routers and jigs and such. The peg board on the wall holds kick-back wheels, blades, inserts and other stuffs. The little box on wheels under the left wing holds my cross-cut sled on the side and the top is a down-draft dust collector for power carving and sanding. It also works a handy little table for painting and assembly.



A trash can sits between the saw and the drill press. I store drill bits and accessories on racks behind this and on shelves beneath the press. My "dust collector" is centrally located in front of this and the hose reaches every tool. A friend gave me the planer, which rolls out when I need to make bigger piles of saw dust.



Clamps, and glue, and dowels, oh my! And a bunch of other crap I may use one of these days. My intent was to keep a few things handy, that I use frequently. But I should probably just toss some of these things into that trash can conveniently located opposite this mess! You might be able to make out my flap sander mounted on one side and a vise and a small anvil mounted on the other. An air compressor and some battery powered saws hide underneath. The steel shelving holds sand paper and supplies on top, jig saws and grinders and other small tools below that, and the bottom shelves hold paint and other supplies. You can also see part of the plastic curtains that divide the shop in the winter.



My old Craftsman lathe and a few tools, including my home-built disk sander.



My grinder, conveniently located for sharpening my lathe tools. I repurposed an old dresser to hold supplies, hardware and rags. Lots of carving books above, my portable carving bench all folded up below. And a bunch of family stuff stored at the end.



Some more repurposed cabinets that store paints, and stains, and finishes, with some non-woodworking tools. The wood rack holds full and partial sheets of plywood, longer boards on top and shorter pieces below. Even some driftwood and found wood waiting to be sealed and stored. Carvers don't need as much wood (usually) as cabinet makers!

So that's my shop!

Comments

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Oh wow, So much stuff! It looks like a WONDERFUL place to work; the opposite of sterile in every way. I'm thinking you love it, as would I. Thanks for showing it off!
 

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love it was at home looking
 

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looks like a cozy place work!
 

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From this shop you have put out some pretty cool carvings. My shop is twice as neat and I can't carve anything…........nice work space.
 

· In Loving Memory
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5,826 Posts
Mike, your shop is very interesting and it's a place I would love to visit. It's not the nicest or neatest shop that I have ever seen but that is totally besides the point because some of the best carving that I have seen on Lumberjocks is lovingly done by your hands while working inside those walls.
 

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Great shop,ingenuity and understanding go a long way. Shops should be like old shoes,they are comfortable and they fit.
Thanks for sharing.
tom
 

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Yeah! Man cave. Where good stuff happens.
 

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Now that's a shop I could feel at home in. I agree with Tom that a shop should feel like an old shoe.
 

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Sometimes it smells like an old shoe! My theory is that everything is dirty enough that it does not discourage you from using it. I don't hesitate to screw something into my bench, or to make somewhat of a mess with a die grinder or wood chips. But I don't like things to get too dusty though and I do take care of my tools and it bugs me when I get too much laying around on things.
 

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Hello, fellow Arkansan. I'm a couple hours away in Jonesboro and also working out of an uninsulated, detached, 325 sq. ft. garage. Mine's not nearly as comfy-looking as yours, however. I mostly work during fair weather with the overhead door up. Jan. and Feb. are usually no-go for me. You've given me a few ideas, however, like a nice chair and maybe a kerosene heater. If I could keep the shop temp at least in the 50's during the winter, I'd likely work more.
 

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I block off half of the garage with plastic sheeting, with a weighted curtain for access. The kerosene heater works a lot better then, but it costs about $26 for 5 gallons and I believe natural gas would be a lot cheaper if I could get a line run out there. A good chair is essential for me!
 

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Thanks for sharing Mike. My shop is only a 9ftx9ft shell at the moment which is why you always see me working in my garden on my old B&D Workmate. I'm not going to start using it until I've insulated it, because I know if I move in, it will never get done.
 

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Nice shop, very cozy looking. I can see how you enjoy spending time in there.
 

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A person could live in a place like that! Beautiful.
 

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Wonderful carvings and a great place to do it. Thank you very much for the inspiration.
 

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You Have Many Beautiful Carvings ("Especially Barefoot Girl" love the finish), Your Shop Is An Envy To Me!
 
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