Leaving My First Real Workshop

We’re moving in about 10 days to a different part of the country. Tomorrow the movers come to haul off some of our belongings. We’re mailing what we can, as it’s much cheaper, but some things (like a TV) are best moved by professionals. Our stuff is traveling by boat and should arrive about a week or so after we get there.

Today I had to dismantle my workshop and pack everything up. It was fun in a way, as this was my first real workshop and I had some good times here. I’ve had workspace before, in our last two apartments, but I never before had a place to call my own. A place where my wife had zero interest in entering. A sanctum, of sorts.

So today, I methodically waxed all my important tools, and then buffed them before wrapping them in bubble wrap. Once everything was wrapped up, I meticulously placed everything just right in the plastic tub that functions (for now) as my tool box. My training as a grocery bagger served me well. Here are all the tools I own:

As I reflect on the past 8 months or so we’ve lived at this house, I feel like I’d be remiss if I didn’t give props to my workbench. I put it down almost every chance I had, since I knew (or at least had an idea) of what it would be like to have a proper workbench with real vises and solidity (Oh, solidity! What I wouldn’t give!). This workbench is basically just a stand-alone cabinet. It had a white melamine (I think?) top, which I foolishly ripped off, revealing a mere 1/8” (if that!) sheet of plywood underneath. As a result, I had to reinforce the vise mounting with a sheet of thicker plywood, and anytime I needed to do anything workbenchy (like chiseling, sawing, etc.), I had to whip out thicker boards (like my shooting board) on which to work. You can see in the pic below that I had to rip out a door and drawers (even cutting out the drawer supports) to get some clamping room.

But as flimsy and substandard as this workbench was, it did the trick. I have two great projects (my wife’s jewelry box and my kids’ step stool) and a couple smaller projects that were built on that bench. So here’s to you, Cabinet. You’ll be on the scrap pile in a couple weeks, but I’ll never forget ya.

P.S. I had a flurry of woodworking activity the past couple days (my marking knife and the reverse engineering project) – pics to follow once I get past the movers’ visit tomorrow!

-- Eric at http://adventuresinwoodworking.com