# Small Shop Adventures



## BrockF (Aug 22, 2014)

*Small shop adventures.*



















The construction of the new garage last fall gave me a clean slate for setting up my small shop. The lone survivor in terms of shop furniture from that leaky, damp mess was my workbench. It survived several months in public storage and the trip back and forth. The top is solid and heavy and I don't like to waste. It reminded me of how far I have come in my wood working and how much more I still have to learn. I scrapped the base but kept the top, thinking about how best to use it. I am also building a much larger and better bench but I wanted a small one for rough and dirty work. Then I saw a few designs for fold down benches and decided to go with that approach. 
It seems the hallmark of small shops that share space with a car half the year is versatility. Rather than mount it on a wheeled base, I wanted something that could almost disappear when not needed. Placing it below 4 feet on the wall means other tools and stuff could live in front of it too until it was needed and it will not interfere with wall storage. Placing it under the window will make use of morning light and in the evening its shady and pleasant.

It took some fussing to mount the drop down supports and get it all squared up. But a small cleat on each side keeps the wings from popping out. Still have to add some stiffeners and a cotter pin for safety on each side and remount the vice but I'm pleased so far with the result.


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## ksSlim (Jun 27, 2010)

BrockF said:


> *Small shop adventures.*
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Good idea


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## johnlowell (Dec 22, 2012)

BrockF said:


> *Small shop adventures.*
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> 
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great install, like the heavy nature of the top. the beefy braces will allow full use, outstanding.


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## BrockF (Aug 22, 2014)

BrockF said:


> *Small shop adventures.*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I seem to have started this blog in the middle and I should do the right thing and give you the meat and potatoes of why it is a real small shop adventure.

Here is the link to the video of the old garage being torn down. It had survived being whacked by tree branches in some pretty big storms, but it was old and literally rotting so anything valuable had to be kept in "dry spots". Not exactly conducive to creating a real shop.

Last fall, due to unforeseen circumstances we had to tear it down and rebuild from scratch.


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## BrockF (Aug 22, 2014)

BrockF said:


> *Small shop adventures.*
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> 
> 
> ...


Sorry about the misplaced comment. This was supposed to be the start of part 2.


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## BrockF (Aug 22, 2014)

*What was....*

I seem to have started this blog in the middle and I should do the right thing and give you the meat and potatoes of why it is a real small shop adventure.
Let me go back to the old garage. It had survived being whacked by tree branches in some pretty big storms, but it was old and literally rotting so anything valuable had to be kept in "dry spots". The concrete had been put down on what looked like sand and soda ash and in some spots I found chunks of wood thrown in, like they were cheap and tried to fill out the pour with back-fill. Cracked all the way through and separated in a dozen spots. To my knowledge the only thing holding it all together was the rapidly failing roof. Not exactly conducive to creating a real wood shop. Add to this that it was really just a garage, half filled with…garagy stuff. I know, that is not a real word, but it conveys the sense of my frustration in trying to separate woodworking and life clutter. I think this is more than a physical divide for most people. It's where you begin to develop a sense and a desire for a particular aesthetic to compliment what you want to build. Of course I can only speak for myself, but darkness, endless cardboard boxes stuffed with all sorts of odds and ends and the highly confining low ceiling make me feel depressed.

Last fall, due to unforeseen circumstances and an unfortunate series of events (Like lemony snickets but with massive falling tree limbs) we had to tear it down and rebuild from scratch. We had looked forward to replacing it one day but mother nature just sped up the time table with lightning strikes and a number of very powerful weather events, one of which had us taking shelter and fearing for our lives and twice all the power lines had been destroyed by falling debris.

The pictures below give a sense of what I lived with for 13 years. The Eastern Cottonwood right next to the garage was our pride and joy, tallest tree in the entire neighborhood. Shade, the rustling of leaves and pure awesome size that could easily be seen from space on Google earth. Also being on top of the hill helped too, but it was a terror in high wind. Eastern Cottonwoods are very fast growing and to our knowledge this was about 50 years old…slightly more we think than the garage. Tree guy thought it was around a hundred feet tall, maybe more. If you look above the pic with the tomatoes, you can see where the 18 inch thick branch broke off, and the area of roof that despite numerous fixes was just rotting away.























































For those of you who are thinking of a full garage tear down and rebuild, I must warn you it is not for the faint of heart. Besides the cost, it is a test of personal fortitude. And that's just for a normal garage loaded with…garagy stuff. But thrown in a lot of tools and a 400 pound table saw, a work bench and a whole bunch of lumber and you have a very different beast. I would be remiss if I didn't mention a tight budget that would also have to include renting a large storage locker and finding areas where I could do work on the new garage to bring down the cost. The difference between an electrician installing finished outdoor lights and me doing it is a couple hundred dollars, so my entire storage locker cost could be eaten up in a heart beat. These things aside, it was August in North Eastern Illinois and I didn't have the luxury of a pick up truck..or a fork lift. But all these things also arrived here minus those luxuries so I decided if I could sweat them here over 13 years, then I would just have to sweat them away in a month. Another word to the wise if I may…choose a storage place as close to home as you can. Ours was less than two minutes drive away. This makes life much easier in every way.

Now where was I? Oh yes, clean out. The secret is decide once and for all what you must keep and what must go. One pile for scrap metal, one pile for the mother of all garage sales. The scrap metal drive eventually consumed me and my Dad helped by bringing over all kinds of junk to chip in. Every extra nut and bolt I could spare, door hardware, wires, metal conduit, fencing….I just piled it up. Something like half a ton. That alone covered a whole month of the storage locker. The garage sale freed us of those items you can't stand to trash but want a good home for, along with a little cash. Goodbye first small plastic table saw. Goodbye first Ryobi router table.



















Did I mention that transporting a 400 pound table saw is challenging? I considered pushing it down the hill and just walking it to the storage place, but it has no brakes and the thought of losing a wheel half way between here and there was frightening. I even called my local police and asked for permission. They went and researched my request because a large road would need to be crossed. Unfortunately even towing it with my lawn tractor was prohibited because the lawn tractor did not qualify as farm equipment. too bad. The police hinted that they would have been glad to escort me if it was legal. So into the back of the Durango it went. Wait, not really. Turns out it's just way to heavy so we had to take it apart. That was a big let down, as it was all tuned up and just right. But no choice really. Thanks again Dad with all your help. Could not have done it without you.










Up to this point it had been all on me. But all ye readers who are thinking of doing this, beware. From this point forward your control over the situation is almost nill, at least if like most people you are not demoing and rebuilding yourself. I am no weenie and I could have easily torn the whole thing down but it is a matter of practicality. You have to dispose of it all and in the suburbs you just can't leave a giant pile of debris for weeks in the middle of a neighborhood. And I don't own a Bob Cat. So you pay trough the nose and then sit back and put it in some else s hands. If you think I am a weenie, so be it. We just don't all have the luxury of time and skills and equipment. Anyway, enough on what was. Lets get to the good stuff.

Here is the link to Demo day.


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## vcayenne (Jul 28, 2013)

BrockF said:


> *What was....*
> 
> I seem to have started this blog in the middle and I should do the right thing and give you the meat and potatoes of why it is a real small shop adventure.
> Let me go back to the old garage. It had survived being whacked by tree branches in some pretty big storms, but it was old and literally rotting so anything valuable had to be kept in "dry spots". The concrete had been put down on what looked like sand and soda ash and in some spots I found chunks of wood thrown in, like they were cheap and tried to fill out the pour with back-fill. Cracked all the way through and separated in a dozen spots. To my knowledge the only thing holding it all together was the rapidly failing roof. Not exactly conducive to creating a real wood shop. Add to this that it was really just a garage, half filled with…garagy stuff. I know, that is not a real word, but it conveys the sense of my frustration in trying to separate woodworking and life clutter. I think this is more than a physical divide for most people. It's where you begin to develop a sense and a desire for a particular aesthetic to compliment what you want to build. Of course I can only speak for myself, but darkness, endless cardboard boxes stuffed with all sorts of odds and ends and the highly confining low ceiling make me feel depressed.
> ...


Thanks for this - it was so very we'll-written. I rent but have use of the unattached garage. It's in about the same state as yours and your experience is a great help in my consideration of a fix-it-up project. Your comments on storage, the clean-out, etc. are helpful. I now look forward to reading the rest of the rebuild


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## BrockF (Aug 22, 2014)

*Mud, concrete and sawdust.*

Before something nice can be made, you have to clear away what was.








Finishing the demo.


















Breaking up the old foundation.


















Mud. This was hard to deal with because it just looks bad. Made my wife sad.

For all you construction newbies contemplating your first major project like this, I want to point out planning with the contractor started in late July, clean out took a month, another two weeks from total demo to pouring foundation and then almost another two weeks till construction itself begins. There is a lot of stress in all this and seeing the light at the end of the tunnel is hard. Throw in family life with kids, the start of the school year, holidays…not for the faint of heart. We had a good company for the project but even so you have to be on top of things at all times, in contact with the contractors and sub contractors and willing to push back and step in when stupid stuff happens. Don't be a crazy person because builders hate this but stand up for yourself. It's your money and your dream. Help the builders to be part of that dream and try to have fun. That was how I survived with my sanity intact. 









And finnaly, we have a foundation.










Let the construction begin! Two guys, three days, and an endless stream of hard boiled eggs and mountain dew and cigarettes. No fancy set up…just a variety of small power tools, an air compressor for the nail gun and a circular saw. They built it old school in a way that made the village inspectors envious. Heavy duty all the way, extra cross ties spaced at my discretion for more support under the storage loft and, etc. Local codes also require 5 inches of concrete instead of 4.










So by the end of October we have a new garage. But a garage is not a workshop. From here on out, it's my job to make my dream into reality. I'll talk about that next time.


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## patron (Apr 2, 2009)

BrockF said:


> *Mud, concrete and sawdust.*
> 
> Before something nice can be made, you have to clear away what was.
> 
> ...


taking shape there brock

always nice to see progress

four years here for mine
finally got it roofed 
just before summer rains
15 part blog (blue links on top)

treat your workers good
they will do better work

welcome to LJ's !


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## BrockF (Aug 22, 2014)

BrockF said:


> *Mud, concrete and sawdust.*
> 
> Before something nice can be made, you have to clear away what was.
> 
> ...


Thank you Patron. Progress is indeed good.


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## BrockF (Aug 22, 2014)

*The quarter loft.*

I was reading that the upper section of the garage walls right under where the roof joists meet the sidewalls is often wasted when it comes to storage. The article advised that building a wrap around shelf would amount to hundreds of square feet of storage space. Problem was all the plans I saw were very expensive and cumbersome looking without much strength…about 30 pound boxes max.

I like the concept itself even though it is not practical in a smaller garage where the door tracks make storage up to the rafters in the front third of the garage impossible. Instead, I planned out a "quarter loft" that would span the entire width of the back of the garage. Not tall enough to stand on, but nearly two feet deep, eighteen feet wide and very strong. To support it I planned a large built in cabinet underneath, more of a large wall locker really. I know this would sacrifice permanently some floor and wall space, but it would be lockable storage for a variety of things I have wanted to get out of the house in the off season as well as copious drawer space. Additionally anything that projects beyond the four walls of the garage interior increases surface space to hang tools and jigs from. The recesses to the right and left of the "wall locker" I have left unplanned, except that one side would be dedicated to the "shop" and the other would hold a small work out area for the bow flex.

I started with a simple header across the wall. Yes, I should have insulated first, and regretted it as the temperature plunged to -20 last winter. On the other hand I had limited time before I would owe another months rent on the public storage locker so I had to get this up quick if I didn't just want a huge mess of stuff in the middle of the new garage.








I did come to my senses and insulate under areas I would not be able to get to later.




















































You get the idea how big this is. I decked it out with 3/4 particle board on top and sheathed the locker in 1/2 plywood. Before I could get any farther, it was time to bring all my stuff home and get it squared away as best I could before one of the coldest, most unpleasant winters in many years descended on me, along with a nasty cold. So as these things go, the storage on top is fantastic and the storage below currently holds extra plywood. I will have it finished before this winter though!


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## NormG (Mar 5, 2010)

BrockF said:


> *The quarter loft.*
> 
> I was reading that the upper section of the garage walls right under where the roof joists meet the sidewalls is often wasted when it comes to storage. The article advised that building a wrap around shelf would amount to hundreds of square feet of storage space. Problem was all the plans I saw were very expensive and cumbersome looking without much strength…about 30 pound boxes max.
> 
> ...


Great use of space. I have heard of people who have built above the garage door runners


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## BrockF (Aug 22, 2014)

BrockF said:


> *The quarter loft.*
> 
> I was reading that the upper section of the garage walls right under where the roof joists meet the sidewalls is often wasted when it comes to storage. The article advised that building a wrap around shelf would amount to hundreds of square feet of storage space. Problem was all the plans I saw were very expensive and cumbersome looking without much strength…about 30 pound boxes max.
> 
> ...


Certainly, if you have the space. Not an option for me.


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## BrockF (Aug 22, 2014)

*And Now We Pause For Station Identification. *

As you might have guessed by now, I have been doing a lot of thinking about workshops. While some more glue dries out in the shop I wanted to talk about this idea for a bit.

My Dad was (is considering tool makers rarely identify as anything else) a tool and die maker for at least 40 years. Not the newer incarnation with calculators and a CNC predilection, but an old school craftsmen who learned his trade and spent much of his career using machines built in WWII or before. This is a special breed who rarely experienced an air conditioned workplace, remembered life before OSHA, and saw first hand what sharpened steel could do to the human body on a less than good day.

Growing up, I occasionally had the opportunity to visit him at work. It was then that I saw my first workshop and it left a profound impression on me. Even scaled down, Sargent Welsh or its many iterations seemed gigantic to me. The walk from the guards desk to his area was a sensory experience filled with noise, smells and sights that to a young boy were fantastic. Even as a teenager and already taking a formal high school wood shop class it was impressive.

Out of all the commotion of machines and forklifts, flashing safety lights and workers, we would arrive at his bench and it was like a different world. A highly organized and efficient space, spartan yet comfortable for its occupant. No clutter or waste of space was discernible and it was imbued with a seriousness of purpose that most people just don't understand.

And in the middle was my dad, decked out in his heavy safety glasses and shop apron, looking like someone I only half knew. He was serious but at ease, fully immersed in his trade without the distraction of home life. And he was making things. Things that made other things.

He cracked a big smile that day I surprised him with my visit and took some time to walk me around and show me walls and walls of jigs he had made. Complex works of heavy steel as fine in their way as anything made by Norm or Sam or Roy.

Growing up, he and I spent much time together watching New Yankee Workshop, and This Old House. He loved when they visited other peoples workshops and has an encyclopedic knowledge of tools and their applications. He would frequently discourse on the culture of working people from early times to the modern Union shop. From this I learned to associate shops with the qualities of perfection, quality, hard work and physical toughness. And the rules were simple. Don't goof around. Be a problem solver. Creativeness and a willingness to innovate are unique American values. And keep it real clean.

In high school I got my first taste of a dedicated wood shop, complete with huge industrial square benches, a separate finishing room and massive tables saws with 12 inch blades. Might have been an Oliver. Even sharing it with an entire class, the roominess was wonderful. We kept it clean, and built some great projects. But it wasn't mine. Just a shared work space.

In the Army, I spent plenty of time around repair areas and storage cages. I became an admirer of mass built wooden structures, made quickly but very strongly with large expanses of exposed wooden boards all painted white.

While working for the Government I learned how soul crushing it can be to spend every day in lightness concrete spaces underground, at times not much different than boiler rooms and sewers. No creativity or inspiration lives in such places.

A stint at a municipal public works facility taught me that when you line every wall with heavy industrial shelving two and three feet deep, it does not make for much of a workshop, despite a large shop built bench and vices. More like a giant storage shed dedicated more to electrical repair than to woodworking.

So now it's my turn, and there are so many choices and ways of doing things. I have scoured the internet and the library for inspiration and I think the smartest thing I have done to date is leave most of the walls blank until I figure out exactly what I want. This has led me to explore shop built mobile carts and racks for maximum flexibility. The walls will be covered eventually but I'm saving the space for lumber and jig storage. The big bench with the built in table saw and massive amounts of on board storage will be the center of the workshop, on six heavy duty casters to accommodate the car.

So its a huge amount of work, but little by little it's coming together. I get wonderful morning light, and can just set up outside on the driveway in good weather. This effectively means my shop space in unlimited.

Tune in next week when I tackle the tool center.


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## GrandpaLen (Mar 6, 2012)

BrockF said:


> *And Now We Pause For Station Identification. *
> 
> As you might have guessed by now, I have been doing a lot of thinking about workshops. While some more glue dries out in the shop I wanted to talk about this idea for a bit.
> 
> ...


Welcome to the LumberJocks community, Brock.

As you lay out your shop I'm certain, from your wonderfully documented background, that Safety will be in the forefront of your considerations.
If you have read very many of our posts on the site, you have surely read our comments that most shops are ever evolving. 
Any shop that has to share space for multiple functions relies on Mobility. A search of mobile work centers, tables, benches, carts, tool and lumber storage, wall racks, cabinets and shelving ideas abound here on our site. If you have any specific questions or needs, just ask. Forums are a great place for these discussions.

Best Regards. - Grandpa Len.
Work Safely and have Fun.


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## ThumbHammer (Sep 25, 2014)

BrockF said:


> *And Now We Pause For Station Identification. *
> 
> As you might have guessed by now, I have been doing a lot of thinking about workshops. While some more glue dries out in the shop I wanted to talk about this idea for a bit.
> 
> ...


Excellent write up about your dad and his work shop BrockF. I really enjoyed reading it. I have seen work shops like you described and those that were just the opposite. Mine falls somewhere in between. I know where every thing is. It is under that saw dust (some where).


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## BrockF (Aug 22, 2014)

*Organization Madness!*

For reasons science is incapable of answering, tools don't seem to be capable of hanging themselves up. I investigated big box tool hanging widgets and found it would end up costing me a bundle and likely not meet most of my tool needs.

On the other hand, thanks to a good friend I have an abundant supply of 2×4 1/2 inch plywood sheets and pre-painted 3/4 cedar. I took a glance online at what others had done and decided to make a traditional tool wall for my hand tools. I would also make large storage cubbies to go up above, right underneath the garage door tracks. Some of my tools are large and odd shaped, so I had to be creative.














































So a few scraps, some glue and a few screws made a huge difference. And I got a lot of satisfaction from such a quick and easy project. Nothing fancy but how great to gather up tools from all over the place and give them each a home. More pictures to come as I hang everything up.

By the way, has anyone noticed what a mess the shop becomes when you are doing a shop project intended to eliminate messes?


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## FirehouseWoodworking (Jun 9, 2009)

BrockF said:


> *Organization Madness!*
> 
> For reasons science is incapable of answering, tools don't seem to be capable of hanging themselves up. I investigated big box tool hanging widgets and found it would end up costing me a bundle and likely not meet most of my tool needs.
> 
> ...


Nice work!

Cheers!


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## BrockF (Aug 22, 2014)

BrockF said:


> *Organization Madness!*
> 
> For reasons science is incapable of answering, tools don't seem to be capable of hanging themselves up. I investigated big box tool hanging widgets and found it would end up costing me a bundle and likely not meet most of my tool needs.
> 
> ...


Thanks Dave. It will look even better when I get the mess cleaned up. I should have new pictures up later today as I have a lot more on the wall now. The bench underneath is for my kids so I wanted the hand tools close by but up out of the way.


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## whitebeast88 (May 27, 2012)

BrockF said:


> *Organization Madness!*
> 
> For reasons science is incapable of answering, tools don't seem to be capable of hanging themselves up. I investigated big box tool hanging widgets and found it would end up costing me a bundle and likely not meet most of my tool needs.
> 
> ...


looking good.like you said the shop becomes a real mess when you are trying to clean up one.thanks for sharing!!!


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## BrockF (Aug 22, 2014)

*Another Pause, But For a Good Cause.*


 *

Hello again fellow woodworkers. It's now officially 1 year since the new shop/garage was built. I should be completing my big bench build this week and bringing the car back in at night, but sometimes things get put on hold. It just so happens we helped a friend with an elderly parent and the entire front of the shop is filled with bags and boxes to be donated to the Chicago Epilepsy Foundation. Gives us a wonderful feeling to be able to help them in their cause. A lot of people seem to feel compelled to dump ice over themselves but simply going through your closets and finding gently used items you can live without is just as important. There is no fanfare or anything like that, but like woodworking being charitable is it's own best reward.

Needless to say I can hardly get into the shop till pickup and certainly can not paint. So things are quiet this week and I find myself having shop time withdrawal. I suppose for me the symptoms are staring at the walls of my house and imagining cutting holes in them and filling them with built-ins, along with trips to the big box store to price out lumber for next years projects.

And of course the weather is rapidly changing. This makes things interesting because the big bench I am finishing is getting painted and painting under 50 degrees is not a great idea. I had thought about staining it but I really wanted a very durable protective coat and as the bench is built mainly of heavy duty pine and Douglas fir dimensional lumber the wood itself is not the prettiest. Also I believe the paint will give it the monolithic look I am going for. The bench-top will not be tackled until spring but the table-saw will certainly go on as soon as the painting is done and the bench comes down off the saw horses. Going to take a bit of cribbing for that and the economy wood section of Menards is a welcome friend. Afterwards there will lots of material for the fire pit. The used cribbing, not the bench, unless I mess up and drop it.

I going to do a good sized blog entry on the bench once it is done. For now I have to cool it for just a few more days. I hope you will stay tuned.

Brock


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## BrockF (Aug 22, 2014)

*Working Hard and Hello Winter.*


 (Note: This blog is the most current, as of November 16. It should be #8.)*

Hello winter. We have snow on the ground but nothing like to the north in Wisconsin. Still, timing is everything. I have spent the time between my last blog and now racing the weather to complete the bench and get shop ready for the car to come back. If I had one of those little compacts this would be no big deal, likewise a large garage. But the car is a Durango and the shop is only 18×20. And my plan to make everything fit tucked away like a jig saw puzzle had not yet been tested.

So first up is painting the bench. I hate to paint wood but this project would not stain well I am sure. It's pine and I want a very heavy level of protection from the elements. Mind you I don't have a lot of wood painting experience so I took the time to read up and found a lot of different advice. But the main point seems to be sanding is key. I am not a big fan of sanding but the old Black and Decker palm sander did a very good job and the nooks and crannies were not too bad. Used the shop vac to clean everything too. Then I primed. My painting plan called for blue on the leg levelers and apple red for everything else so I took my time with the masking and spray painted the leg levelers first. Light sanding and then a second coat. Then vacuum, remove all the masking and reversed it to protect the levelers. I brushed on the apple red in two coats separated by sanding with a 400+ grit sanding block. The result I am very happy with. Hard and smooth so dust just slides off easily.










If you think prepping the shop for a large painting job is fun, then you will love what came next. I don't know how much the bench actually weighs but I am sure it's at least 300lbs. And almost 8 feet long. And sitting up on saw horses. So I called up my Dad and asked his assistance. And then I began cleaning up and clearing everything away too.

When you prep to move heavy objects you want lots of space to work in and plenty of cribbing. In the service I was given the opportunity to train in technical search and rescue. One of our modules was moving large objects with minimal equipment. Translation: move an 8000lb boulder with just cribbing and breaker bars. Incredibly this works. So I applied the same principles to my much smaller bench. The economy lumber bin at Menards is great for cribbing and I also constructed two smaller stands to lower the bench onto. The idea is simple. Build a couple of small cribbing platforms and then use leverage to gently raise the bench a very small amount while you remove a layer from one end. It's slow and tedious and a little nerve racking but it works. After about an hour and no injuries or damage to the bench the built in leg levelers could reach the ground and act like jacks and we simply ratcheted it down. A big thanks to my Dad for all his help.

The next day I took on phase two: Moving the Craftsmen table saw from its sub standard stamped metal base to it's new home on the bench. Now please remember I am not a bug guy and this saw is a bruiser, even mostly disassembled. But I knew if I just took my time it would work. I used the cribbing to make a temporary platform for the saw and then pushed the bench up to that. The leg levelers worked great to get exactly the right height too. Off came the bolts tucked in hard to reach spots inside the saw cabinet. A little push and all that steel and cast iron slid pretty easily onto the platform. Inspection of the factory base showed one side had been starting to bend in under its own weight. Great saw, worthless base. Story of Sears sad to say.










So did I mention the saw had not yet been mounted on the bench? You can measure all you want but the proof is when two large objects fit together as planned. So you might consider my apprehension. Not unlike when they mount the elevators to an aircraft carrier, you really want it all to fit. I had a sudden good idea and fished out these 80 year old table runners from my Grandmothers house that I keep around for protecting projects. Felt and leather and very tough. I padded the platform on the bench to protect it, in the event that I might have to slide the saw back off. Then another push and a shove and the saw was on.










Well, you can only do your best. Seems I forgot to calculate in the clearance needed for the miter slots so as to avoid routing slots into the bench-top. Back the saw goes onto the cribbing platform. But I anticipated having to make a few adjustments so I grabbed some 2x stock and built up the base under the saw a little. Then back the saw goes onto the new base.



























At this point my planning came in handy. The saw rails and wings fully attached would have made it very difficult to remove from the old base. But to put the saw permanently in place would leave me no access to assemble it. Having levelers that can exactly match the height of the bench to the height of the temporary platform was invaluable. I slid the saw back so it was sitting half on the bench and half on the platform and positioned saw horses and 2×4's to hold up one wing at a time. These are full cast iron so the idea of having them come down on my head was not appealing. Like I said, keeping spare 2×4xs around the shop is always a good idea. You just never stop running out of things to use them for.

After the wings and rear rails were on, the final test would be to position the saw for bolt down. If my measurements were off, the rear rail would stick out too far and the front of the saw could hang over the front edge of the bench. I felt like an expectant father…very nervous. So very gently with all this top heavy weight, I muscled the saw back into place one last time. Perfect fit!

After that, it was all easy. Bolted down the saw, put on the front rail, checked blade to slot parallelism. All good. And just like that, after a year in storage and taken apart my favorite tool was back in service. There are many milestones in our lives, some big and others small. What is important is we pause and take the time to recognize them.



















Over the next few days, I have raced to clean the shop and totally reorganize it. Snow is coming soon and that car has to come in beforehand. I managed to sell the seized up lawn tractor, and the charity collection truck came again, freeing up even more floor space. I have never had any significant open space before in either the old garage or the new. One side was always piled with tools and stuff. But this year has been about turning a garage into a shop, and thinking about how I want to do things. Little by little it all fell into place. No more piles to trip over, or random clamps falling off on my feet. The scrap/plywood storage cart fit nicely in the back, my shop built rolling tool chest slid home next to the fold down bench. And where the bench folds down the clamp cart slips into. The big bench rolled easily into it's new winter spot. The jigsaw puzzle worked!

Last up yesterday afternoon was wall mounting the bicycle storage brackets for both the kids bikes. No more mess after years and years of woodworking in something more like a dungeon than a shop. Now the new garage has taken big step from an empty box to the manifestation of this vision in my head. Warm and inviting, spacious despite it's smaller size, and just right for my level of woodworking.

With that, my tasks for this season are done, although I may try to squeeze in a small project or two before the temperature really plummets into the single digits. I carefully backed the car in and was delighted to shut the door and still have room to walk. I promised my wife this would happen before we had accumulating snowfall. And two hours later we had a half inch on the ground. Talk about timing!

I wish you all a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving for you and your families.

http://widgets.lumberjocks.com/project/107985.jpg[/img][/url[/URL]]


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## rhybeka (Nov 8, 2009)

BrockF said:


> *Working Hard and Hello Winter.*
> 
> 
> (Note: This blog is the most current, as of November 16. It should be #8.)*
> ...


Great job Brock! I bet you have a very happy wife  like the look of your table saw station as well!


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## BrockF (Aug 22, 2014)

*Winter Blues.....Or Is It?*

Thanksgiving. A wonderful holiday. And even better when you are not sick with a bad ear infection. And after the holiday, everyone else is sick too. That pretty much sums it up, after two weeks of getting everything ready things are now quiet except for the sound of sniffles and coughing.

Last year I stool in line outside of Rockler for 6 hours and was rewarded with being first. And a 10 dollar gift certificate. I planned on a repeat this year and maybe picking up a GR Gripper, and hopefully a better gift certificate but it was not to be. At just a few degrees above single digits and me on cold meds I weenied out in favor of not wanting to make myself much sicker. Dissapointed with myself? Maybe a little bit, but the gripper was not even on sale so not much of a loss. And after studying it for a bit online, I think I could build several equivalent shop made models for less than the cost of one.

Considering how cold it now is, there is no pressing need for a gripper or any other push stick right now. The shop is pretty much shut down for the season, with the exception of those strange warmer days that turn everything to slop. Had a good one yesterday, and no real strength or energy to do anything more than finish the last clean up from Thanksgiving I certainly did not want to begin any projects only to have to stop right away and then wait till spring. That final real cold temperature drop is coming when everything will freeze up for the duration.

Living in the Northern United States certainly dictates workflow and priorities. Long gone now is the early morning sunshine and the after dinner work out on the driveway. The shop has been organized, cleaned and condensed to allow the family automobile to use most of the space. The only work that is going to happen out there is maintaining and storing the snow blower for the next few months.

In most regards I find this to be depressing as I love woodworking and now find myself sitting on my hands doing nothing. But it need not be. This is a great time to catch up on a lot of reading, planning and research. Last year I busied myself with studying modern designs for workbenches and then drew up plans of my own.

I also think it is good to raid the woodworking library, either my own or my public libraries. for new ideas and refreshing general knowledge and techniques.

Speaking of which, what can be better on a cold day then keeping warm with coco or hot tea tinged with lemon and sugar while watching woodworking videos online? Maybe a little New Yankee Workshop, or those Wood Whisperer episodes I have been meaning to see.

My friend Chris has a wonderful website and Facebook page called Cool Tool Shed at:

https://www.facebook.com/cooltoolshed

I would highly advise stopping by. It has become a delightful microcosm of the the woodworking world from which I have seen examples from all across the globe. And of course Chris himself is a gracious site host. Following his woodworking journey has given me invaluable information and ideas for my own.

And then there is the bottomless well that is Pintrest.

Do I have to mention Lumberjocks? You are here, you know

Once the holidays are over and the crowds are gone it will be nice to visit Rockler and Woodcraft, after carefully assessing what woodworking tools and supplies I need to stock back up on.

Where does this leave us all on those very cold days when working in an unheated shop is impossible? Router maintenance on the kitchen table I think, followed by taking apart, cleaning and inspecting corded and cordless drills. And If I am really gutsy, maybe set up the glass plate sharpening thing inside and sharpen all the chisels. Soak and clean all the table saw blades? Plenty of things to do, and all important, even if they don't give the satisfaction of actually making anything. If I am diligent then I can spend that first real opportunity for woodworking next year actually making sawdust and not staring at the shop wondering where in the world to begin.

Until then, stay warm, recuperate and keep busy.


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## BrockF (Aug 22, 2014)

*Spring 2015!*

With great delight, I can announce spring has officially come to Chicago-land. Of course, this is highly subjective, considering we went from being in the 20's to a day in the mid 70's and then crashed down into the teens, followed by 5 inches of snow. A week along, and while the snow is still in a few patches here and there, it seems moderately warmer weather is here to stay. And this means WOODWORKING! For those of you still locked in snow and ice, you have my sympathies.

So unlike last year at this time, my season starts with an actual shop and not a disaster. I took great care at the end of last year to put things away right and have been able to pretty much get right into things.

First up though was a small bit of maintenance. The table saw needed some fine tuning for blade/fence parallelism. I must have bumped it out of alignment after mounting the saw to the big bench last November. Not my favorite task, nor am I so great at it, but I broke out the digital calipers and the saw manual and did it all by the book. The result, no pinching or burning. 001 is fine with me.

After some thought, and trying to put my older cut off sled into service (it has seen better days) I decided to embark on building a brand new, full sized miter sled…that is currently in progress and I will have more on it soon. A great opportunity to use a scrap of LVL beam I have sitting around.

I decided on such a big sled because I have plenty of work to keep me busy. The short list for this year includes:

1. Replace several stock kitchen drawers that are not long for this world.

2. Build a pull out organizer(s) for all the pots and pans.

3. Lots and lots of trim work in the house and maybe some built in's.

4. Maybe convert a living room closet into a mini mud room…

5. Swing set and play set for the kids out back.

6. Drawers for the big bench.

7. Finish up the rolling tool chest once and for all.

An ambitious list to be sure, but I think I might be crazy enough to pull it off. I hope you will join me for the journey.

Sincerely, and with the smell of pine happily in my nose once more,

B.


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## BrockF (Aug 22, 2014)

*A Long Pause and a New Year*

Hello everyone. My sincere apologies for being gone for so long. Last year I had am ambitious list of projects to work on, and truthfully, almost nothing got done. This isn't to say I was not busy, although who could know it would be at someone else's house? My in laws, being older folks with medical issues, wanted to move closer to us so we could be of help to them. So instead of woodworking, I spent the better part of the late spring and fall property hunting in my own neighborhood. This means I saw a series of houses that varied from decrepit to "should be torn down". Along the way I encountered mold, bees, holes in floors covered by glass (yeah, I don't get that last one either but I saw it) and all manner of architectural crimes and madness. I even had to search for a crawl space hatch, the suit up and investigate only to nearly need the fire department to come and extract me.

In the end, we found a great place for them. So come mid august it was time to put on my DIY hat and plunge in full throttle. For the HVAC and plumbing and the front porch/wheelchair ramp I hired contractors, but the garage was a mess and a certain amount of electrical repairs were needed. That carried me into November, along with numerous small improvements like fixing flooring transitions so medical mobility devices could roll smoothly. At least I got to use the table saw/Victory Bench a little to fabricate what was needed. Yes, certainly more carpentry than woodworking…and I hate drywall..hate it, hate it hate it. But the previous owner left a large stack of drywall that was exactly enough to rebuild the garage interior, and I wanted a clean, bright space to park the wheel chair accessible van during the winter. This I achieved.

So, while I am sorry to not have been able to work on my own place or projects much, I feel I made the most of my time by helping family and this is of course the most important thing.

I did get to go to Rockler for Black Friday this year although I was second in line instead of first. On the other hand, I stayed outside the whole time instead of in my car and for this the guy first in line insisted I be hailed as customer number #1. A really fun time, well worth it even if my gift card for standing there was only $5. But hey, I had a coupon too and picked up a set of Kreg Set Up Bars. hat should make life much easier in the shop.

We have had a strange season here near Chicago with a large early snow fall and then no snow at all including almost balmy temperatures, at least for December. This unexpectedly let me do some late season work in the shop so I made built in storage inside my large router table (the one with an up-cycled grill cabinet and mobile base). Let me tell you, using that gripper on the TS is awesome, more so in combination with the large TS sled. The new storage lets me finally have all my router bits and wrenches close at hand instead of in the steel tool box that is always falling off of something.

I pulled out the dovetail jig and started practicing. You know how finicky those can be. I figured even if I could not build all the replacement drawers for my kitchen I had planned on making this year, at least I could have everything ready to go come spring, or maybe during one of those not so bad winter days. Snow had to be coming…just a matter of waiting, so best not to get too deep into something.

Having purchased a micro jig splitter on black Friday, I set about making a slew of zero clearance inserts for the TS. It seemed like I might have a real shot at doing some serious woodworking.










And then we had an ice/snow storm and the temperature is plunging. Like being cut off at the knees. On the bright side, I worked hard and had fun. Plus, if all goes well we are realistically looking at only 3 months of down time before the weather starts warming back up. Assuming of course that it will warm back up. My scientific background places no faith in global warming

On that note, I want to wish everyone a happy new year. May it be filled with health, happiness and sawdust.


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## BrockF (Aug 22, 2014)

*It's 2018 and I'm back!*

Sorry for the very long time away. I have been very busy. After a lot of discussion my parents began looking for a place close to ours. They lived in the same house for 38 years and I know moving was a hard choice but they are older people and being near family is very important. I helped find them a nice place almost within walking distance of my own house. It was a well cared for rental, but very dated and in need of a lot of work. So began my transformation from a hobbyist woodworker to a full time renovator.

While I had planned to be working on my own place and in particular my little shop, my parents place has taken me on an epic journey of skill building. We gutted the kitchen, reframed and fixed every bedroom closet, built a pantry, gutted and rebuilt the laundry room and only hired contractors for plumbing, installing a new electrical main and polishing the old concrete floor. I had planned to paint too but even with 6 months of wall board repair I realized I needed professionals to give it that special touch. I was glad I did as they did a great job.

At this point I am finally getting to do real woodworking! Let me express to you the sheer joy this gives me after a seemingly endless amount of wallboard and mudding. I have an entire house of trim to do, along with replacing all the interior doors. And I will be finishing all the stock maple cabinets for the kitchen and built in home office. And each closet is getting lined with beautiful prefinished birch plywood. And every window needs to be cased.

In a nutshell, everything that will transform it from a now clean and tidy but empty house to a beautiful home is before me. I have a second small shop in the garage over there, a trim painting station in the living room and my own shop with the big table saw is being used like never before.

I hope you will join me as I meet this challenge. I am having a lot of fun and learning so much as I go.

Let's make some sawdust!


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## BrockF (Aug 22, 2014)

*Hand Planing Trim Boards.*

For the ceiling trim in my parents place I am going with 1×4 boards with a 1/2 inch square strip along the upper edge, all painted white. I am using poplar because it paints great and is such a pleasure to work with.

One of the challenges I face is that the ceilings have a few spots where they are not exactly flat, either because of time or because of muddling, paint, repairs or both. This would be essentially invisible except when you try to put a trim board up.

I can't do anything about the ceiling so instead I have to scribe the boards to match. The best tool for this seems to be an ordinary hand plane. I set up out on the driveway and went to work.

If you have never hand planed a board, its a wonderful experience. You have total control. There is no need to wear hearing protection. Its a satisfying physical task where you can feel how the sharp blade interacts with the wood. The sound itself is pleasing, as are the thin shavings.

To my surprise I found two small clamps and some scraps to protect the trim were all I needed, along with my great grandfathers repaired saw horses that are probably 80 years old.

Here is the video I managed to make despite the cold.

Best of all was the result. The bottom edge of all the boards line up and the 1/2 strip makes any remaining gaps disappear. And as a final step a little bit of white caulk will make it seamless.


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## mcoyfrog (Jul 23, 2008)

BrockF said:


> *Hand Planing Trim Boards.*
> 
> For the ceiling trim in my parents place I am going with 1×4 boards with a 1/2 inch square strip along the upper edge, all painted white. I am using poplar because it paints great and is such a pleasure to work with.
> 
> ...


Sweet


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