Pimp My Shop

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  • Hoakie
    Established Member
    • Feb 2007
    • 382
    • Iowa
    • Craftsman 21829

    Pimp My Shop

    All,

    I've been lurking on this site the last few days after I stumbled upon it while trying to decide on a TS to buy. I am an aspiring woodworker that currently has half my basement devoted to a workshop. I put it together 8 years ago as a general purpose work area while finishing the other half of my basement. Recently I've been having an itch to upgrade it into a place to do more WW projects.

    After looking around, I notice several things that are no-brainer upgrades including:

    #1 Upgrade my TS from a job site Makita with awful fence to "Craftsman BT3" or Rigid TS3650
    #2 Build a workbench more suitable for WW (vise, bench dogs, etc)
    #3 Improve dust collection system (currently just my shop-vac).
    #4 Invest heavily in more clamps (yes I just got off the New Yankee Workshop Tour)

    My current space is around 16' x 16' main area plus around 8' x4' area where my wood/mobile tool carts are stored. After looking at some of the work you guys have done, I can't wait to improve these carts and the rest of the work area as well.

    Here are some pictures of my current layout (clockwise from entrance) The pile of junk (a.k.a. mass toy grave that the kids have outgrown) will disappear this spring when we have a huge garage sale.

    Any suggestions for improvements are welcome.

    Thanks









    Last edited by Hoakie; 02-25-2007, 12:09 PM.
    John
    To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk. ~ Edison
  • bigstick509
    Veteran Member
    • Dec 2004
    • 1227
    • Macomb, MI, USA.
    • BT3100

    #2

    To the best forums on the net.

    Mike

    "It's not the things you don't know that will hurt you, it's the things you think you know that ain't so." - Mark Twain

    Comment

    • footprintsinconc
      Veteran Member
      • Nov 2006
      • 1759
      • Roseville (Sacramento), CA
      • BT3100

      #3
      welcome!

      welcome aboard! you will enjoy this community!
      _________________________
      omar

      Comment

      • Hoakie
        Established Member
        • Feb 2007
        • 382
        • Iowa
        • Craftsman 21829

        #4
        Thanks. I've been digging through the archives learning a lot and getting a ton of useful information. I will definitely drop in often.
        Last edited by Hoakie; 02-25-2007, 02:23 PM.
        John
        To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk. ~ Edison

        Comment

        • TB Roye
          Veteran Member
          • Jan 2004
          • 2969
          • Sacramento, CA, USA.
          • BT3100

          #5
          Welcome to the site. By your pictures it looks like you have a pretty good start on the tools need for a wood shop. The Bt3 is a great saw for a beginner. This for will give you all the help and advice you could ask for, enjoy.

          Tom

          Comment

          • ironhat
            Veteran Member
            • Aug 2004
            • 2553
            • Chambersburg, PA (South-central).
            • Ridgid 3650 (can I still play here?)

            #6
            Welcome aboard, Hoakie. You have one really good idea working for you that many of us haven't yet done; placing workbenches on both sides of the radial arm saw (RAS). You will have great stability when cutting long stock. It would look like your next priority would be classifying the clutter, tossing the bad and building new storage or using existing storage to get things away from the useable floor space. To save on wall space you could use a tall shelf or scavanged cabinet to store the paint supplies which are spread out and using up some good tool or wood storage. Jst some thoughts. Of course, I don't know your whole situation so my comments could be off-base.
            Later,
            Chiz
            Blessings,
            Chiz

            Comment

            • Hoakie
              Established Member
              • Feb 2007
              • 382
              • Iowa
              • Craftsman 21829

              #7
              Thanks ironhat. You are right. I know I have a ton of under-utilized/misappropriated space. My hope is that once I get the other junk out in a couple of months, I can really focus on space management/layout. Up until this point I just threw stuff in there. Now it is time to reclaim MY space
              John
              To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk. ~ Edison

              Comment

              • Pappy
                The Full Monte
                • Dec 2002
                • 10453
                • San Marcos, TX, USA.
                • BT3000 (x2)

                #8
                Welcome to the Asylum, Hoakie!

                A lot of guys would kill to have the space you have.
                Don, aka Pappy,

                Wise men talk because they have something to say,
                Fools because they have to say something.
                Plato

                Comment

                • Ed62
                  The Full Monte
                  • Oct 2006
                  • 6022
                  • NW Indiana
                  • BT3K

                  #9
                  Hi Hoakie. Welcome aboard.

                  Ed
                  Do you know about kickback? Ray has a good writeup here... https://www.sawdustzone.org/articles...mare-explained

                  For a kickback demonstration video http://www.metacafe.com/watch/910584...demonstration/

                  Comment

                  • Jeffrey Schronce
                    Veteran Member
                    • Nov 2005
                    • 3822
                    • York, PA, USA.
                    • 22124

                    #10
                    Welcome! Looks like you have a real head start in the radial arm saw area! Nice.

                    Comment

                    • Hoakie
                      Established Member
                      • Feb 2007
                      • 382
                      • Iowa
                      • Craftsman 21829

                      #11
                      Thanks Jeff, The DeWalt RAS was inherited from my Grandpa when he moved out of his lake home. He and my Dad used it to build the home in the early 50's. I had a blast going trough the cabinet. He had a lot of bill of materials and sketched kitchen plan as well as some appliance brochures. I used the heck out out of it when finishing the basement and it still runs very smooth. According to the owner's manual, it was when DeWalt was a subsidiary of Black and Decker which I found interesting.
                      John
                      To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk. ~ Edison

                      Comment

                      • Jeffrey Schronce
                        Veteran Member
                        • Nov 2005
                        • 3822
                        • York, PA, USA.
                        • 22124

                        #12
                        Originally posted by Hoakie
                        According to the owner's manual, it was when DeWalt was a subsidiary of Black and Decker which I found interesting.
                        was? It still is, along with Porter Cable and Delta! They are huge now! I was checking out the history of DeWalt and was suprised to see it was founded and operated for years next door to me in Lancaster Co.

                        Comment

                        • Hoakie
                          Established Member
                          • Feb 2007
                          • 382
                          • Iowa
                          • Craftsman 21829

                          #13
                          Huh... I guess I should have looked. I just assumed they parted ways. Thanks for clarifying.
                          John
                          To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk. ~ Edison

                          Comment

                          • lrr
                            Established Member
                            • Apr 2006
                            • 380
                            • Fort Collins, Colorado
                            • Ryobi BT-3100

                            #14
                            Hoakie,

                            Nice looking "vintage" Radial Arm Saw! I just rebuilt my 30 year old Craftsman last summer -- mostly an easy cleanup and calibration of the saw, with the real intent to make a new, heavier duty top. This year will be a new cabinet to replace the original stand/legset. This was my first "big" power tool, and is still one of my favorite power tools. (And I'm actually interested in getting an old Delta or DeWalt like you have.)

                            I bought a BT3100 several years ago, and really think it is a great saw for the money. The Sears version would be a consideration for me today if I did not have one already. I'd like to have a big cabinet saw, but I think I'd still keep the BT3100 around for one really nice feature -- the sliding miter table.

                            Like you, I started in my basement, and just kept adding. I have a Ridgid CMS, a Ridgid jointer, a DeWalt planar, 3 routers, one in a Rockler table, and just finished setting up a Powermatic bandsaw today. Lots of other tools like sanders, scroll saw, etc. WAIT -- no lathe! Better update my wish list.

                            I'll keep my little Delta bandsaw for hobby stuff, and this year I'll probably upgrade to a big floor model drill press, and maybe move the little bench model to the garage.

                            Now I'm think more cabinets, workbenches, ...

                            The list never ends!

                            Have fun.

                            Last edited by lrr; 02-25-2007, 11:56 PM.
                            Lee

                            Comment

                            • eezlock
                              Senior Member
                              • Feb 2006
                              • 997
                              • Charlotte,N.C.
                              • BT3100

                              #15
                              welcome aboard...

                              Welcome Hoakie,
                              looks as if you have a good start to collecting the needed woodworking tools
                              for a good shop. I agree with you about deleting the junk pile/unused kids
                              toys...they really take up a lot valuable workspace, don't they? Lumber racks,
                              tool storage, clamp storage, etc. take a lot of space too, but with time and
                              some effort they will all come together,trouble is never enough space it seems for all we want or need in the shop.

                              A word of advice here...don't make any hasty quick decisions about a new
                              tablesaw....evaluate your needs first, you already have two major saws,
                              one of them being a radial arm saw, the other a tablesaw...these will do
                              a host of major work without anymore expense( not counting blades).
                              You could build a very good mobile cabinet around the present saw and make it do a whole lot better job than you think. Sometimes a change like a
                              better fence and rails makes a cheaper saw work like a big saw at less cost.
                              I upgraded my BT3100 fence and rails to delta t-2, now this saw works more like a better made cabinet saw for me anyway. It handles everything I throw at it with NO problems! They are several magazines out there they have plans in them for building mobile saw bases around a small saw, some have
                              built in router tables, dust collection and on and on here, no limit to what
                              you can do with these ideas. Norm from " New yankee workshop" even had just such a plan....might want to check it out for yourself.

                              Just my .02 worth...but enjoy all the while anyway...have fun and make some sawdust...it is good therapy( at least for me anyway). eezlock

                              Comment

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