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I did this over a couple of weeks of mulling this over, sorry folks...
This probably isn't going to be one of my more interesting posts, but I figured folks could get an idea of my thought process on cleanup, and setting back up, and maybe give me some ideas how to improve the situation.
I have been spending a considerable amount of time cleaning up my shop lately. Mostly because I wasn't given a choice by Ike...
You see the lumber I use for boarding up my windows is stowed on edge against the wall, behind my large tool setup, so everything got pulled into the middle of the shop floor, and of course things got taken out of their storage locations for repairs etc... since the storm, and generally speaking all is mayhem.
Well, I noticed a nice nook of garage wall, between the front wall, and the beginning on the storage shelves, well the lumber aside from the window boarding material now lives there. Not the best solution, but one that works for me FOR NOW. This is certainly far superior in that it takes up a space of about 3 feet long x 2 feet wide, versus 10 feet long x 8 feet wide. (it kind of splayed out over time).
The funky cubby hole is getting a thorough cleaning, and the lumber back there is being moved, the hunting equipment (Gambrel carcass lift, deer drag sled, etc...) Has been folded up, and stowed in a tote, and moved into the spare room for now. Will go in the bunkhouse on the hunting lease in two weeks, and then in the attic when it comes back.
Once the Thien Cyclones are built for the 20 gallon trash can, and the 55 gallon drum, and tested to see which one I am happier with, I am going to sketch up, design, and build a shelf to go into the cubby to hold the vac directly over the cyclone barrel / trash can. as well as provide shelf storage for items displaced by removing the plastic sheving. A power outlet is already roughed in, and will be tapped from the utility room power to take advantage of an otherwise unused circuit, and it's GFCI protection.
Some things I learned from moving stuff around from Ike are...
#1. I need mobile bases, NOW. As most folks have read here, I have most of my big stuff on some kind of stand. The HF Band saw on its factory stand needs to be able to be moved. The sander, I need to install a mobile base on the HF tool stand to make it more mobile. The planer stand, same as the sander. I figure on putting them on Woodcraft Universal Mobile Bases, meaning the bottom will be filled with 3/4" ply. Kind of low storage, but I can keep some of my hand held power tools there, like sanders, jig saw, circular saw, rotary tool and bits, angle grinder. Basically anything without a plastic case.
#2. I need to tear down the current storage shelves, tote up the sporting goods and store them in the attic, figure out a shed design, and get the BBQ stuff and yard care stuff into a shed. It took me WAY too long moving stuff around just to get the window boards out to where I could mount them up. When trying to finish that up, having a case of the flu, and wanting to finish packing clothes so I could get my family out of harms way, that was just a PITA to deal with...
#3. Power. I need shop dedicated circuits run along the lengths of the wall just below the DC ducting, at least where I want the DC ducting to go, not where it is now... More on that later. I was forever having to drag an extension cord around. And yeah I know cordless tools eliminate that. I couldn't wait for recharging after every 10 minutes of use though. So far I have been VERY unimpressed with cordless tools.
So, with my lessons learned through the storm, and through using the garage as a workshop, and knowing my budget, my plan is to...
#1. Clean up, and tote up whatever is not shop stuff, yard stuff, or BBQ stuff, and get it into the attic for storage.
#2. Build a second pair of saw horses, shorter than the first, to hold the canoe up. Move the canoe to the far side of the house, between the house and the neighbor's fence. Wrapped in a silver tarp to prevent U.V. damage to the boat.
#3. Thoroughly clean, and dismantle the plastic shelving units. Some are pretty worn out, the good ones are going to go into the new shed once it is up, but for now, dismantle them, bind them up in a couple of large boxes, or use plastic twine to keep it all together and stuff it in the attic.
#4. Remove wall mounted items between end of workbench, and interior door. Move the Mechanics tool box, floor jack, jack stands, oil drain, etc... to this location.
#5. Add the needed circuits. Ike messed up my arrangements for the power project, I need to get that back on track, including running power down the middle of the garage ceiling, every 36" so that I have 5 rows of outlets that are switched. Total amp draw if I recall correctly for 10 4ft fixtures was under 10 amps. USE ORANGE OR YELLOW SOCKETS AND PLATES MARKED FOR LIGHTING FIXTURES ONLY. In case a future homeowner tries running a 15 amp saw with lighting in place on this circuit... You never know. Pull a fairly high amperage circuit down the outside wall where the power tools should reside. Most likely a dedicated 20 amp 110 circuit. Outlets every 3 feet, spaced evenly with the ceiling outlets if possible, 3' from ground height, GFCI protected. This will provide power to the 110v tools. This should suffice as I am NOT going to ever be running more than 1 power tool at a time. Run a 220v single phase circuit with two sockets about midway down the wall for a potential future bigger table saw, or a major motor upgrade on my band saw. (I have a 220v single ph 2HP motor that would drop in as a direct replacement if I had the power to drive it...).
#6. Move all the tools benches etc... to the center of the shop. Cover them up with a drop cloth. Clean everything on the walls ceiling, and floors surrounding it, patch whatever isn't right sheet rock wise, prime it with Kilz2, and paint with Bright White semi gloss paint. (Glidden Semi Gloss Bright White, already have it).
#7. I still need to figure out exactly what I am going to do with the floor. Chances are good, nothing. Probably just grab some of those rubber matts to stand on by each of the major machines, and the work bench...
#8. Once the paint is dry, the DC system plumbing will be run along the right side (as seen from the front) wall, just above where the new electrical runs will be made. This will run the entire length of the shop wall, ending at a 90 degree bend just prior to a blast gate and a 20 foot hose out in the driveway for car cleaning...
#9. Move the workbench, and auto tools back to where they came from.
#10. Put all the lumber temporarily along the left wall.
#11. Along the right wall, from the back to the front, put the...
-BT-3100 with router accessory table modded to accept the snap in inserts from a HF router plate. (Working on picking up the saw from another member here, Ike messed up my original schedule on that, have the accessory table already. A friend of mine knew of my BT interest and found this at a yard sale without a saw. He paid $1.00 for it with the inserts. I bought him a beer for that...
-Mod the planer table with extension tables with hinged wings so that the extension tables fold down, stow the planer table in the second spot.
-Obtain floor model drill press, put that here. Obtain floor stand for bench grinder, put that next. Mount up new Ryobi 6" bench grinder.
-Build in floor to ceiling cabinet, 24" deep for storing hand held power tools accessories and small jigs. I may provide more space between tools, not build this cabinet, but rather install peg board the entire length of this wall, and use hooks large enough to hold things in clamshell cases. Mostly things like my routers, router bit boxes, biscuit joiner, buffer, etc... Peg board mounting might make it easier to find stuff and put it back.
-CM Band Saw.
-Ridgid Oscillating Belt Sander.
-B&D Firestorm Miter Saw on folding stand.
-space for lathe. I am REALLY drooling over a Shop Fox 2Hp full size lathe.
****NOTE**** Any accessories that can be wall mounted, yet still easily accessible, should be wall mounted behind the related large tool, such as the saw blades and router bits in boxes should be mounted to the wall behind the BT. Drill bits in cases should be wall mounted behind the drill press, sanding sleeves and belts should be stored on wall mounted pegs (small piece of pegboard and pegs maybe?) behind the sander station etc...
#12. Clamp storage needs to be re-assessed. IF at all possible, I want to build a rack similar to the one Suwat Phruksawan set up for his clamps. I need to figure out how to do this, AND allow for space to rack up 12 3/4" pipe clamps. (I don't have that many yet, but I have projects in mind that at LEAST 8 will be needed, but 12 would NOT be out of the question. Large china cabinet project for LOML...). The clamp racks will likely still be where they are now, but quite possibly they could end up on the wall with the other stuff if I can figure out how to make it fit.
#13. With the smaller tools and toolboxes in the cabinet, or on the peg board, the underside of the bench can be used for long lumber storage. A rolling rack for sheet goods and smaller lumber will be built.
#14. The garage door opener that failed 4 years ago, will finally be replaced in the left bay of the garage, and wiring run to the existing and currently unused box in the attic. (The wires are terminated, it's kosher).
IF this works out the way I think it will, I SHOULD be able to manage the shop better, AND be able to use it as a garage on one side so that LOML can pull her car in and park... This is going to be an enormous amount of work, but I figure it will be well worth it in the long run.
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