Where I've been, where I'm at...

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  • dbhost
    Slow and steady
    • Apr 2008
    • 9209
    • League City, Texas
    • Ryobi BT3100

    Where I've been, where I'm at...

    As those of you that have been here for a good long while may know, I started building my workshop in earnest, with the blessing of my lovely bride in January 2008. I had no idea what I was getting myself into at the time, but for the fun of reading it, and to give me, and those of you that have performed similar builds, a sense of actually getting something done, I figured I would give you all a quick rundown of where my shop has been, and where I am going with it...

    In Jan 2008, all I had in there was a mechanics toolbox full of, well mechanics tools, a few jack stands, a floor jack etc... The only tools I had specific to wood and wood working were...
    * Skil circular saw. An old cheapie I bought years ago from a hardware store I worked at in college.
    * A Makita quarter sheet sander that I have never liked.
    * A Skil jigsaw, with some lousy B&D blades
    * A Ryobi R161 router, and a Wolfcraft router table.
    * A 6 pc Craftsman router bit set.
    * A Craftsman corded keyless chuck drill.

    Now I can go on at length about the equipment, but that's not my point here. But rather actual shop related projects that I have done in this time. Sometimes I feel like I haven't done much. But I started adding it up in my head, and there is a LOT there...

    My first project is pretty simple. I took some scrap 2x4 cutoffs, and some fresh 2x2 SYP stock. I routed a reasonably attractive profile into the stock, cut it to length, drilled / counterbored and attached, glue and screws to make a simple cross bar type clamp rack. I ended up making 2 of these, and wall mounting them by the shop door. This gives me storage for 48 bar clamps, 4 hand screws, and about 18 spring clamps, not to mention a few C clamps and other misc stuff.
    Next on the list, I added an overhead shelf over the clamp rack. I gave that a braced side which got some heavy duty broom / shovel clips and that is now in use to hold my pipe clamps, and housing my rags in a box, and personal protective equipment including safety glasses, respirators, neoprene gloves, push blocks and the like...
    I followed that up with an experiment that worked okay, but not as well as I would have liked. My Shop Vac dust collection ducting. I have since yanked that out and sold it to a fellow BT3Central member. I hope that he has had good success with it...
    My first piece of shop furniture was, of course the workbench. I built one based off of Fine Woodworking's "Getting Started In Woodworking Season 2" design. Therre are things about this bench I like (easy to build, don't care if I break it), and things about it I hate (I was an idiot and used Cedar for the base so it is WAY too light!). I still use it, but I am planning on building a proper bench, with a proper butcher block laminated top. Mind you, I wouldn't trade the experience of building this thing for anything. I learned a LOT doing this, including more than one what NOT to do...
    Then there was the leg set, and wide table top / router table for the BT3100. I was never happy with the leg set, and eventually went with a set from Sears for the 22811. However aside from a delamination problem that I need to fix, I have finally tweaked this to work the way I want it to... Dual miter slots, the works... I love this thing.
    I initially built new faces, with a T track for featherboards etc.. based on the Ryobi OEM router fence pieces. And it appears that some folks really like that idea... I scrapped it later on and built a better fence with moving faces that clamps to the rip fence without so much hassle.
    I have cobbled together a couple of rough and tuble scrap 2x stock bit holders. These will get redone, and soon. I have some ideas for what didn't work so well, and some for what did.
    The clam shell cabinets have been time, money, and effort well spent. They are HUGE surplusses to storage in my shop.
    The painted shop library cabinet is at this time, an as yet to be seen thing. If it works out as planned, I will be very happy with the extra storage I get from them.
    Drill press table and wide mobile base have made HUGE strides to making this thing more useful, and user friendly.
    The rebuilding of the center post between the shop doors stopped some long term rot issues caused by extremely poor construction methods of the builder of my house, and it gave me the through ports for the 5" ducts for my portable air conditioner. It works, very well. I just need to redo the sheet rock and jam some insulation in there!
    Insulating and sealing the doors, as well as the ceiling have gone miles toward making my shop year round comfortable. I still have a ways to go, but I am getting there.
    The tool stacker keeps my bench top tools nice and orderly, and out of harms way.
    Same goes for my lumber rack. Keeps my wood except for sheet goods organized. I need a sheet goods cart.
    The shop originally had a single bare bulb, and a broke Craftsman garage door opener in it. I opted for a more workshop friendly approach, and yanked the opener out and tossed it in the trash. I replaced the single bulb fixture with circuit extensions, and 6 2 bulb T 12 fixtures before I heard that T12s were going away (imagine my joy at THAT news).
    The dust collection build, including the Thien cyclone has done a ton of good in the shop. I know where the big weakness is, and its name is SCMS. I still need to build a proper dust hood for it. That thing is terrible with dust.

    TNow I do have plans for moving forward, some of them are redoing prior projects, some are continuing the original plan. The projects left to be completed are...

    Remove sheet rock from all walls except the common wall, run 100 amp sub panel, and at least 3 20 amp 110V circuits, and 2 20 amp 220V. Insulate the walls, preferrably with spray foam, but fiberglass is most likely going to be what the budget will allow, and re-sheetrock the walls.
    Once the walls are done, and everything is mounted back where it is supposed to be, build a hand tool tote for my hand planes, chisels, spokeshaves, scratches, scrapers etc... to fit between the clam shell cabinets. There will be a little bit of reaching around the band saw, but I can live with that.
    Rebuild / new build a proper workbench. I am thinking about putting some M&T joinery to work, as well as doing a proper butcher block type lamination of SYP for the top. I want heavy, solid, and durable. I want to have to use a floor jack and dollies to move this thing. Dimensions are bigger than a lot of guys like, but I am planning top dimensions of 6' long x 30" deep.
    Build a replacement for the strong tie bench. This one will be a purpose designed SCMS / Mortiser station with proper dust hoods, and T track / stop blocks aligned with the SCMS fence. The mortiser fence should align to the SCMS fence at full retraction so that neither interfere with the other. This bench / fence arrangement MUST be configured that any stock that passes it, MUST pass in front of my upright freezer that will be next to it. The freezer is why the shop library was built 6' long instead of 8'...
    Build a drilling accessory cabinet for between the shop doors. I need more than just the 10" deep x 12" wide shelf that I have everything jammed on now. I have a design I need to double check dimensions on before starting the first cut. This will likely be a spring time project for me.
    Full on proper mobile base / table saw workstation for my BT3100. I have some ideas I have gotten from the folks at BT3Central, and want to put them to use!
    Floor epoxy coated. Honestly this is most likely not going to happen. I will probably end up with a couple more of those big Craftsman Anti Fatigue mats around the major tools / benches and call it good.
    Dumb terminal / digital console. I will most likely use an ethernet KVM with some long cables, along with a remote speaker setup to a PC in another room. I want to use this rig to browse, and play media files.

    I am sure I left something important off, but I see I have gone on for a while now. I will give your eyes a rest, as fluid as things have been, I will likely come up with other projects as things go...
    Please like and subscribe to my YouTube channel. Please check out and subscribe to my Workshop Blog.
  • wardprobst
    Senior Member
    • Jan 2006
    • 681
    • Wichita Falls, TX, USA.
    • Craftsman 22811

    #2
    I sure encourage you to epoxy the floor, it is so much easier to keep clean. Looks like you're doing good,
    DP
    www.wardprobst.com

    Comment

    • dbhost
      Slow and steady
      • Apr 2008
      • 9209
      • League City, Texas
      • Ryobi BT3100

      #3
      Totally understandable, but I just can't figure out how to get everything off the floor in my shop long enough to do the job... I don't want to move everything to a storage unit and back..
      Please like and subscribe to my YouTube channel. Please check out and subscribe to my Workshop Blog.

      Comment

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

        #4
        I had the same issue and I opted for what I think is called Dura-Cote or some such thing. Here's a one step process that is probably similar. You see it advertised on those tear out cards in most DIY mags. I did my shop in sections, piling machines and boxes in one area while I cleaned the foor with sodium tri-phosphate and rinsed it a couple of times. I then gave that section a couple of coats but stopped short of the edges on the second coat so that I could blend that section into the second coat of the second section. You can hardly tell where they intersect now that the equipment is in. The paint is fairly expensive for non-epoxy @ $89/gal back in '04 dollars, that is. Good to have you back.
        Blessings,
        Chiz

        Comment

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