Well, here is my shop story, but before I give the tour of the new shop, I think I need to give a little idea of exactly where I had to work before.

This is my old shop/garage. Now, it could never be a garage these days because they don't make cars as small as they did in 1914. This shop is fully outfitted with one 15 amp outlet that ran everything. Also, the eaves were completely open to provide a well-ventilated atmosphere, with free access to the interior by rain, fog, and bugs, not to mention small rodents. Aiding the ventilation were the numerous termite holes perforating the siding.

Did I mention I had a little rust problem? There is about 6 feet between the bench and the wood rack on the opposite wall. The shed is about 14 foot long. I built a nice workbench in here, which immediately went into storage because I could not move around in the shop unless I crawled over the top--at least it got rid of that pile of reclaimed oak flooring I had laying around. Typical woodworking entailed rolling machinery out onto the 3 x 4 foot slab I poured outside the door and rolling it back in when it rained or got dark. This is where I did my woodworking and work related to the restoration of our 1914 bungalow for about five years.

Well, I don't like to be a complainer, but I found that space a little small, so I built a shop; mostly by myself with the occasional help of a few generous friends. (I kept complete cost details that I would be glad to share, if anyone is interested in building a similar structure.) Someday I'll paint the exterior.

This building also addressed a problem we faced with our house--a lack of storage space. It measures 24 x 28 feet and has attic storage 8 foot wide for the full length of the attic. It is stick-built with Hardiplank cementitious siding, 5V crimp roofing, a monolithic slab, and separate 200 amp service. Electrical is a combination of 120 and 240 volt, 20 amp outlets. The interior has eight foot ceilings (a compromise to save money) and the walls are drywalled, with insulation in the attic and in the walls. I have a small combination heater/AC unit in the back wall I salvaged from a window in the house.

Here is a view of one side of the shop with your back to the sliding door. I have inherited some of the machines, temporarily, from my father-in-law until he builds a new shop. You can see my Jet mortiser, with cross-sliding vise, a lathe (f-i-l's) is in the first cabinet, and the radial arm saw (f-i-l's), then the spindle sander (f-i-l's), long clamps (mostly mine), and the workbench that I used to have to crawl over in the old shop.

On each side of the RAS I built 8 foot long cabinets with qs sycamore frames that have leg levelers so they can be used as an extension of the table of the RAS (doors yet to be made). Above the back cabinet are most of my planes. I plan to add french cleats around the walls to hang these and other stuff later.

Here is a detail of the vise setup on the mortiser.

Here's a closer view of the bench with my boy holding it down.

Here's a closer look at my rack for benchpanes and other handtools

...and under my bench are chisels, mallets and molding planes.

Here is the shop looking from the 36" entry door. In the foreground is my f-i-l's Ryobi BT3000 and behind that is my old Craftsman TS. At the back wall is a Hawk scroll saw (f-i-l's, not visible), 12" bandsaw (f-i-l's), my Jet 18" bandsaw, my Dewalt 733 planer, Delta chopsaw (f-i-l's), and Grizzly 6" jointer.

All my tools are on mobile bases. Behind it all is my 16 foot long wood rack (filled with mostly f-i-l's lumber). It is made of 2x4s with 4 degree angled holes drilled in to accept 1/2" pipe, which I covered with PVC to prevent staining. I keep all my hardwood in here and still use the old shop's rack for construction lumber and stuff I'm not going to use for a while.

Next is a Jet dust collector (f-i-l's, someday to be replaced by a Grizzly 2 hp and fixed piping), and old Craftsman shaper (f-i-l's)

...and completing the circle is my grinder and metal topped workbench and sharpening area, and my little drill press.

Overhead I have 8 4-bulb T8 flourescents, which give plenty of light, but I will add some incandescent work lights and sometime, down the road, two or three windows over the RAS cabinet area.

Hope you enjoyed the tour.

Regards, Mike

Originally posted 21 August 2003