Tales of the unkept shop...

[Silvan]

Ain't that the truth. I used to live in the boonies. Now I live in the new business center of town, and I haven't moved. (Well, I bought the house next door to my parents'. I lived away for a few years, but if you gloss over that, I've been in the same spot since 1983.)

Super Wal-Mart, Super K-Mart, Target, Borg, Lowe's, Books-a-Million, Barnes & Noble, mall, motels, restaurants out the wazoo, and a host of other, lesser businesses. Why, I even have an 18' high concrete wall 100' from my bedroom window, at the top of which is a new four-lane highway. To top it off, the vacant lot across the street now hosts an enormous 2-story steel affair with a huge parking lot to match. The owner never finished the thing, and I get to look at rotting OSB, and an old, broken-down U-Haul truck.

Used to be a big cow pasture, a horticultural research farm, a corn field and a patch of land with some weedy trees. :(

Progress sucks.

[Silvan]

True. I have to admit the thing puts out some heat though. Dad has one. Gets the fuel for free because he works part time for the dealer, maintaining his computer network. (OK, he doesn't get exactly the fuel for free... :)

They have a generator to run the thing in an emergency.

We have gas logs. How yuppy is that? I figure that bigass propane tank will last awhile in a pinch though. We rarely use it otherwise. (Also have a heat pump.)

One thing's for sure, I don't miss splitting wood. We used to get a load of logs every year and work it up. Usually about six cords per truck. The first year we did that, Dad didn't know what he was buying, and it was a mostly 3' diameter red gum.

I broke a lot of Craftman mauls that year. Never did get a couple of those damn things split until they had rotted for a few years.

To say nothing of the time the log truck broke Dad's shit pipe, and we had to go out and deal with a geyser of sludge in the yard...

No, I think gas logs and sawdust stoves sound like a fine idea. :)

[Charlie Self]

Silvan notes:

Ain't it fun? I used to split it with a chainsaw. Only way to go.

Reminds me of a farmhouse I rented many years ago: sewage pipe clogged; plumber went out and busted said clog loose. I then discovered that the sewage pipe drained into a local cow pasture. I never again bought local beef.

Charlie Self

We thought, because we had power, we had wisdom. Stephen Vincent Benet

[Tim Douglass]

A friend of mine who has raised 5 sons gave me some advice the other day. He said to get a good combination padlock for my tool chest and not give the combination to anyone - let them saw it off after I die. My 4 sons are starting to get to the age where they are borrowing my tools, so I'm giving it some serious thought.

Tim Douglass

[ToolMiser]

My grandfather said if the kids didn't get access to tools, they would never learn. All three of his sons went on to be carpenters, and one continued on to be an Industrial Arts teacher. I think I was better at putting away my Dad's tools than he was. Now that my Dad has passed away, I have even more incentive to keep track of them.

[Scratch Ankle Wood]

Got to agree. I'm a slob but with about 100 sq ft to deal with and a saw, scroll saw, miter saw, disc/belt sander, drill press, and a grinder (all bench top models) plus assorted tailed/cordless hand tools plus some neander models of stuff, there really isn't much choice but to keep it fairly well clean. SWMBO keeps complaining about me not doing the same upstairs in the living space.

[Scratch Ankle Wood]

Having grown up on dairy farms I can with certainty that the cows lay down more than enough of their own sewage that there really wasn't any need to be concerned about the little extra you all added. 8^)

[Silvan]

Hmmm... This sounds like a survey. Since my shop ain't unkempt any more, I have to steer this thread in a new direction in order to continue to enjoy ownership rights. :)

So my shop is around 10'x12' which is a whopping 120 sq ft.

Going in, on the left, I have a trash can nook, a workbench that's ~ 4' long and ~ 3' deep with a couple of jig saws, an orbital sander, an electric drill, a circular saw and a Dremel stashed underneath. Next up is a 15" Craftsman drill press that's really too heavy for my crappy floor. The whole floor wobbles when I move it around. Finally, a crummy little TV stand thing where I bolted my B&D bench grinder, and where I store the drill press jigs and gadgets.

The back wall houses a tool cabinet, the remains of a treadmill, and my new scrap box. Coming back out, I have a Grizzly horizontal (metal-cutting) bandsaw, and a POS Skill TS. Then I have a Delta 36" disc/belt sander bolted to a stand made out of two curbside salvage end tables cobbled together, and a POS Crapsman Suckmaster 2000 router permanently affixed to a router table bolted to a cheap stand. (I've never used the router any other way. I don't have a clue how to do hand-held stuff with it.) Then I have my bigass shop vac and a stack of pipe clamps.

I have a couple sheets of plywood up top, with all my large bits of wood. Mostly salvage. Waterbed frames, tables, hutches, bed slats. One of my neighbors buys new furniture all the time, so I turn her old furniture into various things.

Oh, and a bicycle. New shed's not big enough for all the bicycles.

I'm falling in love with it again. It was full of crap for far too long. Think I might make some stuff this year. Ever since I started playing with Linux, I've been spending vast amounts of time on the computer, but I think it's about time I got out and did some stuff for a change. The computer stuff isn't holding my interest, which is probably just as well.

I'd be out there now except it's stuffy as hell with the doors shut, and the brown bugs drove me nuts last night. I found three of them in my hair when I took a shower.

[Larry Jaques]

On Wed, 16 Jul 2003 11:09:27 -0400, Silvan pixelated:

GOT MILK?

"Be the change you want to see in the world." --Mahatma Gandhi - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Website Application Programming

[McQualude]

Well, my 'whole' shop is 16x20, but there is a wall that runs through the middle of it. I am left with about 10x16 each side. The real problem is the ceiling is only 6.5' high. I have long considered tearing out the wall and replacing it with a beam but the original construction was non-standard to say the least and someone came along and put a new roof with framing on top the old roof and framing. I'm not sure what is holding what.

The builder also used ringshank nails, about 3500 per board I swear (it was built by fourteen year olds). I tore out part of a wall and it took me all day with a hammer and crowbar.

It has 2x6 joists (probably SYP full size 2x6), 24" o.c., spanning 8 feet (maybe), the front is fairly solid, the back is very bouncy, I'm afraid to put anything heavy back there. It's too close to the ground to crawl under, the whole place is sitting on cinder blocks, bricks, 4x4s, whatever was handy when they built it, but it is level.

My tablesaw and workbenches are in the front half, the back half is mostly empty. I am thinking of sealing off a corner to use for finishing.

I hope to build a new shop next year, at least 20x24 with tall ceilings.

If anyone has an idea how to beef up that floor without crawling under it, I'm all ears.

[Randy Chapman]

Ayup. Did the Linux things for years myself, made things for others (for free of course, goes with the territory). I tell you, it's really life-consuming. I retired my last Linux box over a year ago in favor of a $99 hardware router. Don't really miss it.

--randy

[Jack-of-all-trades - JOAT]

Wed, Jul 16, 2003, 10:10pm [e-mail] (Silvan) claims: I have to steer this thread in a new direction in order to continue to enjoy ownership rights. :)

Why not just start a new thread? Got way too many threads that just streatch on here anyway.

So my shop is around 10'x12' which is a whopping 120 sq ft.

Mine's 8'X12', you do the math. OK, got a set of sheves on the right, with various stuff, mostly car stuff Stick welder on a cart, bench bandsaw, Craftsman router (that has worked very nicely for several years) in a oruter table, 37" wood lathe, bench saw on stand, bench drill press, Crafsman scroll saw that works quite nicely, bench sander, bench ginder, one Tiki, small work bench, and sabre saw, sander, detail sander, angle grender, 3 or 4 corded drills, cordless drill, a whole batch of wood and metal files, a batch of clamps (mostly shop made), severl hammers, sack of dog food, folding chair, radio, fan, and misc. A lot of it is hanging from the rafters and along the walls. Oh, yes, have three more routers, all Craftsman. And a batch of mechanics tools, radio control boat, some fishing rods, wood drying for various projects, patterns. Can I get in and out, find stuff, and work in it? Yes. Oh yeah, double bit ax, Disston saw, two hammer hatchets, baby sledge hammer, section of railroad track as an anvil. And I don't remember what all else just now, or care.

JOAT Let's just take it for granted you don't know what the Hell you're talking about.

Life just ain't life without good music. - JOAT Web Page Update 16 Jul 2003. Some tunes I like.

[Wolf Lahti]

Gosh--I can't identify with that at all.

[tshiker]

Red Hat 7.0. Last of many Linux boxes I built. I gave up my life in front of a puter for a life in front of a work bench.(Good choice if you ask me) Mine is a small el shaped shop in the basement of my home.

8'x13' and then 13'x12.5' Low ceilings just under 7'. Walking thru the door into the shop the first thing you see is the work bench I built last fall. 80"x36" Not a hand me down but I needed some thing quick. 1-1/2" partical board with 1/4" hardboard over 2x4's every 6" framed in 1"x6" oak with a 9" woodworking vice. To the right is some shelves attached to the 2x4 wall studs holding my hand tools ie: sanders, jig saw, routers, drills, planes ect.. to the left is my Ridgid 13" planer that is on the stand that it came with but no wheels so I have to pick it up and move it to the center of the room when ever I want to use it (can you say hernia). Next to the planer is my Grizzly 18" garage sale($200) band saw. It's on a dolly but I need to get it set up with proper wheels too.If you go into the middle of the room you have to look out so you don't crack your head open on the center lolly column (PITA). Next to the lolly is my contractor table saw with two cast iron extensions, past that is the radial arm saw and dust collector. At the back of the shop is some shelves and the heater for the house. All my dust collection pipe is on one wall with drops to the RAS and TS and a flex pipe for the planer. Only one small window supplys all the outside light to the shop. I have 6- two bulb x 4' fixtures and two 100 watt incondescent(sp) lights to make up for the lack of windows. It's a little too small and a little too damp and a little under lit but all in all there is not many places I would rather spend an afternoon and thats what it's all about Right?

Well you asked!

[Silvan]

I'm not walking away from Linuxdom. Just ran out of things to do to entertain myself, I guess, so I rediscovered an old friend. :)

[Paul O.]

Mine's 6' X 10', have posted pics before on binary NG. It's really more of a storage shed for my tools than a workshop. My work area is out front of it. Want a band saw but no place left to put it.

-- Paul [e-mail] "You can make it foolproof, but you can't make it Damned foolproof."

[timonjkl]

"Paul O." wrote in news: [e-mail]:

mine is 10X12 and has a freezer a stove 4 screen windows OPS now storm windows the sloping bottom of the stair way with my bench under it . A table saw, band saw, 7?jointer dust collector 2HP, thickness planer and a small path to the laundry area.

[Phil]

Mine is a 16 x 24 with a 3' x 24 extension on one side for some lumber storage- Added it under the 3' overhang I insisted on when it was built. On either side of the recycled patio door is a RAS & work bench & clamp storage. The other side is my WT lathe , my ancient craftsman jig/scroll saw & more storage & the grinder/buffer. The old sears shaper , a roll around sanding station & my Ridgid planer on rollers are stored- along with a stack of Honey locust that is waiting to be planed. In the corner is my stand up compressor, two band saws ( one of which is an old JC PENNY Rockwall) The other is a salvaged

18" craftsman that I wouldn't even think about re tensioning each time I use) Then the opening to the lumber storage. Next is the WT Drill press that I gave far too much for at a garage sale, a large vise & storage. against the West wall ( I started South) Is the old TAMU drill press I got for almost nothing, a 1" bench sander/grinder made in someone's college class & my 4" /6" sander the kids got me for my birthday one year. The center is dominated by my 8" Craftsman TS & JC Penny 4" jointer (Delta) mounted on rollers. Overhead all around the shop is storage. I forgot to mention thet SWMBO stores her pool cleaning stuff under the RAS ( I forbid the chlorine & shock- she went for it when I mentioned how much it would cost to replace the tools damaged by the stuff). The shop HAD open rafters & it was just too hot (N Texas), So I installed some 1/2" foil covered foam on the bottom of the ceiling joists. Now the recycled AC actually keeps the place cool enough to work if I turn it on before the temp gets above

1. As to junk in the shop-- While there is some, most of the junk is now accumulating in the garage- along with 'free' stuff I get from jobs (read "cast-offs") You asked

[Fred McClellan]

Photos of my shop are at home.bellsouth.net/p/pwp-modelbof

It's not a woodworking shop per se, it's a building shop for giant scale radio controlled model aircraft.

No Shopsmiths, no Grizzly, no high-dollar anything.

Just hundred-dollar BORG table-toppers that suit my brand of wood-butchery.

Which reminds me . . . I was supposed to report back with some numbers and photos of the shop-vac driven dust collector lash-up.

I'll try to do that tomorrow. Cheers, Fred McClellan the dash plumber at mindspring dot com

[Lenny]

In my little home shop, 16' x 24' I have a Delta contractor's saw, a roll around cart that serves as an outfeed support, a 14" Jet bandsaw, an old Craftsman Radial Arm saw, a 6" Grizzly jointer, a router table (from Woodsmith plan) w/ a Makita 3hp, a Makita 10" slide compound, a Craftsman 15 1/2 Drill Press, 2 benches, a Chang Iron 3hp shaper, a Ryobi 12 1/2 portable planer, a Wagner 3 stage HVLP, and so much sCRAP accumulation from the years that I can't even begin to go out there and enjoy it. =0( That's partly because during the week I work in a 40' x 60' cabinet shop. Believe it or not, we have outgrown this space and have a foundation in and plans for a new 60' x 80' shop in the Fall/Winter.

Lenny

a few pics of our present shop here..