Workshop Information
Location
United States
I've loved woodworking all my life and have always had some sort of situation where I could set up and use what tools I had. In 2001, I designed and built a 40×60 "barn". Part was to be a 3 bay garage and the rest mostly workshop. Except for the trusses, drywall, and roof, I did it myself with the help of some good friends when I needed them and my wife when I was in a jam. The interior of the shop is beaded board plywood and the trim and stairs are all southern yellow pine. I've gradually made shelves and fixtures out of the same materials. I wanted the center tall enough to handle long boards without a problem. Penn State Industries helped me design the dust collector system, I installed it and it works great. I built a 4' x 4' cupola that can be accessed from the loft by a ladder. It's a neat hideaway for visiting children. The loft at the rear of the shop is accessible by a ladder that can swing up and store against the ceiling. The tools are ones I have gradually collected over my adult life. There are tools I would love to have but then my Dad always said to get the best tools you could afford but that the tools are not so important as what you can do with what you have. As you can see I have enough projects in various stages of completion, not to mention on the sketch pad to keep me going for awhile.
Yes, there are 99 (different) bottles of beer on the wall, and I drank every one of them!! You gotta have some fun along with all that work. When the machinery isn't running you're likely to hear some polka music or great music from the 40's, 50's, or 60's. One with a sharp eye will observe that the grain of the drawer fronts is continuous (cut from 1 piece of wood). It was fun to keep track of that as I went through the process of cutting the dovetails with a Leigh jig. I beveled the back of the drawers so it could hang down slightly and have a catch at the back so it wouldn't fall out but could also be removed.
I can make all sorts of excuses for the disarray but anyone that really works in their shop knows, it's never perfect. It's a work in progress. If you aren't making things your shop stays a lot neater. There are roughed out bowl blanks, drying and waiting to be finished or something or another just waiting to be tackled. I say make sawdust and clean it up as you need to. A guy told me once that if you make a promise to yourself to put away at least 10 things when you go into your shop, you will keep it organized. I've tried it and it helps.
Yes, there are 99 (different) bottles of beer on the wall, and I drank every one of them!! You gotta have some fun along with all that work. When the machinery isn't running you're likely to hear some polka music or great music from the 40's, 50's, or 60's. One with a sharp eye will observe that the grain of the drawer fronts is continuous (cut from 1 piece of wood). It was fun to keep track of that as I went through the process of cutting the dovetails with a Leigh jig. I beveled the back of the drawers so it could hang down slightly and have a catch at the back so it wouldn't fall out but could also be removed.
I can make all sorts of excuses for the disarray but anyone that really works in their shop knows, it's never perfect. It's a work in progress. If you aren't making things your shop stays a lot neater. There are roughed out bowl blanks, drying and waiting to be finished or something or another just waiting to be tackled. I say make sawdust and clean it up as you need to. A guy told me once that if you make a promise to yourself to put away at least 10 things when you go into your shop, you will keep it organized. I've tried it and it helps.