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Revamping and Updating my Old Shop

28K views 85 replies 28 participants last post by  jbertelson 
#1 ·
Lumberjocks - will I fit in?

Well, thanks for the great welcome. Found this forum searching for solutions to some issues as I started upgrading the shop, and thought it would be a good source of information and camaraderie.

I checked out some of the threads, such as "You know you're LumberJock if/when…". That made me wonder…would I fit in. Am I … er, ah …. crazy enough, you know…obsessed?

Then realizing that yesterday I dumped a whole quart ($15) of Watco into the bottomless pit of MDF that is my new radial arm table, and then decided it will look much better if I edged it in oak…

and the day before yesterday… I went to buy a can of sanding sealer at Lowe's, and of course had to wander through the power tool section. Guess what! The small (and cheap) Delta Shopmaster series planer and joiner were on clearance sale. And I mean cheaper than Amazon, even before the outrageous shipping charges for Alaska. Got to look at things differently up here. Bought the sealer, went home and read the reviews. (My next blog section will explain my rationale for sticking to the small stuff and the old stuff). It looked like they would be about right for my space, needs, and experience. So I trotted right back to Lowe's, and they actually had sold out of the planer in the last hour. I had to pick that up at the other Lowe's store in town. So I got my very first planer and joiner. Looked at the bill…

Why it came to less than $500 for the two of them. That would never do.

Those of you that are married know that justifying and maintaining a hobby like this one requires some careful planning and consistency. You have start it out right, and bite the bullet and make a big purchase and put up with the flak. But it better be big so that your spouse thinks that's what tools cost. I hadn't purchased any workworking tools in years, unless you count the new fence and digital read-out for the contractor's saw last month, but that wasn't a whole tool, just an add-on. So what's a guy to do?

Well, my wife is into quilting (and knitting and spinning and weaving), but into quilting big time, and understands the concept that you have to buy a tool, and the attachments, and other tools that are essential to some facet of the hobby, so it always seems to be a group of stuff.

I think I understand quilting better than she understands woodwork, so I thought I could make a case for one more tool. I had a very old "toy" scroll saw (think I made kids toys with it, and my youngest is over 30, so not used in many years) that I wouldn't even turn on any more because it vibrated me more than the workpiece. Well I lust after the DeWalt, but the price was totally out of line with my anticipated use. So I bought the Hitachi CW40, a reasonable compromise, especially for very occasional use, and but will need it…soon.

Now the bill is over $500 and looks better.

So the three new tools sit in their boxes…aren't the boxes pretty? It is the one and only time in a tool's life that it reaches perfection. It's all down hill from here. I have let new computers sit for nearly a week before opening them. Into computers for over 30 years…it takes me about 100 hours, not an exageration, to set a new one up. I have a lot of stuff in my computers. And it will take a lot of time to set up, install, and learn about those new tools. A lot of expletives about the instructions, about their short-comings and quirks. Building stands, finding room, building jigs, trying them out…....isn't that part of the fun?

I suspect that I will fit right in. Whatcha think?
 
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#2 ·
Jim, it sounds as if you do belong here!!! Getting a new tool in the shop is always an exciting event that really boosts the adrenaline level. But getting 3 at once only confirms that you are a true LJ.

Welcome aboard. Have fun and enjoy. :)
 
#4 ·
Sounds like you have found your niche….this is indeed the place for us tool obsessive wood addicts….but in all seriousness…this is one of the best sources for information and inspiration I have found on the internet….great folks and the proliference of experience and talent here add up to some very helpful tips and wonderful sources of techniques…Welcome from another fairly new to the LJ's…..
 
#5 ·
LOL re "careful planning and consistency"... I know what you mean.

Every time I go to Home Depot, my wife expects a bill for about $200. Occasionally I only need to buy a board and a hinge and bucket of paint… at which point I think: "What tool could I buy which would bring me up to the expected balance?"
 
#6 ·
yeah you fit right in. Last month or so I was in the mood to join the air tool ranks(the fact that I needed one for my current project didn't hurt any either), so I went looking around and found a 3 gal air compressor with a 2.5 inch brad nailor for 99.00. So I called the Mrs. and asked her in a very sweet voice if I could buy it. It does help to justify a tool purchase.
 
#7 ·
Hello Jim,
I am new here too. From day one, everyone has
treated me like an old friend, and never like an outsider. The very first day cabnetmaster said
"Be aware…this site can be very addictive" How right he is.
 
#10 ·
Don't worry about this site being obsessive Jim. Look at me, I can quit any time I want to. Welcome to LJ. I think one of our other members "Grizzman" lived in Alaska quite a while. Maybe you two could reminisce about freight prices to Alaska or whatever.
 
#13 ·
Definitely a sociable bunch here. Thanks again for the welcome. My #2 entry starts framing the questions I have, so there is something to bite into. Now have my radial arm saw totally in working form again….since the quart of Watco dried. Actually it never had a chance…even with sanding sealer…it was like something was in that MDF sucking it down the drain! Wouldn't do that again…MDF has more pucker power than I have Watco….(don't think that makes a good quote)..but it makes the point. Onward with the shop and the blog.
 
#14 ·
haha you're a natural!! Oak frame?
Strategies to get support from the spouse??
Yah… you fit right in!

Somewhere in this site is a list of strategies to get approval for new tools (or to get them in the house unnoticed. Very helpful! :)
 
#15 ·
Situational Awareness - it's about Space and Time

I might be writing this to explain my choices while demonstrating my impeccable organizational skills and foresight. But in reality, I know, that at best, I have a hazy gestalt of what I am doing and why in this hobby, and forge ahead, in an adventurous mode, and am totally amazed at my situation when reflecting at any point in time. Kind of like a two year old rummaging through the kitchen cabinets, chewing off the can labels and scattering the contents of the boxes, sitting there on the floor in the middle of the mess, with a big grin gazing up at mom, totally self satisfied with his discoveries, and proud of the great things he did with them.

My day job demands precision and total alertness at all times. It dominates my life… it defines and limits me. My hobbies are my escape from that domination and limits. I need to create, feel the freedom of an imagination run wild, without limits and care……you know, make a real mess. Thank God for sawdust.

(My intention is to outline my current situation in this #2 entry, provide pictures in #3 , and then solicit suggestions for storage, tool mounting, lighting, etc., along with my thoughts in #4)

Here's the SPACE:

I have lived in this house since 1985. I will probably die in this house. For multiple reasons, it is what I have to deal with now and forever. I used to have the back end of a double car garage, double deep. Meaning I basically had an unshared double car garage attached to the house for my shop. This shop served as carpentry, electrical, electronics and ham radio, plumbing, and miscellaneous mechanical work space. But this old house needed upgrading, and two furnaces and the hot water heater ended up in my space. Also, a walkway must be maintained to the back of the space leading to another storage area and the door to the back yard. No, I cannot expand this space because covenants prohibit us from building anything more on the lot, we are already slightly over the limit. The SPACE is warm and dry. I cannot work before 0600 hrs or after 2200 hrs due to the proximity of bedroom, directly overhead.

My wife intrudes a little into this space…storing muddy garden gloves and fertilizer on the contractor saw table top, using chisels for screw drivers, using tiny wire nips as bolt cutters, and in total unskilled innocence once fired up the radial arm saw and cut off a piece of plastic drainage pipe (not her hand thankfully, but it got her a lecture and chastisement) …you know, the usual charming and amusing feminine intrusions. She also uses one shelf for some strategic storage, otherwise the space is mine.

It has gained miles of heating pipe and electrical cables in a maze in the rafters and on the walls. I hope to clean up the electrical over time, but the heating system pipes are here to stay.

Now the TIME:

Since I still work, and get tired, and because I am not young, there are limits on my energy. I have limited time for hobbies. Considering time and energy restraints, it would probably take me a couple of years to totally revamp this space including the cabinets, workstations, and tools. Therefore I feel I must keep the shop functional while it is upgraded, so that I can do things now. So I will nibble at it and buy tools that fit for now, knowing I may replace them later, as the space gets more used more efficiently. It is a new hobby (meaning the shop was essentially multipurpose and totally utilitarian till now) and I don't want to get carried away, and find I have or gain some impediment to enjoying it. And I do like fixing up the old friends I have worked with for years, my radial arm saw, and the contractors saw.

INVENTORY: (all these tools were purchased new)

Craftsman Radial Arm Saw - 1971 New table in place
Delta Contractors Saw - 1987 New Vega fence and Wixey digital readout
Skil Router Model 295 - 1978
Makita Miter Saw -1984 in disuse
Delta 12" Drill Press - 1990 Would like to upgrade.
Delta 4" Belt/Disc Sander - 1991 Would like a more robust machine.
Delta 10" Band Saw - 1992 Will upgrade in the near future.
Delta 1.5 HP Sawdust Collector - 2009 4" hose running to all current workstations, blast deflectors at each station, remote control on/off
Delta ShopMaster TP 305 small Planer - 2009 In the box still
Delta ShopMaster JT 160 small Joiner - 2009 In the box still
Hitachi Scroll Saw CW 40 - 2009 In the box still
Multiple corded and cordless drills, saws, sanders, etc. Mostly old, but in good shape.

So there is the situation…
And pictures…coming soon!! (probably next weekend)
 
#21 ·
My SPACE in depth: Pictures and Ecology of the Man Cave

This purpose of this entry is to provide pictorial detail of my workshop space, and a little more personal background information relevant to the SPACE.

My intention is to solicit comments and advice for short term utilization and the eventual long term redesign of the shop.

GEOGRAPHY:
Anchorage, Alaska. We live in the middle of town, Lowe's and Home Depot 4 minutes away. The 3 major hospitals and two universities 4 minutes away. BP Alaska headquarters 2 minutes away. We are buried in the middle of the only city of size in Alaska. But the city is not a fortress. The creatures of the wilderness have successfully invaded….they are among us.

INHABITANTS:
Alaska - 656,000 humans, untold number of critters.

Anchorage (Its largest city) - 278,000 people, 1900 moose, 250 beaver, 250 black bears, 60 brown (grizzly) bears, 3.34 trillion mice.

Anchorage is just one big zoo…..if there are other Anchorageites out there, please don't take offense, I didn't mean YOU live in a zoo, it's just that Anchorage is like……..oh well, I think I will always be politically incorrect. So back to the narrative: In the city proper, there are no resident bears, but there are definitely incursions on a regular basis. Every year one or more people are killed or maimed by bears while traversing the trails at the wild edge of the municipality. Wolves accept offerings of pet dogs tied up on the back porch feedlots for a supplemental source of protein. There are 300 year-round resident moose in the city proper, and as many as 1000 moose in the winter. They routinely prune my bushes and birch trees each year in the front yard. They calve in our yards. This is not your average city. The moose are not tame, they are huge, and they have maimed and killed people here in Anchorage while I have lived here. They are like the bears in Yellowstone. They may be accustomed to people, but they will defend their young, and defend themselves if they perceive that they are threatened. One kick and you are down, then with a few stomps you are dead. Definitely not Bambi.

Now why do I mention these critters……..well if I left the garage doors, and thereby my shop open, especially in winter, I suspect a moose might eventually wander in, but it is not likely to happen. However, Daddy long-legs come in routinely and are tolerated…because my wife (Sherie) deems it so ('cause they eat other insects)… I must pick them up and move them outside if they are in the way. Mice, however, are not welcome, but they arrive uninvited during the winter. Sherie, between shrieks, yells out "there's a rat in here!!!". You get the drift. In an otherwise egalitarian, non-genderized household, I am allowed, but only for the moment, to become the "man", beat my chest, and go on the attack, responsible for maintaining the social integrity of the cave… we do not socialize with mice. Perhaps 3.34 trillion overstates the census slightly, but I guarantee those mice stand in line to become house-mouse in the Anchorage wintertime, there must be trillions. Where are the wolves when we need them? Over the years I have gathered a formidable arsenal for the mouse wars. No weapons of mass destruction says my wife with the only organic lawn and garden in the territory. Hence no d-Con. Until last year. Then her fear of the invidious rodents got the best of her, and now d-Con has rid us of the pestilence. Whew.

So my shop is now inhabited only by me, my wife passing through… with only random effects, (isn't she cute?), and the occasional Daddy long-legs. I have considered special habitat for the Daddy long-legs, walkways with over and underpasses through the tools, feeding stations, and spas ( they must have quite a time washing under their arms, er, and legs) just to focus their attention away from the busy areas of the shop, but that will have to wait for later. Right now, as long as I step carefully, the ecology of the shop, and…….the ecology of the family, is reasonably managed. I do have to be careful, Sherie seems to have names for all those Daddy long-legs….Twinkle Toes….Daddy-be-good…Big Daddy…Bo-Diddley, Chicken-Legs…………………yes dear, I did pick him up carefully, no, I don't think it was Twinkle Toes, yes, he walked off normally, unhurt and unafraid, humming a happy tune after I put him down, and yes, he waved goodbye and winked as he slipped under a dandelion…………………………..

FLOOR PLAN:

First a little description. This is a 20.5 feet by 20.5 feet space. I know it is so. I measured it with my trusty "Craftsman Laser Measuring Tool" I purchased with a gift certificate after the device had been marked down to about 25% of its original price. We all know what that means. But I have actually used it a few times. Now 4 times. Fun.

My SPACE (now talking about floor dimensions) has one totally immovable object imbedded in it, a 96×41 inch stand upon which resides the water heater and two furnaces…I know, but it is just like the cowboys with two pistols instead of one….Another less immovable object is a 31×32 inch freezer. Once we have totally remodeled, and the miscellaneous prepurchased doors and such are gone, that freezer might be moved. About two years from now I think.

Next comes some pictures and endless boring commentary……..I am hoping to learn Sketchup real soon now, and will be able to play doll house with it and show even more boring pictures as I rearrange shop furniture in virtual mode. Bet you can't wait.

So here from my trusty "Craftsman Professional Shop Camera Model 173"……… nah, it is a slightly outdated Konica - Minolta modestly priced and somewhat abused…

Shop - from the front (near the cars). You can tell by the bottle that I was busy lubricating the saw….........



Shop - old kitchen cabinets installed as an electronics area in 1985. Also contains the sink. The Xmas lights are from a few years ago when we had the whole kitchen installed down here, even had the ice maker running on the fridge…during a remodel of course. Note the brown lamp at the right. Purchased in 1959 to go to college with. Still has the original bulbs. Either those are the world's greatest bulbs, or I didn't study very much….....



Shop - from the rear, looking towards the cars (not in the garage at this time). Notice the 3 project tables I made about 20 years ago with picnic table fold down legs. The tops are loose and replaceable. Nice to be able to fold them away when this space was used during a big remodel for storage. I also use them as outfeed tables, they have adjustable leg heights.



Shop - the main workbench, built in 1971 from 2×10 for top, 4×4 for legs, and 2×4 for the rest. With a 3/4" plywood Watco treated top. Put together with nuts and bolts, and some lag screws. Needs new drawers, but is otherwise, as you would expect, indestructible and works like new. Notice the freezer, central vac, miscellaneous cabinets…........



Shop - back bench. Bunch of small power tools. Note dust collector on the edge at right. I plan to demolish this bench put the tools on movable stands, or other.



Shop - my new radial arm saw table, haven't put the oak edging on yet (-: Absolutely flat, sandwiched 1/2 inch MDF, couldn't find anything thicker here. The surface is sanding sealer and two coats of Watco. Wonderful feel. May put one coat of wipe on poly on it.



Shop - RAS sawstop, that I clamp in place with a small vise grip clamp. Accurate to a few thousands of an inch, don't have to measure crosscuts. I sight along either side of the acrylic top. It is exactly 10 inches long, so I can set for very small cuts off the back end.



Shop - My way of keeping the registration of the fence exact. In the past I used extra 5 1/4 inch floppy labels - wow does that date me, but this one I made with my label maker. Set the fence so that the ruler is exact, then put the label on the fence and push it into the angle with a block of wood. Then cut it at the angle with a box cutter. Can see if the fence is set right at a glance. Or you can put it back precisely if the fence is temporarily removed. Place different labels for different blades. Literally, I make settings within a few thousands of an inch measured with a Wixey digital caliper (boy does that get a lot of use, love it)...........



Well that's all folks. Next blog entry will state my thoughts about revamping this old multipurpose utilitarian shop to become a real woodworker's shop. But bring on the suggestions and comments - anything would be appreciated.

Thanks

Jim
 
#33 ·
Tuning up, and a tiny project done, with an outrageous time expenditure......, I'll never learn

I was hoping to be further along this weekend in my quest to become a real woodworker. You know, real woodworkers have real shops…..... And I was going to talk about my plans for the real shop…that's what real woodworkers do…I know…I have learned that on Lumberjocks. Well, just like when I found out I needed a new radial arm saw table, shop maintenance took precedence. That project, where I was forced to retune the radial arm saw, brought to mind some basic needs for my table saw. I realized I needed a different kind of blade for table saw, and admitting that I hadn't done a first class tune-up of my Delta Contractor Saw, vintage 1990, since I bought it new, and even then didn't do much…..I decided it was overdue about 20 years. Watching me in action for 25 years, my wife Sherie says I redefine the concept of procrastination…why do today what you can put off till tomorrow?

So instead of plans for the shop, I will reenact my formless, free-spirited enterprises of the weekend…which did finally result in a tuned up saw, but with a rather profligate expenditure of time and energy:

My 10" Delta Contractor Saw, 1990, 34-444, joined the shop about 1990, when getting desperate for a safe method to rip some wood…RAS's are not the best way to rip wood I know by some very harrowing and exciting personal experiences…I ran over to Fred Meyer on a Saturday, they carried such things in those days, fell in love with the Delta at first sight, (they didn't have any other saws, good thing we were a match) and bought the saw, opened the box and started putting it together. Problem. There was no motor, ran back the F.M. and they gave me a motor. It was a good thing, your true love needs all its parts, especially the M O T O R, so I ran back home and finished putting it together, and used it that day. With no calibration or maintenance of significance I am sure…until this weekend. Well, slight exaggeration. About 6 weeks ago I added a Vega fence (the Biesemeyer cost almost as much as the saw) that I really like, and a Wixey digital readout that I am already addicted to. But just adjusted the fence to the miter gage slot, didn't do anything else with the saw.

So it was time…really was the time…long overdue…no more screwing around. Tune the saw. I had a new blade in it, a first class Freud crosscut blade, that's because I used it primarily for cutting plywood…remember… this was a utilitarian shop with an eye on results, and being frugal…until my wife's, oh so naive and indulgently benificent prodding to turn me into a maker of fine furniture finally turned a switch in my brain…it was a blank check to the candy store. So now, the saw had to be more…balanced in its capability. I had a reprieve. I had to order a new blade. Forrest WWII, thin kerf, looked like a good all around blade, and the dampener as well, so now I had a reprieve, I would wait for the new blade. But it came on Thursday, no excuses, tune the saw. So I then had to do what I always do, be excruciatingly compulsive. I wanted a digital readout for my blade to perform miter slot adjustment and my fence to blade/miter slot adjustment. Phew. I had a reason to procrastinate again.

And now, the fundamental error in judgement. I had a Wixey Caliper. This is not a device designed for checking fence and blade alignment to the miter gage slot. But it could be made to. I knew it could. It was basic logic. This was a precise small distance measuring device, and I wanted to measure small distances. I would make my caliper multipurpose…waste not want not. No need for another device.

I digress. Compulsive, at times my middle name, is not to be confused with timeliness, or reasonableness. To the contrary…they are competing attributes…best not be labeled virtures…my self image is at stake here. So when you see what comes about, you can understand…it was a war of attributes…compulsiveness, stubborness, self-reliance, and creativity won out over reasonability, efficiency, and providence. It was not reasonable to make a mount for a gage that took somewhere between 6 and 12 hours ( I purposely lost count), it would have been much more efficient to buy the proper gage, and I wasn't thinking about what happens when the caliper breaks or fails, and my delicate, totally inflexible and proprietary mount becomes obsolete because the manufacturer has changed the dimensions of the gage.

To make a long story short, I made the mount out of two hundred pieces of plywood….or about that….it is not designed to be nailed down…and it worked. I clamped it into the miter gage with the OFFICIAL MITER GAGE CLAMP ATTACHMENT I bought 20 years ago and used twice, and it performed brilliantly. Here is a picture of the mount:



RESULTS:

The saw blade was dead on within .0001 of an inch parallel with the miter gauge and the fence. I think that this whole endeavor was a was a monumental waste of time, or a tribute to the venerable contractor saw design, or the manufacturer that delivered me a perfectly set up saw from the outset. Of course, somehow, I managed to set up the fence without digital means to the same standard…..serendipity.

The saw was 0.2 degree off of vertical, and the miter gauge, that I never used anyway, was off at 45 degrees by a degree or so. The caliper was not used for these measurements.

So as long as the digital caliper lives….and it is constantly in use, because remember, I am compulsive…I will have a means, at the expenditure of untold…I AM NOT TELLING!!!!...hours, to check the alignment of the saw and fence that was perfect from the outset and has remained so without checking for 20 years.

I will never learn.
 
#34 ·
Hey Jim
You take yourself way to seriously LOL It's nice to have people as most do here in LJs that they are not the master of this or that Just a real woodworker trying and succeeding at making what they have work for them. Good job Jim
 
#37 ·
Interim update. Wiring the Delta 50-760 Sawdust Collector for 220

The Delta 50-760 Sawdust Collector comes wired for 110 volts. Had some issues with lights dimming, especially when running the sawdust collector and one of the big saws. I have decided, therefore, to put the dust collector and the two saws on 220, and then put a line stabilizer on my wifes longarm quilter circuit. The dust collector, in particular, seems to be an amps hog. I had seen a post about the noise level and pitch changing and becoming obnoxious on 220. So I approached it wondering if it would work out. In fact, that is the main reason I decided to post about this.

Since it was on a dedicated circuit, I put in a 220, 20 amp breaker and moved some of the breakers to avoid any splicing. Only need a 3 wire circuit for this level of amperage, so no new wiring, but colored the white wire red as per code. Had to replace the remote switch with a 220 one from Woodcraft. Replaced the socket in the wall, cut off the plug on the dust collector and replaced it with the proper 220 one. Then switched the wires around on the motor…they even had included an extra wire nut in the housing to do this. Turned it on…it sounded exactly the same.

Time expended, including moving the collector, cable tying the wiring at the remote, screwing it into the wood panel the remote is on, changing the DIP switches on my other 3 fobs, collecting tools and putting them away, about 1 1/2 hours. Thought it would take less, of course I think everything will take less time. I have never overestimated the amount of time some project will take. Go figure.

The unchanged noise makes me wonder if the person who noted the noise change was running a significant voltage drop on 110, and 220 brought the motor up to normal performance. There should be no change in power as I understand things, unless you have house wiring problems. The collector is noisy, but not overly so, I don't feel required to wear protectors because it is on.

Now only a flicker of the lights, but no dimming. Now have to do the saws, but for that I have to run a 220 circuit. I ran the original 110 circuit about 25 years ago, so it doesn't present a problem for me. But I need the 110 for some lights and small tools.

Should someone who has never done electrical much do this? Not recommended. Best get an electrician. Second best, find a friend who is knowledgeable to help you. I can see some hazard points, I'm guessing you could destroy the motor, or get a shock, or create a fire hazard. From what I read around here, a large percentage of LJ's feel comfortable doing this kind of thing, but the uninitiated should not just jump in and do it. I reread the code, made sure I had all the proper plugs, receptacles, etc. and have done this sort of thing untold times. It used to be a necessary skill if you lived in Alaska. Plumbing even more so.

The main note: No change in noise level or character on 220 versus 110 for the Delta 50-760 Sawdust Collector.
 
#46 ·
Putting together a benchtop downdraft table, and learning Sketchup

Worked this weekend. Isn't there a federal law against that? And got the flu as well, isn't there a federal law against that too? I have pretty well licked the flu with magic potions. So not very productive in the shop.

Benchtop downdraft table, ala Rockler:

Designed for Rockler's downdraft table top sections, with their plans, except I am not using their downdraft table top sections. Will try a new finish that grips well. We'll see if it holds up to abuse, and being coated with sawdust. I'll report on my findings. I am already using it on a pushstick and it works great. We'll see. I am slightly pessimistic.

I have divided the top into three loose sections, perforated, that can be exchanged for blanks to increase the draft if the whole table isn't needed. The size is perfect for my bench, with connections to sawdust collection, etc. considered.

I cut out most of it a while ago, before I decided I needed to tune up the RAS and build it a new table, and tune up the table saw. So it was screwing and gluing…....screwing and gluing…...doesn't that have a buzz to it?, and a few nails as well….wish I had a brad nailer. So it is mostly together, and all cut out, including the extra blank sections. They need to be sanded for fit on the edges, a little too close. Too close to fit with more sawing. And of course, the anathema of downdraft tables, making the holes…..haven't done that. Splitting it into 3 sections will help fit the drill press, but it would have fit anyway. Sharpening up those Forstner bits.

I am really, really, really sorry there are no pictures yet….....next weekend for sure, when I have the surface on and hopefully have used it a bit…................

and,

Sketchup…...................damn….........

Hate to learn graphics programs, they are all arcane, flakey, full of bugs, and always a work in progress. You never know whether it is your lack of expertise and familiarity, or the screwups…..there it is again….. of the programmers. Sketchup is definitely a work in progress. Not bad for a freebee, might get better over time, I suspect. Can't complain too much, it was only 3 days ago I opened up the program for the first time. It still may be lack of familiarity. Don't think I would pay $500 bucks for the pro version though.

So I bumbled through the tutorials, and then put my SPACE in Sketchup.The power tools are not pictured yet, the available objects (components) are not up to my totally irrational and absurdly compulsive standards.

So I made some pictures…......I notice LJ's are really into pictures…....so were my kids when they were growing up…......... ....................... so was I…................... still am

So, here is the first picture, just showing what I have to deal with, and two objects, the old kitchen cabinets that I reused after the first remodel, and the built in work bench that was here when I bought the house 25 years ago, that I plan to replace or upgrade…........



and two more pictures from different aspects….......





Notice my sidekick Kermit on the built-in bench.

I digress, again…......Kermit is not allowed in the shop when I am working. He is a 19 year old Mitered Conure, about 15" from stem to stern, that we have been possessed by for 19 years…....HE IS IN CONTROL. But, because he is clipped, he flys downward, and unpredictably when startled, so he cannot be around the machines when they are operating. He understands, I am sure. So I thought he might appreciate at least being in the pictures. He is oh so happy, to finally be in the shop.

Of course that is not the only reason he may not be in the shop, especially when I am working. He is a pretty good talker, and is slowly learning the very infrequently used, and abhorred expletives that most rarely enter conversation in the household. And I know, two days in the shop, would make him swear like a sailor (was in the navy many years ago) ........ couldn't have it.

So hopefully, pictures of the downdraft table this next weekend….......
 
#57 ·
Prelude to a Project in b#

.....OR HOW DUSTY GOT A SUIT INSTEAD OF A DARK SPORT COAT AND LIGHT PANTS.

OK, I admit this is not really a project, but is a significant addition to the shop, that I built with my own two hands. So I will try to BE SHARP[groan] and do it up right. This is about Dusty, my new benchtop (meaning clamp it to the bench) downdraft table.

About the clothes….........well I tried to use dark Watco on the outside and clear on the inside because I was using some reclaimed and previously finished lumber on the inside that had a clear finish, and the evil, invidious, and repugnant yelllow phlegm couldn't be sanded off in any reasonable way on the inside…...well of course the dark stuff ran, you know, like I really thought I did a great job of masking, but I guess I didn't. So I pull off the masking….there it was…. I knew it might happen, though I was really hoping it wouldn't.

In case you don't know…...I have to shroud my shop objects in dirt colored black walnut WATCO, because they are subject to much use and abuse, it is important to me. My OBSESSIONS. I don't want to see the scuffs, dirt, sprays, spittle, cuts, blotches, abuse, and memories of my ineptitude displayed on my shop objects. We must have our fantasies of perfection. Black walnut WATCO hides the evidence to the contrary.

May I digress, you know I always digress, it is inevitable. The yellow phlegm….I have expounded on this before… the yellow phlegm, Elmer's yellow glue, when it lands on anything, unless you thoroughly sand it off…......makes an imposslble substrate for other stains, and finishes. And of course, inside DUSTY, there are the telltale signs of trying to set closely fit objects together, and glue them too. Damn the phlegm. Oh well, it is the inside, and nearly impossible to sand…......I will compromise.

So then I finished the inside with the dark color, and all the old finish, and phlegm marks….........flash in psychodelic obscenity….....oh. Again, it is the inside. But remember my obsessions…...the compulsions….......yarrrrgh.

So a photo….....PRELUDE TO A PROJECT IN b#...........



Well, that's how it looks to me…........you know, Saturday night…......we'll get our act together tomorrow…..

Tomorrow…......the whole enchilada…........., the experimental surfacing, the interchangeable panels…..and tomorrow, perhaps I will see things differently….....perchance a better mood….the final touches will be complete.

Anon.
 
#60 ·
Benchtop ClampDown Downdraft Table, real Dusty, errrr.....Dusty for real.........

DESCRIPTION

Sanding downdraft table to be used on a bench or other. 3 perforated top plates, 2 of which can be exchanged out for non-perforated plates to use on smaller objects.

TIMING AND GENERAL FORMAT
I cut this out about a month ago, all but the perforated top plates. Then was going to put it together with pocket screws for practice, but the 7/16 ply is just too thin for reliably placing pocket screws. While getting my Kreg jig set up on a board, I noted my RAS needed tuning, actually a new table. So that, and tuning my, table saw, and a few other diversions…....but I got to the downdraft table this week. Don't have the time right now to make a floor mounted mobile unit that would double as an outfeed table etc. So bench top looked right. I don't like the sawdust much, especially the fine stuff, so it was very necessary. In fact I sanded parts of it while having it connected to the dust collector.

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
Size:
It is 17" x 28" x 6" roughly, a size that just squeezes onto my bench including room for the 4" hose hook up. It is not to heavy, so can be hung on the wall.

Plan:
It is based on a Rockler design for their metal perforated plates. The only way it varies from their design, are:

1) Wings on either end that will allow for clamping [and a hole to hang it up, eventually]

2) The top plates are wood, loosely placed so as to be interchangeable. I made two non-perforated blank plates so that one or two of the perforated plates could be switched out to increase the downdraft if the full table area is not needed. The total area of the holes with all three plates in is slightly less than double that of the 4" dust collector hose feed.

MATERIALS
The body is 7/16 birch veneer ply. The top plates are 3/4 oak veneer ply, left over from covering my bench. The stretchers are some scavanged oak 3/4" baseboard solid wood I installed 25 years ago, and subsequent removed in another remodel but saved for later use. The materials were selected to make it to strong, durable, portable, and flexible in use.

CONSTRUCTION
The parts are connected with screws and glue for the most part. The slanting dust slides inside are glued and nailed from the sides. The bottom is nailed and glued. The outside screws are plugged, nails sunk and covered. Plywood voids and nail holes filled with Elmer's Wood Filler.

FINISH
The body of the table is my usual black walnut WATCO, doesn't chip, can always have another coat, and the dirt color of black walnut hides everything.

The top plates, both the perforated and non-perforated ones are covered with 3 heavy coats of Plasti-Dip on the top for friction, and WATCO on the sides and bottom. This is just a curious experiment for me. The major issues with using the Plasti-Dip are unknown wear characteristics, friction levels when coated with sawdust, and cost.

PICTURES

DUSTY ready to go, with two perforated panels in.



DUSTY ready to go, with one perforated panel in.



DUSTY insides.



DUSTY backside.



USAGE AND COMMENTS

I used it some during the construction, and in particular it keeps the sawdust down like it is supposed to. When in use it is connected with 4" hose to my Delta 50-760 1.5 hp dust collector running on 240V. With two blank plates exchanged in it has a very strong, perceptible flow of air, less so with all perf plates in. I have not used it since I put the finish on, completed the WATCO on the plates this morning.

I may at a later date put it on legs and wheels. If I set the height right, the top plates could be exchanged out for a plate with a roller on it to be used as an out or infeed. At this time, I do not have my TS cabinet built, and it probably won't get done for 6 months to a year, so I don't know the height of infeed and outfeeds. So in the meantime, the portable configuration of the downdraft table is the best setup.

So DUSTY is officially done. Dark suit, no sport coat and light pants….............(-:
 
#78 ·
Long range planning - how to gain wall space and storage space.

I have reasonable workbench and floor space if you include my project tables. But I am really short of wall space and storage space.

Mounting Systems

I am going to do the french cleat thing on all walls that are available after removing any pegboard, the old cabinets from my first kitchen remodel in 1985, and some other cabinets as well. I will also put french cleats on the attached garage walls, and there may be room for some storage in the garage that way.

Wiring

The wiring will be rerouted in a systematic fashion that will allow electrical access on all walls. This will make it possible to move a bench to a different wall area via the french cleats and have sockets availabe to fee power strips on the cabinets. At this time, I think I will either place a number of surface mounted boxs with receptacles, or just run strip in that space that is normally just above a bench, but below the cabinets. Then I will not make any cabinets that are floor to ceilling. I will use one wall space for storing very long items vertically such as guides, clamps, lumber, etc.

Benches and Cabinets
Then I will put in new benchwork and under bench cabinets hung on the main cleats. Except for my old bench which will get a new set of drawers under it, all other benches and cabinets will be hung on the cleats. I will keep my light weight project tables, but probably upgrade and replace the tops.

Each above bench cabinet will have either small french cleats or pegboard inside and on the back of the door, as well as small cleats or pegboard on the front of the cabinet door. That is how I am going to effectively increase wall space.

The doors on all the cabinets will have to have first rate hinging to take the weight. The cabinets construction will have to be plywood, or solid wood. All large power tools will have cabinets underneath them, and will be mobile. The surface of the RAS and TS will be the same height. Smaller power tools such as grinders, benchtop jointers, planers, etc will be stored on shelves or in cabinets.

I was thinking of some halfway solutions, but I think the answer is to systematically plan the whole space and garage. Then paint the ceiling, and walls, and put in french cleats all around that are very substantial. That will allow me to hang most anything anywhere, and give me some space on the walls to run electrical wire in a standardized way around the shop, without drilling a lot of holes or putting up new wall board. I should easily double my storage and wall space. While I am at it, there will be a lot of stuff thrown out or given away.

Unfortunately, planning is easier than doing, but this plan should give me a better result, with less work in the long run.
 
#79 ·
That sounds like a great and practical plan Jim. Like everything else we take the work one step at a time. I like to zero in on step one and not think about the whole thing too much. Too easy to become overwhelmed. You have some wonderful workshop plans. A flexible workshop can't be beat. You will even be able to reconfigure for special projects when necessary. It'll be fun to follow along while you do too.
 
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