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#1 ·
Another workbench in my life... - converting the shed into a workshop

Another workbench in my life…
converting the shed into a workshop

Hi LJ's,
This is the story of another workbench in my life, another house, another garden another path.

I call the house Postgaarden (The Postal house), named so because the main house is an old Railway post van, that were put on the allotment and converted into a small house back in the fifties.
It will be my summer hide out, a place for peace, quietness, gardening, time in the workshop and once the place is fixed, hopefully also a place to just hang out, with a good book and a pipe of tobacco.


Here it is, the new old workbench, in my new allotment workshop.


In a previous post, I promised to tell a little more, about my new allotment house.
In Denmark we have an old tradition, with these small allotments with tiny houses on.


The plot is 400m² 4300ft² and the house including conservatory and the workshop is about 50m² / 540ft², so we are talking a tiny garden and a tiny house (quite big for an allotment actually), so not a real summer hose. Originally these plots were meant for the working class, to be able to grow some food and get fresh air in the summer, so the rules are that you can only sleep there in the six summer months, the advantage of this is, that you pay no taxes, just a small annual fee to be a member and rent the land (really cheap).
It's almost off grid, no electricity, no sewer, just water are installed, there's a small solar system, gas bottles for hot water and cooking, a drain for roof and kitchen, a camping toilet and I have made one of the green houses into a bath house, where I can recycle the water for gardening.
(Text on drawing in Danish: Stue - living room, Gæst - guest, Sove - bed room, Spise stue - dinning room, Køkken - kitchen, Udestue - conservatory, Krea rum - creative room, Værksted - workshop).


Here in the back garden, looking at the workshop, that were used as a shed.


But let's take a little tour inside.
Dining room and bed room in the back.
(With fine new floors, I put just before the winter).


Looking at the kitchen, in the other direction.


This room got a new deck and floor now (like the rest of the house) and will be the living room, with a sofa / guest bed.


Finally the conservatory.
(Will get a new floor this summer).


The greenhouse, that has been converted into a bath house.
Love to shower out there under the stars at night, while eating some grapes.


This was how it looked, when I got the house just five months ago.


Inside the shed.


But then my friend Pasquale and I cut a hole in the wall…
It's him inside the shed, I'll post more about the window project another day.
He is here on LJ: httpss://www.lumberjocks.com/mafe/blog/41065
Thank you my friend.


Taaaaddddaaaaa!
With a beautiful window and even a bench, to sit and have a wee coffee.
So now it's just a matter of cleaning up, so it can become a workshop.


But here is the star of the show, the old workbench.
Traditional Scandinavian / German bench, got it for next to nothing, but it needed some love.
(There had been wood worm in it, so I started by treating it, so I was sure it was all gone).


Cleaned the top up and gave it a layer of lacquer.


Since the base had some damage and lots of holes, I decided to paint it.


Back in the new workshop after I made some order.
(You can see the old 220v generator, I got a newer one now, so I can run power tools when needed).


The workshop end. I'm quite pleased, a relative small job, has converted it into a nice place to work and hang out.
I have all the basic tools there and even a table saw, drill press and an old compressor - like this I only have to bring my accu tools when I go there.


I smile.


I can hang out here.


Hmmm, I'm not the only one…
Country life - it's an hours drive from Copenhagen.


Building a bookcase for the house, working by the gas light in the evening.


Restoring windows on a rainy day.


Yes I'm pleased, a happy monkey, with a new workshop.


Having my breakfast in front of the workshop.


The happy monkey in the door of the house, think this little place will bring plenty of fine moments, for friends, for neighbours, for my daughter, for my girlfriend and for me. Hopefully some peace and quite, I really need that in my life.


Well, there should be a chance. ;-)

Thanks for watching.

Link to a blog with a few more pictures from the allotment, laying new floors and how to make a circular saw jig, I use there: httpss://www.lumberjocks.com/mafe/blog/130245

Hope it can be to some inspiration or just a wee smile.

Best thoughts,

MaFe
 
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#28 ·
Thanks a lot Dave,
My GF is a Anaesthetist, so I trust she will keep a qualified eye on me (unless she's after the tools).
I'm a lot better than two days ago, so I think I'm getting better.
Stay well, best of thoughts to you and the family,
Mads
 
#31 ·
That's the spirit Mads. Kick that virus where the sun don't shine. I had planned on making you a present and I've started it already. So, since I've bought the wood and a load of new carving gouges that I'm in the process of commissioning, I will be very disappointed if it has all been for nothing. LOL. Get well soon my friend.
 
#32 ·
Uhhhhhhh Now I'm really curious!
I might run into the street and fight that virus my self!
We will do all we can, yes.
I also look much forward to your visit.
Again a wee better today, now mostly coughing.
Big smile and 38°C warm thoughts (ha ha),
Mads
 
#33 ·
Stable / Dutch door for the workshop.

Stable / Dutch doors for the workshop
and a wonderful visit from a LJ friend.

Another project from the allotment house, this time it was the workshop door, that were screaming my name.

The old doors were worn out, the top half rotten and really old, perhaps older than the house, lower half badly made from cheap fast grown treated wood, so both needed replacement.


But we start at my Copenhagen workshop door.


With a wee lunch.


Danish smørebrød (smoerebroed).


And a lot of dust…


As I were running old floor boards though the planner, after checking for nails with a metal detector and running my fingers over, to look for other stuff. This because I last summer damaged a set of new planner irons, by running into a hidden screw - kind of expensive recycle…


Well back in the allotment, the floorboards were cut up, to half's.


So they could become doors.


And some cut down to half.


These will be for the braces.


Wood glue on the tongue and grooves.


On the floor in the conservatory, as this is a really flat floor.


Hammering with a scrap wood, between the hammer and the wood, to not make marks.
Also keeping a small distance between the boards, so there are a small crack, this will allow movement and also give character to the look of it.


Marking up on the back side, where to saw, once it is dry.


Outside, the braces could be cut.


Screwed to the door.


Like so.


Old door / new door.


Ok not all done yet, but as you can see, the old one really needs replacement.


Marking the cross brace.


Connecting the marks.


Sawing with the circular saw.


Screwed in place.
As I use screws I just overlap and make it simple.


Marking to place screws in a nice line.


Self cutting and self countersinking screws.


This is what happens, when they cut through your finger…
Did that the other day.


Two screws in each board.


Sawing the door to size.
I love that cordless circular saw.


Sending a LJ thought again, while I plane some edges.


We got a door.


Looking good in my book, or more precise on top of my personal power plant.


Big smile.


Yes a big smile, from my really old girlfriend…
At this point I also gave the bottom of both doors, some wood protection, soaking the ends really well.


Swedish red we call the colour.
Same as the house.


Two thick layers, here after first.


One more.


Done.
Notice the observatory roof is open, to make draft, so the workshop is cooled down.


As they have promised rain, the doors will be finished up inside.


Gave it second layer at night, as it was raining all the rest of the day.


Time for some more shaves.


Caps for the outside, top mid, bottom.
These are cut with a 30 degree drip cap / edge, on top and bottom so the water runs down and off.


Paint.


Then this happened.
Strawberry cakes, is my favourite.


It was my friend Ty, Kaerlighedsbamsen here on LJ, who had decided to come for a visit.


Ty offered to join me in mounting the doors.
It was not as easy as we first thought, as the house are completely out of level, laughs.
So after test mounting the doors, we decided we needed to correct the door pole.


Here you can see the wedge shaped correction piece we made, on the left side.
The pole were more than 5cm / 2inches out of level, so this was a needed correction, to make the doors close up properly.


But we can handle that!
The funky boys.
Thank you Ty, for all the help, it had taken me two days at least, to do it alone and being two made it both joyful, brought an extra dimension and memory to the project.
We are good at working together, I really enjoyed that.


A happy monkey, closing up the doors and they fit.


Hardware and caps mounted.


Welcome.


Here you might see that I also put an edge all around the door inside, to stop snow from coming in at winter, like a rabbet for the door.


Finishing up with paint.


Looks like it was there always.


How wonderful red can be, in the nuances of light.


The workshop two yeas ago, when I bought the house.
Before it got a window, paint and an observatory… you might also see I cleared up a little and cultivated the garden.


I feel I have managed to bring life to the house, but still keeping it's charm and allotment style.
Brought new life to the old house and even recycled some old floorboards, found in the streets of Copenhagen.

Hope it can be to some inspiration, well, or a stable door…

Best thoughts,

MaFe
 
#34 ·
Nice work on the gate! I agree the gate does look like it has been all along! But I must say I enjoyed all the photos and letting us peek in on all your good stuff! Great to see you guys smiling and having a good time!
 
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