Looking forward to the photos of your shop.

 

a) Kudos to you for doing right by your kids. Not everybody ….

b) Congrats on the new shop !! Us bottom-dwellers gotta' stick together !

c) Yeah. Looking forward to pics. Many of us get energy from shop tours

 

Welcome to the world of underground woodworking!!

As Neil said, looking forward to pictures.

Lew

 

Hardwood Flooring..........Cheap.

I am a big Craigslist fan, always scanning the materials sections for deals, and those short lots of hardwood flooring come up alot. Those folks with 50 sf of leftover floor that want 1/2 price are quite common. The realiity is not to many people are looking for 50 sf of floor, so more often than not, they accept offers much less than 1/2 price, and often it is downright CHEAP!

So this thread is devoted to my cheapness and the use of cool hardwood in pratical applications in the shop and in a few projects:

#1 - French Cleats - I have French Cleats on 3 walls of my shop, all in hard Maple 2-1/2" flooring, cost me $25.00 in material:

#2 - Shop Cart - Except the drawer section, all is made from flooring, doweled joints, Maple and Jatoba materials (btw, the drawer unit is made out of bamboo plywood, another cheap CL find):

#3 - Plane Boxes - Not very fancy, but got some 5" handscraped brazialian Angelim flooring with black finish on it - rather than plane the finish off, I used it as is and made a pair of boxes, both slightly different:

#4 - Bench Shelf - Rustic Maple:

#5 - Cross cut sled fence - soon to be done….......:

#6 - Cutting Boards - Note the Yellowheart shown is the exception - I added that - all else is leftover flooring - mostly exotic:

#7 - Boxes - Several of these boxes from last Christmas were made from flooring - certainly, not all of them but I made a series of 13 unique boxes and the flooring came in handy….........

I should note, as some of you know, prefinished hardwood flooring can be REALLY hard on your equipment. For example, Bellawood flooring with it's 25 year warranty will be very bad for your planer knifes. I have settled on resawing the finish off the prefinised floor so and you may yield a 1/2" board using this technique if you plane the grooves off the bottom.

I have alot of unfinished flooring as well, and in many cases, you use the full 3/4" thickness if the project allows. For me, it's a good way to get nice hardwood cheap.

Appreciate your comments…..............

 

Hardwood Flooring..........Cheap.

I am a big Craigslist fan, always scanning the materials sections for deals, and those short lots of hardwood flooring come up alot. Those folks with 50 sf of leftover floor that want 1/2 price are quite common. The realiity is not to many people are looking for 50 sf of floor, so more often than not, they accept offers much less than 1/2 price, and often it is downright CHEAP!

So this thread is devoted to my cheapness and the use of cool hardwood in pratical applications in the shop and in a few projects:

#1 - French Cleats - I have French Cleats on 3 walls of my shop, all in hard Maple 2-1/2" flooring, cost me $25.00 in material:

#2 - Shop Cart - Except the drawer section, all is made from flooring, doweled joints, Maple and Jatoba materials (btw, the drawer unit is made out of bamboo plywood, another cheap CL find):

#3 - Plane Boxes - Not very fancy, but got some 5" handscraped brazialian Angelim flooring with black finish on it - rather than plane the finish off, I used it as is and made a pair of boxes, both slightly different:

#4 - Bench Shelf - Rustic Maple:

#5 - Cross cut sled fence - soon to be done….......:

#6 - Cutting Boards - Note the Yellowheart shown is the exception - I added that - all else is leftover flooring - mostly exotic:

#7 - Boxes - Several of these boxes from last Christmas were made from flooring - certainly, not all of them but I made a series of 13 unique boxes and the flooring came in handy….........

I should note, as some of you know, prefinished hardwood flooring can be REALLY hard on your equipment. For example, Bellawood flooring with it's 25 year warranty will be very bad for your planer knifes. I have settled on resawing the finish off the prefinised floor so and you may yield a 1/2" board using this technique if you plane the grooves off the bottom.

I have alot of unfinished flooring as well, and in many cases, you use the full 3/4" thickness if the project allows. For me, it's a good way to get nice hardwood cheap.

Appreciate your comments…..............

Excellent use of flooring and great projects.

My friend gave me some left over 2" oak unfinished flooring. I just ripped some of it for bent lamination.
I also used some of it for a vanity legs. I still have 3 bundles left.

 

Flip Down Clamp Rack...

Previously, I stored my longer clamps up between the floor joists, which worked ok, except they were kind of a pain to sneak them out of the cleats. Recently I added on a bit to the shop so had a stretch of open ceiling.

The idea of having a hinged clamp rack has been in my mind for awhile so what the heck, it not that pretty, but it is pretty functional…..

With 8 parallel clamps and 8 "F' clamps, it was a little heavier than I really imagined, so I have 4 black rubber bungies offsetting the weight on the hinge side. The blue bungies on the front are "just in case".

Because of the weight, I wanted a way to close it quickly and safely so I have a spring loaded catch on the ceiling so you can just snap it closed:

And here it is closed:

As a side benefit, I flip the clamps up and use it as a level clamping surface with access to all sides of the project - I didn't honestly plan it this way - but it works out pretty well. Have used it on several glue-ups and it's only 2 weeks old.

A couple more shots:

I am sure it's not an unique idea, but this is my design. If you are tight on space, have low ceilings and do alot of clamping, then maybe it's the thing to do? Used re-purposed 2×4's from my last shop expansion so really no cost to build. Also have 2 safety latches, one on each side that I lock just in case, like I said, it's heavier than you think.

Thanks for looking.

Jeff

 

Flip Down Clamp Rack...

Previously, I stored my longer clamps up between the floor joists, which worked ok, except they were kind of a pain to sneak them out of the cleats. Recently I added on a bit to the shop so had a stretch of open ceiling.

The idea of having a hinged clamp rack has been in my mind for awhile so what the heck, it not that pretty, but it is pretty functional…..

With 8 parallel clamps and 8 "F' clamps, it was a little heavier than I really imagined, so I have 4 black rubber bungies offsetting the weight on the hinge side. The blue bungies on the front are "just in case".

Because of the weight, I wanted a way to close it quickly and safely so I have a spring loaded catch on the ceiling so you can just snap it closed:

And here it is closed:

As a side benefit, I flip the clamps up and use it as a level clamping surface with access to all sides of the project - I didn't honestly plan it this way - but it works out pretty well. Have used it on several glue-ups and it's only 2 weeks old.

A couple more shots:

I am sure it's not an unique idea, but this is my design. If you are tight on space, have low ceilings and do alot of clamping, then maybe it's the thing to do? Used re-purposed 2×4's from my last shop expansion so really no cost to build. Also have 2 safety latches, one on each side that I lock just in case, like I said, it's heavier than you think.

Thanks for looking.

Jeff

I like it! Ingenious. Well done!

 

Crosscut Sled

This sled is mostly re-purposed materials and patterened after the Woodsmith online design. The differences are I used a standard T-track (instead of the Kreg track), designed my own stop jig and built my own knobs out of mdf.

The really cool thing about this jig is the removable extension stop + the adjustable throat opening for allowing dado cuts.

Please excuse the purple color, it was part of the fact that my shop used to be a family room and those panels were doors from the bar….....the front and rear fences are Maple flooring.

The knob on the right right has a matching knob on the front right of the sled to adjust the throat opening.

Here is a photo with the extension fence attached - If you remove the the 2 knobs on the left, the extension pops off.

Front view of the stop block:

Back view of the stop block, used scrap Tigerwood for the stop:

One more view:

Not pretty, but effective…...thanks for your comments…

Jeff

 

Crosscut Sled

This sled is mostly re-purposed materials and patterened after the Woodsmith online design. The differences are I used a standard T-track (instead of the Kreg track), designed my own stop jig and built my own knobs out of mdf.

The really cool thing about this jig is the removable extension stop + the adjustable throat opening for allowing dado cuts.

Please excuse the purple color, it was part of the fact that my shop used to be a family room and those panels were doors from the bar….....the front and rear fences are Maple flooring.

The knob on the right right has a matching knob on the front right of the sled to adjust the throat opening.

Here is a photo with the extension fence attached - If you remove the the 2 knobs on the left, the extension pops off.

Front view of the stop block:

Back view of the stop block, used scrap Tigerwood for the stop:

One more view:

Not pretty, but effective…...thanks for your comments…

Jeff

Functional and well developed. Neccessity is the mother of invention, afterall.

 

Poor Man's Drum Sander

Here is my down and dirty drum sander. I got the Radial Arm Saw for free off of Craigslist. A couple of weeks later I saw the ad for the Performax S/T drum sander, very inexpensively. This was their first product offering and without a power feed table, is pretty hard to control. Then I found a solution, I aquired the extruded aluminum slides and table soon after, again, a Craiglist find. The table has four ball bearing rollers that ride in the aluminum channel.

I have never used a traditional drum sander with the power feed, so I can't compare the performance, but with this setup, you can feed the project back and forth under the drum without picking up the work. You basically grab the handle, pull the board through, and then hang on tight and let it go backwards through the drum. I'm sure someone will speak up to say it can't be done this way, but it really works fine.

I also lucked out and got several Timesaver sanding belts (free) that I was able to cut into strips for the drum. Total investment in the whole rig is less than $100.

I have caught the cutting board bug since hanging out on this forum, and the drum sander literally shaves hours of sanding time away when making those end grain boards.

Appreciate your comments…..

Jeff

 

Poor Man's Drum Sander

Here is my down and dirty drum sander. I got the Radial Arm Saw for free off of Craigslist. A couple of weeks later I saw the ad for the Performax S/T drum sander, very inexpensively. This was their first product offering and without a power feed table, is pretty hard to control. Then I found a solution, I aquired the extruded aluminum slides and table soon after, again, a Craiglist find. The table has four ball bearing rollers that ride in the aluminum channel.

I have never used a traditional drum sander with the power feed, so I can't compare the performance, but with this setup, you can feed the project back and forth under the drum without picking up the work. You basically grab the handle, pull the board through, and then hang on tight and let it go backwards through the drum. I'm sure someone will speak up to say it can't be done this way, but it really works fine.

I also lucked out and got several Timesaver sanding belts (free) that I was able to cut into strips for the drum. Total investment in the whole rig is less than $100.

I have caught the cutting board bug since hanging out on this forum, and the drum sander literally shaves hours of sanding time away when making those end grain boards.

Appreciate your comments…..

Jeff

very cool can you take a video of it working that would be awesome

 

Drum Sander - The Video

I posted a blog yesterday on the drum sander and some of you requested a video, so here goes:

 

how do you set the depth of sanding? and can it be adjusted? I would love to have one

 

New Incra Router Table

I finally got the materials together to build a decent router table. I have had the Incra Ultra Jig around for awhile now, and have used it on some of my previous router tables, but my homemade tops were always off just a little. Always seem to have trouble getting the router plates to sit just right in the opening, etc.

This time I bit the bullet and bought Woodpeckers 27×43 offset table along with the PRL V2 lift (very sweet!). I acquired the extruded aluminum pieces from some discarded carts at work.

Putting the aluminum base together was a lot trickier than it looks. All the pieces must be precisely cross drilled at each joint in order to slide an allen wrench through the extrusion and tighten the joint. The black panels around the dust box are installed with rubber U-channel into the t-slot of the aluminum so they are tight and don't vibrate.

The casters are industrial strength and they have a rubber foot that threads down with a large thumb wheel to level the machine and reduce vibration. It's a pretty heavy rig, so I expect it should run pretty smooth, I haven't test driven it yet……..

I plan on building drawer units to slide into the two shelves on the base.

Appreciate your suggestions and comments….

Jeff

 

New Incra Router Table

I finally got the materials together to build a decent router table. I have had the Incra Ultra Jig around for awhile now, and have used it on some of my previous router tables, but my homemade tops were always off just a little. Always seem to have trouble getting the router plates to sit just right in the opening, etc.

This time I bit the bullet and bought Woodpeckers 27×43 offset table along with the PRL V2 lift (very sweet!). I acquired the extruded aluminum pieces from some discarded carts at work.

Putting the aluminum base together was a lot trickier than it looks. All the pieces must be precisely cross drilled at each joint in order to slide an allen wrench through the extrusion and tighten the joint. The black panels around the dust box are installed with rubber U-channel into the t-slot of the aluminum so they are tight and don't vibrate.

The casters are industrial strength and they have a rubber foot that threads down with a large thumb wheel to level the machine and reduce vibration. It's a pretty heavy rig, so I expect it should run pretty smooth, I haven't test driven it yet……..

I plan on building drawer units to slide into the two shelves on the base.

Appreciate your suggestions and comments….

Jeff

Boy that turned out great…I dont have the incra fence but I have heard nothing but great things about it…You are going to love it. My Router Table and fence was the most valuable project I have ever built for myself and shop.

Grub

 

Simple Jig for Cutting Board Finger Grips

I've been building a bunch of cutting boards because I got the bug! Can't help it hanging around this site…..

So the pile of boards was stacking up and needed to get the finishing touches done. I wanted to cut the finger grip things (not sure what the correct title is?). Previously I built a plywood jig that clamps to the board and uses a handheld router to clean up. This works fine, but I had issues with tearout.

I came up with a simple jig for the router table the uses a (somewhat) zero clearance fence and a simple adjustable stop system that let's you adjust the length of cut, just move the dowels. Without the adjustment, the wider the board, the shorter the slot (grip?) will be, so this allows you to adjust for the different board widths.

I use a Whiteside 1-1/4" bowl and tray bit for the slots. The fence is a squared up 2×4 with the bit opening cut slighly undersize on the band saw and then plunged into the bit for final size.

Start with a 1/8" deep cut and move the fence an 1/8" at a time until you get what you want.

Works really good - cut about 12 or so cutting boards on it today….

 

Simple Jig for Cutting Board Finger Grips

I've been building a bunch of cutting boards because I got the bug! Can't help it hanging around this site…..

So the pile of boards was stacking up and needed to get the finishing touches done. I wanted to cut the finger grip things (not sure what the correct title is?). Previously I built a plywood jig that clamps to the board and uses a handheld router to clean up. This works fine, but I had issues with tearout.

I came up with a simple jig for the router table the uses a (somewhat) zero clearance fence and a simple adjustable stop system that let's you adjust the length of cut, just move the dowels. Without the adjustment, the wider the board, the shorter the slot (grip?) will be, so this allows you to adjust for the different board widths.

I use a Whiteside 1-1/4" bowl and tray bit for the slots. The fence is a squared up 2×4 with the bit opening cut slighly undersize on the band saw and then plunged into the bit for final size.

Start with a 1/8" deep cut and move the fence an 1/8" at a time until you get what you want.

Works really good - cut about 12 or so cutting boards on it today….

A very nice idea, thank you.

On a side note, that is also a beautiful looking cutting board! Do you have a picture of the whole board? What wood did you use? Thanks you

 

Incra Router Table - More Progress.....

Since the last post, I have added the Wonder Fence to the Ultra Jig, this adds a better (above the table) dust collection option. So now I have a 3" hose into the bottom box and a 2-1/2" hose into the fence, both controlled with separate blast gates.

Also added a vent in the dust access door. This is a 2 piece unit that you can remove the outside grate and install a filter or (in my case) some sort of baffle. I need to experiment more to see what kind of airflow I need with the dust collection running.

Actually, the bigger issue is the PC7518 running hot due to the closed box. The added air flow should help.

I should also mention, I like the knee switch mounted in the front right corner of the table, it allows access when working from the front or the side of the table - you never know when that might come into play.

On the right side of the table - I added the "essential tool storage" flip down door rack thing. There was an open space next to the dust box that makes the right sized space for tool storage. Sort of based on Lean Manufacturing techniques, the tools have a specific space to live. I used raw earth magnets (and some router cutouts) to hold the tools in place. Also added some 1/4-20 bolts on the right side of the dust box to hold the Woodpeckers table inserts.

Next up, I boudht some full extension drawer slides at Rockler today and will be adding 3 drawers to the upper open section. The bottom open section is still under development.

Thanks for looking,

Jeff

 

Incra Router Table - More Progress.....

Since the last post, I have added the Wonder Fence to the Ultra Jig, this adds a better (above the table) dust collection option. So now I have a 3" hose into the bottom box and a 2-1/2" hose into the fence, both controlled with separate blast gates.

Also added a vent in the dust access door. This is a 2 piece unit that you can remove the outside grate and install a filter or (in my case) some sort of baffle. I need to experiment more to see what kind of airflow I need with the dust collection running.

Actually, the bigger issue is the PC7518 running hot due to the closed box. The added air flow should help.

I should also mention, I like the knee switch mounted in the front right corner of the table, it allows access when working from the front or the side of the table - you never know when that might come into play.

On the right side of the table - I added the "essential tool storage" flip down door rack thing. There was an open space next to the dust box that makes the right sized space for tool storage. Sort of based on Lean Manufacturing techniques, the tools have a specific space to live. I used raw earth magnets (and some router cutouts) to hold the tools in place. Also added some 1/4-20 bolts on the right side of the dust box to hold the Woodpeckers table inserts.

Next up, I boudht some full extension drawer slides at Rockler today and will be adding 3 drawers to the upper open section. The bottom open section is still under development.

Thanks for looking,

Jeff

I'll be the first. Holy Smokes. Nice job.

 

Incra Router Table - Template Holder

Before getting into the specifics, I should say, this won't mean much unless you own an Incra positioner, but if you don't own one, they really do a great job in repeatable cuts, unmatched actually. In the past 2 years, I have purchased 3 different Incra setups off of Craigslist for less than 50 cents on the dollar. I gave one of them to my Dad, and still have the Ultra which I'm using on this router table, along with the TS LS (table saw linear screw) on my table saw.

I also have an original Incra jig (which I purchased new) on a smaller homemade table that makes a great second table setup. Functionally the original jig (which is all plastic) has the same precision, but just less travel, and these can be purchased new with a fence for around $100 or so.

So if you are interested in an Incra, keep your eyes peeled, they are out there and worth the money!

Anyways, back to topic, there are 50 templates that come with the larger Incra positioners, and are always a pain to find the one you are looking for, here is a photo of the raw templates:

I was inspired by these 3 sites for this project:

one

two

three

My design is mostly inspired by number 3, as a matter of fact he worked out the Incra settings in CAD and posted a roadmap that is spot on for the cuts. In addition, his design was based on using a straight cutter as opposed to a dovetail bit which I liked.

The biggest difference is I cut slots on the top and bottom of the same board, which reduces the overall thickness of the finished piece. He used 2 boards and a somewhat elaborate approach to making the thin templates stand up from the base so you can grab them.

Instead of one wide board I used 2 narrower boards for 2 reasons, I had some scraps about the right size and it is half as many fence changes to make the same result.

I started with 2 pieces of ~5/8" plywood 9" wide and followed his CAD settings to cut 13 slots on both sides of each board. They were later ripped to a final overall dimension of 17-5/8". These pieces are sandwiched between plexiglas:

To simplify the removal of the templates I designed the top row so the template sits just proud of the front edge of the plywood, this allows your finger to easily lift it up and remove. The bottom row has a narrow strip of plexi glued in front of the slots so the templates can't lay flat on the bottom, again, easy to remove:

Since the bottom row of templates sticks out farther than the top row, I chiseled out the dividers ~1" from the back and glued in a stop.

I was originally going to mount this rig on drawer slides, but it occurred to me that it only needs to slide maybe 6" or so out the front of the cabinet to find the template you want, so decided to let this slide on it's own at the bottom of the space, it's only about 1" thick total. I am planning to add 2 bit storage drawers above this:

When it's all said and done, I would be willing to bet that I would have spent less time searching for the right template the old way, than I did spending on building this, but what the hey, I love the gadgets…..

Thanks for looking.

Jeff

 

Incra Router Table - Template Holder

Before getting into the specifics, I should say, this won't mean much unless you own an Incra positioner, but if you don't own one, they really do a great job in repeatable cuts, unmatched actually. In the past 2 years, I have purchased 3 different Incra setups off of Craigslist for less than 50 cents on the dollar. I gave one of them to my Dad, and still have the Ultra which I'm using on this router table, along with the TS LS (table saw linear screw) on my table saw.

I also have an original Incra jig (which I purchased new) on a smaller homemade table that makes a great second table setup. Functionally the original jig (which is all plastic) has the same precision, but just less travel, and these can be purchased new with a fence for around $100 or so.

So if you are interested in an Incra, keep your eyes peeled, they are out there and worth the money!

Anyways, back to topic, there are 50 templates that come with the larger Incra positioners, and are always a pain to find the one you are looking for, here is a photo of the raw templates:

I was inspired by these 3 sites for this project:

one

two

three

My design is mostly inspired by number 3, as a matter of fact he worked out the Incra settings in CAD and posted a roadmap that is spot on for the cuts. In addition, his design was based on using a straight cutter as opposed to a dovetail bit which I liked.

The biggest difference is I cut slots on the top and bottom of the same board, which reduces the overall thickness of the finished piece. He used 2 boards and a somewhat elaborate approach to making the thin templates stand up from the base so you can grab them.

Instead of one wide board I used 2 narrower boards for 2 reasons, I had some scraps about the right size and it is half as many fence changes to make the same result.

I started with 2 pieces of ~5/8" plywood 9" wide and followed his CAD settings to cut 13 slots on both sides of each board. They were later ripped to a final overall dimension of 17-5/8". These pieces are sandwiched between plexiglas:

To simplify the removal of the templates I designed the top row so the template sits just proud of the front edge of the plywood, this allows your finger to easily lift it up and remove. The bottom row has a narrow strip of plexi glued in front of the slots so the templates can't lay flat on the bottom, again, easy to remove:

Since the bottom row of templates sticks out farther than the top row, I chiseled out the dividers ~1" from the back and glued in a stop.

I was originally going to mount this rig on drawer slides, but it occurred to me that it only needs to slide maybe 6" or so out the front of the cabinet to find the template you want, so decided to let this slide on it's own at the bottom of the space, it's only about 1" thick total. I am planning to add 2 bit storage drawers above this:

When it's all said and done, I would be willing to bet that I would have spent less time searching for the right template the old way, than I did spending on building this, but what the hey, I love the gadgets…..

Thanks for looking.

Jeff

Ha. I love your last statement. I do the same kind of things myself.

I only have the original plastic Incra Jig. It comes in really handy. Still debating going for the bigger versions. I guess I should watch eBay.

Love your table. Looks like a fun build,
Steve

 

Incra Router Table - Bit Storage

Added a bit shelf and a drawer to the table, both out of Maple. The shelf is 1" thick laminated from narrow strips basically cutting board style with breadboard ends.

I used a little spray adhesive and some graph paper as a drilling guide - despite that I did manage to drill 2 holes off location…......

The template holder just sits on the bottom and you can slide it out a bit to grab what you need.

The drawer box is painted MDF

Under the dust box are three 1/4-20 bolts for wrapping up the cord, which is annoying when it's colied up in the dust box…I am seriously considering just cutting the cord shorter, making a pigtail, since the router shouldn't be coming out of the table,

For now, the bottom part will stay open - don't really need more drawers and such, don't really like building stuff without a purpose. Might use the space for lumber storage or maybe store some lesser used bench tools…........

So I think I will call it good for now….thanks for all the comments on the table - it was a fun project.

Jeff

 

Incra Router Table - Bit Storage

Added a bit shelf and a drawer to the table, both out of Maple. The shelf is 1" thick laminated from narrow strips basically cutting board style with breadboard ends.

I used a little spray adhesive and some graph paper as a drilling guide - despite that I did manage to drill 2 holes off location…......

The template holder just sits on the bottom and you can slide it out a bit to grab what you need.

The drawer box is painted MDF

Under the dust box are three 1/4-20 bolts for wrapping up the cord, which is annoying when it's colied up in the dust box…I am seriously considering just cutting the cord shorter, making a pigtail, since the router shouldn't be coming out of the table,

For now, the bottom part will stay open - don't really need more drawers and such, don't really like building stuff without a purpose. Might use the space for lumber storage or maybe store some lesser used bench tools…........

So I think I will call it good for now….thanks for all the comments on the table - it was a fun project.

Jeff

You certainly thought this out. Nicely done!

I am getting ready to build some additional storage under my saw with a router plate extension, upgrade to a lift in the next month or so. If you don't mind I would like to borrow your design especially for the Incra template ribbons.

 

Major Drum Sander Improvement!

Today was a good day for progress…...I have a semi-homemade low budget drum sander setup in the basement shop but the dust collection sucked…..or more correctly, didn't suck…..

You can see the original setup in these 2 earlier posts:

one
two

Out with the old - in with the new:

The new version has a 4" dust port hooked up to the dust collector - I still need to do some plumbing in the ceiling to reduce the amount of flex hose, but that's not a major issue.

The build started (as usual) with no solid plans - just a squared up 2×4 with slots cut into the ends to wedge between the cast aluminum end supports of the sander and then rip bevels on both sides. I didn't photograph very well, but those vertical supports have a web of cast material that the 2×4 locks into:

I was really struggling to figure out how to put the second angle into the design so it doesn't just end up being a pyramid - then it ocurred to me that the beveled cutoffs from the 2×4 would be the exact angle needed for the second angle:

To get the clearance necessary for the 4 " port, I cut an arch in the 2×4 to get max air flow - also shows rig with access door open:

With the door closed:

I would have preferred to have the dust port on the in-feed side, but after some debate, it went on the out-feed side because this allows cleaning the drum without shutting off the rig and the dust collection will pick up most of the debris. Paper changing is the same as the stock shroud.

There are no mechanical fasteners, glue or otherwise holding the shroud to the drum sander.

Initial testing indicates a 1000% improvement! I find myself using the drum sander almost everyday so this was an essential improvement.

I should add that with the sled design I have, flatting twisted (oversized) stock is a huge bonus for this setup….... I have less than $100 invested….gotta like that.

Got a new camera recently - so here's the bonus panorama shot of the shop….........

UPDATE

Re-routed the dust hose - minimum length of flex hose:

Thanks for looking and appreciate your comments.

Jeff

 

Major Drum Sander Improvement!

Today was a good day for progress…...I have a semi-homemade low budget drum sander setup in the basement shop but the dust collection sucked…..or more correctly, didn't suck…..

You can see the original setup in these 2 earlier posts:

one
two

Out with the old - in with the new:

The new version has a 4" dust port hooked up to the dust collector - I still need to do some plumbing in the ceiling to reduce the amount of flex hose, but that's not a major issue.

The build started (as usual) with no solid plans - just a squared up 2×4 with slots cut into the ends to wedge between the cast aluminum end supports of the sander and then rip bevels on both sides. I didn't photograph very well, but those vertical supports have a web of cast material that the 2×4 locks into:

I was really struggling to figure out how to put the second angle into the design so it doesn't just end up being a pyramid - then it ocurred to me that the beveled cutoffs from the 2×4 would be the exact angle needed for the second angle:

To get the clearance necessary for the 4 " port, I cut an arch in the 2×4 to get max air flow - also shows rig with access door open:

With the door closed:

I would have preferred to have the dust port on the in-feed side, but after some debate, it went on the out-feed side because this allows cleaning the drum without shutting off the rig and the dust collection will pick up most of the debris. Paper changing is the same as the stock shroud.

There are no mechanical fasteners, glue or otherwise holding the shroud to the drum sander.

Initial testing indicates a 1000% improvement! I find myself using the drum sander almost everyday so this was an essential improvement.

I should add that with the sled design I have, flatting twisted (oversized) stock is a huge bonus for this setup….... I have less than $100 invested….gotta like that.

Got a new camera recently - so here's the bonus panorama shot of the shop….........

UPDATE

Re-routed the dust hose - minimum length of flex hose:

Thanks for looking and appreciate your comments.

Jeff

great you have figured out to improve the dustcolection so much Congrat´s
and congrat´s with your new camera nice shop you have there

take care
Dennis

 

Shop Closet - Redux

Well this has been on the to do list for awhile, not an epic project, but just an effort to get the odd tools and fastners settled into one area. This part of the shop used to be a family room and it had this odd closet (on an angled wall).

More work to be done here, but the basic shape is in place: broke up the the 3 piece tool cabinet, removed casters and made two side by side stacks. Covered with dumpster bound tabletop. Ripped oak strips for bin holders.

And then Charlie the inspector showed up…...

Thanks for looking.

Jeff

 

Shop Closet - Redux

Well this has been on the to do list for awhile, not an epic project, but just an effort to get the odd tools and fastners settled into one area. This part of the shop used to be a family room and it had this odd closet (on an angled wall).

More work to be done here, but the basic shape is in place: broke up the the 3 piece tool cabinet, removed casters and made two side by side stacks. Covered with dumpster bound tabletop. Ripped oak strips for bin holders.

And then Charlie the inspector showed up…...

Thanks for looking.

Jeff

Jeff, looks tidy enough for me. I´m sure this was an epic project.

I am still on the way of updating the thkness sander´s dust hood .

Take care

 

Sanding and Buffing

Greetings - this is a 3 part installment.

Intro (Part 1): Got this 1hp motor from a work "garage sale" for $5 complete with Jabobs chuck;

I found 2 different grit sanding buffs at a garage sale for $0.50 each - $1.00 invested in 2!

These buffs work great on any irregular surfaces and it's handy to have in the sanding arsonal…

That was the first part….I now have $6 invested in this high powered sanding rig…

Part 2 - I wanted to aquire the Beall Wood Buff system - a way to polish finish without all the hassles. My motor is 3450 rpm and the standard Beall Wood Buff Sytem is the 8" diameter wheels and is rated for 1750 RPM motors and cost $80. Frustrated, I googled Beall Wood Buff and got Klingspor's on the response - they sell a 4" diameter system (from Beall) for $40.

The 4" system will work with the 3450 RPM motor and includes ALL the same essential elements of the 8" system for half the price….......

Click - add to cart.

I made a slight mod to the stock mandrel so I could put it in the chuck instead of mounting it directly to the motor shaft - this way I can quickly switch back to mop sanding mode.

I'm new to this setup so can't make any performance statements yet - but I expect that it will find some good use. Just check the Reviews section of LJ for more info.

Part 3 - I was now on Klingspor website and had the wood buff in the cart…....I'm sure the rest of you do it too, you start clicking around looking for "stuff you need" on the site before you "checkout".

I love the PSA sandpaper - the Woodsmith Show got me hooked on the stuff. I had a couple of rolls of 80 and 120 grit 3M Stickit but I wanted more grits….ordered these:

Good stuff, but at $18 a roll it all adds up…...before checking out - I added the "closeout 5 lb PSA Assortment Pack" to the cart for another $18. The next picture shows what I got for the $18 but it's after I fixed up the sanding board - pictures to follow after

I'm sure this has been done before, but when making boxes and such, it;s nice to sand on a nice flat surface such as the table saw table or the jointer table, using PSA paper. The problem is the paper needs to be removed before you can ue the tool again.

This is a piece of 3/4" MDF with various grits of PSA sandpaper on both sides - This is the rough side - 80, 100, 120 and 150:

And the smooth side - 180, 220 and 320:

I'm in the rubber roll business for more years than I should probably admit so I used a heavyweight roll to get all the snap -crackles and pops out of the paper when laying it down.

I should say - dealing with Klingspor was great - they shipped the same day, the shipping cost was very resonable and everything was delivered correctly….
Again, I'm sure this has all been posted before - and I'm certain I will discover the limitations of these techniques as time goes on…..and I appreciate your input on this…..................

Jeff

 

Sanding and Buffing

Greetings - this is a 3 part installment.

Intro (Part 1): Got this 1hp motor from a work "garage sale" for $5 complete with Jabobs chuck;

I found 2 different grit sanding buffs at a garage sale for $0.50 each - $1.00 invested in 2!

These buffs work great on any irregular surfaces and it's handy to have in the sanding arsonal…

That was the first part….I now have $6 invested in this high powered sanding rig…

Part 2 - I wanted to aquire the Beall Wood Buff system - a way to polish finish without all the hassles. My motor is 3450 rpm and the standard Beall Wood Buff Sytem is the 8" diameter wheels and is rated for 1750 RPM motors and cost $80. Frustrated, I googled Beall Wood Buff and got Klingspor's on the response - they sell a 4" diameter system (from Beall) for $40.

The 4" system will work with the 3450 RPM motor and includes ALL the same essential elements of the 8" system for half the price….......

Click - add to cart.

I made a slight mod to the stock mandrel so I could put it in the chuck instead of mounting it directly to the motor shaft - this way I can quickly switch back to mop sanding mode.

I'm new to this setup so can't make any performance statements yet - but I expect that it will find some good use. Just check the Reviews section of LJ for more info.

Part 3 - I was now on Klingspor website and had the wood buff in the cart…....I'm sure the rest of you do it too, you start clicking around looking for "stuff you need" on the site before you "checkout".

I love the PSA sandpaper - the Woodsmith Show got me hooked on the stuff. I had a couple of rolls of 80 and 120 grit 3M Stickit but I wanted more grits….ordered these:

Good stuff, but at $18 a roll it all adds up…...before checking out - I added the "closeout 5 lb PSA Assortment Pack" to the cart for another $18. The next picture shows what I got for the $18 but it's after I fixed up the sanding board - pictures to follow after

I'm sure this has been done before, but when making boxes and such, it;s nice to sand on a nice flat surface such as the table saw table or the jointer table, using PSA paper. The problem is the paper needs to be removed before you can ue the tool again.

This is a piece of 3/4" MDF with various grits of PSA sandpaper on both sides - This is the rough side - 80, 100, 120 and 150:

And the smooth side - 180, 220 and 320:

I'm in the rubber roll business for more years than I should probably admit so I used a heavyweight roll to get all the snap -crackles and pops out of the paper when laying it down.

I should say - dealing with Klingspor was great - they shipped the same day, the shipping cost was very resonable and everything was delivered correctly….
Again, I'm sure this has all been posted before - and I'm certain I will discover the limitations of these techniques as time goes on…..and I appreciate your input on this…..................

Jeff

Good for you. I am jealous of your motor sanding station. Looks great.
Nice idea of the flat sanding setup too. That would come in handy.

I feel your pain on throwing things into the shopping basket. My whole shop has been built on poor bookkeeping. It eases this pain somewhat.

Steve

 

Router Table x4

I figure if a1Jim can have 30+ routers, I can have four router tables. Starting in reverse order (newest to oldest)...

#4:
Just put the finishing touches on this today - basically cost me $20 for the Rockler pheonlic coated pywood (not counting the materials I had laying around):

Of all the homemade tabletops I'm made, this one defineately turned out the best. I used 8-32 threaded inserts to level the plate and ran some dados in the underside of the table so I could bolt it directly to the saw, this photo shows both from the underside of the table, used Maple flooring for the framework and pocket screws, it turned out good and flat:

Here is a shot from the top side - you can the leveling screws:

I decided to make this a right side table on the saw so I don't have the slide the Incra LS TS Base Assembly every time I use the router.

#3

Most of you have seen this one (for more info, check my other posts) this is definately my main goto table with the Woodpeckers top and lift - it is a dream to work with. The bottom part of the cart is now home to more lumber storage (currently Spanish Cedar, Granadillo, Maple and some Degoose inspired tumbling blocks blanks):

#2

This is my original table saw - (I broke the saw and bought the new one, only to discover it was only a sheared snap ring - so I now have 2 saws…...kind of handy…) I built the router table out of 2" solid hard Maple. Good idea but not as accurate as I would have wanted. Also has a nice dust box setup on it. Hanging on the front of the saw is the Incra compatible fence I built out of Oak and clamps to the TS fence:

#1

This is the first table I made - back when I had a 7' x 15' shop. it's 1.5" thick MDF top and is designed to bolt to a benchtop or sit on saw horses. Has an original Incra positioner and a custom storage box and a bit box built in. Actually works pretty well, but a bit on the small side. Use it mostly when I'm on the go:

The reason for multiple tables is for a couple of reasons, lately my Dad and I have been building rasied panel doors, so multilple tables is really nice for making the rails and stiles. Also like to leave a straight bit and roundover bit setup in the secondary tables for those quick jobs without much setup.

Technically, I only have 3 plates (the Woodpecker PRL V2 lift, and 2 Rockler plates) so can only have 3 setup at one time….Routers include PC 7518, 890, 690 and Craftsmen (current version) 2 HP and some old version. 5 total (not even close to 30 so no need to comment here).

#(-)1

OK - so I lied - I actually have 5 tables - but the old Wolfcraft pretty much stays up in the floor joists these days…..

Thanks for looking!

Jeff

 

Router Table x4

I figure if a1Jim can have 30+ routers, I can have four router tables. Starting in reverse order (newest to oldest)...

#4:
Just put the finishing touches on this today - basically cost me $20 for the Rockler pheonlic coated pywood (not counting the materials I had laying around):

Of all the homemade tabletops I'm made, this one defineately turned out the best. I used 8-32 threaded inserts to level the plate and ran some dados in the underside of the table so I could bolt it directly to the saw, this photo shows both from the underside of the table, used Maple flooring for the framework and pocket screws, it turned out good and flat:

Here is a shot from the top side - you can the leveling screws:

I decided to make this a right side table on the saw so I don't have the slide the Incra LS TS Base Assembly every time I use the router.

#3

Most of you have seen this one (for more info, check my other posts) this is definately my main goto table with the Woodpeckers top and lift - it is a dream to work with. The bottom part of the cart is now home to more lumber storage (currently Spanish Cedar, Granadillo, Maple and some Degoose inspired tumbling blocks blanks):

#2

This is my original table saw - (I broke the saw and bought the new one, only to discover it was only a sheared snap ring - so I now have 2 saws…...kind of handy…) I built the router table out of 2" solid hard Maple. Good idea but not as accurate as I would have wanted. Also has a nice dust box setup on it. Hanging on the front of the saw is the Incra compatible fence I built out of Oak and clamps to the TS fence:

#1

This is the first table I made - back when I had a 7' x 15' shop. it's 1.5" thick MDF top and is designed to bolt to a benchtop or sit on saw horses. Has an original Incra positioner and a custom storage box and a bit box built in. Actually works pretty well, but a bit on the small side. Use it mostly when I'm on the go:

The reason for multiple tables is for a couple of reasons, lately my Dad and I have been building rasied panel doors, so multilple tables is really nice for making the rails and stiles. Also like to leave a straight bit and roundover bit setup in the secondary tables for those quick jobs without much setup.

Technically, I only have 3 plates (the Woodpecker PRL V2 lift, and 2 Rockler plates) so can only have 3 setup at one time….Routers include PC 7518, 890, 690 and Craftsmen (current version) 2 HP and some old version. 5 total (not even close to 30 so no need to comment here).

#(-)1

OK - so I lied - I actually have 5 tables - but the old Wolfcraft pretty much stays up in the floor joists these days…..

Thanks for looking!

Jeff

WOw Jeff, I´m still making my first one.
I´m more jealous now seeing your babies

Take care

 

shop evolution - a video

I got interested in woodworking about 2-1/2 years ago and this video shows how my shop grew - taking over the rest of the finished basement…....oops.

It's about 9 minutes long - with Tommy Bolin on the soundtrack. You'll notice the space filling out - the tools changing - hope you enjoy.

Jeff

 

I think it's time to admit. You have an addiction.

 

The Wood Room

By popular demand - after posting my recent shop video - I received several positive comments on the wood room.

Some folks were wondering where the collection came from.

I suppose this is a wood gloat - but only as it relates to the fact that there is something inheirently cool in collecting great wood. I have been lucky in that I have found some great deals on Craigslist some local lumberyards and some local online auctions.

If you can find the Curly Maple in the photos to follow - I did actually pay retail price for that - otherwise - everything shown below was bought below retail…........usually well below retail.

I am also lucky to have a nice little space in the shop to warehouse the goodies.

Early on with woodworking my biggest frustration was not having actual wood to work with, besides old 2×4's and other odd scraps.

I should add that some of the photos below may be from the shed, garage and utility room as well…...........

I saw this ad on CL:

It ran for 2 or 3 weeks and I watched it daily wishing I had the money to own this fine lot - I finally called and offered to buy a portion that I could afford - he said come on out to take a look and ended up buying the whole lot for for a greatly reduced price. The exotic stuff can be really addictive - I love the way it machines - just make sure you have a sharp Woodworker II blade and you are good to go.

Here is some of that original lot:

Below are Rosewood boards from that lot - they are so heavy I am afraid for my planer. These are the kind of boards that make me say "I'm not worthy, I'm not worthy"....... Someday I will post a project with these beauties….

In the meantime - I was picking up various small lots of hardwood flooring - I probably have 15 different species of domestic and exotic examples. You can always get these cheap in small lots and find lots of uses for this material in shop projects as well as finished projects:

Here is Jabota - Brazilian Chestnut, 2 kinds of Rosewood, Ipe, and Eucalyptus

I also answered a CL ad for hardwood shorts from a local sawyer "Log to Lumber" and for $100, he supplied me a ton of really cool domestic wood, no duds here - lots of Hickory, Walnut, Maple QSWO, Ash, Cherry, etc…...some photos:

Along the way - got some "free" lots inclucding a truckload of from a retired cabinet restorer and his kids wanted nothing to do with the business…..Included a bunch of Mahogany (a fraction is shown here):

A local lumberyard also gets weird lots of stuff and good deals can be found - not always the top grade lumber but always an adventure - here is 16/4 Paduck - a bit rough, but very beautiful, and price was very right - pictured is the last half of what I bought - the rest is in projects:

The motherload was answering a CL ad for some Lacewood - not too far from home, I drove my rusty F150 over there only to leave with a load of mixed exotic wood. I couldn't believe the truck would haul it - it was so heavy. Pennies on the dollar, it was being in the right place at the right time.

More photos from this exotic lot:

8/4 Lacewood:

4/4 Lacewood:

Tigerwood (Goncalo Alves) - Cocobolo - Bubinga - Makore:

From the top - Yellowheart (Pau Amarello), Makore (Ash strips in front, not from the exotic lot, but free on CL), Lacewood below.

On the shelf below - 10' Bubinga boards with a pile Anigre on top and in front (the small blanks are Lignum Vitae - on sale at Rockler last month…

Cocobolo:

Granadillo and Spanish Cedar:

8/4 Sapele

8/4 Zebrawood:

(Counterclockwise from top left) Maple - Cherry - Sapele - Tigerwood (Goncalo Alves) - Sapele - Cocobolo - Maple - Zebrawood

Also on the shelf - some 8/4 Walnut and 4/4 hard Maple:

And a stack of thin cut Claro Walnut - this is really cool stuff:

Shorts are (somewhat) sorted by species or category on the bottom rows:

And other nooks and crannies:

Also tried my hand at sawing my own lumber (Maple and Ash):

Using a sliding jig on precison rollers (removed the band saw table for maximum cut):

Other finds:

A bunch of Maple blanks - good cutting board stock:

Bowling Lane (all Hard maple)- have more than pictured (alot more) but got it all for less than $60 - hard to work wiith tho - full of nails - will use it up eventually:

In the shed - some really rough Red Oak (super cheap, but planes up pretty well), Walnut, various flooring, and bolwing lane:

From the utility room comes this - Maple flooring on top, Oak in middle and Maple on the bottom - all CL finds:

The less glamorous side of the room - under the steps:

You never know when you need one of these gems:

Plywood scraps?

Actually this last shot shows my entire lumber storage area from the original shop - oh how times change…....

For those of you that actually made it to the end of this blog - thanks for checking it out….......hope you enjoyed it.

Jeff

 

The Wood Room

By popular demand - after posting my recent shop video - I received several positive comments on the wood room.

Some folks were wondering where the collection came from.

I suppose this is a wood gloat - but only as it relates to the fact that there is something inheirently cool in collecting great wood. I have been lucky in that I have found some great deals on Craigslist some local lumberyards and some local online auctions.

If you can find the Curly Maple in the photos to follow - I did actually pay retail price for that - otherwise - everything shown below was bought below retail…........usually well below retail.

I am also lucky to have a nice little space in the shop to warehouse the goodies.

Early on with woodworking my biggest frustration was not having actual wood to work with, besides old 2×4's and other odd scraps.

I should add that some of the photos below may be from the shed, garage and utility room as well…...........

I saw this ad on CL:

It ran for 2 or 3 weeks and I watched it daily wishing I had the money to own this fine lot - I finally called and offered to buy a portion that I could afford - he said come on out to take a look and ended up buying the whole lot for for a greatly reduced price. The exotic stuff can be really addictive - I love the way it machines - just make sure you have a sharp Woodworker II blade and you are good to go.

Here is some of that original lot:

Below are Rosewood boards from that lot - they are so heavy I am afraid for my planer. These are the kind of boards that make me say "I'm not worthy, I'm not worthy"....... Someday I will post a project with these beauties….

In the meantime - I was picking up various small lots of hardwood flooring - I probably have 15 different species of domestic and exotic examples. You can always get these cheap in small lots and find lots of uses for this material in shop projects as well as finished projects:

Here is Jabota - Brazilian Chestnut, 2 kinds of Rosewood, Ipe, and Eucalyptus

I also answered a CL ad for hardwood shorts from a local sawyer "Log to Lumber" and for $100, he supplied me a ton of really cool domestic wood, no duds here - lots of Hickory, Walnut, Maple QSWO, Ash, Cherry, etc…...some photos:

Along the way - got some "free" lots inclucding a truckload of from a retired cabinet restorer and his kids wanted nothing to do with the business…..Included a bunch of Mahogany (a fraction is shown here):

A local lumberyard also gets weird lots of stuff and good deals can be found - not always the top grade lumber but always an adventure - here is 16/4 Paduck - a bit rough, but very beautiful, and price was very right - pictured is the last half of what I bought - the rest is in projects:

The motherload was answering a CL ad for some Lacewood - not too far from home, I drove my rusty F150 over there only to leave with a load of mixed exotic wood. I couldn't believe the truck would haul it - it was so heavy. Pennies on the dollar, it was being in the right place at the right time.

More photos from this exotic lot:

8/4 Lacewood:

4/4 Lacewood:

Tigerwood (Goncalo Alves) - Cocobolo - Bubinga - Makore:

From the top - Yellowheart (Pau Amarello), Makore (Ash strips in front, not from the exotic lot, but free on CL), Lacewood below.

On the shelf below - 10' Bubinga boards with a pile Anigre on top and in front (the small blanks are Lignum Vitae - on sale at Rockler last month…

Cocobolo:

Granadillo and Spanish Cedar:

8/4 Sapele

8/4 Zebrawood:

(Counterclockwise from top left) Maple - Cherry - Sapele - Tigerwood (Goncalo Alves) - Sapele - Cocobolo - Maple - Zebrawood

Also on the shelf - some 8/4 Walnut and 4/4 hard Maple:

And a stack of thin cut Claro Walnut - this is really cool stuff:

Shorts are (somewhat) sorted by species or category on the bottom rows:

And other nooks and crannies:

Also tried my hand at sawing my own lumber (Maple and Ash):

Using a sliding jig on precison rollers (removed the band saw table for maximum cut):

Other finds:

A bunch of Maple blanks - good cutting board stock:

Bowling Lane (all Hard maple)- have more than pictured (alot more) but got it all for less than $60 - hard to work wiith tho - full of nails - will use it up eventually:

In the shed - some really rough Red Oak (super cheap, but planes up pretty well), Walnut, various flooring, and bolwing lane:

From the utility room comes this - Maple flooring on top, Oak in middle and Maple on the bottom - all CL finds:

The less glamorous side of the room - under the steps:

You never know when you need one of these gems:

Plywood scraps?

Actually this last shot shows my entire lumber storage area from the original shop - oh how times change…....

For those of you that actually made it to the end of this blog - thanks for checking it out….......hope you enjoyed it.

Jeff

gasp !

you are very fortunate

i can only dream

 

The Wall

This wall has been an eyesore for awhile now….during some of the shop expansions, it got repurposed a few times…

Here is the before picture:

And the after picture:

I still need to build tool holders and such for the wall cleats - the stuff in the photo are existing things I hung up for the photo - but it's a good start.

Some build photos….....

The wall was resheeted in cheap borg ply and added four rows of wall cleats made from Maple flooring:

The bases are Oak - really rough Oak, but it cleans up ok….I left the knots and all. All mortise and tenon and super sturdy:

One base has the angled "dust-free" shelves and the other has a flat bottom with random width stock - literally cut whatever was in the shorts bin…

The slanted version has little adjustable block things that you can put wherever to store whatever:

The countertop is more repurposed bowling alley lane. Also added the Jatoba strips so it matches the workbench

Here is the raw bowling lane - it is the thin stuff they use on the approach area:

And with the nails removed:

And surfaced:

Made 2 six foot counters (18" wide), and built each one in 2 pieces so I could run them through the power planer before gluing the 2 sides together:

Unfortuneately they still weren't flat….....flat is not easy to come by….I tried hand planing but the tearout was out of control.

Not sure I would recommend this next step, but it did work resonably well. I took the sliding table off my drum sander And fed the boards in from the outfeed side - sanding half the length at a time. The problems are sander snipe (really easy to do using this technique) and some mismatch in the middle.

The hand belt sander covered up some of these problems, and for the most part - they are pretty darn flat:

Also built a wall cleat mount for the monitor and added a sliding keyboard tray so it should help keep the counter clear:

The computer is below the counter:

Here is the bench and counter:

Like I said before - have a bunch of stuff I want to store on the wall - so more updates on that later:

Now for something totally different - check out this cool little garage sale find ($2.00). I figured I would pop the gauge out of it and use it in a project - but it's cool as is - I believe it was built in the 50's by Woodcroftery and it is stamped "Cherry".

Thanks for looking!

Jeff

 

The Wall

This wall has been an eyesore for awhile now….during some of the shop expansions, it got repurposed a few times…

Here is the before picture:

And the after picture:

I still need to build tool holders and such for the wall cleats - the stuff in the photo are existing things I hung up for the photo - but it's a good start.

Some build photos….....

The wall was resheeted in cheap borg ply and added four rows of wall cleats made from Maple flooring:

The bases are Oak - really rough Oak, but it cleans up ok….I left the knots and all. All mortise and tenon and super sturdy:

One base has the angled "dust-free" shelves and the other has a flat bottom with random width stock - literally cut whatever was in the shorts bin…

The slanted version has little adjustable block things that you can put wherever to store whatever:

The countertop is more repurposed bowling alley lane. Also added the Jatoba strips so it matches the workbench

Here is the raw bowling lane - it is the thin stuff they use on the approach area:

And with the nails removed:

And surfaced:

Made 2 six foot counters (18" wide), and built each one in 2 pieces so I could run them through the power planer before gluing the 2 sides together:

Unfortuneately they still weren't flat….....flat is not easy to come by….I tried hand planing but the tearout was out of control.

Not sure I would recommend this next step, but it did work resonably well. I took the sliding table off my drum sander And fed the boards in from the outfeed side - sanding half the length at a time. The problems are sander snipe (really easy to do using this technique) and some mismatch in the middle.

The hand belt sander covered up some of these problems, and for the most part - they are pretty darn flat:

Also built a wall cleat mount for the monitor and added a sliding keyboard tray so it should help keep the counter clear:

The computer is below the counter:

Here is the bench and counter:

Like I said before - have a bunch of stuff I want to store on the wall - so more updates on that later:

Now for something totally different - check out this cool little garage sale find ($2.00). I figured I would pop the gauge out of it and use it in a project - but it's cool as is - I believe it was built in the 50's by Woodcroftery and it is stamped "Cherry".

Thanks for looking!

Jeff

Very nice Jeff, you make me feel bad because mine is such a pig pen. Like the way the bench top came out. Job well done.

Jim

Hey, did you see, Jeffery (God of Biscuts) won Reserve Grand Champion on his clock entry?

 

Woodshop Tour Video

Here is a little shop update - sorry for all the edits, it was way too long so had to shorten it up a bit. Always appreciate the support and comments….........hope you enjoy:

Thanks for looking.

Jeff

 

Man, what a shop. You have enough tools to outfit two shops. You have some very original ideas for organization that I like. I have never seen the air tool hangers before. I see what you mean by the open concept. Everything is visible. I have tried to put a lot of my smaller items in drawers and behind shelves. The downside of course is out of sight, out of mind. Nice video tour…...........

 

The Craziest Idea Yet?

I am refinishing a pine dinette set and the dust is crazy bad. I bought a Fein vac off of Craigslist 2 years ago for $25 (yes $25) but it had a non-standard 1/4 turn electrical plug on it, so couldn't test. Re-wired a standard plug and it didn't work…..BUMMER.

Tore it all apart and in the end, all that needed to be done was to re-seat one one the switches - they pop right out with a screwdriver…..

Bottom line - the Fein was a great buy - works great - the filter is fantastic and its QUIET!

Anyways, the vac has always been a great asset in the shop, but space is always an issue - so it was always a pain to use the vac for dust collection with the ROS (hooks up perfectly with the Porter Cable)........until today:

Using a bike hook, the vac hangs off the ceiling above the right side of the table saw - which is a dead space…

And when the sander is not in play - the hose hangs here:

Previously - the Fein was used to get the table saws clean along with the other tools in the general area and it will still do this task just fine…....

Your shop space is 3 dimensional - any space not required for walking is fair game for tools.

Time will tell if this works, but I think it will…........

Appreciate your comments…

Jeff

 

The Craziest Idea Yet?

I am refinishing a pine dinette set and the dust is crazy bad. I bought a Fein vac off of Craigslist 2 years ago for $25 (yes $25) but it had a non-standard 1/4 turn electrical plug on it, so couldn't test. Re-wired a standard plug and it didn't work…..BUMMER.

Tore it all apart and in the end, all that needed to be done was to re-seat one one the switches - they pop right out with a screwdriver…..

Bottom line - the Fein was a great buy - works great - the filter is fantastic and its QUIET!

Anyways, the vac has always been a great asset in the shop, but space is always an issue - so it was always a pain to use the vac for dust collection with the ROS (hooks up perfectly with the Porter Cable)........until today:

Using a bike hook, the vac hangs off the ceiling above the right side of the table saw - which is a dead space…

And when the sander is not in play - the hose hangs here:

Previously - the Fein was used to get the table saws clean along with the other tools in the general area and it will still do this task just fine…....

Your shop space is 3 dimensional - any space not required for walking is fair game for tools.

Time will tell if this works, but I think it will…........

Appreciate your comments…

Jeff

Hi Jeff,

Good use of space in your shop…....pretty slick idea to put the Fein over-head. Just don't bump your 'noggin…..lol. You made out like a burgler when you found that deal…I don't have a Craigslist where I live…wish I did….Anyway…..good score, and looks like it the ticket for sanding…up and out of the way…

 

Cool Wood Finds - Mostly Exotics

A couple more cool Craiglists finds. The shop is full of new smells!

Lignum Vitae, Cocobolo, Ebony, African Blackwood, Bloodwood, Yellowheart, Red Heart, Olivewood, Cherry, Pink Ivory, B & W Ivory, Bocote, Zercote, Osage orange, Goncalo Alves, Zebrawood, Lacewood, Wenge, Spalted Maple, Bubinga and Snakewood. (Plus a few domestics in there also).

Granted, mostly smaller pieces, but cool none the less. Paid $100 (the last photo shows some stuff I traded for). I am really excited about the Ebony and Ivory becasue haven't had the opportunity to work with these yet.

Below is Olivewood on the left:

Below is the Ebony (in wax):

Below is a little piece of snakewood on the right and some Pink Ivory in the back left:

Thanks for looking…...

Jeff

 

Cool Wood Finds - Mostly Exotics

A couple more cool Craiglists finds. The shop is full of new smells!

Lignum Vitae, Cocobolo, Ebony, African Blackwood, Bloodwood, Yellowheart, Red Heart, Olivewood, Cherry, Pink Ivory, B & W Ivory, Bocote, Zercote, Osage orange, Goncalo Alves, Zebrawood, Lacewood, Wenge, Spalted Maple, Bubinga and Snakewood. (Plus a few domestics in there also).

Granted, mostly smaller pieces, but cool none the less. Paid $100 (the last photo shows some stuff I traded for). I am really excited about the Ebony and Ivory becasue haven't had the opportunity to work with these yet.

Below is Olivewood on the left:

Below is the Ebony (in wax):

Below is a little piece of snakewood on the right and some Pink Ivory in the back left:

Thanks for looking…...

Jeff

Dang, I see a winter's worth of fun in that!
Good job, that will be great to have such a collection.

Steve

 

Vacuum Clamping Jig on the Cheap.......

This is really just a prototype…..........

I aquired the vacuum pump a year ago for $5.00….and shame on me for not putting it to work until now. All the parts shown are "found", not specifically fashioned for this purpose.

The motivation to build something now is I have to sand ALOT of thin parts. The idea was to make a jig to hold the thin parts over a belt sander or a sheet sander without grinding away my fingertips….

The platen is a scrap part from work, which is an aluminum plate with low durometer (hardness) silicone rubber bonded to it. Attached a little piece of UHMW plastic to the top so I could hand thread the fitting into….I don't have a 1/4" NPT tap.

The sheet sander stays put with a sand filled innertube - a Doug Stowe idea:

The pump can be turned on and off with a my foot switch:

It is truely amazing how strong the bond is when running this gadget…..I can defineately see alot of applications for this - and will be building some better jigs in the future…...very cool stuff…...

Thanks for looking.

Jeff

 

Vacuum Clamping Jig on the Cheap.......

This is really just a prototype…..........

I aquired the vacuum pump a year ago for $5.00….and shame on me for not putting it to work until now. All the parts shown are "found", not specifically fashioned for this purpose.

The motivation to build something now is I have to sand ALOT of thin parts. The idea was to make a jig to hold the thin parts over a belt sander or a sheet sander without grinding away my fingertips….

The platen is a scrap part from work, which is an aluminum plate with low durometer (hardness) silicone rubber bonded to it. Attached a little piece of UHMW plastic to the top so I could hand thread the fitting into….I don't have a 1/4" NPT tap.

The sheet sander stays put with a sand filled innertube - a Doug Stowe idea:

The pump can be turned on and off with a my foot switch:

It is truely amazing how strong the bond is when running this gadget…..I can defineately see alot of applications for this - and will be building some better jigs in the future…...very cool stuff…...

Thanks for looking.

Jeff

... Good thought with the foot switch, so you can have both hands on the job.

 

The Wall - Part 2

I few updates made since this post: The Wall.

I did acquire some free cabinets and bolted them to the ceiling - everything else is on the french cleats. Can be also called the wall of unfinished projects as there are several mixed in there…..

A bit of "special" lumber stored under the counter…....

Sorry for the crappy photos - just can't get the lighting right…........

Thanks for looking.

Jeff

 

The Wall - Part 2

I few updates made since this post: The Wall.

I did acquire some free cabinets and bolted them to the ceiling - everything else is on the french cleats. Can be also called the wall of unfinished projects as there are several mixed in there…..

A bit of "special" lumber stored under the counter…....

Sorry for the crappy photos - just can't get the lighting right…........

Thanks for looking.

Jeff

Looks like a great place to spend some quality time.