Redneck Workshop

Tom Knighton

Member
Messages
52
Location
Albany, GA
I thought I'd take a moment to show you my little Southwest GA workshop. Yes...this is redneck to a great extent, but it's better than nothing, which is what I had before ;)

First, allow me to show you my find workshop from the outside. This is one of the finest workshops one can purchase at one's local Wal-Mart:

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Yes...it really came from Wal-Mart. It's nestled into a corner on my back porch. The wall jutting across the back is the wall between my back porch and the adjoining back porch. However, since one half of this duplex is mine, and the other is my Mom's, I don't have to worry about the neighbors getting annoyed :D

Now I take you inside to show you my fancy workbench. Yes, this took me a grand total of 12 minutes to put together.

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I had to tote the boards all the way from the front of the house to the BACK! Yes, that was a time consuming process! However, one bench is never truly enough. Now, I present to you my "fancified" bench!

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Yep, the good old Black & Decker Workmate. It's my primary work holding tool at this point!

And, I have a security system as well! Yes, a high tech and take-no-prisoners security system:

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That's my dog Sierra. She's a sweetie to us...but to those who aren't supposed to be around? She can be vicious!

Seriously, this is what I'm starting with. Most of my tools are handheld power tools or hand tools. I plan on getting bench top power tools instead of full stationary models simply because they have to be put away. The exception being the bandsaw I hope to get. It'll be the work horse of this shop.

So, I hope you enjoyed the tour, and if nothing else, I hope it makes you thankful for walls :D

Tom
 
Great tour Tom! Bigger than my first one (apartment balcony), much more organized, and you've even got a shop dog. Even today I keep my bbq in the shop, just roll it outside to do some cooking while I'm woodworking.

Thanks for the tour.
 
Thanks Frank. I did my first two projects with even less, so I can't help but figure that this is bound to be better :)

of course, my first two projects were small ;)
 
WOW Tom , I guess yours is better than noting . I am lucky to have walls as you have said ..................Marshall............:doh::dunno::doh:............:wave:
 
Nothing wrong with that Tom!

I have a sun room on my "shop" which is just a way over stuffed 1 car garage. Everything is on wheels as the driveway is the work area for anything of size.

My buddy Dan, who's from Alabama BTW, dubbed it the "Alabama Sun room":rofl:.

Here's a pic milling up 1000 FL of T&G from 16' 2"X6" for an addition roof. Note to self, milling 1000lf of T&G from 2"X6" is a stupid idea... check out the fan blowing on the motor to keep it cool so it won't trip the thermal overload:D. Maybe that's why that TS died:huh:. Turned into the perfect opportunity for an upgrade!

Mike
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Marshall: You're luckier than you know! ;)

It's OK though...I'll be getting walls and a roof at some point, because I know I'll be annoyed enough to say "enough's enough!" :D

Mike: Hey, I don't feel so out of place now :D

Seriously, I figured "what the heck". Some new guy could come around, wish he could woodwork but figures he can't because he doesn't have a shop, and maybe the site of my "shop" might inspire him to become the next Sam Maloof or David Marks or something ;)

OK, probably not likely, but it sounds good :D
 
Hey, that going outside isn't a bad deal. In fact, it is nice. One advantage to having my three pound ;) tablesaw is that in summer I carry outside and work there. Fresh air, sunshine. Nice. :)
 
Chuck,

Good point! Not only that, but I want to get one of those fire pits. Then, at worst, I get heat AND can get rid of scraps :D

I used to do something similar, except I didn't have the EZ-up to keep the rain off. Strictly side yard woodworking, using the picnic table and workmate. couple of years later I started building my shop which Im still working on.

From what I understand, I'm doing good. After all, I have a roof already ;)

Tom
 
That, ladies and gentlemen is an understatement. :rofl::rofl:

ahem... I have a roof, I just dont' have siding, wiring or full insulation yet...

Chuck,

Good point! Not only that, but I want to get one of those fire pits. Then, at worst, I get heat AND can get rid of scraps :D
From what I understand, I'm doing good. After all, I have a roof already ;)

Tom

you're doing just fine in my book.
 
Tom:

Starting with hand held power tools is fine. The first "serious" woodworking project I built was a wall mounted blanket rack for the LOML. I built it with a jig saw, a hand held router and a Ryobi 10 compound mitre saw (with a STEEL table - weighed a TON).

It hung on the wall unfinished for 3 years till we finally bought bedroom furniture and it was stained to match.

On the positive side - you can clean up your "shop" with a leaf blower and not have the neighbors looking at you funny.

I have a KD Kanopy of the same size. I might have to roll my tools into the driveway and setup under that. Or at least I can set it up outside the rollup door to keep the afternoon sun off me in the garage.

Thanks for the idea

Cheers

Jim
 
Jim:

Glad I could help with the idea. :)

Seriously, I'm finding that if one is creative enough, there's not much you can't do with what I've got. You just have to be a bit more adaptable :)
 
I woke up this morning to the noises of a storm brewing outside and a sinking feeling. I got out of bed and checked the shop. Well, to start with, it was on the other side of the yard from where it should have been.

Basically, the gazebo is a total loss. I hadn't had a chance to anchor it, but the TV station is reporting a gust at their studio of 62 MPH, and there are a lot of trees to break it up. The meteorologist is guesstimating the actual gust was closer to 70.

All of the tools, and the wood for the bookcase I'm building for my mother, was soaked. The tools were moved immediately inside the screened in back porch. The wood, well at this point I think the damage was done...if any. Luckily, wood can dry out. The tools can dry out.

Now, I have to go back to the drawing board, in this case almost literally, and put up something more permanent. I'll sit down with the family and figure out whether we want to just go ahead and build the freestanding shop, or just an awning over where the shop is. Possibly both as the awning could be used for family stuff.

Of course, I'm not feeling really perky right now. I'm getting the feeling that I'd have been better off spending the $100 I spent on the gazebo for building materials to build something more substantial instead. Oh well...live and learn :(
 
Sorry to hear of your problems Tom, but I think you were right in the first place to use the gazebo as you did. I'm sure you always thought of it as temporary, and of course the tools and wood will dry in time. As to an outbuilding for your shop, I think that is the way to go. The gazebo will serve as a shelter from the hot sun in the summertime, and you will have a great story about the winds of '09 as you enjoy your projects for years to come.

Hang in there!
 
Thanks Frank. Needless to say, it was pretty disheartening to wake up to that this morning. Granted, I'm fortunate that it was just the gazebo that was destroyed and not the house (trees and limbs were down all over the place apparently), but it still falls into the "that sucks" category.

I had always planned an outbuilding, so maybe this just sped things up a bit.
 
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