What you got planned for this winter in way of woodworking?

Rob Keeble

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GTA Ontario Canada
Yeah I shudder to think of this subject but that snow is already showing itself in some parts. With our Thanksgiving weekend coming up I am reminded by the color of the leaves and the quantity on the ground that Winter is not far away.

I thought I would get a post going for us to share some ideas on how to make it through the winter and do some woodworking at the same time, regardless of shop circumstances.

Last year was a bust for me and winter woodworking. With a temp garage shop not sealed up and tight on space given all its got packed in it, I tried to carve out a niche for some woodworking but it was futile. In fact I realized that heating a shop temporarily is the worst thing in the world we can do to our tools.

The heating cooling cycle did more damage in the way of moisture as a result of post heat condensation than leaving well alone would have done. All I did was to serve as a catalyst for rust feeding more than normal moisture into the environment.

So this year after the recovery (time wasted spent cleaning all the rust off) my game plan is to move a bunch of handtools indoors, I am just going to remove draws and carry inside and stack in the warm basement.

Then on the actual hobby side I plan on carving.

The other thing I wish to try is sharpening some hand saws that I have been itching to do for years but other things have always taken precedent.

Then rather than waste valuable shop time during the rest of the year I plan on getting all my sharpening out the way. So chisels planes and what have you in the way of items of hand tools with cutting edges (scrapers) etc.

These are three past times that don't take up a load of space, don't make too much dust and can be just as rewarding.

At the moment I have more than enough business work to keep me occupied and don't own the house so house maintenance as in painting or the likes is not on my radar at all.

I am looking for more ideas though given it don't take months to sharpen tools well ......unless your name is Rob :)


So what you got planned heated or non heated shop.........whats the winter goals ?????
 
The shop building is heated, and very well insulated, so I can work out there all Winter.

I'm thinking of a TV 'credenza' and maybe (finally) finishing a Pennsylvania style spice box that's been sitting on the 'to do' shelf for about five years now. I did the carcase and inner grid/shelf supports back then, but never got around to finishing it. Couple other odds and ends, maybe...
 
It felt like snow could start here yesterday, but will be about 75 today...Still mowing the lawn every week too. Once I finish up a couple of shows next month, I plan on making a router sled to level out several small slabs I've been saving over the last few years. I hope to make some side tables, coffee tables and such with them this winter. Some with legs I turn on the lathe, others with steel ones and probably some with both. I'll be adding my router table to a TS wing as well which will clear up some space to hopefully add a 14" bandsaw once the holidays are over. I also need to redo my CMS area so that I can keep it cleaner and actually use it! Other than that, I hope to be able to turn quite a bit. I'll have enough burr oak to heat the house, turn 500 bowls and more sometime this winter too, as we have to take down a 130+ yr old tree in the back yard. Everyone I know will be getting free firewood even if they don't want it. :D
 
I am looking for more ideas though given it don't take months to sharpen tools well ......unless your name is Rob :)

Any chance you can either move your bench or make a smaller one for the basement? You could at least work on smaller projects.

So what you got planned heated or non heated shop.........whats the winter goals ?????

I have been busy this spring and summer with work and with house type chores that have prevented any real woodworking. I just have to finish up my wife's hobby room. Hoping to get it done by the end of October. Then it is on to remaking my shop. It will be a major overhaul that will probably take me until the 1st of the year, probably longer, knowing how I underestimate most projects. I am really looking forward to this. It will be a real transformation that I have been planning for some time now. It will require some building of cabinets and benches that will be enjoyable to work on. I don't plan on rushing, just taking my time and building quality furniture grade for the shop. Then I will regroup and prioritize some projects that I have planned.
 
I guess I'm good to go through the winter (insulated/heated shop), about the only thing that interferes is the threat of heavy snow, then I have to park my tractor in the "assembly" area...but that's seldom for more than a few days at a time. Otherwise I find myself up to my neck in wanna-do projects over the winter.
 
As always, it's a 80/20 balance of my wife's project vs. my projects. :D

My immediate plans are to finish up the dresser unit over the next week or so. We have flooring coming for the basement in the next week or so, so that will be going down, but we plan to remove some windows between the living room and sun room to open up the house a bit. Part of this project is to move our TV from one wall to the opposite, so some wiring is in order and a new media cabinet that may morph into a mantle/fireplace surround to make it the focal point of the room.

As for being able to use the shop for projects in winter. It's got a wood stove, but doesn't hold heat well, so only work out there for short periods when the sun is out. I typically electric heat the office, so can run in and warm back up and then go work again for short stents, then shut the heater off when I'm not in there, the computers keep it above freezing otherwise. I've had some money set aside for buying the metal for the ceiling, but thinking I'll go ahead with building the finish room first, which I can heat to use for tinkering and doing glue-ups in during the cooler months. I've also have the plywood and hardware for my shop cabinets, so planning to get those done.
 
First up is getting the lights made and installed in the Putter Palace. Next is to build a combo bench/outfeed/routertable/cabinet to be placed behind the table saw in the PP. It will be the major 'shop furniture' in there and has to be multiple purpose. Much drawing time has already gone into it.

And then there is moving again. Where and when is unknown. Wherever the next job is.
 
So far my only "shop" plans are to put away all the tools that are currently burying my kitchen table. It has been the guitar workbench all summer. It'd probably be good to clear it off back down to the tablecloth at least once this winter. :) It'll probably have to wait until I get the purple/black guitar back from Dave, though. I'll still need to reassemble that one when he's done with it. ;)
 
Winters tend to be real long and cold here....
As we get ready for the white stuff I am finishing repainting the inside of our house and redoing the baseboards and casings as part of our little reno.
I'm fortunate to have a nice heated shop so I will be spending a ton of time in there building a real nice walnut kitchen which will be the last part of our house redo...
 
Winter is no problem with my shop in my basement. This winter major project is work on finishing basement, fun projects are building ukuleles and hopefully get started on another organ build, plus whatever the mode dictates.
 
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