8ft x 6ft is enough...

Messages
35
Location
London, England
... just!

Well, after saying hello in the general forum I thought you might like to see my favourite place...

Here's my little shed from the outside looking in. Not much in the way of machines, just a drill press on the bench. Most of the work is done using hand tools. I just love the feel of a nice sharp plane taking shavings with little or no effort...

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This is the basic layout...

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...and here is a closer shot looking in the door.

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The door was placed off centre to give more wall room and to allow long pieces of timber to be held in the vice with the door open. The shed sits on a damp-proof solid floor. This little shed has been my workshop for over 25 years and is still going strong. the outside gets a lick of preservative every-other year and the roof has been recovered once. If you would like to see some more pictures just say so, I don't want to over-do it on my second visit;)

I do have a slightly larger shop now but the little shed is still my favoured space. I have just installed a lathe in there and Sue (SWMBO) is planning on moving in...

... I suppose it might get curtains now:D

Ralph.
 
You must not have read much here...we LOVE pictures!! :D The more the merrier! Cozy shop. Well laid out for how you use it. I'd love to see the other shop as well. Now, curtains in the shop?? Well,......:D
And I must have missed your first post, so welcome to the Family! Jim.
 
Ralph,

That looks like a nice comfortable shop you have there. Although, I'm into power tools and a 'little' more room in my shop...:rolleyes:

Oh, and like Jim said, I missed your original post...so WELCOME aboard!

Cheers...
- Marty -
 
Hello Ralph, nice shop – I bet there have been a lot of shavings made in there!
It looks a little damp in your neck of the woods. We don't have much of that green tint around here....

Welcome to FW
 
No, don't add curtains! I am jealous of all that beautiful natural light. Well, OK, so maybe the sun doesn't exactly bath 'the Smoke' in her warming rays as much as where I live but, what a great space.

Welcome aboard and glad to have you.
 
Looks like it does the trick, Ralph. Kudos on the layout of the door. :thumb: I can imagine a lot of relaxing hours have been spent in there.

Seeing these pics made me think of the little workbench I had set up on the storage closet of my first apartment. Not a lot of room, but it was set up to make what I wanted to build.
 
I'm jealous, but maybe not on the size of the shop. Still building stuff all by hand is my ultimate goal. I have had these thoughts for quite some time about building my Mom an all-hand-tool jewelery box. Still the power tool draw has quite the amp to it (pun intended).

Welcome to FWW though and don't be at all shy about posting, we don't discriminate when it comes to shop size, skill levels or projects of other woodworkers. We share, have a good time and talk woodworking.

By the way, my shop by most woodworkers standards is pretty small itself.
 
Good lookin' get-away! Don't be shy about pictures! We LOVE them! I'd love to see what you make in the little shop and some pics of the bigger shop.
 
Ralph,

Welcome to FWW :wave:

I like how you angled the workbench to use the vise with long stock running out the door. :thumb:

Often in my welcomes I say something about how much we like pictures, but everyone else seemed to have beat me to it. ;)
 
Thanks for the kind words guys...

Stu,
I have been watching your shop from afar for some time I love the way you get over all the problems. That Dewalt table saw is a real gem. I got mine a few years ago and it is so useful in a small shop I would recommend it to anyone. It now lives under a bench on a purpose-made cabinet until it is needed.

Ned,
Hey, these guys don't know that my brother calls me Woody....:D

Travis,
I am in the lucky position of having the chance to use,evaluate and keep most of the tools I am given for review. That being said I still fall back to my hand tools if I want to 'make' something.

I had a formal training in woodwork in the sixties by men that wore brown coats and loved wood. These guys knew hand tools inside out and knew how to make them do the job. It was that knowledge that they passed on to me. I was also lucky enough to live in a big house with my parents and my uncles family. he was a 'real' hans-on master of wood. what he did not know was not worth knowing. Although I did not realise it at the time I am sure it was his influence that set me on the coures I am on today. Unfortunately he died prematurely and never got to see what I had achieved. I dedicated a book to him as an appreciation of what he had done for me.

If you want any help with getting to grips with hand tools just ask and I will be happy to pass on anything I can in the way of help.

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Ralph;)
 
A lesson in what can be done with limited space. It is obvious from your words that you love your shop and woodworking. I was getting a bit concerned about you, though, until you said you had just bought a lathe. ;) Now, we can all relax, you're one of us. :thumb: Your shop and enthusiasm remind me of an English friend of mine who lives in Seaford. He does remarkable things in his limited space workshop also. Welcome to FW.
 
Ned, The 8 x 6 is still my favourite place, especially on a sunny afternoon. The fact that everything is to hand and that I really know that place well is probably part of it. somehow it is just a magic place...

I must be getting old.

Ralph;)
 
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