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My humble shop

Julio Navarro

Julio Navarro

Member
Messages
281
Location
Tampa
Well, I've been renting some space for my shop for about 6 months now and my cabinet and cabinet refacing business has taken off the ground, slowly but surely. I have three kitchens under my belt, a couple of vanities and some small furniture pieces.

The name of my business is Forest Heart Cabinetry, LLC. (I love that name).

Here's my logo. It still needs a little color but I plan on having it carved on a nice maple board by CNC.
FH_LOGO.jpg

So here is my shop. Keep in mind that I am in the middle of planing 80 BF of maple; hence the all the sawdust! The place is a mess and Iam in the middle of building another work surface for assembly so I don't take up all the space on the saw out feed table.

Front entrance
2012-11-26 09.31.47.jpg

My panel saw:
2012-11-26 09.31.35.jpg

Jointer and planer. Complete with mountains of saw dust(I am using my Hitachi TS as a dedicated dado cutter:
2012-11-26 09.30.50.jpg

Band saw
2012-11-26 09.30.58.jpg

RAS (has become almost indispensable for cutting rough lumber to size):
2012-11-26 09.32.18.jpg

Grizzly shaper:
2012-11-26 09.31.06.jpg

Router table with the MLCS motorized router lift (very handy):
2012-11-26 09.32.03.jpg

Powermatic 64 table saw with 52" rail (very much under powered) I need to do some adjusting to reduce some vibration:
2012-11-26 09.31.18.jpg

A view showing the back of the shop and the TS outfeed table which also acts as an assembly and general working area:
2012-11-26 09.31.29.jpg
 
As you can see its a mess. I am working on organizing things. I have something like 30' ceiling so I am planning to build a second floor (if business goes well) where I will do all my finishing. I am counting on my theory that dust settles downward so the second floor should be relatively dust free or at least easier to keep dust free.

My biggest problem right now is that I only have 120V service. In fact, I only have ONE outlet!! I have to plug each machine when I need to use it.

I am working on bartering with an electrician to come and add a few more outlets and to put in 220V service so I can install my cyclone and use my 80 gal compressor.

Right now I am running a multiple outlet cord so I can plug in the router, the 5 gal compressor, and the extension for the TS and all the other machines. Thing is, I cant have two things going at the same time or the breaker, which is in another unit, will trip. Then I have to wait till the tenant gets back so I can go in and re set the darn thing! Its all very entertaining!

Slowly but surely I will solve all those things. It all boils down to just one thing; having the money to do it.

Hope you guys enjoyed the tour.
 

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I feel your pain about having only one outlet. My workshop is my driveway, and it's hard to heat so I don't do woodworking in the winter. I'm having an electrician install two 20amp outlets for me before spring. I usually keep all the stationary tools I am using plugged in, and turn on only one at a time. I wish I had your space! :D
 
I really like it. Its very convenient. Makes changing bits a breeze and you can adjust the height speed to very small increments which is great for fine tuning. You can reset a certain height so you can get to it again and again.

I dont think its industrial quality. The router plate is only 1/4" thick which is alright, but it is not as thick as others I have seen at woodcraft. Only thing is its a bit pricey but I think it is somewhat worth it. I would recommend it with reservations.
 
Roger Tulk said:
I feel your pain about having only one outlet. My workshop is my driveway, and it's hard to heat so I don't do woodworking in the winter. I'm having an electrician install two 20amp outlets for me before spring. I usually keep all the stationary tools I am using plugged in, and turn on only one at a time. I wish I had your space! :D
Click to expand...

Its not ideal that's for sure. With my back the way it is it is a huge pain in the you-know-what.

I live in Florida so heating is not a problem but cooling is!
 
allen levine said:
how do you like that powerlift from mlcs?

Ive been waiting months to purchase one, they cant seem to get them in stock.
Click to expand...

Be aware that it requires a certain size router diameter. Not all routers will fit and it is not adjustable. I am using a PC 3HP variable speed router, only one I could find that would fit it. So all in all the thing cost about 500$ with the router!
 
Julio Navarro said:
Be aware that it requires a certain size router diameter. Not all routers will fit and it is not adjustable. I am using a PC 3HP variable speed router, only one I could find that would fit it. So all in all the thing cost about 500$ with the router!
Click to expand...

yeah, I plan on swapping out my milaukee router in the table now and getting a PC variable speed for the lift.
 
Looks great, and such potential!

Boy you need that DC hooked up! :D

I can really see a second floor, and you should look at making a lift to bring stuff up there, near the roll up door, it would not be hard, all it would have to be is an electric winch, and some rails, have them at a very slight angle, and the lift would be just about the size of a pallet, not big, maybe 3'x3' and you could load it up with stuff to take either up or down. Any kind of finish in 5 gallon buckets are heavy, so it would not just be for bringing parts to be finished up and down.

Such potential, man look at all that wall space! :eek:
 
Stuart Ablett said:
Looks great, and such potential!

Boy you need that DC hooked up! :D

I can really see a second floor, and you should look at making a lift to bring stuff up there, near the roll up door, it would not be hard, all it would have to be is an electric winch, and some rails, have them at a very slight angle, and the lift would be just about the size of a pallet, not big, maybe 3'x3' and you could load it up with stuff to take either up or down. Any kind of finish in 5 gallon buckets are heavy, so it would not just be for bringing parts to be finished up and down.

Such potential, man look at all that wall space! :eek:
Click to expand...

Hey Stu!

You know, I had not thought about a lift, excellent suggestion. But of course, your mind would work that way seeing as you have your dungeon and lifting and lowering is part and parcel of working in your shop.

I wench is a great idea. HF has them pretty cheap. Of course I could use the truck to lift stuff by way of a pulley. Seriously though, my mind is whirling with winch configurations! I could use two winches and just design an elevator!

But you are right, I need the DC badly. I talked to the electrician and he agreed to do the installation of a 220v service cheaper if I built him a set of speaker cabinets for his car. Yup, he rides around with the bass at full blast, but the deal is good.

Thanks for the ideas!
 
Just wanted to show you guys a set of wall cabinets I made for a showroom. Its cherry. I stained it with minwax red oak and finished it with a semi gloss M. L. Campbell pre-catalized lacquer. It made the beautiful grain pop out. I would normally not stain cherry just let the natural color through but the client wanted it darker than the natural color. I tired several tints but red oak was the closest to the natural cherry shade yet much darker.

The photo does not do it justice, I think the flash washed it out. Some rail and stiles as well as face frame looks darker in the picture than they really are.

2012-10-24 15.15.50.jpg

(this is one of my first professional jobs)
 
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