The shortest shop tour ever (56k)

Chris Hatfield

Former Member (by the member's request)
Messages
380


Hope you like it.



OK, you got me. I've got a lot more pictures than that. The shop is a 12x12 shed, on a hill. Since four pictures could encompass the entirety of it, I think a time pictorial would be more appropriate. The above picture was taken early this year, and it largely remained unchanged from when I bought the house Christmas 08 until then. I made a couple of $20 tables, but the rest was loose hand tools, car stuff and house stuff. My first set of power tools (the Ryobi One+ 4-piece set) was lonely for about a year.



There is was in all it's glory about March. I had already bought my router and temporarily turned one of the tables into my first router table.



There it is. It worked well for a fashion, until I decided I wanted my table back and a dedicated station. Since then I built a NYW/AW-style cabinet and then tore it apart when I decided it wasn't good enough. Table 3.0 used the top and the insert, but a whole new carcass. From that point (the router purchase) I started adding tools. First was more of the Ryobi One+ line, which by now I own a majority of what's offered, and stepped up to their Lithium batteries. Much better.

I then added a miter saw, even though I wanted a table saw first. Got a god deal. I'm all about good deals. The only major tool I've bought at full price was the router, and that's only because I was in a hurry. After the miter saw came the big boy, the table saw. Working in such a small space, a cabinet or a hybrid was completely out of the question. I was going to go with the fake Porter Cable contractor's saw until I got the Craftsman 21829 for half price one day. No brainer. Love the big wheels, I can take it everywhere. Then I picked up a display Ridgid drill press and a used Ryobi planer on the same day, and that's been the last of my big purchases.

Here's the a photoshoot I did a few months ago while Table 2.0 was in progress, before I went on my buying spree:



This was my miter saw station:


One evening I decided to get a little crazy and switch the working wall away from the window. I'm still not sure why. This is after I was 'done.':


Yes, the floor is completely covered. I had also ripped out the stinky 30+ year old carpet that was in there, and discovered a floor that wasn't too bad except for one spot. Feels like it's made out of MDF, but I don't know how it's lasted this long if it is. Eventually everything I didn't need got taken to the trash, including the seven trash bags full of carpet. I took more pictures after I picked up my table saw.

Full view:


Upon entry, to right:


Back right:


Back left:


Upon entry, to left:


Under the golf bags there is my lawn mower. The big white bookshelf is my detailing products. All the bins and boxes are the house items.

This is my scrap storage:


After that came the drill press, and it is in front of the window:


It eventually got a rolling cart to go underneath it. Here I am working on the planer cart on top of it:


I got the planer, and it very nicely came with this metal stand:


That wouldn't work. So I built a rolling flip-top planer cart for it.


Through all of this I am about 85% done on Router Table 3.0. I need to trim it out, make the drawers better and the back and a front door.


Right now the shop is a mess. I am building a Ultimate Tool Stand to replace the planer cart, and that miter saw station I made. The old router table, the old planer cart are both in dis-assembly in the shed, along with one of the tables I am having to move out to fit the UTS. I also found an outstanding deal on the Kreg K3MS and I've made a mess all over the floor. Hopefully I can get some good stuff accomplished this weekend and take some updated pics. I still have a lot more I need to take out of the shed and find a permanent home for, like the decorations. Once those go, I'll free up a few more square feet. I also hope by next year I can get the ground out front leveled. Nothing like trying to cut a sheet of plywood on a hill.

I hope you liked my time machine, and hope it kept with the spirit of the forum.
 
That looks like a great place to work. I recognize that vice, I've got a couple of them mounted. They have served me well. I like that CMS table setup. I am glad to see one in use. The plans looked very inviting. Thanks for taking the time to post all the pics.
 

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It looks like a great space to work. Good start on the tool collection as well:thumb:

Lots of people knock Ryobi but they have been innovators in the power tool market for years. I really like most of their tools. Good value and good performance :thumb:
 
there are alot of us here that work in cramped garages and whenever possible we work on our driveways.
I have almost all my machines on wheels and push them outside if Im using them for a long period of time and weather permits.
I have a 20 foot car canopy over my driveway so I dont have to worry if it starts to drizzle.
thats a great looking router table, the one I plan to build one day, and the flipper table is cool.
one of the guys here just won a ribbon for his table in a state fair, and I dont think he has any space indoors to build, he does all his work on his driveway.
we all have alot of space on our driveways and yards.
especially when I have to work with the tablesaw and sheet goods

didnt those ryobi cordless tools seem like brand new when you put a lithium battery in them? and alot more powerful?
 
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nice shop setup there,, and best of all no lathe:rofl::rofl::thumb::thumb: we are glad your a flat worker we need all the help we can get.. and another vote for a nice router table setup:D:thumb:
 
nice shop setup there,, and best of all no lathe:rofl::rofl::thumb::thumb: we are glad your a flat worker we need all the help we can get.. and another vote for a nice router table setup:D:thumb:

I agree...no lathe=good shop!!!

Seriously though...that is a great workspace!:thumb:
 
That looks like a great place to work. I recognize that vice, I've got a couple of them mounted. They have served me well. I like that CMS table setup. I am glad to see one in use. The plans looked very inviting. Thanks for taking the time to post all the pics.

The miter station is very convenient. But also not at the same time. It takes up a lot more space than I thought it would, and right now I have to store the whole thing on top of a four-foot tall shelf. Very cumbersome to get down and carry to a place where I need it. It might have worked better is a space where I didn't have to move it outside to use it (ie, if I had dust collection). The plans are pretty good. I'll be keeping it tucked away if I have to take the saw to a 'job site,' but otherwise I'm going to be using it on the UTS.

It looks like a great space to work. Good start on the tool collection as well:thumb:

Lots of people knock Ryobi but they have been innovators in the power tool market for years. I really like most of their tools. Good value and good performance :thumb:

I've been extremely pleased with the set thus far. Having a Direct Tools Outlet within a reasonable driving distance has also allowed me to pick up a few reconditioned for even cheaper. If the radio had AM, it would be perfect. Oh well, that's what my phone is for I suppose.

Cozy! And nice to have it detached from the house! :thumb:

Nice job on the router table(s) :thumb:

I wish it were closer, honestly. I have to run a power cord out there if I want to do anything, and I can't run two things at once, much less lighting. I will certainly have to pick up another extension cord for dust management. Unfortunately, having it wired would probably be prohibitively expensive.

didnt those ryobi cordless tools seem like brand new when you put a lithium battery in them? and alot more powerful?

It was fantastic. I bought the weed wacker because it included the battery and charger for the same price as just buying a battery and charger. My circular saw wasn't worthless anymore. I've since invested in a set of the smaller lithiums and they are great as well.

You are making the most of your space and designing, and building, some fine work stations.
I am puzzled by the bolts on top of your bench at the vice. :huh: Nice vice, BTW.

It's how the vise is mounted. Seemed like a good idea at the time to go with the beefiest mount I could come up with. When I build my cabinet bench, I'm not sure how I will attach it. Perhaps I can recess the bolts into the surface and have plugs, or I can use a bed bolt setup and use shorter bolts. It was what I could think of at the time, and the bolt heads in the way have caused me to rethink that for the future. It was literally a $20 bench, so I wasn't fussed.

nice shop setup there,, and best of all no lathe:rofl::rofl::thumb::thumb: we are glad your a flat worker we need all the help we can get.. and another vote for a nice router table setup:D:thumb:

I agree...no lathe=good shop!!!

Seriously though...that is a great workspace!:thumb:

I'd take a lathe if I was given one and I could fit it, for sure. But more than likely, I'll never get one or I'll be a grandfather by the time I do. I'm hoping that the Christmas goods will move out within the next month or so, then I can see just how much room I'm looking at.
 
I would be interested in more details (pictures, etc.) on your miter saw station. It looks very interesting! How do the extensions mount?

Thanks,
Warren

The plans are from PlansNow, and were pretty straightforward. The fence and sides attach with t-nuts and knobs. Pretty slick design, I just wish I had a better way of transporting it. If I could have figured out a way to attach folding legs and wheels, it might have been perfect.

I've attached all the pics I could find of it.
 
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It's been awhile, and I've been working to generate more space in the shop. All the Christmas decorations are out, and will not be returning. Almost all of the storage things not related to either tools or home improvement are gone, and hopefully will not be returning. I moved a 4-tier shelving unit out for other purposes, and found I'm not going to miss it.

What's still on the agenda:
  • Refine scrap storage
  • Revise my lawnmower storage
  • Get more things up on the wall
  • Move a bit more stuff out

I want to build an enclosure to horizontally store some of this scrap along with vertically storing the rest. I thought about a wall unit, but I think something like cubbies might work better.

I'm going to make the shelf over the lawnmower a single height, so I can better utilize the storage afforded by it. I also need to make or buy a couple of more reels for the air hose and new extension cord, and put some more little stuff up on walls.

I'm also hoping as I further get into cleaning stuff up I can get a couple more tubs out. I know at least one is just random stuff from our last move, and another is similar but with tools and such. There's a roll of roof paper, and a roll of carpet, and the stand that came with the planer that all needs to go. Hope you enjoy the pics.

View from the entrance.


Left rear corner


Right rear corner


Right front corner - in progress


Left front corner - in progress
 
just an opinion, you need more organization and less elimination.
Run cheap shelving along the top edges of all the walls. That will give you dozens of linear feet of shelving to store all your household stuff and alot of shop stuff not used alot.
You can buy the cheapest standards and brackets, or just go to any tag sale or estate sale and screw them off someone elses wall for pennies.
You might have to make the actual wooden shelf, but the hardware used costs next to nothing.50 linear feet of 12 inch shelving will elimate alot of stuff an open alot of needed floor space.ex of what Im suggesting, that entire front right corner.
Lower the ladder on the wall, and put shelves along the top and everything you have in that corner can just about be put up on top and out of your way.again, not looking to offend you in any way or form, just a suggestion. When spaces are small, every inch counts.Those shelving units you have in the right front corner, you can gain all that floor space with running a shelf high, even across the top part of that window, as long as you can access it to open it, losing 8 inches of light from that window wont be a disaster, but youd eliminate that entire pile and shelves on the floor.
 
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I'll elaborate a bit later when I have some time, but the ceiling is fairly short. The wall studs are also horizontal, at least in spots. Putting heavy stuff on the walls wont be the easiest thing.
 
you can put 3/4 inch strips, like 3 inches wide from floor up to ceiling vertically and screw them into the horizontal studs, then use those strips to support shelf standards or brackets. The bulk of the weight will be downwards, but you must extend the strips all the way down. just a thought.
 
Wanted to say I appreciate the responses and I've reevaluated a couple of things. I'll try to get some pictures up here in a bit.
 
Did a bit more yesterday.



got modified to this



Hung both my extension cords on hooks, and they are easily reachable. That necessitated the ladder being moved to...



Reused my two ladder hangers, but had to fab something up so as to not hit my head until I get back to the store.



Two pieces of scrap ply screwed into the joist.

Also got rid of two more tubs of stuff.

I thought about making shelves near the ceiling, but after I'm done removing the unnecessary stuff, I really won't need to do that. I have a tub of scrap that I need to organize, and that will go. I have a tub of home improvement and a tub of odd tools and tape that will go under my table once I make the Shop Vac stand. That corner where the white bookcase and the shelves are, scrap strip storage is going to go up on the wall. I think. Still trying to decide. Scrap sheet storage is going to go in the opposite corner, in a false wall.

Speaking of walls, I think I'm going to work on next weekend something I've wanted to do for awhile - replace them. The walls are very thin 1/4 material, something just put up to cover the studs. I'm going to replace it with OSB most likely, and I may install some vertical studs where I think I may need them in the future. I'll lose an inch or two in floor space, but I can afford it now. Depending on cost, insulation will be added or replaced in the walls, and I'll add outlets in anticipation of one day getting this thing hard-wired. Might as well do it now while it's easy. The ceiling will come down, and I'll evaluate the situation there. I think the joists are too close together to use it as storage, but we'll see.

I'll get back out there in a bit and take a couple more pics.
 
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