Anyone have a woodworking shop?

[wn34]

I have been an avid lurker on this site since I found it a few months ago and am curious if anyone out there uses their garage primarily as a woodworking shop. I'm a college student with quite a bit of woodworking experience building furniture in high school and have always thought about what my "shop" will look like when I have my own place. I would love to see what some of your set ups are.

Post some pictures of the space, and some of the masterpieces that have come out of it.

Thanks!

 

[Packard V8]

Yes, I've got a woodworking shop.

No, it is not in the same area as my garage. Forty years of wrenching and woodbutchering have taught me to keep the two completely separated. Wood doesn't like grease. Cars and wives don't appreciate sawdust.

Maybe, a good cyclone dust collection should be your first purchase. A quality band saw would be the second. The good news is the classic woodworking machinery is going for scrap prices these days.

jack vines

 

[djjsr]

I have a separate room in my workshop for woodworking. Equipped with dust collection and air filtration, it keeps the rest of the shop free from sawdust.

 

[Falcon67]

I have to do my wood work in the same area as the cars - nothing makes a bigger mess quicker than a table saw and a miter saw. I would up front think about dust control when doing any layout on a wood shop.

 

[PAToyota]

Two story shop - automotive and metalworking on the first floor and woodworking on the second floor.

 

[Eric Commarato]

Here is mine...

It is approximately 18'-0" x 25'-0"

 

[wbrian63]

Nice shop, Eric. Lots going on in that space.

You like Pony clamps, apparently...

Also like the "plane house" to the left of the lathe.

Is the contractor tablesaw set to outfeed on top of the cabinet saw?

And do I see another cabinet saw - a Powermatic - adjacent to a Powermatic planer?

Organization is key - and you have the key...

 

[wbrian63]

Here's my shop - it's almost ready to start making something besides itself...

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=60859

We will be doing the dreaded mixing of woodworking and autocraft in the same space. We shall see how it goes...

 

[happy]

I also have two separate shops. The wood shop is about 11 x 30 and is attached to the house in the old garage. It is too narrow but, it works. I have turned out many pieces of furniture and various cabinets. I have a separate garage where we do the automotive and metalworking. I would worry too much about fire to combine the two.

If I had to I would be a complete worry wart as to of things stayed clean enough to keep the fire hazard to 0.

Good luck. Start small it took many years to get where I am.

 

[Eric Commarato]

Thanks wbrian63,

Yes it is very compact in there. I have everything on mobile bases except the Tannewitz in the middle of the shop. The Delta Contractor's saw does just miss the top of the Tanny so it kind-a works like an outfeed table. I keep the Delta tooled up with a dado blade. There is also a MAX spidle sander hiding behind that piece of plywood and a Williams-Hussey Lathe, Delta 14" band saw (Made in Pittsburg) as well as a Powermatic Model 30 belt disk sander to the left out to the picture. Its a one man shop. I use my adjacent garage bay for assembly of big stuff. Also got a couple Miller welders in there. I would like to find another PM 66 used and put it tandem with the PM 26 shaper there by the Tannewitz, and put the Delta in my other garage. I checked your shop out a couple weeks ago. You have a great space going there, enjoy it!

 

[bww_mnm]

Eric, that's a beautiful shop. Not to hijack thread, but I want to see some of your work as well!

 

[bww_mnm]

I have been an avid lurker on this site since I found it a few months ago and am curious if anyone out there uses their garage primarily as a woodworking shop. I'm a college student with quite a bit of woodworking experience building furniture in high school and have always thought about what my "shop" will look like when I have my own place. I would love to see what some of your set ups are.

Post some pictures of the space, and some of the masterpieces that have come out of it.

Thanks!

I have a shop that pales in comparison to the 2 already highlighted. I had a dedicated shop in Maryland, moved back home to MN and our basement will be fully finished, so I had to go w/ garage shop. I sold my Grizzly Cabinet saw for a bosh jobsite (painful). Sold my big router table and bought a portable benchdog. Everything else I put on wheels (Jointer, planer, sliding miter saw, bandsaw, etc. I haven't found a good solution for a bench, so I use saw horses and plywood (I don't do a lot of hand tool work). I keep everything against the wall in the 3rd bay. 3rd bay also gets bikes, my 73CL350 scooter, snowblower/mower, etc. It's a ~10minute set up / teardown to move the 2 cars out and then set up for any woodworking. Dust Control is important, I have a 1.5HP Delta DC.

 

[Steevo]

When I had an entire two-car garage dedicated to a wood shop, it was just like Eric's, only with cheaper (Craftsman) power tools, no dust collection system, no organized storage for clamps or tools, benches full of miscellaneous stuff, disarray and chaos everywhere.
So actually, not at all like Erics.

 

[spongerich]

I had my first woodworking setup in my just barely 1 car garage. The cars stayed outside.
I had room for a table saw and benchtop drill press and band saw.

Now I've got about 1500 sq feet in the top story of my barn. I've been accumulating machinery for a year or so and just need to finish the lighting and I'm ready to build some furniture.

Of course, I've got my Honda cafe racer project started downstairs, so the cars are still outside and now I'm trying to figure out where I can put a metal lathe and a mill, not to mention the power hack saw I just bought.

I'll try go get some pics if it's not too cold later.

 

[bww_mnm]

Of course, I've got my Honda cafe racer project started downstairs, so the cars are still outside and now I'm trying to figure out where I can put a metal lathe and a mill, not to mention the power hack saw I just bought.

to stay w/ hijacking, let's see some pics of the cafe racer. mine is a 73CL350 that I'm cafe'ing.

 

[Pathfinder]

I've always had tiny woodworking shops - 10' x 22' and 12' x 16'. Last October I started construction of my dream shop at my second home in Maine. It's so big we call it the barn. I'm hoping to be fully operational by mid summer. It will be so nice not to have to move equipment.

<a href="http://s112.photobucket.com/albums/n179/JMintonRA/Barn/?action=view&current=BARN-2.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n179/JMintonRA/Barn/BARN-2.jpg" border="0" alt="Second Floor"></a>
Second floor wood shop

<a href="http://s112.photobucket.com/albums/n179/JMintonRA/Barn/?action=view&current=BARN-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n179/JMintonRA/Barn/BARN-1.jpg" border="0" alt="First Floor"></a>
First floor garage/automotive shop/storage

<a href="http://s112.photobucket.com/albums/n179/JMintonRA/Barn/?action=view&current=IMG_0576.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n179/JMintonRA/Barn/IMG_0576.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
The barn is on the left. The building on the right was my former wood shop.

John Minton

 

[Zeke]

Wood work makes a mess. Living in SoCal, I work outside pretty much all the time. If I can, I'll move the horses over on the lawn.

I once had a wood shop 15 x 15 that shared the room with the washer and dryer. Now that's a tough one. I did have doors and windows strategically placed so that I could run longer stock in thru the window. When it came time to do the laundry, I vacuumed and then opened up all the windows and doors and hit the place with the yard blower.

The thing about sawdust, you just move it from one place to another unless it happens to rain.

 

[toolsd]

I've got one, completely outfitted in vintage american made machines. In order to restore the machines, I set up a similar metal shop... As it is with these things, I had to restore machines, to restore machines, to rebuild the woodworking machines.

Currently adding fabrication, forging and casting capability. It's simply a sickness.

Brand new here, not sure how to post pics yet.

Tools

 

[toolsd]

I'll give this a shot...

Here's a chair I built...

Here's a lathe I restored...

Tools

 

[HSpencer]

Echoing the others, I fought woodworking and auto repair together for way too long. You know what? You can't ever win at combining the two. Like in the Bible, you cannot serve two masters, you love the one and hate the other, or vise-versa. So, what you do is make your woodworking and automotive/machine shops two different shops. The characters of the shops are entirely different. You can "try" and have the machine shop cleanliness with saws and routers around but it will not work. Saw dust winds up in your sockets and air wrenches and on top of "everything". Wood finishing does not go hand in hand with anything else either. Neither does spray painting a hood in your living room. Once I thought, "well hell, it's the auto shop or the wood shop now dammit which will it be?" Truth is you need both. You gotta have it all, but not in the same place. I know I am rambling but I fought the law and the law won!
Cost me another building, right next to the garage. $$$$$$$. Peace at last, peace at last, Thank you Lord, it's peace at last!!!

 

[TAftw]

How true is it that sawdust is a fire hazard? I've been told you never mix woodworking and metalworking tools because even if there's a tiny bit of sawdust, it can catch fire from sparks or heat from metalworking.

 

[johno]

I'll give this a shot...

Here's a chair I built...

Here's a lathe I restored...


NICE work.

Did you restore the other machinery in the before pic.??

 

[djjsr]

How true is it that sawdust is a fire hazard?

Very true. It can even be ignited by the static electricity that builds up in a vacuum system.

 

[toolsd]

No, but everything I restore looks like that before I start! Funny how that lathe looked A LOT smaller beside my buddies building, than inside my shop...

Here's another...

And another...

Here's a coffee table I built last year...

And some cabinets...

A storage box for a straight edge...

Tools

 

[johno]

Very nice. What is that last machine??

I also like the wood work, you use a jig for the dovetails?

 

[toolsd]

The last machine is a horizontal boring machine. That one has exceptional capability. It's a horizontal drill press essentially, great for dowel joints. It's a converted line shaft machine.

I cut those dovetails by hand. For one of projects, it's quicker and easier. I'm not a purist by any means. The rocking chair has biscuits, dowels, hand cut mortise and tenons, and drywall screws! It's a replica, so I knew where the weak points were and fixed them.

Tools

 

[NUTTSGT]

On one side of my garage, I use for working on the cars and metal work. The other side is for home projects and what little wood working I do. It's former gas station, so the bay is the auto side and the old convience store side is the other.

 

[collmorgen]

Toolsd I think I've seen your machine restorations on OWWM.com. Great work.

 

[santagary]

My garage was built as a hay barn with horse stalls in the back...the loft (the upstairs) held the 500+ bales and the hay was thrown down through a trap door into the mangers for the livestock. I tore out the stalls and poured concrete and closed in the area and insulated it with blown in cellulose. That area is now my woodworking area and the upstairs is storange. The rest is for my tools and working on and parking vehicles. Plans are to add 30 x 60 onto the front (see avatar) for a lift and more vehicles and tools. The roof peak of the addition will be 5 feet higher but the roof line angles and outward appearance will match the existing look.

 

[woody 73]

I could look at those wonderful pictures all day long! those machines are fantastic,I have a small garage and I too love both woodworking and metal working,but wood dust tends to kill everything!

Woody.

 

[wn34]

Wow! Great responses so far and some very good ideas/points.

Toolsd, you have some great furniture there and the restorations on those machines are amazing.

Here’s some of the work that I did in high school. An 18th style secretary desk. It took about 7 months from design to finishing. It’s got 18 drawers with finger joints, 7 hidden compartments, ball and claw feet, a flame finial...etc. I designed it from a picture I saw in a book, no plans or anything like that. I have more pics at home if anyone’s interested that I can put on later today.

 

[toolsd]

In HIGH SCHOOL? Seriously? Ya, well, you should see the ice scraper I made... geesh. And that rocking chair only took me EIGHT years...

I'm done, crawling back under my rock.

Tools (KNEW this was gonna happen!)

edit: wuppsie, what I meant to say was, YA, post more pictures! We're interested. Just having a problem with my inner typing today.

 

[djjsr]

Very nice work wn34! Put your name and date on that thing somewhere. 100 years from now, someone will appreciate it. Go Cougars!

 

[johno]

Tools

What is the grey paint used on your restorations, and how do you apply it?

 

[rieferman]

I'm just getting started in actually woodworking. I built the barn (see my signature) specifically so that I could get into woodworking, so I'm no stranger to construction at this point, I'm just a newbie to furniture making. Next month, I will finally begin furniture making after 2+ years of constant work to get to this point.

Anyways, my woodworking shop is turning out pretty good but I'm definitely NOT the type to obsess on kitchen quality furniture in my shop. Functional and efficient are my goals in that respect. Although I appreciate shops that have furniture quality fixtures throughout, it's just not my style to be that way.

This video is a little bit out of date, but will give you an idea of what I'm dealing with:

(in fact, I'll do a new video and post it later)

 

[toolsd]

All cast iron gets Rustoleum industrial enamel, or Valspar implement enamel (from Tractor Supply), applied with a brush of any sort. It takes long enough to dry to even out.

All sheet metal gets either Valspar implement stuff out of a spray can, or the stuff from Advanced Auto (I like their gunmetal gray). I treat parts that will tarnish but aren't dimensionaly critical (like polished brass parts) with clear spray paint from Advanced Auto.

Tools

 

[Jackfre]

I had the woodworking shop in the garage and did some pretty good work with it. Got into the old BMW's and moved the woodworking gear into the walk out basement. Now, having sold the house, I'm negotiating with movers to get what I am not selling to the west coast. Sold my 16" Laguna band saw, 6" Delta jointer, restored '48 Unisaw, Delta dust collector, Miller Synchrowave 180, etc. I'm happy to be moving, but boy this stinks. I'll replace it all when I get out there, but I have to get a shop building up once there. I gave all my wood (Oak, Cherry, Maple) to a fellow who worked for me. He's a hand and has promised me pictures. He took three trailer loads of wood. I had a 4'x6'x8' pile of 10/4x13 white oak. That was hard to part with.

We are moving to a 1br apt for 5 mos prior to the move. My wife asked if we should move the coffee table to the apt and I told her we are putting that in storage. She doesn't know it yet but I bought a 2048 Knaack gang box so I can put my planes and assorted hand tools in the box and do some little stuff while there and that will be our coffee table. Maybe I'll get away with it I'm a fair hand sharpening my tools, but I've decided to get really good at it while living in a little box.

 

[WWLucy]

I have my wood working area in our garage since I have no more car in my garage so I make my garage a shop for wood working...I will post a pic later.

 

[GMCAMARO]

I have 2 garage buildings, one for the everyday cars and one 3 bay garage for the projects. All the wood working and I have been doing wood working since I was a small child, occurs in the basement of the house. Big stuff like ripping 4 x 8 sheets of what ever while do able is tough.

 

[Alchymist]

Table saw, shaper, planer on casters - wheel outside to work. 3 car garage, one bay is wife's, 2nd is electronics storage, (someday to be electronics, reloading, & miniature machine works), 3rd bay holds lathe, mill, woodworking machinery, tools, supplies, etc. All under cover, little room to work. ***** Last ww project done in wife's bay, assembly done on top of table saw.