New (old) guy from WV

[tonyturley]

Greetings. New guy here from WV, retired 3 years ago this September. I enjoy long bike rides in the woods and woodworking, particularly bowl turning and building ukuleles. Our garage is a mish-mash. Our cars are parked in there at night, and our bikes and other stuff hang all over the walls. I have a basement workshop where I do hand tool work, measuring & layout, and some finishing. Anything that fills the air with dust and shavings has to go on up in the garage. All of my power equipment (67 year old Shopsmith, a few benchtop power tools, dust collection gear) are packed against the back wall. The cars come out and I throw open a door when I'm working. Even with dust collection, I always have more to vacuum from the floor, and I finish off by blowing the place down with my electric leaf blower. Naturally a respirator is a must. Our garage has no heat or a/c, so it's bitterly cold in the winter and sweltering in the summer. I've thought of getting a big garage fan, but I sometimes make a lot of shavings, and I don't want to blow those all into the driveway or yard. I've also thought of a mini split, but I really have no extra space on my walls for one. It's not ideal, but it's the best I can come up with. I have a large room downstairs that is unused, but it's connected to the HVAC system, and it would cost thousand$ to safely convert it into a true indoor workshop.

Tony

 

[22george]

Welcome

 

[gleman]

Hello, glad you're here.

I'm a Northern Michigan/Florida guy so I feel your no climate control pain.

Do you do your turning on a Shopsmith?

Im always looking on craigslist or marketplace for a fixer-upper one to rehab.

 

[tonyturley]

Hello, glad you're here.

I'm a Northern Michigan/Florida guy so I feel your no climate control pain.

Do you do your turning on a Shopsmith?

Im always looking on craigslist or marketplace for a fixer-upper one to rehab.

I do turn on my Shopsmith, a 1955 Greenie model. Any Shopsmith can be used for turning, but I've modified mine with a near full upgrade of internal drive components, as well as the speed reducer for turning large bowls safely. Without the reducer, the low speed is 750 rpm, which limits a SS to bowls of 7-8" in diameter. With the reducer, the low speed is 100 rpm, and I've turned bowls as large as 14". Getting the blank well balanced is crucial for any size bowl.

 

[nadogail]

Welcome to the Forum from Southwestern California.

I have admired the ShopSmith since I saw one at Montgomery Ward in 1948, I realize that dates me as an “Old Timer” .

Like you I share my workshop with a car. Everything I do turns into a compromise between money, time and energy. I have found I get tired a lot sooner than I used to.

I added an electric heater to my garage, I don’t have extreme temperature differences, but a few minutes of heater makes me a lot more comfortable. Fans help me on the few really warm days; if I get too warm I go back to the house and take a nap in the Air Conditioning.

I have not used a lathe since High School, I mostly work in metal or flat boards.

My Bird Houses are the “Cheapest Houses in Coronado”.