OutlawDrifter
Well-known member
Looks great! With the bottoms inset, you can also put some lights under there if wanted.
Between 485 & 705 SQ/FT Tom's Neighborhood Workshop
- Thread starter wreckdiver1321
- Start date
Workspaces between 485 and 705 squarefeet.
OP
wreckdiver1321
Well-known member
Thanks!
I've been eyeing the newer Craftsman and for my purposes they're pretty darn solid. The soft-close on the drawers is a nice touch and the slides are smooth. They're a little on the lighter side, sure, but I believe they're thicker material and more durable than my entry-level Craftsman set from 2008, which has held up to my abuse really well. I do like the HF USG boxes though, they're incredibly well built for the money. Still slightly on the fence but I think the Craftsman boxes suit my use case a little better. Plus with the sale they're having, it's real hard to say no to.
Thanks Marc!
You know, a buddy of mine made the same observation. I may do that for the extra light.
jollygreengiant
Well-known member
I think Craftsman has come a long way on their build quality, at least for the price point they are at. I know when I was shopping for a lower cabinet the 52" 2000 series Craftsman was a better built box than the equivalent husky IMO.
Those cabinets are looking really nice! Excited to see the final product!
nicholam77
Well-known member
Great work on the shelving Tom! Matches your bench great and will be nice to have that out-of the-way storage.
You seem like you're using your track saw enough and enjoying it enough that I can confidently reinforce that a Makita upgrade would serve you well.
Breaking down full sheets on a job site saw is next to impossible. You could always rough cut the sheet into smaller pieces with a track saw, and then make the final dimension cuts, trimming just a bit, on the table saw. MDF is fragile on the edges, for sure. But you shouldn't really be getting tear out. I'm not sure what type of blade comes with the WEN saw, but my track saw came with a 50T crosscut blade, which does well in all sorts of sheet goods. The other downside to cutting MDF on a table saw is dust collection. A job site saw anyways, does not have great dust collection, and MDF is terrible to breathe. I don't have experience with the WEN specifically, but with my Makita (and certainly a Festool, Bosch, Mafell, etc), the dust collection is quite good which puts another win in the track saw column when cutting materials like MDF in my book.
Nothing wrong will overkill, haha. But unless you're putting wet things in those cabinets, I wouldn't be worried. I have all sorts of MDF things in my non-climate-controlled garage (jigs, MFT top, router table top) that are completely raw and have held up fine over the years. The biggest thing with your doors would be to protect the edges from bumps. Not sure if you have a router, but a tiny 1/16" chamfer or round over would break the edge. Otherwise just hit them with a sanding block by hand so the edges aren't sharp. They will be much less likely to chip that way if you accidentally bump the edge with something.
P.S. Despite what the pocket hole h8terz might say, they will be plenty strong, even the way you did the "inset" bottoms like that. Screws in general are quite strong and commonly used in cabinet construction, in my opinion you've got nothing to worry about.
You seem like you're using your track saw enough and enjoying it enough that I can confidently reinforce that a Makita upgrade would serve you well.
Breaking down full sheets on a job site saw is next to impossible. You could always rough cut the sheet into smaller pieces with a track saw, and then make the final dimension cuts, trimming just a bit, on the table saw. MDF is fragile on the edges, for sure. But you shouldn't really be getting tear out. I'm not sure what type of blade comes with the WEN saw, but my track saw came with a 50T crosscut blade, which does well in all sorts of sheet goods. The other downside to cutting MDF on a table saw is dust collection. A job site saw anyways, does not have great dust collection, and MDF is terrible to breathe. I don't have experience with the WEN specifically, but with my Makita (and certainly a Festool, Bosch, Mafell, etc), the dust collection is quite good which puts another win in the track saw column when cutting materials like MDF in my book.
Nothing wrong will overkill, haha. But unless you're putting wet things in those cabinets, I wouldn't be worried. I have all sorts of MDF things in my non-climate-controlled garage (jigs, MFT top, router table top) that are completely raw and have held up fine over the years. The biggest thing with your doors would be to protect the edges from bumps. Not sure if you have a router, but a tiny 1/16" chamfer or round over would break the edge. Otherwise just hit them with a sanding block by hand so the edges aren't sharp. They will be much less likely to chip that way if you accidentally bump the edge with something.
P.S. Despite what the pocket hole h8terz might say, they will be plenty strong, even the way you did the "inset" bottoms like that. Screws in general are quite strong and commonly used in cabinet construction, in my opinion you've got nothing to worry about.
OP
wreckdiver1321
Well-known member
Thanks Jolly! I'm pretty stoked about it too.
Having handled both toolboxes recently, I can confirm that the Craftsman boxes are a bit nicer than the Husky boxes. Overall fit and finish is better, and I think the materials are a little more durable. I do wish Craftsman put in a full-width drawer like literally everyone else in the business, but that's really my only gripe with them.
Thanks Nick! I'm really excited about the developments, including those I've yet to share
Yep, definitely moving to the Makita track saw as soon as possible. I get enough use out of it and like it enough that I'm more than happy to upgrade and get into something better. I know I could have just bit the bullet and bought the Makita to start, but I didn't really know how much use I'd be getting out of the saw since I already own a circular saw and haven't done this much carpentry at any point in my entire life. The Wen has been good but at the pace I'm using it I'll definitely appreciate a higher quality product.
My thought is to use the track saw as an "entry point" prior to using a table saw. I personally feel that using a track saw to break down the sheet goods into more manageable sizes prior to using the table saw is more comfortable for me and probably safer. As such, I'd use the two in tandem as compliments to one another. Can I do everything with both? Pretty much, but there are some things the table saw is far superior at, and there are some things the track saw does better. Having both keeps some space in the workshop and allows me to still have the capability.
I didn't get much in the way of tearout to be honest, Just a little when I didn't get all the way through the very end of the cut and the sheet split. This is more a function of the Wen tracks, which are only 100" when joined, so they're a bit too short to do a full-length rip cut on a 4x8 sheet. I never even used the blade the saw came with actually, I chucked it in the trash and put on a 50T Diablo finish blade. That works exceedingly well on everything I've used it for.
Yeah I did notice the dust collection worked pretty well for the MDF with the track saw, not much got in the air. I did however wear my new R-Z mask that I picked up recently (ten bucks on Amazon!!!) to be safe.
For the edges of the MDF, I did a slight round of the corners with sandpaper before three coats of primer and three coats of paint. I'm not too worried about tearing the edges out because of that, which is really nice, and these doors are not going to get much, if any, abuse. I didn't paint the inside of the doors at all, which will help with the ambient light, and I'm not storing like a bowl of water in there or anything.
I agree about the pocket holes. After my little test, I'm not concerned about the weight capacity.
Big update coming soon!
cros13
Well-known member
Thanks for all the photos of the trips Tom. Looks like a great part of the world!
The garage is starting to take shape now, the hanging cabinets look great so far.
I have what I suspect is just re branded US General toolboxes, and for the price, your right, you cant beat them. I think about 50% of the techs in my workshop have them. I've had mine for about 10 years and it gets beat to hell, hasn't broke yet.
Looking forward to more progress in the shed!
Rudi.
The garage is starting to take shape now, the hanging cabinets look great so far.
I have what I suspect is just re branded US General toolboxes, and for the price, your right, you cant beat them. I think about 50% of the techs in my workshop have them. I've had mine for about 10 years and it gets beat to hell, hasn't broke yet.
Looking forward to more progress in the shed!
Rudi.
OP
wreckdiver1321
Well-known member
Picking up where we left off:
I put three coats of primer on each door, then let that dry for a few days. I know I didn't need to leave it that long, but finding time is difficult this time of year what with hunting season, work, etc.
Anyway, next up was painting. As always, the shiny bits have to come off before the work starts.
I rolled on the blue paint for each door, doing the edges, letting that dry, then doing the faces. Were I to do it again, I'd roll the edges, then do a quick roll of the face, then move on to the next door. In fact, I did that on the next set of doors. Three coats of paint later and they were almost ready.
Once the paint was dry, I laid out the doors on a blanket and started getting the hardware installed. I started by deciding which edge I wanted visible underneath, then installing the hinges accordingly.
Once the hinges were on, it was a simple matter of installing the door handles. I picked up the Kreg door hardware jig a while back specifically for this project, and I'm really glad I did. It made this so much easier and faster. Set the stop for the horizontal orientation, then align the edge of the jig with the edge of the door. Two holes and you're done. Pretty slick,
Definitely not stealing any of the aesthetic from @Pbindesign. No, no, no, no. Definitely not.
Figuring out how to hang the first door took me a minute. I finally opted to clamp a scrap piece of MDF to the face frame in order to use as a shelf, then it was a simple matter of figuring out how far to move the door left or right. With the first one in, it was a breeze to do the next several.
Here's how I laid it out. The top edge of the scrap MDF is exactly 2 inches above the bottom edge of the frame, which centers the door vertically. Then I just move the door left or right to center it over the opening. I cut the doors to have a half-inch overlay, which gave me decent wiggle room. The biggest issue I had was the spacing between two doors that meet, which is difficult since the self-closing hinges I used force the door past closed. What that means is once you drive in the screws to hold the hinges on, the door moves a bit as the hinge flattens out. Took a bit of trial, error, and multiple whacks with a hammer to get some of them spaced properly, but I made it work.
Eventually I ran out of doors to hang, stood back, and was absolutely shocked. Listen, I've made a few things with wood before, but this is by far the most ambitious project I've undertaken. I was astonished it looked as good as it does! I'm so pleased with this, from the size to the door cuts to the hardware I chose to the paint I used. It looks exactly as I hoped it would. Awesome!
Except for this bit. The hinge moved a bit when I was putting it on the door. Oh well, not much can be done now! I'll just remember that's the part that proves it's custom. Or something like that.
A few days later, I was able to get back into the workshop to cut the final four doors. Finally got to start using my R-Z mask, which I bought on @nicholam77's recommendation.
Then just rinse and repeat. Since I was used to the process, it was quick to cut out the four doors, sand them, prime them, and paint them. Then install the hardware and hang them.
The end result has me doing backflips. Holy cow this looks better than I thought it would! Wow!
I did put some stuff in a few cabinets but I'm sort of waiting on finishing everything before I get it all organized. It sure does look fantastic though! So happy with the end result! Lots of storage and it looks excellent, exactly the aesthetic I was aiming at.
In other news, the table saw!
Here is what I received, no other parts or anything. Let me know what you think. I still have no idea what I'm going to do with it yet. There's quite a bit missing and it has a couple of cracks in the main body. Nothing structural but it irks me.
More to come!
I put three coats of primer on each door, then let that dry for a few days. I know I didn't need to leave it that long, but finding time is difficult this time of year what with hunting season, work, etc.
Anyway, next up was painting. As always, the shiny bits have to come off before the work starts.
I rolled on the blue paint for each door, doing the edges, letting that dry, then doing the faces. Were I to do it again, I'd roll the edges, then do a quick roll of the face, then move on to the next door. In fact, I did that on the next set of doors. Three coats of paint later and they were almost ready.
Once the paint was dry, I laid out the doors on a blanket and started getting the hardware installed. I started by deciding which edge I wanted visible underneath, then installing the hinges accordingly.
Once the hinges were on, it was a simple matter of installing the door handles. I picked up the Kreg door hardware jig a while back specifically for this project, and I'm really glad I did. It made this so much easier and faster. Set the stop for the horizontal orientation, then align the edge of the jig with the edge of the door. Two holes and you're done. Pretty slick,
Definitely not stealing any of the aesthetic from @Pbindesign. No, no, no, no. Definitely not.
Figuring out how to hang the first door took me a minute. I finally opted to clamp a scrap piece of MDF to the face frame in order to use as a shelf, then it was a simple matter of figuring out how far to move the door left or right. With the first one in, it was a breeze to do the next several.
Here's how I laid it out. The top edge of the scrap MDF is exactly 2 inches above the bottom edge of the frame, which centers the door vertically. Then I just move the door left or right to center it over the opening. I cut the doors to have a half-inch overlay, which gave me decent wiggle room. The biggest issue I had was the spacing between two doors that meet, which is difficult since the self-closing hinges I used force the door past closed. What that means is once you drive in the screws to hold the hinges on, the door moves a bit as the hinge flattens out. Took a bit of trial, error, and multiple whacks with a hammer to get some of them spaced properly, but I made it work.
Eventually I ran out of doors to hang, stood back, and was absolutely shocked. Listen, I've made a few things with wood before, but this is by far the most ambitious project I've undertaken. I was astonished it looked as good as it does! I'm so pleased with this, from the size to the door cuts to the hardware I chose to the paint I used. It looks exactly as I hoped it would. Awesome!
Except for this bit. The hinge moved a bit when I was putting it on the door. Oh well, not much can be done now! I'll just remember that's the part that proves it's custom. Or something like that.
A few days later, I was able to get back into the workshop to cut the final four doors. Finally got to start using my R-Z mask, which I bought on @nicholam77's recommendation.
Then just rinse and repeat. Since I was used to the process, it was quick to cut out the four doors, sand them, prime them, and paint them. Then install the hardware and hang them.
The end result has me doing backflips. Holy cow this looks better than I thought it would! Wow!
I did put some stuff in a few cabinets but I'm sort of waiting on finishing everything before I get it all organized. It sure does look fantastic though! So happy with the end result! Lots of storage and it looks excellent, exactly the aesthetic I was aiming at.
In other news, the table saw!
Here is what I received, no other parts or anything. Let me know what you think. I still have no idea what I'm going to do with it yet. There's quite a bit missing and it has a couple of cracks in the main body. Nothing structural but it irks me.
More to come!
OutlawDrifter
Well-known member
Tom, the cabinets turned out awesome! The hardware and color definitely blend well with the "wood wall". Nice work!
On the table saw front...it looks used...but, can get you by until you decide what you really want I bet.
On the table saw front...it looks used...but, can get you by until you decide what you really want I bet.
Cabinets look great. Really love the industrial type Blue.
The saw will get you by for a bit but you will be longing for a better one once you start using it and understanding it's limitations. I started off with a Craftsman just like that. I made it 2 years before I upgraded to the TS3650. It will do quite a few things just make sure it is tuned up and the blade is sharp. They are very underpowered. Still you can work with it and the next bigger saw you will really appreciate. I made a ton of projects on that first table saw.
I made everything you see in my first shop with the Craftsman. You can see the few upgrades I made to it to get more use out of it.
Picture 21 by bjohnson388, on Flickr
Picture 337 by bjohnson388, on Flickr
Bret
The saw will get you by for a bit but you will be longing for a better one once you start using it and understanding it's limitations. I started off with a Craftsman just like that. I made it 2 years before I upgraded to the TS3650. It will do quite a few things just make sure it is tuned up and the blade is sharp. They are very underpowered. Still you can work with it and the next bigger saw you will really appreciate. I made a ton of projects on that first table saw.
I made everything you see in my first shop with the Craftsman. You can see the few upgrades I made to it to get more use out of it.
Picture 21 by bjohnson388, on FlickrPicture 337 by bjohnson388, on FlickrBret
Chrisb62
Well-known member
And this is the moment you became a woodworker ......that feeling is what starts it.
Great job and they do look awesome.
zmotorsports
ALLIANCE MEMBER
The cabinets turned out awesome Tom.
Trapps
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Tom,
Cabinets look great and are integrating so nicely with the rest of the space! Realizing your vision for this is super cool and its motivating me to finish mine.
Cabinets look great and are integrating so nicely with the rest of the space! Realizing your vision for this is super cool and its motivating me to finish mine.
gearhead1960
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Tom,
The cabinets look great! Only you will ever know the hinge is off.... I think you will eventually need more pegboard to the left of the stop sign.....
The cabinets look great! Only you will ever know the hinge is off....
I think you will eventually need more pegboard to the left of the stop sign.....Cabinets look fantastic, great work!
Like so many on GJ, start out with great automotive project ambitions and end up being almost woodworkers, I know I've fallen victim! lol
*edit, thanks for helping me spend more money, I'd never seen that Kreg hardware jig, I'll be buying one today to mount handles on our new vanity!
Like so many on GJ, start out with great automotive project ambitions and end up being almost woodworkers, I know I've fallen victim! lol
*edit, thanks for helping me spend more money, I'd never seen that Kreg hardware jig, I'll be buying one today to mount handles on our new vanity!
nicholam77
Well-known member
What @Chrisb62 said!
Tom, they really turned out nice!
Jigs are key to accuracy and repeatability in woodworking. The Kreg hardware jig looks handy. Great idea making the MDF ledger to position the doors — just another idea for next time you could have even screwed a "stop" 2 inches in to the MDF, so it registered in the exact same spot each time with no measuring.
You'll have to let me know how you like the RZ mask. I've actually never tried one, I use a "GVS Elipse P100" I got at Rockler. I've always been interested in the RZ mask because mine gets a little sweaty in the summer. But I wear glasses and it does a great job of not fogging them.
Bonus points for the SKX009!
I agree with Bret on the table saw. Safety-wise you'll need a throat plate, and if the saw accepts a riving knife and you can order a spare part I would do that. My dad only had one table saw his whole life, an old belt-drive Craftsman small contractor saw. It had no riving knife, and the fence would not lock parallel at all (not safe!). He literally measured with a tape measure from the back and front of the blade, pounding the fence on either side with his hand until it was "parallel", aka 'the old tap-a-roo', and hoped it would be accurate enough to his measurement. Can you live with and older, less-featured saw and make good stuff with it? Absolutely. But like Bret said after awhile I'm guessing you'll want to upgrade for many reasons, both safety and accuracy.
No need to mess with the blade guard in my opinion, they just get in the way and make it harder to see and use a push stick.
If I were you I'd spend some time cleaning it up, get a throat plate, and watch some YouTube videos on table saw safety. Get yourself a good push stick for any narrow rips.
Like I mentioned before, I think using an older free saw first will help you figure out what features you want. Anyone on here could go tell you what to buy, but even a short amount of time using this I think will help you figure out what you want next and at what price point. One bonus of this Porter Cable is the table is quite a bit larger than the DeWalt you were looking at.
Again, great work!
Trapps
ALLIANCE MEMBER
+1 for the SKX ‘Pepsi’ on a bracelet.
OP
wreckdiver1321
Well-known member
Thanks Marc! I'm really happy with the overall look and how they "go" with everything I've got in there. Can't argue with the extra space either. I'm really pleased.
You make a great point on the table saw. It's a good size and seems to work just fine. I might be able to get away with it for a good long while. Plus the table will actually fit under a workbench if I build a new cart for it, so there's that.
Thanks Bret, the cabinets really hit the mark I was aiming at for sure.Cabinets look great. Really love the industrial type Blue.
The saw will get you by for a bit but you will be longing for a better one once you start using it and understanding it's limitations. I started off with a Craftsman just like that. I made it 2 years before I upgraded to the TS3650. It will do quite a few things just make sure it is tuned up and the blade is sharp. They are very underpowered. Still you can work with it and the next bigger saw you will really appreciate. I made a ton of projects on that first table saw.
I made everything you see in my first shop with the Craftsman. You can see the few upgrades I made to it to get more use out of it.
Bret
I think you're right on about the saw. It's free, why not use it? Besides, I can use that money for other stuff, like a bigger toolbox, better track saw, etc. Plenty of things to spend my money on!
Ha! Yeah, I can certainly see it going that way. Just what I need, another hobby!And this is the moment you became a woodworker ......that feeling is what starts it.
Great job and they do look awesome.
Thanks man, I'm really happy with them.
Thanks man! I think they really go great with everything and it's starting to bring my vision together.
Thanks Trapps! I appreciate that coming from you. I don't do an awful lot of this kind of thing so it's cool to see it come together like this.
I'm really making an effort to make this place functional as well as visually appealing. Just because it's a shop doesn't mean it has to be completely utilitarian! Nothing wrong with that but I've always liked a more "finished" looking shop.
Plus I'm working on a sitting area anyway so it makes sense to make it a nice place to hang out.
Ha, you're probably right. A buddy of mine did notice but he's really pedantic. Honestly it's barely noticeable anyway so no big deal.Tom,
The cabinets look great! Only you will ever know the hinge is off....
More to come to the left of that sign for sure!
And thanks!
Thanks Fouckhest!Cabinets look fantastic, great work!
Like so many on GJ, start out with great automotive project ambitions and end up being almost woodworkers, I know I've fallen victim! lol
*edit, thanks for helping me spend more money, I'd never seen that Kreg hardware jig, I'll be buying one today to mount handles on our new vanity!
Haha yeah I can definitely see myself doing more of it, but I'll always be about 4x4s in my workshop. But part of the purpose for the space is to be useful for making sawdust, sparks, or turning wrenches. Definitely lots of projects to come!
Glad to help you spend money haha! You guys have done plenty of that for me!
Thanks Nick! Means a lot coming from you for sure.What @Chrisb62 said!
Tom, they really turned out nice!
Jigs are key to accuracy and repeatability in woodworking. The Kreg hardware jig looks handy. Great idea making the MDF ledger to position the doors — just another idea for next time you could have even screwed a "stop" 2 inches in to the MDF, so it registered in the exact same spot each time with no measuring.
You'll have to let me know how you like the RZ mask. I've actually never tried one, I use a "GVS Elipse P100" I got at Rockler. I've always been interested in the RZ mask because mine gets a little sweaty in the summer. But I wear glasses and it does a great job of not fogging them.
Bonus points for the SKX009!
I agree with Bret on the table saw. Safety-wise you'll need a throat plate, and if the saw accepts a riving knife and you can order a spare part I would do that. My dad only had one table saw his whole life, an old belt-drive Craftsman small contractor saw. It had no riving knife, and the fence would not lock parallel at all (not safe!). He literally measured with a tape measure from the back and front of the blade, pounding the fence on either side with his hand until it was "parallel", aka 'the old tap-a-roo', and hoped it would be accurate enough to his measurement. Can you live with and older, less-featured saw and make good stuff with it? Absolutely. But like Bret said after awhile I'm guessing you'll want to upgrade for many reasons, both safety and accuracy.
No need to mess with the blade guard in my opinion, they just get in the way and make it harder to see and use a push stick.
If I were you I'd spend some time cleaning it up, get a throat plate, and watch some YouTube videos on table saw safety. Get yourself a good push stick for any narrow rips.
Like I mentioned before, I think using an older free saw first will help you figure out what features you want. Anyone on here could go tell you what to buy, but even a short amount of time using this I think will help you figure out what you want next and at what price point. One bonus of this Porter Cable is the table is quite a bit larger than the DeWalt you were looking at.
Again, great work!
The Kreg hardware jig was super helpful and one of those tools I'm happy to have in my box from now on. It's got a lot of adjustability and it's able to be used for double or single screw hardware. Glad I bought it because it made the process a hell of a lot faster.
Good idea on putting the stop on, I'll keep that in mind for the next time I'm hanging cabinet doors. I felt like a freakin' genius when I figured out using the MDF as a ledger. It did mar the paint in a couple spots but that's an easy fix.
I like the RZ mask a lot so far. Packs nicely and very comfortable on the face, which is more than I can say for pretty much any other face mask I've used. The velcro on the back is the type that doesn't catch other material or hair, which is great. Easy to breathe through but definitely cleans well. Haven't used them with safety glasses yet so I don't know how they do in that regard but I'll definitely let you know! I bought it on a crazy good sale on Amazon when it was only $10, so I couldn't be happier.
That SKX has been with me for a long time at this point, coming up on seven years. I wear it almost every day. It's actually modded a bit with a 4R35 movement so it hacks and hand-winds, it's got a flat sapphire crystal, and a triple-sealed and signed crown. Also a Strapcode oyster bracelet but that barely counts. Love that watch, and as much as I have going in my collection, it's still the one I go for more often than not.
Great thoughts on the table saw. I can definitely get a riving knife and a throat plate, so no problem there. I'll probably build a better stand for it, something on wheels that I can roll under my workbench. Easy enough to do. I'll definitely clean it up and get the replacement parts, use it for a while, and see how I feel. I may just run it or I might keep it for a few months/years and opt for a better model. We shall see. Hard to argue with a free saw to get my feet wet!
I do actually have some experience working a table saw, I've just never owned one. I'll definitely brush up on my skills and safety info though, that never hurts.
Thanks!
Ha, you say that like I haven't yet! They're already getting use. Working on emptying my big shelving unit so it can become another workbench.
Plenty coming up! Thanks everyone for chiming in!
Cabinets turned out great. Love the color. I had thought of building mine but my wife bought me my workbench, upper cabinetes, and cabinets all around the garage as a present one year. From a custom closet company. Good thing as I probably would have never finished if left on my own.
All of my projects seem to have that one "oopsie" that truly makes them mine, so I totally get the one hinge out of place. Since everything is painted, you could probably fix it pretty easily if you want.
All of my projects seem to have that one "oopsie" that truly makes them mine, so I totally get the one hinge out of place. Since everything is painted, you could probably fix it pretty easily if you want.
nicholam77
Well-known member
Tom, if you’re seriously considering upgrading to the Makita track saw, it’s on sale right now at a price I haven’t seen before. Think I even paid more 4 yrs ago. Just sayin’ 
Slick Deals
Amazon
Slick Deals
Amazon
jbrentd
Well-known member
Love the look/color of the cabinets and your choice of watches. Seiko fan myself.
OP
wreckdiver1321
Well-known member
WARNING - NON-SHOP TALK AHEAD
Sorry for the radio silence over here boys and girls. Been a busy month what with the holidays and general parenting, as well as taking care of the house. Not a lot of shop stuff has happened for a while. Hoping to change that pretty soon with some more work to the Land Cruiser as the wife and I have decided on a path forward with it, at least for now. My time is a lot more freed up now though, seeing as how this development occurred.
Been watching this big sucker for the past year or so. First saw him on our first trip to bird hunt this chunk of land and he busted out of a small wash. Since then we keep bumping into him. This season we saw him and I said, "I'd like to take that deer home." He was nowhere to be found opening weekend, and I thought for sure someone had gotten him by now. Well, on 11/19 I was trying to close out the season by getting a meat deer to put in the freezer. I thought I'd be going out to shoot a doe and drag her home (again), but a short while into our hunt this big guy appeared and gave me an opportunity.
Beautiful animal, and happy for the sustenance he will provide for the next year or two. Dragging him out was misery, but I'm very happy with this year's harvest.
The amount of meat we were able to get off him was absolutely insane. Between this and the doe I got this season, I have 45lbs of just burger meat. Awesome to have that stored away.
My big game season was a huge success this year. Plenty of animal encounters, lots of beautiful animals, and two beautiful deer feeding my family. Not to mention a slew of game birds. I did manage to get out this year with some very good friends and make some memories in some beautiful places.
The only real tinkering I've done is building an AR15, which is a slow process since it's just a toy and I spend money on it when sales happen or I have some extra cash burning a hole in my pocket. I'm sure that will get shown at some point.
More to come soon!
Sorry for the radio silence over here boys and girls. Been a busy month what with the holidays and general parenting, as well as taking care of the house. Not a lot of shop stuff has happened for a while. Hoping to change that pretty soon with some more work to the Land Cruiser as the wife and I have decided on a path forward with it, at least for now. My time is a lot more freed up now though, seeing as how this development occurred.
Been watching this big sucker for the past year or so. First saw him on our first trip to bird hunt this chunk of land and he busted out of a small wash. Since then we keep bumping into him. This season we saw him and I said, "I'd like to take that deer home." He was nowhere to be found opening weekend, and I thought for sure someone had gotten him by now. Well, on 11/19 I was trying to close out the season by getting a meat deer to put in the freezer. I thought I'd be going out to shoot a doe and drag her home (again), but a short while into our hunt this big guy appeared and gave me an opportunity.
Beautiful animal, and happy for the sustenance he will provide for the next year or two. Dragging him out was misery, but I'm very happy with this year's harvest.
The amount of meat we were able to get off him was absolutely insane. Between this and the doe I got this season, I have 45lbs of just burger meat. Awesome to have that stored away.
My big game season was a huge success this year. Plenty of animal encounters, lots of beautiful animals, and two beautiful deer feeding my family. Not to mention a slew of game birds. I did manage to get out this year with some very good friends and make some memories in some beautiful places.
The only real tinkering I've done is building an AR15, which is a slow process since it's just a toy and I spend money on it when sales happen or I have some extra cash burning a hole in my pocket. I'm sure that will get shown at some point.
More to come soon!
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Trapps
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Congrats!
gearhead1960
ALLIANCE MEMBER
What brand AR15 are you building?
jbrentd
Well-known member
Congrats on the successful hunting season!
OP
wreckdiver1321
Well-known member
Thanks! Very proud of this guy. Waiting for the head to be cleaned at the taxidermist so I can get a wall mount made. Just doing a Euro mount, so a skull with antlers. Not sure what I'm doing as a backer yet, behind the skull. Thinking about a few pallet planks but I dunno yet. Don't want to overdo that look. Maybe nothing backing it would be better, and just the clean skull on the wall?
It's kind of a hodgepodge. The lower is mostly Anderson Mfg, but the grip, stock, magazines, and trigger guard are all Magpul. Trigger itself is Rise Armament. Upper is mostly Bear Creek Armament. 16" standard barrel with a .750 gas block (probably will change this to adjustable at some point) and Bear Creek flash hider. I built it as a side-charging upper.
Ultimate plan is to go silenced SBR with a pinned suppressor. Still hashing out the exact plan for gear, but looking at the Inforce WML or Streamlight Pro-Tac for lights, Pinty green laser, and Magpul MBUS irons. It's going to get a BCM Gunfighter vertical foregrip. Not sure about optics just yet. I'm thinking about either the Sig Sauer Romeo5 or the Holosun HE510C open sight. The Romeo5 has a great reputation, just thinking about the advantage of a reflex sight vs standard red dot. Oh, and probably a Sig Sauer Juliet3 magnifier.
I'd also like to put together a long-range upper with a long barrel and big scope.
Thanks Brent! It was a lot of fun this year. Great times were had. Really proud of this deer and feeling so thankful for the whole experience. I am trying a few new things with him too. Cut some tomahawk steaks from one backstrap and then was able to do some ribs, which is rare.
Really going to try some new stuff with this deer.
Nice deer! That is pretty similar in size to the one I have on the wall (also went with a euro mount).
My vote is to just use one of those sheet metal euro mount hooks mounted directly to the wall. I personally don't care for backer boards as they always end up looking dated and end up distracting from the mount itself. But, people have different tastes so if it ends up being too plain for your liking, you can always just mount the hook onto a backer board later.
My vote is to just use one of those sheet metal euro mount hooks mounted directly to the wall. I personally don't care for backer boards as they always end up looking dated and end up distracting from the mount itself. But, people have different tastes so if it ends up being too plain for your liking, you can always just mount the hook onto a backer board later.
OP
wreckdiver1321
Well-known member
Thanks Brad!
I think I'm probably going to go that way with this one to be honest. I like the minimalist look it'll provide vs. a backer. With my modern-colored gray walls I think it'll go nicely. Plus I've already got a lot of stained pallet wood going on in my house. I can probably cool it a bit.
OP
wreckdiver1321
Well-known member
The Buck Bracket | SkullBracket Deer Skull Mount
The "Buck Bracket" Deer Skull Mount is the strongest European deer skull mounting bracket available for small to medium sized game such as deer and antelope. If you are looking for an elegant, simple, and secure way to display your hunting trophies you need to try the Buck Bracket. 100% Made...
www.skullbracket.com
Ordered.
OP
wreckdiver1321
Well-known member
Not a lot going on in the workshop lately.
Hunting season is winding down and holiday season is winding up. Haven't done a lot in the way of anything really, mostly recovering from a nasty cold and hanging out with the wife when I get a chance. Retail during the holidays is a real pain.
This weekend, I did manage to get the table saw ready to work. I put the blade guard in the round file per suggestions from everyone here and then ditched the outfeed extension thingy. All it was doing was adding size to the saw. It's in the way and the "legs" were so bent that using them was nigh on impossible. So that little extension was filed accordingly as well. Finally, I took the saw off the mobile stand/legs. I'm never taking this saw anywhere but my workshop, and the stand it came with is janky as hell. No, I'd rather build a cart that fits the space and gives me more utility than mess with the stand it ships with.
I'm still working on a design for the saw cart. I do know I want it to be able to roll under my workbench, just barely. That should keep it out of the way whenever I don't need to use it but accessible when I want to start cutting stuff up. For now though, it's taking up real estate on my service cart.
Once I had it on the cart, I made sure the fence was nice and snug, then adjusted the table extension so it would slide easily but lock securely. With everything adjusted properly, I wiped the whole thing down with a denatured-alcohol soaked paper towel, getting rid of a bunch of dust and some glue remnants. I then popped in the throat plate I got off Amazon, adjusted it flat, and now it's ready to make some sawdust!
A minor change I made was to my air system. I had to disconnect everything and roll the compressor out into the driveway for something, and when I rolled it back, the air line wouldn't seal. I tried for like five minutes, but no luck. I remembered I had a male-end Stedlin quick-disconnect fitting on hand, so I swapped them out quickly.
Here's the offending QD. Fourteen years of service on it without much of an issue, so I guess I can't complain too much.
New Stedlin fitting. Easy to connect and disconnect, and no leaks. Not a big or difficult upgrade, but one of those quality of life things that makes a difference. When I finally get a bigger and better compressor, I'll swap the QD over to the new one as well. I might be getting due for a new compressor. Would really like one of the quiet ones from HF or Kobalt to replace my unbelievably noisy old Craftsman, but that's not high on the list.
Got a few things in the pipe. Building the last cabinet is in the planning stages, need to finish the metal work on the Land Cruiser, and thinking about finishing the fun stuff on my AR build. Plenty of stuff to do!
Hunting season is winding down and holiday season is winding up. Haven't done a lot in the way of anything really, mostly recovering from a nasty cold and hanging out with the wife when I get a chance. Retail during the holidays is a real pain.
This weekend, I did manage to get the table saw ready to work. I put the blade guard in the round file per suggestions from everyone here and then ditched the outfeed extension thingy. All it was doing was adding size to the saw. It's in the way and the "legs" were so bent that using them was nigh on impossible. So that little extension was filed accordingly as well. Finally, I took the saw off the mobile stand/legs. I'm never taking this saw anywhere but my workshop, and the stand it came with is janky as hell. No, I'd rather build a cart that fits the space and gives me more utility than mess with the stand it ships with.
I'm still working on a design for the saw cart. I do know I want it to be able to roll under my workbench, just barely. That should keep it out of the way whenever I don't need to use it but accessible when I want to start cutting stuff up. For now though, it's taking up real estate on my service cart.
Once I had it on the cart, I made sure the fence was nice and snug, then adjusted the table extension so it would slide easily but lock securely. With everything adjusted properly, I wiped the whole thing down with a denatured-alcohol soaked paper towel, getting rid of a bunch of dust and some glue remnants. I then popped in the throat plate I got off Amazon, adjusted it flat, and now it's ready to make some sawdust!
A minor change I made was to my air system. I had to disconnect everything and roll the compressor out into the driveway for something, and when I rolled it back, the air line wouldn't seal. I tried for like five minutes, but no luck. I remembered I had a male-end Stedlin quick-disconnect fitting on hand, so I swapped them out quickly.
Here's the offending QD. Fourteen years of service on it without much of an issue, so I guess I can't complain too much.
New Stedlin fitting. Easy to connect and disconnect, and no leaks. Not a big or difficult upgrade, but one of those quality of life things that makes a difference. When I finally get a bigger and better compressor, I'll swap the QD over to the new one as well. I might be getting due for a new compressor. Would really like one of the quiet ones from HF or Kobalt to replace my unbelievably noisy old Craftsman, but that's not high on the list.
Got a few things in the pipe. Building the last cabinet is in the planning stages, need to finish the metal work on the Land Cruiser, and thinking about finishing the fun stuff on my AR build. Plenty of stuff to do!
Cdubu52
Well-known member
Tom, Just caught up on your posts. Great looking shop!
OP
wreckdiver1321
Well-known member
Thanks Chris! Happy to have you onboard!
That compressor has been incredibly trouble-fee, but my God... the headaches I've gotten from the noise. It's unreal how loud it is. I've got hearing protection on all the time. I mostly use cordless tools just to avoid using the damn compressor.
Someday I will switch to a quiet compressor for no other reason than the noise. It does help that most of them have higher CFM too. But mostly it's the noise. Sheesh.
The good thing is you don't need a compressor right now, so you can take the time to find a good deal on one. You won't regret upgrading when you do. It makes such a difference.
I don't use a lot of air in my shop - running the brad nailer, blowing off stuff, and pumping up tires accounts for 99% of my use. My old compressor worked great, but was obnoxiously loud. Like you, I would go out of my way to avoid turning it on because of the noise. Then one day I saw a deal at Menards for a California Air Tools 8010 that I couldn't pass up. As soon as I fired it up, any guilt I had about replacing a perfectly good compressor with a quieter one went right out the window.
If you are long term shopping for compressors, give Quincy a good look, I have one and its fantastic, they are a bit pricey, but Made in America, so that always helps.
I have an older version of this unit, appears it must have gone up in price a little, but I'd stand behind the brand for sure
I have an older version of this unit, appears it must have gone up in price a little, but I'd stand behind the brand for sure
zmotorsports
ALLIANCE MEMBER
If you are long term shopping for compressors, give Quincy a good look, I have one and its fantastic, they are a bit pricey, but Made in America, so that always helps.
I have an older version of this unit, appears it must have gone up in price a little, but I'd stand behind the brand for sure
I second this recommendation. I have an older Quincy QT-5 that I bought new in early 90's when I built my last shop. It was a stretch on the old budget but it served me exceptionally well for the 25+ years at that shop and is still serving me well after 30 years. Just normal maintenance for the most part although I had a check valve fail about 2 years ago but a new one was quickly acquired and back up and running. It's a nice solid piece of shop equipment and mine gets a lot of daily use as I don't use many battery powered tools, mostly pneumatic.
zc15
Well-known member
Quincy is the name brand for air, but I feel like I've read that their quality has gone the way of household appliances more recently. I think an older unit like what @fouckhest or @zmotorsports have will probably last longer, but pry wont be quiet.
Could you possibly build an enclosure outside and plumb it through the wall?
On the quiet and infrequently used side, the Porter Cable quiet 20 gallon belt drive unit I have has been pretty solid for my uses. Most of my stuff is battery powered or electric, with the exception of my nailers and filling tires. I have yet to try out the plasma cutter I bought last month. The price has went up about 50% compared to what I paid for it a year or two ago, though.
Could you possibly build an enclosure outside and plumb it through the wall?
On the quiet and infrequently used side, the Porter Cable quiet 20 gallon belt drive unit I have has been pretty solid for my uses. Most of my stuff is battery powered or electric, with the exception of my nailers and filling tires. I have yet to try out the plasma cutter I bought last month. The price has went up about 50% compared to what I paid for it a year or two ago, though.
OP
wreckdiver1321
Well-known member
Yep, not a priority so I can take my time and get a good deal. I'm honestly looking at the Kobalt or HF 26-gal quiet compressors. They have enough chooch to keep most of my **** running even at higher air loads, and only running 80-90 db is a big plus for me. I've rarely needed more air than my 20 gallon can provide, so I'm sure one of those is just fine.
I have looked at the CAT compressors, those are in contention as well. Good to know your experience has been positive.
Trust me, I will have ZERO guilt at going to a quieter compressor
If you are long term shopping for compressors, give Quincy a good look, I have one and its fantastic, they are a bit pricey, but Made in America, so that always helps.
I have an older version of this unit, appears it must have gone up in price a little, but I'd stand behind the brand for sure
I've never heard anything but positive about Quincy, they're definitely good stuff.
That being said, I'm not going to go much bigger than I have now. I very rarely am using pneumatic tools to the level where a 60-80gal 220v compressor is needed. Like, exceedingly rarely. The Land Cruiser is really the only thing that has ever tested my air system in any manner, so with a little more tank capacity and a few more CFM I'll be pretty well set.
Most of my tools are battery-operated at this point, and I don't have a ton of need to expand my pneumatic arsenal. The compressor will mostly be for airing up tires, blowing stuff off, nailing, and occasionally using cutting and grinding tools.
In the rare event I need to do any plasma cutting or sandblasting, my brother-in-law has that equipment. Giant blast cabinet, plasma cutter, CNC plasma table, 90gal compressor with a huge drying system. And he's a 15 minute drive away.
I could probably do that, but I don't really want to if I'm honest. The PITA factor outweighs the benefit I'd get from it. I honestly am not using a compressor enough to justify the cost of a big one or the work in building an enclosure. Better off just getting a quiet one and using that.
Here's the contenders, in no particular order. Again, this is one of those things that I am not in a hurry for, so I'm likely not doing this for a while.
26 Gallon 175 PSI Ultra Quiet Vertical Shop/Auto Air Compressor
Amazing deals on this 26Gal 1.7Hp 175Psi Oil-Free Compressor at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.
www.harborfreight.com
Husky 20 Gal.165 PSI Vertical Electric Oil-Free Quiet Auto/Workshop Air Compressor with Dual Gauges and 2-Quick Couplers 3332013 - The Home Depot
Finish your sanding and painting work easily with the selection of this Husky 2-Vertical ElectricPowered Silent Air Compressor.
www.homedepot.com
California Air Tools 20 Gal. 2.0 HP Ultra Quiet and Oil-Free Electric Air Compressor 20020 - The Home Depot
The California Air Tools 20020 Ultra Quiet and Oil-Free Air Compressor is designed to be 1 of the quietest 2.0 Hp air compressors in the industry having only 70 decibels of sound. The Powerful 2.0 HP motor operates at only 1680 RPM creating less noise and less wear. The SP Series of Ultra Quiet...
www.homedepot.com
The thought had crossed my mind to get one of the CAT motors and plumb it to my Craftsman tank, but I'm a little hesitant because the tank is so old. Plus it's not a huge leap to get into a bigger tank with some of the other brands.
I'm just going to leave this here. https://www.aircompressorsdirect.com/Puma-PK6060V-Air-Compressor/p591.html
72 db. I know you might not think you need the cfm. But this will run a sandblaster all day long. As well as die grinders, cutoff wheels. Don't you have some rust repair in the future. Or maybe a trailer build or a custom front bumper.
I was pretty shocked on the sticker price compared to what I paid in 2014. It is made in the USA. Speaking of that need to put on my list to change the oil in mine.
Bret
72 db. I know you might not think you need the cfm. But this will run a sandblaster all day long. As well as die grinders, cutoff wheels. Don't you have some rust repair in the future. Or maybe a trailer build or a custom front bumper.
I was pretty shocked on the sticker price compared to what I paid in 2014. It is made in the USA. Speaking of that need to put on my list to change the oil in mine.
Bret