Tooling (Re)Organization

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

This thread is almost **** ****...

My "organization" is a **** ton of tools on top of my basement bar. I'll post it later for laughs.

 

[lilscorpion]

This is my problem....



All my tools are on wheels. It takes me 10-15 minutes to setup my 'shop' anytime I want to do wood working.

Completely agree. When time is at a premium, it would be nice to be able to leave the shop “set up” at the end of the weekend so I could go back out and spend an hour during the week if I had one to spend. When I have to set up the shop each time to use it, it discourages me from doing so.

 

[Strouty]

Sometimes having things mobile can be an issue as well, in 10 minutes I can jumble up my shop so bad, I don’t know if I am coming or going anymore. I want the space to be versatile, but that meant no real dedicated space for a lot of things and it does become a problem for me.

 

[BoilermakerFan]

To have the space enough so you could have them if you want...

Yeah, eventually I will have my barn shop, but even then, I'm not sure I would have a dedicated shaper. I'd rather have a bigger mill and bigger lathe.

I do some woodworking, but given the choice of metal working or wood working, I'd have to go with metal.

 

[Cruzan80]

Am I the only one that thought you meant metal shaper, vs wood shaper?

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[Strouty]

I think that is what he meant.

 

[BoilermakerFan]

A shaper is a like a really big stationary router.

Metal shaping would be a power hammer and English wheel. Both of which I would love to have. More so for the English Wheel.

 

[Cruzan80]

I know what a wood shaper is. Until the post above mine, I was thinking of a metal shaper (kind of like a hybrid oscillating mill). These can have a small footprint, since there isn't a feed in section.

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[BoilermakerFan]

I know what a wood shaper is. Until the post above mine, I was thinking of a metal shaper (kind of like a hybrid oscillating mill). These can have a small footprint, since there isn't a feed in section.

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I'm going to have to call BS... Just kidding man. The description of the wood shaper wasn't directed at you specifically, just a general description for anyone reading the thread.

They make bench top mounted power hammers and English Wheels too. I'm planning to eventually buy a bench mounted English Wheel kit. My steel bench will be perfect for it.

I'll have to wait on the power hammer until I have a larger lot or acreage so I can put the barn shop far enough away from the house that my wife wouldn't lose her mind if I had a power hammer. Even in a well insulated shop, they're loud. I'd build a dedicated, heavily sound deadened room for the power hammer.

 

[BoilermakerFan]

I may have to have lilscorpion do the layout arrangement and organization for me when I finally get the place in a few years.

I think he could build the cabinets and such, but not glue them up, then ship the parts out as a flat pack on a pallet. I would just have to do the glue up assembly. It would be a win/win. He gets to use all his nice Festo tools and do the design/fab work... I get really nice custom cabinets without the dust or expense of the tools. Shipping them out as flat packs saves money and more importantly, better protects them from damage.

Then in 6 months after I have them I can send him pics of everything in disarray to taunt him.

I try to keep my garage clean and neat, but then it just seems to explode and stuff is everywhere again. Funny part is, I don't ever remember owning explosives or putting them in the garage, yet they seem to keep going off every time I clean up and make progress.

 

[lilscorpion]

Am I the only one that thought you meant metal shaper, vs wood shaper?

LOL...I guess I’d like to have both. Did mean metal initially though re-reading my post adding it to the list immediately following a planer and a jointer bit before a TIG made it nearly impossible to really know. Then I said router table and meant CNC and I’m sure everyone thought I meant a router in a table with a fence..

Yeah, eventually I will have my barn shop, but even then, I'm not sure I would have a dedicated shaper. I'd rather have a bigger mill and bigger lathe.



I do some woodworking, but given the choice of metal working or wood working, I'd have to go with metal.

Even here it’s not clear if BMF means metal or wood. LOL

Sometimes having things mobile can be an issue as well, in 10 minutes I can jumble up my shop so bad, I don’t know if I am coming or going anymore. I want the space to be versatile, but that meant no real dedicated space for a lot of things and it does become a problem for me.

Agreed. I guess either way is both a curse and a blessing. I’d like a big crane so I could move my mill and lathe when I want to clean (or so choose) but otherwise I want them to have a set place. That may be the #1 desired outcome of my current efforts. If everything had wheels it would probably screw me up or make me feel really displaced exactly like you’re saying.

 

[lilscorpion]

I know what a wood shaper is. Until the post above mine, I was thinking of a metal shaper (kind of like a hybrid oscillating mill). These can have a small footprint, since there isn't a feed in section.

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You were right! I’ve never run one but the old timer who taught me to run a lathe and a mill had one and I saw it running on a few jobs and thought it was neat. Maybe not as practical as my other machines I guess.


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[lilscorpion]

I may have to have lilscorpion do the layout arrangement and organization for me when I finally get the place in a few years.

I think he could build the cabinets and such, but not glue them up, then ship the parts out as a flat pack on a pallet. I would just have to do the glue up assembly. It would be a win/win. He gets to use all his nice Festo tools and do the design/fab work... I get really nice custom cabinets without the dust or expense of the tools. Shipping them out as flat packs saves money and more importantly, better protects them from damage.

Then in 6 months after I have them I can send him pics of everything in disarray to taunt him.

I try to keep my garage clean and neat, but then it just seems to explode and stuff is everywhere again. Funny part is, I don't ever remember owning explosives or putting them in the garage, yet they seem to keep going off every time I clean up and make progress.

Dude, you must only be lookin at my pics and not readin my posts...I don’t use glue anymore. Come awn!! Screws and dominos are plenty strong and not using glue allows me to disassemble a cabinet and modify it if I need to. Sheesh.

If I agreed to help you with your shop Id need to enter WITSEC. My wife would not only kick me out but she’d make absolutely sure my body would never be found and no one would blame her.

 

[BoilermakerFan]

Even here it’s not clear if BMF means metal or wood. LOL

Well, I haven't seen a metal shaper, only wood ones... and you had it listed with wood working tools so... Yeah, I meant a wood shaper. I almost bought a used Powermatic 3ph, 3HP one with a 1" collet. The price was a steal, but the damn thing was as big as a commercial cabinet table saw.

And my statement of chosing metal working machines over wood working machines stands.

Dude, you must only be lookin at my pics and not readin my posts...I don’t use glue anymore. Come awn!! Screws and dominos are plenty strong and not using glue allows me to disassemble a cabinet and modify it if I need to. Sheesh.

If I agreed to help you with your shop Id need to enter WITSEC. My wife would not only kick me out but she’d make absolutely sure my body would never be found and no one would blame her.

Eh, why read when there are pics? But yeah, I guess it was missed... I would glue mine. Once they're done, they aren't being changed around. And I need the extra strength... You haven't met my son. He could break Captain America's shield.

Just remember you would be getting paid to build them and then they would be shipped off. You'd just have to remind her throughout the process that they will be going to a new home.

Taking her diamond shopping would definitely help too. A local jewelry store here applies the full purchase price of the original diamond earrings to the new purchase if you want to upgrade. I offered to upgrade my wife's diamond earrings when they had a pair of amazing larger diamonds come in. (I'm a clarity/quality nut with diamonds... I will choose smaller, higher quality diamonds over larger ones at the same price) We went and looked at them and my wife decided she wanted to keep her current ones for now, but I still got brownie points for bringing her there to look. And I was prepared to pay for the new pair if she wanted them.

Last week I was out in the Denver area in Littleton for training. I completely forgot you were in CO... Of course, we didn't really have any free time. Only Wednesday night was ours to spend how we wanted. If I had remembered, I would have sent you a DM though.

 

[lilscorpion]

I would glue mine. Once they're done, they aren't being changed around. And I need the extra strength... You haven't met my son. He could break Captain America's shield.

Oh Grasshopper... Captain America’s shield was made out Vibranium by Tony Stark’s fathers company, Stark Industries. Only Superman and a few other super villains could break the shield. Yeah, all of that is fiction.

A local jewelry store here applies the full purchase price of the original diamond earrings to the new purchase if you want to upgrade.

Only a friend in the diamond business would actually do that for you. Only a friend.

Last week I was out in the Denver area in Littleton for training. I completely forgot you were in CO... Of course, we didn't really have any free time. Only Wednesday night was ours to spend how we wanted. If I had remembered, I would have sent you a DM though.

When you returned home did everyone you see ask you if you got stoned while you were here? No matter where I go that seems to be the first thing that comes to their mind when I tell them I’m from Denver. Hopefully you two did something more interesting.

 

[tjpavlov]

Only a friend in the diamond business would actually do that for you. Only a friend.

There is a jewelry store near me that offers a deal like this. The problem is though that they send a reminder letter out every few years to your wife letting her know that it is time for an upgrade. It is a vicious circle....

 

[Strouty]

There is a jewelry store near me that offers a deal like this. The problem is though that they send a reminder letter out every few years to your wife letting her know that it is time for an upgrade. It is a vicious circle....

I have this image in my head of your wife and the jeweler holding medieval weapons, circling your wallet.

 

[bimmer1980]

I you want to see a metal shaper, check out Abom on youtube. He recently acquired a metal shaper that weighs about 8000 lbs..... It's neat to see that thing hog some metal into chips....

 

[niget2002]

I have my shop setup down to a science. The problem is, I still share the garage with the Wife's car and my motorcycle...

So it's:

back the car out
back the bike out
pull the tools out
plug everything in
setup the saw horses, put the top on

If I'm using the miter saw, then it's pull out the other saw horses, put it on top.

My biggest problem is I'd really like to have a larger jointer and a planer. Then planer I can make room for... the jointer, not so much.

If I want to use the lathe, I have to pull ALL the tools out just to get it out from under the shelf.

The good news is, I've done it enough times, I know where everything 'fits', so I don't have to try to figure out where to put what each time.

I'd love a shaper too, but for now, it'll have to be just my bench top router table.

I'd also like a real mill/metal lathe. I've been looking at table top units, but I'm not sure where I'd put even those.

 

[lilscorpion]

There is a jewelry store near me that offers a deal like this. The problem is though that they send a reminder letter out every few years to your wife letting her know that it is time for an upgrade. It is a vicious circle....

Wish upgrading machines was a sign of the commitment of the wife to the husband. Then I could get my head around such business practices.

 

[Strouty]

I solved that problem, my shop is 30 minutes from the house, she almost never goes there. It is pretty easy to just make her think I have had that tool for a long time.

 

[BoilermakerFan]

Oh Grasshopper... Captain America’s shield was made out Vibranium by Tony Stark’s fathers company, Stark Industries. Only Superman and a few other super villains could break the shield. Yeah, all of that is fiction.



Only a friend in the diamond business would actually do that for you. Only a friend.




When you returned home did everyone you see ask you if you got stoned while you were here? No matter where I go that seems to be the first thing that comes to their mind when I tell them I’m from Denver. Hopefully you two did something more interesting.

Yeah, I know it's fiction, and yes, my son could still break it.


LOL, no, this is a family owned jewelry store and they do that for anyone who buys jewelry from them. We have "upgraded" my wife's engagement/wedding band. She wouldn't give up her actual engagement ring diamond, so we added two slightly smaller diamonds to the ring. We sold the engagement ring setting to them and they modified the wedding band to have a setting for the main diamond and the two others. Might be hard to visualize, but it's a really cool ring. About a month ago the main diamond fell out of the setting so we brought it back for a new, more robust setting. My wife has to bring it in every other month now for an inspection and cleaning. They don't charge us for that.


The only one who asked was my wife and she was joking about it. I'm actually surprised I wasn't chosen for a "random" screening this week. My employer is based out of Tulsa and they still have a zero tolerance policy, even if you live in a legal state.

 

[BoilermakerFan]

I solved that problem, my shop is 30 minutes from the house, she almost never goes there. It is pretty easy to just make her think I have had that tool for a long time.

That's a double edged sword. I like being able to walk out the back door and into the garage. I spend a few hours out there or a few minutes... then walk back in the house. If my shop was 30 minutes away I wouldn't spend as much time there.

My goal when we finally build our house is to have a barn shop at the back of the property. Far enough from the house to keep noise down, but not so far that it would cost a ton of money to run power to it, so a couple hundred feet away. If I can't do that, then an old gas station a block or two from the house would be sweet. I want it within a reasonable walking distance.

 

[Strouty]

Agreed, it can be tough to go there just for something small.

 

[lilscorpion]

That's a double edged sword. I like being able to walk out the back door and into the garage.

I solved that problem, my shop is 30 minutes from the house

I think both could be accomplished by building a shop the size I’m wanting. One end could be right next to the house so I can swing in if only for a few minutes. The other would be a drive...

 

[Strouty]

My dream shop would be 2500 feet by 2500 feet by 30 feet tall.

 

[lilscorpion]

My dream shop would be 2500 feet by 2500 feet by 30 feet tall.

1 floor or two?

 

[Strouty]

Parts would be two floors, then there would be large open areas with big bridge cranes and column lifts for the big trucks.

 

[Lee Celtic]

Just spent a lot of time reading through all 28 pages and love it all..

The thing that got me most however was one of the first posts.. it showed draws within draws..

What a great idea.. I've been making tool draws for my collection of old stuff and have been less than pleased with the waste of space putting small stuff in deep ish draws really is. since this photo I've unearthed at least three times more punches and drifts that need to go in here..

https://scontent-lht6-1.**.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/33501348_430682114024375_7007171325890396160_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=34b524157b343342a4519109ce05da6a&oe=5BAE2BB5

and so in short..

I'm stealing that idea of draws in draws.. hope you don't mind..

Great work by the way.. Mines just a small hobby shop but it does get the odd paying job, something I'm trying to get more of as I head for retirement hence the refit. keep up the good work.. I need more ideas..lol

 

[BoilermakerFan]

My dream shop would be 2500 feet by 2500 feet by 30 feet tall.

Why only 30 feet tall?


Or will the ceiling height be 30 feet tall?

 

[Strouty]

Definitely interior ceiling height. I need just enough headroom to have the bridge crane be able to pick up a truck and move it over the top of another truck, so it may need to be a bit higher, once I get to the engineering stage, I will let you know.


That drawer inside a drawer is definitely one of the coolest things, best use of space possible. Any regrets or things you would do differently?

 

[lilscorpion]

That drawer inside a drawer is definitely one of the coolest things, best use of space possible. Any regrets or things you would do differently?

The drawer within a drawer worked really well for me to make the space more accessbile in deep drawers (as Lee Ceitic commented) especially when I wanted to put things in the drawer that were fairly small or best suited for more shallow drawers. After using them for about 7 years I realized a few things:

1. Getting something from the bottom part of the drawer required me to slide the top part of the drawer out of the way. An added hand movement.
2. The drawer bottom, internal drawer slides, and clearance needed to make the inernal drawer work ended up being wasted space
3. There were some special considerations necessary (in advance) when building a drawer within a drawer in order to make it as strong as a regular drawer

No storage system works perfectly for all of the various kinds of tools I have. IN the end, each comes with it some compromises. In many ways what I had before was just as ideal as what I now have. The sweet spot was probably something that incorporated both old an new thinking..

 

[lilscorpion]

With the frame complete, I move on to making the top. Since the frame is fairly heavy, I decided to make the first one out of 1/2-inch Baltic birch plywood to save weight. This first top will be the universal fabrication top so I’ll laminate it to give it some resistance to glue and other chemicals.

With the ply cut to size, I want to machine some holes so I can clamp through the table. Since there’s a substantial amount of frame I’ll need to map it out so I don’t inadvertently drill into any of the supports. I start by tracing the fame from below.

I then measure and transfer the frame locations to the top. With a clear understanding of where not to cut, I lay out where the clamp holes can be.

To allow me to use all of my various clamping implements from my MFT, I machine the holes to be 20mm. Dust collection on the Festool router is king. Last time I did this same task there’s was dust everywhere. This time only a little.

A shot with all of the holes machined. I’m just OCD enough for the lack of hole symmetry to bug me a little. I had planned on cutting two longer slots for hand-holds on either end.

Hop over to the mill and make a template out of scrap ply. I’ll use two of the edges to reference perfectly in the corner which eliminates centering or measuring to get the hand hold where I want it.

After cutting the first one I realized that the same location on the other side wouldn’t work because I forgot the legs offset difference between sides (damn it). Looks fine with one hand-hold, moving on.

 

[lilscorpion]

Though there’s ample light on this at this bench when the garage door is open, there’s very little when it’s not. This seems to be a really good place to install some of those lights I salvaged from the older cabinets. I have 4 left at about 22-inches each which I have in the pile on the bench which could be repurposed here nearly perfectly. The bench/cabinet length is 6-feet so 3 of them should be enough.

Here’s a shot at how I’ve been making under cabinet lights. I use some 1/2x1/2 aluminum channel and the 3M backed led strips stick to them well. Then I use 1-inch strips of scrap to make mounts and screw the aluminum channel to them.

The three strips become 1.

The rigidity if the ply strip allows the whole assembly to hold tightly under the cabinets (no sag) with only 3 screws over the total length of the cabinet.

Any movement of the wire and the stick-um loses its fight which then puts pressure on the soldered wires so I add a couple wire clips and nail them into the wood strip.

This is the first time using the bench. At just over 44-inches high, I was concerned that it might be too high. As it turns out it’s much easier on the back for things like soldering and other activities where I hunch over to do the work anyway.

With these out of the way, I can move back to laminating the top.

 

[GrayFlattop]

I just want to take a minute to thank you for the inspiration. Over the last month or so, I've read every post in this thread and in the original thread. I've been lurking on GJ for awhile, but I find that the community is so vast, often I have nothing to add to the discussion.

My OCD is not as robust as yours (which means I'm not going to be making drawer inserts fitted for each individual tool), but I think the biggest benefit from your work - and from the sharing of your work - is that you are making a full-on attempt at working within the space limitations that you have.

It seems as if everyone here on GJ (myself included) feel that the answer is more space - or a bigger workshop. Sure, I'd like bigger, but after a serious examination it is apparent that I need to use the space I have more efficiently.

Anyway, thank you - and carry-on.

 

[lilscorpion]

Not done, had to work a minute.

Lamination goes quick. I used the same matte black that’s served me so well on my other work surfaces. Once laminated I have to re-cut out all of the holes with the flush trim bit.

A 1/16 round over bit is used to finish each of the holes. I prefer the round over to the chamfer (45*) because it leaves the hole edges feeing completely smooth.

To attach the top to the frame, I used all I had - 5/16 machine screws. The shear hugeness of their heads required way too big of a chamfered hole for my woodworking chamfers. This forced me to use my 1-inch 3-flute countersink I use on the mill for metals. Problem is, a 3-flute on a hand drill tends to leave wobble-shaped holes…so they’re not perfect but they’ll do. Mostly hidden by the fasteners anyway (but I know they’re still there).

As the table folds away, the laminated surface is there to protect it against bikes, doors, etc. Ironically though, the door of the Jeep would most likely hit the upper cabinet first.

 

[Cruzan80]

Pics broken for anyone else?

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[jeff g]

Hi
Yes

 

[lilscorpion]

Pics broken for anyone else?

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They're broke for me too...thinkin' my provider really *****.

 

[beelsr]

yeah, no pics at the moment...

shakes begin in 3, 2, 1....