Documenti di Didattica
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America's
HomeWorkshop
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/l neat&complete
I Detail,organization,and creativity mix
freely and easily in this suburban shop, built
alongsidea brand-newhome.
4r
I| h tripledelight
carver of Native
\./ A renowned
American totem poles and art designed a
workspace seruingthree distinct functions.
1r
makeovel
/ n extreme
L\J When a Pittsburgh woodworker
remodeled his home, out went the vehicles.
ln came all new tools and work areas.
J
l.t
m
nri/| AI\
paradise
^ J
up
</lfromthe bottom
I A basement shop not only can be
trr,rlyfunctionalbut also built without a huge
mountain
4l | \-/ ILarge shops aren't immune to
disorganization!A Colorado woodworker
64fl:ilHlfljn'li"''
An lllinois graduate student proves you
expense-if you use some innovation. with space to spare set about taking on don't need a huge shop to build useful
this challengingtask. woodworking projects. Here's how he
"shed" that notion.
rr
bad
6 R not
) O l*.',llllll1t*3:.:1"'i*l:ls abesinner
ror
Qua|itywork needs a qua|ity shop. Here's how 1,' \J With an eye for practica|ity,
madethat
onerowan abudset.
happen-on
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the
wood.
<i working bug began amassingtool after tool after
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hardprannins
made
a brisht,
ary
J I- versatilespace possible for the doctor who created it.
44f
| | h proiectgallery
| | \./ When it comes to great ideas to
make your shop more functional or organized,
our readerstake a backseat to no one.
-7r
/ nfamilyties
I \-/ Father and son com- America's
BestHomeWorkshops
bined to build a workshop that Editor-in-Chief
Bltt KRIER
seruesto bring the generations Managing
EditorMAR[E],]
KEMMEI
closer together- literally! Publication
EditorlM LACHER
Art DirectorKARLEHLERS
/1A Publication
Art DirectorMY I'IEUBAUER
|.^/{livinsitup ExecutiveVice
President
DOUG
0LS0N
\/ | Have you ever been
accused of living in your shop?
A Wisconsinturner designed
10 0 ril":l"l*r*',r"1fi
rx"q"
-*, 21"".p#^,,t!t
shop ceilings from falling down. They make
Publisher
MARKL. HAGEN
his as a home away from home. mighty useful- and colorful- utility spaces. @Copyright 2008.Ail rightsreserued.printedin the U,S.A.
Meredih Corporation
woodmogozine.com
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WhenTom planned
Whalley theworkshopforhisfamily's
herealized
home,
newsuburban inhisoldshop
thateverything
aplace.
needed aplace
Sohedesigned foreverything.
Etficiency,efficiency,
enKrcncy
"My mom was the driving force
behind my efficiency kick,"
revealsthe accountexecutivefor
an online employmentservice.
"Shealwayssaidthatif you spent
more than two minuteslookine
Tomorientedhis draftingtable
anddeskat a 90oangleto one
wall."Now,I canworkat the
draftingtable,turnto something
at the desk,andlookout at the
shopandvisualize it."
woodmogozine.com
thefloorplan
Wall-mounted
Lumber
storage
Mobile
sheet-
goods rack
23'6"
5'double
doors
to garage
6 Americo'sBeslHomeWorkshops 2008
prcfffiandideas
Becauseof its three-layerconstruction,
Tom's95Vzx40Vz" sliding-doortool
cabinet- his originaldesign- above
the workbenchmakestriple use of
the wall space. Doors slide left and
right (as shown below) on screen-door
rollersinsidestrips of %"thick aluminum
channels.After cutting the s/e"plywood
to size,Tom positionedhis tools on
it, traced their outlineswith black
markingpen, then pounded nailsof
sufficientsize into the plywood to hold
the tools. Finally,he cut the poplar rails
and walnut stilesto fit. "The last place
someoneshouldtry to make a fashion
statementis in a shop," Tom says. "But
the look and feel I get from dreamingup
a project or a method is very important."
woodmogozine.com
profecBandifr o
ffi
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@@@
display as a tribute.
(wo
As with all of Tom's wall-
hung cabinets, the more-
attractive mottled side of
the birch plywood shows.
"Birch usuallyhas one side
that's clear and a back
side that's mottled," Tom
explains. "The variegations
of the grain add character."
qir
t'*
woodmogozine.com
I
tropcsMideffi
'/r'-t\.,oyo\
t/a"dadoes
t/q" deep
sZ"plywood
1th x 11/2"
r/z" groove
g/sz"deep
fu,,,,,.iffi h.r
-l
To Tom, organizationequals
time saved. So he sorts his
@i \
lumber by type of wood and
thickness. He stores scrap
---'t'
pieceson the left wall and big
boardsfrom the mill on the
right. "When I need a chunk
of wood, I can see at a glance
just what I have on hand so I
don't have to waste a trip to
the mill," he says. "When I get
to a stage where I want to build
*\il
-l
somethingquick, I don't want
to lose momentum."
The Grizzlydust collector
stores against the wall, but
Tom can wheel it out when it's
time to clean up.
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woodmogozine.com
11
prctffiandidea
o
..;.1$,:ii,;'.
3/qX21/qX441/2"
ShowcaseY0UR
Worlshop
Seepage127for details.
11/2x31/2x19"
Lengthto fit
insideof tool cart
tZ" dadoes
1/4"deep
woodmogozine.com
13
o
wffiMieffi
e / q x 3 Y z( 1 x 4 ) x 3 6 "
3/q x 31/z
(1x4) x 35t/2"
:)
t/a"carriagebolt
5o bevels 1/2"long
1t/zx 11/z(2x2) x 36"
7 a x 3 1x 3 6 "
plywood
4',
11/z'
profile
woodworkert
woodmogozine.com
15
l
Fromhisrustic aNorthwest
workshop,
continues
carver ofartwork
alegacy
along-standing
thatimmortalizes
community.
American
Native
F" ale Faulstich goes acquirednew tools and replaced cally for what I do," he acknowl-
U f through woodworking
m -
others.However,his radial-arm edges."But I think that everY
nf shops the way some go saw-the first powertool he ever carver and woodworker could
through cars. "This is the fifth bought-is left over from his take advantageof some of the
shopI've hadin my life," saysthe first dedicatedshop,in the car- thingsI've donehere."
renowned carver of Northwest riagehouseof a rentedtwo-story
Native American totem poles, Victorian. That was about l0 room
Elbow
like the twin posts shown at miles from wherehe lives today, That includes plenty of elbow
right, andotherartwork.But just on five acres in rural Sequim, room. "I've just got to have it,"
like the vehicleyoucustomrzeto Washington, on the Olympic Dale says. He constructedhis
a T, he'sfound his keeper. Peninsulanorthwestof Seattle. split-level unattached building
He's learnedfrom eachprevi- In this woodedarea,he'sbuilt with a l5'-tall cathedralceiling
ous shop's deficiencies and a shop designedfor his work: so he wouldn't worry about
appliedthoselessonsto the next. carving masks, sculptures,and smacking lumber and finished The "DancePlazaHouse
Each one evolvedin designand furniture pieces.(Seepage 25.) piecesinto light fixtures. Most Posts" commemorate a
efficiency. Along the way, he's "The shop is designedspecifi- walls are 8'tall. The walls in the S'Klallamtribe legend.
'- '7=
/
W: ,.''
space,dividedintothree
sections:168-sq-ftoffice/
designstudio;672-
sq-ftcarve/paintstudio;
and 360-sq-ftmillwork/
fabricationroom.
*
CONSTRUCTION:2x4 and
2xGframewith cedarsiding.
HEATING:Woodstove, plus
cei l i ng-hung
forc ed- air
propaneheater.
ELECTRICAL:200-amp
servicepanel.
LIGH TIN G:10 d ualf ull-
spectrumfluorescent
fixturesin the carve/paint
studio;six in the millwork/
fabrication ("sawdust")
room;as wellas spotlight
incandescents abovetools.
D U S TC OLLE CTI O N:
Portableshopvacuumin
machineryroom,connected
to varioustoolsas needed.
A IR C OMP R E SSO R:
5- hp
uprightcompressorwith
60-galloncapacity.
OPPOSITE,FARLEFT
The all-cedarexterior 0narecent
triptotheNorthern
of Dale'searly-'80s
0lympic Peninsula,
I visited theshop
structure not only fits the
Northwestambiencebut is ofDale Faulstich,
master carverof
maintenance-free as well. traditi0nal-style
masks, totem poles,
andsteam-bentboxes. After viewing
ABOVE:Behinda larger
carving bench, nearly hisoutbuilding
workshop, I knewthis
finishedpieces cure on wasafacility
andawood artisanwe
shelvesin Dale'sL-shaped, hadtosharewithotherwoodworkers.
672-sq-ft carue/paint
studio. Dale's plywood lfyourhomeworkshop isonethat
floor is easy on the legs. otherwoodworkers mightfindinter-
estingandwouldlikeit considered for
LEFT Whilethe single-
paned windows in Dale's ofthispublication,
thenextedition
shop wouldn't conform visit ,:.,..,, ,
to today's insulation Morlen
Kemmet,
standards,they do allow
W00D'mogozine
Monoging
Editor
views of the Nodhwest's
woods, in all their glory.
woodmogozine,com
17
thefloorplan
Wallcabinets
Wdtt llulWorkbench
cabinet HTqiqgyg Rad"dr-r""
I rqurqr-(
tool storage
SAW
MILLWORIV
FABRICATION ROOM
"Sawdustroom" Carvingbench
[T_]L_I_l
T
12',
cabinets
I copy
m ac hine
oFFlcE/
D E S I G NS T U D I O
Mobile
utility
cart
l 14'1
Pole-
carvingbench
't
|w*
':i,
44-
+:t:
woodmogozine.com
19
Made of cherry plus birch
for the drawer sides, the
initial cuts on a mask. To drill to keep sawdust away from pieces quickly. "The recipe is
tool chests that hold Dale's
many carving instrumentsfit holesthat follow the contoursof piecesthat are drying," he says. microwave a piece on high for
on top of a mobile cabinet masks, Dale relies on a radial "If you're a hobbyist,it's proba- two minutes, let it cool for l0
he can move wherever he drill press-it adjusts to any bly not necessaryto be that minutes, and put it back in for
needs it. The drop-leaf table angleand movesin and out. elaborate. But I have multiple two minutes,weighingit at each
addition serves as a useful He takes advantageof the projectsgoing at once. One of stage," he says. "When the
worksurface.The double-eye mild temperatures in the North- those may be a finished piece weightstabilizes,all the wateris
and single-eyedesignsDale west. 'All my tools are on that's got paint drying; I might out of it. A typical maskcan lose
carved on the inside surface wheels,"he relates,"so I canjust bejoining boardsin another;and from 8 to 16ouncesof water."
of the lids representthe Chiet
roll them outdoorswhen it's a I might be carvingin a third." As with otherobjectshe crafts,
Above, who, legend says,
possessed the sun, moon, pleasantsummerday." Dale carves from the native
and stars until Raven stole Dale's educational work is Snecialized snaces hardwood on his property. So
them from him and brought done inside, however. In the fdrspecial taliks an essentialfor his carving stu-
them to eafth. carving studio, where he con- Doing mostly carving, Dale dio is a place to hollow out the
The board on the wall is ductsclassesin NativeAmerican doesn't perform a lot of tasks logs, as well as shelvesto set
Dale'sshop easel. The 4x8' art. he has installedstudent-size that kick up plenty of dust. For them upon to dry.
sheet of plywood, with simple workbenches. A single-panel that reason,he hasput off invest- Everything begins in Dale's
framing on its back side, is sliding door made from pine ing in a central dust-collection office, which he purposefully
hingedto the wall so Dale system,insteadusing a portable built into his shop layout. "I've
separateshis carve/paint studio
can adjust it to any angle.
from the sawdustroom. shopvacuum. learned over the years that it's
Magnets hold drawings to the
galvanizedmetal surface.
"I close the door for quiet, to What is essential,however,is essentialto investhowevermany
keep dust out of my office, and a microwaveovenhe usesto drv hours it takes to create a good
woodmogozine.com
21
o
design for each project," Dale
says."If you start with a good
design, even if you cheat on
the craftsmanship,the finished
productwill still be good.But if
you start with a poor design,no
matter how good your crafts-
manship, the finished product
will be poor. So, I spendmany
hourssittingthere."
Dale'swoodworkinghascome
a long way sincethe first room
he devotedto his craft after mov-
ing to Washingtonstatein 1973
the living room of a house he
rented."I had no garageor base-
ment,soI movedall the furniture
out of the living room and put
my tools there,"he remembers.
Having relocatedto the North-
westandestablished himself asa
carver, Dale and his wife,
Heather,built a house,complete
with workshop,in 1979.Adesire
to stay put led to the acreage
wherethey've lived for 30 years.
woodmogozine.com
23
profile
woodrruorlart
ustout of the CoastGuardin 1972,Dale Faulstichput his
artistry to good use, doing commercial work for the
JamestownS'Klallam Native American community,located
in Sequim,Washington."I did varioussigns,carveddoorsfor
the tribal administrationbuilding,and vehiclelettering,using
nativemotifs in carving,"Dale recalls."The more I did, the
more fascinatedI was with their art. So I learnedmore about
it and eventuallycarvedtotempolesas a hobby."
lnl993,the tribe wasreadyto openacasinoandapproached
Dale to provide l0 totem polesfor that enterprise.Tribal offi-
cials liked Dale's6'-diameter,49'-highefforts so much, they
asked him to do more. Since then, he's createdpoles for
medical plazas,dental clinics, and other sites."There's so
much to do," Dale says,"and eachproject is different."
Besidesbeing involvedin varioustribal projects,Dale is
helpingto carry on the nativeart traditionby teachingclasses
in designingandcarvingtraditionalobjects,andis the subject
of a book aboutthe craft. (Seepage 25.)He and his family-
wife, Heather; daughter,Holly; and son, Tyler-live in the
housethey built in 1979.For more informationaboutDale's
art, visit www.olypen.com/hhtd.
DennisCollinsPhotography
Photographs:
woodmogozine.com
25
' t - ' . , .
S-.*---
After20years,
Scott figured
Beresford home-including
it wastimehissuburban
anewgarage
Building
aface-lift.
hisworkshop-received enabled toconvert
Scott
newhome
hisoldoneintoacompletely shop, toolstoboot.
withthelatest
nce upon a time, there financially comfortable and and doubling the size of my
was a man namedScott wantedto usehis woodworking workshop. My shop was only
Beresford.who had no talent to enjoy himself and 12x20',and it was a nightmare
wife or kids. and lived in a sub- maybeearna little moneyon the trying to do anythingof any size.
urban home outsidePittsburgh. side.So he decidedto make his To savespace,all my woodwork-
Scott had a split-level, which workshoppart of a major face- ing machineswere on wheels.I
includeda garageleadingdown lift for his home. had no room for larger, more
a shortflight of stepsto a wood- efficient tools. I wanted more
working shop in his basement, Twice
asnice spaceto devoteto my furniture-
and he wascontent. "I wanted five things for my building and guitar work."
But after 20 yearsof living in home," he says:"adding a new Scott'srenovationsmore than
his home, this lucky man had dining room, living room, doubled the size of his work-
reacheda point where he was garage,upgradingthe electrical, space.Building a new attached
26 Americo'sBeslHomeWorkshops 2008
t
d LEFT:On the laminated maple bench
TYPE: Attachedgarage.
SIZE: Lower-level:15x24'
(360sq ft); upper-level:
21x22'(462sq ft);total:
822 sq ft
CONSTRUCTION: Wood
frame,drywallinteriorwalls;
concretefloors under 1/2"-
thickUtil-A-Matreversible
mat overlay.
HEATING:Three1,500-watt
CadetHydronicbaseboard
heaterssupplementforced
air froma homefurnace.
COOLING:Spacepak
centralair-condition
ing
systemfor entirehouse.
ELECTRICAL:100-amp
dedicatedsubpanel.
LIGH TIN G:4' dua l- t ube
fixtureswithfull-spectrum
f luorescents;
f ull-spectru
m
compactfluorescents.
DUSTCOLLECTION:Fein
' -'-*
qt::' , l--
shopvacuumwith mini
.-l- * -l tr- cycloneseparatorand
2" schedule-40PVC
ducting;ClearVue CV1880
5-hp cyclonewith 6"
snaplockmetalducting.
A IR C OMP R E S SO RS:
Two-stage,2-hp,Grainger
Speedaire4YN50A,26-
gal l ontank;pl usG r ainger
Speedaire3Z409B,
20-gal l onauxi l i ar air
y t ank.
woodmogozine.com
27
gNrF
& qF
r f=t-
r
M! iH
ABOVEAND RIGHT:Because
Scott's upper-levelshop is an
assemblyarea,he built and
installedthree tables:his main
bench in the rear,left; another
all-purposetable, foreground;
and a 26x48" vise table, securely
anchoredto the floo6 at right
rear and in photo, rght. From the
rear of the table and clockwise,
the vises are: a pipe vise from
Grizzlythat Scott uses to hold
any diameterof conduit; a heavy-
duty all-purposemetal vise, with
built-inanvil (a necessityfor any
shop, Scott says);a pattern-
maker'svise,with jaws that
swivel independentlyto allow
clampingof odd-shapedpieces;
and a parrot vise, which rotates
360oand locks into position.
T
ttl@@|_l
| | f _ l i "- ri [lt t -"- lt l| tl l ll Contractor-style
lDryerll r lI tablesaw
I I l l W a s h e Ir
S"k Lum ber
LOWER LEVEL SIOTAgC
l"'"'"1 Waterheater
powered
Mini-cyclone
by a Feinsystem
(Machi ni ngarea)
L.l
n smarl
Cyclone
dust
collector
Furnace
| | Parts
storase
L l
compressed-air
l coppertubing
Driil
press |
I
rable
I
I
Grinder
BelVdisc
sander
Edgesander
421'
-qara-qeallowed him to expand and I needed tools that were added a router table later. He Buildinga new garage
his shop into his original garage rnore reliable," he says. positioned the tablesaw's rip enabled Scott Beresfordto
as well as his basement. That The only tools that remain fence to the left of the saw blade, make use of the space that
15x24'areahouseshis tools. and frorn the originals Scott brought not the right-even though he is had housed his vehicles(now
the former space,now 21x22'. rs the lower-levelmachining
to the house are a srnall Delta righrhanded. "It was the way I
jointer, as well as a Craftsman area)and more than doubled
an assembly and "clean fool-t-I." taught myself when I was grow-
his workshop space.The
Looking at how Scott did all tablesawthat had once belonged ing up," Scott says. upper level,once his only
this is a case study in how to to his father. "I learned to do He locatedhis new stationary shop, became his assembly
think through a shop expansion. woodworking on that," Scott planer, which replaced a bench- room. Scott also added
"My first priority was to plan," says. "It's near and dear to my top planer,besidethe tablesawto a second dust-collection
Scott says. "I sketched out rny heart. Besides, it's nice to have take advantageof the inf-eed/out- system;it seruicesthe lower
space,made cutor-rtsto represent two tablesaws." feed space. Scott's mitersaw, level,which generatesthe
all my machines, and moved bandsaw, and second tablesaw most dust. Becausethe
them around." Once he had theplan
Work fan out clockwise from the rnain structureis part of his house,
simply extendingductwork
everything where he wanted it, The wall adjacent to the stairs tablesaw/router /planer station.
from the home'scentralair
Scott up-gradednearly every tool leading up to the second level Scott also tackleda redo for the
system allows Scott to heat
with something that was either seemed the logical place for his shop'spower systemand lightin_q. and cool it.
bigger, better,or both. tablesawand outfeed table, with He added a subpanelfor the shop
"By then, I had grown out of enou-9hspaceto rip 8'boards. To circuitry-a solutionmade neces-
my 1O0-percent-hobbyist phase, the tablesawoutf-eedtable. Scott sary by positioning the tools on
woodmogozine.com 29
the lowerlevel."I would havehad that lit the garage with full-
to run wires all the way back to spectrumfluorescents, aswell as
my main panel,which is all the full-spectrum compact fluores-
way on the other side of the cents in incandescentfixtures.
house,"Scottsays."Itjust seemed "I readaboutthoselightshelping
easierandlessexpensive to adda with seasonal affectivedisorder,"
subpanel.I haven'thad problems Scottsays."They madea differ-
with any of the machineryusing encein the light level!" So did
this setup." paintingthe walls white.
Over the concretefloor. Scott Dust collectionwas a priority
added t/2."-thickreversiblefoam becauseno partition dividesthe
safetyflooring boughtat a ware- assembly area and his shop's
house store."Working on con- dust-making portion. All his
crete is terrible!" he asserts. toolsare servicedby a Fein shop
"This is some of the best stuff vacuumwith a cycloneor a 5-hp
you can put over it. It's cost- cycloneScott concealedbehind
effectiveandeasyto install." one wall. He attachedflexible
metalductingto his mitersaw,as
touches
Finishing well asa plastictank at his router
For climatecontrol,Scottsimply table that collects the churned-
had the ductwork from his up dust.Rareearthmagnetshold
home's central air-conditioning the tank in place."Clean is the
and heatingsystemextendedto way I like it," he says.
the shop. Baseboard heaters Scott is more than entitledto
supplementthe forced-air sys- havehis workshopascleanashe
tem. He also replaced the likes. After all, he's determined
sparsely located fluorescents to play in it, happilyeverafter.
"#
,&'
-
-# t
tr! *
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ABOVE:Ductwork for Scott's
two dust-collectionsystems
snakesaroundvirtuallyevery
tool in his lower-levelshop,
which houseshis tools.His Fein
vac system providespinpoint
collectionat his drill press and
bandsaw,generalcollectionat
his mitersawand router-table
fence, and additionalcollection
at his smallertablesaw.Scott's
5-hp dust-collectionunit
serviceshis drill press and
the small Deltasander next
to it, as well as his 6x80 belt
sander,routertable, mitersaw,
tablesaw,jointer,sande6
and bandsaw.White PVC
pipe for Scott's Feinvacuum
tt
. dust-collectionunit maintains
-.t
the lower-levelshop wall's
unbrokenbrightness.The photo
also gives a good idea of the
dust-collectionports and the
interlockingsoft flooringmats
,"8; that make it easier for Scott to
work on a concrete floor.
woodmogozine.com 31
o
p$ecbaldidem
Lengthto suit
Roller boards allow sawn wood to glide onto an outfeed table. Rare earth magnets
inserted into holes on Scott's workbench keep the roller frames in place. Scott built the boards out of oak,
but you can use any wood. "The only criticalthing,"Scott says, "is the thicknessof the rollerassembly.The
height of the bearings has to equal the height of the saw, so when the piece comes off the saw table, it stays
level and doesn't fall or get elevated."
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Scott reports that his clamp rack, which holds eleven 24" bar clamps,
ffi took less than an hour,includingthe design and construction.Once the
clamps are slid into the slots, gravity holds them in place. Scott used
3/a"oakstock but says any hardwood willwork.
profile
woodworkerS
A guitar player
veryonein ScottBeresford'slargefamily was into woodworking,
himself,Scott
especiallyhis father,a carpenterby profession.Most are still into adds innovations
building things.One owns a constructionbusiness,two are engi- into the acoustic
neers,two brothersare carpenters.They built eachother'shouses,and instrumentshe
helpedScott when he redid his home five yearsago,from the roofing to crafts as a hobby.
the framing to the sidingand the electricalwork. Replacingthe
"I wastheonewho did mostof the electricalwork in the family," Scott traditional plastic
reports."But I wasinto buildingthingswhenI wasa kid." He remembers binding-the trim
refinishinga tablefor his mom andbuilding around the body-
somesnacktables."I think I was in the 10- with bent padauk
wood gives the
or 1l-year-oldrange,"he says.
instrument
Now that Scott is semiretiredas health- a richer look.
and-safetydirectorand projectmanagerfor
a large public environmentalcompany,he
hastime to constructprojectsthat enhance
the look of his home (right), as well as As part of his home's renovation,
indoor and outdoor water fountains.(You Scott built these unusual eight-
can learn more about them at Scott'sWeb sided columnsfor his main
staircase."l wanted something
site,creationsofacraftsman.com.) He's also
distinctive that wasn't going to
taken to building guitars, electric and get lost in such a big room," Scott
acoustic,like the oneaboveright. says. The stairs lead down to a
"Ever sinceI was younger,I was aiming new entrance from the kitchen and
for the day when I was financially secure living area.
enoughnot to haveto go to work everyday,"
Scottsavs.That dav hascome.
Photographs:
MikeReganPhotography
woodmogozine.com
33
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-_-t'-'-
things so he could add others,
-jl like the double mitersaw
'-.--. extensions (opposite)."That's
overkill,unlessyou build what
rf1
I build [shuffleboardtables]."
-4
He also installedoverhead
* dust-collectionports for his
dual-drumsander./eft.
TYPE:Basementof a 1950s
ranch-style
home.
SIZE: Approximately21x67'
(1,407sq ft).
C ON S TR U C TI O N:
Concreteblockwallsand
l.*;' pouredfloor.
H E A TIN GA N D CO O LI NG :
No open registersfor
heati ngor ai r-co ndit ioning.
sheet goods in and get finished "Becauseit'sa ranch-style
f'urniture pieces out. "I was going house,it'sthe coolestplace
to add an egresswindow; instead, i n summerand p lent ywar m
I discoveredI could install doors in winter."
with steps for about the same
money," Dave recalls. "Every-
ELECTRICAL:200-amp
panelwithtwo dedicated
thing goes in and out of those
220-voltcircuits.
doors as easy as can be."
The entire shop area was a LIGHTING:Fluorescents,
sealed-off part of the basement, with a fixeddedicated
with a dirt floor. Dave had the incandescent aboveeach
floor dug down another 4" and machi ne.
cut a hole into the block wall. D U S TC OLLE CTI O N:
He also discovered additional Ductworkplacedbeneath
space underneath the garage. the floor;homemade
This 20x21'territory became the S-hpcyclone,emptyinginto
wood storage and machining a steelgarbagecan.
area off his main shop space.
Dave'stablesawwas the first machinehe put on A IR C OMP R E SSO R:
(See floor plan, page 37.) Then,
wheels;every machineis mobile except his jointer. Z-hp,4-gallonHitachiEC2,
he laid the dust-collectionpiping The positioningof all the tools allows him full mobility delivering3.6 CFM at
atop the dirt before pouring the without havingto step and trip over cords that would 1 0 0P S t .
concrete floor. othenryisesnake across the floor.
woodmogozine.com
35
\
]f,;-
LEFT:Davetypicallyuses glass-
front cabinets to store hardware,
supplies,sandpaper,and
miscellaneousstuff. "With glass,"
he says, "l don't have to think
::"... which cabinetshave what stuff
in them. I can see my hardware
and know just where everything
is. Also,they keep dust out."
He purposefullypositionedthe
glass-frontcabinets(identifiedas
"hardwarestorage"on the floor
plan,opposite)to keep clear of
swinginglumber.
Behindthe double doors at
/eft is Dave'sfinishingroom
(shown open, below).The room
is sealedoff and the air is filtered
so Dave can let one project dry
without fear of dust settlingonto
the finishwhile he works in the
mainshop. "ln the shop in my
last house,I had to shut down
everythingwhen I was ready to
finish a piece.With this house,I
had the luxuryof enough space
to set off a finishingroom."
Recesseddedicatedcan lighting
(not shown)in the ceilingallows
Daveto providejust the right
amount of illuminationto make
sure that a finish looks good.
I
I
Dave also painted the walls, he got it all spec'd,it was time to
ceiling, and joists the whitest sit down with a contractor.
white he could find. "l wouldn't "He had the idea that we could
have enjoyed going down there if put in a concretefloor and install
it was dark," he says. "The ductwork for a dust-collection
brightness really changed the systemright under the concrete,"
atmosphere. I even painted all Dave recalls.
my cabinetswhite, so everything This was eminently practical
has total reflection." because,typical for a basement
With abundant f-luorescent in ranch-stylehomes of that era,
lighting fixtures, Dave gets a the ceiling is low. The innovation
good look at everything. He saved Dave from surrendering
added can lights above each overhead space to ductwork.
machine to concentratethe illu- "Dust collection is paramount if
mination where he needs it. you're going to have your shop in
Dave planned everything in the house." Dave points out.
the shop as carefully as he did "Bandsaws and tablesaws put
the lights. He laid it all out with out a lot of dust. When you say
'basement,' you must also say
cardboard, then made scale
'dust
drawings with cutouts to collection'-if you want to
represent the machines. When stay happily mat'ried!"
36 Americo'sBeslHomeWorkshops 2008
't
thefloorphn
Mitersaw
Tablesaw
r-- n
Lll
| -/ l l
outfeedi lffii
tabreI ll-l
Ceiling-hung
air-filtration
system Workbench
D ru m / "
tino"r I Finishing Jointer
_l \ r--+r suPPlies __?E-s*
____.)__;a-r J
\tm=l
Lumber
FINISHING
ROOM I W'1,ffir-[- Drill
20,+
Itt-rJJ=
woodmogozine.com
37
LEFT:Most of the wood Dave
uses is salvaged. "You'd be
amazed how much lumber is
around!" he maruels."People
willjust give it away when they
know you're a woodworker." The
trick is storing it-that's where
the 21' wall comes in handy.
Usually,Dave has to take the
whole kit and caboodle and
sort out what stock won't work.
But the savings, he says, are
enormous."l can't beginto count
how many board feet of lumber
l've receivedthat have been
virtually free!" The lumber storage
area also is where Dave parks
many of his machines. He added
mobile bases to most of them for
portability and space-saving.
woodmogozine.com
39
lf youhadvirtually shop
unlimited
space,whatwouldyoudowithit?
furnituremaker
AColorado
hassome
andturner surprising-
andefficient-answers.
,
',,.
'
nd1$
pace ... the final frontier
of woodworking.
Nearly every wood-
worker from tirne to tirne has
Larry Malohnlivesthatdream
in a 1,700-square-foot frame
structurein Morrison.Colorado.
25 miles west of Denver.From
onup
Moving
Larry's previousshop was an
800-square-fbot arrangement
his basement.That was an
in
drearnedof a shop with sufficient there,he canlook up from build- improvementover his first ven-
roorrr to arrange tools far enough ing furniture and gaze at the ture, a 200-square-fbotspace
apart so soffreone bigger than RockyMountains. "with a cheapsaw." But when
Torn Thumb could walk between "Yeah, I'm pretty lucky," he theinvestment bankerandCindy,
them. The really ambitious admits."We'velived herefbr l4 his wif'eof 3l years,boughtinto
dreams include enough space yearsand when we boughtthe a -eatedcommunitythathadbeen
to have two and maybe three property.I had the opportunity a 1,000-acreranch, Larry herd
varieties of the same tool to suit to build just the kind of shopI one thing on his mind."l asked
different pur poses. alwayswanted." rnyself,'If I couldbuild anykind
40 Americo'sBeslHomeWorkshops 2008
r
r
I
il'r,:
(D
!i {D
tTt','n#
TYPE:Woodframewith
pouredconcretefloor
SIZE:990 sq ft on main
floor,plus680 sq ft on
secondfloor.
CONSTRUGTION: The floor
Cs is a single22x45'footprint;
f$ wallsframedwith 2x6s; cut-
rafterroofwith 6/12 pitch.
t HEATING:Propanegas.
ELECTRICAL:Dedicated
200-ampservice,including
twelve 22O-voltand forty
120-voltoutlets.
LIGHTING:B' fluorescents
in ceilingsof mainand
secondfloors.
DUSTCOLLECTION:
Ceiling-hung and exposed,
poweredby an Oneida
cycloneconnectedto
specifictoolsvia 6" ducts.
A IR C OMP R ESSO R:
Craftsman175-PSl,two-
stageoillesssystemwith a
20-gallontank.
woodmogozine.com
41
;;J,i ,.
. r :i, . . , i. . , ' - - , . . ' . ' ABOVE:On the second floor
of his shop, Larry added a
carving/sharpening station
The 6/12-pitched roof (for and located an adjacent
of workshop I wanted, what
8x10' finishingroom for
would I need?'" he says."That's snowload) uses2x8s for rafters.
convenience.Glass panels
whereI cameup with two stories To strengthenthe side walls and let in additionallight.The
alongwith afinishing room." He prevent the outside walls from binders and manuals
beganplanning the frame struc- bowing out, Larry nailed 22'- represent Larry's 30 years
ture, 100' from their three-story long 2x6s into the rafters and wofth of subscriptions to
home,during fall1992 and com- into the top of the second-floor woodworking magazines,
pletedit the following May. wall. Larry and his friends did incfuding WOOD@.
Because the entire building much of the labor, though few
site rests on a 30o slope, Larry relishedtoiling on the roof,23'
LEFT:Where the 20' ceiling
dug the 9 -high back wall into abovethe ground.
slopes upward, there was
the mountain and fortified it Eschewing garage doors,
enough wall space for Larry
with 6" of rebar and concrete. Larry installed two 3' doors that to hang his furnace and a
Larry used 2x6s for the exterior allow 6' clear access.The 1x6 multitude of clamps. The
wall frame;Z?'floor joistselimi- cedar siding matchesthat of the furnace's dual louvers direct
nated the need for posts to house.Insideheused1x6 shiplap heat to both the second
support the upper-levelflooring siding madeof pine. This allows floor and the main level.
of z/i' tongue-and-grooveoak. him to nail, hang,or screwnearly
This left plenty of room up to anything anywherewithout per-
the ceiling. foratedhardboard.
Router Router
table table
MGi."*
jig
, \l-}? Air
/ffi"}\
W
compressor l
I
Double
Drirr[_fi3
press L:4'
Ceiling-hung
air-filtration
system
nr' 2 2',
BelVdisc
lll 4rl I
-E-,-r
sander
lStoraOe
lffiplffi
I L-----*fa |
- Lathe
llllll
il-TTtl
F Bandsaw M
ililti
clamp t n l tE
racks /6) Storaoe g.rinder/
H =u ;;bin"ei buffer Vacuum
Stairsto upperlevel
woodmogozine.com 43
!l
"*e*tt"
ABOVE:A slidingmitersaw
and dovetailjigoccupy
1
this primespace,with a
view of Mount Evansin the
distance."lt would have
been a shameto put a big
tooltherethat would hide
the vista," Larry says.
RIGHT Screwingseparate
supportsto his wall
providedplenty of space
for Larry to arrange his
thinner,pistol-gripclamps,
mostly used for smaller
furnitureprojects."ln my
other shops, I used to have
them in a box," Larry
recalls."With clamps,
it doesn't take long
before they become
likeChristmaslights,all
jumbled together."
woodmogozine.com
45
o
froffiMieffi
A magazine inspired
Larry'sdesign for this
hand-planecabinet;he
collected all the planes
over the !€?rs; "l've been
trying to learn skills of
old carpenters,especially
using hand tools," says
the former homebuilder.
"For heavy work, you do
need a motorized planer.
But for fine work, a plane
is better than a sander.
!t
With small, slow, easy
i strokes, you can finish
wood almost to where it
t
doesn't need sanding. lt's
I
sure quieter and not as
dusty!"
I
.EF
To gauge how tall to make this "l like to build things that
cabinet, which supports Larry's have severalfunctions,"
mini lathe, he started from the Larry Malohn says. His
top down. "You have to be at the lathe-tool center- "my
right height to see what you're favorite cabinet in the
doing," he says. "For comfort, whole shop, becauseI
the lathe spindle needs to be at can scoot this around
elbow height. So I measuredfrom to any lathe I'm working
the floor to my elbows and went at"-is two projects in
backwards.I built the smalltwo- one.The 12"-hightop
drawer cabinet first and the main rack, which fits entirely
mobile-basecabinet last."The atop the mobile cabinet,
lathe and dual-drawer cabinet are comes off for further mobility
removable,revealinga worktop (inset above rightl. With the "top down"
with bench-dog holes. while at a lathe, Larry can set tools down
on the foam pad. The cabinet stays put with
two locking casters. Just for fun, Larry also
built in a secret drawer in addition to the
seven that are visible.
rT
I
Larry Malohn
G
ut of college and awaiting that crafting furniture is more used elk antlers
the Vietnam-era draft, Larry creative than homebuilding-and found around
Malohn was delivering engagesnew skills. "I learned that a his property for
suppliesto a construction site near piece of furniture does not require this mahogany
Washington, D.C., when he saw a 2x4sl'he says. Fqn
table. He cut
help-wanted sign for a carpenter's Years later, after filling his office thin mahogany
assistant."They paid a dollar more an with furniture he built, Larry is con- pieces, bent
hour than I was making," he recalls. templating a retirement of spending them around a
"So I applied and got hired." plywood frame,
daysat his power tools, framed by the
and glued them
He becameso good at it that he was Colorado Rockies.
one by one
promoted to carpenterand before long "Woodworking has taught me to be to create the
was building homes. A change of confident,"he says."I canboast,'Hey, round apron.
careerto investmentbanker and three I can build that!' and discoverthat bv
shopslater,the 57-year-oldhaslearned God.I can!"
Photographs:Hardy Klahold
woodmogozine.com
47
- o
T
tq'E-ltEl I
In laying out his shop, Walt Segl cut out scaled templates for his
equipment and arranged everythingon poster board. Moving
the pieces around on the board helped him judge workflow. That
technique also resulted in ideas such as using the space beneath
his tablesaw'sslidingtable for lumberstorage.
woodmogozine.com 49
3..
rnine lost his shop to a fire that chasecltheir lnrrl. Walt ancl liis 'r lb- ,t l{q
;l
l,
IXlill.n =
!r-l*r!)r,-a
was starteclby ii firLrltyelectrical tirther. Bucl. at last be-uatl to
c i r c u i t . I p r o m i s e c tl h a t i t ' I w a s clesiqnthe sliop. lrr
-9oingto build nty shol-r.I wastt't Tl-rere \\,ere two lintitatittns:
gcringto let tl-rathappen to lt'lc.' keepin-uthe shop'swiclthat 30'to I
I
F I Bookcase Shaper
ehannr F- tool rack
tl
I_dl Bench
I I
\ry
Mobileclamp rack
Workbench
t_r__r-_
I |l-l"n lilll I
l L #
BelVdiscsander
r---fl-Tl
F-E=a:::" ll 1
Adjustable-height
Lr-r'll 1Bandsaw worktable Slidingtable
L-J
\P--l
Uflll DfeSS
l
I
I I H H I
Stereo
r-E€-)
\H r--d--l
rc":__- :/
'l
fr-
ffi#
RI
lfL
T Mobilemitersaw
f__ -i:______r
* |
Floor
sweep_
I ,*--i
L.,i /..r
I I Lathe
I Pi n rEn
[l
I router Lathetools/ TfiI
I Air L--l-j-r
t]-t: Furnace
sharpening lillll
W
I station
compressor
rA\
ffi
th\l1
[wl €y Overheaddoor
woodmogozine.com
51
o
ru@Miil@ffi
A friend of Walt's,who is head of maintenancefor a
regional hospital, asked the woodworker whether
'ls he
he could use a hospitalbed. "lthought,
kidding?' " Walt says. Then he saw the bed and
realizedthat it could be one of the most useful
pieces of equipmentin his shop. With the bed
frame cut off and a butcher-block top added, Walt
turned it into an all-purposetable. The top raises
and lowers electricallyvia the foot pedals. When it's
collapsed, Walt can store it conveniently.
7a"dowel Zsh"long
s/q"dowel21" long
The horizontallayout of Walt's
sandpaper holder maximizesspace
and organization.Hook-and-loop
sandingdiscs stand on edge within
ct/8
the compartments,separated by fie"
hardboard dividers that slide neatly I
and snugly into dadoes on the top and ) /lo" rabbet 1/4"deep
'r/q"
deep
bottom shelves.Self-adhesiverolls store
alongback edge
on the long dowel. Abrasivesfor Walt's
detail sander stack on vedical dowels. s/o" rabbets
t/+"dee?
6/2".. I
\ 3/ro"dado th" deep
woodmogozine.com
53
I
o
tr$ffiMkhffi
Often, during a long turning session,Walt finds himself sharpeninga gouge
or skew multiple times. Ratherthan constantly walking to a wall rack to swap
or sharpen tools, he designed this sharpeningstation with a worksurface that
rotates 360'. "Allthe lathe tools and calipers are immediatelyat hand when
I'm turning," he says. "Often, I don't even turn off the lathe; I just turn to the
grinder,sharpen, and go back to the task at hand."
s/0" hole.centered
1 2 x 1 6 " U H M Wf i l m
II
Tool holder
I
26"
eight
andthat's
theonlythingl'dchange,
Butthat's years
later."
woodmogozine.com
55
tr
-\-4trq
M %----t\__
+.
oj
'i|iil
I E : lls !>
-_l
_I I 7,,,
t[
G*-
-t
toaddtoolsinpiecemeal
Refusing
followed 0fatrusted
theadvice mentor
Randy
fashion, Zimmerman
acomplete
andoutfitted
qEg
woodworking allatonce.
headquarters
he best woodworking ad- As he did with other words of rF=-:l
,:,
-,-
i*":--
,
TYPE: Detachedmetal-
sidedgarage.
S fZE : 25x42' 1,
, 050sq f t .
C ON S TR U C TI O N:
M et al
building,reinforcedwith2x4
innerstudwalls;poured
ABOVE:The box joints on Randy
concretefloorand drywall
Zimmerman'sdovetailjig/bit
interiorwalls.
storage box representthe most
complexjoineryof any fixture H E A TIN GA N D CO O LI NG :
in his shop. He learnedthat if Natural-gas furnacewith
simpleworks, go for it! centralair-conditioning.
E LE C TR IC A L:
2 00- am p
LEFT The centerpieceof Randy's
service,includingdedicated
shop combinesa tablesaw,router
12O-voltand 220-volt
table,and sandingstation.This
circuits.
providesRandya centrallocation
to perform most shop tasks. All LIGH TIN G:S uspended
4'
machinesfeed into the shop's in- dualtubefluorescents.
floor dust-collectionsystem.The
downdraft sanding/outfeedtable D U S TC OLLE CTI O N:ln-
(seepage 62) includes a blower floor,poweredby a 3-hp
motor and filter to capture stray PennStatefour-bagunit,
dust. A slidingtable on the left- with permanentinletsat the
hand side of his tablesawallows tablesaw,jointer,and planer.
Randyto crosscutwide materials
with ease.
H A-L, ;
til machinesfar enoughapart so one
doesn't interferewith another's
operation. Of course not everyone
i €F,,s has the luxuryof constructinga
1,000-sq-ftshop! "But if you do have
r5dlf -?fi
*
,tr'{i
f'"'
woodmogozine.com
57
thefloorplan
RandyZimmermantook about
a year to plan and equip his
new shop the way he desired,
and as such, it wants for little.
A centrally located tablesaw
and nearby workbench afford
him two major work centers,
and he's just steps away from
other machinetools. as well
as wood storage.
\a- , . -s \
<41d- *,:.
:6.d
|';:
;!2'
acknowledges."I could have plenty of room that isn't being Three-footdoubledoors con- it's elementaty,"Randy assures,
savedconsiderablemoney. But taken up by ducts and hoses." nect his shop with the garage with a laugh.
Arliss saidit wasmoreeconomi- A 3-hp Penn Statefour-bagunit and sit directly at the side of the Randy underestimates his ac-
cal to buy a quality tool I wanted commandsthe system. tablesaw,so he can easilybring complishments, which includea
to end up with than to continu- Another areawhere he didn't in long stock and remove fin- bedroomsetfor his high-school-
ally upgrade." skimp was electricity. Randy ished pieces. Randy built a agedaughter,Brooke, as well as
Randy also has two shapers, had 200-amp service installed, downdraft sanding/outfeedtable numerouskitchencabinets.(See
3-hp and lVz-hp models; four assuring that his tools would (seepage 62) that expandshis page 63) "Learning to build
sanders;and two lathes, even have plenty of current without worksurface's size and useful- cabinets was an education." he
thoughhe doesn'tturn much. "I him worrying aboutoverloading. nessand easesdustcollection. says."For example,I learnedto
just turn the simple things, and He plugs each of the suspended add an extra t/q"so the cabinets
only when I haveto," he says. fluorescentsinto dedicated120- Pncticalitv fit correctly.I learnedthe impor-
volt circuits. andhappehstance tanceof machiningmy rails and
Power
tospare Those fluorescents comple- While mostattributesof his shop stilescorrectly,and to be careful
However. it would be hard to ment the ample natural light were carefully planned and in cuttingjoints-%" or tA6"can
maintain that his in-floor dust- from two 4' windows along the designed, others came about meanthe differencebetweenfit-
collectionsystemis anythingbut 42' eastwall. "When I wired the by happenstance.For example, ting or not fitting."
practical. Randy took several shop,I figured that if a light fix- one of his hangingclamp racks Randylearnedwell. His cabi-
monthsto plan it. "That was the ture wentbad,I couldjust unplug (seepage 60) startedout purely nets, and other well-crafted
first thing I did when I decided itandplugin anewone,"explains as a shelf to hold a television. efforts,aswell ashis entireshop,
to build theshop,"he says."Look Randy, who keeps a few spares The clamps simply grip the are monuments to his good
around and you'll see there's on handfor emergencies. shelf'sfiont rail. "If I've doneit. friend and mentor.
woodmogozine.com 59
o
sffi#hk
As with many of his woodworking
exploits, Randy Zimmerman
would see what his more
experiencedfriends did and
copy them. Randy uses this
workbench, based on a friend's
design, mostly for clamp-ups.
The three vises and three rows
of bench-dog holes aid in the
process.The box-jointed shelves
are handy for storage and tie
into the legs for rock-solid
construction.
-T
i
I
Every now and then, the best-laid plans of woodworkers take a backseat to luck.
Randy built this corner shelf for his portable W. Then he found out that his clamps
could simply clamp onto the front rail and support cleats! "l didn't build anything
unusual into this," Randy reports, sheepishly.
Magnetic
catch
Switchmount
L
2" 1I
I 15"
Pianohinge
woodmogozine.com
61
I
o
tre*ffiMiM
Another project Randy made before there was a commercial equivalentis this
3lzx2'downdraft table, attached to his tablesaw that occupies the center of his
shop. Made of 3/e"MDF with a perforated-hardboardtop, the downdraft table is
designed so Randy doesn't need to move around much when he sands. Inside
the table, an old furnace fan sucks the dust through the Vz"holes drilled into the
perforated hardboard,through a stack of filters, then exhausts clean air out the
bottom. Randy added an electrical outlet to plug in his random-orbit and belt
sanders,which stow in simply built plywood shelves.
FI ad and son anended school rabbets to serve an essential func- (above),being sure to follow Arliss'
I ftogether. A very exclusive tion.' And he'd check our work, instructions. Cabinets and a bed-
- woodworking school, run always making suggestions as to room suite forhis daughter,Brooke,
by a very exclusiveteacher. how we could improve it." For were amongthe firstprojects Randy
"Arliss Boothe loved to give example, if someonedidn t have a constructed when he started wood-
classes," Randy Zimmerman re- router, Arliss would demonstrate working sevenyears ago.
membersof the informal but intense how to cut rabbets on the tablesaw. Arliss and Randy's father passed
weekly sessions the retired Iowa "He was always going out of his away within several weeks of each
state trooper conducted for his way to make his students better other. Randy remembers both of
friends and neighbors until he woodworkers," Randy recalls. themthroughhis love of woodwork-
passedon in the fall of 2007. "My Between his hours at the nearby ing and by following their advice.
dad [Laverne] and I both usedto go. Air National Guard base,where he 'Anytime I try something new," he
Arliss would give homeworkassign- runs the paint shop, Randy con- says, "I always think how both of
ments, like 'Build a mirror and use structedhis home'skitchen cabinets them encouragedme to learn."
woodmogozine.com 63
3 N
constrained,"he says.Kits with
This
tostartsomewhere.
Weallhave young didate in education at Illinois
StateUniversityin Normal, Illi- 2x4 framing appealedto Matt.
nois.One day,that all changed. "You can cut scrap2x4s and cre-
proves
woodworker youdontneedalotofspace Shortly after Matt and his ate shelves,"he says. He also
wife, Kerri, movedto Illinois to wanteda sturdy shelf to keephis
toequip shop-justsome
afunctional ingenuity. pursuetheir degrees,FredLively lathe workstation stable."When
passedaway and left his wood- you're turning," Matt explains,
etweendesigningspace- working tools to Matt. "He had a "there's a lot of vibration, so a
craft systemsfor NASA, garagefull of stuff," Matt relates. rock-solidsupportis essential."
Matt Fuller's uncle.Fred "I didn't know what half of it Matt, his brother-in-law,Eric
Lively, was heavily into wood- was-I still don't."What he also Adams, his father-in-law,Rick
working. Matt was sort of into didn't know waswherehe'dkeep Adams, and a neighbor con-
the craft, but nowhere near the it; could he afford to build a shop structedthe 8x12' shed.After it
dedicationof his uncle. like Uncle Fred's? Also, Kerri went up, Matt painted the in-
"When I was growing up in wanted their garageto park the terior walls white.
Texas,the only thing I had wasa car during the Midwestwinters. "If I sawwhite space,that was
tablesaw-that's all I ever So Matt soughtout a shedkit empty space,"he says, "and I
needed," says Matt, a college thatcombinedsizeandeconomy. needed to put something else
administratorand doctoralcan- "Even then. I knew I would be there." Then he fisured out
Developing
workarounds
He acknowledgesthat rip spaceisn't
so great, but he developeda work-
which of his machineswas the around."When I wantto rip a board,
longest (the lathe) and situated I just swing the tablesawinto the
that first; then the next longest doorway,and I can rip stockstraight
(the tablesaw),and so on until out of the shed."Powercomesfrom
everytool was set.Exceptfor the two dedicated1l0-voltcircuits,each
lathe,eachtool rideson casters. with four receptacles.Matt didn't
extendthe house's220-voltservice
Adequate
room to his shed."The lightsmightflicker
Next. Matt tried where he could when I turn the lathe on," he con-
to make tables the sameheight. cedes, "but I have never blown a
Amazingly,he can rip and plane circuit and I haven't pushed the
piecesup to 5' long inside the limit. That would be unsafe."
spacewithout hitting up against Matt's shop is like a bumblebee,
anything. "If I want to work on which, aerodynamically, can't fly
longerpieces,I haveto pull stuff but does. "It works for me," Matt
out of the shed," he acknowl- says."I actually work inside there
edges."But the only largetoolsI whenit's raining."All becauseMatt
have to roll out are the tablesaw carefullycalculated,like his wood-
and the planer." worker uncle,the rocket scientist.
woodmogozine.com 65
t
s##k
Matt's jointer came with casters. "But the wheels were old-school
steel wheels," he relates."Lugging that thing across the shop and
down a ramp and into the dirt got realtedious." So he fashioned
an l-shaped mobile platform out of 2x4s that not only makes the
tool easier to move but also elevates the worksurface to the same
height as his tablesaw. Cross braces on the jointer stand work well to
support his 12" portable planer.Lap joints make the platform sturdy:
Locking casters mounted to the bottom of the platform allow Matt to
keep the unit from moving around when he's ready to joint stock.
thefloorplan
Shelvingfor jigs and tools
S h e l v i n fgo r '
jigsand tools
prcfile
woodworlarS
att Fuller walked into his dorm room on his
first day at TexasA&M Universityto seehis
roommate, Ben Smith, constructing a loft.
Their sharedinterestin woodworkinglater resultedin
the rustic-stylekitchenchairs(far right) the pair created
in the shopof Ben'sgrandfather.
Matt hadbuilt a few simplethingswith his father."But
my uncle was really into it. He built bedposts,boxes,
chests,and tables,"Matt recalls. "I regret that I never From a tiny shop, Matt Fuller
worked with him on woodworking."Nevertheless,his created the mesquite-and-pecan
unclebequeathed his entire shopto Matt, who movedto cutting board (tar right). He cut .\'t
rfi.tAi
Illinois with his wife of two years,Kerri. the star on his bandsaw,helped by a sledlike i
Betweenclasswork and teachingassignments, Matt taper jig and a 360' protractor.In a square3/" ,$,FU
strives to be worthy of his uncle'sinheritance."I ask
aroundand readup on a lot of things,"he says."But I'm
piece, he routed a groove, and fitted it with a
correspondingpiece of pecan.Angled pieces *t
definedthe pattern."l planeda few high spots,
nevergoing to be as good as he was.I just hopethat one
sandedthe whole thing, and finishedit with
day I know how to useall the toolshe gaveme." butcher block oil," Matt relates.The cedar chair
(above rightl is from a set Matt and a roommate
Photographs:Jackie Haggefi, Studio J. Photography made in collegeto go with a kitchentable.
woodmogozine.com
67
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Larry knew
Schwager thatasarookie
woodworker,hedidn'tneed alotof
r00mfortonsoffancy,expensive tools.
Healsoknewhecouldn't them!
afford
Withpracticality,
mixed withaliberal
amountoftrialanderror, hebuilta
shop andbudget.
thatsuitshisabilities
notbadfora
he six machinessittingin townof Jerome,Idaho, just south plentyof room for Larry to build
Larry Schwager'sgarage of thefamedSunValleyski area. the benches,cabinets,and other
for six years told him He found himself with a lot of smallpieceshe constructs.
he should do somethingabout time on his hands,and his wife
fulfilling his desireto get into wanted her garage back. "She andplanning
Walking
woodworking. told me in no uncertaintermsto For his first stepin planningthe
"Everything was either in get that stuff out of there,"Larry shop,Larry took a tapemeasure
boxes or just sitting there-a recallswith a laugh."I figuredit and walked aroundhis attached
scrollsaw tablesaw, bandsaw, wastime to build a shop." garagq which also measured
the whole works were in the Larry finished the shop that 24x24'. Then he draggedtools
garage," recalls Larry, 63. "I fall and happily spentthe winter aroundand placedthem in vari-
wantedto do woodworkingone holedup inside.An earliercareer ouspositions."I sawhow all the
day, but I just didn't have the as a draftsman working for a tools could fit comfortably into
room for it." lumberyardservedhim well in that space,"he says."It seemed
In 2006, however, Larry planni ng the24x24'shop,housed that was going to be very ade-
retired as a police officer in the in a prefab structure. There's quate, since I probablywasn't
68 Americo'sBestHomeWorkshops 2008
TYPE:Metal-sidedCleary-
brandprefabricated
building.
S IZE : 24x24', 576sq f t .
CONSTRUCTION: Metal
exteriorreinforced
with2x6
woodframing,2x4 walls,
plywoodinteriorwalls,as
shownbelow.
H E A TIN G
: C eiling- m ount ed,
externallyventedCayenne-
l brandpropaneheater.
-En
I E LE C TR IC A L:
60- am p
r-t
j- servicepanelfor sixteen
ta 120-voltoutlets,fouron
I]
trtr eachwall,withthree
trj
t
Neverhavinglaid out a woodworkingshop breakersfor eachwall.
I before,Larry reliedon a few principleshe
had read up on. For example,"l knew I had LIGHTING: Twelve4'-long
M
'.-__%
to get enoughspace away from the wall,"
he says.Trialand error helped.
dual-tubefluorescent
f ixtures.
D U S TC OLLECTI O N:
Gri zzl yportab le1- hpdust
f: -ll--e,- collector;also2t/z"tube vac
it LarrySchwagersituatedhis shop insidea systemhookedto 6-hp shop
I prefabricatedmetal-sidedbuilding.lnsidethe vacuum.
exteriorsiding,Larry installed1Va"vinyl-face
A IR C OMP R ESSO R:
insufationand left a 2" air space. Between
CraftsmanZ-hp,33-gallon
2x4 framing,he added 3yz"R-15 insulation.
uni t.
The interiorwalls of his shop are 8'-high
exterior plywood. The arrangementmakes for
better heat reteritionthat keeps out the chill
of ldaho winter ski-countryweather.
1t/e"vinylface insulation
Metal sidingfor
the walls and roof
provideda good 2x4Iraming Exterior
metalwall
choice for Larry'sshop
because it's affordable 5/e"
T1-11
and withstands exterior
weatherwell. plywood
siding 2" air space
Interiorof
shop
Fiberglass
insulation
between
2x4 traming
woodmogozine.com
69
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A ceiling with exposed trusses
allowed Larry to hang his air
going to build huge projects." ing in a lumberyard,I did esti- system of 2t/2" clear pipe and filtration and gas heating units
Still, the novice woodworker matesfor building homes,but I hose. He also uses a portable out of the way but in effective
proceededwith caution. had been away from it for a dust collector for his tablesaw locations.The 9' of space
"I positionedthe tools using while, and it blew my mind to andjointer. under the rafters also enables
trial and error," he reports. "I see how much electrical had An electrical contractor Larry to stand up tall boards,
had a good idea of where the goneup. I knew concretewould installed a dedicated 60-amp if the need arises.For visual
tablesawhad to go-near the costmorethan otherflooring." panel that allowed Larry four appeal, Larry ran 8"-wide
middle of the floor. But I really However,he stayedwith con- 120-voltoutletson eachwall. "I cedar fencing board all the
way around the interior above
experimentedwith positioning creteratherthanopt for plywood wanted enough outlets so I
the plywood.
the rest of the tools. I neededto becauseof the frost heavescom- wouldn't have cords laying all
seehow far from or closeto the mon to the region. His garage over the floor," he says.He also
wall I could get them." also had fared well with a con- learned from a mistake: He
He also made severalrealiza- cretefloor. The prospectof frost didn't have an electrical panel
tions about building a shop. heavesalso argued against in- big enoughfor 220-voltservice.
"T\^rothings that surprisedme floor dustcollection.Instead,he "One thing I would recommend
were the cost of concreteand settledon a centralshopvacuum is that when you're building a
electricalwork," he says."Work- attachedto most tools with a shop,the first thing you needis
Ceiling-hung
air{iltrationsystem
OscillatingbelV
spindlesander
woodmogozine.com
71
r
a +r- e '
a lt.
+l
to determinethe size of the shop "Exterior plywood used in- tool might be too close to the enjoy his woodworking retreat!
and have an electrical panel big doors might strike someoneas wall. I'm glad she asked me to He chuckleswhen he recalls the
enoughfor what you're going to unusual,"Larry says."But I like make that!" time he had breakfast; told his
do," he says,ruefully. the unbleachedlook of the wood, He also learnedanothervalu- wife, Carma,he wasgoing to the
He is also satisfied with his and the panelsare sturdyenough able lesson: Take your time. shop for a few hours; and was
choice of the Cleary prefab to hold everything I attached." "When you rush things," he surprised when she popped in
structure. Besides saving him Shelvesandlumberracks,above, notes,"you make mistakes." demanding to know when he
about half the cost of erecting a hang within easyreach. Lany alsohasbegunto absorb was going to eat dinner. "I'd
similarly sizedframed structure, someof the subtletiesof enhanc- been in there for eight hours," he
he appreciates its versatility. and
Test-ddves ing a piece'sappearance.To fin- says,sheepishly.
"What makes it nice is that it's lessons
valuable ish his workbench, tool stands "It's all beenworth it," he says.
'Although my shop is small, it's
insulatedand you can leave [the Along the way to completion, and tables,he took a small blow-
building wallsl bare or finish Larry test-drove the shop by torch and applied it to the grain very well suited to my wood-
them off on the inside." crafting projects.The on-the-job patterns in the wood, making working ability-a beginner.I'll
'Around them go darker. (See the bench spend summers outdoors, but I
Above the plywood, decora- training was valuable.
tive cedar fencing boards, Christmastime,I stoppedarrang- onpage74.)It'swon him consid- can't wait till winter comes
attachedvertically, ring the shop ing the shoplong enoughto build erablecompliments. aroundagain!" After his second
perimeter.Larry woodburnedor a doll's high chair for my grand- The shop experience hasn't winter in his new woodworking
scrollsaweddecorative patterns daughter,Ali," he says. "From been the smoothest ride for haven, Larry Schwager knows
into someof them. that project I learned that one Larry, but he's sure learned to he'sdonethe right things.
.*"tirr*l.+_
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woodmogozine.com
73
I
o
p$edsandidea
Routers kick up a lot of chips, so Larry
made a cabinet that collects them for
easy disposal.He accomplishedthis
by expandinga small benchtoprouter
table into a floor-standing model and
enlargingthe top with a skirt of MDF.
The removablefence he created
allows the portable dust collector's
4" hose to attach at the reaf out of
the way.
Photographs:
Mike LloydParisStudiosPhotography
woodmogozine.com
75
.:r
;-{xr,:
TYPE:Wood-frame
outbui l di ng.
S IZE :16x36'57
, 6sq f t .
C ON S TR U C TI O N:
Concrete-impregnated
The Southardfamily shop takes hardboardexteriorwalls,
on a long, lean look, yet it has dryw al il nsi de;1 0'high
ample space to house both men's c e i l i n gd; o u b l e - h u n g
tools. Each contributedto the windows.
shop before it went up. David
had built the long workbench H E A TIN GA N D CO O LI NG :
alongthe left wallto use in his Heatpumpprovidesheat
constructionprojectsas a civil and ai r-condi t ioning;
t wo
engineer.Waynewas more of cei l i ngfans.
the woodworker.Now they've
collaboratedon a numberof
E LE C TR IC A L:
200- am p
furniturepieces. service,accommodating
120-and 240-volt
receptacles on everywall.
LIGH TIN G:Tw elvedual-
bulbenergy-efficient
u fluorescents.
D U S TC OLLE CTI O N:
Shopvacuumconnectedto
machi nesas ne eded.
AIRCOMPRESSOR:
25-gallon Sears
St/z-hp,
lT-_*.
Craftsman.
woodmogozine.com
77
H /
Cleat rail
Waynepositionedthe main
workbenchnear two double- former shop, which consistedofforming the concrete floor and
hungwindows,which let in footings and doing the drywall-
two adjoining rectangularrooms.
plenty of naturallight and can That made moving long lengths ing, they provided the rest of the
be openedfor cooling.The labor, which included construct-
of wood more difficult.
three wall cabinetshang on a
ing the frame, and the exterior
Wayne admits the width of the
cleat rail that runs aroundthe
new shop is far from ideal. siding of concrete-impregnated
perimeter,allowingcabinets
to be moved,removed,or "I would have liked to make a hardboard.
added as needed. bigger building," he acknowl- The Southards epoxied the
edges, "but the building codesfloor to seal the concrete, reduce
wouldn't allow anything biggerconcrete dust, and help keep the
in the desired location. If wefloor clean. It took an entire day:
wanted more width. we couldn'tfirst washing the floor with
have located the shop where itmuratic acid twice, using a brush
and pressure washer; then thor-
is." Plus, they would have had to
take down a rather large tree,oughly rinsing the floor and
adding to the cost. drying it with fans for several
hours; and finally rolling the
in:friends,
Pitchinq epoxy on in 6x6' sections and
andfamily
neighb6rs, sprinkling on the flakes while
David,Wayne,and his stepsons, the sectionswere still wet.
grandchildren,andfriendsbegan A 200-amp box powers every-
work on the frame structurein thing. But the Southards added
March 2006 andfinishedup the 30-amp and 50-amp circuits that
fbllowing February.Except for await a dust-collection cyclone
7B Americo'sBestHomeWorkshops 2008
thefloorphn
Installing10'-high
ceilingsallowedfor
tall garage doors;
togethe4 they more
woodmogozine.com 79
C l e a t rail
-f
ra.
fu-
ABOVE:Ample outletsat two
levelsalong each wall allow for
flexibilityin connectingtoolsto
power sources.Mobile bases
and casterskeep these tools and
stands podable.
RIGHT:The Southardscentered
their tablesawside-to-sidein
the shop, nearthe sheet-goods
rack. For long stock,
the adjustable-heightbench
providesan extended
,*L 'ry*l.ll
utv
ShowcaseY0uR
Workshop
Seepage127for details.
woodmogozine.com
81
ptopctsardlde o
Wayne and David fashioned a cleat-rail system for their shop that
supports clamp racks and cabinets. Clamp racks at the rear of
the shop are simple 3/c"plywood uprights screwed to horizontal
2x4s. Each clamp rack hangs on the cleat railthat runs around
every wall. No hardware is needed to hold the cabinets on the
rails; a beveled edge on the rail accommodates a mating beveled
cleat. To learn more about how to build this cleat system, visit
woodrnagerzine"c o m/c Ieatsystetn.
Besidesholdingclamp racks
(top,left), the cleat system
also supports a dozen 18x30"
speciallybuilt birch plywood
cabinets (above).
a;
prufile
woodrruorkert
ayne Southardhas been into woodworkingonly
for about eight years,but he's learnedquickly.
"I've graduatedfrom the basics and into the
Three generations
advancedelectives,"he jokes. For example,he's paying
of Southards helped
closeattentionto the little tricks that help work get done fashionthis computer
more efficiently. desk. Wayne and
"The biggestthing I learned,"Waynesays,"is that when son David admire
you'recutting out pieces,make sureyou label them so you their handiworkwith
know what they are.That might soundvery elementaryin David's9-year-oldson,
retrospect,but you'd be amazedhow long it takesyou to Brandon.
realizeit's a little thing that makesa big difference."
Once Wayneand his son, David, got their shop up and
runningon David'sproperty,fatherand sonpumpedout the
shop wall cabinets,sheet-goodsrack, and clamp racks.
Then,Waynebeganwork on an entertainmentcenterwhile
David startedon the computerdeskat right.
GrandsonsBrandon,9, and Tyler, 13, helped sand the
shopwall cabinets-their first experiencewith powertools.
"They like learning about woodworkingfrom Grandpa,"
Waynesays,proudly.
Photographs:Bert Vanderveen,Vanderveen Photography
woodmogozine.com 83
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aa ome woodworkers sPend says."It's my office-I comeout
Besides functional,
completely
being \ so much time in their to work for eight hours,and then
J shops,they joke that they I go home.Also, I live out in the
Hahn's
Brian inwooded
shop Wisconsin live in them. Brian Hahn actu- country,and if there'sa fire, theY
ally did-for five months while can't get to you real quick," he
ofhome.
hasallthecomforts And his home in Avoca, Wisconsin, quipped. "So if somethinghaP-
was being built. That's why he pensto one building, the other is
whynot? itwoshishome!
Forawhile, addeda finished plywood floor, a fallback."
z/qbath, eating area, sofa bed,
and so much more. Theshop first
comes
Oh, he works in the shoPtoo. Brian sayshe'd always planned
That's wherethe retired chemist, to harvest wood and use it to
59. turns and carves eclectic craft his turnings. So when he
bowls and lamps, and produces wasnearingretirement,hebegan
furniture from wood he harvests scouting property in rural Wis-
from his 73 acresof mostly for- consin, bought some in 1992,
ested property about 60 miles and settled there six years later.
west of Madison. "I built the Afterhe movedbacktohis native
shop to be inhabitable," Brian state from Delaware, Brian
TYPE: Wood-framed
outbui l di ng.
SIZE: 26x48',1,248sq ft.
CONSTRUCTION: 2x6
framedwalls,scissortrusses
?-f;{;i for extraceilingheight.
**e Tongue-and-groove wood
-::---- flooring,two layersof 3/+"
OSB toppedwith 3/+"
varnishedplywood;standard
engineered joistson 16"
centers,supportedmidspan
by a beam,in turnsupported
tl by postson footings.
H E A TIN GA N D CO O LI NG :
Ir, Forced-aircentralheating
and air-conditioning.
ELECTRICAL:200-amp
service,14 double-duplex
outletswithtwo independent
20-ampcircuitsin each;
plus four 20-amp24O-volt
circuits.
LIGHTING:PrimarilyT-8
ABOVE:In Brian Hahn'sshop, 32-wattdual-tubefixtures.
you'llfindamenities,such as
a finished plywood floor and
casement windows, that you l DUSTCOLLECTION:
Portableshopvacuum.
wouldn't find in most home JDS air filterhangingfrom
workshops.The window ceilingabovetablesaw.
behindthe cabinet has a
cherryflip-up hingedframe
with Lucite sheets that keeps
lathe-generatedflying objects LEFT:The unique movabletailstock
from striking the window of Brian's new Robust lathe tilts
glass.The sand-filledgrinder back for easy access to ends of
stand Brian designed (at left workpieces. Brian was concerned
in photo) stores fixed-angle that the plywood floor wasn't sturdy
tool rests for sharpening his enoughto handlethe 700-lbtool.
turning tools. He discovered "But except for being a little bouncy,
that a standard face shield it's fine," he reports. Turningtools
gives him bad eye strain and accessories hang nearby.On the
and headaches,so instead backing board that holds the lathe
he substituted the baseball chucks, Brian fastened the dowels
catcher's mask (while wearing perpendicularto make it easier to
safety glasses). slide the chucks on and off.
woodmogozine.com
85
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86 Americo'sBeslHomeWolkshops2008
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Lathe tool ra
Workbench
Workbench/outfeed
table
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wheel
t-.il Vise
Tablesaw
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woodmogozine.com
87
,4
ABOVE:A combination of movable and stationary shelves gives Brian the flexibility to change the
layout of his shop as his needs evolve. His workbench is near two windows for plenty of natural light.
cuits. "With all the circuits at 20 reasons."My old shopwasin the and a storagearea, he was left left him enough wall spacefor
amps, I can plug in anything basementwith a concretefloor." with a 25x28' spacefor his table- somesmallertools,but little else.
anywhere and not worry about he relates. "I decided that was saw, jointer, drill press, and Still, the windowsprovideplenty
blowing a breaker,"he says. the last suchfloor I wanted.This bandsaw,as well as two lathes of naturallight.
Brian alsodidn't skimp on the floor is worth all the hassle."The and multiple workbenches. Brian works with greenwood,
altitude-he's 6'2" tall, and polished surface can become From his earlier shop, Brian which is moisture-heavy,so the
"everything in the shopis scaled somewhat slippery, but Brian brought his oversizemain work- shop becomesvery humid and
for me," he says.He hasno trou- puts up with it becauseit's for- bench,a modification of a Euro- the windowsfog up in winter. He
ble reaching the tools hanging giving on tools that get dropped pean-stylecabinetmaker'sbench. insulated the windows on the
on rackshigh on the walls. onto it. "I'd rather the floor take "That was too small for what I inside with plastic wrap. "But
But the grabberis the polished the damageinsteadof the tool," was doing," he saysof one of his there's no way I can eliminate
floor. Over a 3/q"plywood surface he says.'Also, the floor is easier first big projects."So I widened that problem,"he notes.
glued on top of two layersof z/i' on my feet-it isn't cold. And it and lengthenedit and stiffened That minor headacheis well
OSB, Brian appliedfour coatsof was easy to run the plumbing up the top, using hard maple." worth the trade-off for Brian,
McCloskeyGymSeal,which is a and wiring underneath." The top also disassemblesfrom who has created a workspace
tung-oil-basedfloor varnish. When Brian got done carving the legsfor easyrepair. that's his own retreat."It makes
out space for the z/qbathroom The 3x8'benchis perpendicu- up for when I workedin an office
Afloorforallseasons ("It's a real treatto not haveto go lar to a wall out of necessity. and had to walk to the end of the
The floor might strike some as 100 feet outside to my home to When Brian installedtwo case- hall to see outside," he says.
extravagant,but Brian has his usethe facilitiesin the winter!") ment windows on each wall. it Thosedaysare gone.
p*-i-;r:;
ri
ss
If I hadto doit alloveragain...
"l'daddadust-collection
system;
it wouldhave
tobeoutoftheway.Butaside
from
some minordetails
andmaybesome moredouble-duplex
outlets,
l'mhappy."
woodmogozine.com
89
r*k
Brian turned these projects for monthly challenge
competitions conducted by the woodturners club in
Madisoh, Wisconsin.The natural-edgecherry-burl bowl,
atnear left, comes flom a damaged cherry tree on Brian's
acreage, the first wood he harvested from his property. He
turned the lamp from a chunk of curly maple. The "see-
through" egg at far left uses maple for the outside and
yellowheart for the inside. Scrap OSB from rim joists of
Brian's house supplied the material for the platter.
(ll
Derived from a Swedish postwar
design, this cabinet Brian made in
1984 features adjustable pull-out
shelving and plenty of drawers to
hold his files, chisels, bits, and other
hand tools and accessories.
-\
l
.,
"--*J---
314"
woodmogozine.com
91
m
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il
apartments
Ittookseveral andonebasement
forSamuel toputtogether
Daigle theshop
hewanted.ButnowforthisFrench-Canadian,
gismognifique!
everythin
lsltsownrewad ing, he bought a portable table- going to do more and more, but
ike many woodworkers,
SamuelDaigle discovered sawthat he would haul out to the still wasn't sure of exactly what
his love of the craft from balcony of whatever apartment tools I'd haveto get."
his grandfather.Much later, the he lived in. "I'm guessing the
emergency-room doctor relied neighborsdidn't carefor that too proiect
Aone-year
on his patienceto constructjust much," he says. Preparation for outfitting his
the shophe wanted. When Samandhis wife, Julie, new shopspacebeganin earnest
"At first I got into woodcarv- bought their home in 2001, he in 2004. For six months, Sam
ing," recallsSam,who lives in a finished the basementto accom- read a considerableamount,and
baysidetown in New Brunswick modatea shop."Butby thattime looked aroundthe Internetto see
in the CanadianMaritime Prov- I was doing more and more what other woodworkers were
inces."I didn't needmorethan a woodworking,and I startedseri- doing. After formulating his
few tools for carving." When he ously thinking about what I diagnosis,he was ready to Pro-
started doing more woodwork- needed,"he says."I knew I was ceed with the treatment, which
TYPE:Outbuildingattached
by a breezeway.
SIZE:Shoparea
676 sq ft.
C ON S TR U C TI O N:
2x6
framingfor wallsand roof;
layereddrywalland OSB
walls;faux hardwood
laminatefloor.
HEATING:Electricwall
heatingunits,plusheating
fan in loft.
C OOLIN G:One window
air conditioner;
otherwise,
naturalcooling.
ELECTRICAL:Dedicated
100-ampbox, including220-
volt receptaclesfor every
stationarymachine.
LIGHTING:Two rowsof five
dual-tubef Iuorescents;
scatteredtask lights.
D U S TC OLLE CTI O N:
3- hp
cyclonelocatedin bathroom
off mainshop;8"-to-6"-to-4"
ductworkrunsthrough
spacebelowshop.
A IR C OMP R ESSO R:
Locatedin workbench,for
ai r nai l er.
woodmogozine.com 93
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ffi",F,ff=::T
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94 Americo'sBestHomeWorkshops 2008
lf I hadto doit alloveragain...
;tq ;
"lwould designawider tothegarage
entrance
tomake
andaddaboutafootofwidthtothebathroom
thedust-collection easier
basket toempty."
ABOVE:Lookingeast
through two sets of
triple-panel,double-paned
windows,Sam can admirethe
view of the Bay of Chaleur,
steps away from his shop.
tr
RIGHT BecauseSam does
some stone carving(see
page 981,he constructed a
downdraft booth (far left in
photo)with clear acrylicwalls
to keep the dust out of the
shop. Placinghis bandsaw
in front of a window blocks
his view a little,but it was the
best spot to give him ample
rip space and good lighting.
:_l
Fi
fr#.r
b
F*:
l:qg$ *
1, o
ABOVE:The compact turning center illustrateshow
Sam placed a layer of pressed wood behind the drywall
throughoutthe shop so he could hang accessories
whereverhe neededthem. "l knew I was going to hang
a lot of stuff, and I didn't want to always look for studs,"
Sam explains."That extra layeralso helps in keepingthe
noisedown."
woodmogozine.com 95
26'
Cyclone
dust
collector
v
. Tablesaw
tablesaw
alignswith jointerbed
m
tril:il|
GARAGE E]
Withlumberstorageabove Planer
workbench Air
'-:
-:Fr cerrrng-nung
F_--kj air-fittratiSnsys-tem
A few steps up from his small garage,the main work space allowed Sam to permanentlyposition
his machines in such a way that there's space to move among them without any tool getting in
the way of any other. Adding a bathroom created a space to install his dust collector. Digging a 6'
crawl space below the shop gave Sam ample room to run ductwork and electrical wiring.
woodmogozine.com 97
prcfectsandid o
98 Americo'sBestHomeWorkshops 2008
When he moved into his new
shop, Sam had a considerable
amount of leftover oak, so he
used it, along with leftover ash,
to build his versatileworkbench.
Oak isnit the hardest material
for a benchtop and it does
dent a little, admits Sam, who
combined two 1S"-wide planks
for the worksurface. But he had
it around, so that's what he used.
Sam used the interior space
to install an air compressor for
his pneumatic nailer.Oak-front
drawers on one end hold his
router tools and accessories as
well as finishing materials.
woodmogozine.com
99
'J
!
{;,"
:i::l:::fiw
'l: ?.-lj:{:,?i
ffi*.,i': l3',,'dqwF;':rgt
ili':*l'46f,;:ii:il
ffi*tEr
*
i; e;r
;fl ,...\.
:+:. TYPE: Prefabricated
.,$#,
outbuilding.
,.
SfZE: 12x32'(384sq ft),
plus 4'overhangto act as
a porch.
CONSTRUCTION:Wood
framewith plywood
sidingand floor;shingled
roof;steelservicedoor;
s/e"drywallfor ceiling,'/2"
for wallswith R-19
-l' 'r, i,_q
- \d
*+rl insulation.
j' -rii'
i" -i.":-
HEATING=220-volt
ABOVE LEFT:Gustomized(and colorful)tool holders ABOVE:Numerousstyles and electricheater
and cabinetry line this entire corner of the shop. Each brands of clamps each tout a suspendedfromceiling.
tool has a specific place to call home. Abundant customized rack next to Leland's
overhead light fixtures keep shadows at bay. workbench. ELECTRICAL:12O-volt
outleton almostevery
stud,plus 10 boxesin the
ceilingfor lights.
melamine-coated particleboard Every tool or set of tools has Leland dismissed perforated LIGHTING:Eight4'
with rabbeted hardwood cleats a custom-built rack. "I'd seen a hardboard out of hand as not doublefluorescent
attachedhorizontally.(Seeillus- bunch of my friends get into looking good. So he just sat fixturesalongcenter;one
abovedrill press;one off
tration, page 105.) They hold trouble wheneverthey wantedto down and startedthinking about to the side of worktable;
Leland's vast collection of hand add or remove something from the way he d hungcabinetsinside and threefixturesabove
tools, clamps, and other items. their walls," he says."They al- the house,using notchedcleats. workbencharea.
For hangers, Leland used W' wayshad to dismantlea frame or "I knew it would work," he says,
MDF. If an item is too heavy for hanger.I didn't want to have to confidently."It wasjust a matter DUSTCOLLECTION:
one hanger,he attachesa second 16-gallonshopvacuum.
removeanything." of getting the dimensionsright."
hanger to the bottom at the Also, Leland's youngest son To achievethe snug shapeof
appropriatedistance. has shown a huge interest in eachtool on eachholder.he laid
woodworking;somedayhe'll use the tool down on wood and very
Custom-built all the tools in his own shop. carefully traced around it, cut it
Leland built the panels so he "I'd like to just take everything out, and cut the back, allowing a
could easily remove and off the walls and haveit be his." pencil-width border. "When I
reposition what's hung on them. Leland savs. positioned the front and back
woodmogozine.com 101
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'l'hc
collector.
foradust .hop. c \ t c r i ( ) r 'p t u ' p l c c t t t t - S L r s u r r n cS. h c t l i t ' c c t c r lt h c s l t o l - r ' s c c n l c r c r l u l t t n u t h c u l t l l l l e i r l g
tnr\t\ stut'l.,lri ith thc n itttlori I o o l i l t t r l l c c l . " l - i . t s\t c l t l ' t t t r r i i l c t h c l l t e l . o l ' t h c h t t t t s c .l t t t c ll t J x ( r '
putinan
Second, ei r r i n gu n r lt h c r l o t t tc' l t s i r t gI .: rc t t l n c l I t i c t ' c t t ' r i n g t t i t l c c i c l cr i l l l t t t l t r t l t ' t h l t t\ ' , c l l t ( ) l l t h c r i c s t c l t t l 0 l
o n el o u t l i c s t r l u rs . t h c i n t c t ' i o r ' r i c c o L r l c lc l o r i i t l i o t t t ' b l t e l ' . t r . t t ' c l t h c b u i l t l i n g .
exhaust put
Third,
fan. t l l r z z l c ru r t l t b l i c h t r c l l t t r si l t t t t l ttl r n l l ' c i t n t t t t ' c c r t i t t ra [ l l c . "
el ri l i - p c p p c tt'' c r - l s . l - c l u n r l s l n s . " S l r c \ L l ! S C \ t c r ll l l t l Addinqawoodfloor
entrante
inanoutside \ \ c c ( ) n el ' c t c l t n u t l o t ' i t r t l l ' t h c forprdcticality,
comfort
Inlivingcolot r u r t l u n r l b L r r l t ll t s h t i 1 t . "I't t t l t s lnstcucl ol' i.t c()rtcl'ctc I'ltlot'"
tothestorage
area $ lrnlctl sOrtictltitig \ cl"\ ('hristnlrr in,\Ltgttst. [ - c l l L n t l eh o s c u t t t t t l . l t l r l t t t l
' r ' t S l t t " "[ - c l l r r t r ls l t r s . " l t l l l i t l \ c s l t Q r r i c l . , l r r t r l i t t t o L t tu l t o l c - t r l t c rcu\()ns. "l-hc l'irst \\ ll\ tll\
abovetheshopitself." S o o r l e( ) n tr i t s t l o r i l u t t I t i t t s b L r i l i l i n s ; . r st t n s t t i l i t b l el i r r t h c i r ' l',ncc\."Irc crplains. "llcitts ott
-l'hc
t k r i n g r n t h c s l t o l ' r .u t t t l i t r t c t t t rcsiclcntiltl ncighborlroorl. thcr e( ) n c r c l c l t l l c l l t r i s l r l . i l l c r ' .
o k r r r r \ i t h t h c e o l t l t ' so l ' t l t c t o t t l s t l c c i r l c c l o nl t I l x - l l ' p r c l i t b r i c l t c t l \cc()lr(l ri lrs lrcutirtc. \\ihcrt it"s
-l'hc
t o g c t h c t ' .t h l t t : ' l t r c I t t c n I t l t t t I i r i r s l - r L ri rn g . " sLr'r.rcturc. c o t r p l c l t t l c l c t lr l J e o l t l . r t l t l l ' i t . t 9t t n l t e o t t c r c t c l l t t o t '
ncctlcrl."lrc sln s. Cinrntcrl n r ( ) s t \ \ o ( ) t l r tt t t ' l i c t ' s orcrhurtg thltt luccs lltc ltltcl' ol i ' l i k e u l r l l ' i l t t t r t li r ' e .
'[-hirt l - c l u r t c lu c k l c t lu l o l ' t l i r r s t o l ' l t t c
I - c l u n r le h o s c t t t e t t t t t h i l t c i u ' c n ' l l t s c o l o t ' - c o r t s c i o t t sI .l t t t t t t l i t h c h o t . t s c a. c t i n t l t s r . tl t o r - e h.
'r' tlcel..ittg.
l'Lrnctiorr ri ith lirrnt rlocslt't l l l h u r c t h c l s s i s l i u t c co l ' u u i l L ' l - c l u n r l l t r l c l c r tl n o - l x - l ' c L t t - i l t s L r s i n gl l l x l 0 s u n c l
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s r r r ' 1 ' r r iisucr \ ( ) l t cr i l t o ' s r i : i t c r l l t i s n ilh ;.t k llte k lilr et l l t l t ' l l l i c lirr riintlon:. lt l(r tttltitt tlttttl' riallsturls u t ' c l + ' ( ) l te c l t l c t ' .
102 A m e r i c q ' s B e s tH o m e W o r k s h o p s 2 0 0 8
v<F
'-r-
t
t LEFT:Lelandconstructedthe
wall-mountedlumberstorageracks
froma designhesawinWOOD@
magazine'sWoodworking J igs,
-,;ltt'
HomemadeTools & ShopOrganizers.
tlre f fu r - - r #n rur r
i*#J'*r'"J *.
::,Tn'"",:il:,".::',
:::i;;ilT,:il'n:"'":'
andclampracks,toolholders,
andcabinets
F "J""::il:"fj,Hber
woodmogozine.com
103
e
tr€*s#Mink
PIPE.CLAMPSUPPORTS
#8 x1t/t"F.H.woodscrew..-___---r' lr>
)
7a"melamine-coated
particleboard
11/zx 3"
1"brad mounting
-l- cleats
---l 1/c'
ll
. ----l1/zu
7a"rabbets
e/q"deep
t/a" rabbets
t/a" deep
1 1/e'
Plasticlaminate
11/2"
#8 x 21/2"F
woodmogozine.com
105
To fashion his hand-tool holders,
Leland laid each toolon wood,
carefully traced around the
perimeter;and cut out a left-hand Tracedoutline Lengthto suit
and right-hand side for each tool.
The slightest amount of space keeps
them snug.
I
31/z'
t
)(*toth from t/2"to3/q"
dependingon thickness
of tool PLIERHOLDER
# 1 7x 1 " b r a d
Traced outline
of lockingplierhandles
3Y2"
t
th" rabbel
t/e"deep
HOLDER
LOCK]NG-PLIER
Tracedoutline
of wrenchhandle
HOLDER
ADJUSTABLE-WRENCH
shorter pieces. Having learnedthe hard way what happens when you t
don't attach uprights to studs, Leland now knows to carefully seek
them out before hanging anything bearing weight.
woodmogozine.com
107
One toolhereandonetool
there, andbefore heknewit,
thiswoodworker needed
a
workshop! Instead
ofadding
on,JeffTobert his
upgraded
unusually shapedqarage,
littlebylittle.
woodmogozine.com
109
&''
Thiswell-plannedcorner
combineshomes for Jeff's The vehicles wet'e parked at rnobile bases so he could store
mobile tablesaw/router an angle, so Jeff would be work- them ollt of the wo), either
cabinet,his mitersawtable,
ing with an irre-9ulararea. "l a-gainstthe wall or, in the caseof
and storagefor wood and
needed to decide where I'd have the tablesaw/routercabinet. un-
other materials.Jeff designed
the most rooffl to cut sheets.and derneaththe mitersaw table.
the tablesaw/routercabinetto
that was alon-9the longest axis," "My jointer and planer are on
store underneaththe mitersaw
table, maximizingthe use of he says. "Ripping doesn't take wheels,"Jeff says."My bandszrw
space.Jeff's dust-collection lhat nruchroorn.but crosscutting is also on wheels, even though it
cyclone,which he added is a pain in the butt. So I pro- stayswhere it is.
recently,is located high jected out front the wall how "I need tools, carts, and work-
and out of the way. The loft much room I'd need, and that benches that give maximum
providesadditionalstorage was where I put my tablesaw." function but store easily and eat
withouteatingup valuable up a small amount of storage
A knockdown worktable Jeff
floor space.
clesi-unedand bLrilt helped too. space," Jeff explains. "That's
(Seepuge II4.) why I put a router table in combi-
nation with rny tablesaw.I used
versatility
Wanted: to have independent rollter tables
Alon-e the lon-e wall, Jeff posi- with open bottoms, but I found
tioned his drill press. tnitersaw them noisy, and a lot of chips
table, and a workbench in what escaped out the bottom." The
he calls a hobby comer. He obvious solution was to enclose
rnounted most of his tools on the router in a cabinet.
s
S helves
K-
Cord and
storage
planer
tii utll
Tablesaw
.Jointer
(lnuse)
Benchtop
toolstorage
shelves
l
I
Belt-sandercabinet
and bladestorage
Bandsaw
Knock-down
worktable
(ln use)
Garbaoe
Vacuum
Spindle
O
I
16'
sander
t-:--.l
t5i3i""JrEX
I
I Storageloft S'nk
Jointer I Cyclonedust collector.
(Stored)
Drill I
press I Lumberrack Mobilelumbercart
ll
rl
Clamp
rack
ffiy Heater
rl
tl
ABOVE:The angled
walls and stepped
ceiling of Jeff's garage
were elements of the
structure's bungalow
design-not idealfor a
workshop. For sufficient
crosscutting room, Jeff
positionedhis mobile
tablesaw parallelto the
longest wall, where he
also situatedhis drill
press and mitersaw.
woodmogozine.com
111
utilities
Adding
The garagewas alreadyheated,
so Jeff didn't have to deal with
that issue.But he did have to
considerelectricity-there were
only basic receptaclesinstalled
in the ceiling along with three
otheroutlets.
A neighborwho is an electri-
cian installeda 50-ampbreaker
subpanel.It's wired for 220 volts
and includes several 20-amp
circuits. Cables feed through
existingconduit and a wall into
the main panel.
For a few years, Jeff's shop
lacked dust collection. "One
Christmas, though, I got a
presentof a portabledustcollec-
tor that connectsto my various
tools. But it was just too time-
consumingto hook up, unhook,
hook up, andunhook,"Jeff says.
So he installed a central duct-
work system and invested in a
3-hp remote-controlledcyclone
dust collector.
Jeff upgradedother tools ashe
went-a process he says he
proffiadkhm
Jeff wanted his tablesaw on #8 x 11/z'F.H.wood screw
a movable base, which he
constructed out of medium-density
fiberboard (MDR to which he
attached 4" locking swivel casters. Optionalopeningfor tablesaw
But the MDF alonecouldn't
support the weight of the 500-
pound tablesaw.The answer was
to construct a solid-wood subbase
that attaches beneath the MDF
platform. The tablesaw can rest
on the subbase because it
protrudes through a cutout in
the MDF platform.
#8 x 1s/q"F.H.wood screws
woodmogozine.com
113
%" Balticbirch This versatiletable with a
plywoodcovered removableworksurface allows
with laminate Jeff additional space to assemble
projectswhen alignedwith his
Table leaf levelers
outfeedtable. Continuoushinges
allow the rectangularsides and
folding end assembliesto collapse
for easy storage. The tabletoP
leaves each consist of two PlYwood
skins over lattice frames, covered
with plastic laminate."l can't do
heavyhand-planingon it," Jeff
says, "but it holds nice and secure,
keeps the base corners at 90o,and
leg levelersallow me to adjust the
heightto match the sloPeof mY
garage floor."
profi
Ie
woodrnror{tert
he woodworkingmagazinesJeff Tobert liked to read all empha-
sizedhow easytheir projectswereto build. So Jeff built them.
"Dad andI hadbeenmaking smallprojectsfor my daughterswith
a scrollsawand handtools,but I alsosubscribedto a bunchof magazines,
including WOOD@:'Jeffsays."So I startedbuilding the nightstandsand
bookshelvesthey featured.They really weren't hard. My woodworking
more or lesstook off from there." This quartersawnoak cabinet stores gloves, boots,
Jeff, who coacheshigh school football, has developeda coach'sgame and other winter gear.To match the grain pattern as
plan to most projects.First, he doesa scaledrawingof the project.If that much as possible on the legs, Jeff used a router-
doesn'tanswefall his questions,he builds a mock-upof the complicated table-mounted lock-miter bit. The four-part finish
elements,or eventhe entireproject,usingrough-gradeplywood.Then, if starts with aniline dye, followed by stain, coated
it looks good,he graduatesto constructingthe actualproject. with shellac,then sealed with polyurethane.
'At the end of the day, it's just a piece of
Mistakesdon't bother him.
wood," he says."You can alwaysstartagain." AlanHigh,WillowCreeklmaging
Photographs:
Roll-Around
ToolBase Gyclone
DustGollector Bench-Tool
System MobileSawing& MobileMitersawGenter
PlanDP-00061$6.95 PlanDP-00068
$10.95 PlanDP-00560
$6.95 RoutingGenter PlanDP-00098 $7.95
PlanDP-00271
$8.95
FiveGreat
Glamp Swivel-Topped
Tool MobileToolGabinet Full-Service
Workbench Full-Service
Workbench
0rganizers Cabinet PlanDP-00260
$7.95 Plan,Part1,DP-00058
$A.gS Lift-UpRouter
& ToolTable
PlanDP-00230
$6.95 PlanDP-00063
$8.95 Plan,Part2,DP-00059
$8.95
UniversalWall
Gabinet Space-Saving BenchtopRouterTable LumberStorageRack BasicWorkbench and
PlanDP-00140$8.95 WorkGenter PlanDP-00151$7.95 PlanDP-00135$7.95 6 Waysto Beefit Up
PlanDP-00168
$6.95 PlanDP-00456$7.95
Download
anyottheabove
woodworking plansforthepriceslisted,orhavehemmailed toyouforanadditional
di.ecfly $3per
plan(S+H).
Fordownloading
theplanyourself ortoviewa larger go
image, towoodmagazine.COm/planS
Cailtoll lree l-888-036-tt478 forpaper-ptan credir
cardorders.
Leave iodevise
itt0ourreaders ideas
clever thatmake more
theirworkshops more
efficient,
oiginized,orjustmore woodworkers
fun.Weasked allacross tosend
America
North ustheir
bestsuggestions. pages
Thefollowing teem withjigs,fences,tables, andother
racks, projects
cuthours
ttratwonttakelongtobuildbutcould offyournextwoodworkingjob.Thankstoall!
Fence
Rabbet-Cutting
fromBruce
Greenawald, Pa.
Schnecksville,
A H"r"'. a no-clampwayto add a sacrificialrabbet-cutting fenceto yoursaw'sregularfence.Bruce's
boxfencefits overhisT-square-style rip fence;whenthe MDFsidegetstrashed,he easilyreplacesit.
Thismodelis Bruce'ssecondstabat the boxfence,addingseveralimprovements alongthe way'An
aluminum T-tracktuckssnuglyintoa s/a"dadoVz"deepin the MDF,allowing him to tightenthe bolts
securing thefeatherboardto thesacrificial faceof the box."Thisprovidesmuchsmoothermovement
and better lockdown of the board
feather and otherattachments thanwithjustthe regularfence,"Bruce
explains.Thetwo handleson top helpwhen he moves thefence aroundtheshopfor storageor when
he setsit in placeoverthe regularfence.Onthesidefacingawayfromthecamera,two buift-inclamping
screws,madeusingbrassT-bolts,attachtheauxiliary boxfencesecurely to hisripfence.
woodmogozine.com
117
Vz" pipe
Rack
Clamp
Portable
fromDoug Red Minn.
Wing,
Dankers,
A t-it<emostwoodworkers, DougDankershasmanyclamps
andlittleroomto storethem.Hissolution:a portableclamprack
madefromscrap3/a" plywood.Dougestimatesit took himabout
fourhoursto constructthe rack,whichconsistsof a simplebox,
top,drawer,andthreadedironpipes.HiddencastersallowDoug
to wheelit whereverhe needs.Longclampsstanduprightin
a setof holesin thetop andwithinthe
top-to-bottom-aligned
cabinet.A plywooddrawerat the bottomholdssmallerclamps.
) Oougused%" pipeto hanghisspringclamps;onehorizontal
pipeholdsmorethana dozenclamps.Dougthreaded the pipes
together withteesand elbows,thenstuck the pipeends intotwo
holesin the plywoodbase.
(abineVExtension
Storage
Blade
Saw lable
from Dobbs,
Charles Mo.
Gladstone,
{ Cfrartes Dobbshadan abundance of sawblades
to store,but not an abundance of room.So fromscrap
redoakandmelamine-coated particleboardhedevised
this multidrawer storagecabinet,whichalsoservesas a
tablesawextension table."l didn'twantthe drawersreal
fancy,"he says,"buttheyhadto be sturdyenoughto hold
the blades."A lubricationof paraffinhelpsthedrawers
slidein andout.Half-inchdowels
screwedto the bottomsof the
2"-deepdrawersholdhisblades
in place.Hardboard spacers
betweenthe bladesprotectthe
carbideteeth.
Bits-and-Accessodes
WallCabinet
fromOrvHale, (alif.
Escondido,
{ Orv createdthis 32x24x8"
wallcabinetusingmelamine
shelvingmaterials.Dadoesin the
verticalsupportsmake it easy
to adjustthe spacingor add
additionalbit holdersas needed.
Lockinghingeskeep the cabinet
door open for easyaccess.
Tablesaw
Extension/Router
Table
l The22x48'tablesaw extensionin Orv'sshopalsodoublesas a
routertable,orv builta routerfencewitha vacuumportthatattaches
to thetablesawripfence.Thedrawerat leftfitsundertheendof the
worksurface andprovides accessory storage.
Finddozensof FREEprojectplansat
wootlnragazi
ne,conr/f
reeplans
woodmogozine.com
119
!
E - - - f l
$uilr'-
*tlil
rilililllnl ?
'-t'.
.a.,::
rR
[ . v
H r+*=,fl-t-;
I
I
:\
Unit
Chemicalstorage
West
fromKeithBetscher, ftester,0hio
paints,
) Keithneededa securecabinetto store his
finishes,solvents,and otherchemicalsand fluids.
He foundone when his family'suprightfreezerwas
damagedduringa move.Keithremovedthe powercord,
door light,thermostatcontrol,and two Freoncoils.To
the original18x21"wireshelves,he added plasticbins
made by Akro-Mils(800-253-2467, akro-mils.com). From
scrap plywood, Keith cut a bottom and dividersfor the
freezer'spull-outbasket.He sorted chemicalsand fluids
by type, labeledbins,and appliedsignsto the door to
identifythe freezer'snew use.The freezer'soriginallock
keepsout inquisitivechildren.Totalcost: around$70 for
10 plasticshelfbinsand safetysigns.
Table
Outfeed
Ind.
Winamac,
fromJerryJones,
{ Wfrena collapsingoutfeedtable resultedin a severe
saw-cut injury,Jerry realizedhe neededan outfeed
tablethat would remainsolidlyuprightand enablehim
to cut longerboardsand plywood panelssafely'His
4x3' outfeedtable bolts into placeon the tablesawrear-
fence rail.The top is 3/a"
particleboard;Jerry salvaged
agricultural disk bladesfor the bases.Lockingnuts,
part of the table-height-adjustment mechanism,keep
everythingin place.
Americo'sBeslHomeWorkshops 2008
120
WallCleat
System
fromDwayne
Ackerman,
Wadesville,Ind.
p DwayneAckermancustom-
designedtheseholdersso items
could hangon a wallcleatsystem
he'dseenin ldeaShop 5 in WOOD@
magazine.(Youcan buy the plansat
).
Th e cl e atr ailis 1x 3 pine ,w i thth e to p
Mating bevelcleat
edgebev el- r ipped at 45 ' to a l l o wa
matingbeveledcleatto slip over
it for a secureattachment.Rounded-
overedgesand a coat of clearfinish
giveeach holdera professional look. Cleat rail
-/
r
ii,l;ii
e
p+.' 1#
fi
lr
lt
il
ffrr
woodmogozine.com
121
--l
t'
{ {
Stand
Drill-Press/Mortiser
Portland,Ore.
Paris,
fromGreg
{ t-it<ethe mobileplanerstand below,Greg customized
this standfor his drillpressand hollow-chisel mortiserto
ensurethat his top-heavybenchtoptools would be stable,
whereverhe movedthem. Eachsupplydrawerfacesthe same
directionas the tool aboveit, so it's easyfor Greg to access
whateveraccessorieshe needs.For the base,Greg used the
metalcomponentsof a Delta 50-322Planerstand ($57from
toolmart.com, 800-735-8665) and shortenedthe legsto yield
the properoverallworkingheight.The unit moveseasilyon four
3" heavy-dutydouble-lockingswivelcastersfrom Woodcraft
($16 each, 800-225-1
153, woodcraft.com).
i
lvi
!
F-{
.l
*j*=:
Mobile Stand
Planet s
fromGreg Portland,Ore.
Paris,
--
) ft seemedto Greg that a benchtopplanerweighingmore Eil
than 90 lbs on top of a narrowmobilebase might topple if it ran
over a cord or wood Scrap.So he fashionedan enclosuresimilar
stand above.The only differenceis
to his drill-press/mortiser
that both drawerson this stand open in the same direction.
Gregreplacedthe MDFtop on this tool and his drillpressand
maple he bought at a local
mortiserwith a sectionof 11/2"-lhick
hardwoodsupplier.
proiectplansat:
Finddozensof FREE
. , r : i ' ! t E " i ' ,
. , i i r " ' l
0ftitalSander
Holder
fromJoel
Nowland,WestPoint,
Utah
{ Wnenyousetyourrandom-orbit sanderdown,
you'reforcedto waituntilthepadcomesto a complete
stopto keepit fromvibratingoff yourworkbench.Joel
doesa lotof sanding, whichrequires continuously
pickingup andsettingdownthe sander.Hewanted
a handyplaceto holdthe sanderwhileit powers
down.Thekeysareto angleand padthe armsthat
holdthe tool-Joel securedfoampipeinsulation with
tape-and to provideclearance
electrician's for the pad
to continueturningfreely.
woodmogozine.com
123
Table
Outfeed
Tablesaw
lowa
Leighton,
fromBillBruxvoort,
also fold
) eitfwanteda stableoutfeedtable that could
down when not in use.He constructeda squaretable
4'
with a top of 3/+"
white melamine-coatedparticleboard
edged with rubberT-molding,then installedhinges
betweenthe tablesaw'sback edge and outfeedtable'
The leg/railassemblyalsofolds in on hinges.
I
Y
I
'l lrack
Hoist
Neb.
fromStanHarder,0maha,
{ Most woodturnersvisitingStan Harder'sshop are
fascinatedwith the homemadehoisttrack abovehis lathe.
Initiallyintendedto help lift heavylogs onto the machine,Stan
now usesthe apparatus,made from an 8' pieceof angleiron
boltedto ceilingjoists (below),mostlyto movethe lathe's
tailstockout of the way with ease.The carriage(bottom)
consistsof bolts,moreangleiron,and four wheelsfrom in-line
skates.(Stanfinds used skatesat secondhandstores')The
hoistextendsfrom the headstockof the latheto just overthe
outfeedtable of Stan'stablesaw.When he doesn't use the
carriagefor extendedperiods,he storesit to keep it out of the
way and to preventthe wheelsfrom flatteningout.
Bolted to
ceiling joist
:-*
Dear Readers,
We're planning
already ournext
issue
ofAmerico3Best
HomeWorkshops!
We're
looking
forinteresting,
hardworking
shopsthatarewell-organized
andfullofproblem-sglving
ideas
such projects,
asstorage jigs,orother
special woodworking
solutions.
Seepage
127
tolearn
howtosubmit
your orjustyour
fullshop ideas.
woodmogozine.com
125
(art
Plywood
fromSammy Hargrove,Dallas,Texas
{ Sammyhadtoo manY
plywoodsheetstakinguPtoo
muchspacein hisshop.So he
createda portablePlYwood cart
that not onlymoveseasilYon
t
castersbut alsoletshimloadand
unloadsheetswithoutdifficultY,
- thanksto the rollersat each
I
I
end.Sammyusedpine2x4sto
createthe 76x31"frame,2x8sto
whichheattachedthecasters,
ands/c" blackpipeof various
heightsfor the uprights, sPaced
11"apartandanchoredintoPiPe
flanges.Forthe rollersat each
end,SammyturnedsixPieces
of woodto 11A" diameter, drilled
holesthrougheachcylinderand
inserted7+"steelrods.Thenhe
fed the rodsintoshortPieces
of /2" pipeat eachendand in
betweenthe rollers.Conduit
bracketoverthe Vz"PiPeholds
theassembly in place."l cantilt
a plywoodsheetup andget it on
the cart;everything storesneatlY
out of the way,"SammysaYS.
Hand-IoolBox
Neenah,
fromJeffFeuerstein, Wis.
) InJeff'stoolchest,everytool looksas though
it belongs.Hecut out a pieceof 1"-thickrigid-foam
insulationfor eachof the drawersof hisoffthe-shelftool
box,tracedthe outlinesof thetoolshewishedto storeon
eachpiece,and routedeachrecessintothe rigidfoam
witha 1/2"straightbit. Heavoidstoo snuga fit by routing
slightlyoutsidethe markedlines.
Sendyour submissionto:
America's Best Home Workshops
WOOD@Magazine
1716Locust St..LS-221
DesMoines, IA 50309-3023
woodmogozine.com
127