My workshop, one year after moving in...

[alan2001]

Hi folks,

After giving my workshop (garage) the best tidy up for ages, I thought I would mark the occasion by taking some photos.

So this is what it was like when we moved in - the only thing there was the worst workbench in the world - some planks nailed half-heartedly together and only supported at the extreme ends! Needless to say, it sagged a bit in the middle and shook all over the place when doing the slightest things.

Lovely brickie job by someone, eh? #-o

I've only really got into woodworking since I moved here - I kinda had to, cos the wife asked me to build her a birdbox for her wedding present. So I did, and made a reasonable job of it (by novice standards anyway #-o ), and then I was hooked. Getting the workshop organised has been a bit of an obsession over the past few months. So this is what it looks like now!

I've got the far half of the garage, the other half is all gardening and bikes and barbecue and my beloved motorbike. Unfortunately we are only renting the house, so any un-doable alterations aren't allowed.

The bench has been covered with some hardboard - what a difference for less than a tenner! No more nails & shavings & wood dust falling through the huge gaps, and it's got a level surface. I also fitted a central 'foot' and have screwed it to three places on the wall, so it's much more stable than it was. I think it could do with more though, the vice still chatters a bit when I'm doing anything rough on it. (If this was our place, I'd rip the whole thing out and install something proper!)

It's not usually this dust-free. Brushing dust off things is all I seem to do! I really must nick the Dyson more often.

This is the most recent addition - it's just a piece of MDF on a frame, purely to hide that monstrous job someone made of bricking up a window. These are pretty much all my favourite and most regularly used tools, and it's FANTASTIC being able to just reach out and they're there - it took me a long time to sort out that obvious problem. (hammer)

DAB radio and speakers are always on. Home made chisel and stationery racks. My Record No. 5 in pride of place! And my Stanley SB-4, I know you all want it. Sorry, but I've left it to jimi43 in my will.

--> my-first-plane-restoration-t52629-45.html :mrgreen:

(By the way, they *are* actually sitting on wee blocks of wood; they're not sitting on their blades )

Right hand side: Power tools, screws & nuts & bolts, abrasives and fluids

Left hand side: mostly non-woodworking tools. I'm very particular about having my spanners laid out nicely in size order. :twisted: You can also see my Record vice, with a smaller project vice fitted into it for small items and odd angles. I'm not sure if I can fit a large woodworking vice to the front of this bench, what do you guys think?

I've also fitted two new double fluorescent light fittings, one at each end. Doing that has transformed the place, compared to only one bare light bulb! They are wired up as extension leads so they'll be easy to take with us if/when we move. I've also fitted a roller blind for security purposes, I don't want some scumbag looking in the window and fancying my motorbike or power tools. :evil:

So, feel free to critique my setup and ask questions, if you're interested - I'm always looking to improve things and I'm totally aware this is a beginner's attempt. For example, I've only just realised that I should have hung the accessory box for the Dremel-style tool directly above the tool (fitted on the lower left side; I only ever use it with the flexible attachment), not on the other end of the bench!

Thanks for reading this far, and I apologise for being a boring t*at.

Cheers
Alan

 

[Benchwayze]

Are you a boring thingummy?
I don't reckon so. Won't your landlord allow you to pain the walls white? it would be a good idea.

One thing I noticed is that when your SWIMBO wonders why you are spending on tools, you can say 'You wanted the bird-box.' :lol:

My Wedding Pressie from LOML was a basic set of hand tools BTW!' Only the mallet went to that workshop in the sky. All the rest I still have.



John

 

[Melinda_dd]

I feel your pain on the rented side of things...... I only have a 6x4 shed to play in (along with the gardening tools)
The door has dropped, it's damp, and the window is not water tight (even though I've puttyed it all round!) Oh how I want to move!

 

[Hudson Carpentry]

Whats the mirror for?

 

[Lons]

I've also fitted a roller blind for security purposes

#-o Thought it was a backscreen for a certain kind of photography :lol:

 

[Benchwayze]

Whats the mirror for?

What mirror? :?


Hud,

When I have finished re-jigging my workshop set-up, I am going to put a reasonably sized mirror at the far end, to reflect some daylight back into the space; or at least see if it works.

My garage has no windows and I'm not allowed to put any in. Thus the only daylight is coming through an up and over doorway and usually I am working in a dim atmosphere. Paradoxically, when it is really bright outside, the gloom seems to be worse by comparison. Wintertime it's okay, I can put the lights on and shut the door. Summertime I need the door open to keep cool, but switching on the light makes little difference. So I am trying the mirror trick. If it doesn't work, a couple of four-foot strip lights will need to be fitted. I'm hoping the mirror will do the trick.

Regards
John

 

[alan2001]

Won't your landlord allow you to pain the walls white? it would be a good idea.

One thing I noticed is that when your SWIMBO wonders why you are spending on tools, you can say 'You wanted the bird-box.' :lol:

sorry, I meant to say Bird HOUSE! it was a proper bird HOUSE! with a roof and walls and a thick post with a crosslap joint on the feet, and everything! too embarrassing to post now though, even though it still survives.

And that is a fantastic idea on painting the walls white. But I'll have to do it in secret cos the wife's given me a list of things that are apparently more urgent and important. BAH!

Whats the mirror for?

What mirror? That must be the round window through to... OK. It's a mirror. The wife thinks I'm weird having a mirror in the garage. Am I? The reason is this: like I said, this is a rented house. The mirror was in a bedroom and is horrible. I'm not going to throw our someone else's property, waste something that works, or risk 7 years bad luck. So I put it out in the garage for safekeeping. And on a serious note, while using a rotary wire brush attachment on something, a stray bit of wire got around my safety glasses in a painful manner, and I was able to extricate it quickly with the aid of that mirror. You'd never see an eye wash station without a mirror nearby where I work (offshore oil platform), so I really do think it can be an important safety feature. It's also handy for touching up my lippy and watching my planing technique.

When I have finished re-jigging my workshop set-up, I am going to put a reasonably sized mirror at the far end, to reflect some daylight back into the space; or at least see if it works.

My garage has no windows and I'm not allowed to put any in. Thus the only daylight is coming through an up and over doorway and usually I am working in a dim atmosphere. Paradoxically, when it is really bright outside, the gloom seems to be worse by comparison. Wintertime it's okay, I can put the lights on and shut the door. Summertime I need the door open to keep cool, but switching on the light makes little difference. So I am trying the mirror trick. If it doesn't work, a couple of four-foot strip ligrhts will need to be fitted. I'm hoping the mirror will do the trick.

Hmm. Mirrors do tend to have good running costs, but they're somewhat limited by only being able to mirror what is opposite them. Major design flaw, that.

But seriously - the best thing I've done to improve my garage so far - and with little effort - was to add a couple of strip lights.

I didn't skimp on them, because I wanted them to work really well, survive potentially leaky rooves, and I will be taking them with us to our next (OWNED!) house. I got two of these 5' fittings from ebay for £34.95 each, free delivery, complete with tubes:

2 x 58 watt twin Complete High Frequency fluorescent fitting.
This is a top quality fitting which is rated IP65 which is a very high resistance to water.
Safe to be used outdoors.
High Frequency electronic ballasts, no starters, no flickering.
We supply them complete with tubes, they are complete and ready to go.

the same seller (no connection to me!) still does them: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5-ft-2x-5...2?pt=UK_BOI_Restaurant_RL&hash=item230d587d6a
seriously, don't mess about with mirrors, even just one of these will transform the amount of light everywhere. Very bright, instant on. I still had to put in a second one after the wife accused me of selfishly 'leaving the gardening end in the dark'. :wink:

As I said, I wired them both up as 'extensions'. In other words, fit cable to fitting, put plug on the other end (protected by RCD, of course). I am told by electricians that this is safe and legally acceptable but I'd like to see if there's any dissent on that? My wiring is immaculate, bordering on the OCD (even used offshore spec* armoured cable, explosion-proof cable glands, and an IP65 switch, paranoid or what?), but I am not a qualified sparkie.

Sorry for ramble. #-o


* does not imply theft of such

 

[Benchwayze]

Quote:

Hmm. Mirrors do tend to have good running costs, but they're somewhat limited by only being able to mirror what is opposite them. Major design flaw, that.
Unquote..

Oh well at least I'll be able to see myself, and check my make-up now and then! :mrgreen:

Regards
John :lol:

 

[alan2001]

I feel your pain on the rented side of things...... I only have a 6x4 shed to play in (along with the gardening tools)
The door has dropped, it's damp, and the window is not water tight (even though I've puttyed it all round!) Oh how I want to move!

I know what like. But this place is one of my main pleasures, and I'm not gonna hold my breath waiting for a landlord to do anything about it. I've fixed a roof leak, fitted door handles, turned his raised pallet into a workable workbench, all at my own expense and in my own time. Our landlord won't even fix the broken tiles on our house roof, but I digress.
Here's a question I would like to reiterate, now I've maybe found a better (old) photo of my bench:

The small Record vice on the left is reasonably quick release, so forget it's there. Does this bench lend itself to the fitment of a proper woodworking vice? Somewhere in the centre? One that is flush with the top of the bench? Quick release, all that kind of thing?

I've looked at a few online but I'm not sure if one would fit...? thanks again.

 

[Benchwayze]

Alan,
You would need to fit a supporting block behind the front rail of your bench and attached to the underside of the top. As long as the block comes down level with the bottom of the rail and is the same thickness, you shouldn't have a problem. You'd need long bolts recessed into the bench top probably, or heavy gauge coach-screws if you want to secure the vice from beneath. Through the bench is my preference though, but then my benchtop is 3" thick and there is meat there to counter-bore for the bolt-heads. .

If my suggestion would bring the metal cheeks too far below bench top level, then you would have to make a suitable pair of wooden cheeks to fit, and bring it level. But only if it is an inch or so lower. Any more and it could spring the jaws all the time.

HTH

Now I am orf to bed! Zzzzzzzzzz!

Regards
John

 

[alan2001]

excellent food for thought there. i think i get it. thanks!

but i'm also thinking one shouldn't spend too much time 'polishing a jobby', as they say up here. maybe i should just take photos, disassemble it, and put it into storage for quick & shoddy nailing back together when we move.

I could then tell SWMBO that I did some work on it, which is why it now looks like this:

Oh well at least I'll be able to see myself, and check my make-up now and then! :mrgreen:

the modern woodworker shouldn't be ashamed to look good too. 8)

 

[Benchwayze]

Hi Alan,

I have been mulling this over a bit.

As it stands, you are limited by being a tenant of course, but you aren't so far along the road with your bench, that it would hurt to leave it as it is for the moment. Have a look online for a 'torsion-box' benchtop. (You might even find something on UKW about it. You could construct one of those on a workmate in conjunction with what you have. Build in some reinforcing where you want the vice to go. You don't have to use a Q/R vice either and Axminster sell some inexpensive vice screws, with which you could make yourself a vice like the one in the bench above. I would also make a front face-frame to run under the bench, and put it on a good 4 x 2 wall plate at the rear. If you use 18mm MDF you should have a good surface that will do, come the day when you can give the landlord the Victory sign.

Is that worth a thought or two?

HTH

Now I better go reconcile with SWIMBO. She just found out about the make-up! :lol:

Cheers
John

 

[alan2001]

Couple more photos from underneath... the horror, the horror...

That central upright post was quickly put in by myself, purely to stop the entire thing sagging/collapsing. There isn't a corresponding leg at the back (yet), but the rear of the bench is reasonably solid for now. I'm not gonna spend much more time or money on this, but I would agree some more reinforcing and affixing to the wall all the way round is still worth a try.

Anyway, thanks once again for being so patient with my daft questions, it's most appreciated. =D>

Maybe soon I shall have one of these...

(a pre-loved fixer-upper, of course )

Oh BTW - did you suggest recovering the entire surface with 18mm MDF? Sounds nice, but I'm afraid this bench should be grateful for the 5mm hardboard I put on it!

 

[Benchwayze]

Well it is certainly stronger than my very first bench!
I really would suggest thicker than 5mm for the top though Alan. Nothing wrong with MDF/hardboard as a work surface, but the thicker it is the better.
At my local mill 25mm MDF is about £28.00 a sheet, (8 foot by 4 foot in old money) and they cut for free too.

A few more cross braces under your existing bench and you have half a torsion box already!

Regards
John

 

[alan2001]

there's a very fine line between:

'making a few reasonable minor improvements for not much money'

TO

'WHY DID I NOT JUST RIP THIS DAMN THING OUT ON DAY ONE AND DO IT PROPERLY FROM SCRATCH?!?!?'

Having a 1" thick and level surface would be excellent, but getting it level in the first place would be another annoying challenge, leading to option 2 above.

anyway, thanks again for your advice. i'm gonna concentrate on improving basic structural rigidity and getting a nice woodworking vice on there somewhere.