Signals From The Bunker

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Gill

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I’ve been taking piccies to show how my new hobby workshop has come about. Hopefully, there’ll be more to come and it'll become more interesting as I start to tackle proper projects in it.

Over the last few years I’ve been struggling to cope with making stuff in little hidey holes. The only problem is that as soon as I find enough space for myself, it gets cluttered up. Here are examples of three of the locations where there are tools:

SculleryWb.jpg


Scullery

Scullery2Wb.jpg


Another view of the Scullery

ShedWb.jpg


Shed

NewWorkshopIntWb.jpg


Lean-to

So I managed to negotiate a dedicated workshop for myself over the New Year :)! His Lordship has agreed that it should be my space, which could mean he'll at least make a token effort to clear up after he's made a mess.

The workshop measures 8' by 18', which is about as large as our garden can accommodate if I'm ever to hang out any laundry again. We decided on a 4" solid concrete base, so His Lordship arranged for a couple of mates to pop over one wet Saturday afternoon (while he was in London at an astronomy exhibition :roll:) and dig a hole. They dug the hole and removed this much soil:

SkipWb.jpg


Skip Exciting, huh?

Then they went home because it was raining, came back the next day and filled the hole with concrete:

WrkshpPlnthWb.jpg


Plinth The sapling at the end is a walnut tree. One day... :D

Although it was very tempting to 'sign' the wet concrete, I managed to resist the urge. Unfortunately, my chihuahua insisted that the plinth needed a finishing touch:

PlinthPawPrintWb.jpg


Rio's signature

After shopping around, we decided to buy the workshop from Tudor Garden Products in Hereford, as I've discussed elsewhere. It arrived in sections this morning, a week later than originally scheduled :( , accompanied by a couple of thirsty blokes. First things first, get the kettle on.

This is how it's being put together:

DSCF0061Wb.jpg

DSCF0063Wb.jpg

DSCF0067Wb.jpg

DSCF0073Wb.jpg


Obviously, there's still more work to be done so they'll be returning tomorrow to finish off the roof, windows, door and my teabags. Let's hope they finish in good time; it's Paskins' biennial woodworking exhibition in Kidderminster tomorrow and His Lordship wants to go there because he has an afternoon off work.

Gill
 
Gill,

Looks super - a fantastic step-up from your previous accommodation, you must be pleased. I am sure you will enjoy it very much - as long as it doesn't get invaded!
 
Looks great Gill 8) Now the fun bit - working out the 'layout' of where everything goes in side :)
 
Hi Gill, good to see that the little room by the kitchen is still called a scullery. Shop is looking real cool.
 
Ooo, that's dead exciting is that. I'm all agog, so you must be practically unliveable with, Gill. :lol:

Cheers, Alf
 
(Looks great!) Have you plans to insulate it or do anything else to it?

Have you plans to make it very secure?

Adam
 
Aw shucks Gill you beat me too it! Paying work seems to keep getting in the way. I'm currently sitting on a conference call looking out the window at:

workshop_build_5_small.jpg


With a bit of luck the roof will get finished today, The supplier phoned at 8 this moring to say they are out of siding and there is a 2 week delay. Ho hum, won't be moving in too soon then!

More photos here:
http://www.irishwoodshop.com/woodshop/workshop_build.html

Enjoy filling it up!

Les
 
Here's the constructed building! Tomorrow afternoon I intend to start weatherproofing it with Sikkens Cetol.

DSCF0077wb.jpg


Finished workshop


Thanks for the kind comments, everyone. Too many to address individually, but yes, I'm going to be fitting electrics to the workshop, then insulating and cladding the interior. If finances get a bit tight, I reckon I could quickly knock together 5 bunk beds and accommodate 10 Chinese immigrants quite comfortably. Well, I'd be comfortable anyway ;) :) .

It's nice to see that your workshop is making progress, Les, albeit slowly. In any case, I cheated by having other people build mine.

The trip to Paskin's this afternoon was enjoyable and I came away with two books, Making Wood Bowls with a Router & Scroll Saw by Spielman & Roehl, and Scroll Saw Bench Guide by Zach Taylor. They came to less than £20 because of the 15% show discount, which pleased me. I'll post more about them when I've had a chance to examine and use them. His Lordship booked himself on a two day turning course at Whitsun with Paskin's resident turner. That should be interesting... :roll:

I'll probably pop back to Paskin's tomorrow morning and get a Trend Inlay Kit. I'm sure I'll be able to make my own templates without spending £6.95 on theirs (per template :shock: ). I'll also pop into the local B&Q for some electrical fittings plus insulation material and cladding for the workshop. In the past, this sort of stuff would have been much cheaper from Screwfix, but since they effectively became the same company the prices are comparable. Anti-competitive practice? Far be it from me to comment.

A very happy Gill
 
Hi Gill,

that really looks nice, I am looking forward to your progress reports as you decide how to fit it out.
Re your B&Q comment, Screwfix still seems cheaper on most electricals and they appear to have fixed their delivery problems. You will need a separate consumer unit, something like this
http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/pro ... 4&ts=76709

Good luck

John
 
Gill

it looks great, I'm as jealous as a great green thingy (and they are pretty damn jealous). I've still only got my floor down, bad weather and a slight misshap with a v-cutter (anyone with sky will probably have seen these for sale, the guy selling them is telling the truth when he says they are sharp and to keep your fingeres or in my case thumb out of them :oops: :oops:) have delayed my workshop badly.
Good luck and good health to use it.

Drew
 
Hi Gill Cracking workshop, about electrics, do the new electric regulations which came out in Jan. apply to workshops and the like.????
Hope not because they are a real pain. gwaithcoed
 
Electrics? What a pain in the proverbial... :(.

Fortunately, His Lordship works with someone who is a qualified wiggly amp handler; he's promised to pop over and supervise that side of things for us. I'll post details of the developments.

The visit to B&Q today was a waste of time. Now that they're catering exclusively for Lawrence Llewelyn Bowen acolytes, they no longer stock useful stuff such as consumer units. There must be 50 different types of light switches, though. I suspect a trip to Wickes is on the cards, or even (if I can summon up the courage) my local builders' merchant. I'll probably end up buying most of the gubbins for the workshop from Screwfix anyway, but it doesn't hurt to shop around. I'm having second thoughts about internally cladding the workshop, having seen the price of cladding. And insulation isn't cheap, either. I might get the local builders merchants to drop off some sheets of plasterboard instead.

My friends shop till they drop at Dorothy Perkins, M&S, Etam... but me? Wickes, B&Q, Paskins, Jewsons... :roll: . Ah well, none of my friends have got such a nice workshop as I have 8) .

Can I slip in a couple of minor gloats? A router cutter inlay set and a Trend T5E, both of which should be delivered sometime next week :). I preferred the way the old T5E model handles compared to the new T5 Mk2 which has a 'dead mans' power switch lever. Something else that appeals where Trend is concerned is that replacement parts for their routers are so readily available.

Gill
 
Gill":3veyn1b9 said:
Can I slip in a couple of minor gloats?

Gill, I think things have reached the point where such a delicately phrased gloat is unlikely to achieve the result you need. You need capital letters, several pictures (preferably a movie) and a soundtrack these days. Of course I am not saying who has contributed to this "gloat bloat"™

Anyway - congratulations!! Have fun with your new toys in your new shop.
 

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