Workshop Tour. Warning clean shop may cause offence to some.

[Howie]

Hi
I have just had the luxury of a week off and have spent most of that time reorganizing my two car garage workshop. Sad, but true.
I had a one car garage previously and was always tweaking it to get the best use of the available space. When I moved my equipment into the new two car garage I thought I would have more than enough room, how wrong was I. The perceived luxury of more space made me sloppy and soon it was littered with carelessly placed equipment, bits I might use one day and way too much stuff.
So consequently I have undertaken a brutal regime of my old mantra when I was in the smaller workshop, "IF IN DOUBT, THROW IT OUT".
So if you are not offended by a clean and organized workshop please read on.

Moving in day last year.

Now after reorganizing:

New assembly table with compressor in it's silencing box to the left, Computer to right and filing cabinet for paint storage.

Moving around clockwise
Drill charging station, clamps, measuring tools, glue station, heater, bandsaw, workbench with drawers below, drill press, John Heisz belt sander platform and worksharp 2000.

A close up of my OCD wall as I like to call it.

My drill press (absolute pants Wickes cheapy), Belt sander platform and worksharp can be clamped in the vice when being used and then put away when I need the bench for beating the living daylights out of something.

East wall

South wall
My version of the festool boom arm which houses a midi vac and the ts55, 3m guide rail hung behind the cutting table and sheet storage to the right. SWMBO's fridge.....

Close up of my Festfool boom arm.

Record power TSPP250 table saw on torsion box wheeled base with a Jessem Mast-R-Slide sliding carriage and Axminster blade/dust cover. To the left is my Jessem router table which also does duty as a crosscut support for the table saw.

To the rear of the table saw is my fan cooled silencing box for the Record Power DX4000. It also doubles as an outfeed table for table saw. The strange contraption on the front of the box is my version of a multi port blastgate. I have been using it for many years and never had a blockage. I call it the "Dust Slice".pat pending....not!

I don't expect it to look like this in a few days as I have a large face frame kitchen project starting this week. Won't be able to swing a cat in there soon.

Howie

 

[Grahamshed]

Its the dust I cannot contain. All the gear but still get a layer of it everywhere.

 

[Mike.S]

Impressive. I'm envious of the space (I use a single garage and the dining room on special occassions) and some of the kit but I especially like the 'OCD wall' - it's how mine would be if I ever get round to organising it !

 

[Howie]

I too find it difficult to stop getting the dust layer, the Jet air filter has definately helped. I plan on adding some 4 inch pipe around the shop and a cyclone or thien seperator into the mix in the future.

I used to use the conservatory as an assembly/finishing room for big projects when I had the single garage. SWMBO loved that!

 

[Peter Sefton]

Wow I thought I was organised until now :!:
Cheers Peter

 

[monkeybiter]

I sincerely envy your organisation and willpower. Your w'shop makes me want to make something, mine makes me want to have a drink.

 

[Halo Jones]

Hi Howie,

Great tour. I wish I had your space! I also have the TSPP250. I really suffer from dust issues with this saw. I can see from the photos you have made what looks like a zero clearance insert plate. Any chance you have some pics of how you went about this? I have always wanted to do this but have never come up with a good plan of how to go about it!

Thanks,

H.

 

[cambournepete]

Depressingly tidy
I particularly like the storage for the guide rail and the festool like boom arm. Definitely food for thought there...

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

Its just like a workshop.......only tidier :shock:

 

[Howie]

Hi Howie,

Great tour. I wish I had your space! I also have the TSPP250. I really suffer from dust issues with this saw. I can see from the photos you have made what looks like a zero clearance insert plate. Any chance you have some pics of how you went about this? I have always wanted to do this but have never come up with a good plan of how to go about it!

Thanks,

H.

Hi Halo

To be honest with all the alterations I have made to improve the dust extraction it still isn't something I would rave about, however I will do a description of what I have done.

The zero clearance plate is a piece of veneered MDF which I thicknessed down to somewhere between 4.5 to 5 mm. I then trimmed the insert to fit the slot and placed the original plate over the new insert to get the hole pattern for fixing down.
Remove the riving knife and fit the new insert plate. Turn on the saw and gently raise the blade to its full height to create the blade slot. I then pulled the blade towards me using the crosscut feature on the TSPP250 (Only time I have used that feature). Then take off the insert, refit the riving knife and refit the new zero clearance insert turned 180 degrees as this will then allow room for the riving knife to pop through.

I later wanted to reduce the height of the riving knife to just below the blade to allow me to do trench cuts etc. This mean't the standard blade guard would no longer be able to attach, this I didn't see as a big deal as it is pretty useless IMO. Bought the axminster dust blade guard and have been reasonably impressed.

Then I went about trashing the metal base stand and made a new base with dust extraction below. I removed the factory dust shroud around the blade as it was always getting small slivers of timber wedged in there. Made a ramp underneath which directs the dust down to a 4 inch pipe with a tee for the 75mm blade guard extraction pipe. Can't say I am overly impressed with the ramp idea. Would have been better putting a big mouth scoop directly under the machine and sucking it out before it has a chance to settle inside the box. When changing over the insert plates I usually turn on the DX and give the insides a good blow with the compressor.

I have also tried to tape up as many holes on the metal chassis and put a removable plate on the rear tilting mechanism. I have yet to get around to doing the front appertures as they are a little more difficult to do.

Hope this is helpful.
Good luck
Howie

 

[Halo Jones]

Thanks Howie, I will need to give this a try. I also suffer from splinters of wood getting stuck in the dust chute but assumed that was because I didn't have a zero clearance fence. Good idea taping up all the holes too.

 

[rspsteve]

Nice shop..what do you think of the Dakota clamps if thats what they?

Steve

 

[Cowboy _Builder]

Howie , can you post a pic of the shop in use ,just to prove that you do actually do use it and make dust sometimes .! I've seen dirtier car showrooms .

 

[Howie]

Hi
Thanks for the comments chaps. Yes it all does look a bit sanitary doesn't it? SWMBO almost fell over when she popped in to see what I had been doing all week.

Halo, you would think the zero clearance would prevent the slivers, but I had one get in the slot just today.

Steve, Yes, they are Dakota clamps. Got them a few years ago during one of Rutlands sales. They have been ok...... for the sale price, none broken yet. However I have noticed lately a few of them are loosing their grip a bit when tensioned up. Might just need a bit of a clean.

Cowboy, I have had a look on my phone to see if I have any pictures of the workshop in a unruly state and came up blank. When the shop is in a state of suitable chaos, I will try to remember to capture it for posterity.
When going through the photos I did come across an extending dining table and sideboard I did in the shop late last year which shows that work actually does go on in my sanitary shop. The shop still looks tidy though!
The client wanted a sideboard and extending dining table which had leaves the same width as the main table top and when hidden were not seen along the sides of the table. I call it the Transformer Table.

Table with the leaves in hidden position. Note the finished sideboard in the rear of the picture.

Table with the leaf out in the dropped position and the sides in their retracted position.

Table with the leaf raised up and the sides locked into position.

Table with the leaf pushed into position.

Table and sideboard in the client's home. The table has been finished with an ebony stain and gloss finish. It has a polished aluminium plate on the base instead of the scrappy piece of MDF in the previous photos. Unfortunately it doesn't show.

Howie

 

[monkeybiter]

Wow, you set yourself a high bar with those mating mitres.

Looks very impressive, even better before the stain IMHO.

 

[Grahamshed]

Thats a lovely bit of work ( though I preferred it without the stain ) I hope the customer was delighted with it.