Roy Underhill Tool Tote
The topic of shop set-up and design is an exhaustive one that is mostly personal. Hobbyist woodworkers obsess over their shops. Professional designer/builders might obsess too, but the focus is on the finished product, which pays the mortgage. We hobby guys, however, love to agonize over workflow and bells and whistles that amount to nothing more than creature comforts. We create ingenious solutions to limited space, and sometimes just hang out in the shop doing nothing but moving tools around from one spot to the other. Providence Torrent Download. It's almost like a clubhouse.
It's useful for making things like drawer sides, box dividers, custom veneers. Sign up for the ToolCrib newsletter and get great woodworking resources like this in your inbox! Post updated 6-19-09 Added photos + 15 new plans! Roy Underhill Tool Tote Plansource. Roy Underhill's Nail Cabinet, a Free Plan.
Our shops also evolve over the years as we slap band-aids onto one area or the other. Rarely do we get to start over with a blank slate. However, recently I was in Maine helping my in-laws move in to their new vacation home. There is talk of it becoming a year-round retirement home soon, so there is much to do to get it up to snuff.
There is a detached two-car garage that I am told can be used as a shop when I come to visit and for use in helping with some of the around-the-house DIY stuff. Enter a caption (optional) While I won't be turning this garage into a full-blown wood shop like if the house were mine, I will be stocking it with some tools and a bench in the coming years.
For now, it is essentially a blank slate. It begs the question, what would you do with a shop knowing what you know now? I have been working in my current shop for more than 10 years and have made quite a few changes. If I were to strip it bare and start over, I think there would be some major changes. First, there would be no fixed cabinets on the floor. Acdsee Mac Pro 3 Serial Key. Anything taking up floor space must be moveable.
Book cover, showing the plane till in my basement workshop. If you'd like a copy of my book, Hand Tool Basics, published by Popular Woodworking Books, it's now. This simple saw vise took about 30 minutes to build from scraps. The upper and lower spacers provide clearance for saw handles and backsaw spines. The halves are.
It doesn't have to be easy to move (like my 400 lb bench) but it must be able to be re-arranged when the need arises. The shop layout will never be perfect and if you can't change it, you are severely limiting your future self.
The interior of the Maine garage. Those two windows look right out onto the ocean! Second, walls should have the ability to take a screw anywhere.
That means sheathing the stud walls (or whatever) with 3/4? Solid wood or plywood.
There are too many times when something needs to be hung and the perfect space is just a flimsy sheet of drywall. I've overcome this with french cleats spanning the studs, but think how much easier things would be with solid wall material. Third, floors must be comfortable.
While the shop is bare it is much easier to install a comfortable floor. A forgiving floor is worth 3 or 4 shiny, life changing tools and I would much rather get that right before sinking money into tooling. Fourth, windows, windows, windows. Good lighting is nice for casting your projects in the proper light, but I believe it is good for the soul as well. There are many times when I shut off my overhead lights and throw open the garage door so I can just work in natural light.