Replies

1. 
   ADeVilbiss | Nov 17, 2005 11:26pm | #1

   Maybe not "expert," but I will admit "experienced" about workshop design, having done woodworking in many different shop settings over 50+ years. This island arrangement fits my woodworking style nicely, and I'm still happy with it after four years of continuous use. I'm hoping that the broader woodworking community will be able to adapt my shop layout ideas to their own needs and style. I'd be pleased answer questions about my shop, and also would encourage anyone who wants to, to use this forum to post comments and opinions on this subject. 

   Alan DeVilbiss

1. 
   pickdesign | Nov 23, 2005 01:02am | #2

   Alan,  Thanks for the great article on your workstation,  it seems to be very well thought out.  I have a similar arrangement in my shop which is 21' x 32'.  I am curious though, as to how you use your bandsaw.  Are you just using it for re-saw, as it appears that if you want to cut some curved pieces, you would have to stand to the side of the saw, instead of behind it.  Do you have it set up so that you can pull it out from the table?  Just curious.  Again, a fine well thought out plan.  I especially liked your solution to the dust collection, I may modify my set-up to incorporate something similar.

   Steve

1. 
   ADeVilbiss | Nov 23, 2005 04:04am | #3

   I use the band saw for free hand cutting (e.g, violin plates, patterns in thin aluminum sheet), cutting circles with a jig, occasionally a rip cut.  But much of the time I’ve spent at the band saw has been re-sawing (e.g., veneers for violin sides, 400 sq. feet of walnut parquet flooring).  I usually use a fence while re-sawing (visible mounted on the band saw in the video http://www.taunton.com/FWN/Workshop/WorkshopArticle.aspx?id=23974 in the sequence where I’m sliding the sheet of MDF onto the cabinet saw outfeed table). I do sometimes re-saw  “freehand” guiding the cut along a penciled line, and I find this easy to do in my island installation. The blade is 4-1/4” inside the outer edge of the counter top, so I find that the counter is no more of an obstruction while re-sawing than the work piece itself. Attached is a still photo demo of the resaw position. I suppose I am standing a little to the side of where I did when the bandsaw was freestanding, but I have no difficulty following a penciled or scribed line.

   For me the advantages of this arrangement are the compact footprint, the infeed and outfeed support for long stock, and a permanent connection to the dust collector. The only disadvantage (again, to me) is the impairment of the tilting table function. I’ve used this saw for about 25 years (until four years ago mounted on a mobile base) and have yet to tilt the table from the flat position. Of course, I realize others may not want to compromise this feature of the band saw.

   
1. 
   pickdesign | Nov 23, 2005 05:24pm | #4

   Thanks for the reply Alan, sorry, I missed the discussion over in the regular Knots Forum.  Your picture shows how you resaw, and I assume your fence ends at the leading edge of the band saw blade, is that right?  Also, you say that you are freehanding patterns for violins using aluminum patterns, are you using the pattern with the wood taped to it, against some kind of pin installed on the bandsaw top?  Could you explain this a little?  Sorry if this is repetitious, but I am fairly new, and am not familiar with the technique of using a pattern with the bandsaw.

   Steve

1. 
   ADeVilbiss | Nov 23, 2005 09:23pm | #5

   The wooden part of my band saw re-sawing fence is uniform across the table, but the part of the face ahead of the blade is covered with .040" plastic laminate. So the fence contacts the workpiece only in front of the blade. I used laminate as the wear surface so I can wax it.

   I change to a small pulley on the motor vbelt pulley and use a fine tooth metal cutting band saw blade to rough cut  patterns in aluminum sheet (freehand, staying outside a scribed line), and then I finish the pattern edges with hand files. I use the patterns to pencil the outline on the violin plate blanks, and then rough out (freehand, oversize) the violin plates on the bandsaw. Then I hand carve and finish the plates.

   Alan DeVilbiss

2. 
   pickdesign | Nov 24, 2005 03:47am | #6

   Thanks Alan, that explains it.

   Steve

2. 
   Biggestofds | Feb 14, 2006 06:04am | #7

   Hello Alan,

   Thank you for the outstanding inspiration for the shop "island", which I'm now building in my new home's 2 1/2 car garage (that will never see a car in it as long as we're living here).  Just have one question; how did you set up the dust collection system specifically for the bandsaw and the router table?  Are they done with individual "plenums", or whatever?  Thanks very much, and congratulations on a wonderful design!

   Donn Chown

1. 
   ADeVilbiss | Feb 16, 2006 12:24am | #8

   Hi Donn,

   I'm attaching five photos to show what I did. HiRouter.jpg shows the space under the router table insert.  At the rear of the shelf is the 4" blast gate which removes dust and chips from this space. On the left wall I placed another 4" blast gate to bleed air into the  cabinet. I open this to allow adequate airflow through the cabinet for a router setup that has a tight throat opening or otherwise restricted airflow. If the opening around the router bit is large enough, I shut this gate. Also visible at the back corner of the lower shelf is the 4" flex hose segment that connects the blast gate to the wye fitting in the cabinet base. LoRouter.jpg is from a lower angle and shows the handle I fitted so I can operate the gate conveniently. I located the gate at a rear corner of the cabinet so that the flex hose wouldn't restrict access to the lower space, which I use to store small jigs and fixtures for the router table. SideRouter.jpg shows the bleed air gate from outside the cabinet.

   HiBandSaw.jpg shows the dust port in the bandsaw shelf (the cabinet door is open). The 5" flex hose connection to the main DC line in the cabinet base is visible under the shelf. LoBandSaw.jpg shows the 5" blast gate under the shelf.

   Thanks for the compliment, and good luck with your shop.

   Alan

   
1. 
   Biggestofds | Feb 16, 2006 05:35am | #9

   Thank you sir.........!  Great piece of engineering.  The new Oneida system has arrived, and now I'm good to go!  Thanks again.

   Donn

2. 
   Biggestofds | Apr 18, 2006 01:06am | #10

   Hello Alan,

   Thanks to your inspiration and advice, this island in my 2-1/2 car garage is coming along nicely.  Just have one additional questions; regarding the cast iron table tops for the table saw and the bandsaw, are they flush with the island top/working surface, or are they slighly raised above it to accomodate the miter gage slide?

   Thanks again for your indulgance here.  Best regards,

   Donn

1. 
   ADeVilbiss | Apr 20, 2006 11:26pm | #11

   Donn:I built the island so that the countertops adjacent to the table saw are as close to the same height as I could get them. I ground a 1 mm 45 degree bevel on all edges of the mating surfaces before they were bolted together. The bevels minimize the tendency for work to catch on a slight misalignment, regardless of the direction of travel.I extended the TS slots 20" into the outfeed table, see the attached photo slots.jpg. I routed the extension slots using a straight edge guide so that they are the same width and depth as the TS slots, then undercut the slots so that the guide washer on the miter gauge or accessory sled will enter the extension slots without binding. I did this because two of my most used sleds have a relatively long useful travel, and the guide washer routinely travels beyond the cast iron table. My extension setup smoothly guides the capture washer back into the TS slot on the return stroke.Routing out the slot extensions in the outfeed table to be the same size and parallel to the TS slots (and undercutting) is a fairly difficult job, for me anyway. It'd work ok to rout the outfeed slots generously wide for clearance without undercutting. In that case you have to keep the back of the sled or gauge pressed down against the tables on the return stroke until the capture washer is inside the TS slot.I'm happy to hear that you're having success building your island. Happy woodworking.Alan

   
1. 
   Biggestofds | Apr 21, 2006 02:15am | #12

   Alan,

   Thank you so much for your advice and counsel on this.  I really appreciate your time in sending along the photos and discussion here.  My island is coming together pretty well, thanks to you.

   I presume the same would hold true for the bandsaw table, although I have to say I have yet to think of a circumstance in which I would be using a miter gage on my 14" Delta.

   Thank you again, and best regards!

   Donn

2. 
   josephgewing | Mar 11, 2007 10:13pm | #13

   Hi Alan,

   I am glad to find you on the knots discussion.  Some how I lost your email address and mailing address, as well as yor phone number.

   My email is:  [email protected].

   I have recovered from my heart attack of last April and am back to constructing my island workshop.  I have set up the under island duct work and am working on the cabinets.  I have decided to have "all drawers".  It is labor intensive and so far I have about 20 percent of the cabs and drawers done.  One thing that I am learning is how much detail engineering and planning there is to do to get it all to work.

   Thanks for all the pictures and the video you sent me last year.  I could not be where I am without them.  Your design and execution are nothing short of brilliant and a great inspiration for me.

   Thank you again,

   Joe Ewing, 7000 Justin Lane, Las Cruces, NM 88007