Hello all,
For the last three months I have been looking for a comercial wharehouse to move my buisness into. Well after getting the run around by one guy (which cost me at least a month) I have finally got mostly moved into my new digs. It is a 2000 sqft. insulated metal building, 40’x50’x15′ high side walls (around 20′ in the middle). I am splitting the shop with a buddy who has a grade work business and he keeps his skid stear and supplies on his side, which makes my shop smell more like a deisel truck stop than a ww’ing shop.
Any way, I am only half way moved in. The walls have not been sheathed and I still have a lot of storage fixtures to build. I have really only framed out the walls, pulled the electric moved in the big machines so I can at least clear up my back log a little. I haven’t moved in my lumber stash, plywood pile, general supplies or my power tools. I spent the last few days rebuilding and modifying a set of 100 year old shutters from New Orleans. I am so happy in my new shop! It is amazing how much easier it is to beable to use any of my machines on a moments notice without moving everything around. Especially the band saw. My band saw always sat in the corner collecting dust mostly because in order to use it I had to move it out in the way of my table saw, so it was just inpractical. However I have been usig it constantly the last few days.
I gotta get back to work,
MIke
Replies
Looks like fun, putting that together. What's the little room for?
The little room is 10' x 18' x 10' high and will be the assembly/ finishing area. The entrance door will be a double hung 36" doors. I want to be able to roll my assembly table (to be built) in and out of the room. If you are refering to the real little room in the corner, that is the rest room.
Mike
Lookin Good, I know what you mean about moving one machine out of the way to use another. I have been there.
http://www.superwoodworks.com
Mudman; That's going to be a very nice shop to work in. Post more pics. as you get further along. I'm overhauling my shop right now. I started with the wiring by ripping out the breaker box and starting fresh with a new bigger box, and all new wire. That part's almost finished, and let me say, it's going to be nice having more dedicated circuits than I need. But I've made such a mess of the shop people here would be horrified if I posted pics. Oh well it will start looking better soon.
I see you have the Ridgid combo sanding mach. I've been thinking about adding one of those to my shop. How do you like it?
Cheers. Walker1
I will post pick as things move along. I have put a lot of thought and planning into the lay out and think that I came up with a very effecient layout. I played with a scale drawing of the shop and little cutout scale representations of the machines for weeks. It became a big joke among all my friends and wife. Then I taped off all the locations on the floor and walked around looking at all these taped squares. My buddy thought I lost my mind, especially when I pulled up all the tape to redo every thing. However it paid off, I have plenty of in/out feed space for the saw, joiner and planer and most importaintly a large assembly area. Along the back wall the miter saw and radial arm saw will be integrated into a cabinet that will run the length of the wall and have a fence and stop system that both will share. On the right side of this cabinet will sit the sander and mortiser.
I have had the Ridgid oscilating belt sander for about 6 months and it is awsome. I don't understand why nobody has developed a simular tool. THe typical belt/ disk combo units make no sense at all. they sand across the grain and give a very narrow contact area making it hard to not gouge the work. The Ridgid unit is well powered. I reciently ran it for probably 8 hours (over three days) with 80 grit belts and it dosent even slow down . The down sides in order seem to be 1. the table is cast aluminum and not very flat, and difficult to set accurately at 90 degrees to the belt. 2. The platen is not so flat either 3.it does not have a TEFC motor so I suspect that will eventually crap out. However none of that is a big deal to me, and if the motor craps out in the next three years I can take the whole thing back to Home Depot anyway. If Delta, Grizzly, Jet or any one made a simular machine I would buy it instead. But the Ridgid is a unique tool. They should run a couple of adds in the wwing mags about it.
thanks for the comments about my shop.
Mike
Very nice, Mike - I am green with envy!
I am half considering setting up a small workshop making replacement sashes for the old Victorian windows - due mostly to their age, a lot of these are in a pretty poor state of repair, and the average joiners shop really has little interest in making them. Are you in the USA? I assume so from the appearance of your machinery - I am in the UK - is such an idea plausible over there? What sort of thing do you generally make? Keep sending the pictures!
Take care, and stay in touch
Ozzy
PS Where do you make the tea?
Edited 10/19/2005 7:36 am ET by Ozzy
Ozzy,
Thank you for the comments. Did you see the shutters in the back ground? Ill post better pics in this post. I estimate those shutters to be 80 to 100 years old. They are draw bored, and wedged through tennons. All the mortices were obviously chopped with chisels, including the fixed slats. The wood they are made of is endangered, my supplier said it was red cyprus. It is harder than regular cyprus and almost looks like red ceadar. I completely dissasembled and sanded everything to remove the last century of soot and dirt. Then modified them to fit as a set (origionally they were from seperate windows). I replaced the top rails with radiused pieces that are also full tennons. It was a challenge to cut the tennons in a curved rail. I don't think that rebuilding shutters would pay the rent in Dallas, Texas. However in the north east I think it could. I do a lot of exterior archaetecual repairs; windows, doors, collums, and trim. This is a niche that could make money. Very few carpinters want to mess with rotten wood. So you can pretty much name your price.
Mike
Nice repair job, Mike.
A couple of years ago I was keen on building a Western Red Cedar conservatory, but I developed bad arthritis in my right hip (from playing rugby many years ago), and couldn't climb ladders. I did a lot of investigation, and was warned that the dust from milling/sanding caused nosebleeds - so if you are suddenly getting them - it might be that!
I envy you your work (as well as your workshop!).
Take care, mate, and stay in touch.
Ozzy
Ozzy,
I watched a show about 2 years ago on TV of a guy who was building and re-building antique windows...and doing very well. With all the building code and zoning restrictions...and the re-cycling of warehouses, lofts, etc. there is a big demand up here in the Northeast.
What was most interesting was all his work was done with hand tools...because it was fastest. He'd take about 5-7 passes at the stock with molding planes...all done, perfect profile. I wish I could remember more details...
That was my GrandPa.. He died of a Hernia!
LOL, When I go it will be from being squashed under a sheet of MDF!
Mike
BG,
Thanks for that. My apologies for the late response - I had the week off last week.
I actually do posess a number of moulding planes, and do not really have a clue how to use them. Any advice?
Ozzy
i'm not sure if it was the same show , but i beleive it was an episode of the woodwrights shop(are you allowed to name tv shows in this forum?) i too was amazed at the speed and clarity of the results. you can order back episodes i think. i hope this helps, unless you wanted info on mouldong and sash planes, in which case i am an idiot. goodluck . later.
Dang! My saw would take up about 1/32 of the space.. My junk in one corner take up the rest!
Great,,, Wish I had!
I love my saw and as crazy as it seems I would like the outfeed and and side tables to be larger! But all my machines are shoe horned in as tight as possible. In those pics it looked like there is a lot of space, but as I add fixtures (plywood rack, lumber storage and supplies) the space will shrink.
Thanks for the coments,
Mike
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