While efficient machine layout and good lighting are essentials for a wood shop, what are the little things that make your shop just that much nicer?
One is my little “Hot Pot” it’s a hot plate with pot attached. Coupled with a five gallon water cooler, I have tea and coffee at the ready all the time. I had a drip coffee maker, but it was too much hassle. Besides I’ve never seen anything boil water as fast as this thing does. Wal-mart, Less than $20.00
“Warm” florescent lighting. What a difference! I’ve always hated harsh florescent lights, and preferred incandescent. I actually have a bank of recessed can lights above my main bench. But these are great, I have them throughout the rest of the shop except for my finish room where I have “daylight bulbs” Sylvania $6.00 a set
Art, pictures, decoration of some kind. I’ve seen so many woodshops that have no decoration what so ever. I know that we use a lot of wall space for racks and everything else we can hang on a wall, but there has to be some space somewhere. Even a little color would help. This isn’t the prison shop at San Quinton, live a little.
A “good” stereo. Toss the old boombox with the coat hanger for an antenna. Get a decent sound system and mount speakers in the four corners of your shop. This will actually reduce the overall sound level since you don’t have to have the thing blaring to hear it all over the shop. It’s also a good idea to make a vented dust cabinet for it.
These are just a few things that have made my working life much more pleasant. I’d love to hear yours.
Replies
Morning Justus
First thing every morning......the wood stove goes on and I sit in front of it with my coffee, and watch the flames dance to their own tune. Being in northern Canada the stove can go on for a little each morning during the summer......during the fall and winter it stays on.
The other thing that brings a smile to my old body....pictures of the Grandkids and sparkels.....sparkels are pictures that bring a smile to your face.
Have a good day
Justus,
I've never even thought about adding comfy type things to my basement....yes, I do have a radio..homemade ash tray (soaked cover off tuna can)...and an old bentwood bar chair. The orange and yellow extension wires running everywhere give it a Christmas feel..is that comfy? Mostly I've added sawdust to the room..
However, sitting on my chair with a cup of coffee in one hand and my arm resting on the workbench and looking at all my stuff and thinking about the next project or step in a project is the real comfort for me. Of course now you've got me thinking...it could be a tad more comfortable.
Great subject! I have quite a few pictures, wood stove, microwave, TV, stereo, coffee maker, but two things are the most special, the first thing, (a practice spindle), my daughter turned at the lathe when she was eight, ten years ago....... and a burl my wife found for me, that was to special to turn just because she found it.
Man you fire up your stove now! Geez!
I'm here in Tulsa,Ok and I go out in the morning with my coffee in hand, house is attached, and fire up the 48" fan. Hell, it's already 85 and just 8:30.
Anyway here in my shop I have that radio with the Coat hanger antenna. I like trying to hear what they said through the static.
But I did put a refrig out here. Now don't get on me but it's stocked with soft drinks and a lot of Miller's. Now I don't mean to say I drink and saw. I do practice safe woodworking. When I have a beer I always use the designated power off switch.
I also hung up my dads hat here in the shop. Every now and then when I look at it I remember why I love what I do. The brim on the hat is tore and the hat is covered with sawdust, my dad would like that.
My library I have in the shop w/ stereo. Not to mention my office type chair where I can kick my feet up and read and take a snooze ..kinda like being at work in the cube farm...:>)
Darkworks: No Guns No Butter squilla and the bling bling.
I agree with the good stereo. Several years ago a summer thunder storm took out several electronic items around my house including the shop 25 year old stereo. After a couple of weeks with no tunes I was going crazy and bought a new receiver for the shop. I plan on replacing the old speakers.
My new drywalled ceiling, painted concrete block walls, some new T8 lighting and 120 sq ft of interlocking antifatique tiles feel really really good.
Enjoy, Roy
Couldn't imagine my shop with out the stereo and TV and an old bar stool to plop down on when the back is acting up. I put in some late nights finishing up to meet deadlines. ( usually running behind because I played hookie taking the kids hunting or fishing) I have a small 'fridge filled with water and soda (and night-crawlers) the walls are covered with things to remind me not to work too hard, pictures drawn by the kids, fishing pictures,a life size picture of a bear (archery target) and some field artillery round and hand grenade identification charts from the old days when I was a Drill Sergeant. The best thing though is the plywood floor over 2x4 sleepers and insul., since I had back surgery last summer for 2 bulging discs and the 5 degenerative discs still there I put that in with anti-fatigue mats at all tools and benches. I couldn't take anymore cold hard concrete.
My wife comes down and helps. There's nothing that will make the shop more comfy and nicer than having a good looking woman in it.
Philip
AIR CONDITIONING !!! and carpet. I had some left over carpet and thought I'd try it even tho I expected that to be a stupid idea.
It wasn't. I have beige deep pile carpet and the shop vac cleans it up easily. When I spill my coffee and it gets ugly -- usually in about a year -- I go dumpster diving at the local carpet store, retrieving their remnants for free.
Very nice on the feet, knees and back. I unfortunately learned about standing on concret the hard way.
right on guys! Is it me, or do 75% of us have back pain? I told God that he should have built us lower to the ground, maybe a little greener too.
I am really thinking about ply wood over sleepers, with anti fatiuge mats. and maybe a personal hovercraft system. besides the comfort, it would be nice to run wires and dust collection to the machines under the floor.
Maybe next year.
Wop, you couldnt be more right. Justus Koshiol
Running Pug Construction
The human body just wasn't designed to stand on concrete. I don't really have back pain from it, but I had a lovely case of heel spurs until I changed shoes and work habits. Now rubber mats are the rule of the day, so too is something to take a sit on every once in a while. Other than that, a shops the same as a studio. It should be setup so that your comfortable AND stimulated to create. Plywood over sleepers is simething I've been thinking of, but with my whopping 8' ceilings the 3" of clearence lost scares me
Interlocking rubber mats and stereo. Coffeemaker is on the list. I'm just getting started, not too many creature comforts there yet!
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
What makes my shop comfortable??? Some carpeting on the floor (yea, much cheaper than anti-fatigue mats), a dust filter, stereo, small refrigerator stocked with orange juice (absolutely no alcohol when I'm near machines), a fan to keep the air moving and a well padded stool for my well padded backside. A few pictures and a tack-board with project ideas. Lighting and air conditioning help, but sometimes it is the solitude of the shop... no phone or interuptions... that make it fun for me. I do a lot of small toys for the local 'toys for tots' program. That is my way of giving thanks for all I have... by making kids happy. THAT is the most comfortable and comforting part of my whole shop.
SawdustSteve
This is like looking in a mirror--bar stool, DC and filter, radio (usually tuned to a home improvement show) air conditioner, fans (Houston in July/August is HOT) small 'frig. no beer before quitting time. Was looking at mats but like the idea of carpet as I have some pieces around that would work but was concerned about cleaning up the saw dust. Coffee pot is in the house but that's only 25 ft. away and keeps the dust out of the coffee, intercom so the better half, a really great cook can call me to lunch. It's a small shop and getting smaller all the time.
In a word NOTHING.
My shop is too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter, and is dusty all the time. It is also, too small, inefficient and lacks storage space( other than that Mrs. Lincoln, how was play).
The only things positive about my shop is its right at home, and I make fairly decent money while out in it.
Rob Millard
Been there, done that. I would bet most of us have tried to work out of a closet at sometime. My first shop was a length of plywood laid over the washer and dryer, actually in a closet. Long way from there now, we actually bought this house because of the shop out back.
Justus Koshiol
Running Pug Construction
Since the only bathroom in my house is on the second floor, I put the porta-potti from my camper in the corner of my shop. I work a lot more comfortably now.
Len
My old dog Crystal lying on the floor and getting in the way. Boom box with coat hanger antenna. The work bench I made.The wood stove tokin' in the winter.Aerosmith's 'Walk This Way' Tokin' in the background.My Onieda DC with a note from my wife.....
Your wife has a great sense of humor. Justus Koshiol
Running Pug Construction
I'm just getting started in mine, STILL waiting on the electrician to make it for the final hook-up, but my dogs love to come in and lay on the cool concrete floor. Gotta get ME some mats or carpet, definitely have a stereo playing some classic R&R - got an older freezer that won't keep things frozen but keeps drinks really cold going in "sweetie's" two-bays of this 3 car garage - can't have it taking up too much of my floor space! Can't wait - and BTW - LOVE the note and the heart on the Oneida! - maybe I'll have to get Doug, my sweetie, to add his own little touch. Right now I still have stud walls visible and had planned to leave it that way but the "lightness" of sheetrock may eventually find it's way in!
Robin, Doug, Molly and Sadie (don't get any ideas about building any doghouses mom - we like the "regular" house just fine!)
If your gonna sheet rock do it now. Other wise you'll start hanging things on the wall and never get around to it. You might want to think about using ply instead of sheet rock, I've heard of a lot of folks doing it and it would be nice for hanging stuff. (too late for me. ) Justus Koshiol
Running Pug Construction
I've attached a picture that I put up on a workbench thread. This is my middle bench of my three and the dog is Sadie!
13 1/2 and tough as old boot leather! Welded to me and seldom more than 10' away if she has anything to say about it!
Tele
Can't say much about the shop, but like the dog.
Actually, I have 3 German shephards (soon to be 4) oldest is 12 and a half and mostly deaf. Now retired.
I don't let the dogs in the shop when working, I'm afraid if one gets underfoot when I might be using a power tool, also, it's bad for their hearing and I need them to hear well when their working.
Jeff
Dale Earnhart Memorial Shrine/ Memorabilia Area.
TV tuned to Atlanta Braves game, football in fall (this year will be tuned to Braves playing in World Series in fall).
Two Golden Retrievers sleeping on the floor.
I wish I could get me dog to hang out with me, but he can't stand it in there. Maybe I should get some doggy head phones. What shop is complete without a dust coverd hound? Justus Koshiol
Running Pug Construction
As I mentioned, I still waiting on the electrical - come to think of it Molly and Sadie may NOT want to hang out with me in the shop once things get RUNNING!!!!!
(HEY! - what kind of cat makes that SOUND!)
Shops running power equipment are poor places for pets. I'm constantly amazed at the seemingly intelligent people who subject their dogs and cats to the dust and ear-piercing noise of a power tool workshop.
A loyal dog will endure practically anything to be with its owner. But that doesn't mean you have to oblige this instinct which can be contrary to their health and well-being.
My dog follows me loyally into the shop, sees I'm about to turn on a machine, and heads right back out.
Smart dog.
I'd agree with you about shops and animals,but. My dog will come into the shop noise and all. She'll usually sit under the table extension fo my tablesaw.
She knows not to get underfoot and frankly when I head into the house for a moment, whoa be the one that comes in their unescorted.
I even, on one job, made a saddle for her to wear with some of my hand tools. This helped a lot untill a squirrel cut across the clients yard. I never did find one of my chisels.
Edited 8/29/2003 12:41:49 PM ET by JAGWAH
Edited 8/29/2003 12:43:20 PM ET by JAGWAH
Sadie the dog in the picture (a few posts back) doesn't mind the noise because she can't hear much any more at almost 14 - that's 98 in human years (THEY say). The big dufus dog, Woody boy, comes in and leaves as soon as something frightening comes on.
With dogs, the biggest realistic problem is that you'll step on them or trip over them. The shop may not be best place for a dog, but the dog'd rather be there than anywhere else!
Ed,
That couldn't be the TV you started watching the '96 world series with right, that TV must have gotten smashed with a piece of scrap 1/4 sawn oak when the NY Yankees won 4 straight and the series. Just curios.
In 1996 I was at sea onboard an aircraft carrier in the Indian Ocean. I had a bet with another pilot from Connecticut who was a Yankees fan (of course). After the Braves were up 2 games to 0 and then blew a 6-0 lead in game four and then went on to lose the world series, I nearly stopped watching baseball forever. I had to take myself off the flight schedule I was so p.o.'d. Yeah, I'm going to say that the Yankees pretty much represent the baseball version of the antichrist to a Braves fan.
You're talking about 99 when the Yankees swept the four games.
Ed
"Tractors are for work, not play." Mississippi State University Extensions Service
I didn't mean a sweep I meant 4 in a row. I'm just breaking chops though the Braves are an awesome baseball team, how smart was it putting Smoltz in the pen to close'em out.
My new favorite item to make the shop like home (maybe better) is my garage sale recliner (covered with a sheet courtesy of LOML). My wife will sit out in my shop while I'm planning or planing. My girls (3 & 5) will wrestle and giggle in the chair while I work. I also have an old PC for the girls to play games on and to do some CAD work once in a while for a plan. My girls keep the cork board filled with art treasures for me to view. I also cut up a few old hand tool calenders for the pictures on my walls. There's also the TV for fall football and winter college hoops. I covered my walls with salvaged antique pine from the building before I "fixed it up" and that gives it a warm look and feel, almost like a lodge. Boy, I really like that old barn turned shop. All I need now is a potty and the internet out there.
"If you keep doing what you've been doing, you'll keep getting what you've been getting." - Unknown
Brian,
I like your quote. I had always heard as:
"If you always do what you've always done,
You'll always get what you always got!"
Alan -- planesaw
Best parts of my shop- fridge (juice,water and of course PEPSI!), microwave and hot plate. Couch for the occasional (daily) nap. Stereo - which I miss very much since my part-timer set a bucket of stain on it and then proceeded to tump it over. Fourteen foot ceilings which allowed me to build a nice loft for storage, library etc. Warehouse fan for the summer - propane heater for the winter. My faithful Cocker/Bichon dog who runs out and jumps in the truck when the power tools are turned on - tried hearing protecor ear muffs but he freaked out.
STEVE
A CD player, in a cabinet out of the sawdust, with a couple of good speakers to play my tunes, lots of Jimmy Buffett and old 60s rock and blues, the occasional James Taylor if I'm designing a piece. A padded old barstool to sit and think instead of stomp and swear. A cooler with iced down waters and soda in the summer, a thermos of coffee in the winter. A couple of pics of my kids and wife. An old golf trophy from when I was good at it. A powerful fan but AC in the very near future. The comfiest part of my shop is the whole thing, just walking in the door puts me in a better frame of mind.
Thanks for reminding me of that!
Kell
Kell, I'll second the lots of Jimmy Buffett! My shop is half of the garage, the loml won't give up her side execpt when I have to finish something. It is an attached garage so I can walk right into the kitchen for coffee. Summers are hot, no AC only a fan, so I do most of my work in the winter, I have a propane heater hung on the wall. Walls and ceiling are all drywall, so it is nice and bright. Lots of tunes on the boombox, looking on ebay for something better. No lazyboy, or tv, not enough room. The cat stays around until I start running tools, and will still stay around once it gets cold enough.We are the people our parents warned us about. J. Buffett
Not many creature comforts but a few. I have six guys in my shop and several others coming and going throughout the day. I bought all my guys the worktune hearing protectors. Even the guys that work out of the shop. They love 'em. No more fighting about what is to be listened to and now I can finally get them to wear hearing protection. There are also six (all different) chairs in the corner and a barrel table that the neighborhood seniors come in and shoot the breeze around. The chairs were all made by my grandfather whose picture(circa 1916) hangs above in his shop in Edinburgh, Scotland. The picture shows his left hand placed on a window sash with all five digits. Above my table saw is a picture of the same great face with the smallest digit missing. I took the picture earlier this year, one month before what would have been his 103rd birthday. A true craftsman. He still is with me every day at work reminding me that quality is better than quantity. That doing it better is better than how fast you did it, and, the tool that took his finger off was the dullest one in the drawer.
jb
On the rare days that I am off, I really appreciate the early morning sun rising up slowly and having windows in my shop that help shower all of the wood and tools with brilliant yellow light.
Not me, Not in AUGUST!
Yeah, that is really nice. I wish there was someway I could simulate that light all day long, but then I guess it wouldn't be as special.
The work tunes headphones are a good idea. I usually listen to NPR talk all day (and night) but sometimes I like to have my music on. Here is an even better Idea that I've not seen yet.
Wireless headphones inside ear protection. Yeah baby! It would be similar to the worktunes headphones, but you could also listen to your own tunes from your stereo. The technology already exists. But nobody has put 2&2 together, yet.
That's it boys, I'm going to best buy next week and pick up a set of wireless headphones, rip em' apart and stuff the guts into my -32D ear protection. If it works I'll make my IPO in about two months. Early investors could be rich! I could be the next BILL GATES!!
Whoa, hold on there, got a little carried away. Maybe just the next Donald Trump.
Cheers. Justus Koshiol
Running Pug Construction
Radiant floor heat.
Bad back made me look at getting more "comfy" as I was NOT interested if finding another line of work.
Little things,,,, rolling carts and workbenches at various heights. Main workbench at the PROPER height finally. A foot activated switch on the tablesaws, (no bending) I raised other switches on other machines (no fumbling) Raised various tools to suit me (6'3") PLaner, tablesaw, resaw, which helps a LOT.
Reflooring the whole shop was not an option so to get off the concrete, I took 1/2 OSB and hot glued little pads on the bottom on a 16"grid (no joist hard spots) and cut these to fit the main traffic areas. This works WAAAAY better than the rubber mats and is cheap too..
Painting the whole place was a good move too. Beige epoxy on the remaining concrete and white walls and ceilings make the place pleasant ,easy to clean, and improves the light.
ECCO shoes made a noticable difference and I reccommend them highly
My 12' high ceilings and a rolling bench I made. It is 20 x 36 and the same height as my workbench. It is so coooool. I do have a problem with my lighting in that it causes static with my stereo. I must say, it is an old 8 track player but without the lights on, the FM plays wonderful. The lights are 4 tub 4' florescent and there are 9 of them. Any ideas short of replacing my lights?
Ken K
Are the tubes the right type for your ballasts? In other words, are you, for example, using T12 tubes on T8 ballasts, or preheat tubes on rapid start ballasts? Take a look at the labeling on the fixtures, and pop the covers off the fixtures and look at the labels on the ballasts. Are they used fixtures that might have ballasts for 240 or 277 volts?
If you left the radio where it is, but powered it from a remote outlet somewhere else in the house via an extension cord, does it get better? If you disconnect the wiring to the lights one at a time do you find there's one fixture that's bad, or do all of them cause the static? Are all the tubes seated properly?
Thanks for the reply.
To answer some of the questions, they are new fixtures when I built the shop. I took a radio and with an extension cord I plugged it in the same outlet as my stereo and ran it outside my shop and it worked fine. I put a TV antenna up to draw a better signal and that did help to a point that I can get 2 stations. I also tried one of those 80 dollar filters and that didn't work either. By the way, I did try other outlets with the extension cord, all with the same results.
Ken K
So if the same radio works fine plugged in to power from somewhere else, but not when plugged in in the shop, but the radio is in the same physical location both times, then the interference is through the power and not through the air.
I'd check all the other things suggested, and also check for loose wiring everywhere on the circuit(s) servicing the lights and the outlet. It could even be the light switch. If it is a lighted switch the neon light might interfere somehow. You could check that by bypassing the switch as a test.
Maybe someone with more electrical or electronic experience will read this and have other ideas.
You might just need a better radio?
Ken,
Try a good quality surge surpressor with RFI (radio frequency interference) filtering. Read the label, not all have RFI. Also try repositioning the dipole antenna. Bad speaker cables can also cause problems.
But really, 8 track, stereos do just plain wear out.:o)
Enjoy, Roy
Hay Roy,
I did try an 80 dollar filter and it did not work either, but it does work well for my tv and stereo in my house. Go figure.
Ken
I have surge and RFI protection on every electronic component in my house, TV's, stereo's, computer's, VCR's, DVD's, Son's video games, even the phone and answer machine that use electric. The phone lines have surge protection at the computer and on the good phone's.
We had a lightning strike many years ago. Three neighbors had TV's blown, one on each side of me and one the next house down. Some were watching TV at the time and all had no protection, DOH!. My TV's were turned off for the storm. One neighbors' replacement TV was hit by a power surge about 3 years later, still no protection and another blown TV. My lesson learned from the storm, no phone line protection at the time. I lost a cordless phone, answering machine and internal computer modem. The old beater shop stereo (unprotected) died around the same time but I can't tie it directly to the storm. The new shop stereo is protected.
Back to your problem. Broadcast TV sound and FM are close to the same frequencies, I think. I had an old AM/FM radio (boom box) that TV channel sound was marked on it, worked great. The TV antenna should have helped. Since the filter and your other tests didn't work and you can only get two stations I'm betting the tuner is shot.
Try the house stereo in the same position. Oh, better idea, Steal the house stereo for the shop.
One last idea: Labor Day Sales!
Enjoy, Roy
I loved that boombox, should have never taken it out on the windy beach, DOH!
My shop is too small and crowded with scrape wood, but all those scrapes remind me of past projects. I usually have the stereo tuned to NPR or some Van Morrison playing, and occasionally Andre Bocelli. I spend more time then I should looking through old Fine Woodworking mags, or tool catalogs. I enjoy the smell of fresh cut mahagony or walnut. My lighting is a combination of fluorescent and incandescent. My dogs wander in from time to time, just to see what is going on. And of course no shop is complete without a Rigid Tool calender hanging on the wall.
Robert
My shop looks like Fred Sanford's front yard. I did spring for a $17 window fan on Saturday and it's made August much more tolerable. Bought a Shop Vac too in an effort to keep the dust down. The fridge is empty and the dogs come and go as they please, but the most comforting part of the shop is that it is my shop.
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled