Woodcraft Magazine - Americas Top Shops 2011

america’s top shops

Home Sweet Shop  sarah rad

Devoted woodworking hobbyist Bobby Hartness wasn’t thinking about livestock when he renovated a charming horse barn on his Greenville, S.C., homestead. His focus was instead on creating a woodworker’s dream come true. With its comprehensive maintenance system and souped-up machinery, his shop might tempt any woodworker to take up residence— and for good reason, as you’ll soon see.

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driveway winds past the Hartness home and gardens, ending beside a pond at a large, tidy red and white barn. Formerly shelter for horses, this building embarked on a second life in 2001 when businessman Bobby Hartness built on a modern woodworking shop. Now the only horses found here power

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woodworking machines. In semi-retirement, Bobby has become an extraordinarily prolific builder of fine furniture, and his shop reflects his whistle-clean, nononsense approach to woodworking. Power tools are clustered to ease workflow, and wide corridors make it easy to move large boards and

sheet goods between work stations. Toward the center of the 40 x 50' room, four steel support columns contain electrical outlets and air drops and serve as “home base” for major power tools. For example, a 37" belt sander, horizontal/vertical edge sander and 22" planer are grouped around one

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america’s top shops column, while 14" and 24" bandsaws reside at another (along with one of the shop’s three router tables). Wall space is used to store clamps and jigs, while turning and carving tools fit neatly in attractive handmade cabinets with cabriole legs. Order rules the roost, but appearances are not neglected. Bobby built four major banks of floor-toceiling cabinetry (30' wide altogether) of stunning bald cypress, harvested from Hilton Head Island in 1961. He purchased truckloads of 20"-wide, 2"-thick boards of the virgin wood in a liquidation sale to build the cabinets, which include most of the 160 handmade drawers throughout the shop. As a result, everything has a place, from abrasives and hardware to finishes, templates and spare batteries.

During construction, Bobby made sure to have the concrete floor true and even for building furniture. “It’s perfectly flat, with no variances in elevation,” he says. The floor is also spotless, a surprising state for a shop as frequently used as this one. Neatness is a virtue for Bobby, who insists on staying organized and dust-free with a centralized dust-collection system servicing all major tools. He uses flexible pipe and industrial connectors of 20-gauge galvanized steel, and the setup is controlled by an automated Ecogate system. This system uses motorized blast gates that switch on suction only to those tools in use and shutting off the airways to others. “A 3-hp collector will only serve one machine at a time effectively,” Bobby says. For noise abatement his collector

the WorKshop

at a glance

Size: 40 x 50' shop plus living quarters (kitchen, bedroom, display areas for finished projects and antiques) and lumber storage. Ceiling height: 9'4". Construction: Wood frame, 2 x 4" studs, 16" on center. Wooden interior paneling. Poured concrete floor with expansion joints. Four steel support columns clad with drywall.

Heating & cooling: Enclosed HVAC room contains 7-ton air conditioning and 160,000-btu forced-air gas heating units. Large filtration panels assist with ambient air cleaning. Lighting: 30 4' high-intensity fluorescent panels and incandescent spotlights over work stations. Electrical: 200-amp single-phase service panel and 220-amp threephase converter. Dust collection: Penn State 3-hp cyclone dust collector; 5-micron and .05-micron filter bags. Air compressor: 7½-hp Curtis.

PHotoS: DouG JorDan

“If I can draw it, I can build it.” Bobby spends plenty of time at this 3 x 4' drafting table before undertaking any project. He has designed dozens of pieces: tool chests, all types of tables, desks, chests, highboys, chairs, antique-style pieces, and shop jigs and fixtures. As an integral part of his workshop, he built floor-to-ceiling, 8'-wide banks of cabinet/drawer storage space on three of the four workshop walls, plus the 5½'-wide bank shown above.

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Location is everything: Bobby’s shop sits on acreage that the Hartness family held onto while Greenville’s residential area grew up around it. For many years, Bobby’s sister raised and trained horses here; the original barn is at left, the built-on workshop, at right. Inside and out, the shop seamlessly blends into the original structure, which now contains spacious living quarters, a lumber storage room, and covered parking for cars, lawn equipment and a golf cart. The 12' garage door opens into a clear staging area about 12' deep.

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america’s top shops and a pair of filter bags are closed off in a corner closet (see photo on page 48). The a/c and heating system also pitches in with ambient air cleaning; Bobby installed large filter panels in the HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) closet which trap fine airborne particles. An area in the north corner is devoted to finishing, with a sure way to clear the air. A variable-speed fan is installed in a cabinet/window, and Bobby opens a window on the northwest wall to create a corridor of moving air. Spray finish paraphernalia is stored on a wall rack nearby. Though he’s modest about his finishing capabilities, “the worst spray job is better than the best brushed-on finish,” Bobby says. Bobby’s vertical milling machine is a tool not found in most woodworking shops. He uses it to precisely mill intricate joinery, keyholes, and channels for inlay. A digital X-Y-coordinate readout makes it possible from him to

A workstation that works: Outfeed tables added to Bobby’s Rockwell Unisaw extend its surface to 7' in each direction, and an Incra fence system frames the setup. At first, Bobby thought the four steel support columns in his workshop would be liabilities, but instead he found them useful as “home bases” for larger machinery such as this saw. The columns contain electrical and air drops, which help reduce cord clutter, and also host small shelves and a telephone. The green box on the column here is a control panel for Bobby’s Ecogate dust-collection system, which detects when power tools are in use (by their vibration) and shuts off suction to unused areas. The result is much greater vacuum force where needed.

Man with the plans: Even in the midst of all these large machines, “the tool I use most is my pencil sharpener,” Bobby says. This view from the north corner of the workshop shows his 4 x 8' assembly table (with drawers beneath, not shown).

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control the length and direction of cut. While his technical expertise is impressive for a hobbyist and his furniture is beautiful, Bobby never makes a chore of woodworking and maintains a youthful fascination with the beauty of wood and the endless possibilities of design. He has an unhurried and appreciative approach. “Sometimes I’ll just sit and watch a piece of rough lumber come out of the planer. I love to see what the surface will look like. It’s one of the most exciting things about woodworking.” He typically gets absorbed in only one project at a time, sometimes working long hours late into the night. With everything imaginable under one roof, Bobby’s shop isn’t a home away from home—for him, it is home!

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FLoor pLaN america’s top shops

The Floor Plan NW

As a new addition, Bobby’s shop was a blank slate with few rules or limitations. Large, stationary power tools such as his 36" antique bandsaw and his Delta Unisaw leave plenty of room for the operator. His 4 x 8' work table (on the northeast wall, next to the 12' garage door) is comfortably accessible from all sides, with racks of clamps close at hand for project assembly. Much of the northwest wall is dedicated to his Makita LS1212 miter saw with 8' support tables, topped by wall storage racks for scraps and cutoffs. Turning dominates an area of the southwest wall with a Powermatic 4224 lathe and a freestanding storage cabinet for turning tools, beside two pairs of French doors. One corner houses 8' of storage cabinets and a mortising machine, with pegs for router templates on the nearby wall. A central dust-collection system and electrical outlets on four center support columns offer a convenient way to cut back on nuisance extension cords. Most power tools not yet mentioned are clustered around these columns, with the exception of the vertical milling machine near the HVAC closet. Also at this location is Bobby’s 3 x 4' drafting table. Here, he draws meticulous plans for the projects he builds. The “drawing nook” faces a corner HVAC room and is surrounded by shopmade cypress storage cabinets. A full 8 x 8' bath (!) fits neatly between this area and the dust collection/ storage room. This shows how completely Bobby has integrated his living quarters into his shop. Not shown on these plans, the adjacent renovated barn includes a kitchen, living room, office/display room (see page 49) and bedroom (with billiards table). Lumber storage is given its own climatecontrolled 16 x 40' room on the far southeast side of the building.

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sliding miter saw

mortising machine mobile storage cabinet

spindle sander disc/belt sander/buffer sander fan

table saw

4 x 8' work table

router table

drill press grinders jointer

lathe

scroll saw

french doors to yard and pond sW

router table

24" bandsaw

vertical milling machine

router table

garage door to driveway

13" planer

22" planer

14" bandsaw

shop carts edge sander

belt sander

Ne

wet/dry sharpener

36" bandsaw

drafting table

HVaC closet

to living quarters

full bathroom

cyclone dust collector

filtration cabinet

se

“My only regret is not making the shop 40 x 60' instead of 40 x 50'. Because of the economy of adding more space, it just makes sense. This shop is spacious, but it’s a little cramped for the swing of a piece of plywood.” hoW to sUBmit YoUr shop: Got a top woodworking shop filled with ideas for smarter woodworking? You could be featured in Woodcraft Magazine and earn a $100 Woodcraft gift certificate. Send a short writeup, photos and/or sketches and rough floor plan, if possible to:

Jim Harrold, Editor-in-Chief Woodcraft Magazine 4420 Emerson Avenue Suite A P.O. Box 7020 Parkersburg, WV 26102-7020 [email protected]

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america’s top shops

Smart Ideas for the Taking

1

Unique router fixture: This shop-made router fixture positions the router horizontally or vertically by moving it between two bases. Wooden stops lined with foam fill the void in the empty base, keeping sawdust contained and improving the suction of a vacuum hose. In the vertical position, it becomes an overhead router with a changeable pin—which acts as a bearing against a template—on the bottom of the box. The horizontal position makes mortising long boards easy. The assembly includes adjustment stops on top of the table and a threaded rod in back for vertical positioning.

6"

2 Diverse dowel storage: This tall

¾" shelves dadoed in place

1½" diameter 3" diameter

corner rack holds dozens of dowels, threaded rods, and other such items in plain view. Holes of various diameters are cut through the upper shelves and recessed in the bottom shelf to match PVC pipe and other stored items.

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© Copyright © Copyright 2010 2010 by by Woodcraft Woodcraft Supply, Supply, LLC. LLC. All All rights rights reserved. reserved.

33¼"

32"

america’s top shops

3

Guidance from above: This simple router jig positions

a support pin directly above the bit. The jig makes it possible to create profiles on parts—such as gooseneck molding for grandfather clocks—with a bearingless bit. The illustration below shows how to make it. 1½" wood screws

Size to match your table / " bolt

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¾"

¼" bolt ½" steel pin

4

“I swear by my...Incra LS Positioner. I can literally work to tolerances of a thousandth of an inch, and it is so easy. Why more people don’t use these, I just don’t understand.” Rolling storage: A four-door mobile cabinet adapted from

illuStrationS: SHane WierSma

a magazine plan opens to reveal rows of router bits and smaller hand tools. The upper router bit shelves are angled forward for easier viewing of bits in the back rows. Closed, the whole assembly appears neat and rolls easily into a corner; overall size is 22 x 36 x 72".

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america’s top shops Born-again bandsaw: Bobby rebuilt this 36" 1905 Crescent and added a 32 x 38" Mylar table, plus a Plexiglas panel covering the saw’s open pulleys. It weighs a ton and runs without vibration.

Dust collection’s private digs: In this 8 x 14' room (above right), a 3-hp cyclone dust collector sucks down the bulk of dust particles which travel here through a system of flexible hose from dust-producing workstations. The air is then pulled through 5-micron and .05-micron filter bags, which are sealed off in a shop-made airtight cabinet with two tall doors hung on long piano hinges and sealed with strips of rubber (overall dimensions: 29½ x 46 x 74"). Bobby works at his router station 25' from the virtually soundproof “dust room,” which scrubs air at a rate of 1,400 cfm. Visible over his shoulder on the southwest wall is steel shelving with hooks for setup blocks, wrenches, and other router table necessities.

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© Copyright © Copyright 2010 2010 by by Woodcraft Woodcraft Supply, Supply, LLC. LLC. All All rights rights reserved. reserved.

america’s top shops

Bobby Hartness - designer & woodworker “It isn’t important how good a woodworker you are. It’s how much you enjoy it that counts.”

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arly on, Bobby used his skills as a machinist and engineer to help build the family business, Hartness International, based in Greenville, S.C. His father started the company as a Pepsi bottling franchise and became a major innovator in packaging, assembly lines, and conveyor equipment. In spite of his background, he finds woodworking more difficult. “You have to deal with warpage and imperfections, which are key to the beauty in the wood. No two pieces are alike— they have different grain, different texture, different density—all these variables. That makes it interesting and fun.” Bobby is now semi-retired and spends long hours—whenever he wants—absorbed in furniture projects. He’s a leading member of the Greenville Woodworkers Guild, one of the most active in the country, and is often tapped by fellow members for design and technical assistance. He hosts woodworking events on behalf of the guild at his home and shop, where many admire his extensive antique tool collection.

Wood-centric surroundings: The second floor of Bobby’s living quarters (above) used to be a hayloft, but now it’s a showplace for his finished projects and antique woodworking equipment. Downstairs (left), more antiques and finished projects furnish the TV room.

Slant-front desk: Bobby enjoys the challenge of reconstructing period details. He designed and crafted this desk. (The chair is by Brian Boggs.) Multi-drawer cabinets: Dovetailed drawer sides are exposed in the modernly styled cabinet at top, while a more classic look belongs to Bobby’s signature piece at right. He’s made several of these, some as gifts and some to store hand tools in his shop. Another houses his collection of handmade knives by local craftsmen.

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The Man With A Plan

John Uhler’s Basement Workshop

 craig entzle

When you enter John’s shop, the first thing you notice is how clean and bright it is. Within a few seconds, you forget that you are in a basement. The next thing that strikes you is the amazing array of tools that occupy this modest 550 sq. ft. space.

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s you cruise down the quiet suburban streets of America, most likely you’re not thinking about spectacular workshops, but it’s probably no surprise to many that below ground lie some of the coolest shops imaginable. Such is the case with Pennsylvanian John Uhler, an amateur woodworker who has managed to get just about every

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Rubber floor tiles make the concrete floor easy on the feet and kinder to dropped tools. Plenty of wall cabinets and drawers keep hand tools and small items dust-free and organized.

tool you can think of into his tidy basement enclave. It’s not a big deal to get a lot of stuff into a limited space, but to make it efficient and workable is no small feat. Yet that’s exactly what John has done. John got the woodworking bug around age 14. Eight years ago, after he married and started a family, he went house hunting, seeking a place

where he could pursue his passion. He wanted a place with a sound basement where he could assemble his dream shop. His purchase of a 1950s-era Cape Cod proved just such a place. It has an 8' basement ceiling, which is rare. John took measurements and had worked out the floor plan within days of his first house tour. Way before settlement,

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Dec 2007/Jan 2008

america’s top shops

PHoToS: PauL anTHony

he knew where everything would go. As his precocious 12-year-old daughter Kim put it, “My dad’s a man with a plan.” Now 44 years old, John is settled in and very pleased with his shop. When John moved in, the basement housed a small efficiency apartment with various partitions and a suspended ceiling, which meant that his first project was some demolition work. As he started to remove a wall that divided his shop area in half, he decided to leave about 12" of the wall hanging down from the ceiling and covered it with pegboard. This proved to be a

wise decision because now it provides centrally located storage for lots of small clamps, saw blades, and other sundries. The next job was to paint all the walls white and install plenty of light fixtures. Despite the fact that there is little natural light, this shop is as bright and cheerful as any above ground. Interlocking rubber floor tiles surround all floor areas not covered by machinery. Although John doesn’t get to spend as much time in the shop as he would like, he’s looking forward to the time when he can. When that day arrives, he knows that all of his planning will pay big dividends in efficiency and enjoyment.

“The fun of turning is to discover what beautiful surprise nature has inside the wood and trying not to spoil it once you’ve found it.”

the WorKshop

at a glance

Type: Basement with outside entrance and inside access from first floor. Size: “L” Shape, 22'-8" x 26'-9", with 8' ceiling.

Construction: Concrete block with concrete floor. Fiberglass insulation in ceiling between joists to dampen noise. Heating: Oil-fired boiler located in furnace room off of main shop. Cooling: Two ceiling drops from upstairs central air-conditioning unit. Electrical: 125 amp sub panel with 110v and 220v breakers. Lighting: (8) 4'-long bulb fluorescent box-type fixtures, (7) 4'-2 bulb fluorescent open fixtures, and various task lighting at specific machines. Dust Collection: Delta 2-stage, 2-hp unit is located in “root cellar” off of main shop. Ceiling-hung, 3-speed ambient Jet air cleaner plus six small shop vacs for collection at selected machines. Air Compressor: 5-hp, 20-gallon, horizontal Campbell-Hausfeld unit.

John’s table saw outfeed table doubles as a large layout and assembly area when needed. There is just enough room to break down 4 x 8' sheet goods. Note the conveniently located overhead pegboard storage through the center of the shop.

John spends most of his time in the back corner of his shop where his lathes are located. After buying a new Jet lathe, he decided to keep his old lathe so friends can join him for turning sessions.

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WoodcrafT magazine

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NW

america’s top shops

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The Floor Plan

root cellar 11' x 7¼' dust collector

to outside

closet

“An organized shop is a happy shop.”

bench router table

“Planning and organizing today saves time and frustration tomorrow.”

bathroom

sW

Ne

closet study

WoodcrafT magazine

bench

wall cabinets

22' 8"

9" radial arm saw

14" bandsaw 18" bandsaw

8" jointer

bench 14" lathe miter saw

26' 9" V. Shop Vac 1. Tool cabinet 2. cabinet w/buffer 3. Shaper, ½" 4. 8" grinder 5. 10" Wet grinder 6. Scroll Saw 7. bench drill Press 8. Shaper, ¾"

10" outfeed table table/ saw cabinet wood bin

12" lathe

shelves for wood storage

se

9. belt/disc Sander 10. router Table 11. floor drill Press 12. metal bender 13. Scroll Saw 14. 6" grinder

15. Support bench & (3) Small Sanders 16. air compressor 17. Spindle Sander 18. delta 12½" Planer

“If I had to do it over again, I would put down a DRIcore or similar flooring system instead of rubber mats which would make it easier to move machinery around.”

hoW to sUBmit YoUr shop: got a top woodworking shop filled with ideas for smarter woodworking? you could be featured in Woodcraft Magazine and earn a $200 Woodcraft gift card. Send a short writeup, photos and/or sketches and rough floor plan, if possible, to:

Jim Harrold, Editor-in-Chief Woodcraft Magazine 4420 Emerson Avenue, Suite A P.O. Box 7020 Parkersburg, WV 26102-7020 [email protected]

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Dec 2007/Jan 2008

furnace room

Due to the limited amount of time that John can spend in his shop, he likes all of his tools to be “at the ready.” It’s not apparent in the floor plan but many of his tools have staggered heights so that materials will pass over the top or underneath other tools, which means he doesn’t have to move anything in order to work long stock. Note that his planer is positioned so that all he has to do is open his entry door to process extra long boards. A look at the floor plan also reveals that John has two bandsaws, two shapers, two router tables, two drill presses, and two lathes. As a consummate recycler, many of his cabinets and tool bases were rescued from jobsites or the landfill. To keep noise under control, John installed his dust collector in the root cellar. The cellar doubles as a lumber storage area while still more lumber is placed on a small inshop lumber rack and in an outdoor shed. The oil burner in the furnace room provides ambient heat for cold winter nights. And the carpeted study gives John a clean environment for his computer and large library. One more nice amenity: a bathroom, complete with tub and shower. When John gets knee-deep in sanding dust, he can wash up without using the upstairs bathrooms.

wood storage

america’s top shops america’s top shops

Smart Ideas for the Taking

1

Fig. 2

Lathe tool rack: John’s

attractive lathe tool rack could double as fine furniture if it wasn’t function specific. When he built it, he had a set of eight tools. Knowing his turning interest would grow, he designed it to hold 15. As his tool collection grew he realized the rack wasn’t tall enough to accommodate his long bowl gouges. He keeps them in holes drilled in the bottom shelf of his lathe. Fig. 2 shows the rack as he originally built it, but his advice is to build it to accommodate the longest tools you plan to own.

¾" ¾" plywood 2½"

John’s tall right-angle fence jig clamps to his saw’s fence (A) and serves as the foundation for several accessories. The corner slot-cutting sled a (B) is used to make decorative reinforcement for smaller frames. The wedging effect of the free-floating 90˚ block eliminates the need for a clamp. Hold-downs on another sled (C) make it easy to cut splines for larger frames, and a simple sliding work support (D) is used to cut tenons. He recommends you make your jigs to suit your saw’s fence and the projects on which you intend to use them.

rabbet

10"

Fig. 3

10"

A www.wooDcraftMagazine.coM

B

2

angled edge keeps tools in place

Table saw tenoning and splining jig:

2"

3/8"

make bins wide and long enough to hold your biggest tools.

C

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america’s top shops

Smart Ideas for the Taking

3

A

Assembly bench: When John found this carver’s benchtop at an outrageously low clearance price at his local Woodcraft store, he knew he found the nucleus for an immensely handy shop helper. To support the top, he used two trestles from a conference table he found in a dumpster. John made two long side rails from maple, milled two L–shaped slots in each rail, and attached them using ¼" threaded inserts and male threaded knobs. The side rails can be adjusted from flush to 1" above the top (A) perfect for containing work during sanding, planing, and shaping chores. A complementary riser rail can be inserted into the vise to create a perfect 90° clamping and assembly frame (B). One end has a pullout (C) that extends 10" to provide extra support for longer work pieces. A final addition is a sacrificial top from 1/8" hardboard. A cleat on one end can be clamped into the vise if necessary. Although he has larger benches, John favors this one for most of his assembly and finishing work.

adjustable rail restraints

B

C

L-slots let rail drop flush with benchtop Pullout for extra support

Sacrificial top clamps in end vise Fig. 4

4

Saw station and stop: Low tech, inexpensive, and very effective, the extensions can be installed or removed in seconds. Notice how the heights of other shop components play an important role in much of John’s planning. A clever feature of the station is a simple-to-make, quick-to-use reversible stop (inset).

cut-out for easy clamping

Fig. 5

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Dec 2007/Jan 2008

america’s top shops

5 5

Flip-top router table: The router table is

pretty simple and straightforward on the outside but the real innovations are on the inside. There are casters on the back corners, which enable the table to be easily moved by lifting the front and wheeling it to a desired spot. When the top is lifted, the lid stay drops down and engages an internal shelf to hold it up. There is dust collection at the bottom of the trough. Below the trough is a pullout shelf for bit storage and an ample space below for larger items.

6

Multi-function drill press table: John designed this feature-packed drill press table when this bench-mounted model was his only drill press, and it’s still his favorite for daily use. Bolting the drill press to a heavy cabinet and rotating the head 180˚ gave him the capacity of a floor model. The aluminum (80/20) extrusion rail was salvaged from a job site and has proven to be an ideal fence. The table is long enough to support most stock and uses replaceable inserts to reduce tear-out. Check out the clever right angle table and fence, which are handy for drilling the ends of long stock when the table is swiveled under the quill. The right angle table is also adjustable fore and aft.

iLLuSTraTionS: ken brady

adjustable stops for repetitive drilling

Fig. 6 replaceable insert fence clamp makes repositioning easy www.wooDcraftMagazine.coM

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america’s top shops

John Uhler - manager & woodturner “Woodworking gives us an appreciation of the past, a bond to share in the present, and a legacy to leave for future generations.”

A

lthough John’s shop is capable of handling just about any woodworking job imaginable, he enjoys turning the most because he can usually start and finish projects in a day or two. His job as a sales manager for a security firm and his role as a devoted husband and father keep him busy most of the week. As if this isn’t enough, he also enjoys gardening, volunteers at a local nursing home, and is actively involved in his church. It’s not surprising that most of his work becomes gifts for friends and loved ones.

A sampling of John’s turnings. Most of his turning stock comes from local sources, much of it free for the taking.

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Dec 2007/Jan 2008

The High-Powered Gift Shop   . 

Peter Howell took a different approach to house hunting than most folks. instead of looking for a nice house that happened to have space for a workshop, he designed the perfect workshop and then built a house on top.

E

very time Peter Howell’s job took him to another city, he ended up with a workshop bigger than before. But the last move, to the West Virginia town of Hurricane 12 years ago, didn’t provide a suitable offering. “Previously my shops were not as big as I would

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have liked,” Peter explains. “So this time, the workshop was my primary criteria. If the workshop space didn’t check out, we didn’t consider buying the house.” After three or four months of disappointment, Peter decided what

he wanted either didn’t exist or wasn’t available. “We couldn’t find any with a large basement, so I decided to design and build my own home,” he says. The result was a 20 x 58' main workshop in the basement with plenty of room for expansion. Not big enough?

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Feb/Mar 2008

america’s top shops

the WorKshop

at a glance

Size: Main shop, 58 x 20'; panel saw area, 24 x 17'; spray booth, 13 x 13'; lay down and storage area, 22 x 14'. Shop area also includes office and full bathroom.

Construction: Basement shop with 12"-thick concrete-filled concrete block with rebar. Interior 4 x 2 stud walls with fiberglass insulation. HVAC system is separate from house above. Suspended ceiling with acoustical tile. Heating and cooling: 80,000 Btu furnace; 3-ton condensing unit. Lighting: 37 four-tube, 40-watts-pertube fluorescent lights. Electrical: Phasemaster rotary phase converter rated at 40-hp (200 amp 220 volt single-phase panel).

Meeting Peter’s needs for safety and precision, his 7.5 hp sliding-table saw has a computer controlled fence, electronically controlled blade height and blade angle with digital readouts, a riving knife, and enhanced dust collection.

Dust collection: Camfil-Farr 10hp dust collector; four Gold Cap Duraplete cartridges rated at 99.99% removal of 0.5 micron dust with nylon over-bags. Air compressor: 5-hp, two-stage Quincy, 80-gallon tank.

PHotoS: doUg HetHerington

Gifts for the kids

“I have learned through my industrial experience that the macho culture of American males is totally wrong. Men are not always tough, and the accident doesn’t always happen to the other guy. Safe practices and safety equipment like safety glasses, hearing protection, and dust and toxic fume respirators don’t make you a wimp. They show that you care about protecting yourself and your family.”

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Shortly after moving into his new home, Peter joined the local woodworking club. Valley Woodworkers of West Virginia has been making toys they donate to the Salvation Army since 1991. The toys are distributed to underprivileged children at Christmastime. “I got very involved with the toy project and within two years was selected chairman of the toy committee,” says Peter. “One of my observations was that it took too long to produce the toys.” With the acquisition of some highend European machinery (which Peter first saw at an industrial woodworking show that he attended out of pure curiosity), club members cut the production time for each cradle from 6 hours to 2½ hours. In addition, they were able to add rocking horses, alphabet block and wagon sets, and toy wagons. Overall production increased from 100 items annually to 300. Not only does Peter donate his time, energy, and main workshop to this cause, but he also donated his basement family room—

it’s the only place where the new panel saw would fit and still allow the main workshop to function smoothly. Peter was instantly attracted to the European tools for several reasons. Their bases and cabinets are made of thicker cast iron and steel resulting in less vibration and noise, and they are more precise. Although very pricey, these top-shelf tools have saved thousands of hours of shop time. “Before, we spent countless hours hand-sanding each part. This not only wasted time, but led to results that were less than uniform,” Peter says. “These tools were expensive, but now all we need to do is put the 400 parts through the machine once and that’s it. There is nothing left to fix.”

© Copyright © Copyright 2010 2010 by by Woodcraft Woodcraft Supply, Supply, LLC. LLC. All All rights rights reserved. reserved.

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america’s top shops Safety first A chemical engineer with 40 years experience in the chemical and petrochemical industries, Peter has developed an expertise in industrial safety. That expertise carries over to his shop, and during the toy production period he’s got more than just his own well-being to think about. From September through November from four to six club members at a time can be involved in some facet of toy production. Keeping them safe is a high priority for Peter, another reason for the European tools—he was impressed with their safety features. For example, they include multiple safety interlocks. “If the machine isn’t fully ready to run, it won’t turn on. This prevents the machine from turning on when making adjustments,” he says. Other features include dust collection that is integral to the design (to protect the machine’s circuitry as well as to help clean the air); easy to find emergency stop buttons that activate a brake to stop the blade/cutter; and better designed guards (to discourage the user from removing an inferior guard that gets in the way).

When drilling holes to insert tails into rocking horse bodies, Peter clamps a special jig to the drill press table DustCollection with the drill guide Nozzle hole positioned directly below the drill chuck. A 5/16"diameter guide pin penetrates the jig and slides into Guide Pin an alignment hole drilled into the horse body. A 5/8" drill bores a 1"-deep hole into the body. Once all horses have been drilled, the bit is replaced with a countersink. The hinged top section of the jig is then opened and a chamfer is cut around the edge of the hole to ease insertion of the tail. A flexible hose connects the dust collection nozzle to a Fein Turbo Vac III. Mounting the nozzle on an articulated arm helps maximize chip collection.

The addition of two shapers to Peter’s shop dramatically reduced production time. After running components through the bandsaw to cut them to approximate size, club members can cut project parts to final size by pattern shaping. The components are clamped to a pattern jig (several are shown on the wall in the background) that rides against a rub collar mounted below the shaper cutter. The cutter cuts the parts to final size and rounds over the edges in one pass. The shaper shown on the right has a Tapoa guard that serves as both a dust-collection hood and a guard to minimize the risk of fingers getting too close to the cutter. And it includes a spindle that will tilt from -5° to 45°; the left-hand shaper has a tilting spindle as well.

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Beyond machinery, Peter has taken additional steps to make his shop safe. on the task, all workers •mustDepending wear hearing protection, safety glasses, and respirators. that are on the tools must •stayGuards there. Jigs and hold downs keep hands •away from danger. A dust-collection system that doubles •recommended air flows. duct instead of plastic pipe •forSteel dust collection. (A grounding wire along plastic pipe makes the system a capacitator and increases the amount of charge that can be stored.) Anytime 100% of wood dust is not •collected, Peter wears a P100 NIOSHapproved dust mask.

© Copyright © Copyright 2010 2010 by by Woodcraft Woodcraft Supply, Supply, LLC. LLC. All All rights rights reserved. reserved.

Feb/Mar 2008

The Floor Plan

america’s top shops

N

bathroom

air compressor

vacuum

lathe

office

air dryer, filter

grinder

spindle sander disk/belt sander

dust collector

P30n table saw

W

double drum sander shaper #2 shaper #1 wide belt sander

scroll saw

saw horses

file cabinets

radial arm saw

e

workbench

jointer

exhaust fan

bench

planer

drill press

band saw

finishing room

P66 table saw

storage shelves

router table clamps

workbench

file cabinets

vacuum

sanding belt storage

storage shelves

s

“I swear by my shapers. They are the most versatile tools in my shop. For those jobs that could be done on either the router table or a shaper, the shaper does the work quicker and better.” When he designed his workshop, Peter had no idea it would be Santa’s toy workshop part of the year. Good thing he had extra basement space. “The one thing that changed was converting the family room to a shop so I could put the sliding panel saw there,” he says. But the original design, which Peter finalized before the house was built, was on the mark anyway. The tools were arranged to

www.woodcraFtMagazine.coM

maximize available space. Tools that needed long space to function properly—the radial-arm saw, jointer, planer, and workbenches— were located along walls. Other equipment was located next to support columns to reduce the impact on workflow. As a result, four club members at a time can form a production line vastly increasing the overall volume. The tool arrangement in the main shop lends itself to high-

volume production. A workbench and radial-arm saw are aligned to facilitate cutting rough stock to manageable lengths. A few steps through an unobstructed area takes the worker to the jointer. A few steps right takes him to the planer for surfacing, back to the table saw and the adjacent bandsaw. From there, it’s just a few steps to the shaper for final sizing, then over to the wide-belt sander and flap sander. Carts Peter designed (see

© Copyright © Copyright 2010 2010 by by Woodcraft Woodcraft Supply, Supply, LLC. LLC. All All rights rights reserved. reserved.

illustration on page 53) allow for the easy transfer of project parts from station to station. To keep the work area more spacious, the air compressor sits in a separate room; the dust collector is outside. Lumber is stored over the fourcar attached garage. Peter had it specially designed, including a steel beam and columns, to support 300 lbs. per square foot. Sheet goods are stored with the panel saw.

woodcraft magazine

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america’s top shops

Smart Ideas for the Taking

1

Resaw jig: This resaw jig that Peter designed reduces waste and improves the quality of the cut pieces. Here, Peter inserts a walnut board between the jig and the fence. Two featherboards mounted on short pieces of angle iron allow them to be positioned both vertically and horizontally, depending on the height and   thickness of the board. A tight, secure ensures  fit  resawn boards will have uniform thickness and smoothness. The jig itself is clamped to the   bandsaw table.

 

  

 

2 3



Fig. 1

  



&

 

 



    

designed this hose reel (left     Hose rack and drill support: Peter      side of photo)15 years ago and it remains a standard in his shop today. “It seemed like I had vacuum hoses lying all over the floor or I was trying to hang them on the wall. I had difficulty finding them sometimes,” Peter explains. The reel holds 20' of 1½" hose on the lower rack and 30' of 2½" hose on the upper rack. A collapsible leaf at each end of the drill press table gives Peter the flexibility to easily work on vertical pieces, but when locked into the horizontal position, larger pieces, such as rocking horse bodies or wagon parts, get plenty of support.   

 







 

   

 

 



 







    

     

 

52

woodcraft magazine

 







 

 

  

   

    

  

© Copyright © Copyright 2010 2010 by by Woodcraft Woodcraft Supply, Supply, LLC. LLC. All All rights rights reserved. reserved.

   

Feb/Mar 2008

america’s top shops

4

Shop cart: Peter designed this cart with the express purpose of controlling clutter and speeding production so club members could easily move project parts between work stations for the next machining operation. Before he designed the cart, Peter says, “We had piles of wood and components scattered hither and yon on workbenches and saw tables. We were constantly moving components so we could use the table saw or workbench.”

Fig. 3

5

Spray booth: Here’s a safe solution. With 300 toys that need finish coats, club members spend a lot of time in Peter’s spray booth. Peter inserts a ¾" plywood panel into the 36" exterior door. The panel holds the ¾-hp, 24" explosion-proof fan. Four large screened windows in the office are opened to provide clean makeup air while the fan clears fumes and overspray. The booth walls are covered with 4 mil plastic sheeting; a canvas drop cloth protects the floor. The spray gun operator is fitted with a full-face supplied air respirator when working with toxic materials. A cartridge respirator could also be used, Peter says, but the cartridges would have to be replaced frequently. Inset: a block glued to the plywood panel provides a filler allowing the clamp to hold it securely against the doorstops. “It works well. I’ve been doing it this way for a long, long time,” Peter says.

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© © Copyright Copyright 2010 2010 by by Woodcraft Woodcraft Supply, Supply, LLC. LLC. All All rights rights reserved. reserved.

woodcraft magazine

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america’s top shops

Peter Howell - safety engineer and toymaker “Making toys for the Salvation Army not only helps underprivileged children but also is a great way for our club members to learn the basics of woodworking and how to safely use tools and machinery.”

P

eter got his introduction to woodworking as a youngster, making wooden boats, planes, and cars under the watchful eye of his grandfather, a master carpenter. His interest never waned, but other than woodshop classes in middle school, working with power tools had to wait until Peter graduated from college, got a job, and had an income. “I bought a radial-arm saw with my first paycheck,” Peter recalls. “In those early years, I used my income tax refund each year to buy another piece of machinery,” including the drill press and combination belt/disk sander he uses to this day. As a chemical engineer, Peter spent 30 years involved in the design, operation, maintenance, and management of chemical plants. For the last 10 years he has been self-employed as a safety consultant to the chemical, petrochemical, refining, pulp and paper industries, and the federal agencies that regulate them. Yet, at age 63, he has no plans to retire any time soon. Peter joined the Valley Woodworkers of West Virginia Club after moving to the Charleston, West Virginia, area 12 years ago. It was his first experience with a club, but his knowledge of woodworking and workplace safety was instantly valuable. He served as chairman of the club’s Toy Committee and offered his basement shop as headquarters for the club’s annual toy-making program. From September through November, club members produce over 300 toys, in this and other members’ workshops, that the Salvation Army provides to underprivileged children as Christmastime. Peter says there is significantly less activity in his shop during the December-August “off-season.” As time allows, he makes furniture and toys for his family. With the addition of new power tools s several years ago, club toy production increased from 100 cradles each year to 175 cradles plus alphabet blocks with wagons, rocking horses, and wagons. The club has donated 5,540 toys since 1991. The toys are made from local Appalachian hardwoods such as ash, cherry, walnut, and maple, which the West Virginia Forestry Association provides. A local business, Evans Lumber Company, donates hardwood plywood, and other local businesses donate steel axles, lacquers, and other supplies, which cover about 90% of the total cost. The balance comes from the club’s treasury.

hoW to sUBmit YoUr shop: got a top woodworking shop filled with ideas for smarter woodworking? You could be featured in Woodcraft Magazine and earn a $200 Woodcraft gift card. Send a short writeup, photos and/or sketches and rough floor plan, if possible, to:

54

woodcraft magazine

Jim Harrold, Editor-in-Chief Woodcraft Magazine 4420 Emerson Avenue, Suite A P.O. Box 7020 Parkersburg, WV 26102-7020 [email protected]

© © Copyright Copyright 2010 2010 by by Woodcraft Woodcraft Supply, Supply, LLC. LLC. All All rights rights reserved. reserved.

Feb/Mar 2008

The Floor Plan

Clamps

e

Wall-mounted dehumidifier

Simple 2x4 bench (built first) Work tables

Side clamp rack

Window seat

Post Compound sliding mitersaw

Belt sander

Garage door

16"band saw

Nelda's scrollsaw

Work bench

Tornado room turned into lumber storage

Storage cabinets

8" jointer

Traditional workbench (built last)

n

Outfeed table

Shop table

Stairwell

Refrigerator Jigs & fixtures stored under stairs

Table saw Drum sander

Router table Garage door

15" planer Spindle sander

Shelving

Trio of big machines play "ring around the column"

8" wall Lathe Grinder

Buzz's scroll saw

Mortise machine

Dust collector

Two drill presses Lathe

Shelving

W

A Common SenSe LAyout Buzz and Nelda’s shop layout is constantly evolving. Initially confined to one bay of the attached basement-level garage (the other bay reserved for their car), they contemplated building a separate shop. They decided the basement shop was so convenient that, instead, they built another garage for the cars. “This way we could take advantage of the heating and cooling from the house,” says Nelda. “There is a bathroom at the top of the stairs, and it was pretty easy to put in a telephone and rig it with a light that flashes when the phone rings.” Now the shop occupies the entire former garage space.

The locations of major tools and workstations have changed as the Kellys invested more in their shop and refined their skills. However, the locations of the four posts lined up through the center of the shop have remained central to the workflow (see floor plan above). “The posts can’t be moved because they hold up the house,” Buzz explains. “So we set the tools around those posts. I ran all the ductwork and wiring down the posts to try to save as much space as I could.” Metal ducts extend from the major power tools and up the posts where they connect to main duct wired to the overhead HVAC duct, leading to the Oneida 3-hp

www.woodcraftMagazine.coM

S

Router tables

dust collector. It is controlled at each piece of equipment by a blast gate that turns the system on and off. A recent acquisition, the dust collector prompted yet another reorganization of shop tools. “Before that we had two dust collectors that I put on each machine. It was awkward. The (new) dust collector freed up a lot of other stuff,” says Buzz. At the shop’s core is the Powermatic 66 table saw and rolling side table along with the adjacent Performax drum sander. To the right is a 15" mobile planer; to the left, a stationary jointer. The bandsaw and belt sander are clustered around the end pole. Storage shelves, workbenches,

© Copyright © Copyright 2010 2010 by by Woodcraft Woodcraft Supply, Supply, LLC. LLC. All All rights rights reserved. reserved.

and other tools—including a pair of drill presses, router tables, compound sliding mitersaw, and a scrollsaw—are strategically distributed around the perimeter. Wood is stored in an attached room that also serves as a tornado shelter. Colorful playroom tiles purchased at a local home center offer several advantages. They are comfortable to stand on, have prevented many a dropped tool from denting or breaking, and provide insulation by covering the bare concrete floor. “In the winter, the temperature would fluctuate significantly,” says Nelda. “With this flooring, we have a 65° constant temperature.”

woodcraft magazine

45

The His-and-Her Workshop   . 

can a husband and wife share the same basement workshop and not drive each other up the wall? Buzz and nelda Kelly of indian Springs, alabama, have been doing it for the past 10 years and couldn’t be happier. Ten years ago, when Buzz Kelly first gave serious thought to retiring, he decided to check out a class offered by the Alabama Woodworkers Guild. His wife, Nelda, offered to drive him. They arrived a little early and the doors were still locked, so Nelda hung around, just to make sure Buzz wasn’t stranded. She ended up taking the class too, and together they discovered a hobby to last a lifetime. “I don’t think at that point I realized it would cause such a change,” says Nelda about their newfound hobby. Both in their 50s, Buzz and Nelda’s routine days are vastly different. 42

woodcraft magazine

Now retired from an information technology career at Birmingham Waterworks, Buzz spends much of his day in the shop. Nelda works as a technical planner for a local bank. “I am so jealous,” Nelda says, referring to Buzz’s shop time. “If I didn’t have a really intense, busy job, I’d probably go crazy.” Both are avid students of woodworking. They frequently take classes sponsored by the local guild and elsewhere, learning new skills and then applying them to projects in their own shop. “The good/bad thing about both marriage partners becoming

A pair of 7 x 9' garage doors provides easy access and plenty of fresh air to Buzz and Nelda Kelly’s workshop. At the center of the shop is the table saw with outfeed table and a rolling auxiliary table built to the same height. That’s Buzz in the foreground cutting wood; Nelda is in the background at the European-style workbench—a favorite work station. “We wish we had two,” Nelda says. Colorful foam tiles provide an easy-on-the-feet insulated floor surface. Overhead a central duct attached to the HVAC ductwork carries dust to a central vacuum.

© Copyright © Copyright 2010 2010 by by Woodcraft Woodcraft Supply, Supply, LLC. LLC. All All rights rights reserved. reserved.

a p r i l / M ay 2 0 0 8

AmeriCA’S top ShopS

the WorKShop

at a glance

Size: 33 x 43' with separate space for wood storage. Construction: Cinder block basement that includes two 3 × 6' windows, two standard 7 x 9' garage doors, and one 2' 8" x 7' exterior door. Heating and cooling: Household HVAC system provides heating and cooling.

Lighting: Fluorescent lights; three 8' dual-tube fixtures; seven 4' quad-tube fixtures; two 4'dual-tube fixtures; plus task lighting and magnifying work lamps.

Conceding that they needed more workspace, Buzz and Nelda opted to close off one of the garage doors and use the space in front as a sliding compound mitersaw workstation. A plywood shell around one side captures dust. The back of the shell functions as a clamp rack, as does one side.

woodworkers is that ALL of the money goes to the workshop,” Nelda says with a laugh. “Another is that a weeklong woodworking class becomes a very viable, even attractive, vacation opportunity.”

PHotoS: Brian franciS

“We’re the other half of each other. We talk while we’re working. It’s pretty much togetherness time.”

They credit their rapid development as woodworkers to other guild members for willingly sharing their knowledge. The best payback, Buzz says, “is learning what they’ve done, and then coming home and using our tools to perform these skills on our projects. Sometimes we tweak what we’ve learned to make it our own.” www.woodcraftMagazine.coM

Electrical: All the Kellys’ 220-volt tools draw from a shop-dedicated sub-panel. Dust collection: Oneida Super Gorilla 3-hp cyclone; two jet 1/5-hp air cleaners rated at 1,044 cfm airflow. Air compressor: Single-stage PorterCable rated at 6 hp.

“For three years or so, it seemed that Interjects Nelda, “What Buzz is all we built were shop projects,” Nelda trying to say is that we are incapable of recalls. “It’s hard at first. What they following instructions.” don’t tell you is that to build a shop Fortunately for the Kellys, at the you need a shop.” same time their woodworking interests took off, a relative decided to part with his tools, so they bought them. That got them started with a minimal investment. First they built a simple workbench made of 2x4s. Next, they moved up to more finishedlooking tables for the compound Equipped with multiple vises and a tool tray, the mitersaw and table European-style workbench serves as one of the shop’s saw outfeed table, most versatile tools. Storage space is in high demand in and then graduated a shop with two woodworkers. Screws, tacks, and saw to the Europeanblades occupy one area; various finishing materials sit style workbench on the shelves behind Buzz. they both love.

© © Copyright Copyright 2010 2010 by by Woodcraft Woodcraft Supply, Supply, LLC. LLC. All All rights rights reserved. reserved.

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43

AmeriCA’S top ShopS “The good thing is, he does a lot of the gruntwork things while I am at work. He’s good at sizing and sanding, some of the things that are not the fun part of woodworking, and I really appreciate that.”

Over the years, they have accumulated a full power-tool collection, including two lathes, two scrollsaws, a sliding compound mitersaw, a bandsaw, a table saw, two drill presses, an 8" jointer, several routers, a dedicated mortise machine, spindle sander, belt and drum sanders, two router tables, 15" planer, a couple of sharpening systems, and numerous hand tools. “They say it takes about $10,000 to get started, but $10,000 is a drop in the bucket,” Buzz says.

is 44

woodcraft magazine

One of Nelda’s current projects is a walnut spice box with nine inlaid drawers. Here she’s using a footcontrolled Dremel tool to groove a drawer for string inlay.

“Those card tables have some stringing on the tops that wasn’t in the original,” says Nelda. “That’s the thing about making your own stuff. Each piece is uniquely yours…sometimes on purpose.”

BuZZ KeLLy’S ShoW-StoppinG FiniSh a patient and meticulous person, according to nelda, Buzz gets the credit for the show-stopping finish on their projects—a hand-rubbed process that takes about a week. 1. 2. 3.

4. Buzz and Nelda won a blue ribbon for this pair of Federal-style card tables. Buzz’s table is shown with the top open; Nelda’s with the top closed. Both convert to full- or halfcircle tables.

“Things we would change include buying bigger the first time around,” adds Nelda. “We bought a 6" jointer and then a couple of years later replaced it with an 8". Our advice—buy the best equipment you can afford. You’ll be glad you did.” The Kellys go through phases, in both the types of projects they make and the woods they use. They’ve made projects out of oak, maple, cherry, and walnut, but most of the projects—a blanket chest, a barrister bookcase, a lamp, and two card tables—used mahogany. That was followed by the “walnut phase,” says Nelda, when they created such pieces as hunt boards and spice cabinets. Currently they are in an “ornamentation phase,” which involves adding stringing and inlay into many of their projects. Recently their matched pair of Federal-style card tables earned blue ribbons at the guild’s annual show. Their favorite finish is a hand-rubbed oil finish (see Buzz’s “recipe” below.) All pieces remain in their home or go to friends or family.

5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

Sand the bare wood to 220-300 grit. flood the wood with boiled linseed oil—Hot. (we use a small crock-Pot to heat the oil.) after drying overnight, sand with wet/dry 400-grit sandpaper using boiled linseed oil as a lubricant to create a slurry. (You can add rottenstone to highlight the grain and help fill open-grain woods.) wipe the wood dry again. after 4-5 days, scuff-sand with wet/dry 400-grit sandpaper; wipe down. apply 1 lb cut shellac with smooth (Viva) paper towels (one or two coats). Scuff-sand with wet/dry 600-grit sandpaper. Use mineral spirits for lubricant if desired. wipe down and let dry overnight. apply waterlox sealer with a paper towel. Let dry overnight. Scuff-sand with 600-grit wet/ dry sandpaper using mineral spirits for lubricant. (repeat this step three to four times.) Scuff-sand with 800-grit wet/dry sandpaper, using mineral spirits as a lubricant. Buff with buffing compounds 1 and 2 to medium gloss. wax and buff.

© Copyright © Copyright 2010 2010 by by Woodcraft Woodcraft Supply, Supply, LLC. LLC. All All rights rights reserved. reserved.

a p r i l / M ay 2 0 0 8

The Floor Plan

Clamps

e

Wall-mounted dehumidifier

Simple 2x4 bench (built first) Work tables

Side clamp rack

Window seat

Post Compound sliding mitersaw

Belt sander

Garage door

16"band saw

Nelda's scrollsaw

Work bench

Tornado room turned into lumber storage

Storage cabinets

8" jointer

Traditional workbench (built last)

n

Outfeed table

Shop table

Stairwell

Refrigerator Jigs & fixtures stored under stairs

Table saw Drum sander

Router table Garage door

15" planer Spindle sander

Shelving

Trio of big machines play "ring around the column"

8" wall Lathe Grinder

Buzz's scroll saw

Mortise machine

Dust collector

Two drill presses Lathe

Shelving

W

A Common SenSe LAyout Buzz and Nelda’s shop layout is constantly evolving. Initially confined to one bay of the attached basement-level garage (the other bay reserved for their car), they contemplated building a separate shop. They decided the basement shop was so convenient that, instead, they built another garage for the cars. “This way we could take advantage of the heating and cooling from the house,” says Nelda. “There is a bathroom at the top of the stairs, and it was pretty easy to put in a telephone and rig it with a light that flashes when the phone rings.” Now the shop occupies the entire former garage space.

The locations of major tools and workstations have changed as the Kellys invested more in their shop and refined their skills. However, the locations of the four posts lined up through the center of the shop have remained central to the workflow (see floor plan above). “The posts can’t be moved because they hold up the house,” Buzz explains. “So we set the tools around those posts. I ran all the ductwork and wiring down the posts to try to save as much space as I could.” Metal ducts extend from the major power tools and up the posts where they connect to main duct wired to the overhead HVAC duct, leading to the Oneida 3-hp

www.woodcraftMagazine.coM

S

Router tables

dust collector. It is controlled at each piece of equipment by a blast gate that turns the system on and off. A recent acquisition, the dust collector prompted yet another reorganization of shop tools. “Before that we had two dust collectors that I put on each machine. It was awkward. The (new) dust collector freed up a lot of other stuff,” says Buzz. At the shop’s core is the Powermatic 66 table saw and rolling side table along with the adjacent Performax drum sander. To the right is a 15" mobile planer; to the left, a stationary jointer. The bandsaw and belt sander are clustered around the end pole. Storage shelves, workbenches,

© Copyright © Copyright 2010 2010 by by Woodcraft Woodcraft Supply, Supply, LLC. LLC. All All rights rights reserved. reserved.

and other tools—including a pair of drill presses, router tables, compound sliding mitersaw, and a scrollsaw—are strategically distributed around the perimeter. Wood is stored in an attached room that also serves as a tornado shelter. Colorful playroom tiles purchased at a local home center offer several advantages. They are comfortable to stand on, have prevented many a dropped tool from denting or breaking, and provide insulation by covering the bare concrete floor. “In the winter, the temperature would fluctuate significantly,” says Nelda. “With this flooring, we have a 65° constant temperature.”

woodcraft magazine

45

AmeriCA’S top ShopS

Smart Ideas for the Taking Blade safe: This white mahogany blade safe brought order to the Kellys’ blade collection. A joint project they completed several years ago, the safe features 20 drawers. It’s easier to build than it looks. “Simple joinery and a ¼" dado cutter,” says Buzz.

1

Fig. 1

Plywood guide: Cutting large plywood panels down to size on a table saw can be a bit cumbersome, so Buzz devised this plywood cutting jig. When down, the flip-up fence shows the exact location of his circular saw blade, eliminating a measuring step. “Now I just measure one time, flip the board and cut the line with my saw,” says Buzz. The jig is adaptable to other portable power tools, such as a router and jigsaw.

2 Fig. 2

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woodcraft magazine

© Copyright © Copyright 2010 2010 by by Woodcraft Woodcraft Supply, Supply, LLC. LLC. All All rights rights reserved. reserved.

a p r i l / M ay 2 0 0 8

AmeriCA’S top ShopS

3&4

Panel sled: Buzz built this panel sled years ago when he had to cut a large piece of countertop, and it has been a fixture in the shop ever since. Designed for safety, the sled is constructed of ½" plywood on the bottom and 2 x 6" risers. Wooden runners on the bottom fit into the table saw slots to guarantee smooth, square cuts.

Fence support: Another safety device is

Fig. 3

this simple sliding fence, ideal for cutting stock on edge. The workpiece is clamped to the sliding fence and the cut is made as shown here - fingers well out of harm’s way. “It’s much easier than trying to balance a board on edge, like when you are cutting a raised panel,” Buzz says.

5 Fig. 4

Tool rack : Although they continue to outfit their shop with new tools, the Kellys occasionally put their old tools to good use. They acquired this lathe and collection of turning tools from Nelda’s brother-in-law. The simple angled stand keeps the tools within easy reach. www.woodcraftMagazine.coM

© Copyright © Copyright 2010 2010 by by Woodcraft Woodcraft Supply, Supply, LLC. LLC. All All rights rights reserved. reserved.

woodcraft magazine

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AmeriCA’S top ShopS

Buzz and Nelda’s Toy Build-A-Thon

I

n 2007 the Alabama Woodworkers Guild donated 7,400 toys to local organizations. Various guild members hold build-a-thons at their home workshops in the fall as the deadline for completing the projects nears. On Fridays, guild members meet at the local Woodcraft store and use the store’s shop for build-a-thon projects. Cars, jewelry boxes, and game boards are the most common items. Buzz and Nelda host one or two sessions at their home each September and October. On these days, a shop usually occupied by one or two woodworkers may see 27 guild members at work. In about four hours they can complete 300 cars and jewelry boxes. Many of the cars are left unpainted so children can paint them as part of their physical therapy. Toys are distributed among several organizations, including the Children’s Hospital in Birmingham, the Alabama Department of Human Resources, and the Alabama School for the Deaf and Blind.

hoW to SuBmit your Shop: got a top woodworking shop filled with ideas for smarter woodworking? You could be featured in Woodcraft Magazine and earn a $200 Woodcraft gift card. Send a short writeup, photos and/or sketches and rough floor plan, if possible, to:

48

woodcraft magazine

Jim Harrold, Editor-in-Chief Woodcraft Magazine 4420 Emerson Avenue, Suite A P.O. Box 7020 Parkersburg, WV 26102-7020 [email protected]

© Copyright © Copyright 2010 2010 by by Woodcraft Woodcraft Supply, Supply, LLC. LLC. All All rights rights reserved. reserved.

a p r i l / M ay 2 0 0 8

The Floor Plan Mobility—that’s the key to RogeR’s 24 x 30' baseMent shop. “With as many tools as I have and the size of my shop, my tools have to be mobile,” Roger explains. “The exceptions are the Powermatic 90 lathe, Unisaw, planer, and bowl lathe.” The Unisaw with two outfeed tables—one fixed and one mobile— occupies the center of the shop (see the Floor Plan at right). A 13" planer and 26" bowl lathe occupy fixed positions on one side of the table saw, while a fixed workbench occupies the other. The Powermatic 90 lathe is fixed on the opposite side. Between the table saw and sizeable workbench behind is an open workspace. The remaining tools are parked around the shop’s perimeter, providing Roger with unobstructed passageways around the shop. All other tools can be rolled into this area for temporary use. To conserve even more floor space, Roger hangs frequently used items from the joits above and has built workstations on three beam support (jack) posts. Drop-down extension cords and ducts for the dust collectors are also attached to the joists to minimize clutter. Roger stores sheet goods in the garage where he has a hoist and an overhead storage area. That way he can cut the sheets to smaller pieces in the garage and then feed them through the pass-through or carry them down to the shop. Rough stock slides easily though the passthrough and is stored on racks at the mitersaw station. Exotic woods acclimate in racks between the joists until needed. Roger equipped his shop with Jet dust collectors strategically positioned in corners around the shop. “It’s more expensive to do it this way, but they don’t make as much noise, so my wife can watch TV and do her needlework undisturbed. And they do a good job of containing the dust,” Roger says. The walls are put to good use, too. Here Roger keeps various tools, saw blades, clamps, and jigs out of the way but close at hand. A trio of small rooms along one side provides Roger with a convenient restroom and sink, a small office, and additional storage.

www.woodcraftMagazine.coM

“I would pick a location where I would have an outside entrance. I encourage anyone who is thinking of building a below grade shop to have a walkout basement.” Lumber door

Dust collector

Large Lathe Tools

Wall cabinets Wall cabinets and lathe tools

Tool box

Lathe Mini lathe Bathroom

Grinder on pole mount

Table saw Jack post

Dust collector for router Router table

Lumber cart

Planer

Jointer

Bandsaw

Storage Sawblade rack and pegboard tool storage

Belt sander

Bowl lathe

Out feed table

Drill press Work bench

Tool storage cabinet

Grinder on pole mount

Spindle sander Chop saw

Disc sander

Lumber rack

Work bench cabinet

Wall cabinets

Dust collector Air compressor

“Five years ago I bought a Delta Unisaw with Uniguard and added an Incra fence system. Together, they’re the greatest thing since sliced bread.” hoW to sUbMit yoUR shop: got a top woodworking shop filled with ideas for smarter woodworking? You could be featured in Woodcraft Magazine and earn a $200 Woodcraft gift card. Send a short writeup, photos and/or sketches, and rough floor plan to:

© Copyright © Copyright 2010 2010 by by Woodcraft Woodcraft Supply, Supply, LLC. LLC. All All rights rights reserved. reserved.

Jim Harrold, Editor-in-Chief Woodcraft Magazine 4420 Emerson Avenue, Suite A P.O. Box 7020 Parkersburg, WV 26102-7020 [email protected]

woodcraft magazine

45

The (Way) Above-Average Below-Grade Workshop   . 

roger mcclure’s basement workshop is packed to the rafters (joists, actually) with tools and accessories, but that doesn’t prevent him from keeping a tidy shop. it’s all about using space wisely—and creatively. At first glance, Roger McClure’s Louisville, Kentucky, workshop looks like any other. But then it dawns on you how much stuff Roger has without

being crowded. When you’ve been at the woodworking game as long as he has, you learn a thing or two about economizing space. “Because of the size of my shop, I’ve got to use the top, bottom, and middle,” says the 78-year-old retired machinist. “And everything is full.” Roger and his wife, Jo, built their house 17 years ago. A standard stairway leads to a twothirds basement underneath. Unfortunately, wishing it were a full basement doesn’t make

it so, so Roger had to adapt. Over the years he put the space he has to good use. Sheet goods, for example, are stored in an overhead space in the garage, and long stock enters the shop through a special covered pass-through at left (much like a pet door) cut in the foundation wall. “You should have heard the builder when I told him to come over and start cutting through the concrete,” Roger says with a laugh. The pass-through is located above the Powermatic 90 lathe (see the floor plan on page 45).

ROGER DEVISED A UNIQUE METHOD of transferring rough stock from his garage to the basement. Because the garage floor is 3' below the basement ceiling, Roger had his contractor cut this 12 x 20" pass-through hole through the foundation well. 42

woodcraft magazine

© Copyright © Copyright 2010 2010 by by Woodcraft Woodcraft Supply, Supply, LLC. LLC. All All rights rights reserved. reserved.

J u n e / J u ly 2 0 0 8

the WoRkshop

aMeRica’s top shops

“Because of the size of my shop, I’ve got to use the top, bottom, and middle, and everything is full.”

Once in the basement, long stock is stored on racks above and below the compound mitersaw. Exotic woods, which tend to be in shorter lengths, are stored separately on racks Roger built between the floor joists. “I have to let it cure for up to two years,” Roger explains. “It’s a great place for it to air and cure.” Clamps, various jigs, and pushsticks are also hung—like woodworkers’ stalactites—from the joists, where they are out of the way but easily accessible, as are the drop-down power cords. A unique arrangement of dust collectors, each with its own remote control, also conserves space. Roger uses three Jet 650s with 4" ducts attached to the joists and running to the tools or, in the case of the compound mitersaw, making just a short run from collector to tool. The collectors are unobtrusively placed in corners. A ceiling-mounted Jet air filtration system removes airborne particles, helping preserve a healthy shop environment while keeping fine dust from settling on the furniture and countertops in the main living spaces above. Wall space is put to effective use as well. Roger built two sections of joisthung cabinets that store a variety of

at a glance

Size: 24 x 30' with separate 8 x 10' office and 8 x 10' bathroom/finishing/ supplies storage room. Construction: Basement shop with concrete walls and 8' (exposed) ceiling.

Heating and cooling: Lennox twostage sealed combustion gas furnace and 3-ton air-conditioner. Lighting: Sixteen 4'-long 32- and 40-watt dual-tube fluorescent lights plus six ceiling-mounted halogen task lights aimed at selected tools. Electrical: Four 220-amp circuits and eight 120-amp circuits Dust collection: Three 650 cfm Jet dust collectors and two shop vacuums; one Jet 650 cfm threespeed air cleaner. Air compressor: Puma 4.6 cfm 120 psi.

accessories and provide convenient parking spots underneath for larger machines, the majority of which are mounted on casters with special parking feet (see Figure 2 on page 46). A large pegboard rack on a third wall provides additional storage. Even a trio of floor-to-ceiling support posts was put to good use. Each has a pole-mounted workstation that Roger designed (see Figure 1 on page 46). Two support grinders and the third, positioned next to the drill press, keep bits (and a telephone) easily accessible.

PHotoS: BrYan moBerLY

FROM THE OPPOSITE VIEW, WE SEE an open area between Roger’s workbench and table saw. Here, Roger wheels in his mobile machines for planing, jointing, scrollsawing, and routing. The area also provides ample room for assembling large projects.

www.woodcraftMagazine.coM

© Copyright © Copyright 2010 2010 by by Woodcraft Woodcraft Supply, Supply, LLC. LLC. All All rights rights reserved. reserved.

woodcraft magazine

43

aMeRica’s top shops Near the center of the shop is the Delta Unisaw, equipped with Uniguard and Incra fence. After going through a series of contractor’s saws, Roger bought this one five years ago. “It’s a fabulous saw,” he says. A fixed outfeed table and a mobile tool chest with a surface at the same height provide additional support when working with long pieces. Stationary tools (a 13" planer and 26" bowl lathe) occupy the space on one side; a stationary workbench is positioned on the other. Between the table saw and a larger workbench is an open work area. Roger rolls the tools stored around the shop’s perimeter into position here, performs the needed tasks, and then rolls them back to their parking spots. Cushioned rubber mats cover the concrete floor at key standing locations. “At 78, you need all the comfort you can get,” Roger says. With this arrangement, Roger has everything he needs to make the furniture and turned pieces found throughout his home. Finished projects, usually made of oak, walnut, or exotic woods, include an entire bedroom suite, coffee tables, end tables, a humpbacked trunk, and an array of turned pieces and jewelry boxes. Not bad for a guy who started making airplanes out of orange crates in the third grade. Projects around the family farm kept Roger interested until he entered high school, where the tools in the shop class fueled a desire to start making his own projects. “I dreamed that one day I would have a shop like I did in my high school woodworking days,” Roger recalls. Roger had no formal woodworking training, but during a 40-year-career as a machinist and later an instructor with Phillip Morris, Roger built a collection of tools and developed his skills. “They didn’t have woodworking magazines like they do today,” Roger says. His years as an instructor continue to serve him well. Several times a month Roger does product demonstrations for a tool manufacturer and serves as an instructor at Louisville-area Woodcraft stores.

MOST OF THE TIME the tool’s metal fence is fine for Roger’s 6" jointer with its short bed. But when jointing long stock, he lengthens the infeed table with a shop-made extender. It’s a laminate-surfaced infeed table/solid-stock fence combo attached to the tool with a C-clamp. “I only use it when working with big pieces,” Roger explains. “Ninety percent of the time I use the tool’s fence.”

INCOMING ROUGH STOCK CAN SLIDE either over or under the

compound mitersaw, which has two 2 x 10' lumber storage shelves above and two more below. The No. 2 dust collector (seen in the near background) is dedicated to this saw. A 12 x 18" dust-collection hood helps keep the shop clean. “It makes a horrendous mess if you don’t contain the dust,” Roger says. Box-like wings measuring 4' long on each side of the saw base provide ample support for long stock.

ROGER BUILT THIS SOLID ROSEWOOD ROUTER TABLE six years ago

and outfitted it with an Incra lift and LS17 fence. The surface measures 34 x 44". Three drawers contain progressively larger router bits. The table includes emergency stop buttons for the 3½-hp router plus a lockout switch so Roger doesn’t have to take time to open the cabinet and unplug the router before changing bits. Three drawers hold various tools and templates for more than 40 different types of dovetails. 44

woodcraft magazine

© Copyright © Copyright 2010 2010 by by Woodcraft Woodcraft Supply, Supply, LLC. LLC. All All rights rights reserved. reserved.

J u n e / J u ly 2 0 0 8

The Floor Plan Mobility—that’s the key to RogeR’s 24 x 30' baseMent shop. “With as many tools as I have and the size of my shop, my tools have to be mobile,” Roger explains. “The exceptions are the Powermatic 90 lathe, Unisaw, planer, and bowl lathe.” The Unisaw with two outfeed tables—one fixed and one mobile— occupies the center of the shop (see the Floor Plan at right). A 13" planer and 26" bowl lathe occupy fixed positions on one side of the table saw, while a fixed workbench occupies the other. The Powermatic 90 lathe is fixed on the opposite side. Between the table saw and sizeable workbench behind is an open workspace. The remaining tools are parked around the shop’s perimeter, providing Roger with unobstructed passageways around the shop. All other tools can be rolled into this area for temporary use. To conserve even more floor space, Roger hangs frequently used items from the joits above and has built workstations on three beam support (jack) posts. Drop-down extension cords and ducts for the dust collectors are also attached to the joists to minimize clutter. Roger stores sheet goods in the garage where he has a hoist and an overhead storage area. That way he can cut the sheets to smaller pieces in the garage and then feed them through the pass-through or carry them down to the shop. Rough stock slides easily though the passthrough and is stored on racks at the mitersaw station. Exotic woods acclimate in racks between the joists until needed. Roger equipped his shop with Jet dust collectors strategically positioned in corners around the shop. “It’s more expensive to do it this way, but they don’t make as much noise, so my wife can watch TV and do her needlework undisturbed. And they do a good job of containing the dust,” Roger says. The walls are put to good use, too. Here Roger keeps various tools, saw blades, clamps, and jigs out of the way but close at hand. A trio of small rooms along one side provides Roger with a convenient restroom and sink, a small office, and additional storage.

www.woodcraftMagazine.coM

“I would pick a location where I would have an outside entrance. I encourage anyone who is thinking of building a below grade shop to have a walkout basement.” Lumber door

Dust collector

Large Lathe Tools

Wall cabinets Wall cabinets and lathe tools

Tool box

Lathe Mini lathe Bathroom

Grinder on pole mount

Table saw Jack post

Dust collector for router Router table

Lumber cart

Planer

Jointer

Bandsaw

Storage Sawblade rack and pegboard tool storage

Belt sander

Bowl lathe

Out feed table

Drill press Work bench

Tool storage cabinet

Grinder on pole mount

Spindle sander Chop saw

Disc sander

Lumber rack

Work bench cabinet

Wall cabinets

Dust collector Air compressor

“Five years ago I bought a Delta Unisaw with Uniguard and added an Incra fence system. Together, they’re the greatest thing since sliced bread.” hoW to sUbMit yoUR shop: got a top woodworking shop filled with ideas for smarter woodworking? You could be featured in Woodcraft Magazine and earn a $200 Woodcraft gift card. Send a short writeup, photos and/or sketches, and rough floor plan to:

© Copyright © Copyright 2010 2010 by by Woodcraft Woodcraft Supply, Supply, LLC. LLC. All All rights rights reserved. reserved.

Jim Harrold, Editor-in-Chief Woodcraft Magazine 4420 Emerson Avenue, Suite A P.O. Box 7020 Parkersburg, WV 26102-7020 [email protected]

woodcraft magazine

45

aMeRica’s top shops

Smart Ideas for the Taking

1

Jack-post workstation: Using as much available space as possible, Roger even put three basement jack posts to work by designing pole-mounted workstations. In this case, pieces of pine are cut to fit around the pole, secured with bolts, and topped with 1" medium-density fiberboard (MDF) and plastic laminate (see Figure 1) to support a high-speed bench grinder. The center station holds the telephone and drill bits for the nearby drill press, and the third station holds the 7" low-speed bench grinder.

Fig. 1

2

Fig. 2

Parking feet: Here’s a simple tip to secure a rolling cabinet that uses nonlockable casters. Roger fashioned these parking feet (see Figure 2) from scrap lumber and 1" rubber chair leg tips. A quick spin with a drill driver turns each chair tip securely against the floor for a secure grip.

46

woodcraft magazine

© Copyright © Copyright 2010 2010 by by Woodcraft Woodcraft Supply, Supply, LLC. LLC. All All rights rights reserved. reserved.

J u n e / J u ly 2 0 0 8

aMeRica’s top shops

Fig. 3

3 Segment cutting jig: Precision is a must when cutting segmented rings and staves. Roger designed the jig (shown above) so each of the 16 pieces in a ring is cut at 11¼º. To make one just like it, see the Figure 3. To use the jig, clamp the stock against the 111/4 degree end of the adjustable stop. Repeat this procedure to make the initial cut for all the segments. Then reverse the stop end for end to make the cut at the other end of each segment. Clamp each one against the square end.

4 Fig. 4

Stave cutting jig: For cutting staves, Roger uses this jig to ensure safety and precise repeat cuts. First he attaches a clamp to the 2"-square workpiece and cuts it to the appropriate angle (11¼º). Because the next cut would be made on a workpiece no longer square, Roger secures it to the jig with toggle clamps and safely slides it through the blade. To make one for your own shop, see Figure 4. www.woodcraftMagazine.coM

© Copyright © Copyright 2010 2010 by by Woodcraft Woodcraft Supply, Supply, LLC. LLC. All All rights rights reserved. reserved.

woodcraft magazine

47

aMeRica’s top shops

Smart Ideas for the Taking

5

Bowl press: Roger designed this press (Figure 5) to glue up his segmented and stave turnings. The frame and base are made of solid stock and a piece of Baltic birch plywood. Pressure is applied by a 1" dowel handle fitted into a German 11/4x18" bench screw (Woodcraft #01H41; $54.99). The screw’s foot pad, which he had made at a machinist’s shop, attaches with an Allen screw.

Fig. 5

6

30º triangle cutting jig: “I’m as proud of this as any piece of furniture I’ve ever built because it was complicated to build and the edges fit so well,” Roger says of his triangle table with fluted legs, which measures 21" tall and 26" corner to corner. Made of American black walnut with a polyurethane finish, the table is the result of a triangle-cutting jig (Figure 6) Roger made that produces exactly 30º cuts every time (see illustration).

48

woodcraft magazine

Fig. 6

© Copyright © Copyright 2010 2010 by by Woodcraft Woodcraft Supply, Supply, LLC. LLC. All All rights rights reserved. reserved.

J u n e / J u ly 2 0 0 8

Roger McClure - A True Master of Many Skills

N

ot only is Roger an accomplished turner and furniture builder, but he is also pretty good with do-it-yourself home improvement projects too. This space used to be a deck. After a contractor enclosed it and installed drywall, Roger built the fireplace mantel, shelves, and cabinets. In fact, Roger built everything shown here except the mirror and antique clock.

AN OCCASIONAL DEMONSTRATOR AND TESTER for Incra Precision Tools, Roger not only talks the talk, he walks it as well as evidenced by this wooden-hinged masterpiece box. Note the dovetail-within-dovetail seamless corner joints and beveled top.

ROGER SPENDS A LOT OF TIME at his Powermatic 90 lathe. The 12 x 18" hood

collects dust particles, while a shower curtain suspended from hooks catches larger chips, causing them to fall to the floor within a confined area for easy cleanup. A tray on the machine bed keeps tools within arm’s reach. Also within easy reach is a remote control for a joist-hung TV and DVD player. “I turn off the lathe and watch technique videos by top woodturners,” says Roger. “Then I turn on the tool and try to duplicate what I learned.”

SOME OF ROGER’S MANY TURNED PROJECTS include (clockwise from top) a spalted-maple bowl, a natural edge bowl of maple, a travel mug, a staved lidded container and segmented bowl.

www.woodcraftMagazine.coM

© © Copyright Copyright 2010 2010 by by Woodcraft Woodcraft Supply, Supply, LLC. LLC. All All rights rights reserved. reserved.

woodcraft magazine

49

The Floor Plan

Clamps

e

Wall-mounted dehumidifier

Simple 2x4 bench (built first) Work tables

Side clamp rack

Window seat

Post Compound sliding mitersaw

Belt sander

Garage door

16"band saw

Nelda's scrollsaw

Work bench

Tornado room turned into lumber storage

Storage cabinets

8" jointer

Traditional workbench (built last)

n

Outfeed table

Shop table

Stairwell

Refrigerator Jigs & fixtures stored under stairs

Table saw Drum sander

Router table Garage door

15" planer Spindle sander

Shelving

Trio of big machines play "ring around the column"

8" wall Lathe Grinder

Buzz's scroll saw

Mortise machine

Dust collector

Two drill presses Lathe

Shelving

W

A Common SenSe LAyout Buzz and Nelda’s shop layout is constantly evolving. Initially confined to one bay of the attached basement-level garage (the other bay reserved for their car), they contemplated building a separate shop. They decided the basement shop was so convenient that, instead, they built another garage for the cars. “This way we could take advantage of the heating and cooling from the house,” says Nelda. “There is a bathroom at the top of the stairs, and it was pretty easy to put in a telephone and rig it with a light that flashes when the phone rings.” Now the shop occupies the entire former garage space.

The locations of major tools and workstations have changed as the Kellys invested more in their shop and refined their skills. However, the locations of the four posts lined up through the center of the shop have remained central to the workflow (see floor plan above). “The posts can’t be moved because they hold up the house,” Buzz explains. “So we set the tools around those posts. I ran all the ductwork and wiring down the posts to try to save as much space as I could.” Metal ducts extend from the major power tools and up the posts where they connect to main duct wired to the overhead HVAC duct, leading to the Oneida 3-hp

www.woodcraftMagazine.coM

S

Router tables

dust collector. It is controlled at each piece of equipment by a blast gate that turns the system on and off. A recent acquisition, the dust collector prompted yet another reorganization of shop tools. “Before that we had two dust collectors that I put on each machine. It was awkward. The (new) dust collector freed up a lot of other stuff,” says Buzz. At the shop’s core is the Powermatic 66 table saw and rolling side table along with the adjacent Performax drum sander. To the right is a 15" mobile planer; to the left, a stationary jointer. The bandsaw and belt sander are clustered around the end pole. Storage shelves, workbenches,

© Copyright © Copyright 2010 2010 by by Woodcraft Woodcraft Supply, Supply, LLC. LLC. All All rights rights reserved. reserved.

and other tools—including a pair of drill presses, router tables, compound sliding mitersaw, and a scrollsaw—are strategically distributed around the perimeter. Wood is stored in an attached room that also serves as a tornado shelter. Colorful playroom tiles purchased at a local home center offer several advantages. They are comfortable to stand on, have prevented many a dropped tool from denting or breaking, and provide insulation by covering the bare concrete floor. “In the winter, the temperature would fluctuate significantly,” says Nelda. “With this flooring, we have a 65° constant temperature.”

woodcraft magazine

45

AmeriCA’S top ShopS

Smart Ideas for the Taking Blade safe: This white mahogany blade safe brought order to the Kellys’ blade collection. A joint project they completed several years ago, the safe features 20 drawers. It’s easier to build than it looks. “Simple joinery and a ¼" dado cutter,” says Buzz.

1

Fig. 1

Plywood guide: Cutting large plywood panels down to size on a table saw can be a bit cumbersome, so Buzz devised this plywood cutting jig. When down, the flip-up fence shows the exact location of his circular saw blade, eliminating a measuring step. “Now I just measure one time, flip the board and cut the line with my saw,” says Buzz. The jig is adaptable to other portable power tools, such as a router and jigsaw.

2 Fig. 2

46

woodcraft magazine

© Copyright © Copyright 2010 2010 by by Woodcraft Woodcraft Supply, Supply, LLC. LLC. All All rights rights reserved. reserved.

a p r i l / M ay 2 0 0 8

AmeriCA’S top ShopS

3&4

Panel sled: Buzz built this panel sled years ago when he had to cut a large piece of countertop, and it has been a fixture in the shop ever since. Designed for safety, the sled is constructed of ½" plywood on the bottom and 2 x 6" risers. Wooden runners on the bottom fit into the table saw slots to guarantee smooth, square cuts.

Fence support: Another safety device is

Fig. 3

this simple sliding fence, ideal for cutting stock on edge. The workpiece is clamped to the sliding fence and the cut is made as shown here - fingers well out of harm’s way. “It’s much easier than trying to balance a board on edge, like when you are cutting a raised panel,” Buzz says.

5 Fig. 4

Tool rack : Although they continue to outfit their shop with new tools, the Kellys occasionally put their old tools to good use. They acquired this lathe and collection of turning tools from Nelda’s brother-in-law. The simple angled stand keeps the tools within easy reach. www.woodcraftMagazine.coM

© Copyright © Copyright 2010 2010 by by Woodcraft Woodcraft Supply, Supply, LLC. LLC. All All rights rights reserved. reserved.

woodcraft magazine

47

AmeriCA’S top ShopS

Buzz and Nelda’s Toy Build-A-Thon

I

n 2007 the Alabama Woodworkers Guild donated 7,400 toys to local organizations. Various guild members hold build-a-thons at their home workshops in the fall as the deadline for completing the projects nears. On Fridays, guild members meet at the local Woodcraft store and use the store’s shop for build-a-thon projects. Cars, jewelry boxes, and game boards are the most common items. Buzz and Nelda host one or two sessions at their home each September and October. On these days, a shop usually occupied by one or two woodworkers may see 27 guild members at work. In about four hours they can complete 300 cars and jewelry boxes. Many of the cars are left unpainted so children can paint them as part of their physical therapy. Toys are distributed among several organizations, including the Children’s Hospital in Birmingham, the Alabama Department of Human Resources, and the Alabama School for the Deaf and Blind.

hoW to SuBmit your Shop: got a top woodworking shop filled with ideas for smarter woodworking? You could be featured in Woodcraft Magazine and earn a $200 Woodcraft gift card. Send a short writeup, photos and/or sketches and rough floor plan, if possible, to:

48

woodcraft magazine

Jim Harrold, Editor-in-Chief Woodcraft Magazine 4420 Emerson Avenue, Suite A P.O. Box 7020 Parkersburg, WV 26102-7020 [email protected]

© Copyright © Copyright 2010 2010 by by Woodcraft Woodcraft Supply, Supply, LLC. LLC. All All rights rights reserved. reserved.

a p r i l / M ay 2 0 0 8

The Floor Plan Mobility—that’s the key to RogeR’s 24 x 30' baseMent shop. “With as many tools as I have and the size of my shop, my tools have to be mobile,” Roger explains. “The exceptions are the Powermatic 90 lathe, Unisaw, planer, and bowl lathe.” The Unisaw with two outfeed tables—one fixed and one mobile— occupies the center of the shop (see the Floor Plan at right). A 13" planer and 26" bowl lathe occupy fixed positions on one side of the table saw, while a fixed workbench occupies the other. The Powermatic 90 lathe is fixed on the opposite side. Between the table saw and sizeable workbench behind is an open workspace. The remaining tools are parked around the shop’s perimeter, providing Roger with unobstructed passageways around the shop. All other tools can be rolled into this area for temporary use. To conserve even more floor space, Roger hangs frequently used items from the joits above and has built workstations on three beam support (jack) posts. Drop-down extension cords and ducts for the dust collectors are also attached to the joists to minimize clutter. Roger stores sheet goods in the garage where he has a hoist and an overhead storage area. That way he can cut the sheets to smaller pieces in the garage and then feed them through the pass-through or carry them down to the shop. Rough stock slides easily though the passthrough and is stored on racks at the mitersaw station. Exotic woods acclimate in racks between the joists until needed. Roger equipped his shop with Jet dust collectors strategically positioned in corners around the shop. “It’s more expensive to do it this way, but they don’t make as much noise, so my wife can watch TV and do her needlework undisturbed. And they do a good job of containing the dust,” Roger says. The walls are put to good use, too. Here Roger keeps various tools, saw blades, clamps, and jigs out of the way but close at hand. A trio of small rooms along one side provides Roger with a convenient restroom and sink, a small office, and additional storage.

www.woodcraftMagazine.coM

“I would pick a location where I would have an outside entrance. I encourage anyone who is thinking of building a below grade shop to have a walkout basement.” Lumber door

Dust collector

Large Lathe Tools

Wall cabinets Wall cabinets and lathe tools

Tool box

Lathe Mini lathe Bathroom

Grinder on pole mount

Table saw Jack post

Dust collector for router Router table

Lumber cart

Planer

Jointer

Bandsaw

Storage Sawblade rack and pegboard tool storage

Belt sander

Bowl lathe

Out feed table

Drill press Work bench

Tool storage cabinet

Grinder on pole mount

Spindle sander Chop saw

Disc sander

Lumber rack

Work bench cabinet

Wall cabinets

Dust collector Air compressor

“Five years ago I bought a Delta Unisaw with Uniguard and added an Incra fence system. Together, they’re the greatest thing since sliced bread.” hoW to sUbMit yoUR shop: got a top woodworking shop filled with ideas for smarter woodworking? You could be featured in Woodcraft Magazine and earn a $200 Woodcraft gift card. Send a short writeup, photos and/or sketches, and rough floor plan to:

© Copyright © Copyright 2010 2010 by by Woodcraft Woodcraft Supply, Supply, LLC. LLC. All All rights rights reserved. reserved.

Jim Harrold, Editor-in-Chief Woodcraft Magazine 4420 Emerson Avenue, Suite A P.O. Box 7020 Parkersburg, WV 26102-7020 [email protected]

woodcraft magazine

45

aMeRica’s top shops

Smart Ideas for the Taking

1

Jack-post workstation: Using as much available space as possible, Roger even put three basement jack posts to work by designing pole-mounted workstations. In this case, pieces of pine are cut to fit around the pole, secured with bolts, and topped with 1" medium-density fiberboard (MDF) and plastic laminate (see Figure 1) to support a high-speed bench grinder. The center station holds the telephone and drill bits for the nearby drill press, and the third station holds the 7" low-speed bench grinder.

Fig. 1

2

Fig. 2

Parking feet: Here’s a simple tip to secure a rolling cabinet that uses nonlockable casters. Roger fashioned these parking feet (see Figure 2) from scrap lumber and 1" rubber chair leg tips. A quick spin with a drill driver turns each chair tip securely against the floor for a secure grip.

46

woodcraft magazine

© Copyright © Copyright 2010 2010 by by Woodcraft Woodcraft Supply, Supply, LLC. LLC. All All rights rights reserved. reserved.

J u n e / J u ly 2 0 0 8

aMeRica’s top shops

Fig. 3

3 Segment cutting jig: Precision is a must when cutting segmented rings and staves. Roger designed the jig (shown above) so each of the 16 pieces in a ring is cut at 11¼º. To make one just like it, see the Figure 3. To use the jig, clamp the stock against the 111/4 degree end of the adjustable stop. Repeat this procedure to make the initial cut for all the segments. Then reverse the stop end for end to make the cut at the other end of each segment. Clamp each one against the square end.

4 Fig. 4

Stave cutting jig: For cutting staves, Roger uses this jig to ensure safety and precise repeat cuts. First he attaches a clamp to the 2"-square workpiece and cuts it to the appropriate angle (11¼º). Because the next cut would be made on a workpiece no longer square, Roger secures it to the jig with toggle clamps and safely slides it through the blade. To make one for your own shop, see Figure 4. www.woodcraftMagazine.coM

© Copyright © Copyright 2010 2010 by by Woodcraft Woodcraft Supply, Supply, LLC. LLC. All All rights rights reserved. reserved.

woodcraft magazine

47

aMeRica’s top shops

Smart Ideas for the Taking

5

Bowl press: Roger designed this press (Figure 5) to glue up his segmented and stave turnings. The frame and base are made of solid stock and a piece of Baltic birch plywood. Pressure is applied by a 1" dowel handle fitted into a German 11/4x18" bench screw (Woodcraft #01H41; $54.99). The screw’s foot pad, which he had made at a machinist’s shop, attaches with an Allen screw.

Fig. 5

6

30º triangle cutting jig: “I’m as proud of this as any piece of furniture I’ve ever built because it was complicated to build and the edges fit so well,” Roger says of his triangle table with fluted legs, which measures 21" tall and 26" corner to corner. Made of American black walnut with a polyurethane finish, the table is the result of a triangle-cutting jig (Figure 6) Roger made that produces exactly 30º cuts every time (see illustration).

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woodcraft magazine

Fig. 6

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J u n e / J u ly 2 0 0 8

Roger McClure - A True Master of Many Skills

N

ot only is Roger an accomplished turner and furniture builder, but he is also pretty good with do-it-yourself home improvement projects too. This space used to be a deck. After a contractor enclosed it and installed drywall, Roger built the fireplace mantel, shelves, and cabinets. In fact, Roger built everything shown here except the mirror and antique clock.

AN OCCASIONAL DEMONSTRATOR AND TESTER for Incra Precision Tools, Roger not only talks the talk, he walks it as well as evidenced by this wooden-hinged masterpiece box. Note the dovetail-within-dovetail seamless corner joints and beveled top.

ROGER SPENDS A LOT OF TIME at his Powermatic 90 lathe. The 12 x 18" hood

collects dust particles, while a shower curtain suspended from hooks catches larger chips, causing them to fall to the floor within a confined area for easy cleanup. A tray on the machine bed keeps tools within arm’s reach. Also within easy reach is a remote control for a joist-hung TV and DVD player. “I turn off the lathe and watch technique videos by top woodturners,” says Roger. “Then I turn on the tool and try to duplicate what I learned.”

SOME OF ROGER’S MANY TURNED PROJECTS include (clockwise from top) a spalted-maple bowl, a natural edge bowl of maple, a travel mug, a staved lidded container and segmented bowl.

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49

The Floor Plan Because local setback requirements prevented Dave from building the larger shop he wanted, lumber storage, tool and bench mobility, and access points dominated his design plan. A drop-down stairway lines up perfectly with the standard-size entry door. When it’s time to load up on lumber, Dave simply rolls the table saw out of the way and has a

straight shot up the stairs. Dave arranged his workflow to move along one long side of his shop. His jointer, planer, and surface sander are all on casters, allowing him to move or position them as needed, depending on the task at hand. The wood lathe is the only immobile large machine, but it is positioned close to a bench and cabinets housing turning equipment and supplies. The result is

“Sheet goods are always hard to store and manage. This rack makes it easy to see just what I have, and work with it.”

a small area in the shop that is fully dedicated to woodturning. Despite the relatively small size of his shop, Dave insists on having adequate space to work on a project. With three benches to choose from and every item except for the wood lathe on casters, Dave can easily approach a workpiece from any side with elbow room to spare.

Vertical mill

Sharpener

“After 20 years, I built my master bench—to fit me. It’s my pride and joy!”

CNC machine

“10 years ago, I decided to dedicate one area of my shop to metal working. It has a vertical milling machine and metal lathe, plus there’s a wire-feed welder and gas welding gear stored in the garage.”

Metal lathe

Scrollsaw Sheet goods rack

“Because of the 9' ceilings, I was able to attach some heavy-duty lumber racks along one side. It makes for easy storage of some of my extra long stock.”

Drill press Toolbox

“Like many of my other tools, I’ve modified my ornamental lathe to make it work smarter.”

Ornamental lathe

Master bench

Bandsaws

Desk Table saw Disc sander Mini lathe

“I swear by my Powermatic Model 66 table saw. I have demonstrated balancing a penny on edge with the saw running several times.”

Adjustable outfeed rollers Lathe

Belt sander “The 10' roll-up door with access to my driveway makes it easy to unload equipment.”

Drum sander

Grinder

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Planer Jointer Dust collector

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woodcraft magazine

45

Sawdust and Sparks

A Versatile Double-Duty Workshop   . 

dave arnold discovered early on that working with wood frequently includes metal as well. and he discovered that much of what he needed wasn’t available commercially. now, after a few workshop modifications, he can make nearly everything he needs—from wood or metal. Dave Arnold described his first workshop as “a hole in the ground divided by a laundry room.” Once, it took more than an hour just to cut the angles on a 16'-long fascia board because of the gyrations required to get it down the stairs and around the corner. No more. The shop Dave, 68, and his wife, Glenna, designed and attached to their New Albany, Indiana, home is so well laid out (see floor plan on page 45), access is no longer an issue. And whether he’s working with wood or metal, Dave’s collection of mobile tools provides plenty of open workspace. “With my finite space and equipment, I’ve not been able to come up with a better layout,” says Dave, a 42

woodcraft magazine

retired safety inspector for the Federal Aviation Administration. After spending 13 years in the basement shop, Dave moved into his new space in 1990. The first thing he did was sell his old table saw and replace it with a Powermatic 66. Now the shop’s workhorse, the table saw (right) has been outfitted with an overhead dust pickup and guard combination and an attached enclosure for his plunge router and lift system (both designed by Dave). “I discovered many years ago that the dust

pickup on table saws, even cabinet saws, left a lot to be desired, and with shop space and storage being at a premium, I wanted to incorporate my router with the saw’s side table,” Dave explains.

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Aug/Sept 2008

the WorKshop

america’s top shops

PHotoS: BrYan moBerLY

“Build as large a shop as you can, and put everything that you can on casters. Make everything that you can mobile. It allows flexibility.”

The remotely controlled separator also serves the jointer, planer, thickness sander, wood lathe, and 18" bandsaw, all of which are on casters or mobile bases. Three benches, also on casters, provide plenty of workspace. His old primary bench—too tall (Dave is 5'6") and lacking adequate storage space—still has a place in the shop, but the new 30 x 84" master workbench is Dave’s pride and joy. “I had 20 years to think about the things I would do when I built my bench. The first thing I did was size it for me,” says Dave with a laugh. The paneling, rails, drawers, and stiles all are made of walnut stock Dave acquired from a friend 20 years ago. The top is 8/4 laminated hard maple. “I love the contrast of those two woods,” says Dave. Although the bench is massive and heavy (Dave estimates it weighs more than 600 lbs.), it had to be mobile. So he designed a retractable caster system that allows him to reposition the bench. Using 5" ball-

at a glance

Size: 17×33' with 9' ceiling plus 10×17' wood storage area in attic.

Construction: Brick exterior on concrete slab; R-19 insulation, 6" stud walls, ½" CDX sheathing; insulated 10' garage door. Heating and cooling: Natural gas forced-air heating and airconditioning. Lighting: Two 2×4' skylights; six fluorescent lights with four 4' bulbs; track lighting with adjustable spotlights over workbench; multiple task lights; and portable light stand. Electrical: Dedicated 60-amp service panel with multiple 110- and 220-volt circuits. Dust collection: Self-customized 2hp cyclone. Air compressor: 22 gallon, 3½-hp Craftsman.

bearing casters and a veneer screw at each end, Dave can raise the bench. “Lifting it requires cranking each end of the bench with its respective screw, and while it’s not really difficult, it’s not something you want to do every day,” says Dave (see page 44). As with any shop, adequate storage space is essential, and Dave’s shop has an abundance of it. Rough stock is stored in the attic and on shelves around the shop’s perimeter. Sheet

Consistent with his plan to make his shop as versatile and user-friendly as possible, Dave mounted the saw on a mobile base. When it’s time to add or remove stock from the attic wood storage area, Dave simply rolls the table off to the side to make room for the drop-down stairs. Ever the innovator, Dave refined a dust-collector design he saw in a magazine and applied it to his shop. He used two galvanized garbage cans and some roof flashing to fashion a dualfiltered centrifugal (cyclone) separator. DAVE DESIGNED AND BUILT THIS MACHINIST’S CHEST and matching hardware chest from mahogany, giving each unit 11 drawers. www.woodcrAftMAgAzine.coM

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43

america’s top shops goods are vertically stacked in a special rack in the garage, just outside of the shop’s main entry door. Wall-hung cabinets neatly contain saw blades; sanders and sandpaper; finishing supplies and spray equipment; glues, tape, and specialty items; turning equipment and supplies; metal working equipment and supplies; and more. Multiple drawers, including an 11-drawer mahogany chest that Dave designed and built, keep smaller items organized and easy to locate. “Including drawers of all sizes, my shop has 94,” Dave boasts. A combination of ceiling-mounted fluorescent lights and task lights provides plenty of illumination. Electrical outlets every 4' give Dave the flexibility to roll mobile lights into virtually any position. To minimize noise transmission to the outside, the shop has just two windows on the short side away from the neighbors, but a pair of 2×4' skylights provides supplemental lighting. Although Dave has no formal woodworking training, he traces his interest in woodworking to his childhood in South Florida. At the age of five he was given a hatchet “and promptly attacked some of the smaller oak trees in the woods behind our house,” Dave recalls. But he cites his interest in aviation (he got is pilot’s license in high school) and his ability to “tear things apart in my mind” as fundamental to the development of his woodworking skills. “I’m technically oriented,” Dave explains, “and I have an inquisitive nature. I am able to pick up a book or manual and extract what I need. My approach has been to read and study. That’s how I progressed.” With his accumulated knowledge, Dave was able to build his own shop and make several furniture pieces for their home. In addition, he has a special fondness for ornamental turning (see page 48). African blackwood is his species of choice, but he

DAVE BUILT THIS 2-HP CYCLONE SEPARATOR

and dust collector for $40 from a magazine plan he modified. A 4" hose runs above the ceiling to allow clearance for the garage door. The blower is behind the bag inside the box to reduce noise, and air is dual filtered before it returns to the shop. Solids fall in the castor-mounted can; dust particles settle inside the bag. “My conventional dust collector was very noisy, and working with the bag was a pain,” says Dave. “I can go for years without emptying this bag.”

often uses European boxwood because it accepts details so well. The heart of Dave’s shop is his table saw, which features several modifications. “I discovered years ago with the pick-up at the bottom of the cabinet and all of the action going on above, efficiency was minimal,” he says. Dave’s answer was an overhead pick-up system and guard combination. A square steel welded arm supports the 4" dust-collection hose. The overhead guard is spring loaded and can be raised and lowered with a handle. To make the folding outfeed table, see Figure 1 on page 46.

the master BeNch AFTER 20 YEARS ON HIS MENTAL DRAWING BOARD, Dave built this master workbench in 2000. For the first time in his woodworking life, he has a bench that is the perfect height for him. The base is solid walnut with 8/4 frame and panel construction with mortise-and-tenon joinery. The top is laminated maple. The front includes six drawers on ball-bearing drawer slides. Dave lowered the opposite side top rail down by its own width, allowing for a full-width (57") drawer directly beneath the benchtop. “I’ve got straightedges, dowels, and bench accessories in there.” But best of all, the 600-plus-pound bench is mobile. DAVE DESIGNED A RETRACTABLE CASTER SYSTEM (similar to a

landing gear—his background is in aviation, remember) that lets him to crank up each end and move the bench to suit his needs). “I spent weeks scratching my head trying to figure out the mechanism,” The final design included 5" ball-bearing casters, veneer screws, stretchers, bracers, and nylon blocks. The bench will clear the floor by 1". Stopblocks assure that the casters are level. 44

woodcraft magazine

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Aug/Sept 2008

The Floor Plan Because local setback requirements prevented Dave from building the larger shop he wanted, lumber storage, tool and bench mobility, and access points dominated his design plan. A drop-down stairway lines up perfectly with the standard-size entry door. When it’s time to load up on lumber, Dave simply rolls the table saw out of the way and has a

straight shot up the stairs. Dave arranged his workflow to move along one long side of his shop. His jointer, planer, and surface sander are all on casters, allowing him to move or position them as needed, depending on the task at hand. The wood lathe is the only immobile large machine, but it is positioned close to a bench and cabinets housing turning equipment and supplies. The result is

“Sheet goods are always hard to store and manage. This rack makes it easy to see just what I have, and work with it.”

a small area in the shop that is fully dedicated to woodturning. Despite the relatively small size of his shop, Dave insists on having adequate space to work on a project. With three benches to choose from and every item except for the wood lathe on casters, Dave can easily approach a workpiece from any side with elbow room to spare.

Vertical mill

Sharpener

“After 20 years, I built my master bench—to fit me. It’s my pride and joy!”

CNC machine

“10 years ago, I decided to dedicate one area of my shop to metal working. It has a vertical milling machine and metal lathe, plus there’s a wire-feed welder and gas welding gear stored in the garage.”

Metal lathe

Scrollsaw Sheet goods rack

“Because of the 9' ceilings, I was able to attach some heavy-duty lumber racks along one side. It makes for easy storage of some of my extra long stock.”

Drill press Toolbox

“Like many of my other tools, I’ve modified my ornamental lathe to make it work smarter.”

Ornamental lathe

Master bench

Bandsaws

Desk Table saw Disc sander Mini lathe

“I swear by my Powermatic Model 66 table saw. I have demonstrated balancing a penny on edge with the saw running several times.”

Adjustable outfeed rollers Lathe

Belt sander “The 10' roll-up door with access to my driveway makes it easy to unload equipment.”

Drum sander

Grinder

www.woodcrAftMAgAzine.coM

Planer Jointer Dust collector

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woodcraft magazine

45

america’s top shops

Smart Ideas for the Taking Cut plugs with 13/4" diameter hole saw

PVC 11/2"x16"

Leg support 3/4x23/8x6"

*34"

1/4x17" threaded rod 1/4" washer

23/8"

3/4x23/8x141/2"

93/4"

Slot for Stock mounted miter gauge to table saw (trim to match saw’s width)

1/2" 1/4" hole 1/2" deep

3/8" flathead machine screw 1/4" notch so rollers fit flush with top of saw.

3/8x21/4"

carriage bolt 16"

*Frame length must be equal to or less than floor-to-table distance. 3/8"x16"

12" 3/8x21/4" carriage bolt

knob

Leg

Install and level table before drilling pivot hole

Fig. 1

3/4x23/8x25"

Adjustable outfeed rollers:

1

To make outfeed rollers like Dave’s, see Figure 1. The rollers are made from 1½" PVC pipe. He cut plugs from ¾" stock and drilled ¼" holes for axles. Then Dave used a disk sander on each blank, sanding just enough of a taper so it would fit inside the pipe. The frame is oak; the rollers are 16" long. With a 35"-high table top, Dave made each section 34" long, allowing for an inch of floor clearance.

16" 3/4x23/8x5"

Threaded insert or T-nut

Use hot-melt glue to tack wood pad to bolt 71/2"

2

5/8x1/4"

deep recess for bolt head

1"

Hold down 11/4x13/8x7" 1/4x31/2" carriage bolt T-knob 1/2"

1"

carriage bolt

3/4"

1/4x1" groove

1/4x31/2"

11/2"

1/4x51/2"

slot

5/8x1/8"

deep recess for bolt head

1/4x4"

3/4x1"

notch

1/4x51/2"

slot

3/4"

12"

3"

Attach runner then trim base to width to establish cut line.

11/4"

13/8"

1/4x12" grooves

2"

3/4"

51/2"

slot

Wing nut Washer

Fence 2x2x30"

7"

5/8"

1/4x51/2"

3"

Fig. 2

Stop

1/2x2x21/4"

2" 21/4" Runner

1/2x3/4x34"

Base

3/4x71/2x34"

carriage bolt

Safer taper jig: Commercial tapering jigs just didn’t cut it, so Dave designed his own. “The premise is that by having it captured in the miter slot with a lockable fence, you can lock a piece on top. It’s much safer to use,” Dave explains. A sled that fits in the miter slot keeps the jig parallel to the blade. An adjustable fence on top is slotted front and back, and Dave can lock it down with wing nuts. To make one like it, see Figure 2. 46

woodcraft magazine

Filename: #24 WC Outfeed table R LeMoine © Copyright © Copyright 2010 2010 by by Woodcraft Woodcraft Supply, Supply, LLC. LLC. All All rights rights reserved. reserved. 6-14

Aug/Sept 2008

Sheet goods rack: Dave stores his sheet goods in a special rack just outside the shop’s main entry door. (See Figure 3 for dimensions.) With his 9'ceiling, he has enough clearance to tip the 8' sheet on edge when sliding it into or out of the rack. 80The base is made of 2×4s covered with sheet metal. “That makes it slick, so the sheets will slide right over it,” Dave says. 36" The 2×6 ceiling frame is attached to studs in the ceiling. Cleats divide 24" the area into several bays set at an angle. o

3

12"

80

o

Secure top frame to studs with 1/4x31/2" lag screws

24"

48"

36" 24" 12"

24"

48"

51/2"

Secure top frame to studs with 1/4x31/2" lag screws

#8 x 3" flathead wood screw 5 /2" Attach scrap plywood to corral 8' tall and shorter sheets. 1

3/4x71/2x30"

Divider cleats (2x4")

#8 x 3" flathead wood 38x49" screw sheet metal

4

Plywood scooter:

To ease the transfer of sheet goods from storage to the shop, Dave designed the plywood scooter in Figure 4. The base is an 18"-long piece of scrap with a notch cut into it. Skateboard wheel assemblies are mounted underneath.

21/2"

18" 11/4"

3/8"

3/4x3/4x16"

angle iron

21/2" 3/8"

5/16" nut 5/16" washers

1"

#8 x 3/4" flathead wood screw 5/16x2" bolt

Fig. 3

Attach scrap plywood to corral 8' tall and shorter sheets.

3/4x71/2x30"

38x49" sheet metal

3/4x36x48" plywood base

Fold sheet metal over front lip

2x4" 36"

16"

3/4x36x48" plywood base

48"

2x4" 36"

clamp rack

Fold sheet Divider cleatsmetal over (2x4")front lip Notch plywood to fit clamps

5/16x4" lag bolt

7/16x31/4"

16"

diameter

ring magnet 48"

Glue magnet to cup washer

5

7/16" 3/4x10" spring steel

Drill or turn recess so magnet is flush with bottom

61/2" 13/4"

Can adjust kerf to fit wood or acrylic strip 13/4"

Roller skate wheel

Fig. 4

clamp rack

Notch plywood to fit clamps

43/4" 2"

3/ 4 "

Drill handle to fit bolt

File handle

Magnetic featherboard:

Filename: #24 WC ply rack Fig. 5 R LeMoine Using a magnet salvaged from an old stereo speaker, 5-27-08 Dave designed the featherboard shown in Figure 5. He used a piece of scrap for the base and attached a file handle on the top.

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woodcraft

Filename: #24 WC p R LeMoine 5-27-08 47 magazine

DAVE PURPOSELY DESIGNED THE ATTIC AREA over the shop so he could keep store lumber out of the way but close by. A ¾" plywood cover (seen on the left in the photo) covers the opening when Dave is working. “It’s recessed so it’s level with the floor,” says Dave. “When I’m restacking or working intently, it gives me a solid floor to work on, and it’s a safety device.” Each side has a sidewall with holes in the bottom. An exhaust fan draws warm air across new lumber, through the holes, and out the vent. “I can take lumber off a freshly cut log in summer and take it down to 10% moisture content in about 10 weeks,” says Dave.

Dave Arnold - Applying His Talents to Turning

W

ith ornamental turning one of his primary pursuits, his modified ornamental lathe is an essential piece of equipment. A year passed between the time Dave ordered it and when it arrived at his shop in 2001. And as he’s done with many of his shop tools, Dave made modifications (five, to be exact) to this one. A member of Ornamental Turners International (OTI), Dave was invited to make a presentation featuring his modifications at the organization’s 2006 convention in Maine.

HERE ARE THREE EXAMPLES OF DAVE’S ORNAMENTAL TURNING DESIGNS. From left: “Five

Balls within a Ball” is made of European boxwood. Standing 21½" tall, the design includes a captured ring on the stand. The ball was done on a standard lathe; the stand on an ornamental lathe. No finish was applied. “It took three months of consistent effort and improvisation to complete it,” Dave says. His “Decorative Bowl” is made of holly with a makore base and an African blackwood ring. The bowl measures 8" in diameter. The “Lidded Box” measures 15" tall. The egg, which opens, is 3½" in diameter and made of spalted tamarin, an Asian species. The finial, stem, and fluted ball are makore.

hoW to sUBmit YoUr shop: got a top woodworking shop filled with ideas for smarter woodworking? You could be featured in Woodcraft Magazine and earn a $200 Woodcraft gift card. Send a short writeup, photos and/or sketches, and rough floor plan to:

48

woodcraft magazine

Jim Harrold - Editor-in-Chief, Woodcraft Magazine 4420 Emerson Avenue, Suite A P.O. Box 7020 Parkersburg, WV 26102-7020 [email protected]

© Copyright © Copyright 2010 2010 by by Woodcraft Woodcraft Supply, Supply, LLC. LLC. All All rights rights reserved. reserved.

Aug/Sept 2008

Better Than New

  . 

From salvage to savings

Like the tools he rescues from the scrap heap, the period pieces Glen Jewell makes for his 168-year-old West Virginia home are better than new.

G

len Jewell runs a rehab center, of sorts, but it’s not for people. This barn on a three-acre wooded lot just a mile from downtown Charleston,West Virginia, is where rundown or disabled tools get reborn.

40

woodcraft magazine

Glen, 72, has a passion for furniture making, particularly period pieces that reflect the era of the log home he shares with his wife, Carol. His second floor workshop occupies a barn Glen built in a style that complements their house. Beyond that, he has a passion for refurbishing old woodworking machines. Of the 19 major tools in his shop, only two (an oscillating spindle sander and a planer) were purchased new. The others he restored to “as good as or better than new” after acquiring them from the state’s surplus property agency, the county school system, or going-out-of-business auctions. “I sometimes feel like a missionary,” Glen explains. “I go out looking for lost souls, make them whole, set them on the straight and narrow, and then

send them out to be productive in their world. I have never had a piece become a backslider.” It started 30 years ago when Glen bought two Delta 12" turret-arm saws for $50. He invested $250 in parts, restored both saws, and later sold

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Oct/NOv 2008

america’s top shops each for $600. The process has been repeated many times to include at least seven lathes, eight bandsaws, five table saws, numerous belt/disc sanders, drill presses, and other tools. Glen has calculated that he has about $10,000 invested in his current tools, but that new replacements would cost nearly $57,000.

The Jewells bought their “needs work” log home 30 years ago (Glen saw only the problems; Carol, the potential, Glen admits). In the 5'9"h×10'w×15'l stone cellar under the house Glen set up shop. Because of its limited size and the need to move the table saw just to rip a board longer than 4', Glen vowed that when he retired he would build a shop large enough to eliminate all of the moving and all of the unplugging and plugging in of cords.

the WorKshop “If you’re planning on building a shop, study what other people have done. Think about how they operate and about your long-term plans for woodworking. That will tell you what size to build it.”

That day finally came. Glen retired from Bell Atlantic telephone 17 years ago and set about building the barn beside the house. The first floor has space for two cars and Glen’s waterfowl-hunting boat, plus a half bath; the second floor contains his 24×32' shop. With benches and wall-mounted cabinets at both ends, and machines permanently set along the long sides and in the middle, Glen has plenty of room to maneuver long boards and sheet goods without moving or unplugging anything (see the floor plan on page 43). “There is one minor exception,” Glen confesses. “I have a bandsaw on a mobile base

PHotoS: K.d. Lett

GLEN’S 12" VARIABLE-SPEED LATHE DOMINATES one side of

the shop. It is flanked by a router-based mortiser/tenoner and shaper, and a Uniplane, over-arm router, and sander. Glen refers to this lathe (his seventh) as his “felon lathe” because it spent 20 years in the WV State Penitentiary.

www.wOOdcraftMagaziNe.cOM

at a glance

Size: 24×32' barn loft.

Construction: Stick-built barn with shop over garage. 3" insulation in 8' walls; 6" insulation in the ceiling. Floor is unfinished tongue-and-groove yellow pine. Exterior is stained board-and-batten cedar. Roof is red tin. Heating and cooling: Ceiling-mounted 80,000 btu forced-air gas furnace; 1½-ton air conditioner. Lighting: Twenty-eight 4'-long twin-bulb fluorescents; halogen task lights over the workbench, flexible-arm fixtures at bandsaws; one mobile incandescent lamp. Electrical: 200-amp main box with six 110-volt circuits and six 220-volt circuits. Ten 20-amp three-phase outlets. Dust collection: Five-inch trunk line between the shop floor and garage ceiling. Four-inch Y branches to individual machines, except for the planer, joiner, and table saw, where the runs are 2'. A 1½-hp blower removes dust from the work area into a compost pile outside. Two Jet air-filtration systems cleanse the shop air. Air compressor: 1-hp, 20-gallon compressor on the ground floor garage. Air is piped to both ends of the garage and shop.

that I move in order to use my overarm router, which is not very often.” As a period furniture maker and tool

A COLLECTION OF VINTAGE HAND TOOLS, including Glen’s grandfather’s handmade tenon marking gauge, is displayed on this end wall, above his mechanical/electrical workbench. The wall cabinet has eight small parts cabinets that contain 176 drawers.

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restorer, Glen is self-taught on both counts. But there was a different motivation for each—making furniture was a necessity; restoring tools, a mission. “I didn’t get into it because I had to. I always knew it was a good piece of equipment. I just didn’t want to see it die on the scrap heap,” Glen explains. When your goal is to furnish a 168-year-old home with period pieces, you have two choices: buy them or make them.“You can look a long time before you find a piece that fits or you can afford, so at first I made the pieces we needed,” he says. With no formal training in either tool reconditioning or woodworking, Glen relied on knowledge he acquired on the job and his ability to retain what he read. “I got the training I needed so I could absorb a lot of information about electro/ mechanical switching machines,” says Glen, who was director of engineering when he retired. “I had the acumen to understand everything they were telling me, and I could comprehend the technical journals.” Armed with a knowledge of how machinery worked, the hardest part after acquiring a tool was tracking down an operating manual or finding replacement parts—that and getting some of the pieces up the stairs and into the shop. In one case the frame of a bandsaw was so heavy, Glen had to secure an eyebolt to the wall at the top of the stairs. Then with the help of a come-along and two friends, they winched it up the stairs and muscled it across the floor. So what takes more of Glen’s time now: tool restoration or furniture building? “Restorations don’t take my time anymore so it is definitely studying or making period furniture,” Glen says. He also maintains an extensive library on period furniture and its construction and attends the annual Colonial Williamsburg Forum: Working Wood in the 18th Century.

THIS ANGLE GRINDER IS GLEN’S PRINCIPAL TOOL when it’s time to

clean up a new find.

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ForaGiNG For LoW-cost tooLs THERE ARE PLENTY OF TOOLS OUT THERE THAT NEED TLC;

you just need to know where to look. And the competition isn’t that intense either, especially now that Glen has decided he’s restored his last tool. “I stopped about two years ago, but I still have to keep reminding myself to pass them up,” he says. If you’re interested in searching for and reconditioning tools or buying used tools, Glen offers these tips:

2

searchiNG For tooLs to restore: • Check out your state’s surplus equipment Web site. • Investigate equipment sales from your local school district. • Search free publications and newspapers containing classified ads for tool bargains or going out of business sales. • Habitat for Humanity may operate a Re-Store in your area. • Visit the U.S. Government’s surplus equipment Web site at www.gsaauctions.gov.

BUYiNG UseD tooLs: • Decide in advance the extent of restoration you intend. Are you simply going to put a blade in a worn-out piece of equipment and put it to work? Are you going to make it mechanically sound but accept its cosmetic weaknesses? Or are you going to make it as good as or better than new? Then… 1. Decide in advance what the tool is worth to you. If bidding at an auction, don’t get caught up in a bidding war. 2. Be patient. If you can’t get a tool now at the price you want, chances are you’ll come across one later at a better price.

© Copyright © Copyright 2010 2010 by by Woodcraft Woodcraft Supply, Supply, LLC. LLC. All All rights rights reserved. reserved.

Oct/NOv 2008

The Floor Plan Unlike many woodworkers who swear by their array of mobile tools, Glen designed his shop for precisely the opposite reason—so that he wouldn’t have to move anything. All major tools but one bandsaw stay put, for two reasons. His machines are older and therefore heavier than many made today, vibration is reduced, and Glen got his fill of “mobile” tools in his first workshop, which was a stone cellar under the house. “If I wanted to plane a long board, I had to drag the planer out the door. If I needed to rip a long board, I had to drag

my table saw out the door. I vowed that when I retired I would build my shop big enough to have a permanent place for each piece of equipment,” he explains. Now most machines are positioned around the perimeter in pods according to function—sanding, scrolling, shaping, etc. His workbench (a conference table cut down to 3×8') is against one wall. Hand tools store in a cabinet above the bench; below, movable horizontal dividers between vertical supports provide 15 cubbyholes to store portable power tools and jigs. Rough

lumber is stored on the first floor with cutoffs, trim molding, and sheet goods easily carried up a 4'-wide stairway to the second floor. Multiple fluorescent lights combined with four six-light barn sash windows and task lighting provide plenty of illumination. Glen’s dust collection, though unusual, is effective and, because there are no bags or buckets, space efficient. Dust is sucked through trunk and branch lines, then blown out a first floor window where it lands in the compost pile.

Hand-tool cabinet Oscillating spindle sander

Desk/computer station

8' workbench

“I feel like there’s nothing I can’t do in my shop.”

15" drill press

Belt/disc sander Drum/flap sander

7' assembly table w/ four vises

Sheet goods storage

Router-based mortise/ tenoner “Vibration is the enemy of good joinery. The weight of an old tool keeps vibration to a minimum.”

Table saw extension/ router table 20" bandsaw 2hp shaper with 4-speed stock feeder

Radial-arm saw

10" tilting arbor table saw

Outfeed table

“Rubber mats here and there provide some comfort, but it’s the wood floor that makes the real difference.”

Grinder/buffer

12" lathe

Sharpening station 6" rotary plane

8" joiner

Overarmrouter/shaper

Lumber storage

14" bandsaw 13" planer

Hollow chisel mortiser

26"-wide belt variable speed sander

Metal/wood bandsaw Carving bench

26" Scrollsaw

“It has worked okay for me, but I don't recommend a shop on the second fl oor.”

6' workbench small parts cabinets

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woodcraft magazine

43

america’s top shops

Smart Ideas for the Taking

1 Simple saw rack: This 10slot saw rack allows Glen to store handsaws in a convenient location yet still protect the blades. A hole is drilled at a 22° angle into each section of block so it intersects the adjacent slot. Then a small rubber ball is inserted into the hole. When a saw is placed in the slot, its weight pulls the ball down and wedges the saw into the slot.

Fig. 1

2 Outrigger roller: Because a drill-press table is not very large, a long piece of wood can shift or get out of level. To solve the problem Glen secured a small-diameter roller to a piece of scrap, and then clamped the scrap in a nearby vise to provide outfeed support. 44

woodcraft magazine

Fig. 2

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Oct/NOv 2008

Hands-free kill switch: Most of the time, a woodworker needs both hands when operating a table saw. Releasing one hand to find a kill switch can be inconvenient and risky. Glen fashioned this H-shaped device so that the kill switch can be activated with nothing more than a glancing blow from a knee or hand. He attached a rubber bumper to the back of the vertical piece so it lines up with the standard OFF switch. “All I have to do is hit that board anywhere and it shuts the saw off, a real safety feature,” Glen says.

3

Fig. 3

Pattern reproduction fence: With this jig, Glen can make exact duplicates of a pattern for a candlestick table. When cutting away small pieces, they sometimes wedge between the saw and fence causing a rough edge or worse—a bent blade. This design allows Glen to simply flick the piece out of the way before any damage can occur. The fence is made of poplar, and it’s covered with an orange shellac to keep it from warping.

4

Fig. 4

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woodcraft magazine

45

At home with craftsman Glen Jewell

R

aised on a hardscrabble hillside farm in West Virginia, Glen learned early on what it was going to take to make it in the world—industry, ingenuity, and determination. After finishing high school, Glen packed up those traits and took them to college, got a degree in business management, and began a 32-year-career with Bell Atlantic Telephone Company supervising various organizations. Glen employs those same traits as a woodworker. His passion for woodworking started 30 years ago when he and his wife, Carol, bought their 1840/1910 log home and immediately set about restoring it. Because one exterior wall of the original log cabin became an interior wall after the 1910 log home was built over it, the first tool he used when embarking on a second-floor remodeling project was a chainsaw. From there, Glen refined his skills and began making style-appropriate furniture for the home. Today, Glen and Carol are avid antique collectors, and he is active in the Valley Woodworkers of West Virgina, Inc., and the Society of American Period Furniture Makers. THE ORIGINAL PART OF GLEN’S HOME WAS BUILT IN 1840,

so many of the pieces he makes are designed to be period specific. Here he shows off a Queen Anne spice box. To Glen’s left is a William and Mary spice box. Both are made of walnut. In the background is a Federal style corner table.

THIS WALNUT CANDLESTICK TABLE is fashioned in the Dunlap style. (We’ll show how Glen built it in an upcoming issue of the magazine.) Glen’s interpretation includes a border of holly inlay and 120° fans in each of the six corners.

GLEN BUILT THIS CHESTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA, BIBLE BOX

from the dimensions on a postcard he received from a friend. The line-and-berry decorative motif was widely used early in that area’s history. The top includes intricate compass work, reflecting the area’s Germanic influence.

hoW to sUBmit YoUr shop: got a top woodworking shop filled with ideas for smarter woodworking? You could be featured in Woodcraft Magazine and earn a $200 Woodcraft gift card. Send a short writeup, photos and/or sketches, and rough floor plan to:

46

woodcraft magazine

Jim Harrold - Editor-in-Chief, Woodcraft Magazine 4420 Emerson Avenue, Suite A P.O. Box 7020 Parkersburg, WV 26102-7020 [email protected]

© Copyright © Copyright 2010 2010 by by Woodcraft Woodcraft Supply, Supply, LLC. LLC. All All rights rights reserved. reserved.

Oct/NOv 2008

Grasping at Saws

  . 

The everything-in-easy-reach workshop

Storage areas and workstations operating in tandem make Bill Sands’ shop flow as smoothly as a hand plane on soft maple.

T

he key to building and outfitting a well-organized, functional workshop is planning and patience. Just ask Bill Sands. After 10 years of planning and four years of outfitting, his Parkersburg, West Virginia, shop is on the verge of completion. “I have one more lathe cabinet to build,” says Bill, a 65-year-old retired research technician. “The shop has evolved to the point where I have what I like.” That means an abundance of cabinets and drawers—some fixed and some mobile—that provide Bill with readyaccess to hand tools and accessories whether he’s at the workbench, sanding station, or table saw. Bill began his shop design 10 years ago when he retired and got serious 42

woodcraft magazine

about woodworking.Back then he had a garage shop and his arsenal of tools was limited to a radial-arm saw and some hand tools. He acquired more tools and set about planning his future shop. “I had a good idea where I was headed before the footings were dug,” explains Bill. “The key is thinking about it, the kind of woodworking you do, and how you want the shop to work from one end to the other. The starting place: make a plan.” That plan became Bill’s dedicated 30x40' outbuilding shop with high ceilings, plenty of wall-hung and base cabinet storage in close proximity to the workstations they serve, and sufficient passageways that provide Bill with easy movement around the

shop. It’s been four years since the shop shell went up and his wife, Bonnie, put her car back in the garage. But because Bill built all of the storage areas himself, installed ductwork for the dust collector, and performed myriad other tasks to outfit the space, making it truly functional has been a work in progress. “It was one of those ‘pile it all in this corner and work in that corner’ type of thing,” says Bill. “As I progressed, things got picked up and put away.” Central to the shop is Bill’s 42×84" multipurpose assembly table (above). Bill topped two small workbench bases with a torsion box, a gridwork of closely spaced ribs sandwiched betwen 3/4" MDF panels, to create a strong rigid assembly table. The box is

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Dec 2008/Jan 2009

the WorKshop

america’s top shops banded with white oak and topped with a replaceable hardboard work surface. Both bases were bolted to the floor for extra stability. Eight drawers on the near end provide plenty of storage for marking, measuring, and miscellaneous tools; eight drawers on the opposite end (close to the lathe) house lathe accessories. Not only is the assembly table one of Bill’s favorite spots because of its utility when working on a project, but it (along with his high-back office chair) serves as the social hub of the shop. “A lot of mental woodworking gets done there,” says Bill. “It’s the equivalent of the old pot-bellied stove at the general store. I think every shop should have one.” In a spacious cluster behind the assembly station (see floor plan on page 45) are the table saw, jointer, and planer. Instead of the more common router insert, Bill outfitted the table saw with a downdraft sanding table as-

shown. Positioned between the table saw rails, it provides a solid work surface without interfering with the saw fence. It is plumbed into the Oneida dust collector and collects dust generated by both power or manual sanders. “To me, good woodworking is similar to good cooking. The best ingredients are required, and adequate equipment is necessary. But both are better when they come from the heart.”

at a glance

size: 30 x 40' with 10' ceiling.

construction: Concrete block with 5"thick reinforced-concrete floor. Fiberglass insulation, 2×6 studs, OSB sheeting under asphalt shingles. Vinyl siding matches the house. heating and cooling: Natural gas forcedair furnace with 2-ton air conditioner. lighting: Eighteen 8' fluorescent lights placed in six rows; each row is switched separately. Task lighting throughout. electrical: 100-amp distribution panel fed by 220-volt single phase from house. 20-amp 110-volt outlets in the ceiling and every 6' along the walls. Ceiling-mounted 110-volt cord reels and 20-amp, 220-volt outlets in the ceiling and every 8' along the walls, with one 30-amp, 220-volt ceiling drop. Two 220/110-volt outlets in the floor. dust collection: Oneida 3-hp super Dust Gorilla ducted with 4" PVC. Three JDS airfiltration systems hang from the ceiling.

Wall and base cabinets behind and below each of the major stationary tools store the necessary accessories. In addition, Bill installed

air compressor: Porter-Cable 60-gallon vertical twin cylinder. Air is plumbed throughout the shop through ¾" copper. Four 30' hose reels are ceiling mounted.

PHotoS: cHad mccLing

dedicated cabinet storage

takes up about 50 running feet of wall space as shown above, while dust-collection drops to stationary tools haul chips and sawdust to Bill’s 3-hp Oneida cyclone dust collector. At right, rows of open cubbies provide homes for an impressive lineup of portable power tools.

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woodcraft magazine

43

bill’s 4×4' mobile sanding station, with eight storage

drawers on one side and a cabinet on the opposite side, is equipped with a 4" dust-collection drop and flexible hose.

a fold-out panel clamping jig attached to the wall between the jointer and planer. “I like to build end-grain cutting boards,” explains Bill. “Gluing up panels for these and other glue-ups is easier with a dedicated panel clamping jig.” Several other dedicated workstations with abundant storage occupy positions at the west end of the shop. Some countertops are covered with rubber mats to provide traction and protect workpieces. Cabinets and cubbies above store hand tools as shown, a various assortment of fasteners, portable power tools, and Bill’s collection of hand planes with a mitersaw station positioned on the countertop. Bill has two mitersaws here— one for fine and one for rough cuts. Also nearby is the sanding station shown. Most of Bill’s sanding and buffing machines are attached to a 4×4" table, also equipped with drawers and cabinets for storage. Although most of Bill’s power tools are stationary, the sanding station sits on casters, offering easy mobility. A 4" dust-collection drop and flex hose make dust collection a snap. To make the best use of wall space, Bill opted for a windowless shop, but multiple rows of fluorescent lights and articulated lights throughout provide sufficient general and task lighting. Ceiling-, wall-, and floor-mounted electrical outlets provide power where Bill needs it but keep cord clutter to a minimum. With a 10' ceiling throughout, the lights, dust-collection ducts, air-hose reels, and air filtrators are out of harm’s way when Bill moves full-size sheet goods or 10' boards into the shop. In addition to building all of the cabinets and drawers for the shop, Bill applies his woodworking skills to building tambour door bread boxes, cutting boards, and keepsake boxes for storing personal treasures. His wood species of choice include canary wood, bloodwood, and cocobolo. “I

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a 3-hp oneida dust collector occupies one corner of the shop by his lumber storage. Four-inch ducts span the ceiling and the shop’s perimeter, with eight separate drops.

especially like canary wood for the color, grain patterns, the way it mills, and the way it smells,” says Bill. And while he prefers oils and wax, shellac is his preferred finish for bread boxes; mineral oil for cutting boards. Although Bill was exposed to woodworking as a youngster, life got in the way—things like careers and raising a family. Bill and his wife, Bonnie, were also active in a motorcycle club, a pursuit that involved spending considerable time on the road. So it wasn’t until he retired that Bill moved beyond the basics of household repairs and turned to woodworking. “In the 10 years since I have read everything I could get my hands on,” says Bill. He also spent three days a week overseeing the local woodworkers’ club shop, absorbing tips and techniques he picks up from other woodworkers.

© Copyright © Copyright 2010 2010 by by Woodcraft Woodcraft Supply, Supply, LLC. LLC. All All rights rights reserved. reserved.

bill’s mobile scrap cart

includes a woven wire bottom so debris falls through to the floor and can be swept up. The five-section sheet goods rack is just inside the rollup door, making transfer of large sheets from trailer to storage an easy task.

Dec 2008/Jan 2009

The Floor Plan Lessons Bill learned while working in a cramped garage shop served him well when planning his new shop in a freestanding building behind his house. And even after the shell was finished in 2004, his plan continued to evolve. “I strove to arrange everything for the most efficient use of the finite space available,” Bill explains. “I vowed to avoid cluttering up the shop with things that don’t earn their keep.” A simple method for stocking the shop with sheet goods and rough stock sets the tone. He simply backs the trailer up to the 7×10' roll-up garage door, giving him easy access to the five-bin sheet goods rack on one side and the wall-mounted

“A well organized shop challenges me to improve my skills and produce quality in everything I build.”

lumber rack on the other. Ten-foot ceilings allow him to move materials into storage or to a workstation without interference from the overhead lights and ductwork. In his old shop, Bill got tired of moving machines every time he wanted to work on a long board or set up a different workstation. Now, all of his major tools are stationary and are arranged in an efficient layout for the basic milling operations of jointing, planing, and sawing. Knowing that space would be at a premium, Bill designed the shop with no windows to take advantage of as much wall area as possible. Dedicated wall-mounted

Power tool cubby

cabinets are positioned next to the machines they serve, such as table saw accessories in the saw cabinet, the hand saw cabinet near the workbench, and sharpening stones and supplies near the sink and bench grinder. Shop amenities include central heating and air-conditioning, on-demand hot water, a well-stocked mini frig, satellite radio, and a high-back, comfortable desk chair when it’s time to turn off the machines, grab a beverage, and sit around the assembly table with Bonnie and friends. “Sometimes with Bonnie and sometimes with friends we solve most of the world’s problems here,” Bill says with a smile.

Planes cabinet Sharpening area Sink Mitersaw station

Wall-mounted tool storage Workbench

Screws, nails, etc. cabinet

Sanding station

Heating/cooling

Air compressor Finishing/spray cabinet Grinder

Router tables

Scrollsaw Tool cabinet

Angle drill press

Planer

“I work to keep my assembly table uncluttered. It makes it a great place for problem solving.”

Assembly table

Shaper

Clamping station

Jig rack

Table saw accessories cabinet

“If I had it to do over again, I’d put the dust collection and air compressor outside to reduce the noise.”

14" Bandsaw

Table saw Jointer Oscillating belt sander

Large drum sander

Downdraft table “I wanted to be able to walk around the shop and not have to turn sideways to get past a machine.”

Drill press station

Lathe

Lathe tool rack

Resaw bandsaw

Dust collection

Portable scrap storage

Grinder

Lumber storage

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© © Copyright Copyright 2010 2010 by by Woodcraft Woodcraft Supply, Supply, LLC. LLC. All All rights rights reserved. reserved.

Sheet goods rack

woodcraft magazine

45

america’s top shops

Smart Ideas for the Taking Quick-and-easy tote box: Bill designed this tote

1

box for a class he teaches on joinery. A single plastic tray can be filled with fasteners or other supplies and slides into an opening in the box’s base. This nearby wall cabinet contains 24 plastic boxes where Bill stores fasteners and small accessories. A hemostat and a magnetic wand are stored inside the doors to make it easier to retrieve items from the small bins inside the boxes.

Fig. 1

2

Circle-sanding jig: This disc sander circle-sanding jig is easily constructed from plywood. By adjusting the knob, Bill can change the diameter of the circle he is sanding. He uses it primarily for sanding circular parts he uses to make wooden toys and puzzles for kids.

Fig. 2

46

woodcraft magazine

© Copyright © Copyright 2010 2010 by by Woodcraft Woodcraft Supply, Supply, LLC. LLC. All All rights rights reserved. reserved.

Dec 2008/Jan 2009

3 Fig. 4

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Two-handed jointer pushpad: For added pressure and stability when face-jointing long stock, Bill designed this two-handed jointer pushpad.

Fig. 3

4

© Copyright © Copyright 2010 2010 by by Woodcraft Woodcraft Supply, Supply, LLC. LLC. All All rights rights reserved. reserved.

Dovetail jig workbench: Bill designed the base that supports the 24" Porter-Cable Omnijig. A stork design adds texture and interest to the cabinet doors and the shop in general.

woodcraft magazine

47

Bill Sands

A

lthough Bill spends a fair amount of time in his new shop, there is life outside of woodworking. He decided he was “too old and brittle” to rekindle his interest in the motorcycle club. Instead, he and Bonnie entertain friends, enjoy smoking/barbecuing on ceramic cookers, and cooking with camp ovens (cast-iron Dutch ovens over coals). In addition to teaching hand tool and joinery classes at the local Woodcraft store, Bill instructs the wood technology class at West Virginia UniversityParkersburg. “I like to see the light come on as the students grasp the concept I am explaining or demonstrating,” Bill says. “The big smiles are great when they have the opportunity to put their knowledge to work.”

here’s a sampling of items Bill has made when he’s not building

cabinets for his shop:

Bill’s collection of hand planes allows him to follow the old saying that “real woodworkers make shavings, not sawdust.”

clocK/business card holder made from “a knurly

piece of wood,” sanded, waxed, and buffed.

end-grain cutting board

made of walnut, canary wood, and hard maple.

dodecahedron, a 12-sided polygon

filled with steel nuts, to be shaken for stress relief. tambour-door breadboX made of oak.

hoW to sUBmit YoUr shop: got a top woodworking shop filled with ideas for smarter woodworking? You could be featured in Woodcraft Magazine and earn a $200 Woodcraft gift card. Send a short writeup, photos and/or sketches, and rough floor plan to:

48

woodcraft magazine

Jim Harrold - Editor-in-Chief, Woodcraft Magazine 4420 Emerson Avenue, Suite A P.O. Box 7020 Parkersburg, WV 26102-7020 [email protected]

© Copyright © Copyright 2010 2010 by by Woodcraft Woodcraft Supply, Supply, LLC. LLC. All All rights rights reserved. reserved.

Dec 2008/Jan 2009

The Floor Plan 3 hp dust collector

Drill press

22" drum sander

Grinder

Wood storage

Cyclone dust collector

Router table Lathe

Outfeed

Outfeed

Mark’s 15×55' basement shop is divided into two sections—the dusty end and the clean end. “I tried to keep the tools that produce the most dust at one end of the shop,” Mark explains. Included here: four sanders, a router table, and a lathe. A table with down-draft dust collection serves the random-orbit sander, spindle sander, belt/disc sanding station, and the drum sander. At opposite ends are a radial drill press and standard drill press, both with dust collection, along with a mortiser and a bandsaw dedicated to resawing. At the shop’s center stand the workbench, a variable speed bandsaw set up for fine scroll cuts, and a sanding table. A jointer and planer await action nearby. A 10×14' bump-out dictated the location of the table saw. With the outfeed table protruding into the bump-out, Mark has room to rip an 8'long piece of rough stock or a 4×8 sheet. Because of the shop’s length, Mark has adequate space between his tools, work surfaces, and benches, so he rarely needs to move any equipment. A garage door that lines up with the interior door leading to the basement makes it easy for Mark to get his sheet goods and rough stock down to the shop. Once there, rough stock is placed on the cantilevered rack. Sheet goods rest on a second rack Mark built. An open cabinet also functions as a wood storage unit.

“The way I am set up I really don’t have to move anything around much except when I need to run long pieces through my shaper.”

Sanding station

Work & cutoff table Planer Jointer Spindle sander

Mitersaw station Sanding table

Bandsaw

Work & cutoff table

Sheet goods storage

Workbench 8-drawer cabinet

“My workbench is set up so that it is a little over 8' from the panel stora .”

Sink & storage

Outfeed

Wall-mounted lumber racks and lumber storage

Table saw Clamps Resaw bandsaw

Bookshelves Work table “Finding a place in the shop for large drawing pads was difficult, so I have slide-out shelves under the workbench for them.”

Horizontal drill press Mortiser

Steps to first floor home and garage

www.woodcraftMagazine.coM

“I installed lighting on its own circuits in two sections—the front and back of the shop— to conserve energy and try to be somewhat green.”

Drill press

Microwave

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woodcraft magazine

49

america’s top shops

Bright Ideas in a Basement Shop   . 

There’s nothing dark and dreary about the workshop Mark Koritz built in the basement of his surburban St. Louis, Missouri, home.

WORKING IN A LONG AND NARROW SHOP (above), Mark Koritz took advantage of the obvious storage possibilities—including the floor joists overhead—to keep his shop neat and orderly. Mark’s 30-year-old workbench (left) occupies a prime spot in the center of the shop.

T

o say sunglasses are a requirement for spending time in Mark Koritz’s workshop would be a stretch, but a bright space was a priority when Mark designed his 15×55' shop. “Lighting is a key factor in a shop. I had all the walls and the ceiling painted white to reflect light and make the ceiling seem higher,” Mark explains. The result is a long, narrow, glistening shop. Several white-faced cabinets and 46

woodcraft magazine

benches with white drawers provide plenty of storage and reinforce the clean, tidy look Mark wanted. For a touch of color and comfort, red, yellow, blue, and green rubber mats are placed at key workstations. “I’m a sort of a neat freak when it comes to having a nice shop and home,” says Mark. “That is not to say I don’t mind lots of sawdust on the floor when I am doing some of my free-form woodworking.”

Sawdust on the floor is a rarity, though, because of the four-bag, 3-hp remote-controlled dust-collection system. Six-inch PVC pipe attached to the floor joists runs the entire length of the shop. Branch lines between the joists lead to various workstations. Joints are sealed with rope caulk. The system culminates in a small room at one end of the shop. A 2"-thick foam board attached to the room’s interior wall dampens sound. Two 15×25"

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feb/Mar 2009

the WorKshop

at a glance

Size: 15×55' with a 10×14' bump-out for wood storage and a smaller 8×18' shop for other projects; 8' ceiling Construction: Poured concrete basement Heating and cooling: Forced-air gas heat and air-conditioning from house Lighting: Fluorescent lights arranged in two sections, each illuminating a separate area of the shop. Plastic sleeves over the fluorescent lights in the table saw area protect the lights from any accidental bumps.

SIX-INCH PVC PIPE (seen in the upper left in the photo above) runs the entire length of Mark’s 55' foot shop, sending dust to the dust collector housed in a separate room. Additional ducts are hidden between floor joists. White walls and a gray floor reflect light from two long rows of fluorescent fixtures.

reusable filters promote air exchange. “I hose them off about twice a year, whether they need it or not,” says Mark. Within a 10×14' bump-out near the center of the shop Mark stores his supply of sheet goods and rough stock. Years ago he purchased a 16'-tall cantilevered lumber rack at auction. What he didn’t understand at the time

was that the lumber was included in the purchase price. Mark cut the rack down to fit the 8' ceiling, and he built several additional racks, each designed to hold various wood sizes. “It cost me more to move my shop with all of the wood than it cost to move the furniture in the house,” Mark says. The bump-out provides a secondary

Electrical: Two 2-plug, 110-volt outlets; seven 4-plug, 110-volt outlets; five-220 volt outlets Dust collection: 3-hp 220-volt fourbag Oneida Air compressor: 20-gal. Craftsman

benefit—the outfeed table for the table saw juts into the area (see the floor plan on page 49), providing support to sheet goods and long boards. Storage space is always at a premium, and Mark solved that problem in several ways. He acquired several white kitchen wall cabinets and drawers from a friend. He hung the wall cabinets and made

PHotoS: greee goLdman

A SANDING TABLE BUILT in a Woodcraft class 10 years ago still earns its keep. The fixture features a grated top to collect sawdust, a hacksaw blade for trimming sandpaper, and a shelf for storing extra sanders. To build this sanding-disc organizer, see the illustration on page 51.

A 10×14' BUMP-OUT provides handy but out-of-the-way storage for

Mark’s abundant wood supply. On the left in the photo is a rack holding large-sized sheet goods. Next to that is a cantilevered rack Mark purchased and cut down to fit his shop. Note how the 6" PVC pipe reduces to 4" for more efficiency. www.woodcraftMagazine.coM

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woodcraft magazine

47

“It’s neat to go down to the shop on a Saturday morning with a cup of coffee and just sit in my old desk chair, listen to music, and think about how I am going to enjoy this time in the shop.” A CART DESIGNED TO MOVE CAR ENGINES serves multiple purposes in Mark’s

workshop. It makes moving a large piece of cherry to the table saw easier, and in the case of his radial drill press, if he needs a temporary surface larger than the press’s table, he just rolls the cart into place and, with a few quick pumps, raises it to table height.

new base cabinets for the drawers. Under the saw’s outfeed table are several 5' lengths of 4"-diameter PVC pipe that provide storage for dowels and cutoffs. Plywood clamp racks mounted between I-beam support posts, and banks of wall-mounted trays holding fasteners and other small items contribute to a well organized workshop where everything has its place and can be found quickly.

“I’m just like everyone else,” Mark says. “There is never enough room to store stuff.” Opposite the lumber storage area Mark built a 14'-long combination worktable and cutoff table. The top of the table overlaps the bottom to facilitate clamping. The MDF top is easily replaced if damaged. Above the table is an 8' length of perforated hardboard for hand tools. The hooks

and fixtures are hot-glued in place. Small power tools are stored in the drawers beneath the tables and in an adjacent eight-drawer cabinet. A 20-gallon air compressor provides air to the workbench, saw table, and assembly table, providing Mark with plenty of supply lines for his pneumatic tools. The compressor also doubles as a convenient way to clean equipment and surfaces.

CONTROLLING AIR FLOW through the dust collector duct to the chop saw is simple with a length of metal conduit with

one end hammered flat and bolted to the blast gate (above left). A plywood door on each side of the chop saw (above) increases the dust collector’s efficiency. Mark uses slip-pin hinges to keep the doors in place. If a door blocks the desired saw angle, he removes the pins and the doors. 48

woodcraft magazine

© Copyright © Copyright 2010 2010 by by Woodcraft Woodcraft Supply, Supply, LLC. LLC. All All rights rights reserved. reserved.

feb/Mar 2009

The Floor Plan 3 hp dust collector

Drill press

22" drum sander

Grinder

Wood storage

Cyclone dust collector

Router table Lathe

Outfeed

Outfeed

Mark’s 15×55' basement shop is divided into two sections—the dusty end and the clean end. “I tried to keep the tools that produce the most dust at one end of the shop,” Mark explains. Included here: four sanders, a router table, and a lathe. A table with down-draft dust collection serves the random-orbit sander, spindle sander, belt/disc sanding station, and the drum sander. At opposite ends are a radial drill press and standard drill press, both with dust collection, along with a mortiser and a bandsaw dedicated to resawing. At the shop’s center stand the workbench, a variable speed bandsaw set up for fine scroll cuts, and a sanding table. A jointer and planer await action nearby. A 10×14' bump-out dictated the location of the table saw. With the outfeed table protruding into the bump-out, Mark has room to rip an 8'long piece of rough stock or a 4×8 sheet. Because of the shop’s length, Mark has adequate space between his tools, work surfaces, and benches, so he rarely needs to move any equipment. A garage door that lines up with the interior door leading to the basement makes it easy for Mark to get his sheet goods and rough stock down to the shop. Once there, rough stock is placed on the cantilevered rack. Sheet goods rest on a second rack Mark built. An open cabinet also functions as a wood storage unit.

“The way I am set up I really don’t have to move anything around much except when I need to run long pieces through my shaper.”

Sanding station

Work & cutoff table Planer Jointer Spindle sander

Mitersaw station Sanding table

Bandsaw

Work & cutoff table

Sheet goods storage

Workbench 8-drawer cabinet

“My workbench is set up so that it is a little over 8' from the panel stora .”

Sink & storage

Outfeed

Wall-mounted lumber racks and lumber storage

Table saw Clamps Resaw bandsaw

Bookshelves Work table “Finding a place in the shop for large drawing pads was difficult, so I have slide-out shelves under the workbench for them.”

Horizontal drill press Mortiser

Steps to first floor home and garage

www.woodcraftMagazine.coM

“I installed lighting on its own circuits in two sections—the front and back of the shop— to conserve energy and try to be somewhat green.”

Drill press

Microwave

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woodcraft magazine

49

america’s top shops

Smart Ideas for the Taking

1

Two-box clamp rack: Mark took advantage of the dead space between the posts to store clamps. Here, C-clamps and light-duty bar clamps are neatly organized in the rack while spring clamps grip the I-beam resting above. On the opposite side, a rack mounted on top of the posts holds longer paralleljaw bar clamps.

Fig. 1

2

Hardware storage rack: Finding the right screw is simple with this screw storage rack. Mark can take a single box off the rack or, if the job requires different types of screws, he can take the whole rack. Boxes and mounting rails are available at most home centers.

Fig. 2

50

woodcraft magazine

© Copyright © Copyright 2010 2010 by by Woodcraft Woodcraft Supply, Supply, LLC. LLC. All All rights rights reserved. reserved.

feb/Mar 2009

3

Joist-mounted spray can organizer: Here is a simple way to keep small items close but out of the way. Made of scrap 1×4, rails across the back keep items from falling off.

Fig. 3

Fig. 3

Sanding-disc organizer:

4

This rack is a simple way to solve the woodworker’s perpetual problem— convenient storage. The top and base are made of ½" plywood; the sides and shelves are ¼" plywood. Shelf supports are simple plywood strips glued into place. “I made it lightweight so I could pick it up and move it,” says Mark. “But I should put a handle on top.”

Fig. 4

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© Copyright © Copyright 2010 2010 by by Woodcraft Woodcraft Supply, Supply, LLC. LLC. All All rights rights reserved. reserved.

woodcraft magazine

51

Mark Koritz

M

ark splits his spare time among his shop, work, and other activities and has no plans to retire. Currently Mark manages national programs for the world’s largest floor-covering company. An accomplished carpenter long before he was a woodworker, Mark spent the first years in his new shop replacing doors and floors and cutting crown moldings and rosettes. “The house was the project,” Mark says. And while he occasionally helps his kids with home improvement projects, Mark’s main interests have evolved into the more artistic elements of woodworking, including entertainment units and a hutch for the house. Clocks, trivets, candle and flower holders made of unique pieces of wood have expanded his list of finished projects. A self-described “free thinker,” Mark’s idea of a nice piece of wood is one that is gnarly, knotty, or somewhat decayed. His lumber stash includes pieces that his woodworking friends have rejected as ugly or unworkable. “Sometimes I’ll look at a piece for a year or two before I can figure out what to do with it,” Mark explains. “Sometimes it comes out great, and other times it may be firewood, but most always it comes out pretty nice, so I am told.” Mark uses shellac as a seal coat before applying a Clear General Finish to his projects. He does not stain or dye wood, preferring to work with a wood’s natural color. His preferred species include walnut, maple, cocobolo, wenge, purpleheart and yellowheart.

A SAMPLE OF SOME OF MARK’S more delicate work: a 4×6×8" walnut and maple box; a clock mounted on a walnut box suspended on brass rods between two posts; various-size flower boxes made of spalted white oak.

END-GRAIN CUTTING BOARD

made

THIS MAPLE HUTCH is one of Mark’s favorite creations. The square part of the base is made of veneered maple; the curved part is solid maple. The top and handles are cocobolo with a natural edge.

hoW to sUBmit YoUr shop: got a top woodworking shop filled with ideas for smarter woodworking? You could be featured in Woodcraft Magazine and earn a $200 Woodcraft gift card. Send a short writeup, photos and/or sketches, and rough floor plan to:

52

woodcraft magazine

Jim Harrold - Editor-in-Chief, Woodcraft Magazine 4420 Emerson Avenue, Suite A P.O. Box 7020 Parkersburg, WV 26102-7020 [email protected]

© © Copyright Copyright 2010 2010 by by Woodcraft Woodcraft Supply, Supply, LLC. LLC. All All rights rights reserved. reserved.

feb/Mar 2009

america’s top shops

A Woodturner’s Wonderland Instant gratification seven decades in the making By Robert J. Settich

With floor space at a premium, Russ created uncluttered pathways around his tool-filled shop, reserving the middle for his major milling operations.

I

nstant gratification is how J. R. “Russ” Blaser, 82, describes the appeal of woodturning. Starting with seasoned wood, the retired manufacturing plant manager can sometimes turn a rough blank into a signed and finished work of art in a single evening. But the path to today’s quick success actually spans seven 48

woodcraft magazine

decades of woodworking. And at a key point during Russ’s development as a turner, a Woodcraft employee provided help that transformed raw interest into polished skills. Russ’s first major piece of shop equipment was a radial-arm saw purchased in the 1950s, shortly after he married Jacquetta. “We started with

nothing,” Russ chuckles, “not even a pot.” So he scrounged up secondhand furniture and used the saw and an assortment of hand tools to mend broken legs, busted drawers, and other woodworking problems. But Russ wasn’t content to merely fix items that other people had broken. He expanded his tool collection as

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a p r i l / M ay 2 0 0 9

the WorKshop

at a glance

Size: 17 × 39' plus 10 × 17' finishing room; 7' 10" ceiling Construction: Poured concrete basement floor; 2×4 exterior walls with fiberglass insulation; 2×4 partition walls. Heating and cooling: Natural gas forced-air furnace and airconditioning system shared with the house above.

PHotoS: BiLL KrzYzanowSKi

Within a step or two from his lathe, Russ can put his hands on this collection of most-used tools, accessories, and supplies. Small chucks and other wood-holding systems also share this space, but his large vacuum chucks hang on the wall just to the right of this cabinet.

resources permitted, and broadened his skills. Russ eventually designed and built a wide range of cabinets and furniture, including tables, curio cabinets, and accessories. Throughout his business career and well into retirement, Russ always had a basement shop accessible only by a flight of stairs inside the house. But he finally convinced his wife that they should look for a new home that combined two benefits: a modest downsizing and a walk-out basement. The couple spent a year searching for a new house that they could call both home and shop. The unfinished basement represented a “blank slate,” so the retired plant manager tapped his deep well of experience to create a workshop that’s comfortable, safe, and efficient. In terms of overall layout, you’ll see that Russ laid out three lines of machines: one down each long wall, and another straight down the middle. That way, he can move in a linear fashion from one machine to the next in a single row. For example, he can break down a long piece of stock into project blanks at the mitersaw located just inside the shop door before jointing and sawing further down. But he can also work side to side among machines that are clustered nearby

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in adjacent rows. One good example involves the lathe, grinder, and honing wheels clustered at the one end of the shop. And even though the machines are only a few steps apart, the setup doesn’t feel crowded. Designing multiple production paths into his shop reflects Russ’s keen awareness that a home workshop needs a flexibility that’s different from setting

Lighting: (26) 4' dual-tube fluorescent fixtures in shop area. Lathe area contains additional task lighting via incandescent lamps clamped to joists and on portable stands. Finishing room has (10) 4' dual-tube fluorescent fixtures. Electrical: Two 120-volt, 15 amp lighting circuits. Four 120-volt, 20 amp wall-outlet circuits. One 220volt circuit at 30 amps serves the lathe, dust collector, and planer. Dust collection: 1.5 hp Delta dual-bag unit fed by galvanized metal ductwork and controlled by blast gates located at each major collection point.

Controlling dust in a shop is a must. Russ’s whole-shop dust-collection system and air-filtration units work together in chips, sawdust, and fine dust.

© Copyright © Copyright 2010 2010 by by Woodcraft Woodcraft Supply, Supply, LLC. LLC. All All rights rights reserved. reserved.

woodcraft magazine

49

Russ’s three principles of good shop design:

1. Positioning stationary tools so that they can be used in sequence or as a clustered workstation. 2. Storing accessories at the tool that uses them. 3. engineering safety into the overall design. Russ’s shop-made contractor’s saw stand on locking casters keeps blades and accessories in easy reach. The top and sides provide space for pushblocks, throat plates, and other essentials. The central door, opened in the Inset, conceals the PVC dust-collection fittings.

up a manufacturing line that cranks out identical products every day. “In a home shop,” Russ comments, “you might restore a trunk one day, build a cabinet the next, and turn a bowl after that—or sometimes have all three going at once. So a real key to efficiency is a layout that adapts to the needs of multiple projects instead of forcing you to work in only one way.” Russ designed plenty of storage into his shop, so that accessories are within arm’s reach of the tool on which they are used. A three-tier rack near the drill press organizes dozens of bits and countersinks. He can swing out an individual storage block to make his selection, or lift it off the pivot and carry the organizer to his workbench. Russ’s base for his contractor’s saw also reinforces the maxim of storing equipment where it’s needed. The drawers organize blades, throat plates, wrenches, and other items needed at the table saw. Subtle storage strategies even play a role in making Russ’s shop a safe place. For example, he stores a pair of earmuff hearing protectors atop his shop vacuum, forcing him to pick them up before he can turn on this wailing machine. “When you integrate safe practices into your shop’s design,”

50

woodcraft magazine

Russ says, “using safety gear becomes a natural part of the work flow, not a separate chore.” But safety also has a more prominent role in the overall shop design. Fluorescent lights provide a high level of ambient light in the work

area, and additional task lighting— especially at the lathe—keeps detailed tasks brightly lit. Russ takes on dust control with an aggressive multi-faceted approach explained in “The Floor Plan” on page 51.

Twin cabinet towers support Russ’s mitersaw station and provide handy storage space in drawers and behind doors. The Inset shows a fence system that permits precision repeat cutting. The stopblock attached to the calibrated fence has an extension that reaches right up to the blade.

© Copyright © Copyright 2010 2010 by by Woodcraft Woodcraft Supply, Supply, LLC. LLC. All All rights rights reserved. reserved.

a p r i l / M ay 2 0 0 9

The Floor Plan At a manufacturing plant, the manager is responsible for all phases of operation, including production, efficiency, and worker safety. And as you study Russ Blaser’s shop, you’ll see that he is still the take-charge plant manager, even if he is also the sole “employee.” Dust control is a subject that Russ takes seriously because of the health risks involved. Nearly every machine connects via ductwork to the 1.5 hp Delta dual-bag dust collector. To supplement that first line of collection, Russ also designed and built a pair of wallmounted air cleaners (page 52). Russ mounted them on opposing walls, with each exhaust aimed in an opposite direction. That way, he creates an overall circular airflow within the shop to improve the system’s efficiency and the shop’s air quality. The cleaners feature blower motors having dual-speed capability. This lets Russ run the motor at the high setting when he’s making dust fly, but he can then throttle back (and save energy) for continuous air filtration. As Russ focused on developing his turning skills, he retooled his shop to reflect his interest. He made a serious investment in a new lathe: a Oneway 2416 shortbed, which can swing a workpiece 24" in diameter and 16" between centers. Everything about the tool—including the price tag—is heavy-duty. Its massive construction—about 650 pounds of steel and cast iron—dampens vibrations from out-of-round workpieces. Even with having a ground-level door to his shop, Russ remembers, moving in the lathe was an adventure. Russ prefers an upright working posture, so he set his workbench top 39" above the floor. He repeated this dimension at virtually every other workstation in the shop, enabling the tools to perform supporting roles for each other. For example, when he places a long board at the mitersaw, its end rests on the router table. And when he routs a long piece, the mitersaw returns the favor. Russ took an economical approach toward lumber storage. He built a 2x4 wall at the end of his shop and drilled horizontal holes into the edges of the studs. He then cut pieces of ½" electrical conduit, and put them into the holes to support the lumber. This setup is very strong and allows free air circulation around the boards. Inexpensive shower curtain liners on rods near the ceiling shield the stored lumber from wood chips created at the lathe. This strategy eliminates a tedious clean-up chore. The clutter-free finishing area features generous cabinet storage, an explosion-proof exhaust fan, and a lazy-Susan table (see page 52) that makes it easy to apply a uniform coat on turnings.

Workbench

Utility sink

Finishing area Explosion-proof exhaust fan

Furnace + water heater

Hardware chests Workbench

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Wall-mounted tool board

24 × 72" workbench Bandsaw

Mitersaw station

Downdraft sanding table Performax sander

Wall-mounted air cleaner Router table

Drill press Worktable & outfeed

Dust collector

Disc/belt sander 6" Jointer

Shop vacuum

Wall-mounted air cleaner

Table saw

Long clamp rack

Thickness planer

Honing wheel

Work table Lathe

“Locating lumber storage at the far end of my shop opened up convenient space for workbenches and storage in the entrance area.”

“A separate finishing area lets me go directly to applying a finish without having to wait for dust to settle in the shop.” Lazy-Susan table

Lathe tools

“... a real key to efficiency is a layout that adapts to the needs of multiple projects instead of forcing you to work in only one way.”

Air Compressor Wood storage

© Copyright © Copyright 2010 2010 by by Woodcraft Woodcraft Supply, Supply, LLC. LLC. All All rights rights reserved. reserved.

Grinder

woodcraft magazine

51

america’s top shops

Smart Ideas for the Taking Wall-mounted air cleaner: You can easily change the dimensions of this cabinet, shown in Figure 1, to suit almost any furnace-style blower motor, just be sure that you can utilize a standard filter size stocked at your local hardware store or home center. Use glue and screws to make the cabinet strong, and take extra care to build it square. (If the carcase twists, you’ll have a tough time sliding in the front panel.) To reduce weight and conserve materials, you could make that panel from 1/4" plywood. You can buy a new blower motor assembly at an industrial-supply house (such as Grainger: grainger.com), but scouting up a used unit is an environmentally-friendly and economical alternative. 131/2"

311/2"

Figure 1

3/4" 1/4 x 1/4" grooves 1/2" from edges

3/4"

1" 1"

Hole cut to suit blower

1"

41/4"

1/4 x 1/2" rabbets in door and back

311/2"

101/2"

241/2" 11/4"

#6 x flathead wood screws

Blower

24"

12 x 24" filter

3/4" 3/4"

111/2"

2x4x blocking

Frame #6 x 11/2" flathead wood screw

3/4 x 113/4 x 24" MDF Switch box

1/4 x 1/4" grooves 1/2" from edges

Lazy-Susan finishing table: Russ takes advantage of the timesaving convenience of spray-finishing his turnings. The finish is always ready, and there’s no messy cleanup. To ensure consistent results, Russ put together a revolving finishing table, as shown in Figure 2, so that he can easily maintain a consistent distance to the surface. A 9" lazy-Susan bearing (Woodcraft #124300) offers good stability and smooth action, even under heavy loads. The relatively small scale of Russ’s work allows him to bypass the need for a compressor. Instead, he uses the inexpensive Preval aerosol system (Woodcraft #142198). Russ pours his choice of finish into the glass reservoir and screws on the power unit.

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woodcraft magazine

Figure 2

3/4

9" lazy Susan

x 34"-diameter plywood

Surplus machine base

24"

3/8

x 3/4" rabbets

© Copyright © Copyright 2010 2010 by by Woodcraft Woodcraft Supply, Supply, LLC. LLC. All All rights rights reserved. reserved.

221/4"

23"

161/4"

12"

17"

a p r i l / M ay 2 0 0 9

72-drawer hardware chest: Russ drew on his manufacturing background to produce a storage center that keeps hardware neatly organized and instantly accessible. Figure 3 gives you the essential dimensions, and you can even upsize or downscale the unit to serve your individual requirements. Here’s a tip that will ensure precision and save time. Saw or rout all of the dadoes for the sides into a 14"-wide blank, then rip the individual sides to width. A 26"-wide board will yield four vertical dividers, so you’ll need two of these blanks, dadoed on both sides. Russ kept drawer construction simple, relying primarily on glue and airdriven brads instead of fussing with intricate joinery. His one upscale touch involved routing a dovetail slot for the drawer’s content-identification card. The card springs securely into place, but you can change it in a wink.

1/2" dadoes 1/4 x 223/4 x 361/2" 11/2" dadoes 1/4" deep 1/2" rabbet /2" dadoes 11/4 x 2233/4 x 3611/2 /4 x 22 /4 x 36 hardboard /2"" 11/4" deep /4" deep 11/2/2""rabbet rabbet 1/4" deep hardboard hardboard 11/4" deep /4" deep

Figure 3

37"

37" 37" 61/2" 6611/2/2"1" /4" solid 3 11/4" solid wood facing *6 *63/4/4"" /4" solid wood woodfacing facing 1/4 x 313/16 x 61/2" *6 *611/2/2"" 11/4 x 313 /4 x 313/16 /16xx6611/2hardboard /2"" hardboard hardboard

22 2233/4/4"" 231/4"

23 2311/4/4""

*Cabinet 1/2" plywood *Cabinet top, bottom, sides, plywood *Cabinet11/2/2""plywood top, and dividers all top,bottom, bottom,sides, sides, and have anddividers dividersall all 1/4" solid have wood facing solid have11/4/4""solid 11/4 x 11/4" wood /4 x /4" woodfacing facing rabbet rabbet

3399/16 /16""

*63/4"

1/4 x 1/4" rabbet on 11/4 x1/121/"4" rabbet top,on bottom, sides /49x /4" rabbet on 11/2" /2" 3 /16 " top, bottom, sides back edge top, bottom, sides 1 9/16 " 3933 /916 " /16" /2" back backedge edge 11/2" /2"

221313/16 /16""

*61/2"

2299/16 /16"" 2299/16 /16""

223/4"

213/16" 29/16" 29/16"

(Same dado (Same spacing for dividers) (Samedado dado spacing for dividers) spacing for dividers) 1/4" dadoes 21313/16 /16"" 11/4" dadoes 1/8"2deep /4" dadoes 11/8" deep /8" deep

213/16"

1/4

x 1/4" rabbet

*63/4"

*6 *633/4/4""

1/2" dadoes 11/2" dadoes 1/4" deep /2" dadoes 11/4" deep /4" deep

Drawer exploded view 1/4 x 21/2 x 61/4" 11/4 x 211/2 x 611/4"hardboard /4 x 2 /2 x 6 /4"

hardboard hardboard

Drawer front side view

11/2 x 2 x 3" /2 x 2 x 3"

1/2

x 2 x 3"

x 1/4" rabbets 11/2 x 11/4" rabbets /2 x /4" rabbets I.D. I.D. card card

61/4"

6611/4/4"" 1/2

x3x

11/2 x 3 x 611/8" /2 x 3 x 6 /8" 3/4 x 33/4 x 211/2 x 311/2" /4 x 2 /2 x 3 /2"

61/8"

3311/2/2""

x 3/8" 221/2/2"" rabbet 1

1/2

11/2 x 33/8" /2 x /8"

rabbet rabbet

33/8" /8"

© © Copyright Copyright 2010 2010 by by Woodcraft Woodcraft Supply, Supply, LLC. LLC. All All rights rights reserved. reserved.

21/2" 1"

1" 1"

31/2"

1/2 x 1/2 x 31/2" 21/2 x 31/2" 11/2 x 11/2 x 311/2" handle /2 x /2 x 3 /2" handle handle

www.woodcraftMagazine.coM

I.D. card

1/8"

11/8" /8"

1/2

3/8"

woodcraft magazine

53

america’s top shops

J.R. “Russ” Blaser—passionate woodturner/successful plant manager “Russ” Blaser capped his long career in manufacturing with a 27-year stint at H. D. Hudson Manufacturing. The firm’s name is well-known to any gardener who has ever used a compression sprayer, but the company previously also made a wide range of metal products for farmers and ranchers. By the time he retired in 1990, Russ had served as plant manager at several of the company’s factories. For most of his life, Russ used a lathe for strictly utilitarian needs: replacing a broken leg or spindle on a chair, for example. But that outlook changed completely in 1993 during an Elder Hostel class at the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Russ returned home with much more than a few turnings—he was also brimming over with enthusiasm for a new-found passion. One of the people Russ talked with was John Larson, then an employee of the Woodcraft Store in Lenexa, Kansas. Every time Russ visited the Woodcraft store, he and John brainstormed about starting a turners’ club for the Kansas City area. John talked up the idea among the store’s patrons, and he and Russ hosted the first meeting in 1994. Starting with only a dozen charter members, the organization now numbers 150 turners. The Kansas City Woodturners Club (kcwoodturners.org) kcwoodturners.org) outgrew the back room at Woodcraft, so the members now gather at a leased facility of several thousand square feet in the Kansas City suburb of Merriam, Kansas.

54

woodcraft magazine

© Copyright © Copyright 2010 2010 by by Woodcraft Woodcraft Supply, Supply, LLC. LLC. All All rights rights reserved. reserved.

a p r i l / M ay 2 0 0 9

The Floor Plan Key to any woodworking shop is the arrangement of tools, storage, and workbenches. In many shops, everything revolves around the table saw. That holds true in our shop as well with the SawStop table saw front and center. A few steps away, however, sits the Jet jointer/planer. This tool combination needs to stand together for ease of milling project stock into parts. We made sure that we had ample space at the infeed and outfeed ends of these machines for running long stock through. The Makita mitersaw also resides near the middle of the room for sizing longer parts to length. Similarly, the Rikon bandsaw sits near the lathe work station for prep-cutting turning blanks, as well as resawing. In addition, we created tool stations where cabinets containing accessories are within an arm’s reach. We built a shallow 6¾"-deep cabinet for drill bits near the Jet drill press, and a similar cabinet hangs on the wall above the Pinnacle router table. A set of cabinets dedicated to sharpening features a countertop of plastic laminate to catch the drips and spills of oil and water. We located our workbenches to allow plenty of walk-around room for working on a project, and we dedicated one end of the room for storing lumber and sheet goods. A corner of the shop is set up for turning. While no shop is perfect, this one has more than enough bells and whistles to make working in it a joy. If you’ve been re-thinking your current shop or planning a new one from scratch, turn to page 64 for our pull-out Dream-Shop Planner. Then, plan your shop to complement your woodworking interests. By doing so, you will have taken the very first step in creating a bragging-rights workshop, one that finally and fully addresses your project-building needs. n

Kreg

Pocket Hole System www.kregtool.com

Magswitch

Universal Featherboard MagJig Universal Base Combo Kit MagJigs www.magswitch.com.au

Makita

10" Slider Compound Mitersaw 18-Volt Cordless Drill Driver Trim Router www.makitatools.com

Oneida

Stationary Dust Collection System/Consultation + Installation www.oneida-air.com

Padco

Pinnacle

Measuring & Marking Tools Router Table Premium Coping Sled http://www.woodcraft. com/featuredbrand. aspx?brand=pinnacle

Powermatic

10" Table Saw, 1½ HP 18" Variable Speed Drill Press www.powermatic.com

Rikon

14" Deluxe Bandsaw with Fence 12" Disc Sander www.rikontools.com

Rockwell

18-Volt Lithium Tech Cordless Drill/Driver www.rockwelltools.com

Compressor Mortiser

Bandsaw

MDF cabinets Belt/disc Scrollsaw Drum Sander

Drill press

sander

Birch cabinets

Workbench

Mitersaw

Dust collector

Workbench Router table

Table saw Mitersaw

Jointer

Planer

Table saw

Bandsaw

Melamine cabinets Jointer/ Planer

Workbench

Sharpening area

Assembly table

Desk Chair

Furnace

Clamp rack

Sharpener Lathe

Lathe tool cabinet

Clamp rack Lumber rack

SawStop

Cabinet-style Table Saw 52" Extension Table Assembly Extra Blade Cartridges www.sawstop.com

Sjöbergs

Elite 2500 Workbench & Cabinet Combo DUO Bench Cabinet Combo www.sjobergs.com

Stanley Bostitch

Teknatool International Nova DVR Lathe www.teknatool.com

Tormek

T-3 Sharpening System www.tormek.com

Triton

Oscillating Spindle Sander 2½ HP Router www.triton.com

Whiteside

Portable Compressor Pneumatic Nailer www.bostitch.com

Router Bits & Bushings www.whitesiderouterbits.com

WoodRiver

Steel City

13" Portable Planer with Helical Head 5-speed Granite Mini Lathe 10" Granite Table Saw www.steelcitytoolworks.com

Planes & Chisels www.woodcraft.com

Woodhaven

Metric Shelf Pin Jigs www.woodhaven.com

Floor Finishing Tools www.padco.com

June 2009 © Copyright © Copyright 2010 2010 by by Woodcraft Woodcraft Supply, Supply, LLC. LLC. All All rights rights reserved. reserved.

woodcraftmagazine.com

27

Welcome To Our New Workshop Your key source now and in the future for great ideas and projects by Jim Harrold

THE WORKSHOP

at a glance

Size: 30 × 50' with a 9' ceiling

I

n this special issue of Woodcraft Magazine we are excited to introduce you to our new 30 × 50' workshop. Why? Because we now have a place that lets us generate a truckload of workshop ideas, techniques, and project plans for making your shop more organized, efficient, and—dare I say it—a pretty cool place to hang out. What you notice right away from glancing at the photos is that we have outfitted our shop with three distinctly different cabinet areas built on three budgets. These include the MDF workshop, the melamine workshop, and the birch plywood workshop. Here, price differences come down to sheet goods, hardware, and countertop costs. Where the cabinets do not differ is in their general construction. Everything you see is built from the same basic 24"- and 32"-wide base and wall cabinet plans. As you’ll discover in “Super-Easy Workshop Cabinets” on page 28, we took the mystery out of cabinet building by going with the simple 32-millimeter system. If you can count to 10, you can build these cabinets, though it helps to have an inches-tomillimeter measuring tape. Now let’s look at the three contrasting areas and our shop’s specs, overall features, and floor plan. 24 woodcraftmagazine.com

Construction: Concrete block and insulated 2 × 4 stud walls; double layers of 5/8" drywall or 5/8" drywall and 5/8" plywood (for screwing items to the wall anywhere along its length above 4'). Heating and cooling: Natural gas forced-air furnace and air conditioner; room thermostatically controlled. Lighting: Ten 8' fluorescent lights operated by a single on/off T-8 switch; 32-watt bulbs. Electrical: 200-amp service panel—fourteen 110 outlets and seven 220 outlets with two of each ceiling-mounted. Dust Collection: Oneida 3 hp Pro Series 1500 with cartridge filter, metal fittings, and spiral metal piping (6" and 7" main trunk with 4" and 5" branch lines). Air compressor: Porter-Cable 3 hp, 60-gallon air compressor.

June 2009

© Copyright 2010 2010 by © Copyright by Woodcraft Woodcraft Supply, Supply, LLC. LLC. All All rights rights reserved. reserved.

Three hardworking workshops from one great plan Whether you’re adding storage to the back of your garage or outfitting a dedicated workshop building, chances are, one of these cabinet choices will suit your style and wallet. As you can see we used a cleat system for hanging our wall cabinets and tool boards.

1. MDF

Fast and low-dollar MDF—This handsome workshop could easily be built in a few weekends for under $700. Constructing the cases with Confirmat screws (recommended for MDF) speeds the work, as does cutting out and hanging the frameless slab doors. While one cabinet contains four quick-toassemble Metal Box drawers (Inset), all the others contain shelves. In other words, more simple slabs. We painted the cabinets with two coats of General Finishes milk paint (one part outback brown, three parts snow white), and topped the base units with a double-layer MDF countertop, edged with ¾" maple. This we finished with two coats of clear water-based polyurethane and a coat of paste wax. Maple pulls (purchased through the VanDyke catalog) provide a nice accent while matching the edging.

2. Melamine

Mid-range, easy-to-clean melamine cabinets— Smooth, white laminate surfaces set this workshop apart. The ¼" Marlite panels in the maple cabinet door frames let you jot down dimensions, phone numbers, and more with erasable markers, while the thin sheet-metal-on-Marlite door panels let you pin up paper designs, receipts, and cut lists with magnets (Inset). Underneath the counter, drawers, shelves, and pull-out trays provide versatile storage in the base cabinets.

3. Birch Plywood

Showy, premium cabinets with an all-wood look—Consider birch plywood cabinets for a touch of class and craftsmanship. We paid $15 more for a sheet of birch plywood ($43) than we did for a sheet of MDF. We outfitted the base cabinets with Metal-Box drawers as well as shelves and pull-out trays for storing portable power tools. Full-extension slides for trays let you take advantage of the cabinet storage room while the 165° full-overlay hinges on the base cabinet doors provide clearance (left). To further dress out this workshop, we topped the base cabinets with a hard-wearing, 1½"-thick by 12'-long laminated maple countertop. Framed glass doors for one wall cabinet let you view prized planes or collectibles. Finish for the cabinets consists of three spray-coats of General Finishes Satin High Performance Water-Based Topcoat, a tough, fast-drying product with acrylic and urethane resins. (See more on workshop finishes on page 54.) Opening photo: Doug Rowan

June 2009

© © Copyright Copyright 2010 2010 by by Woodcraft Woodcraft Supply, Supply, LLC. LLC. All All rights rights reserved. reserved.

woodcraftmagazine.com 25

Creating a first-class woodworking environment Complementary tool boards

For easy access to frequently used hand tools, we included perforated hardboard tool boards that you build to fit and hang on

the beveled wall cleat. Unique to this system is that we did away with commercial metal hooks and hangers and made custom hangers from scrap. (You’ll find a variety of the hangers on page 42.) Small rectangles of perforated hardboard back the hangers, allowing you to fix them to the tool boards with plastic wall anchors and screws. This approach enables you to quickly relocate the holders

as needed. Better still, they stay put when secured, unlike metal hangers which often fall off when tools are removed.

Dust collection and healthy shop air

Our whole-shop metal-pipe dustcollection system from Oneida provides swift and complete collection of sawdust and chips at every floor machine. The cyclone dustcollector unit (Pro Series 1500) features a 3 hp Baldor motor with an external cartridge filter. It sits outside the shop along one wall. To turn it on we use key-fob remotes which we hang at convenient locations. Blast

gates terminate each branch duct line, allowing the system to effectively service any two major machines simultaneously. (See our story on whole-shop dust-collection on page 46.)

Comfort and good looks underfoot

The basement where we located our shop has a concrete floor that, as many of you know, raises havoc on your feet and legs. We wanted something easier on the dogs so we contacted the Southern Forest Products Association for suggestions. They recommended Southern yellow pine flooring and put us in touch with Grizzly Forest Products. As soon as the walls were up, we installed 1 × 6 tongue-andgroove vertical-grain flooring and finished it with four coats of General Finishes Satin WaterBased Top Coat . (See how to put in a workshop wood floor on page 56.) Floor mats in front of the major machines and workbenches add even more comfort.

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR WORKSHOP SPONSORS

Putting a workshop together from scratch is no small feat, and we would be remiss if we did not include a special thanks to the sponsors who helped make our dream a reality. Here are the participants:

Adjustable Clamp

Earlex

Bessey Tools

Festool

Assortment of Clamps www.adjustableclamp.com Assortment of Clamps www.besseytools.com

Danco

Euro Hinges, 110⁰ & 165⁰ www.woodtechnology.com

Delta/Porter-Cable

2 Random-Orbit Sanders 2 Trim Routers Drum Sander 6-Gallon Portable Air Compressor 60-Gallon 240-Volt Air Compressor www.deltaportercable.com

HVLP Spray Station Pro www.earlex.com

Kapex KS 120 Sliding Compound Mitersaw Clean Tech Vacuum Domino Joining System MFK 700 Trim Router Plunge Router MFT/3 Multifunction Table www.festoolusa.com

Forrest Blades

Saw Blades www.forrestblades.com

Franklin International

DeWalt

Glues & Adhesives www.titebond.com

26

June 2009

13" Thickness Planer www.dewalt.com

woodcraftmagazine.com

Freud

Router Bits & Saw Blades Biscuit Joiner 31/4 HP Plunge Router Doweling Machine www.freudtools.com

General Finishes

Wood Coatings Water-based Finishes Oil-based Finishes www.generalfinishes.com

General International Excalibur Scrollsaw Overarm Blade Guard Benchtop Mortiser www.general.ca

Grizzly Forest Products

Tongue-and-groove Southern Yellow Pine Flooring www.grizzlyforest.com

© Copyright © Copyright 2010 2010 by by Woodcraft Woodcraft Supply, Supply, LLC. LLC. All All rights rights reserved. reserved.

Hafele

Metal Box Drawer System Fixing Brackets www.hafele.com/us

Incra

Measuring, Marking, and Positioning Tools www.incra.com

JDS

Air-Tech 750ER High-Efficiency Air Filtration System www.jdstools.com

Jet

Portable Dust Collection Belt Disc Sander 14" Bandsaw 6" Jointer 12" Jointer/Planer Combo Drill Press www.jettools.com

The Floor Plan Key to any woodworking shop is the arrangement of tools, storage, and workbenches. In many shops, everything revolves around the table saw. That holds true in our shop as well with the SawStop table saw front and center. A few steps away, however, sits the Jet jointer/planer. This tool combination needs to stand together for ease of milling project stock into parts. We made sure that we had ample space at the infeed and outfeed ends of these machines for running long stock through. The Makita mitersaw also resides near the middle of the room for sizing longer parts to length. Similarly, the Rikon bandsaw sits near the lathe work station for prep-cutting turning blanks, as well as resawing. In addition, we created tool stations where cabinets containing accessories are within an arm’s reach. We built a shallow 6¾"-deep cabinet for drill bits near the Jet drill press, and a similar cabinet hangs on the wall above the Pinnacle router table. A set of cabinets dedicated to sharpening features a countertop of plastic laminate to catch the drips and spills of oil and water. We located our workbenches to allow plenty of walk-around room for working on a project, and we dedicated one end of the room for storing lumber and sheet goods. A corner of the shop is set up for turning. While no shop is perfect, this one has more than enough bells and whistles to make working in it a joy. If you’ve been re-thinking your current shop or planning a new one from scratch, turn to page 64 for our pull-out Dream-Shop Planner. Then, plan your shop to complement your woodworking interests. By doing so, you will have taken the very first step in creating a bragging-rights workshop, one that finally and fully addresses your project-building needs. n

Kreg

Pocket Hole System www.kregtool.com

Magswitch

Universal Featherboard MagJig Universal Base Combo Kit MagJigs www.magswitch.com.au

Makita

10" Slider Compound Mitersaw 18-Volt Cordless Drill Driver Trim Router www.makitatools.com

Oneida

Stationary Dust Collection System/Consultation + Installation www.oneida-air.com

Padco

Pinnacle

Measuring & Marking Tools Router Table Premium Coping Sled http://www.woodcraft. com/featuredbrand. aspx?brand=pinnacle

Powermatic

10" Table Saw, 1½ HP 18" Variable Speed Drill Press www.powermatic.com

Rikon

14" Deluxe Bandsaw with Fence 12" Disc Sander www.rikontools.com

Rockwell

18-Volt Lithium Tech Cordless Drill/Driver www.rockwelltools.com

Compressor Mortiser

Bandsaw

MDF cabinets Belt/disc Scrollsaw Drum Sander

Drill press

sander

Birch cabinets

Workbench

Mitersaw

Dust collector

Workbench Router table

Table saw Mitersaw

Jointer

Planer

Table saw

Bandsaw

Melamine cabinets Jointer/ Planer

Workbench

Sharpening area

Assembly table

Desk Chair

Furnace

Clamp rack

Sharpener Lathe

Lathe tool cabinet

Clamp rack Lumber rack

SawStop

Cabinet-style Table Saw 52" Extension Table Assembly Extra Blade Cartridges www.sawstop.com

Sjöbergs

Elite 2500 Workbench & Cabinet Combo DUO Bench Cabinet Combo www.sjobergs.com

Stanley Bostitch

Teknatool International Nova DVR Lathe www.teknatool.com

Tormek

T-3 Sharpening System www.tormek.com

Triton

Oscillating Spindle Sander 2½ HP Router www.triton.com

Whiteside

Portable Compressor Pneumatic Nailer www.bostitch.com

Router Bits & Bushings www.whitesiderouterbits.com

WoodRiver

Steel City

13" Portable Planer with Helical Head 5-speed Granite Mini Lathe 10" Granite Table Saw www.steelcitytoolworks.com

Planes & Chisels www.woodcraft.com

Woodhaven

Metric Shelf Pin Jigs www.woodhaven.com

Floor Finishing Tools www.padco.com

June 2009 © Copyright © Copyright 2010 2010 by by Woodcraft Woodcraft Supply, Supply, LLC. LLC. All All rights rights reserved. reserved.

woodcraftmagazine.com

27

The Floor Plan

cabinet Mike built for his dovetail Porter-Cable Omnijig sports wheels. The finishing room serves doubleduty and includes Mike’s drawing table for designing projects. Here, he can to take full advantage of his five years of art training. Though not apparent in the floor plan, a handy bathroom lies just outside the shop in the vestibule leading into the house.

his store of lumber and sheet goods for trimming large sheets into more manageable pieces. When floor space and traffic flow become more important—say, for a large project assembly—he parks the machines out of the way to maximize floor space. Having wheels under many of his machines also helps with cleaning any residual sawdust. Even the customized

Mike took two years to formulate the layout for his shop. He located one of his favorite machines, his Powermatic table saw, at the center, a few steps away from his wood storage rack. Because his planer and jointer are mobile, he can pull them away from the walls when needed to surface, edge, and size rough-sawn stock. He also keeps a vertical panel saw near

Dust collector

“I can’t overstate the value of a vertical panel saw in a one-man shop.”

Air compressor

Finishing and design room

Scrollsaw Mortiser Lathe Jointer

“19 feet of cabinets and counter space make it easy to keep the shop highly organized.”

Vertical panel saw Router table

Bandsaw

Sander Radialarm saw

Ornamental mill

Under-floor dust collection

Under-floor dust collection “I welcome new lumber and say goodbye to finished projects from this staging area.”

Cabinets

Dovetail jig and cabinet Under-floor dust collection

Table saw Mitersaw

Drum sander

Assembly table Shaper

Planer

Clamping table

Staging area

“My heavy steel assembly table is a multiuse fixture of the shop.”

Cabinet Drill press

Sanding center

Garage door

Aug/Sept 2009

© Copyright © Copyright 2010 2010 by by Woodcraft Woodcraft Supply, Supply, LLC. LLC. All All rights rights reserved. reserved.

woodcraftmagazine.com 47

America’s Top Shops

For the Love of Woodworking The super-organized and self-maintaining workshop By Jim Harrold

A

t 58, Mike Panzano of Sewell, New Jersey, pays homage to his father, a career carpenter and specialty woodworker, as he fondly recalls his early exposure to his favorite hobby. “When I was three years old,” says Mike, “Dad would put tools on the kitchen table and have me name them and describe what they did.” He goes on, “When I was six or seven, we went to the local lumberyard, where Dad tested my ability to know a wood species by smell.” This, it turns out, proved to be a wonderful bonding experience that lasted until Mike was 42. “We were a great team,” he says of that golden time. And, more than 50 years later, Mike still buys his specialty wood at the same lumberyard. If only his dad could have seen Mike’s ultimate tribute to him, his shop.

44 woodcraftmagazine.com

Mike was able to integrate his home and shop into a pleasing architectural design.

Aug/Sept 2009

© Copyright © Copyright 2010 2010 by by Woodcraft Woodcraft Supply, Supply, LLC. LLC. All All rights rights reserved. reserved.

In 2007, and at the encouragement of his wife, Rosemary, the couple set out to create a new home, which would allow Mike to build the attached workshop of his dreams. This would be the space where he could actively ply his lifelong interest in woodworking, from building furniture for his home and family to creating a wine cellar and tasting room. Having thought long and hard about the shape, tools, storage, and overall organization, Mike followed through on his mission, with the end result taking a top prize in Woodcraft Magazine’s America’s Top Shops Contest. The shop’s grade-level perimeter walls describe a space that measures 24 × 36'. The shop includes a one-car-wide garage door for easily moving tools and materials in and projects out, access doors to the adjoining house and backyard, and a bank of

Beyond the assembly table (foreground), where Mike houses his sliding table saw jig, is the table saw accessory cabinet tucked under the saw table itself. multipaned windows for flooding the shop with pleasing natural light. These complement the high-

THE WORKSHOP

at a glance

Size: Overall shop 24 × 36'; finish room 10 × 10'; dust-collection/aircompressor room 8 × 10'.

Construction: 2 × 4 stud walls with high-density insulation; building attaches to the house via a vestibule, forming an L in relation to the main building. Includes a garage door for delivery of materials and pickup of completed projects. Heating and cooling: In-floor radiant heat and dedicated airconditioning system. Lighting: Twelve two-tube, 8'-long high-intensity fluorescent fixtures. Additional 4'-long fixtures. Ten oversized windows. Electrical: 200-amp dedicated electrical service with some floor outlets located near selected machines. Dust Collection: Oneida 5 hp cyclone dust-collection system with metal piping and fittings with some in-floor ductwork to selected machines. Two JDS fine-particle air filtration systems.

A melamine countertop with a fence serves Mike’s radial-arm saw and mitersaw. Below, full-extension drawers create storage for supplies. Photos: Paul Anthony

Air compressor: Ridgid 4½-gallon compressor.

Aug/Sept 2009

© Copyright © Copyright 2010 2010 by by Woodcraft Woodcraft Supply, Supply, LLC. LLC. All All rights rights reserved. reserved.

woodcraftmagazine.com 45

“The most effective skill my father taught me was to visualize the desired outcome, to see the project being built many times before beginning the actual work.”

Tricked out with jig-making hardware, Mike’s multifunctional drill-press table features a plywood platform containing a Kreg Heavy Duty Trak (#145829) with Kreg Flip Stops (#145822), four-arm knobs (#27R14), T-Track (#142805), and Magswitch Mag-Jigs (#147833) to secure the jig to the steel table. (Products are available from Woodcraft Supply.) intensity fluorescent light fixtures on the vaulted ceiling, creating ideal conditions for “accurate paint matching and finishing,” says Mike. Inside, custom-made base cabinets with full-extension drawers run along the west wall as shown on page 47, and provide the 19' melamine countertop for supporting rough-sawn and surfaced stock at the radial-arm saw and mitersaw. A few standalone cabinets sit at strategic locations around the shop floor. Together, a total of 19 cabinets offer dedicated storage for hand tools, hardware, sanding supplies, jigs, table saw accessories, and 46

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more. The long countertop, meanwhile, includes a Kreg fence system with stops and work holddowns. As you’ll see in “Smart Ideas for the Taking,” and in the photo at left, Mike turns to his jig-making skills to speed work while adding precision and safety to several tools. As part of his shop design, Mike had thermostaticallycontrolled heating and cooling systems installed. Because he built the shop from scratch, he was able to go with radiant floor heating to keep temperatures even throughout the shop without sacrificing space for dust-collecting radiators. To collect dust at every tool, Mike chose a whole-shop dustcollection system that’s serviced by a mighty 5 hp, 5 cyclone dust

collector by Oneida. He avoided running pipes vertically from the ceiling to selected free-standing tools by routing portions of the ductwork under the floor. Says Mike, “This eliminates stacks and the chance of tripping over a flexible hose.” He created a separate 8 × 10' room for the dust collector and located the air compressor there as well to muffle the noise. Mike further supplemented his shop maintenance approach by installing two large JDS fineparticle air-filtration systems, making his shop virtually dust free and environmentally friendly. He created a 10 × 10' finishing room to store finishes and completely isolate projects from dust during the finishing process.

Dust port

Mike stores his routers and router accessories in this dedicated wheeled cabinet set up for cutting clean, crisp dovetails with his Omnijig. Note the dust port below the jig for effective collection.

Aug/Sept 2009 © Copyright © Copyright 2010 2010 by by Woodcraft Woodcraft Supply, Supply, LLC. LLC. All All rights rights reserved. reserved.

The Floor Plan

cabinet Mike built for his dovetail Porter-Cable Omnijig sports wheels. The finishing room serves doubleduty and includes Mike’s drawing table for designing projects. Here, he can to take full advantage of his five years of art training. Though not apparent in the floor plan, a handy bathroom lies just outside the shop in the vestibule leading into the house.

his store of lumber and sheet goods for trimming large sheets into more manageable pieces. When floor space and traffic flow become more important—say, for a large project assembly—he parks the machines out of the way to maximize floor space. Having wheels under many of his machines also helps with cleaning any residual sawdust. Even the customized

Mike took two years to formulate the layout for his shop. He located one of his favorite machines, his Powermatic table saw, at the center, a few steps away from his wood storage rack. Because his planer and jointer are mobile, he can pull them away from the walls when needed to surface, edge, and size rough-sawn stock. He also keeps a vertical panel saw near

Dust collector

“I can’t overstate the value of a vertical panel saw in a one-man shop.”

Air compressor

Finishing and design room

Scrollsaw Mortiser Lathe Jointer

“19 feet of cabinets and counter space make it easy to keep the shop highly organized.”

Vertical panel saw Router table

Bandsaw

Sander Radialarm saw

Ornamental mill

Under-floor dust collection

Under-floor dust collection “I welcome new lumber and say goodbye to finished projects from this staging area.”

Cabinets

Dovetail jig and cabinet Under-floor dust collection

Table saw Mitersaw

Drum sander

Assembly table Shaper

Planer

Clamping table

Staging area

“My heavy steel assembly table is a multiuse fixture of the shop.”

Cabinet Drill press

Sanding center

Garage door

Aug/Sept 2009

© Copyright © Copyright 2010 2010 by by Woodcraft Woodcraft Supply, Supply, LLC. LLC. All All rights rights reserved. reserved.

woodcraftmagazine.com 47

America’s Top Shops

Smart ideas for the taking Bandsaw blade rack

Figure 1

Mike made and hung these opposing U-shaped laminations to store his bandsaw blades. In the past, when he’d fold his blades into hoops, they’d sometimes spring back and bite him. To build the holders, simply glue and screw laminations of ¾" plywood together; then bandsaw them to shape and secure them to wall studs, spacing them the needed distance apart to accommodate the size of blades you use.

Figure 2 Mag-Jig

11/2" radius 21/4

x 3" recess for Mag-Jig

6" 8" or 12"

Width of 23/4" saw fence

36"

3/4"

grooves for T-track 13/4"

T-bolt 9"

4" 3/4"

groove for T-track

11/4" washer 5-star knob

101/2" 1/4"

slot

21/2" kerfs

Multipurpose table saw fence

Set up a fence stop or control ripcuts with hold-downs using this versatile saddle fence which you custom-make to fit over your saw’s existing fence. Like other jigs in his arsenal, Mike locks this one in place with Magswitch Mag-Jigs. T-tracks, T-bolts, washers, and knobs let him add a fixed stop or featherboard. By cutting an arch in the fence side, you can cut rabbets along a workpiece edge safely and easily. 48

woodcraftmagazine.com

Aug/Sept 2009 © Copyright © Copyright 2010 2010 by by Woodcraft Woodcraft Supply, Supply, LLC. LLC. All All rights rights reserved. reserved.

Figure 3 Washer 11/4"

#8 x panhead screw

1" 8"

3/4" 3/4"

counterbore deep with a screw hole centered inside 3/4"

#8 x 11/4" panhead screw

1/8"

1/2

plywood

plywood 2"

x 3/4 x 2"

8"

Note: Use clamps to secure jig to work in order to hold router with both hands. 17" 2"

Self-centering slot-cutting jig

Finding the exact center for routing slots in the edge of a workpiece just got a whole lot easier with this scrapwood project. Here, the arms pivot, collapsing the sides against the workpiece, making quick work of mortising slots with a handheld plunge router. Size the circular base to match the base of your tool.

Sliding jig for dadoes and rabbets

For cutting rabbets, tenons, and dadoes at the table saw, Mike made this precision jig, which employs a T-Track for miter slot runners and for easy adjustment of the fence stop. Construction consists of ¾" plywood for the base and hardwood stock of various thicknesses for the remaining parts as well as common jig hardware.

Figure 4 2" 11/2" diameter knob

13/4 x 31/2 x 6"

31/2" 18"

13/4" 3/4 " plywood

6"

11/2"

31/2"

1 x 11/8" knotch

11/8"

41/2"

3/4 x 4 x 26" fence 3/4 x 41/2 x 6" stop block

4"

26" 1" 121/2"

23/4"

Filename: #30 TS Rou R LeMoine 3-30

T-track in a 3/4 x 1/2" dado

T-tracks spaced to suit table saw

Aug/Sept 2009

© Copyright 2010 © Copyright 2010 by by Woodcraft Woodcraft Supply, Supply, LLC. LLC. All All rights rights reserved. reserved.

woodcraftmagazine.com 49

A window on Mike and his woodworking shopping mall in Moscow. Having worked with wood all his life, Mike retreats to his shop whenever he can to challenge himself with yet another assignment. “My woodworking projects,” he says, “are mostly period reproductions, and I love to give them away to friends and family.” That said, his four-drawer walnut lamp table, shown at right, stayed at home and catches your eye the instant you step inside the front door. Says its creator, “Working on your artistic skills is as important as honing your technical skills. Proportion, color, and visual appeal come from the artistic side.” A second hobby of Mike’s—studying, tasting, and collecting fine wines—prompted him to construct the temperaturecontrolled wine cellar shown at left, with built-in storage for By stepping into Mike’s wine cellar you get a taste up to 500 bottles, a for the variety of woodworking he’s tackled, from wine-tasting table the chestnut table to the pine hutch to the wine made from reclaimed storage built-ins. Upon graduating from college 37 years ago, Mike Panzano began building his own business, what today is an international advertising agency that specializes in the marketing of unique experiential destinations. A recent job, for example, involved creating a program that promoted a mega

HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR SHOP: Got a top woodworking shop filled with ideas for smarter woodworking? You could be featured in Woodcraft Magazine and earn a $200 Woodcraft gift card. Send a short writeup, photos and/or sketches, and rough floor plan to:

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Mike used his Legacy milling machine to turn the four identical legs of this walnut lamp table. American chestnut, and a pleasing pine hutch. A much longer “harvest” table, also of American chestnut, resides in an informal dining room just off the kitchen. Mix in a few baby cradles and hobby horses for children and grandchildren of friends, and the portrait assumes its final appearance—that of a man whose love of woodworking and family blends in the earthen hues of native woods and the joy of giving. n

Jim Harrold - Editor-in-Chief, Woodcraft Magazine 4420 Emerson Avenue, Suite A P.O. Box 7020 Parkersburg, WV 26102-7020 [email protected]

Aug/Sept 2009 © Copyright © Copyright 2010 2010 by by Woodcraft Woodcraft Supply, Supply, LLC. LLC. All All rights rights reserved. reserved.

The Floor Plan

“With a space as limited as mine,” says Patrick of his 14 × 22' workshop, “there were few options available. The only reasonable place for my table saw was along the fireplace brick.” (See the floor plan.) So rather than moving materials straight from the garage, into the shop, and directly onto the saw, he breaks down large sheets in the garage first and then brings the rough-cut parts into the shop. “It’s not really a significant concession,” says Patrick.

The second feature he wanted was a full-length countertop with tracks for stopblocks along the long south wall. “This is the perfect home for my mitersaw and radial-arm saw,” he says, giving him plenty of work support for long boards. Later in the planning, Patrick realized that the perfect place to store the jointer was in a cubby below the countertop where he can simply roll it out for use. Mobile bases supporting other key tools, such as his bandsaw, help him maintain a clutter-

free work area for assembling projects by simply pushing tools out of the way. To increase countertop space, he uses his cabinet saw’s sizeable outfeed table as a workbench to perform all kinds of functions, from small project assembly, to design work, to a place where Patrick can pull up a stool and browse through woodworking catalogs. Lastly, his utility sink and finish storage area offer up a place to prepare finishes and clean applicators after spreading a coat or two.

Clamps

Clamps Door to backyard

Marker board

“My sander buys me valuable time for design and building. Purchased used, it was a real bargain and a great find!”

Drill press

Planer

Radial-arm saw Drum sander

“A long surface is a must! Pairing my radialarm saw with the mitersaw made a ton of sense—and serves me well. ”

Storage cabinets

Bandsaw Table saw “One of the best decisions made early on was to include a crawl space under the shop. It really helps cut down on the clutter. In a shop my size, the extra storage is invaluable!”

Fireplace

Jointer (rolls under counter) Desk/table saw outfeed extension Mitersaw Inlaid track for adjustable stops

“I've gotten a great deal of inspiration and satisfaction participating in online woodworking forums, so it was important to have this valuable resource on hand while working in the shop.”

Utility sink

Finish storage

Computer station Trap door access Spindle sander to 4' crawl space below Dust collection

Sheet goods storage

Garage

Oct/Nov 2009

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woodcraftmagazine.com 51

America’s Top Shops

The Compact, Good-Neighbor Workshop When a home has its own furnituremaker, the whole family wins. By Jim Harrold

L

ocated on a corner lot in the quiet, idyllic suburbs of Naperville, Illinois, west of Chicago, the Jaromin residence doesn’t look any different from the surrounding homes. To the casual passerby, its attractive two-story structure with two-car garage blends right in. Even if you stopped out front and gave a listen, you might only hear a lawn mower, children at play, or birds warbling in the tree boughs overhead. You may have no clue that just behind the garage lurks a fully-loaded, yet tidy, home workshop capable of producing custom furniture for every room in the house. Only the bump-out addition shown on page 49 suggests otherwise. To keep machine noise from entering his home, Patrick insulated the adjoining stud wall with Homasote’s 440 Sound Barrier, a structural 4'-wide, 1/2"-thick sheet good material made from cellulose fiber that applies vertically over the interior 48 woodcraftmagazine.com

Double doors provide the main entrance to the shop, opening into the garage where Patrick stores his sheet goods and project stock.

Oct/Nov 2009

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framing. He used the same material to clad the dust-collection closet, quelling the noise for both the neighbors and himself. The attached shop structure sits on a concrete foundation and includes double doors. These open to the garage at the front of the house, making it easy to transport plywood and boards into the shop, and furniture out. A single door at the rear end offers entrance to the backyard. The oak shop floor sits a few steps above the garage floor and covers the 4'-high serviceable crawl space below, accessible via a large trap door. It’s here where Patrick keeps his remotecontrolled compressor and stores a variety of shop and family items. “I’ve found it (the crawl space)

The add-on structure just behind the garage encloses a 300 square foot workshop; the white exterior door (left) provides access to a closet that houses the shop’s 3 hp dust collector. invaluable for running cabling for audio, networking, TV, and extra power circuits,” he says. Inside the shop, Patrick chose to line his walls with attractive tongue-and-groove pine that proved cost-effective and practical. Says the craftsman: “The

THE WORKSHOP

at a glance

Size: 14 x 22' with a vaulted ceiling and same-size 4'-high crawl space below. Twocar garage doubles as wood and sheet goods storage as well as an assembly space for oversized projects. Construction: Attached wood frame addition with a poured concrete foundation and crawl space. Exterior walls are thermally insulated, with no additional soundproofing. The interior wall, shared with the family room, retains its former thermal insulation and exterior OSB layer, plus an added layer of soundproofing Homasote and tongue-and-groove paneling. Heating and cooling: Forced-air HVAC system shared with the house and a wallmounted 240V electric space heater. Lighting: 2 skylights; (4) 4-bulb, 4' fluorescent fixtures; 2 tracks, 6 lamps each. Electrical: Power provided by 200-amp main panel: (2) 120V/20 amp general circuits, (1) 120V/15 amp circuit for lights, (1) 240V/20 amp for the dust collector, (1) 240V/15 amp for the compressor, and (1) 240V/30 amp dedicated to the Grizzly drum sander. Additional power provided by a 30-amp sub panel in the garage into the new shop: a 240/20 amp spare for the table saw (for future rewiring) and a 240V/15 amp circuit for the bandsaw.

With two main 6" trunk lines around the upper reaches of the shop, Patrick provides collection for all his dust and chip makers, including his favorite tool, a 15-year-old Grizzly dual-drum sander that he purchased used for $400. Photos: Mike Crews

Dust collection: A 4-bag, 3 hp, 2100 cfm Woodtek dust collector with 6" main trunk S&D (sewer and drain) lines having 4" S&D drops. Air compressor: 17-gallon oil-less compressor.

Oct/Nov 2009

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woodcraftmagazine.com 49

This modern-day shop tool helps Patrick design projects, find answers to his woodworking problems at online forums, and order parts and supplies.

Finally, Patrick selected the south wall to serve as his primary countertop area. Above it hang a pair of wall cabinets with dryerase doors for jotting down notes; sitting below are several cabinets containing drawers for shop supplies. Unique to this area are his pull-out saw-blade storage rack and his custom-made mobile base for wheeling out his jointer when needed (see page 52). In the loft at one end of the shop, you’ll find cubbies where Patrick sorts and stores choice pieces of stock for upcoming projects. Still more stock and sheet goods stand just outside the double doors opening to the shop from the garage.

keypads says volumes about walls of my former garage-based 5 Patrick’s skill in everything shop had /8" drywall; it proved electronic. In addition to his air easy to patch, but limiting when compressor, he programmed his I wanted to hang a jig wherever I lights, vent fan, dust collector, and needed. Now, with wood walls, I can hang anything anywhere, from air-filtration system to activate from several convenient spots cabinets to clamps to jigs.” around the shop upon various While Patrick admits to living cues. His techy inclinations don’t in a safe and quiet neighborhood, stop there. As shown above, he opted against having windows Patrick’s networked computer in the exterior walls to improve station fulfills a host of needs. security and to maximize hanging “Ever since I discovered space. To capture natural light Google’s SketchUp for sanding and software, I’ve used finishing, as well “. . .with wood walls, it exclusively as for warming I can hang anything to design my up the interior, anywhere, from cabinets shop, furniture he had a pair projects, of skylights to clamps to jigs.” and workshop installed in the fixtures,” he says. vaulted ceiling. He also installed For artificial a TV and DVD lighting, he chose player in the shop four 4'-long that he connected fluorescent fixtures to a pair of ceiling speakers. (each with four bulbs), and two tracks containing six lamps each. Controlling the shop’s key Using SketchUp, Patrick designed a pull-out components via a network of saw blade rack with full-extension drawer simple on/off switches and two slides for his radial-arm saw. 50

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Oct/Nov 2009

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1 /2" hole

31/4"

45o bevel

31/4"

America’s Top Shops

71/4" 8"

41/2" 81/2"

71/4"

Smart ideas for the taking 26"

Pull-out jointer base

21/4" hole

perpendicular to the jointer bed. When he needs to joint stock, he simply wheels the tool out of its cubby below the long countertop. Note in the photo how a floor track guides the “outrigger” wheel, causing the tool to move straight in and out of its storage space.

While working through a host of practical solutions for maximizing floor space in his shop, Patrick stumbled upon the idea of building a pull-out jointer base out of 2x stock, ¾" plywood, and nine fixed casters that run

Figure 1 71/2"

153/4" 3/4"

8"

123/4" 31/2" 11/2"

11/4"

2" casters 3"

3"

331/4" 451/4" 153/4"

Cordless-drill charging station

it can easily be expanded. The top shelf serves as yet another place for holding related items. Secure it within a foot or two of a receptacle.

This simply-constructed plywood storage solution mounts to wall studs and holds up to three portable drills, but

Figure 2

Filename: #31 jointer R LeMoine 8-21

6"

26"

241/2" 4" 45o

4"

10"

4"

11/2" cord holes 71/4"

31/4"

o

45 bevel

31/4"

"8 41/2" 81/2"

71/4" 21/4" hole

26"

Chuck holders

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Oct/Nov 2009 © Copyright © Copyright 2010 2010 by by Woodcraft Woodcraft Supply, Supply, LLC. LLC. All All rights rights reserved. reserved.

Woodworking for the family Now 40 years old, Patrick has worked with wood since age 13. “My very first project was a coat rack I made for my parents,” he says. When majoring in technical theater in college, he worked as a freelance actor, graphic artist, set designer, and technical director for several small theater companies in Buffalo, New York. Here he built platforms, flats, and set pieces from construction lumber in tiny shops using crude, low-end tools.

Built for his youngest son, this dresser features eye-catching dovetail joints in contrasting walnut and cherry.

title VP of Technology for JG Sullivan Interactive, Inc. His re-introduction to woodworking started shortly after getting married and moving out to the city’s western suburbs. “I began by purchasing a small, inexpensive benchtop table saw to remodel our master bedroom and other home-improvement projects,” he says. Then an experienced woodworking neighbor suggested he join him for a trip to a woodworking show. “It was there I purchased a contractor’s saw and my hobby/passion really took off,” Patrick says. Shortly after, the first of his three children entered his life and he began the tradition of building custom cribs and dressers for each child. To see more of Patrick’s projects, shop construction, and workshop, go to: http://tenonandspline.com/blog.

The only exception to this was a brief summer stint working in a two-man woodworking shop building everything from cherry-veneer bank desks to teak sailboat hatches and replica architectural moldings and corbels. “In a few short months, I learned a great deal about casework construction, veneering, and working with hardwoods r, drill Topshop (8-21) and serious power and hand tools,” says Patrick. Then, in 1998, he gained acclaim for a children’s Web site he had created (“Alex’s Box of Crayons”) and from that exposure landed a “real” job in Chicago. Today, he’s a Java developer and systems administrator with the HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR SHOP: Got a top woodworking shop filled with ideas for smarter woodworking? You could be featured in Woodcraft Magazine and earn a $200 Woodcraft gift card. Send a short writeup, photos and/or sketches, and rough floor plan to:

With drawers and a door, this playful maple and cherry dresser features butterfly hardware and an inlaid butterfly to match.

Jim Harrold - Editor-in-Chief, Woodcraft Magazine 4420 Emerson Avenue, Suite A P.O. Box 7020 Parkersburg, WV 26102-7020 [email protected]

Oct/Nov 2009

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America’s Top Shops

A Workshop Born from California Dreaming Some craftsmen dig deep to create their favorite space. By Robert J. Settich

A

s a nine-year-old, Fred Sotcher built his first shop in a corner of the porch at his parents’ home in Los Angeles, California. As his interest in woodworking and electronics grew, he relocated his operation into the garage. But even with his active imagination, Fred never dreamed where his hobbies would lead him as an adult. 50

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Fast forward to 1989: past his first career as an aerospace engineer, his move to San Jose’s Silicon Valley, California, where he bought a small ranch house with his wife, Marion, and 19 years after founding Sotcher Measurement, an electronics specialty company in Silicon Valley. The location had already become famous for extremes. As

Dec/Jan 2010

Fred and his wife raised their home and dug a full basement for a shop. the microchips produced there shrunk in size, real estate prices responded proportionally—in

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The Workshop At A Glance Size: Overall shop is 1,500 sq. ft., including an 80 sq. ft. office, 100 sq. ft. finishing room, and 80 sq. ft. of wood storage. A separate 128 sq. ft. wooddrying shelter sits outside. Construction: Concrete block basement walls with R16 exterior insulation and R14 interior foam insulation. Ceiling insulated with R16 fiberglass batts for thermal and acoustic isolation. Poured-concrete floor. Walls and ceiling covered with ⅝" fire-rated drywall. Heating and cooling: Natural gas forced-air system located outside of shop. Cooling not required. Lighting: (29) 4-tube fluorescent

Cabinets above the table saw store jigs in space otherwise wasted. the exact opposite direction. So much so that today a lot of only one-eighth acre commands a seven-figure price tag. Business was good, so Fred and Marion didn’t get too alarmed when they realized that soil settlement problems meant that they needed to address the structural stability of the Photos: David Butow

house. And while moderate jacking and new piers would do the trick, Fred saw that he could lift the house and build a basement workshop. Ten months and $165,000 later, the house settled on the new nine-foothigh concrete block walls. Fred knew that his diverse interests demanded a flexible

fixtures 4' long recessed into the ceiling for general illumination. Incandescent task lighting at several machines. Electrical service: 100-amp service feeding outlet boxes at every tool site with both 120- and 240-volt power. Dust collection: Two-stage 2 hp unit in a sound-dampened room. Automatic blast gate switches at planer, radial-arm saw, and table saw; other gates are manual. Three-speed air cleaner hangs from ceiling above sanding area. Air compressor: 3 hp compressor with 20-gallon tank located in garage; feeds lines throughout the shop. shop design. Says the craftsman, “No matter how well you design a shop, things change over time.” As an electrical engineer, he made sure that every tool site offered the option of 120- or 240-volt power. With dualvoltage boxes, he could move tools or add new ones without the need for rewiring. The receptacles are spaced every 48" horizontally and a back-friendly 42" above the concrete floor. The shop also abounds with hundreds of feet of low-voltage wiring that feeds music speakers, telephone and data jacks, as well as dust-control circuits. But you don’t see any of the cable, because Fred buried it near the ceiling for a neater appearance. All of the low-voltage wiring terminates in a structured wiring center that allows Fred to make circuit changes quickly and without pulling new cable. As in many shops, manually opening any blast gate actuates the dust-control

Dec/Jan 2010

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America’s Top Shops

Fred’s lumber racks create species-specific bins for vertical storage. Adding 1×2 slats (Inset) adapts the bin for stowing shorts.

Fred added a beefy top to a dental chair base, creating a fully articulating workbench.

system. But Fred went one step further, equipping his mostused tools with a small motor that opens the gate whenever he powers up the machine. The lumber racks carry forward the concept of adaptability because they neatly corral vertical lengths. But with the simple addition of 1×2 slats, they can also store short lumber pieces horizontally. Each laddershaped module begins with a pair of 2 × 2 × 8' fir uprights that have 3/4" dadoes 3/8" deep spaced 12" on center. The dadoes accept the ends of glued and screwed 1×2 fir “rungs” that are 213/4" long to make an assembly 24" wide. Fred screwed the ladders to the wall, spacing them on 24" centers. But when it comes to multi-axis versatility, the real prize winner in Fred’s shop is a workbench mounted atop a dental chair base. “At a local woodworkers’ 52

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club meeting, one member offered up the heavy beast,” Fred explained, “and I shot my hand up. Everybody looked at me. They couldn’t figure out what to do with the thing. And at the time,” Fred admits, “I didn’t either.” But he soon designed a 30 × 30" workbench top of 3"-thick laminated ash perforated with round bench dog holes in a 6 × 6" grid pattern. He then added double-screw vise hardware and a full-width jaw. An undercarriage then mated the assembly to the electric/

“The principal concept in the shop design was flexibility. No matter how well you design a shop, things change over time.”

Dec/Jan 2010

hydraulic base, animating it with a wide range of motion. “This bench is the best thing I ever did for myself,” Fred admits, “because it allows me to position a workpiece at the optimum height and angle for the work I need to do.” To conserve floor space in both the shop and living area, Sotcher opted for a circular staircase. To provide a more practical path for lumber and machinery, Fred added an exterior stairwell. Plywood sheets hinged along each side of the 36"-wide steps convert to a 30° ramp. Freehanding a cart up or down that slope would be a bit too exciting, so he purchased an electric winch (Grainger item #55A18) with a lifting capacity of 4,000 lbs. Fred straps lumber and sheet goods to his shop cart and delivers them into his shop without breaking a sweat.

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The Floor Plan The two access points to the shop help define its overall geography. A space-stingy spiral staircase joins the basement shop to the living space above, while a set of steps to the side yard provides the entry for tools and materials as well as the exit for finished projects. Next to the central staircase, Fred sited his table saw as well as a room for his dust collector. This island location is also home to other machines, including a router table, overarm pin router, bandsaw, shaper, and an alwaysready sharpening station. When sheet goods enter the shop via the exterior steps, Fred’s cart can easily deliver them to the table saw for immediate use. If the panels won’t be used immediately, they move to a storage area near the office. Lumber entering the shop can go into the species-

specific storage bins or straight to the jointer and planer, conveniently located near the exterior doors. A radial-arm saw with long side tables makes crosscutting easy, and then it’s

on to the table saw for ripcuts. Tool stations along the exterior wall perform further machining. Project parts come together at the workbench and assembly table, again near the doors. “I even built lumber bins for the bathroom.”

“The finishing room has a 1 hp explosion-proof exhaust fan.”

Wood lathe

“The office contains my woodworking library and computer planning center.”

Sink

Milling machine

Overarm Bandsaw router

Router table

Shaper Sanding area

Mortiser Dust collector Sheet goods storage Metal lathe

Sharpening station

Jointer

Clamp cart

Table saw

Bandsaw

Workbench Portable power on dental chair base tool station

“The lumber bins provide both vertical and horizontal storage.”

Drill press

Scrollsaw

Workbench/ assembly table Hand tools stored on wall Radial-arm saw built into long bench

Planer

Winch

Sump pump

Material handling cart

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America’s Top Shops Smart ideas for the taking Adjustable planer carrier sled

This jig flattens the face of twisted boards, short ones included, and even those wider than your jointer’s capacity. Place your stock on the board with the stop and then index the holes in the

top component onto the dowels. Use pairs of tapered shims to immobilize the workpiece and remove any rocking motion.

Space-saving tool holder

An easel-backed chisel rack conserves space on your workbench and prevents hand tools from rolling. When not in use the tool holders hang on wall cleats as shown on page 50.

Modular tool holders

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Dec/Jan 2010

Storing portable power tools in the open means that you never need to root through toolboxes or cabinets. Instead, you simply grab and go. Here, storage flexibility provided by the interlocking French cleat hanging system puts every tool in plain sight.

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A window on Fred Sotcher and his woodworking Fred Sotcher, 72, hasn’t slowed down since he retired 12 years ago and turned over management of Sotcher Measurement to his son, Marc. In fact, Fred may have even shifted into a higher gear. His furniture projects, such as a jaw-dropping corner cabinet, attest to highly developed skills. But when you talk to Fred about woodworking, he quickly turns the spotlight away from himself and shines it on his 140 students

Fred’s cockleshell corner cabinet features a hand-carved interior and door panels.

at The Girls’ Middle School in Mountain View, California. In an 800-square-foot shop at the school, Fred runs a program that allows sixth through eighth grade girls to select and build a variety of projects from lumber kits that he prepares. The students are responsible for cutting parts to final size, and then shaping, assembling, and finishing. “Over the years,” Fred says, “I’ve been able to equip the shop with a pretty good variety of equipment: six lathes, four scrollsaws, three drill presses, three bandsaws, and two mitersaws.” After a bit of prodding, Fred admits that he donated all of the equipment to the school. Interestingly, the program is a long way from the structured woodworking curriculum found at public schools. “For the most part, the girls are not that interested in learning woodworking. What they are interested in doing is making things. So the focus is on allowing them to be creative.” When students are particularly enthusiastic about the program, he’ll sometimes invite one or two at a time to his home shop for personalized mentoring.

Even though Fred Sotcher is known as a woodworking teacher, the real lessons that the girls gain go well beyond sawing and sanding. They grow in creativity, confidence, and self-discovery. ■

and earn a $200 Woodcraft gift card. Send a short writeup, photos and/or sketches, and rough floor plan to:

America’s Top Shops • Woodcraft Magazine • P.O. Box 7020 • Parkersburg, WV 26102-7020, [email protected]

How To Submit Your Shop Got a top woodworking shop filled with ideas for smarter woodworking? You could be featured in Woodcraft Magazine

One of Fred’s students made this jewelry box, complete with an intarsia rose on the lid.

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America’s Top Shops

Big-Sky Getaway Wide-open Montana workshop invites in the mountain view. By Robert J. Settich

T

wo years ago, Nancy Ballance traded her Harley for a brand-new 1,000 square foot woodworking shop in Hamilton, Montana. And to make the swap even more improbable, Nancy didn’t own a motorcycle at the time. Fact is, she never has. It was the motorcycle Nancy planned to give herself for her 60th birthday. For over 30 years, 48

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she reminded her husband, Larry, about the inevitability of the present: “I could see in his face that he wasn’t sure that he believed it, but he thought maybe he did.” The reminders became more frequent after the couple retired from the computer industry in California and moved to Montana four years ago. About that same time, Larry

Feb/Mar 2010

Nancy and her husband, Larry, used an architectural software program to design a shop that’s in harmony with its scenic location. started talking about building a woodworking shop on part of their three-acre lot. The couple seemed to talk past each other for awhile until Larry—who is neither a motorcyclist nor a woodworker—crystallized an offer: “Give up the motorcycle and we’ll build you the shop.” Nancy thought for awhile and finally agreed. “It was

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a good trade,” she said. “It was the right thing to do.” Nancy and Larry’s home and shop reside at about the north-south midpoint of the picturesque 100-mile long Bitterroot Valley. Every morning, the sun rises over the Sapphire Mountains, setting into the Bitterroots that serve as the border between western Montana and eastern Idaho. It’s exactly the kind of wide open country that a Montana highway engineer, Bob Fletcher, had in mind when he composed a poem that Cole Porter bought for $250 and turned into the song, “Don’t Fence Me In.” Nancy and Larry collaborated on planning the shop, producing a design that brings the expansive mountain landscape indoors and then blurs the boundary between indoors and out. The generously-sized and abundant windows flood the shop with light and fresh air, while the attached greenhouse has a sliding-glass door that opens from the shop. A second slider leads from the shop to a patio where Nancy often

works. She enthuses, “It’s a beautiful spot to sit and carve.” An entry door neighbors a double garage door. In fact, the shop has so many windows and doors that there’s a real shortage of wall space that’s uninterrupted from the concrete floor to the 10' ceiling. “In hindsight,” Nancy admits, “I would have done just a single garage door, which would have given me more wall space.”

Nancy designed a series of silhouette girls enjoying a number of woodworking activities, including the operation of hand and power tools (offlimits in her own youth).

The finishing room, bathroom, and break alcove make up the shop’s east wall. Note the special decorating touches in and around the alcove.

Photos: Chris Autio

The Workshop At A Glance Size: Overall shop 32 × 34', including a 9 × 12' 6" finishing room, bathroom, and 5 × 8' alcove break room. Storage attic reached via a flight of steps. Attached greenhouse, 7' 6" × 11'. Construction: 2 × 6 exterior stud walls; blown-in R-19 insulation in walls, R-30 in ceiling, and R-38 in roof. Heating and cooling: Ceilingmounted 240V-, 5,000-watt electric heater (The Hot One by Cadet), providing 17,000 BTUs. Cooling not required. Lighting: (8) 100-watt

incandescent bulbs, plus (3) 8'-long fluorescent fixtures with (4) 4'-long tubes in each one. Electrical: 200-amp main panel, providing 240V to ceilingmounted heater, plus 220V circuit for future use. 110V outlets located 42" above floor, and spaced 48" horizontally. (9) 110V outlets in the ceiling. Two switched outlets for mitersaw and dust collector. Dust Collection: Portable ½-hp, 30-gal. Shopsmith unit that’s wheeled from tool to tool. Air compressor: None Horizontal surfaces abound, with two workbenches, a downdraft sanding table, and two additional work tables. Her Shopsmith Mark V continues the horizontal lines, as do the long cabinets flanking the mitersaw. In fact, the only three vertical elements in the shop are a drill press, bandsaw, and lumber rack. The theme of openness continues throughout the shop. None of the storage cabinets

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America’s Top Shops or spaces below the work tables have doors, so Nancy can quickly locate the tools and supplies she needs. Because she’s typically advancing several projects at the same time, the 9 ×12' 6" finishing room helps her boost productivity. She no longer needs to wait for the finish to cure on one project before continuing work on another. With all the open storage, dust collection is crucial. Nancy opted away from fixed ducting because she thought it would detract from the clean architecture of her shop. Instead, she employs hoses and a portable dust collector. Added to this effort is her shop-made downdraft sanding table—an effective problem solver. Nancy discovered that commercial versions cost plenty because they include a built-in motor and

Nancy’s Shopsmith Mark V served as her main tool for over 30 years. Her scale model in wood—with its articulating parts—won her a ribbon at the Montana County Fair. filtration system. With a stroke of design clarity, she whisked away that expense by installing a port

below the tabletop that connects to her dust collector. The table’s open shelves store abrasives and finishing supplies (see page 52). The shop also serves social and educational needs. As part of the design, Nancy included an alcove containing a table and chairs where family and the group of fledgling female woodworkers she mentors can relax and enjoy coffee or lunch together.

About Nancy’s Harley dream: “It’s one of those things that never quite goes out of your blood,” she admits. “If somebody told me there’s a revved up motorcycle just outside the door, I’d be on it in a second.”

The leaping trout motif captured Nancy’s heart during a Yellowstone vacation. She quickly sketched the idea to preserve it. 50

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Feb/Mar 2010 © © Copyright Copyright 2010 2010 by by Woodcraft Woodcraft Supply, Supply, LLC. LLC. All All rights rights reserved. reserved.

The Floor Plan lumber, tools, and the mountain view. A sliding-glass door to the porch opens to a favorite place for carving and handsanding. Ample attic storage above, accessed by steps, serves both the shop and home. A dedicated finishing room with its double doors ensures dust-free surfaces, even when production swings into high gear in the main shop area.

for coffee. Note in the alcove photo earlier how she feminized her shop with scrollsawn cutouts of a girl creatively engaged in woodworking. But the openness doesn’t mean the shop is light on woodworking tools and supplies. Hers is a full-function shop that’s wellorganized to keep the focus on woodworking. A double garage door opens wide to bring in

Many woodworking shops become so chock-full of stationary power tools that it’s difficult to find the space to set down a coffee mug. But Nancy’s shop abounds with open surfaces: two workbenches, two work tables, a sanding table, and a long counter that holds the mitersaw. And that’s before you count the table and four chairs where Nancy and friends gather

“Open storage cabinets help me instantly find tools and supplies.”

Greenhouse

Portable dust collector

Miter saw “I still use Shopsmith accessories that my father and grandfather bought for their machines.” “Out on the porch, I can carve while listening to the birds.”

Workbench Scrollsaw Downdraft sanding table

Sliding door to patio

Drill press

Planer Storage cabinets

Vertical lumber storage

“The finishing room promotes dust-free finishes, even while I’m working on other projects.”

Finishing room and sheet goods storage

Bathroom

Work tables Bandsaw

Workbench

Break area

Stairs to storage attic

Garage door

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America’s Top Shops Smart ideas for the taking Downdraft sanding table

If your shop doesn’t have room for this full-scale downdraft table, consider half-sizing the lengths of the top and base for a better fit. You could even omit the legs, creating a unit to place atop your workbench or sawhorses when needed and then compactly stow to conserve space. Abrasives and finishing supplies fill the shelves underneath.

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Feb/Mar 2010 © Copyright © Copyright 2010 2010 by by Woodcraft Woodcraft Supply, Supply, LLC. LLC. All All rights rights reserved. reserved.

Adjustable tenoning jig

Sure, you can buy a tenoning jig, but the handles are either lifeless plastic or cold steel. Build your own jig and you’ll enjoy the lifetime satisfaction of gripping a pleasing wood knob and handle that you crafted yourself. An insignificant detail? Not for a wood lover.

Power tool Boxes

Here’s an open-and-shut case for portable power tool storage. First, glue and nail the four sides. Cut the top and bottom about 1/8" oversize in both length and width. Then, after assembly, use a flush-trim bit in your router to rout away the excess for a perfect fit.

Feb/Mar 2010

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Nancy’s woodworking journey When Nancy was a teenager, she spent long hours in the shops of both her father and grandfather, watching them use their Shopsmiths to create furniture and other projects. The two men were, Nancy says, “very different in the way they worked, which was good, because I saw two different styles of working.” Her grandfather, who was legally blind, taught her patience by his example of setting up power tools strictly by feel. “From my father,” Nancy said, “I got the idea that if you can dream it you can do it.” But even with that positive outlook, it was a time, Nancy

This mantel clock tour de force showcases Nancy’s impressive skills in turning, carving, shaping complex moldings, and executing intricate joinery.

recalls, when people considered woodworking as “too dangerous for a girl to do. But the desire remained, because I would just sit and watch them work.” When she finally bought her Shopsmith, in 1977, Nancy Nancy’s carved trout suspended says, “I read the manual from in a stream bed captures the cover to cover, but everything local color of Montana living. already seemed second nature.” For over 30 years, Nancy didn’t even have a shop—merely a workbench and a corner of the garage for her machine. But that didn’t stop her from tackling large projects, including a corner china cabinet, bunk beds, and more. Today, Nancy passes along her woodworking knowledge to a group of eight women who have impressed her with their own determination. She also has one male protégé with nearly boundless enthusiasm and energy. “He loves going over to the shop,” Nancy said, “and he can sand like crazy.” He’s new to woodworking, but at only a year and a half old, Nancy’s Even before she had a shop, Nancy designed grandson, Jack, is new to and built ambitious projects such as this nearly everything. n corner china cabinet for her mother.

How To Submit Your Shop Got a top woodworking shop filled with ideas for smarter woodworking? You could be featured in Woodcraft Magazine 54

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and earn a $200 Woodcraft gift card. Send a short writeup, photos and/or sketches, and rough floor plan to:

America’s Top Shops • Woodcraft Magazine • P.O. Box 7020 • Parkersburg, WV 26102-7020, [email protected]

Feb/Mar 2010 © Copyright © Copyright 2010 2010 by by Woodcraft Woodcraft Supply, Supply, LLC. LLC. All All rights rights reserved. reserved.

America’s Top Shops

A Fitting New England Shop

Every square foot of Louis Lovas’ 30 × 30' saltbox-style workshop is spoken for, including the front porch where he sometimes entertains his woodworking buddies.

Take the time to plan an efficient, custom work space, and it’ll love you back with time saved. By Jefferson Kolle

I

n one very significant way, little difference exists between the furniture that Louis Lovas makes and his shop in Hollis, New Hampshire. His philosophy is “Never design as you go,” a lesson he learned after 25 years as a program designer in the computer industry. “My professional work requires a tremendous amount of planning and forethought,” Louis says. “I find both processes rewarding.

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In fact, they serve me well in all I do, woodworking included.” Having worked out of his garage for years, Louis at last had the luxury of designing a new workshop around his needs. No more would he have to arrange his tools to conform to an unaccommodating structure. From the outside, the shop reflects quintessential New England style with its steeppeaked saltbox roof, symmetrical

April/May 2010

window placements, and fulllength overhanging porch. But like any good architecture, a thoughtful exterior hints at a well-conceived interior. His garage of old taught him many things. For instance, he learned to place his large tools on wheels. By mounting them on double-locking casters, he can adjust the floor plan for the project at hand. “I can reconfigure the shop to

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Hold-down accessory

Microadjustment device

This clamshell cabinet houses planes, chisels, and marking and measuring devices. Other cabinets hold supplies and tool accessories. accommodate different stages of a project, as well as large or small multiple pieces,” Louis says, “simply by rolling the big tools to different parts of the room.” He chose to place his stationary workbench in the middle of the room, so he can access it from all sides. “Especially when I’m working on big case pieces,” he explains, “it’s easier to walk around the furniture than move the piece around on the bench.” The window locations take advantage of natural light. The large Palladian window at the east gable end receives lots of light throughout the day. Four 8'-long, double-tube fluorescent ceiling fixtures provide supplemental lighting. Other electrical features include 20 separate 110-volt wall and ceiling outlets and three 220volt outlets. Louis’ electrician convinced him to install a bright red, wall-mounted, push-button shunt switch that connects to all the shop circuits except Photos: Scott Gibson

for the ceiling light circuit. “In case of an emergency, I can hit the switch and everything shuts down,” Louis says. “It gives me peace of mind, plus a break on my homeowner’s insurance premium.” The ceiling and the 2 × 6' exterior walls contain fiberglass

Louis tricked out his Unifence with a hold-down accessory and a micro-adjustment device. batt insulation. This buffers against the brutal winter cold while retaining the heat rising from the in-floor hydronic heating system in the concrete below the strip-oak floor. Louis opted for a single through-wall air-conditioner to cool things off during the occasional scorcher.

The Workshop At A Glance Size: Overall building 30 × 30'; shop space 20 × 30' with a 9'6" ceiling height; first floor storage room 7 × 30'; attic storage 20 × 30'. Construction: Outbuilding; concrete slab floor covered with strip-oak flooring; 2 × 6' stud walls with fiberglass insulation. Heating and cooling: In-floor radiant heat with propane-fired boiler in first-floor storage room; wall-mounted air conditioner. Lighting: Natural light via 6'-wide French doors and Palladian double-hung windows;

(4) 8'- long double-tube fluorescent ceiling fixtures. Electrical: (20) 110-volt wall outlets on walls and ceiling; (3) 220-volt outlets on walls and floor. Shunt switch that shuts off power to everything except the lights in case of an emergency. Dust collection: Ceilingmounted air-filtration system (JDS Air-Tech 750 ER); mobile 11/2 hp, 300 CFM Jet Dust Collector, barreltop model; 16 and 20 gal. Craftsman shop vacuums. Air compressor: PorterCable 2 gal. pancake.

April/May 2010

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America’s Top Shops

Louis created a temporary 10 × 16' finishing room with two heavy-duty clear plastic curtains that slide on ceiling tracks. In the rear of the building, under the lowest part of the roof, is a 7 × 30' room that contains the furnace and storage for offcuts, large jigs and fixtures, as well as finishing tools and materials. Doors provide access to the shop area and to the outside for easy loading of projects and supplies. Louis employs the building’s second floor for rough-sawn stock, accessing it from within by a pull-down staircase and from the outside through a large door. The back room and second-floor storage add immeasurably to Louis’ desire for a tidy workspace. “I like everything to be neat,” he says. “Otherwise it clutters my mind.” Inside the shop, Louis planned a place for everything. The majority of the caster-equipped power tools have dedicated storage built into their custommade stands. Well-stocked wall cabinets offer more storage while enhancing the look with pleasing designs and craftsmanship.

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Louis souped-up a pair of 1980s Craftsman 10" tablesaws that he bought for less than $75 each. One he set up for ripping; the other, for crosscutting. He installed 2 hp, totallyenclosed, fan-cooled (TEFC) motors and balanced pulleys with power-twist belts. He equipped the crosscut saw with a JessEm sliding crosscut table. Underneath is an enclosed bin with a vacuum port and storage for accessories. He located the ripping saw in front of the multi-paned French doors that serve as the shop’s main entrance. Beyond lies a full-length front porch (see the exterior photo). Not only is this outdoor space a good place to hang out with woodworking friends, but it proves handy when ripping long stock. Louis simply swings open the double doors and lets the boards exit off the outfeed table and into the protected porch area under the roof.

When spray-finishing, Louis uses a window fan in a plywood frame to exhaust fumes to the outside. The router in the ripping saw’s extension table shares the same rip fence. Like the other saw, the green cabinet under the saw holds a dust-collection bin and port, plus storage for blades and accessories. A large stationary 3 × 42 × 84" maple workbench top once served duty in a bowling alley before being cut to size and given a new role. Says the proud shop owner, “My workshop is not just a place to design and build furniture, it’s a sanctuary, a place where I can get away from all the stress and strain of being a caring father and an engineer.”

“My professional work is very creative, but it also requires a tremendous amount of planning and forethought.”

April/May 2010

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The Floor Plan Louis applied a tried-and-true approach when he designed his 30 × 30' shop. “I used a piece of posterboard and cut out each machine/workstation to scale to lay out the floor plan,” he says. By incorporating the 7 × 30' back room into the design (under the low side of the saltbox roof), he was better able to control the clutter. The second floor contains additional storage for roughsawn stickered stock, accessed by a pull-down staircase or an exterior door for loading wood. Large power tools rest on casters; those without mobile

bases sit on custom-made cabinets with storage underneath, painted green to match Louis’ planer. This mobility provides flexibility when doing different machining operations. His 42 × 85" stationary workbench sits away from the walls, letting him work at the bench from all four sides. Ample daylight enters the shop along its sides and front through Compressor

Bandsaw

Cabinets

Supply cabinet

Drum sander Horizontal router table

Router table

Outfeed table

the huge, east-facing 7'-long archtop window, the 6'-long double French doors, and four doublehung windows. Louis opens the doors to create more outfeed room when ripping long stock. A unique feature is the temporary finishing “room” that Louis makes by pulling clear plastic industrial curtains along a ceiling-mounted track to partition off a 10 × 16' area. This keeps dust off the piece he’s finishing and overspray out of the rest of the shop. A window-mounted fan exhausts the area when he sprays shellac, his favorite finish.

Drill press Air conditioner

Exhaust fan

Grinder

Assembly table

Planer Ripping tablesaw Workbench/ router table Lathe

Backroom storage

Dust collector

Mitersaw

Crosscut tablesaw

Shelving

Clamp cart

Hand tool cabinet

Lathe tool cabinet

Lumber rack

Furnace

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America’s Top Shops Smart ideas for the taking Curve-cutting bandsaw wing and jig

Louis built an auxiliary table that he bolted to his cast-iron table using existing mounting holes. Added to this is a hinged extension wing that he equipped with a pivoting trammel T-arm for cutting large radii from 36" to 60". The slot in the arm allows for 10" of adjustment. It’s recessed on the arm’s bottom face to accommodate a nut that locks the knob’s threaded stud/pivot pin in place along the slot. The pivot pin fits into a hole along the wing. The position of the hole is located in the wing to match the radius of the desired arc. When in use, the outside end of the hinged wing rests on a work-support stand. For cutting a curved apron, Louis makes a full-sized drawing of the part to determine the thickness of the needed blank. He then adheres a workpiece on edge onto the MDF carrier of the T-arm with double-faced tape. He adjusts the arm to curve-cut the concave face of the apron. With the saw on, he swings the arm and workpiece through the blade. To make the apron’s convex (inside) cut, he reattaches the workpiece to the inside of the kerf to match the desired part thickness and swings the arm through the saw a second time, resulting in a workpiece that’s ready for sanding. For more, hit the “Slideshow” button at http://www.�linthillfurniture.com/thebandsaw.html.

Carrier Outer sleeve

Adjustable arm Adjustable work-support stand

3/4"

36"

5"

29"

3" rabbet 3/8" deep

19"

5" 5/16" slot 10" long

3"

3" rabbet 3/8" deep

1/2" slot 1/2" deep on bottom face to house nut

Drop-leaf extension wing Auxiliary bandsaw table sized to fit

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April/May 2010

Wing

Piano hinge

Pivoting pin hole located where needed

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3"

Mobile clamp cart

Louis rolls this 221/2 × 36" plywood clamp cart up to the stationary bench for projectassembly glue-ups. Border rails on the top keep screws and other items from rolling off. The

basic cabinet rests on a stout base with four swivel-locking casters. In addition to the open compartments, a simple drawer offers room for supplies such as glue, glue brushes, and rags.

Locking rabbet joint

36"

5"

#20 biscuits

dado, 3/8" deep 1" from top edge

2"

4"

22"

13"

3/4" 3/8"

1/2" groove 1 31/2" /4" deep

dado, deep

133/4" rabbet, deep 31/2"

32"

3" swivel caster

3/4 x

3 x 5" bracket 31/2"

38" 31/2" half-laps

161/2"

Magnetic hand-plane jointer fence Louis used rare-earth magnets and a rabbeted piece of maple to make a simple fence for his Lie-Nielsen #62 plane. A shaped piece of wood glued at the front

123/4"

2"

3/4"

1/2" 3/8"

34"

end of the fence helps house the plane while conforming to its shape. Recessed metal cups screwed in the fence hold the

1"-diameter rare-earth magnet

Shaped wood glued in place

magnets that secure the iron plane in place. Louis finds that the fence makes it infinitely easier to true a board’s edges. 1/2"-diameter

rare-earth magnet

14" (length of plane)

21/8"

13/8" rabbet 1/2" deep 11/2"

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America’s Top Shops Louis’ profile in woodworking Louis Lovas traces his passion for woodworking to a book on the subject that he received at age 13 on Christmas Day, 1972. He grew up on a farm in rural Ohio under the parental guidance of his machinist father. “In addition to building and repairing fences and animal stalls,” he says, “I recall making footstools and a saddle rack for my dad.” After a decades-long hiatus spent building a career and raising a family, he got back into woodworking when he created an elaborate playhouse for his three daughters. At first, he set up shop in the family’s two-car garage, which meant the cars

stayed out all winter. “Every time I went out to brush the snow off the vehicles, I thought about having a dedicated shop,” he says. Louis considers himself largely self-taught, while admitting that “I’m an avid reader and have learned a tremendous amount from the many professional woodworkers who shared their experience in books and magazines.” He draws inspiration from classic designs and then draws detailed plans on graph paper prior to building. And when he presents a design to a customer—about half his work is done on commission—he will often make a full-scale model to show them. ■

This eye-catching jewelry box by Louis demonstrates his eye for design, symmetry, and working with contrasting woods.

When Louis rotates the top of this cleverly-designed coffee table, the four leaves drop down between the legs.

How To Submit Your Shop Got a top woodworking shop filled with ideas for smarter woodworking? You could be featured in Woodcraft Magazine 52

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and earn a $350 Woodcraft gift card. Send a short writeup, photos and/or sketches, and rough floor plan to:

America’s Top Shops • Woodcraft Magazine • P.O. Box 7020 • Parkersburg, WV 26102-7020, [email protected]

April/May 2010 © Copyright © Copyright 2010 2010 by by Woodcraft Woodcraft Supply, Supply, LLC. LLC. All All rights rights reserved. reserved.

America’s Top Shops

A Wood-Warmed Workshop Oregon’s Willamette Valley is a fertile area for timber and woodworking. By Robert J. Settich

M

ost of the wood that Tom Elder carries into his shop exits as smoke up the flue or ashes that go into the compost pile. But you would be wrong to guess that you’ve met a careless woodworker who incinerates his 48

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botched woodworking projects. On the contrary, Tom’s a very safety-conscious guy who works to exacting tolerances in both wood and metal. The cold fact is that Tom feeds his filbert trimmings from his 800-tree

June/July 2010

Tom’s 62'-long freestanding building combines a woodworking and machine shop. orchard into a wall-mounted stove to keep his 1,792-squarefoot shop comfortable, even during the coolest and dampest months in Harrisburg, Oregon. As with many craftsmen, Tom’s introduction to woodworking

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A high-efficiency dust-collection system keeps Tom’s shop so clean that he never needs to dust the trophy heads hanging on the south wall.

The Workshop At A Glance

began in his youth. In junior high he took an interest in making gunstocks and small woodworking projects. His only formal woodworking training occurred in the school’s shop class, but it was enough to encourage a lifelong interest. As time allowed, and as his passion for the subject grew, he found himself at the local library reading magazines and checking out woodworking books. It was in one such book that he found the classic European-style workbench that he later built for himself, dovetails and all. Unlike the European style, however, Tom opted for metal screws in his vise and changed the height to his Photos: Susan and Joe Essin

Size: Overall shop, 62' long. One end is 32'-square with bathroom and kitchenette. The remaining 24'-wide section contains a machine shop. Construction: Outbuilding with insulated stud walls and attic and 12"-wide wood siding. Peaked roof has extended overhangs. Heating: Wall-mounted wood stove with powered heat comfort level. He also reversed the plan to serve his southpaw ways and chose blood-red Jatoba (Brazilian cherry) for its hardness and sheer good looks. For contrast, he embellished the workbench with bird’s-eye maple. By mixing woods of great color and figure, he simply followed through with his philosophy. Says Tom, “Why not use nice woods and do the best job you can working with them? It won’t save you any time by going with

exchanger; ceiling mounted 220-volt electric heater. Lighting: (20) fluorescent fixtures 8' long, each contains two tubes. Electrical: 90-amp service panel fed from house. Dust collection: Oneida 3-hp two-stage, cyclone dust collector with felt filter bags. Air compressor: 5-hp motor, 60-gallon tank. less attractive woods.” Tom’s wall-hung clamshell tool cabinet and base cabinets provide further testimony to his love of handsome quality woods. Like his choices of workshop woods, the way he preps lumber stock differs from the more traditional approach. Unlike most shops that rely on a tablesaw and thickness planer to break down and dimension stock, Tom’s go-to tools are his 24" Agazzani bandsaw and 38" Woodmaster

June/July 2010

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America’s Top Shops

Tom's laminate-topped assembly table features pull-out trays that keep hardware in easy reach.

The shop’s main heat source is a scratch-built stove fed with prunings from Tom’s filbert orchard. A lean-to shelters the wood from frequent rains. drum sander. “Now,” he says, “I use my bandsaw more than my tablesaw for such tasks. When I’m working by myself, I find this tool safer and even faster.” Tom outfitted his bandsaw with a 1" carbide-tipped blade, a 3-hp motor, outfeed rollers, and an Incra fence for routine chores. For serious resawing (he’s sliced stock up to 15" wide), he installed a shop-built fence with stainless steel rollers. With this setup he has sliced a piece of 10"wide white oak to .008" thick. “You could hold it up to the light and see right through it,” he says. After resawing, Tom runs the lumber through the 38" 5-hp Woodmaster drum sander. “As long as I did my part steering the wood past the bandsaw blade,” Tom notes, “I can sand out all the mill marks with a couple of passes at 100 grit.” To make his sanding station more accommodating, he built infeed and outfeed tables. He also added 50

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the optional reversing switch (for an extra $150). This lets him reverse the feed belt direction for another pass to eliminate the need to carry the milled stock around to the front of the drum sander between sanding passes. For the final pass, he feeds from the normal direction to achieve the best results. Tom knew that without a highly efficient dust-collection system, the drum sander could quickly fog the shop. So he chose a dual-stage Oneida 3-hp cyclone and designed and built a plenum fitted with 16 polyester felt filter bags to serve it. The system operates with astonishing efficiency, capturing up to 99.9% of particles down to .2 microns. A furnace filter scrubs the air one final time before returning it to the shop. Tom heats his shop with a wood stove that he built by welding together 1⁄4" steel sheets. To maximize its heat

With its outfeed rollers and Incra fence, Tom's 3-hp, 24" bandsaw cuts with speed and precision. output, he purchased a Magic Heat brand heat exchanger. Mounted in the flue, this unit activates an electric blower to pump heated air into the shop. To supplement the stove, Tom also has a ceiling-mounted electric heater set at 50˚, enough to circulate air, control humidity, and prevent rust from blooming on his tools.

“I find the bandsaw safer and even faster than the tablesaw.”

June/July 2010

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Bandsaw Clamp racks

Clamshell wall cabinet 6' sliding door

Lumber storage

Dust collection

Wood stove Kitchenette Assembly table

12' sliding door

Workbench Planer

Drum sander

Bathroom Tablesaw

Router table

Planer Drafting table

The Floor Plan Materials enter the shop through a 12'wide sliding door that has sheet goods and lumber storage racks immediately next to the opening. Tom prepares to break down sheet goods by supporting them on his assembly table and sawhorses. He then uses a Festool circular saw and guide rail to cut blanks 1⁄8" oversized. The components move to the tablesaw for final sizing. Solid stock also rests on the assembly table and sawhorses for initial roughcrosscutting to length with a Festool jigsaw. Tom squares one edge of each blank at the jointer before moving the lumber to the 24" bandsaw for resawing or ripping. The lumber then passes through the 38" drum sander to remove milling marks. Project parts then move to other stations, such as the router table, tablesaw, or workbench for further machining. Tom usually glues up his projects at his assembly table, because the top is dead flat and its laminate surface resists drips. Illustration: Oddlyeven

Bandsaw

12' sliding door Milling machine

Bench Tool board

Metal lathe Air compressor

June/July 2010

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Metal lathe

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America’s Top Shops Smart ideas for the taking Adjustable fence 3⁄4 × 91⁄2 × 2" Fixed fence 11⁄4 × 91⁄2 × 2"

Tom has a zero-tolerance joinery policy: if a joint isn’t perfect, it doesn’t leave his shop. To achieve a flawless fit, he built this two-way shooting board. The triangle can be adjusted for right- or left-hand shaves, or removed for shooting square ends. By shimming the adjustable fence, he can achieve dead-on accuracy.

1" counterbore, 1⁄4" deep Angled fence 43⁄4"

9" 15⁄8"

1⁄4" all thread 2" long

45◦ 3⁄8" dowel #10 x 1⁄4" threaded brass inserts

Nut Washer

Two-way shooting board

Brass knob (or star knob) 1⁄4" all thread 11⁄2" long Adhesive-backed sandpaper

1⁄4" hole

15"

Base 3⁄4 × 91⁄2"

3⁄4" 3⁄8"

Determined by width of benchtop

Cleat 11⁄2" wood screw

11⁄4"

11⁄8"

UHMW layer

Ledge 3⁄4 × 27⁄8" × base length

Though two are shown here, Tom built four such maple sawhorses that nicely nest together to reduce their footprint when not in use. Based on similar sawhorses he found at the College of the Redwoods, he added top spacer strips to bring the sawhorses level with his assembly table, expanding the supporting roles of both shop fixtures. The sacrificial spacer strips sustain damage when Tom breaks down sheet goods, but they’re easily replaced.

26" 13⁄4"

1"

2"

81⁄2"

2" Notch 3⁄4"

Rail 3⁄4 × 3 × 26"

21⁄4"

3"

Leg 3⁄4 × 3 × 251⁄4" Tenon, 3⁄8 × 21⁄4 × 3⁄4" long Tenon, 3⁄8 × 21⁄4 × 11⁄2" long

Foot

R=2"

R=3⁄8" 3" woodcraftmagazine.com

273⁄4"

Stretcher 3⁄4 × 3 × 24"

81⁄2"

52

Cleat 1⁄4 × 11⁄4 × 23⁄4"

Spacer strip

Nesting sawhorses

3⁄4"

June/July 2010 © Copyright © Copyright 2010 2010 by by Woodcraft Woodcraft Supply, Supply, LLC. LLC. All All rights rights reserved. reserved.

18"

A window on Tom and his woodworking While Tom’s first woodworking project was a gunstock, it followed that his second would be a rifle rack. After getting married in 1959, Tom’s then dormant interest in making gunstocks returned, although the time demands of work and family made woodworking an occasional rather than continuous hobby. For much of his adult life, he worked as a mechanical contractor in the metallurgical and forest industries, and was able to retire 20 years ago at age 50. He and his wife bought their current home about 17 years ago and spent the first two years gutting and rebuilding the house. Tom recruited a friend to help him frame the workshop, and then completed it himself. With the shop built, Tom began filling it with power equipment and making shop essentials. “I could get by without all the machinery,” Tom quips, “but not my bench; it is the most

important item in the shop.” The shop, striking in its appearance, goes way beyond being a showplace. Tom enjoys making furniture such as the quilted and bird’s-eye maple china cabinet he built for his granddaughter, shown at right. A more recent project is the quilted maple and Gabon ebony hand plane and presentation box (bottom) that he crafted for his son. The set also includes a lignum vitae adjusting mallet. With all of his inroads into making furniture, Tom occasionally returns to his earliest woodworking roots, making gunstocks from walnut and maple. He couples this with his considerable gunsmithing skills. “I buy barrel blanks,” he says, “thread and chamber them, put them on the actions and, of course, build the figured stocks to fit.” Life could be a lot worse than when one hobby fulfills the needs of another. ■ Special thanks to Joe and Susan Essin of the Eugene, Oregon, Woodcraft store.

Illustrations: Frank Rohrbach

How To Submit Your Shop Got a top woodworking shop filled with ideas for smarter woodworking? You could be featured in Woodcraft Magazine and earn a $350 Woodcraft gift card. Send a short writeup, photos and/or sketches, and rough floor plan to: America’s Top Shops • Woodcraft Magazine • P.O. Box 7020 • Parkersburg, WV 26102-7020, editor@ woodcraftmagazine.com

June/July 2010 © Copyright © Copyright 2010 2010 by by Woodcraft Woodcraft Supply, Supply, LLC. LLC. All All rights rights reserved. reserved.

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America’s Top Shops

The End-All Workshop Following six previous efforts and 45 years of woodworking, Dick Reese finally has his shop of shops. By Jim Harrold

W

hen you do something over again, and again, and again, your chances of getting it right vastly improve. That, in short, describes the journey taken by Centerville, Ohio, craftsman Dick Reese. Back in 1965, while fresh out of college, the basement of a townhome served as his first shop. As he climbed the ladder at NCR (National Cash Register) Corporation where he spent his career, relocations and job improvements spurred him to start anew, creating woodworking shops in a garage, a barn, three basements, and, most recently, the main level of 56

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the two-story dedicated building shown at right. The 1,764-square-foot main level Dick’s woodworking serves as Dick’s shop, the unfinished passion began in his basement provides storage, and the teen years, thanks, second level houses a design room. in part, to the family create his be-all and end-all shop, tradition. His grandfather made this time, from the ground up. cabinets by trade, while his Following retirement in 1995, woodworking father owned Dick turned to designing and and operated a lumberyard and building a new home and his restored antique furniture. Both seventh shop. Says Dick, “I had served as mentors, along with several things in mind. First, I the woodworking books and wanted a separate shop building magazines he checked out from that was not part of the main libraries or purchased. Throw house. Yet, I wanted it to look in Dick’s exhaustive hands-on like it belonged with the house.” experience, and you might say His solution: link the buildings he was more than prepared to

Aug/Sept 2010

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The Workshop At A Glance Size: Overall two-story, 30 × 50' building with basement, plus an additional 10 × 12' dust-collector/jig storage room. Main level shop includes a 12 × 15' finishing room; ceilings, 10' high throughout. Construction: Poured concrete foundation walls with insulated 2×4 stick-built frame construction and brick veneer. Entrance features a ramp for moving equipment, stock, and projects in and out. The shop flooring is tongue-and-groove oak. Heating and cooling: Two forced air HVAC systems. One serves the basement and shop, the other, the upstairs. They are isolated for dust control. Both have humidity control. Lighting: (17) dual, 8'-long, T-8 fluorescent fixtures with electronic ballasts to eliminate hum plus incandescent task lights at workstations.

with a breezeway and style them similarly. “I also wanted a shop that was large enough so that the stationary tools could indeed be ‘stationary,’” he continues, “i.e., I didn’t want to deal with equipment on mobile bases.” That desire translated into a bigger shop, in this case, a 30 × 50' space. Added to this is a 10 × 12' dustcollector room that cuts down on the ambient noise in the shop. “By having a basement, I could run my ducts down through the floor from the tools and then return to the shop level in the dust-collector room.” This eliminated the exposed pipes that snaked along the walls and Photos: Robert Hock

Electrical, Internet, and security: Dedicated 200-amp panel for shop. In addition to circuits for the HW heater and HVAC systems are 220-volt circuits for dust collector, tablesaw, large bandsaw, planer, air compressor, and radio room (upstairs); 110-volt circuits service (14) outlets throughout, along with (8) lighting circuits. The security system stems from the main house system as does the telephone and cable (TV and Internet) access. Wireless access points throughout allow for connectivity. Two TVs and a stereo system provide entertainment. Dust collection: Four-bag Reliant (1980 CFM) dust collector with under-floor ducts. Air compressor: Two-stage, oilfilled compressor, with 80-gal. tank in basement. A black-pipe manifold circles the shop with various drops, including one over the assembly table.

Hardware, jigs, and clamps share space in Dick’s dust-collector room. Aug/Sept 2010

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Viewing Dick’s woodturning corner, you glimpse his lumber storage trees and fixed 15" planer with below-floor dust collection. ceilings of his earlier shops. Dick also located his air compressor in the basement to reduce shop noise. He separated his finishing activities in a fan-ventilated, dust-free finishing room in one corner of the main shop. He further reduced noise by shutting off his dust collector in its own room. Unlike his basement shops of old that were devoid of natural light, Dick’s on-grade shop embraces the sun. “In my new shop I wanted a lot of windows,” he says. These, he admits, cut down on available wall space for storage. Where possible, he added specialized wall cabinet storage, like the drill bit holder shown above, right. Similar wall cabinets store his measuring and marking tools and router bits. “Most of my storage, however, is made up of base cabinets with lots of drawers. I built them to fit various spaces and functions 58

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as I moved in and set up shop.” One big improvement over his previous shops, Dick cites, is in lumber storage. “I designed and had built steel support posts with crossarms that ‘float’ between the ceiling and the floor. The crossarm trees can be spaced as needed. I spaced them to hold 12'-long lumber." Storing jigs in most shops can be a hassle. Dick, a consummate jig maker, stashes his in his dust-collector room. “I make jigs when I have a specific need,” he says. Most come from woodworking magazines, he claims, “but I’ll modify or improve them in some way.” In spite of the shop’s plethora of features and wealth of space, Dick observes, “I don’t think too much about saving time or overall efficiency. I enjoy spending time in my shop, and I guess I’m more interested in the journey than the destination.”

Dick mounted this custom-made bit cabinet on the limited wall space near his drill press.

“I don’t think too much about saving time or overall efficiency. I enjoy spending time in my shop, and I guess I’m more interested in the journey than the destination.”

Aug/Sept 2010

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Storage Toolboxes

Storage cabinet

Sharpener Cabinets

Spindle sander

Sink

Belt sander

Finishing table

Bandsaw Performax sander

Finishing room Router table Workbenches Radial-arm saw Small parts storage Mitersaw

Dust collector

Saw blade storage

Jig storage

Double door

During the planning phase, Dick laid out his workshop to scale and made cutouts of all the stationary tools, cabinets, and benches. “I moved things around until I was satisfied with the layout,” he says. Once done, he gave his architect the approximate weights of the heavier items (planer, jointer, tablesaw, lumber rack, and so on) “so she could ensure adequate floor joisting to eliminate the possibility of the floor sagging.” He also asked for a ramp outside the double front doors for easier hauling in and out. As shown in the floor plan, he set the planer at an angle out in the floor to maximize the length of lumber he can thickness (a whopping 20'). “In my opinion,” says Dick, “the tablesaw is the most important tool to place. I centrally located mine and combined it with a large Illustration: Oddlyeven

Toolbox Tablesaw Outfeed/ assembly table

Granite surface plate

The Floor Plan

Scrollsaw

Double door and ramp

15" planer

Sharpening bench

Drill press

12" jointer Storage

Bandsaw

Lumber rack

Wood lathe Metal lathe Clamp rack Basement and top floor stairs

outfeed table that also serves as an assembly table. I wanted access to all sides of the saw and plenty of support to cut 4 × 8 sheets by myself.” He likewise provided ample space around the jointer and other key tools. “Once I had decided on machine and bench placement, I ran electrical wiring into boxes that were floor mounted next to the appropriate tools.” This tactic, drawing from his former shops, got rid of any tripping hazards posed by electrical cords.

Dick located his woodworking bench a few steps away from his tablesaw and planned for access all around. Says the craftsman, “I essentially do all of my handwork here.” His remaining benches stand along the wall, serving other purposes. In his finishing room he installed a wall of cabinets topped with a counter that runs the entire length. It includes a deep sink with hot and cold water, employing a tankless electrical heater.

Aug/Sept 2010

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America’s Top Shops Smart ideas for the taking Auxiliary workbench

“One of my best ideas,” says Dick, “was to build an auxiliary

workbench to sit on top of my woodworking bench. It’s much easier on the back than bending

over the typical height bench, and it lets me keep delicate work closer to eye level.” The bench raises the working surface just over 10", allowing Dick to stand comfortably when routing grooves and doing string inlay, as well as other meticulous tasks. Edge-joined 11⁄4"-thick maple makes up the top, along with breadboard ends to allow for expansion and contraction. This attaches to a pair of sturdy stands with countersunk lag screws and washers. The bench simply clamps to his primary bench and includes a quick-release vise and holes for bench dogs and hold-downs.

11/4 × 141/2" top, length to suit

/4" dog holes

3

3/8 × 1" long tenon

6"

41/2" 13/8" dado, 3/4" deep Top rail and foot 13/8 × 2 × 141/2" Breadboard end 11/4 × 3 × 141/2"

Leg 13/8 × 2 × 71/2" 1/4" chamfer

1/2" radius

11/2" 1/4 × 2" lag screw w/ washer, counterbored

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Flush-trim router jig

To save time and achieve perfect results when applying edge banding to plywood, Dick created this simple flush-trim jig for his trim router. It consists of scrap materials from the shop and an acrylic baseplate to which the trim router mounts. When in use, the adjustable carriage rests on the surface of the edged workpiece and glides along as shown. The baseplate acts as a fence, keeping the jig snug to the edge for the flush-trimming duration. At outside corners, Dick adds a temporary sacrificial block to the shelf being trimmed, holding it in place with double-faced tape. This allows the bit’s bearing to go beyond the corner. #4 × 1" F.H. wood screw

Handle 3/4 × 11/4 × 61/2"

#6 × 11/4" F.H. wood screw

Window 1/4 × 21/4 × 61/2" acrylic

1/2"rabbet, 1/4" deep #6 × 11/4" F.H. wood screw

Counterbored holes for router base screws 3/4" 1" dia. hole, centered

Side 3/4 × 21/2 × 10"

Mounting plate 3/8 × 7 × 7" acrylic

Handle support 3/4 × 41/2 × 51/2" Notch 1/4 × 3/4"

Illustrations: Frank Rorhbach

#8 × 11/4" R.H. wood screw and washer

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America’s Top Shops Taking it to next level Like his progression of workshops over the years, Dick continually takes his woodworking, in his words, “to the next level.” For the past three years he’s plied his passion for challenging 18th century furniture of the Federal period, with his current efforts being a Baltimore Federal demilune card table and an 1805 New York Pembroke table. “One of my favorite projects (shown below) is the Massachusetts

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highboy that was completed in 2009. I worked on it for about 13 months. Total time to actually build and finish spanned 250 to 300 hours. I built it from curly cherry and finished it with wiping varnish.” It was during the same year that Dick appeared on three episodes of The American Woodshop with Scott Phillips. The episodes featured his inlaid spice box (shown above), the highboy, and a trestle table that he designed for his home office. Currently, he is the incoming president of the Western Ohio Woodworking Club, which boasts 225 members and directs its efforts—among other activities—to building Christmas toys for the local children’s hospital. The club awards a scholarship each year to a deserving student at Rio Grande University’s school of woodworking. Says Dick, “We also sponsor a youth activity at the Artistry in Wood show where kids between 5 and 12 can come to our booth and build kit projects created by club members.” The projects include tool totes, pencil boxes, bird feeders, and birdhouses. The members oversee the activity by teaching woodworking and helping the kids assemble the kits.

In spite of his stock of power tools, Dick continually refines his craftsmanship. “As I improve my skills,” he summarizes, “I find myself spending more time with the hand tool part of woodworking. I seem to enjoy the solitude of just using hand tools in my shop, listening to the local public radio station, and just being quiet without a lot of power tools running.” ■

How To Submit Your Shop

Got a top shop filled with ideas for smarter shop planning and woodworking? By all means, let us know! You could be featured in Woodcraft Magazine and earn a $350 Woodcraft gift card. Send a short write-up, photos, and/ or sketches and rough floor plan to America’s Top Shops • Woodcraft Magazine • P.O. Box 7020 • Parkersburg, WV 26102-7020 • editor@ woodcraftmagazine.com

Aug/Sept 2010

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