mark poulson Posted August 1, 2015 Report Share Posted August 1, 2015 So I moved, and have been setting up my shop again. For anyone who's seen my old shop, you'll understand when I say it was cramped, because I had six feet of plywood and lumber storeage on one whole side of my garage. So I learned to cram stuff and used my floor model drill press for both my skirt making tool (the plastic rotary one with the three expandable jaws) and my fly tying vise. The light from the drill press was also very handy. In setting up my new shop, which is twice as my old shop, I put the drill press off to one side, and began using it with the same tools installed on it's homemade wood top. But reading what Walking Dead posted about how to put a grip pin on my flipping hooks started me thinking about not just using my old methods, and old ways, in the new shop space. My radial arm saw, which has a large cantilevered wooden work surface is actually much more centrally located, at a great work height for someone like me whose back likes him to stand when he works, has better lighting, and can easily accomodate both the skirt maker and the fly tying vise. So, I'm making that my first order of business today, to move those things, and get them installed on the saw's table. I'm writing this because I find that I get trapped into doing things "like I always did", and don't look for new, better ways enough anymore. So thank you Walking Dead for shaking me out of my tunnel vision trance! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLT Posted August 1, 2015 Report Share Posted August 1, 2015 Hope it all works out for you! People post good ideas, don't they. I do my tying sitting in an office chair, and the vise on a solid wood TV tray. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CNC Molds N Stuff Posted August 1, 2015 Report Share Posted August 1, 2015 My radial arm saw gets used for... a place to pile stuff. I haven't used it in years. I've got a "nice" 220V Delta, and I have found my much cheaper Rigid table saw is a more accurate and consistent tool. I use it all the time. Its a better table too without that big stupid arm and saw in the way. LOL. The only saving grace for the Delta is the table is a little higher than the table on the Rigid. Maybe I'll move the Delta over next to my pouring benches. I don't have 220 over in that part of the shop, but then I don't need it anyway. LOL. Notice the word nice above is in quotes. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted August 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 1, 2015 I just came in from the shop. It is amazing how not being cluttered makes stuff so much easier! My Sears 10" table saw, circa 1953, has a piece of 3/4" plywood on top of it now, and it's my soft plastic pouring station, complete with microwave. Funny how stuff we "couldn't do without" becomes repurposed, and we don't skip a beat! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vodkaman Posted August 2, 2015 Report Share Posted August 2, 2015 The only thing occupying my new workshop is an echo. It is huge at 26'x16' but I just have no time to spare to get started. Soon I hope. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ccfish Posted August 2, 2015 Report Share Posted August 2, 2015 when we renovated the kitchen i put the old island in the shop works great even has a ceramic top so i can put all the hot stuff on it without burning or melting anything. Also the miter saw got demoted to the shelf so i could use that table too. I guess you can never have too many tables. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CNC Molds N Stuff Posted August 2, 2015 Report Share Posted August 2, 2015 The only thing occupying my new workshop is an echo. It is huge at 26'x16' but I just have no time to spare to get started. Soon I hope. Dave There are good things to be said for being so busy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted August 2, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 2, 2015 Bob, you're right. The only thing worse than having too much work is not having enough! Dave, I was fortunate. I was able to move all my work counters and cabinets with me to the new house, and it all fits! The hardest part was getting my lighting right. 11' high ceilings are a challenge! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vodkaman Posted August 2, 2015 Report Share Posted August 2, 2015 Mark - I have the same problem, 12' ceiling with inadequate lighting. All the lighting is going to have to be localized to the machinery. It helps that the walls and the tiled floors are close to white. I will have to design a wooden equivalent of a gooseneck lamp. Something that I can manufacture quickly with router templates. I figure I need at least eight, as I need a couple for the kitchen and one for my CAD table. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted August 3, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 3, 2015 Dave, The first thing I did was paint the walls and ceiling white. What a difference! I had put up some knife bracket shelving over my work counters, so I cut some old cabinet shelves diagonally to make 18"deep by 6" tall angled pieces, and screwed them adjacent to the uprights, right under the shelving at approx. 4' above the work counters. Then I used light chain to suspend the 4' fluorescent fixtures that I had brought with me. Funny how a little light makes everything so much easier! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vodkaman Posted August 3, 2015 Report Share Posted August 3, 2015 (edited) Mark - indeed, lighting makes the difference. It was something that I neglected in my last workshop and is something I intend to put right in my next, along with dust management. The tiled floors are a big bonus, they make keeping the workspace clean and tidy a breeze. Easily swept or blown with a long compressor pipe attachment, a quick monthly mop and the space is virtually sterile. Dave Edited August 3, 2015 by Vodkaman 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CNC Molds N Stuff Posted August 3, 2015 Report Share Posted August 3, 2015 Lighting can certainly be an issue. My shop (warehouse really) has 16' ceilings with lots of 8' florescent cans hanging on chains from the ceiling. I still have 4' florescent lights directly over my work benches hanging from the shelf above. My newest little mill has a work light directly on the machine. OH! Its so nice to be able to swing that light and shine it directly on my work when I'm setting something up. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted August 4, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 4, 2015 Dave, I left my dust collection system back in my old garage. It was just cobbled together from two 1000 CFM kitchen fans from a job, and some 6" and 4" duct. It worked, but it never really had the drawing power I wanted. I set up my radial arm saw with a dust hood, and a connection for my shop vac. I use that now, and it actually pulls better. I set the vac up in the open garage door with the exhaust blowing out, and it draws really will, both for my saw, and for my oscillating belt sander. I don't know what I'm going to do, now that I won't have a fine coating of PVC dust everywhere! Bob, My drill press has it's own light, and that make a huge difference. My garage has three (2) tube 8' fluorescents at 10'. They work fine for general lighting, but I need the 4' fluorescents over my work areas, plus a couple of goose neck lights on my work counters for really fine stuff. My biggest problem is finding the old single post 8' tubes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CNC Molds N Stuff Posted August 4, 2015 Report Share Posted August 4, 2015 I have a case of spares, but the lights and cans are both available at Depot & Lowes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vodkaman Posted August 4, 2015 Report Share Posted August 4, 2015 Mark - the problem of general room extraction is one of room volume. In my case, a volume of 160 cubic metres or 5650cuft. This means that I would need 6 of those extractor fans of yours to evacuate in one minute. I haven't done any research on air cleaning requirements, but I suspect that once per minute is not enough to get the job done. Keeping a clean workshop atmosphere is all about local machine extraction to a collection device/separator. General dust extraction will still be necessary, but will not require collection or filtering, at least in my neighborhood, were dust ingress from outside is a major problem. Of course, in the USA, filtering is most likely required. I don't know why I am writing this, as you are well experienced in the requirements. But, others might be encouraged to think about their shop environments, which are inherently dangerous to health. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted August 6, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 6, 2015 Dave, When I was thinking about making my dust collection system, I read about overcoming head pressure, the amount of air within the system that had to be moved and the amount of vertical lift from each station to the overhead main line. Evidently, cfm wasn't the only criteria for what fan would work. At firstI mounted a 1000 cfm side mount exhaust motor on top of a plastic trash barrel on a 1/2" plywood base, and made a semi-spiral intake from 4" flexible duct elbows under the plywood top, to encourage incoming dust to move sideways first and, hopefully, precipitate out to the bottom of the barrel before it could be sucked back into the fan, which was pull air out of the barrel to create suction in the 4" intake hole. It worked, but it was a pain to move around the shop, so I just used it for my tablesaw. When I decided to make a permanent collection system, I mounted two of the 1000 cfm side mount fans on the side wall of my garage, and built a plywood enclosure inside, with a homemade cyclone intake and two layers of filters. Even though there were now two fans instead of one, because my main duct was now a 6" overhead line, with 4" drops to each station, the head pressure needed to overcome the 6' vertical run up to the main 6" line, and the distance the main line traveled to the dust enclosure, the system wasn't any stronger than the single fan on a trash barrel, but it was much more convenient. I am guessing that using a 6" main line may have cut down on the velocity of the air movement. In this garage shop, I'm using a Rigid shop vac, so there is only the flex line from the station to the vac to overcome, and it actually pulls better than either of my homemade systems. My friend, who is an award winning wood worker/furniture maker, has one of the wheel mounted portable dust collectors in her shop, and that place stays clean. If I were 20 years younger, I'd invest in one of those, but I'm not! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CNC Molds N Stuff Posted August 6, 2015 Report Share Posted August 6, 2015 (edited) Sounds like your original trash can separator was a variation of a Thien separator without the separator plate. Thien separators work pretty well for everything except your fines and super fines. They do catch a lot of those too. The nice thing about them is if you don't make the separator to heavy you just lift it off and wheel the trash can out to the dumpster leaving your vacuum source out of the way. You can even just swap it over to another trash can in your shop if you are in a hurry. The slotted separator plate helps keep the system from scavenging out of the waste pile below. Edited August 6, 2015 by Bob La Londe 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vodkaman Posted August 6, 2015 Report Share Posted August 6, 2015 (edited) Mark - I was thinking on similar lines, with 6" main line running above the bench with 4" gated drops to the machines, Terminating at a vortex separator. For general atmospheric dust, I am not going to be able to cut holes in the doors as the place is rented. I could build a false door that would be wheeled into the open door aperture. I need to do the research and sums to get this right. Plenty of information on the web, don't you just love the internet. I joined Phil Thien's forum on the subject of cyclone separators (jpthien.com). I will need to catch up on some reading here and find the latest information for a home build. The site will likely cater for all the numbers too. Dave PS, Bob just posted the very same thing. Edited August 6, 2015 by Vodkaman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LimpNoodle Posted August 6, 2015 Report Share Posted August 6, 2015 Right now my work shop measures 30' x 60' with a tall roof. It has a 14' roll up door. There are no lights yet since there's no power. I have my Ram 2500 and 24' Sportsman Masters 247 in there. Next year I hope to frame in a 42' x 8' man cave. Going to put in 8' ceiling in the cave. Put work 2' deep work benches on the outside wall where the windows are and put storage on the inside wall. Build in the workbenches and I'll have enough room for all my reloading equipment and tackle crafting stuff. I've got three progressive reloading presses, a single stage and a PW 375 shotshell reloader. RCBS Pro-melt pot, close to 100 molds, painting stuff, tying vise along with all the other "stuff". Going to use every bit of that 42' of workbench. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRammit Posted August 11, 2015 Report Share Posted August 11, 2015 Im happy that i will soon have the same problems! Meeting with the bank this week, and viewing the new garage.. I mean house.. On Monday! Didnt have many options in my old work room.. But the sky is the limit now!!! One preliminary question.... What do you tell the wife if she wants to park her car in your work shop??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vodkaman Posted August 11, 2015 Report Share Posted August 11, 2015 Get yourself a two headed coin and flip for it. Dave 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basseducer Posted August 11, 2015 Report Share Posted August 11, 2015 NO! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
