[karateed]

Hi Folks,

Well, in the spirit that Glenmore offered pics of his shop, I humbly offer some of mine.

There is an exterior of the shop, it's basically a 10 x 14 ft metal shed. I've insulated most of it with 1" high density blue foam (don't remember the proper name for it, sure BJ will help with that). I have a workbench in the shop, router table on workmate, planar, miter saw, lathe, scroll saw, many misc tools on the wall.

On the work bench are 2 projects going on. There are 2 card holders (remember those?) and where you see my grinders, under it is a jig about 1/2 done. The jig is to help me sharpen my lathe tools.

I've also shown a picture of the fan that heats/cools my shop, depending on the time of year.

There are 2 pictures showing under my porch from inside the sealed off area. This is where my table saw is (under the blue tarp). One picture is taken at the furthest end of the space from the saw and the other picture shows the junk I will be cleaning out in spring to give me a space almost equal to the work shop area.

Eventually, I will permanently enclose under the porch.

Hope you enjoy the pictures, it would be awesome to see everybody else's shops or where they work.

Ed......

 

[fibertech]

Ed, I am going to have to get up there sometime this Summer. I have always wanted to play Furry Creek so a visit might be in order. I was in Vancouver a week and a half ago for a Canuck's game and usually cross the border 2 or 3 times a year. Your shop (and many others here) shows the passion that we have for this hobby. Lots of us have limited space and try to get the most out of it. I espeially like how you heat the space (just kidding).
Thanks for the pictures. -Derek

 

[karateed]

Hey Derek,

Yes, that little heater really does a very nice job. I can work out there all year round. The porch area is cold in winter and you can't work out there all day long but between the shop area and that area a person can still work all day if they want (or have the time).

I really do appreciate having a place to work and play like this. I have a lot to do to try to get more from the space. I feel it can be used better than what I'm doing...but you know how that is. Have to use the time to either build or organize and building usually comes first.

Sorry to hear you were at a Canuck's game (hope someone else was paying for the tickets). Lately they've been having their struggles but I do love them.

I've played Furry Creek once curtousy of a vendor. Very interesting course. Perhaps we'll see you sometime this summer.

Ed......

 

[harrysin]

Thanks for the shots Ed. I have over twice the area you have and yet I never seem to have enough. Turning out the work you do indicates real dedication to the hobby, but let us not forget Glenmore, I wonder if he has room to put a carport in front of the present one so that it can be closed in to form part of his shop. If this were possible, I'm sure that fellow woodworkers in the general area would put in a weekend to do the work as Glenmores health would preclude his active participation.

I do hope this doesn't embarrass my good mate Glenmore.

 

[Glenmore]

No embarrasment here my freind. I just have to live with and keep peeving people off but the list is getting shorter. Ed with that out your shop is really nice. Been thinking of one of them sheds but with me renting it isn't feasable so I'll do with what I have. Like the way you utilized your space. I see you have a nice work area for assembling bigger projects with all that center work space you have. By the way where did you find a heater that heats and cools would like to get something like that for the summer being it seems we get bermuda highs during the summer. Should see me in my shop sweating like a pig and having shavings and saw dust sticking to me. It's funny but not for my wife when I cool down and the darn stuff decides to come off in the house. Thanks for the pics really nice.

 

[karateed]

Hi Harry,

When I saw some of the HUGE shops people on this site have, I have to admit I was having 'shop envy'. Well, since Glenmore posted his shop, I realized we aren't all able to have very large shops and seeing the quality of Glenmore's work has inspired me to know shop size has nothing to do with quality work. I certainly know what you mean when you say it never seems like it's a large enough space, that happens to me all the time. I bet people would be very willing to help build Glenmore a bigger space....if I lived in the area I would love to....I would also love to visit you but finances being what they are....

Thank you for the kind words, they are always appreciated.

Hi Glenmore,

The only embarrasment should be that we that have larger shops and put out work inferior to yours. We have no excuses, thank you so much for sharing.....you've helped me big time in appreciating what I have and appreciating your skills.

I too live in a 'rental' situation. We live in a Co-op in Squamish...we don't own but it's like we own except we will pay rent until we die essentially, however it's rather cheap rent.

The shed was my wife's idea....I used to have a room in the basement for a shop...I'm so glad she had this idea.

The space is pretty good but I have yet to do any very large projects, they've all been small one...in fact my boss (read my darling wife here) has me making about another 7 of those card holders so I'll be busy for a while just on those. It's very hard to be able to work after a full day's work (I commute 2-1/2 hours daily), just too tired and that's not safe. However, the weekends are mine and I'm about to go out there soon myself (now what time is football on again today?).

Again, thank you very much for the kind words, they are always appreciated.

Just a thought....if you have the space for a metal shed....it's a really good idea...but one thing I found necessary and it helped a lot was to insulate it. It made a huge difference on the heating and cooling. Speaking of heating/cooling....the fan that I'm using I got at Canadian Tire (don't think you have them in the USA). It actually does a great job heating in the winter, in the summer it's about 75-90 F and it really is only a glorified fan so it still gets pretty warm in there but the insulation really helps that. Nevertheless, I still end up sweating up a storm.

BTW, can't your wife just hose you down before you come in.....;-)

Well this was supposed to be a short post, my apologies, I've written a book again.

Ed......

 

[curiousgeorge]

Thanks for the pics, Ed. Nice shop you have there. I guess it all comes down to the fact that a shop is just a means to an end and it's not what you have, but what you do with it. I am proud to be associated with all you guys here on the forums because of your dedication and love of our woodworking hobby and willingness to share it with others.
Thanks for caring. You guys are the best!

 

[challagan]

Nice little space Ed. I don't have a big shop either but I don't have to go outside anyway. We all can't have big full garages. Maybe some day... but I don't think so!

Corey

 

[Dr.Zook]

Small shop.

Sensei Ed, I have to agree with George. It's not what you have but how you use it. I mean I envy Norms shop, but I will make do with what I have and be proud of it. I believe you guys do an excellent job for what you have. Be proud.
Ed, I think they call that insulation "Styrospan."
Is that big hammer on the heater/AC used to get it started?

 

[harrysin]

"...in fact my boss (read my darling wife here) has me making about another 7 of those card holders so I'll be busy for a while just on those."

Ed, I did show you how to polish off those card holders in a very short time!

 

[karateed]

Hi Harry,

Yes, and I've now got the biscuit joiner. It'll take me a bit of time to change how I do things, but not much I'm sure. Mostly I only get weekends to work on these things so when you split time up like that, it's hard to keep a good flow going. Doing too much of everything and not getting enough done I'm afraid....

Hi Dave,

No, the hammer is for those special projects that patience wears thin.....to test the durability of whatever it is that failed.....LOL.


Hi George,

I agree, it's not the size of the shop, it's the amount of imagination and determination that count to getting a good end result that one can be somewhat reasonably happy with. Does that work?

Hey....how about that, answered 3 posts and didnt' write a book.....

Picture of new card holders below, 1/2 finished. They're a little bit bigger width wise. The wood is all recovered from pallets. I showed the first one I did just to give a size comparison.

Ed......

 

[curiousgeorge]

Good job, ED. I love recycled stuff.

 

[karateed]

Thanks George....I like the fact I'm taking a throw-away and making something nice (hopefully) from it....and the price is right....

Hey Harry,

The process I'm using because of the width and everything makes the process a bit slow still. I have to glue up 2 boards from pallets for each box, plane them after they are dried. I don't have a ton of clamps so can really only do a max of 2 glueups at a time....Once planed just cut each board in 4 (for the body), cut the miters on the table saw, glue up the mitered pieces, square anything up if it's not perfect at the top or bottom of the body then route the corners to get the shape. Now I haven't used the biscuit jointer yet, but I will be on the next boxes.

So bill of materials for each 2 boxes is 3 sets of board glue-ups...then the above process....it is time consuming but I don't mind that. I'm thoroughly enjoying making these things and I think they are being constructed better each time out so maybe I'm learning something too.

Ed......

 

[Jack Framboise]

Thanks for the photos - that's a pretty nice set up you've got there.
I have to squeeze everything into my garage and prey that I never have to try and get the car in...

 

[Ziggy Diaz]

Ed,

Being shopless at the present moment, I am envious of even the smallest setup, enjoyed your photos a lot, just one question, what plans do you have for the cable spool flanges in the shop, I have a few ideas from experience, you could make a folding table, a stool or if it's birch ply it can become many jigs in your shop as I did with mine from mig robots welding wire spools about 30" in diameter. Photos attached...

Ziggy

 

[karateed]

Hi Ziggy,

I was actually planning on using them on the lathe to bolt projects to.

btw, those are very nice. The pieces I have are much smaller diameter than those, that's why I thought they might be useful for lathe work.

Ed......

 

[karateed]

Well folks, it's been a while but just want to let you know my shed this winter got too much snow and it got very wet inside, making things a bit rusty in some cases. I've put a heater fan in there in a safe place and put a tarp over the roof to quell any more precipitation from getting in. I checked it a week after putting the fan in and it's much drier now so waiting for summer to remove the terribly bent support stringers, straighten and paint the roof panels. At the moment I think I've sourced new stringers and associated hardware (nuts, screws, etc) for it so should be good to go in spring/summer. Picture attached after tarp placed on roof. It still collects water so I have to monitor it doesn't get too full. If it does, I will have to syphon it to the ground. We'll get it ship-shape come the warmer times.

 

[karateed]

 

[Marco]

I hate it happened but hope it will be restored and all can be saved

 

[karateed]

Thanks Marco, I appreciate that. I think all will be fine. Tools can always be repaired and the shed will come back to normal with a little TLC. It's going to be work but being retired, that's probably a good thing.