My shop, a request from Mark James, who could refuse.

[mmayo]

"Very nice Mark. I'd love to see pictures of your shop. My wife and I need to downsize in the next 2-4 years and I can easily play in a much smaller footprint. Just getting ideas - small projects. A single garage size would probably be ample."

Here is the shop as it is today, but it may be larger that you want. It's full at least around the perimeter, but I like that everything is available immediately or with a simple move on wheels. Other than the saw & planer, everything has been purchased from woodworking sales. An addition, not shown, is a second Jet air filtration system that now lives on the floor under the outfeed table. It is a big shop 30' x 40' and has tall ceilings so one unit was in need of help. I'm am living the dream in this shop until I stop enjoying woodworking or my health fails. Right now I'm very happy every time in enter the shop.

I do not miss my two car garage with two cars in it that was my shop for 40 years. Everything had to be setup up after the cars were removed for the day. Oh yes, my wife insisted that the cars got returned to the garage each night. She is a peach so what she wants, she gets. She also comes down to clean superbly once a month.

 

[mark james]

Thank you!
With no apologies, I admire your work and love your shop. Gives me some room to ponder. .

 

[Dalecamino]

Nice! Lots of stuff.

 

[TonyL]

Thank you for sharing the photos!

 

[moke]

I love looking at shops! Yours is awesome. It is very well designed and organized, that, to me, is the most important feature.

I am having a shop built right now. Not as big, mine is 24x40. So I am gathering ideas from looking at set up ideas. I got several from you. Thanks!

Is that a 16" Laguana? I have a 18-36, in fact it was the first one Acme tools ever shipped. I took a chance that it was going to be good. I have not been disappointed, though I have had to "rework" some things. I had a stall in my 3 stall garage, and the Laguana wheels looked to be the best ones around. Do you use your extension much? I had a Delta 12" when I started, and had an extension and loved it. While I don't do spindle work, it is awesome to get the tail stock "out of the way". On another note, our family is tight knit and there are some great Xmas presents. So one year, out of a lack of ideas, I asked for the Laguana LED light.....It is awesome....

Thanks for showing us and Congratulations on the "Dream" shop!

 

[Bob in SF]

Great shop!

 

[mmayo]

I love looking at shops! Yours is awesome. It is very well designed and organized, that, to me, is the most important feature.

I am having a shop built right now. Not as big, mine is 24x40. So I am gathering ideas from looking at set up ideas. I got several from you. Thanks!

Is that a 16" Laguana? Yes

have a 18-36, in fact it was the first one Acme tools ever shipped. I took a chance that it was going to be good. I have not been disappointed, though I have had to "rework" some things. I had a stall in my 3 stall garage, and the Laguana wheels looked to be the best ones around. Do you use your extension much? I had a Delta 12" when I started, and had an extension and loved it. While I don't do spindle work, it is awesome to get the tail stock "out of the way". On another note, our family is tight knit and there are some great Xmas presents. So one year, out of a lack of ideas, I asked for the Laguana LED light.....It is awesome....

Thanks for showing us and Congratulations on the "Dream" shop!

I use the extension on the Laguna and have from day one. Almost all turning is done on it. The Midi Rikon drills etc whole the small Rikon buffs. Both have had their day in the sun. A light for the Laguna might be nice, but I fear it will miss the cut area. Overall that bandsaw is one of my most perfect tools right out of the box. It resaws perfectly as long as I am patient.

Thanks for the positive comments. I share here to help or to answer a request. Until we move here I would have never dreamed I'd have the shop or the tools in it. Sometimes you just roll with it until the music stops.

 

[mmayo]

The tool in one photo is an electric log splitter from DR. It has split so much wood and some extremely large diameter oak and sequoia rounds. It is a tiny stud!

 

[MartinPens]

Great pictures and a great shop. How do you like your cyclone separator? I just bought that unit and I'm waiting for it to arrive. : )

 

[wolf creek knives]

The tool in one photo is an electric log splitter from DR. It has split so much wood and some extremely large diameter oak and sequoia rounds. It is a tiny stud!

Hey Mark, what kind of heater to you have hanging off your ceiling? In my new shop (mostly new home though) that I'll be moving into probably in June I'm having a Hot Dawg heater installed. I'm wondering if that is what you have and have you had any issues with it?

 

[mmayo]

I don't know the brand of my shop heater, but we have a Hot Dawg heater at the Gallery n Gifts where I display my work. It is warm, noisy and works fine. A heating contractor told me that my particular heater in my shop is less efficient than current models soooo if it dies I get a more modern one. Each day during winter I use it to raise the temperature from 47 (lowest I left the shop get overnight) to 50-52 for work. A couple of degrees feels so wonderful. It came with the shop and the shop came with the house. I'm grateful for such a place to print money, I mean do woodworking.

 

[McKenzie Penworks]

Print money??? My shop must be broken... it just costs me money Nice setup Mark! We moved in July primarily because this house has a 1300sqft shop (with batthroom, full hvac, hot water, etc) and it's been so nice having the space. Amazing the difference going from a garage to a dedicated space when it comes to motivation to be in the shop. I TRY to get kicked out of the house now lol

 

[wolf creek knives]

I don't know the brand of my shop heater, but we have a Hot Dawg heater at the Gallery n Gifts where I display my work. It is warm, noisy and works fine. A heating contractor told me that my particular heater in my shop is less efficient than current models soooo if it dies I get a more modern one. Each day during winter I use it to raise the temperature from 47 (lowest I left the shop get overnight) to 50-52 for work. A couple of degrees feels so wonderful. It came with the shop and the shop came with the house. I'm grateful for such a place to print money, I mean do woodworking.

Thanks Mark. I hate working in the cold. When I first got my shop set up here I worked in weather that was way too cold like -19 or more. I used to stand next to my propane heater (heat Dr. I think) and spin around to try and stay warm plus I probably had 9 layers on. If I used Epoxy or glued anything else it needed to be brought into the cabin so it would cure. What a pain. Now I keep my shop at 70 and it's nice and toasty and nothing freezes. Thanks again for the info.

 

[mmayo]

Print money??? My shop must be broken... it just costs me money Nice setup Mark! We moved in July primarily because this house has a 1300sqft shop (with batthroom, full hvac, hot water, etc) and it's been so nice having the space. Amazing the difference going from a garage to a dedicated space when it comes to motivation to be in the shop. I TRY to get kicked out of the house now lol

I'm sure when you are on a roll pouring those great diamond blanks and everything clicks it is like printing money. Today, in an hour, I made $200 in amboyna burl Bolt Action pens. The blanks were tubed but that's it. Easy and I must say fun after sanding tackle boxes for an hour and a half. It was a distinct pleasure to make a couple of pens.

PS - my shop has a bathroom with shower, kitchen with stove, refrigerator and microwave, a music/photographic studio and lastly a gym room. The phrase "pig in slop" somewhat describes my current good fortune.