The Fortress of Solitude

Some may regard this as a rather dusty and messy woodworking shop. For me it's a special place. I had some left over film in the camera and although the place was a mess, I decided to snap some pictures of the shop. I'm very pragmatic about my shop. It's first a place where I can get my woodworking done and second a place for me to fix up and make a project in it's own right. I never seem to have enough time to get everything just as I might like it in the shop. Also I'm pretty sloppy by nature and I tend to let the mess accumulate until I finish a project or it's just so disorganized that I can't find needed tools because their buried under masses of other stuff. So what you see here is a fairly typical state of affairs.

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This is the view walking into the shop. As you can see, I have a fair mixture of powertools and hand tools.

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This is my woodworking bench. I didn't build it myself - rather I bougth it from a friend who wanted to build a better one for himself. It's all maple and a very servicable tool in it's own regard. I'm not 100% happy with either of the vises on it and hope someday to build an improved bench.

When I'm in the shop I tend to work quickly and try to be as efficient as I can. So I keep the hand tools I use frequently in easy reach on a pegboard behind the bench, a shelf under it, or even hanging from the ceiling.

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This is my second bench - built by my father around 1960. It has a Douglas fir base and an ash top. My father taught me an awful lot about craftsmanship and when he could no longer use the bench I was anxious to take it. The bench is well travelled - built in New York, he hauled it cross country to Oregon where it resided in several of his shops for 29 years. Last year I helped him move back east and the bench returned to the east coast. When I reassembled it I put the base together and installed the top. The drawer section is a separate unit that slides under the top. I couldn't get it to fit  and was kind of puzzled since it came apart easily enough. Only when I loosened the lag bolts holding the base together a bit could I fit the drawer unit in. Dad was trained as a machinist and likes to buld things "tight". Pretty amazing when you realize most of the bench was built on a 1950's Sears table saw.

Sitting on top of the bench is one of my newer toys, err tools - a Delta Hollow Chisel mortiser and my machinists chest that I store all sorts of esoteric stuff in.

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This is my wood rack - looking kind of bare and my lathe. It's a ca 1960 Powermatic Model 90 that I still have to get running. I've never done any woodturning, but I'm looking forward to fixing this up and learning how to turn "when I can find the time".

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This is looking from the far corner of the shop. I built the outfeed table for the table saw as a multipurpose assembly/finishing/ and outfeed table. You can also see the Delta bandsaw I've come to love. On the far right is a bit of my Powermatic Model 60 8" jointer. It dates from the early 60's and it was kind of fun, though a lot of work, to restore.

Galoots squeamish about power tools might want to quit  now, because...

 

 

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here's my number one "neander buddy" - my Delta Unisaw. I really appreciate it's ability to produce accurately cut stock quickly and reliably so I can have more time to do the hand work I love. I equipped it with a sliding crosscut box and an Excalibur saw guard. I have a healthy respect for powertools and plan on keeping all my fingers.

Thanks for visiting - please wipe your feet on the way out.

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