# From junk heap to Workshop



## Mikhail2400 (Jun 20, 2018)

As a few of you know im starting my own wood shop and I finally feel like im far enough along to show my progress. In the beginning it was a shelter my dad built a long time ago and the vines had completely over run it. This 1st pic is a vine covered tree 20' to the left of the shelter and is a great example of how badly over run the shelter was.


The 2nd pic is the shelter after we cut away all the bush. As you can see its still full of "stuff".


Heres all the "sruff" which has accumulated over the last 27 years.



Slowly but surely its coming together.



A good friend of mine who runs a carpenter business gave me this trailer full of 2x6s, most over 14' and a few 2' rips of plywood. I was very thankful as this saved me a good bit of money which i then used to replace my sliding miter saw. Its a Kobalt 12" I found on CL for a great price along with a Craftsman 2400lb pressure washer with a 5.5hp Honda motor for $50. All in it was a pretty good CL day for me.


I put the lumber to good use in the floor and walls. Ill go pick up the flooring and the outside wall plywood in the next few days. Heres where im at right now.



Im only enclosing part of the shelter at the moment. A section which is 11'7" wide by 16' long. Its not alot of room but it will do for starters. Maybe later i can build a larger shop with a concrete floor but thats to worry over at another time. Im pretty happy with what Ive got going right now. Thats my (allmost) shop!!


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## Snowball (Jul 26, 2017)

Mikhail2400 said:


> Heres all the "sruff" which has accumulated over the last 27 years.


 Man I feel bad for the kids that have been looking for those Easter eggs for the past 27 years.


As a side note, the shop is looking good so far. I do wonder though, you mentioned that the entire shop is not going to be enclosed. Do you think there would be any problems (theft, weather, rust, etc.) with the tools left in the enclosure?


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## Mikhail2400 (Jun 20, 2018)

Snowball said:


> Man I feel bad for the kids that have been looking for those Easter eggs for the past 27 years.
> 
> 
> As a side note, the shop is looking good so far. I do wonder though, you mentioned that the entire shop is not going to be enclosed. Do you think there would be any problems (theft, weather, rust, etc.) with the tools left in the enclosure?


When i said it wouldnt be all enclosed i was referring to the shelter as a whole. Its all together 11'7" by about 30' long with an additional 12'x12' add on shelter on one side. Im completely enclosing roughly half of the main structure with a 6' wide door opening into the other half. There will be a normal sized sliding door opening into the side 12'x12' shelter.
My shop will be completely lockable. Im not the most trusting of people when it comes to other folks. I have a deep dislike for thieves so over the years ive learned to keep temptation out of their way.
On a side note it was 84% humidity and 89 degrees at 8:30 this morning with high 90s around lunch. Man I dont know how i used to work all day in this southern heat any more. Age and the A/C have ruined me.


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## Snowball (Jul 26, 2017)

Mikhail2400 said:


> When i said it wouldnt be all enclosed i was referring to the shelter as a whole. Its all together 11'7" by about 30' long with an additional 12'x12' add on shelter on one side. Im completely enclosing roughly half of the main structure with a 6' wide door opening into the other half. There will be a normal sized sliding door opening into the side 12'x12' shelter.
> My shop will be completely lockable. Im not the most trusting of people when it comes to other folks. I have a deep dislike for thieves so over the years ive learned to keep temptation out of their way.
> On a side note it was 84% humidity and 89 degrees at 8:30 this morning with high 90s around lunch. Man I dont know how i used to work all day in this southern heat any more. Age and the A/C have ruined me.


 That makes sense. As for the temps, I used to live in Florida so I know all about the heat and humidity. As a teenager, I was always outside. As a much older adult, I complain when it is 85 outside.


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## Brian72 (Jun 10, 2018)

Looking good! Wish you luck with your venture!

Sent from my Moto E (4) using Tapatalk


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## SoCalWoodGuy (Mar 5, 2010)

I love seeing what you are doing. I am also envious of your space. I have a shop that is only 9 x 13. I live in a mobile home park so I'm lucky to have that. I'd give anything to have space like you. But, I don't envy you your hot humid weather. I'm in So Cal a mile from the ocean. Very lucky to be here. I'm too old to move so I live vicariously through folks like you. Thanks for posting the pics. Keep them coming. I'll be following along.
Ray


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## gj13us (Apr 19, 2016)

What was the junk pile clean up like?


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## hawkeye10 (Feb 18, 2015)

I bet you will like the wood floor better than concrete. More forgiving for your feet.


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## TimPa (Jan 27, 2010)

2x6 are not real stout for floor joists, esp after you get any heavy equipment on it. just make sure you crib them up securely before you lay the floor sheets.


best of luck on your new shop!


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## Mikhail2400 (Jun 20, 2018)

smallshopguy i appreciate the encouragement alot, thank you very much. ill be sure to post more pics soon. I just picked up the flooring and outside paneling today along with the paint and all so will be busy. Well as busy as the heat and humidity allow eh. You know when it comes to shop size i guess its all depends on what your used to. Just remember that its not the size of your shop that matters but the amount of satisfaction you get from it that matters.

gj13us I have to admit the cleanup wasnt my favorite part of this project. I found things which i havnt thought of in years. Found 3 20 round AR-15 mags, 2 boxes of handloaded .357 bullets, 1 rifle which had died in a fire at some time in the past, my old combat crewmen coveralls from the Army and a ton of stuff not worth mentioning.

hawkeye10 im betting the wood floor will feel better also. Im happy with it anyhow.

TimPa thanks for the advice on the supports. The joists run 11' 7" in length and are screwed off with 3" wood screws on each end and each has a solid support in the center of them. According to what I looked up this should be just fine. Now you got me thinking lol. Since its still easy to reach ill add staggered supports on the ends of every other joist. Cant hurt thats for sure. Thanks for the thought.


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## Mikhail2400 (Jun 20, 2018)

Well i went and picked up the OSB, wood side paneling, liquid nail, other odds and ends, floor paint and wall paint from Lowes yesterday. Today I got the floor installed, glued and screwed down. Putting the flooring in really made the spots which wernt square to begin with stand out. Ended up adding dead wood in a few places and also had to add strips of flooring in a few spots to make up for the un-square areas. I laid my flooring down so that any place i had to add a strip at will be hidden beneath the floor plates of the walls. When i put the siding on and finish framing in the walls I hope none of that shows much but it was either work with what i had or tear it all down and start from scratch. I can live with a few blemishes as long as the buildings sound.
Anyways heres a couple of pics of the newly installed flooring. One of them shows just how un-square one side is and you can see where i had to place some strips of flooring at.


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## Mikhail2400 (Jun 20, 2018)

Well Ive finally finished painting the floor. I was going to put down 3 coats but after 2 coats it looked great so I decided to save the paint I have for other things and move forward with my next step. My next step happens to be moving my table saw inside so I can actually start using it on this build. It really shows how small my shop is going to be dont it.
Im thinking about rotating the saw 90 degrees, moving it to the far side of the shop in front of that open covered area and putting a sliding door there. That would open up the rest of the area for other things and I would have a covered area to stack wood and feed the saw from. Well time will tell. I deliberately didnt install floor plugs yet because I figured I might figure out a better setup for my tools and didnt want to feel as if I had to keep them in one spot just because the plugs were there.
Ohhh I just had a thought, I could run dust collection for some things under the floor to. Well thats a ways off but some thing to keep in mind.


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## SoCalWoodGuy (Mar 5, 2010)

If I'm not stepping out of line here, I might suggest that you place your table saw at a door opening so that you can feed stock into it from outside if necessary. Then, also have an outfeed table that allows you to move long stock through the table saw. I would think a large door opening on one end of the shop would be best since your shop is long and narrow. Just my way of seeing it in my mind's eye. I wish I was there to help you with the whole project. I love this stuff. Since I will never have a real shop, it's fun to be involved in the creation/building of others. Whatever you decide, best of luck.

Ray


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## Mikhail2400 (Jun 20, 2018)

smallshopguy said:


> If I'm not stepping out of line here, I might suggest that you place your table saw at a door opening so that you can feed stock into it from outside if necessary. Then, also have an outfeed table that allows you to move long stock through the table saw. I would think a large door opening on one end of the shop would be best since your shop is long and narrow. Just my way of seeing it in my mind's eye. I wish I was there to help you with the whole project. I love this stuff. Since I will never have a real shop, it's fun to be involved in the creation/building of others. Whatever you decide, best of luck.
> 
> Ray


Your not stepping out of line. Suggestions are allways welcome. To be honest your comment about putting the saw in front of a door is pretty much what i have in mind and for the same reasons you listed. I was planning on placing it at the end of the longest dimension with a 6' wide door behind it but Im thinking I may be able to place it exactly opposite that, still with a door behind it and with enough room to place an outfeed table. ill have to study on it some more. Either way I setup it will have a doorway to feed thru.


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## Mikhail2400 (Jun 20, 2018)

Well Ive made some more progress and im very happy to have it all enclosed and the doors hung. Im posting some pics showing the inside and 2 outside. The other outside ones I took didnt come out due to the sun. Its freaking hot here in south GA with the temps in the 90s and the humidity (which is the real killer) all most all ways in the 80% or higher range.
My main door is a pocket door thats 5'9" wide or so that I really like. It is extremely nice to have it sliding into the wall instead of swinging and being in the way. While I was cleaning up I found a sheet of glass which I put in the pocket door. Heres a little secret; the window was supposed to be on the other end of the door but I was tired and ready to call it a day when I built the door and I didnt notice till it was done. Its all good though and didnt hurt anything being in the wrong spot. Anyways heres MY SHOP!!!!!

If I say so my self its not to bad especially considering it started out as an overgrown vine covered junk pile. Suggestions welcome, criticism pondered on, praises desired, beer consumed and wrong cuts made often. Have a great day!!


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## The Colonel (Aug 6, 2018)

ALL RIGHT DUDE!!!
You got off to a great start. Personal experience tells me how much hard work has gone down so far. My new wife had me building stuff on the patio of our old apartment (Wouldn't let me set up the table saw in the living room...Go figger!)
Now I have the sometimes good fortune of using part of the garage at our 114 year old new home in SW Georgia to butcher the wood. The bulk of the garage is dedicated to keeping her CAR out of the weather! silly yankee, garages are for stuff...not cars.
Good luck with your shop. Looks like your in the shade, a welcome thing on summer days. Hope to see some photos of your projects.


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## Mikhail2400 (Jun 20, 2018)

The Colonel said:


> ALL RIGHT DUDE!!!
> You got off to a great start. Personal experience tells me how much hard work has gone down so far. My new wife had me building stuff on the patio of our old apartment (Wouldn't let me set up the table saw in the living room...Go figger!)
> Now I have the sometimes good fortune of using part of the garage at our 114 year old new home in SW Georgia to butcher the wood. The bulk of the garage is dedicated to keeping her CAR out of the weather! silly yankee, garages are for stuff...not cars.
> Good luck with your shop. Looks like your in the shade, a welcome thing on summer days. Hope to see some photos of your projects.


Thanks for the good words Colonel. 114 year old house? WOW bet theres some history in that place. Any of the concrete 114 years old also? I read about a company attempting to demo some concrete in Savannah that pre-dated the Civil war. It was said they ran into alot of problems. Said the concrete had sat and cured so long it was hard as steel. Sorry to hear about your wife's garage misconceptions. No idea where some people get the idea cars go in them. Most folks all ready know garage is just slang for shop/man cave. she wouldnt let you even use a chop saw in the living room either?


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## SoCalWoodGuy (Mar 5, 2010)

I honestly don't know how you folks down there can stand that humidity. We have been having somewhat of a heatwave here in SoCal but nothing like you are talking about. Anyway, I have to take my hat off to you for being able to work out in it. Of course, it helps to be younger. At my age, I work up a sweat just going to the can.

Anyway, you have now got the makings of a great shop space. I truly envy you. But not the weather. We got ya beat here. Have fun working out there and be sure to show us more pics as you go along. I want to see some of what you make too.

Ray


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## allpurpose (Mar 24, 2016)

I keep thinking about chopping down the bushes and vines behind the shed to build a shop out back, but my legs just don't have the strength to do it anymore. Perhaps someday I'll get my son to come to our place to do the hard work and maybe do the framing since he's experienced in framing as well. He's still thinking about moving down here come January or so and we've talked about starting a small business venture together. He really wants to start learning to do some finer woodworking anyway. 
We ran a small business years ago back when we both drank way too much and if not for drinking it all up we worked well together. He's a good kid who isn't so much a kid anymore, but I'd love to help him build a business that he could run by himself after I'm done working.. We're quite a bit alike and really don't like working for other people. 
Anyway, we have the space to build and most of the equipment and what we don't have we can acquire.

Good luck with your new shop.


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## Mikhail2400 (Jun 20, 2018)

allpurpose said:


> I keep thinking about chopping down the bushes and vines behind the shed to build a shop out back, but my legs just don't have the strength to do it anymore. Perhaps someday I'll get my son to come to our place to do the hard work and maybe do the framing since he's experienced in framing as well. He's still thinking about moving down here come January or so and we've talked about starting a small business venture together. He really wants to start learning to do some finer woodworking anyway.
> We ran a small business years ago back when we both drank way too much and if not for drinking it all up we worked well together. He's a good kid who isn't so much a kid anymore, but I'd love to help him build a business that he could run by himself after I'm done working.. We're quite a bit alike and really don't like working for other people.
> Anyway, we have the space to build and most of the equipment and what we don't have we can acquire.
> 
> Good luck with your new shop.


I was lucky in that i have two sons aged 21 and 19. The 21yo was out of work so I got him to clean up the brush and stuff that Im not as capable of doing these days. You know you might be able to find some young kids to clear up those vines and bushes for you or you might catch a road crew working near your house. I got one of them to come by and bush hog about half an acre for me back in December. Darn near had to force the bush hog guy to take a little cash for the help he gave me. You might be surprised at how helpful the folks who keep our roadways and power line right of ways clear can be. Once got the power line guys to mow a path for us with their tractor. Only took them 15 minutes and just cost me a case of beer for when they knocked off work. Back when i was 18 i worked on a crew clearing power line right of ways and we done stuff like that for people fairly often for pretty much next to nothing. Some times we might get paid with a hot lunch or a 12 pack and others we did it for nothing just because we was there anyways. 
Any ways I can really see the appeal of building a business with your son and I hope you are able to do so. Ive been sort of hoping my oldest son will find he has an interest in building stuff like I have. Hes a bit lost right now and doesnt know what direction to go in his life. I can tell him what to do till im blue in the face but if he doesnt find some thing in it that gives him a boost it wont matter what i say or show him.


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## Mikhail2400 (Jun 20, 2018)

I feel like a kid at X-mas!!!!!

UPS freight called just a little while ago. Seems they will be able to deliver my new Grizzly G0555LA35 Band Saw sometime after 1:00pm today. This is one of the few pieces of equipment which I never really thought about buying used. Im sure there are plenty of great used saws out there but I wanted to be the person who broke my saw in. Heard to many horror stories about folks buying used ones which they could never quite get to run right. Now, with a little knock on wood first, I wont have to worry about working with someone elses headache. Ill post some pics of it later when it arrives.


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## Mikhail2400 (Jun 20, 2018)

Ok I got my band saw yesterday and got it put together. I like it ALOT!! Buddy of mine works for a house framing company and he said they had 4 or 5 planers sitting around their warehouse going to waste. He told me he knew for a fact 2 of them needed new blades but instead of buying blades the company just bought a new planer. Must be nice eh. Any way he said he will bring me one and that he had done spoke with his boss about it who said go for it. So with the planer and the sander im buying next month Ill be ready to start on a few things ive been thinking about. Must say its taken quire a while to reach this point.

Ok now that ive rambled on about stuff most of you dont much give a flip about heres my bandsaw.

P.S. Im going to include some pics of some magnetic socket holders which Grizzly is selling for $2.66. I bought 5 of them and Im glad i did. They are well made, they have 4 big magnets on the back and where the sockets sit is also magnetic I believe. They have mag screw driver holders for the same price. Heck I had to leave their Outlet sales page before I bought stuff i didnt need. Just thought Id share that with yall.
The socket holder is attached to the front top of my band saw with squares in it and its the last 2 pics


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## Mikhail2400 (Jun 20, 2018)

Just went back thru this whole thread and its pretty nice to see how my shop progressed. Its all ways nice to see the results of your hard work. Im very happy with how my shop has turned out so far.
Yesterday i got a new delivery from UPS and it contained some very much desired equipment. Dont know if yall have ever heard of a company called Cutech but thats who I dealt with as they fit my budget. I had decided to forego a planer and just get a jointer instead. I was looking at the 8" variety of jointer when i discovered Cutech. I did alot of research on the jointer and found alot of good reviews on their equipment. So I decided to buy their 8" and went to their website to buy it. On their site i saw a tab that said free shipping and special prices. When I clicked it they were offering a 6" jointer and a 12 1/2" planer for $499.00, which was only $110.00 more than their 8" jointer. Long story short i chose their labor day special on the planer/jointer combo. I got them in yesterday and so far I really like them. They cut smooth, accurate and arent all that loud. Sure they arent Powermatic or Hammers but they work and that is all I needed.
Anyway heres a few pics of the shop if any of yall are intrested.


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## davemd1820 (Aug 20, 2017)

Mikhail2400 said:


> Just went back thru this whole thread and its pretty nice to see how my shop progressed. Its all ways nice to see the results of your hard work. Im very happy with how my shop has turned out so far.
> Yesterday i got a new delivery from UPS and it contained some very much desired equipment. Dont know if yall have ever heard of a company called Cutech but thats who I dealt with as they fit my budget. I had decided to forego a planer and just get a jointer instead. I was looking at the 8" variety of jointer when i discovered Cutech. I did alot of research on the jointer and found alot of good reviews on their equipment. So I decided to buy their 8" and went to their website to buy it. On their site i saw a tab that said free shipping and special prices. When I clicked it they were offering a 6" jointer and a 12 1/2" planer for $499.00, which was only $110.00 more than their 8" jointer. Long story short i chose their labor day special on the planer/jointer combo. I got them in yesterday and so far I really like them. They cut smooth, accurate and arent all that loud. Sure they arent Powermatic or Hammers but they work and that is all I needed.
> Anyway heres a few pics of the shop if any of yall are intrested.


Nice, real working shop! Not a trophy shop like some!


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