# Shop conversion



## landman (Sep 1, 2013)

I've been following the shop thgreads of Davester64 and captain awesome and I thought that if I posted what I am trying to do with mine your combined wisdom would help me with the planning. 

We bought this place in 2005. It had an old 20x26 garage with rot all around the bottom of the walls. The first order of business was to tear it down. Being addicted to salvage, I saved the doors, the openers, the electrical panel and all the wiring and fixtures. Also saved the soffits and eavestroughs along with 14 sheets of aspenite.


http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=81632&stc=1&d=1382629949


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## landman (Sep 1, 2013)

I was in the middle of resurrecting a 1934 Chevrolet that had once belonged to my dad. So I needed room for three cars plus all the tools. We built a new 28x30 with 10' ceilings.


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## Medevack1 (Oct 2, 2013)

Good Luck and looking forward to the progress!!!!


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## landman (Sep 1, 2013)

So until this spring it was dedicated to the restoration of the old car with tools, parts and lord knows what else scattered all aeound. The build thread of that is available here http://forums.aaca.org/f190/reconstruction-34-chevy-master-coupe-297983.html if anyone is interested.

So, whenever any woodworking took place, it took several hours of picking up and rearranging things to be able to do anything.


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## landman (Sep 1, 2013)

So now that the car is complete I am reverting the shop to woodworking as a main function. Any mechanical work will be of a maintenance nature. Of course, it will still be a garage as well.

The first thing I did was to clean up all the bench tops, then remove the 6" vise from the wooden bench and move it to the black tool box which will become the mechanical bench. I installed a cheap woodworking vise on the wooden bench until I decide whether I need or want a better one.

So here's some before and afters of both benches.


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## landman (Sep 1, 2013)

Then I cleared an area at the West end and restacked the willow from the storm that I had stacked outside See: http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f26/storm-wood-54921/. The whole bundle is on dollys and can be moved.

The elm went on the wall rack and the silver maple on the shelf above the bench. I used the dolly that had carried the old Chevy's differential around and stacked all the firewood length black ash.


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## landman (Sep 1, 2013)

There was a pile of stuff in the area between the cabinets on the North wall and the first big door. I cleared that out and built a Daren Nelson rack/table which soon filled up. I also rearranged the space between the big doors so that the woodworking stuff is at the front. Everything is on wheels except the wooden bench and the Darren Nelson table.


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## rayking49 (Nov 6, 2011)

Very cool. Love the car too.


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## landman (Sep 1, 2013)

Cleaned out the drill press' corner. 

It looks blocked in but rolls right out of there.









The little three drawer cabinet came from a sewing machine. I want to mount it to the base of the drill press and it will hold the bits, clamps and whatever else.









I'm also thinking about this table/fence assembly. Has anyone used this? I realize there are some plans for shop building similar items but I find this one kinda pretty.
http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/Page.aspx?p=63315&cat=1,240,41060


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## GROOVY (Apr 27, 2008)

How do you keep the dust off/away from car?


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## landman (Sep 1, 2013)

GROOVY said:


> How do you keep the dust off/away from car?


 
I have a dust cover for it. I don't always remember to put it on so I end up dusting quite a bit. On nice days, I put it outside when I work. During the winter, I use the cover and it stays on.


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## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

Nice setup, Landman. It looks like you've got plenty of space. You do need a car cover though. The more woodworking you do the dustier the car is going to become.


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## landman (Sep 1, 2013)

Chaincarver Steve said:


> Nice setup, Landman. It looks like you've got plenty of space. You do need a car cover though. The more woodworking you do the dustier the car is going to become.


We're getting there. I aim for a place for everything and everything in its place...hopefully.


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## Al B Thayer (Dec 10, 2011)

Very nice. I have to keep my tools in order too. I can roll most of them even though I don't need too. 

Nice drill press table but too easy to build to buy it.

Al

Nails only hold themselves.


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## mike1950 (Aug 29, 2010)

Nice Shop- beautiful car and restore!!!! :thumbsup:


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## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

Pat, I just checked out the link to your car restore thread. WOW! Just wow! To see the condition of that car when you first got your hands on it... it was an utter wreck. a complete rust bucket. Something one would be more than justified to send to the scrap yard. But to see what you did with that old artifact is mind blowing.

You did an amazing job on that car. A perfect example of an absolutely fantastic restore job. Bravo! :thumbsup:


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## landman (Sep 1, 2013)

Chaincarver Steve said:


> Pat, I just checked out the link to your car restore thread. WOW! Just wow! To see the condition of that car when you first got your hands on it... it was an utter wreck. a complete rust bucket. Something one would be more than justified to send to the scrap yard. But to see what you did with that old artifact is mind blowing.
> 
> You did an amazing job on that car. A perfect example of an absolutely fantastic restore job. Bravo! :thumbsup:


Steve, thank you for the kind comments. If it hadn't been my dad and if it didn't hold all these memories when we played in it as kids, it would still be rotting in that field. If I told you it isn't for sale, would you believe me? :icon_smile:


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## landman (Sep 1, 2013)

Today, I installed the sewing machine drawer stack to the base of the drill press. Because it sticks out the front, I had to move the front wheels to the side and the screw feet to the front.

















Then I made some spacers to center and hold the cabinet on the base. I also found a piece of MDF that almost fit perfectly on the top.

















It will hold most of the bits, the vise and various clamps. It also adds weight to the front of the rig. That was a tippy affair when the wheels were up.


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## schnitz (Sep 5, 2009)

Nice Job Landman, but this picture (and the accompanying story behind it) put a lump in my throat.


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## landman (Sep 1, 2013)

Schnitz, that picture shut me up for several minutes. It will receive a frame that will have inlays of both original wood from the car and wood from the farm where it sat for 5o years. Thank you for the appreciation.


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## landman (Sep 1, 2013)

The next step is to find a place to put all my hardware. I have been salvaging hardware for years and it is all jumbled up in boxes. I thought I'd build something like the apartment bench, have more , thinner drawers with dividers and have everything sorted properly. I could but my sharpening tools on top. I would put it where the three door cabinet is to the right of the workbench. What do you guys think?


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## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

landman said:


> Schnitz, that picture shut me up for several minutes. It will receive a frame that will have inlays of both original wood from the car and wood from the farm where it sat for 5o years. Thank you for the appreciation.


I like that idea. Quite fitting, for sure.


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## landman (Sep 1, 2013)

As an alternative to the apartment workbench to store my hardware, I could build this to fit the space. For two banks of drawers I imagine I'd have to build two of those support frames (shown by yellow arrow instead of just one wiser one. What do you guys think?


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## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

landman said:


> As an alternative to the apartment workbench to store my hardware, I could build this to fit the space. For two banks of drawers I imagine I'd have to build two of those support frames (shown by yellow arrow instead of just one wiser one. What do you guys think?
> 
> View attachment 81778
> 
> ...


I'd go with one wider support piece.

I actually kind of like the look of the apartment workbench. Kind of. I'm not completely sold on it though. The main demerit I see (which could easily be eliminated, I suppose) is the doors one the sides. If those are in place you'd have to keep the unit away from the wall, or keep wall space empty, to allow room for them to open. But if the doors are left off I might work.

Frankly, I'm at a loss. I'm facing this very same issue right now. I have so much hardware - scattered around, in a myriad of different boxes and containers, on shelves, wherever. And I'm trying to come up with a solution of my own to consolidate all of my hardware within, at the least, one region of my shop. But I'd like it all to be assessable as well. I'm tired of having to climb my way to whatever hardware I need. Then having to dig through boxes to find what I need.

I've been thinking of something like the one you showed here:

Attachment 81778

But maybe with shorter drawers (approx. 2" tall for most) so I can fit more in the same vertical height. Most hardware doesn't need a lot of vertical depth for storage. You just need a high number of smaller partitioned spaces. 

Though you'd obviously need some depth if you're storing boxes of nails and screws. But those would store just as well on shallow shelves (maybe even shallow shelves built onto the backsides of doors would work).

Good luck to you. Whatever you decide to do, I may have to steal the idea.


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## landman (Sep 1, 2013)

Steve, that apartment workbench can be built without the wraparound and they have a few drawer options as well. Or I could remove the vertical drawer in my bench along with one bank of three drawers and build a narrower one of this with all 2" drawers.


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## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

That's a nice workbench setup. If I built something like that I'd want to store tools and other things in the drawers. How many drawers do you estimate you'd need for your hardware stash, including maybe a little growing room? Do you have a ballpark idea yet?


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## Al B Thayer (Dec 10, 2011)

landman said:


> Steve, that apartment workbench can be built without the wraparound and they have a few drawer options as well. Or I could remove the vertical drawer in my bench along with one bank of three drawers and build a narrower one of this with all 2" drawers.


Landman
I have the same basic bench and carcase. There is a lot of storage there but I regretted making 5 drawers. Would have been better with 4 having a deeper drawer on the bottom. The whole bench breaks down into, top, carcase and legs for easier transport. The top is so heavy it just sits on pins that keep it from sliding. 









I do like the apartment work bench you have there. Maybe for my house.

Al

Nails only hold themselves.


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## landman (Sep 1, 2013)

Chaincarver Steve said:


> That's a nice workbench setup. If I built something like that I'd want to store tools and other things in the drawers. How many drawers do you estimate you'd need for your hardware stash, including maybe a little growing room? Do you have a ballpark idea yet?


Steve, I'm not sure but here's part of it. Some of what is in the plastic bins can be consolidated in another large one or two. I feel 5 shallow drawers in the space indicated yellow would go a long way in eliminating the clutter.









































Al, that would leave me three deep ones on the left.


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

You are a man of many talents! I'm only a couple of pages into your restoration thread, but I plan on reading through as time permits.

I have to say I'm envious of the space you have. I consider it a high compliment that you have seen the thread about my shop, and now that I've found yours I plan on following along with you as well!

Everything in my shop is also on wheels, and I've been experimenting with a few different setups around the shop. I haven't updated my thread in a while, but I'll try to take some pictures today and post them this week.

Sean


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## Gilgaron (Mar 16, 2012)

I just have a few drawers in my tool cabinet dedicated to hardware, but my uncle-in-law had a handy system in his woodshop that I saw, that was akin to this: http://www.homedepot.com/p/OLYMPIA-4-Drawer-Hardware-Organizer-90-800-220/203513621?N=c28p

It is pretty expensive, but was easy to use and durable. Perhaps a little heavy.

You could do a budget version with some cheap HF plastic containers and build a shelf for them.


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## landman (Sep 1, 2013)

After reading all the opinions I have decided to go with the shallow drawers on the right half of my work bench, keeping three deep ones as suggested by Mr.Thayer. So, using two of the existing drawers and some leftover 1x4 from the Daren Nelson table I made a small cabinet for the bandsaw. I'll use some of the willow I picked after the storm recently. I had squared off a limb to see what it looked like. So I ripped it up and stacked/stickered/weighed to dry some more . It will become the trim and drawer fronts of the bandsaw cabinet.


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## johnnie52 (Feb 16, 2009)

Looks to me as though you are making good use of all that space.

I have a system for hardware storage. Its a bank draws that used to be the index card file at the school library. Works great for all the small odds and ends.


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## landman (Sep 1, 2013)

Went & did some paying work today instead of playing in the shop. Good thing since three boxes were delivered at suppertime. A nice Incra miter gauge à la Kenbo,








a nice table/fence for the drill press,








a resawing blade and a few small tools including a digital caliper. Tomorrow, we play.


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## landman (Sep 1, 2013)

*Grrrrrrrr!!!!.*

In order to get the right half cleared up under the bench I decided to build a blade storage case to get rid of the vertical center drawer.









So I found a plan on the internet and some scrap wood, actually an old TV cabinet. When I did the grooves I was using the tape measure on the table saw and I carried an error.








So I scrapped those and found a piece of birch plywood left over from the floorboards of my old Chevy and made some new sides. This time I measured the 1" spacing called for by the plan directly each time I set the fence. When I came to check the alignment of the drawer fronts for their groove I found that they all are 1/4" too narrow, yet they are as per the plan. That means that their 1" spacing wasn't *between *grooves but from the *bottom of the last groove.* You'd think they'd tell you something like that. So now I have to either make new drawer fronts or widen those by laminating a 1/4" strip unto them. Who said this would be fun?


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## Phaedrus (Jan 18, 2012)

Not to deviate too far from the direction of this thread, I wanted to say that I took the time tonight (a slow night at work, of course) and ready the entire 973 post thread about your '34 Master Coupe restore. Whew. I have the utmost respect for all of the work that you have done on that project. It was an amazing transformation and I feel fortunate that you documented so much of it in such detail. 

That said, I think I would be building that car it's own cottage away from all of the rolling woodworking tools! I always try to be careful, but then I go and do something clumsy :laughing:. 

With regards to your storage situation, I am of the mind that things that need regular use should be close at hand and others that are mostly just storage can be more out of the way. Workbench storage seems more appropriate for tools than hardware for the work that I do. I wonder if something like the old library card catalog cabinets wouldn't be best for your needs?


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## landman (Sep 1, 2013)

Thanks Ben. The restoration thread is almost an ordeal in itself. 

As far as a separate building for the cars that is still a dream. I always wanted to retire on a small acreage where I could do that.

A lot of my tools are on the wall. The top drawer of that bank will have all my measurement stuff. One of the ones on the left will have the small saws, chisels and planes. The screws, nuts and bolts will likely remain in their plastic cabinets. The hardware that will go into those drawers is mostly hinges, clasps, biscuits, small assorted steel reinforcement plates, casters, stuff like that.


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

Have you gotten to use the Incra 3000 you got yet? I hear nothing but good things about them and I have one at the top of my Christmas list this year.

Usually when I am building a shop fixture, I tend to read through the plans once and then kind of skim them as I go along. For some reason, I think that because it is a simple shop item I should be able to breeze right through it without issue. This almost always ends up biting me one way or another. Plus, I know how frustrating it can be to waste time redoing parts not once, but twice on something that was supposed to be a quick build!

If it were me, I would go to your scrap bin and find some smaller pieces of a contrasting species to laminate to the bottom of your drawer fronts. That way you can make it look like you did it on purpose as an "aesthetic" add on. Only you (and anyone following this thread) will know the actual truth!

Lastly, I agree with your choice on the 5 shallow drawers for your bench. My next shop cart is going to be a rolling cabinet of some sort with several shallow drawers.


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## landman (Sep 1, 2013)

captainawesome said:


> Have you gotten to use the Incra 3000 you got yet? I hear nothing but good things about them and I have one at the top of my Christmas list this year.
> 
> 
> If it were me, I would go to your scrap bin and find some smaller pieces of a contrasting species to laminate to the bottom of your drawer fronts. That way you can make it look like you did it on purpose as an "aesthetic" add on. Only you (and anyone following this thread) will know the actual truth!
> ...


I used the Incra to cut my drawer fronts to length and to square off the panels. It is straight, no doubt about it. As far as the contrasting strips I was debating just that. I guess great minds think alike.:laughing:


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## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

landman said:


> I used the Incra to cut my drawer fronts to length and to square off the panels. It is straight, no doubt about it. As far as the contrasting strips I was debating just that. I guess great minds think alike.:laughing:


Great minds think alike. And fools seldom differ. :laughing:

Luckily though, you guys are of the great minds variety!

Ever since I saw Kenbo's Incra miter gauge a couple of years ago I've berm drooling over it. One day I may cough up the asking price. It sure looks to be an incredible tool to have. And VERY precise.


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## landman (Sep 1, 2013)

captainawesome;537911
If it were me said:


> I decided to go with this idea. I used the slats from a crib mattress frame my wife and I had made to upgrade an old crib for our first granddaughter. It was the same crib her mother had slept in. It has since been retired, so I used the slats.


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## landman (Sep 1, 2013)

Things went well today. As well as the drawer fronts I made the drawers themselves. 









I even tried out my new drill press fence to do the holes for the dowels which will act as drawer stops and the holes for the buttons.


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

Looking good Pat! I think those drawer fronts will look great when they are done, and now they'll also have a nice story to go along with it. 

One thing I noticed in the picture of your drawers are how close the teeth on your chippers are to one another. You may want to use that fancy new drill press table and put in a couple of short dowel pieces to keep them from hitting each other.


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## landman (Sep 1, 2013)

captainawesome said:


> One thing I noticed in the picture of your drawers are how close the teeth on your chippers are to one another. You may want to use that fancy new drill press table and put in a couple of short dowel pieces to keep them from hitting each other.


Do you mean where the arrows point?


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

Precisely! If it was in my shop, Murphy's law would give me chipped teeth... 

You could also use a piece of foam insulation with the exact outline cutout for each piece, but the pegs would be easiest


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## johnnie52 (Feb 16, 2009)

captainawesome said:


> Looking good Pat! I think those drawer fronts will look great when they are done, and now they'll also have a nice story to go along with it.
> 
> One thing I noticed in the picture of your drawers are how close the teeth on your chippers are to one another. You may want to use that fancy new drill press table and put in a couple of short dowel pieces to keep them from hitting each other.





landman said:


> Do you mean where the arrows point?
> 
> View attachment 82567



I totally agree! you need something to keep the chippers from hitting each other. Otherwise, it all looks great!. I only wish I had half your shop space.


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## landman (Sep 1, 2013)

A photo of the Incra in action.

Some pegs for the chippers.

Assembled box ready for glueing.

While all this is drying, I cut up some willow salvaged from the storm to make some drawer fronts for the little cabinet under the drill press. Even if it a utilitarian item, there is nothing against it being pretty.


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## landman (Sep 1, 2013)

*Request for adoption*

Any Floridians or Texans looking to adopt an old Canuck? We woke up to this this morning.


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## rayking49 (Nov 6, 2011)

Brrrrr! Looks too cold for me!


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## landman (Sep 1, 2013)

*A bit of color*

Here is the box with Golden Pecan stain and the willow dreawer fronts with Golden Oak.


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## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

Both cabinets look great, landman. 

That weather though... To cold for me.


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## landman (Sep 1, 2013)

Chaincarver Steve said:


> Both cabinets look great, landman.
> 
> That weather though...* To cold for me*.


That's why I was hoping one of you guys might adopt me.:laughing:


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## johnnie52 (Feb 16, 2009)

Beautiful job! :thumbsup: You're right about something being good looking and functional. 

You will be glad you added those pegs to the dado storage. Such a simple thing will save the carbide tips of the chippers.

I lived a lot of my life in up state NY. That kind of wake up call was pretty common up there. Only way I'll adopt you is if you promise to bring that entire shop including the foundation and floor slab and permanently erect it in my yard before the adoption papers are signed. :laughing:


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

Pat, the drawers look like they were always designed that way in order to break up each individual drawer! Good save and a great end result.

I spent 3 years in Northeast winters and vowed to never go back.

As for adopting, you didn't mention South Carolinians so I guess here is not an option. I don't blame you though, tonight it's supposed to get down to 34, which is crazy for these parts, so I'm heading to Florida in the morning. Forecast in Winter Haven says a high of 68 tomorrow and 79 for Thursday. I'll let you know if I see any potential real estate for you and your MASSIVE shop!


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## landman (Sep 1, 2013)

Cap'n, I mentioned Florida and Texas because those two and Arizona are where most snowbird seem to fly to. If you'll have me, I can do South Carolina. I don't eat much and I've quit drinking so it shouldn't be too big a charge. :laughing:


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## Phaedrus (Jan 18, 2012)

landman said:


> Any Floridians or Texans looking to adopt an old Canuck? We woke up to this this morning.


I have seen pictures of your shop--what on earth do you need to go outside for (with the obvious exception of driving the Mustang or the Master)??

Sent from my DROID RAZR MAXX using Woodworking Talk


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## landman (Sep 1, 2013)

I reused the same hardware. I think it t makes them look out of the 50's.


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## rayking49 (Nov 6, 2011)

Yep I like the hardware.


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## landman (Sep 1, 2013)

Here it is with hardware installed and resting on its shelf. The next step would have been the shallow drawers for the workbench but they have been pre-empted by a commission from my wife. I have to build a new "stable" for our outdoor nativity scene. There won't be a build thread for this but there will be a few photos in my "Landman's Projects " thread.


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## landman (Sep 1, 2013)

Back at the workbench today after building the stable, rehanging the Christmas lights and reassembling the snowblower after rewelding a plate inside the drive housing. Removed the rest of the drawers and dismantled them. We now have a 18" x 25" cavity. So five 3 1/2" drawers. Since the old drawers had been installed after the bench was built all the partitions were held in place by cleats. Removed the cleats and replaced them with pocket hole screws. Blocked the other side as well using the same materials. Started rummaging for stuff to do the drawers with.


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## landman (Sep 1, 2013)

The drawers I removed were melamine. I didn't feel like reusing that.I had a 4x 6 skid in the back of the garage. Resawed that to make the drawer sides.







I used part of one of the old barnboards I had obtained for the nativity scene stable and ripped it up for the sides. Planed everything down to 3/4".














Then I set up the drawer lock bit and did the sides. Oddly enough, it was exactly a year ago tomorrow that I nearly lost three fingertips while setting up the finger joint bit. So With that in mind, I had a holder and featherboard arrangement this time.


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

Boy am I jealous of that lumber stack you have there. 

Was the drawer lock bit incident just a close call or a trip to the ER? 

I'm looking forward to seeing the bench drawers come together. You do some great work Pat!


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## landman (Sep 1, 2013)

captainawesome said:


> Was the drawer lock bit incident just a close call or a trip to the ER?


It was actually a finger jointing bit. I was trying to set it up, raise, test, lower, test, raise again etc. On one of those steps, I must have fed my test piece incorrectly, first thing you know the little board is gone and I'm staring at some hamburg. I can post pictures if you guys have fortitude.

Thank you for your interest in the project.


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

landman said:


> It was actually a finger jointing bit. I was trying to set it up, raise, test, lower, test, raise again etc. On one of those steps, I must have fed my test piece incorrectly, first thing you know the little board is gone and I'm staring at some hamburg. I can post pictures if you guys have fortitude.
> 
> Thank you for your interest in the project.


I'm feeling brave... post away! Besides, seeing that kind of stuff always helps me be more safe the next time I'm in the shop.

If no one else wants to see it, you can PM them to me.


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## landman (Sep 1, 2013)

*Warning, not pretty*

Here you go Cap'n. One at the ER and one a few days later at bandage change. The tendons were severed as well as the first knuckle joints which were pretty well shredded, fingernails were in bad shape too. He sewed all that up in the ER. He had to pull pretty hard on the tendons which had for result that I can't make a fist anymore as they are shorter. So if I get into a scrap, I'll have to slap the other guy. The worst pain was about the third or fourth day when I turned around in bed and smacked my hand on the headboard. Now THAT hurt!

The one at ER open by clicking on it. Maybe it is censored.


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## cps (Jun 21, 2013)

I just barfed...


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## landman (Sep 1, 2013)

cps said:


> I just barfed...


 
Sorry, I had put a "Not pretty " warning in the title bar.


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

I shouldn't have submitted that request so close to dinner time...


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## landman (Sep 1, 2013)

It's easier to look at now. Middle finger a bit crooked, weird nails but they're still there.


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

I'm glad you still got all your digits, and that it wasn't any worse. When you try to make a fist, do you accidentally give people the middle finger? That would be my excuse...


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## landman (Sep 1, 2013)

Finished assembling the drawers.









Rummaged through the willow stash and pulled some boards which will be converted into drawer fronts. 









A few had split so I glued them back closed. Perhaps the builtin tension will overcome the glue. we'll see.


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## Phaedrus (Jan 18, 2012)

Glue ought to hold that shut for the most part, but there are some ways to add mechanical strength to the repair as well. Lots of guys will use Dutchmen/butterflies to hold a split like that shut; however, any shape with a generally tapered form on either side of the split will serve the purpose. Often times they are a contrasting wood, but you certainly could use the same species and have a more discrete fix (of course you'd want the grain of the Dutchman to run perpendicular to the rest of the board/split for strength).


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## landman (Sep 1, 2013)

Phaedrus said:


> Glue ought to hold that shut for the most part, but there are some ways to add mechanical strength to the repair as well. Lots of guys will use Dutchmen/butterflies to hold a split like that shut; however, any shape with a generally tapered form on either side of the split will serve the purpose. Often times they are a contrasting wood, but you certainly could use the same species and have a more discrete fix (of course you'd want the grain of the Dutchman to run perpendicular to the rest of the board/split for strength).


Thanks Phaedrus. I never even thought about Dutchmen. And I was reading about them the other day. I'll try making a few. It is making the mortise which will challenge me.


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## Phaedrus (Jan 18, 2012)

landman said:


> Thanks Phaedrus. I never even thought about Dutchmen. And I was reading about them the other day. I'll try making a few. It is making the mortise which will challenge me.


There are a lot of templates and stuff out there for folks who make a lot of them. I prefer to freehand the bow tie shape that I am going to insert and then trace it with a marking knife. I set a wide chisel on the marked line and do a shallow chop all the way around the perimeter of the cutout. Then I will usually dig out the majority of the hole with a straight bit in my plunge router, free hand. This gives a nice even bottom and makes cleaning up the edges with a chisel pretty simple. Good luck!

Sent from my DROID RAZR MAXX using Woodworking Talk


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## landman (Sep 1, 2013)

Phaedrus said:


> There are a lot of templates and stuff out there for folks who make a lot of them. I prefer to freehand the bow tie shape that I am going to insert and then trace it with a marking knife. I set a wide chisel on the marked line and do a shallow chop all the way around the perimeter of the cutout. Then I will usually dig out the majority of the hole with a straight bit in my plunge router, free hand. This gives a nice even bottom and makes cleaning up the edges with a chisel pretty simple. Good luck!
> 
> Sent from my DROID RAZR MAXX using Woodworking Talk


I was afraid you'd say the dreaded "plunge" word. I've never yet managed to do anything right with that tool . It either changes depth or I end up "coloring out of the lines". I suppose a few practice runs arethe order of the day..

How thick do you make the Dutchmen? Is it better done before planing the board to its final thickness? Sorry about all the questions.


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## schnitz (Sep 5, 2009)

landman said:


> Sorry about all the questions.



If there's one thing I've ever learned from this forum, it's that you should never be afraid or sorry to ask anything. How else do you learn? Besides, sometimes you'll be asking what others wouldn't have even thought of to ask!


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

schnitz said:


> If there's one thing I've ever learned from this forum, it's that you should never be afraid or sorry to ask anything. How else do you learn? Besides, sometimes you'll be asking what others wouldn't have even thought of to ask!


I had just read Pat's post and thought "I never thought about whether it should be planed to final thickness before hand". Makes sense though. I'd imagine tearout on the dutchman would be pretty bad since the grain is running perpendicular to the board.

I'll be watching to pick up a few things! I think I've read that a cabinet scraper is your friend when evening the two surfaces.


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## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

Damn, Pat! You just scared the hell out of me with the hamburger pictures. At first I thought this just happened to you and I instantly felt terrible for you. I'm sad to hear that it happened at all. But I am very relieved that it's not your current status. Work safely and thanks for the reminder out how incredibly dangerous our tools are.

Thank goodness you're ok now. :thumbsup:


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## landman (Sep 1, 2013)

My first Dutchman. Not very good but it does hold and it will be on the hidden face.









The five narrow drawer fronts.









I had to laminate two of the wide ones.
















A preview.


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## rayking49 (Nov 6, 2011)

Man, that willow is pretty!


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## landman (Sep 1, 2013)

rayking49 said:


> Man, that willow is pretty!


...but is also not dry enough. I should have waited or used some of my dry oak or maple. Or better yet laminated the drawer fronts out of offcuts. But I'm too far into it to back out now.


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## landman (Sep 1, 2013)

Drawers fronts are almost ready to stain. I just gave then a simple cove around the edge.
















I'm leaning towards the Minwax Gunstock stain. I'll look again tomorrow. It is quite red.


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

Pat, those drawer fronts look great! I really like the grain in the willow. Personally (and this is just my opinion) I think that willow is just too pretty to stain. I'm guessing it won't really match the rest of your shop though if you don't.


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## landman (Sep 1, 2013)

captainawesome said:


> Pat, those drawer fronts look great! I really like the grain in the willow. Personally (and this is just my opinion) I think that willow is just too pretty to stain. I'm guessing it won't really match the rest of your shop though if you don't.


Well Cap'n, I stained them anyway. This is after a first coat of Polyurethane. That wood is fuzzy, so it'll likely need a few sandings between coats before we get ir really smooth.. I wonder if a conditioner before the stain would have helped.


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

I still think it looks beautiful, so I was probably wrong. As for the pre stain conditioner, I always use it before I stain. I'm usually just trying to avoid a blotchy finish which doesn't look like you have. 

One thing I've founr when using poly is that the first coat raises the grain a whole lot since it is water based. Most times I'll wipe the piece down with a damp rag and then sand off the fuzzies with 220 grit. Let us know how it looks after sanding and another coat of poly.


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## landman (Sep 1, 2013)

captainawesome said:


> I still think it looks beautiful, so I was probably wrong..


I don't think you were wrong. I'd like to try some with just oil to see what happens.


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## johnnie52 (Feb 16, 2009)

Wow Pat. How long did it take to get feeling back in those fingers? I cut my thumb a year ago and it still feels numb.

Other than the nasty ground meat pics, the rest of it looks really great.

Your Dutchman looks way better than the first one I tried to make.

It took me a lot of practice to make proper cuts with a plunge router. I found that the trick was to lock down real tight on the height adjustment rod.


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## landman (Sep 1, 2013)

Thanks Johnnie. The pinkie and the ring fingers both still have a numb feeling about them. They are also more sensitive to the cold. When you touch the end of the ring finger, it feels like you are touching the side. The vet must have crosswired something when he sewed it up.


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## landman (Sep 1, 2013)

Whew! What an ordeal. The hole in the bench isn't square in either direction up/down & front to back. It took a a lot of fiddling to get these things sort of straight and operating smoothly. Next: the drawer divisions.


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

Pat, you now have to make a new top to match those pretty new drawers. And of course you will have to replace those legs to match the new top... then anything else left that doesn't match. Something tells me you won't be satisfied until you've replaced everything but the bench vise (after you restore it obviously) hahaha

Seriously though, kudos for making all of those drawers work in an unsquare opening. Reminds me of the time I jacked up the roof of my screen porch and replaced everything underneath, only to discover that the roof was twisted from the start!


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## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

Not bad, Pat. It does look like you failed to sand the planer snipe at the ends of the face boards though. And did you add to the length of some or all of the shorter, wider drawer fronts? 

You got the results you most needed: useable drawers that will be a welcome addition to your shop. So all is well. :thumbsup:


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## landman (Sep 1, 2013)

Chaincarver Steve said:


> Not bad, Pat. It does look like you failed to sand the planer snipe at the ends of the face boards though. And did you add to the length of some or all of the shorter, wider drawer fronts?
> 
> You got the results you most needed: useable drawers that will be a welcome addition to your shop. So all is well. :thumbsup:


 To be honest Steve, I never saw the snipe until I put the stain on, then it stood out like crazy. That is why I had asked earlier if a conditioner would make a difference. Sanding would, of course. But it didn't sand very well, still not dry enough. 

And yes I added to two drawers after I had cut a couple without tightening the stop on the miter gauge. Too lazy to pull the planer out again. One is barely visible as I was lucky to find something from the same board it seems. The other one...well.... My wife hasn't noticed yet, but she will. She'll spot a 1/8" blotch on a freshly painted 20 foot wall in 3 seconds. On one hand I tell myself, after all it IS a shop. On the other hand, it is a bit slipshod.


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## landman (Sep 1, 2013)

*The donut rack*

Today's work on the shop conversion was preempted by an urgent request for a donut rack. I figured if I made it pretty enough, I might get a donut or two. :yes:


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## Burb (Nov 30, 2012)

landman said:


> Today's work on the shop conversion was preempted by an urgent request for a donut rack. I figured if I made it pretty enough, I might get a donut or two. :yes:


Looks delicious....

Mark


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## landman (Sep 1, 2013)

I had obtained some pine scraps from a local pine furniture builder. Used some of that to make the drawer dividers. Cut up enough for two drawers. May need a third one.









While I was at it, I installed a recessed retractable dog I had purchased earlier. Not the neatest chisel job but it does the trick.

[/ATTACH][/ATTACH]


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## landman (Sep 1, 2013)

One set of dividers done. I think I'll need one more at least, possibly two.


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## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

The dividers look great, Pat. I seriously need to follow suit by building a bank of short drawers with dividers like yours. 

I like the donut rack too. Well, I like the donuts. But the rack's not bad either.


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## Carvel Loafer (Dec 31, 2011)

Those dividers are a great idea, looks like half lap joints.

Seeing the willow reminds me of high school shop class. Our instructor had us work with willow before any other wood because it machined so well and it took stain real nice. Coffee tables out of willow were the biggest hit in grade ten, I made an entertainment centre for my stereo.


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## landman (Sep 1, 2013)

Carvel Loafer said:


> Those dividers are a great idea,* looks like half lap joints.
> *
> Seeing the willow reminds me of high school shop class. Our instructor had us work with willow before any other wood because it machined so well and it took stain real nice. Coffee tables out of willow were the biggest hit in grade ten, I made an entertainment centre for my stereo.


 They are half lap. Got the instructions from the plans for the cabinet in my post #23. They suggested those as an alternative to the plastic bins. By the way, your cupboards turned out great. When are you coming to Ontario?


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## johnnie52 (Feb 16, 2009)

The heck with chiseled holes and half lapped dividers.... What happened to the donuts?!?! :laughing:


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## landman (Sep 1, 2013)

johnnie52 said:


> The heck with chiseled holes and half lapped dividers.... What happened to the donuts?!?! :laughing:


 I can account for several. I know she took some to her sister's. I think the rest are in the freezer. There are definitely some left.:yes:


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## landman (Sep 1, 2013)

Well, that phase of the project is almost done. Top drawer has measuring and marking stuff.









Second drawer has tape, knives and small saws.









Third and fourth have the dividers.

















The bottom drawer will likely hold clamps.


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## landman (Sep 1, 2013)

schnitz said:


> Nice Job Landman, but this picture (and the accompanying story behind it) put a lump in my throat.


 I asked the lady who had done that picture to do it again except with the finished car. So here is my dad taken in 1942, with his car, taken in 2013, 71 years later. What a time warp! I want to build a Kenbo spline jig to make a Kenbo splined frame. I think I'll use walnut with inlays of wood from the farm where the car sat for 50 years or some of the original wood from the car that I kept, or both. We'll see.


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## schnitz (Sep 5, 2009)

landman said:


> I asked the lady who had done that picture to do it again except with the finished car. So here is my dad taken in 1942, with his car, taken in 2013, 71 years later. What a time warp! I want to build a Kenbo spline jig to make a Kenbo splined frame. I think I'll use walnut with inlays of wood from the farm where the car sat for 50 years or some of the original wood from the car that I kept, or both. We'll see.



Great idea!


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

I won't lie, it was difficult to keep it together when I read that a while back on the other forum. Very touching and the new picture is incredible. 

I've been building picture frames as presents this year. The Kenbo spline jig works great, and I use it on my router table. He not only did the tutorial on here but also did a 4 part YouTube series on them. He makes it fool proof. I can't wait to see it all framed up!


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## landman (Sep 1, 2013)

Well, before I tackle the next step (more drawers/storage/shelves) I have to step back and ponder what I need to do. I also have a few days of work to do on my old Chevy which has to be done while it is laid up because I know when the time comes when I can drive it, that is exactly what I'll do. As well, I want to build several frames for my new old car photos and my wife has come up with the idea of building end tables like the ones at our neighbour's. They look like this.









The other day, while I was working on the drawers, the handle on the miter saw got floppy on me. Closer inspection showed the miter table broken at the handle mounting point. So I ordered a new one which arrived this week. I put it in today.

















That required an almost total disassembly of the saw. While I was at it I adjusted everything and put new batteries in the laser thing which hadn't worked in quite some time. I see I should have ordered a new zero clearance insert as well. I think I'll make one out of some lexan I have left over from a birdfeeder I built last summer. 









So this shop conversion thread will be quiet for a while. I think I'll start a build thread for the end tables as I'll surely need plenty of coaching.


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## landman (Sep 1, 2013)

landman said:


> So this shop conversion thread will be quiet for a while. I think I'll start a build thread for the end tables as I'll surely need plenty of coaching.


 Well, this little job has nothing to do with shop conversions but it does have to do with some woodworking. I need to mount a fire extinguisher in my old Chevy's trunk but I can't bring myself to drill the floor pan. So Ill use a piece of willow left over from the drawer fronts of the bench and mount the extinguisher to it. Then I'll either Velcro or carpet tape the board to the trunk floor.
The old Chevy and the willow board.















After some sanding & routing.










After one coat of pre-stain conditioner to take care of the fuzzies.


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

Boy do I love the look of that willow. Let me guess, you will be staining it again?? After reading through your thread about rebuilding that car, I can't say I blame you for not wanting to drill any holes in it.


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## landman (Sep 1, 2013)

captainawesome said:


> Boy do I love the look of that willow. Let me guess, you will be staining it again??.


 
Yep. I gave it a coat of the same gunstock stain I had used on the bench drawers. I then gave it a couple coats of wipe-on Poly. Not sure if I like that stuff. Doesn't seem to harden so I can sand off the fuzzies. Willow is a bitch for that. Ended up giving it a coat of brush on water based poly. We'll see.

The picture is after the wipe-on but before the brush-on.


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## landman (Sep 1, 2013)

It ended up looking terrible as I sanded through the stain trying to get rid of the fuzzies. So I ran it through the planer and started again.
ATTACH]86706[/ATTACH]


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## landman (Sep 1, 2013)

Finally finished up that board and installed in the trunk of the car with self adhesive Velcro.


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

A fine piece of craftsmanship inside of another. I bet most people will think you bought the whole thing as a kit, finished wood and all.


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## Civilian (Jul 6, 2013)

*Re: Reconstruction of a '34 Chevy Master Coupe*

Pat,

Just finished reading the thread about your dad's 34 chevy and your restoration project. Talk about a project that consumes 12 years, I don't think I would have the patience to stay with it. It came out beautiful. Being born in the fifties, I never knew that some of the old cars used wood for the structure of the cabs. Learned a lot from your thread. Thanks for posting the link to this forum. Great read and an even greater pride and accomplishment for you.

Thanks,

Jon
Northern Michigan


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## Civilian (Jul 6, 2013)

*Have a copy of those posts?*

Pat,

Don't know much on how long forum stuff stays up, but a copy of the posts and the corresponding pictures of the build could be a nice keepsake down the road.

Just a thought.

Jon
Northern Michigan


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## landman (Sep 1, 2013)

*Back to the bandsaw cabinrt*

Rmember this thing?









Well, I got around to cutting up some willow to make some trim and drawer fronts for it.


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## rayking49 (Nov 6, 2011)

Cool!


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## landman (Sep 1, 2013)

The trim pieces for the back of the cabinet are ready. I decided to paint the hardboard sides and back rather than cover it. Cheap, lazy.

[/ATTACH][/ATTACH]


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## rayking49 (Nov 6, 2011)

They're functional . That's what counts. What are you storing there?


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## landman (Sep 1, 2013)

rayking49 said:


> They're functional . That's what counts. What are you storing there?


 The fence, the tools, spare blades, the circle cutting jig.


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## rayking49 (Nov 6, 2011)

Cool!


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## landman (Sep 1, 2013)

Done. Forgot to take the photo before it got all dusted up. Put in a 5/8" blade to resaw. I'll use the 9" bandsaw to cut curves.


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## landman (Sep 1, 2013)

*The big shuffle*

Took a break from the end tables to move some stuff around, create more storage and free up some space on my big table. I have two rolling carts. One holds two welders and one holds the Craftsman router and a pile of junk underneath.Bought a welding cart on sale and moved the mig to it.















Took the lathe from one of the tool stands and put it on the cart with the stick welder. Made some room for that cart at the end of a toolbox. Moved the stuff that was there underneath the sandblast cabinet.


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## landman (Sep 1, 2013)

The Porter Cable router was on my big table. I moved it to the tool stand that the lathe was on. So that cleared a few square feet of the big table.
















Took one of the carts and turned the trays upside down so they become shelves. The Craftsman router will go on top and I'll build a cabinet on the bottom for all the router stuff.















Believe it or not, what is in these two postings that took all day.The picture of the workbench at the bottom Shouldn't be there. I tried unsuccessfully to remove it.


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

We have one of those little red carts at work, and it is a life saver. If I had the room in my home shop, I would definitely have a few rolling around in there. We did the same as you and flipped the top part to work as a shelf rather than a tray.


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