I'll Show You My Workshop If You'll Show Me Yours

[Hesh1956]

Paradise Craig my friend - paradise!

[Craig]

Cheers guys . Michael, no that's not my Go-Bar deck . It's a piano tilt trolley standing on it's end .( I'm a Piano Tuner/Tech by trade). You can see part of my deck , far right of the picture.

My Bandsaw isn't anything special ,(14 " ) but must have been made on a good day , as it performs incredibly well. Mind you , I've spent a lot of time tuning the thing up.I only have a really crap table saw , so I can't use it at all . Actually I have a table router mounted on it , and that's the only purpose it serves. Not to say I wouldn't really love to have one . A saw something like Allen's new one would be fantastic ! . I'm sure if I had such a machine , it would play a major part, but for the time being the bandsaw is doing a great job.
I've actually got 5 benches . The pic above only shows about half the shop . The other half houses my Bandsaw, Drum sander , router table and sharpening table.Glad you like it guys . I think it's great too !

[Taffy Evans]

Hi all

Here are some photos of my workshop, well one of them anyway, I’ll have to do it in installments as I have four different areas. They are attached to the side of the house and consist of showroom/office/music room [or the Blues Room as the guys call it]. I get lots of traffic and this keeps customers out of the work areas. Off of the office is the repair shop; out the other side of this is the building room a dust free area, no machines save for a drill press and buffing machine, then though a door to the machine shop that houses twelve machines.

I’ll start by showing the repair area.

I keep a lot of tools in drawers; these are dedicated to a certain repair task that way if I’m removing a bridge I open the drawer marked Bridge work and it’s all there, for nuts and saddles the same thing for crack repair and so on.

Each work shop is pretty much dedicated to its tasks, this has meant a doubling up on some tools and machines, but it pays off in ease of operation.

I have four benches and an island workstation in this room and I try to keep them dedicated also. I’ll explain as we see them.

Photo 1-2
Main repair bench



[Photo 3
Fretting bench with all the tools at hand for that job, this also doubles as the electronic repair bench.
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Photo 4
Is the orchestral instruments bench, the tools on the white board at the end are all dedicated to that type of repair, Violin, Cello and double basses. Behind the white wall is my spray booth without the curtain pulled around, it works ok but I prefer to spay outside if the weather permits it.


Photo 5
Shows the whole shop viewed from the building room door. There’s one bench out of view.


Photo 6
Is the spray area, speaks for its self.



Photo 7
Shows the island workstation I call the Multivise [something Stewmac hasn’t got] and behind that another bench where large jobs, double basses or glued up jobs that are drying are put.



Thanks for looking

[Taffy Evans]

heres the fretting bench, I new I'd stuff up

[cactus bum]

Taffy, Your shop verifies what a professional approach you bring to your craft. The amount of specialized workspace is impressive.

I am also particularly interested in your "multivise workstation" in photo 7. I see the separate vises on top of the bench, but it also looks like the legs of that bench also swivel or fold up or something. Looks like a zyliss vice also. I see you are glueing up a headstock repair in the photo, but do you also use the multivice bench for building? Maybe carving necks? I like its height. Easy on the back.

I always get ideas from looking at another person's shop. Thanks for the peek at yours, so far. Please show more. Michael Pollard

[Rod True]

Hi guys, been a while since I've been down under

I'll show my shop, admittedly this is the same post as what's on the OLF. I've got a few new tools now but not much has changed since these pics (including my time in the shop) so here you go, regurgitated from the OLF. Crikey that's on long post, sorry.

Here's a phrase that I coined because I have such a small space.

Have what you need, use what you have.

I built the shop with only building guitars in mind (and maybe the odd other thing here or there) so it's certainly not set up for cabinets or large items, although I did build some of my 12' boat in it as well as a 10' entertainment unit of sorts, just had to be creative with the space.

The shop is irregular in shape (not square or rectangle), 185 sft total and I have two walls that are 16' long, one that is 14' long and the other is 10' long, the two back corners are not 90* (I don't have a site plan otherwise I'd put that in too).

Anyway, here's the shop outside and in.

Front of the shop (14' wall)



Looking in from the door



Just inside the door you see the table saw, bandsaw and spray booth area.



Standing at the table saw looking toward the bench, you see the go-bar deck (guitar body sitting on it) with the loft area above.



Looking toward the door from the semi-knock down spray booth, you see the rest of the bench and my thickness sander (24" wide)



Storage in a small shop is really key. When I built the shop I knew I wanted some sort of loft for storage as well as the top side of the go-bar deck. Efficiency is key when you have a small space. The other thing I decided I didn't need was windows (Mario's suggestion years ago from the MIMF) which really gives a lot of wall space for jig storage as well as cabinets and other storage units. So here are some of the ways I've made my small space more spacious.

The loft (you can see I have lots of space for more wood )and the large upper cabinet



Storage box for bindings, liners, purflings and binding sheets (on top) this is beside the bandsaw on the wall



Jigs hanging on the walls and another small upper cabinet holds saw blades and routers.



The bench top (I want to add a maple top to the plywood one day) used to clamp jigs too, shaping necks, and where my small drill press sits. The chisel rack helps keep them in a safe place and the little drop down storage holds pencils, rulers and misc small tools.



Here's a mess, but I don't know where to put all that stuff, small pieces of wood for neck blocks and tail blocks, some small jigs, sandpaper, notes and build journal (big red binder).



Some more storage areas, got to use every little space available.







And than the semi-knock down spray booth. Two doors with poly on which close inward to allow for more space. You can see the filter box below and inside is my explosion proof fan. Also I made a storage cabinet which can hold two guitars and two necks while curing after spraying.







So I hope this helps some of you see that you can have a small space and have it filled to the rim but with some organization (I certainly haven't "arrived" yet) you can have what you need and use what you have.

[sebastiaan56]

Rod,

Snow in September?!? That aluminium must get both awfully hot and cold, nice shed,

Sebastiaan

[Rod True]

Thanks Sebastiaan,

Actually, these pictures were taken back in Dec 07.

I'm assuming the "aluminum" you're thinking of is the siding. Vinyl siding, no problems of hot or cold. Besides, I'm fully insullated, heated and humidity controled.

Yup, I love my little "shed".

[Allen]

I don't think that there is such a thing as vinyl siding in Australia Rod. I've certainly never seen any. And insulation like we use in Canada is a bit of a fantasy here. As well as double pane windows....

Nice use of space. It must be really nice to go out there on a dark wet December day and putter in the shed.

[Rod True]

I don't think that there is such a thing as vinyl siding in Australia Rod. I've certainly never seen any. And insulation like we use in Canada is a bit of a fantasy here. As well as double pane windows....

Are you pulling my leg Allen? (I can be very gullable) I know next to nothing about Australia so I don't know what you folks use for building homes etc...

Nice use of space. It must be really nice to go out there on a dark wet December day and putter in the shed.

Thanks, yes it's my own little oasis.

[Allen]

Nope Rod. Though there are a few here that would delight in pulling your leg. It's a bit frustrating at times when you grow up expecting things to be a certain way, and thinking that everyone does it like that. Then you move to Australia and find that it just isn't so.

Don't get me started on Queenslanders either. I've learned to be tolerant, 'cause it's just not worth the stress of trying to explain why you might want to insulate a home against the heat. I only have to look out my front door and see half a dozen homes that have black tile or metal roofs in the tropics for God's sake. Just because they must think that it looks good. It was 32 in Cairns today, and I bet you could have fried some chops on those roofs. With all this talk about carbon, global warming, rising energy costs, I just wish that the simple, common sense things were given a go.

Ok, I got that off my chest. Now time to duck and run from all the flack I'm going to catch from the locals. Really everyone. I love it here.

[Paul B]

Allen mate, that's why they invented cold beer.

[Rod True]

It's sort of like standing on your head all the time eh Allen?

Paul, Exactly!

[Taffy Evans]

I'm lovin this workshop thread, so many ideas. Heres part two of mine its the Building workroom. its air conditioned as is the repair shop and all insulated. It works well too, I lined the ceiling with roofing iron, you cant touch the outside on a hot day but the inside is fine. the walls are insulated too.

These are photos of the Building workshop. Only a few machines here drill press, buffing machine, Dremal jigsaw for cutting inlays mainly, and my Tormec wet grinder.

Three benches, another island vise/work table, and my Go-Bar deck take up the floor space in here, and again lots of drawers. Above the go bar deck and under a bench are plastic cases that hold guitar bodies or top & back plates once I’ve started working on them, stored out of the weather and dust until I get back to them.


From the entry door


work in progress


Does that buffer look like a bandsaw to you? Well thats what it used to be


Looking back at the door we started at


The building are has its own spray shop


This what I see quite often when building, the sunrise….

[BMS]

I sadly work on a basement... So now after 11 years I look like the guy from the movie "the house by the cemetery"...
Benoit

[Alain]

Here,s my little piece of Heaven! Sadly, I haven't had a chance to work there very much this summer. Too busy! Hopefully, I'll get a chance to spend more time in the next few months...

[Stu]

I just posted these pics in another forum and thought I'd share with you guys as well.






cheers, Stu

[DarwinStrings]

Deja Vous Stu

Jim

[ap404]

Awesome tool power at your disposal there stu!
And lots of benchspace... not to mention a good stack of electric slabs over by the window.

Have fun!

AP

[Allen]

That looks like it's a lot bigger than my garage. Must be nice to have that sort of elbow room. Though I shouldn't complain. When mates come over and look at my set up they are in awe, so I suppose we just need to work with what we have.

At least it's not working in the loo, hey Hesh?

[Stu]

That looks like it's a lot bigger than my garage. Must be nice to have that sort of elbow room. Though I shouldn't complain. When mates come over and look at my set up they are in awe, so I suppose we just need to work with what we have.

At least it's not working in the loo, hey Hesh?

Thanks Gents.
It's more than enough room for sure. In fact the internal dimensions are
6metres x 6metres.
Pretty much a two-car garage....................but without the cars, after
all they're banned from this little slice of heaven !!

cheers, Stu

[brian64]

I'm new to the forum.
Hi, I'm Brian, and I'm a luthieryholic.

This was my workshop...1.8m x 3m space with a roll-a-door that opened up to an area under a carport.


Thanks to Stu (Oz Tradie) for giving up a Sundayshowing me how to put together the big equipment and get it properly set up - I don't know how I would have done it without him.

The new workshop is a 2.4m x 4.2m shed. I thought that was huge until I saw you guys' workshops! Anyway, another couple of weekends and I should have it set up and ready for the holidays to make some serious sawdust.

Brian.

[Stu]

Welcome to the forum Brian.
Glad to hear you made it through Renovations intact.

So that is the old workshop. Brings back a few memories....good ones.
Have you got your new workshop set up yet ?


cheers, Stu

[Allen]

Welcome to the group Brian.

Post some pictures of the new workshop when you get a chance. We all get some good ideas from seeing how others deal with space and design issues.

[WaddyT]

OK, here are a few shots of my shop. I'm only posting them because it makes Hesh have to take a Valium, and I am nothing if not an enabler!

This is where most of the work occurs. The little extension is held in a B&D Workmate Vice that I love. It gives me a work surface I can approach from three sides. The RA saw takes up a lot of room in a small shop, but I've had it for 35 years.


This is the catch all side of the shop. The little Craftsman 6" swing lathe is older than I am. It was a hand me down from my father. I place it's origin in the late '30's to early 40's. Works great for small stuff, but I don't use it a lot.


This is the other work area - drill press, band saw, bench sander, table saw underneath the sander, compressor to the right of that. There is also one of those little 1" x 30" sanders behind the hedge clippers. I need to build a storage building, and get rid of the yard stuff. It takes up too much room.


Now you can all relax and contemplate how neat your shops look. By the way, this was a pretty clean day for my shop. On the floor in the last picture is the head of a 2 stage dust collector that is now sitting on a 30 gallon fiber drum, which takes up even more room.