Shopsmith Forums

I documented building my shop in this thread. The last page has relatively current pictures. There are a few things I'd do differently if I could go back and do it again, but overall I'm very happy with it. When I pick up my Sawsmith RAS, and then figure out how to incorporate it into the shop, I'll take some updated pictures.[/QUOTE]

Over the past I have followed your entire build. It has been an inspiration. I think the best picture of the shop is the one with the young one and the dog playing on the platform in the rain. Shots like they make the best memories

My "shop" is a working disaster. This picture was taken on a day after cleaning and it looks almost like a usable space. I refuse to show the other half behind the camera!

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fiatben wrote:My "shop" is a working disaster. This picture was taken on a day after cleaning and it looks almost like a usable space. I refuse to show the other half behind the camera!

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I assume the 'back half' resembles my entire 'shop'. Wish I had all that floor space to walk on! No pix, I do not want to scare small children or pregnant women.

It seems like we all have the same problem - what to do with the lower saw guard when it is not install on the quill.

I typically have a saw blade and arbor in the lower saw guard. When removed from the quill, I set it on the floor, tucked back in one of the legs. Not terribly secure.

dusty wrote:It seems like we all have the same problem - what to do with the lower saw guard when it is not install on the quill.

I typically have a saw blade and arbor in the lower saw guard. When removed from the quill, I set it on the floor, tucked back in one of the legs. Not terribly secure.

Not I - no guard!!!:D

dusty wrote:It seems like we all have the same problem - what to do with the lower saw guard when it is not install on the quill.

I typically have a saw blade and arbor in the lower saw guard. When removed from the quill, I set it on the floor, tucked back in one of the legs. Not terribly secure.

One trick from a Traveling Academy is to replace the middle screw on the left hand leg/base junction with one about 2" long. Thread a jam nut on before installing. Creates a peg that you can hang the lower saw guard on. The saw guard becomes a bucket that will also hold the blade.

jimthej wrote:One trick from a Traveling Academy is to replace the middle screw on the left hand leg/base junction with one about 2" long. Thread a jam nut on before installing. Creates a peg that you can hang the lower saw guard on. The saw guard becomes a bucket that will also hold the blade.

Thanks for the suggestion but I already have "stuff" hanging there. On one machine, that is where the power cord hangs.

Here are a few pics of my shop. It is most definitely still a work in progress.

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I'm still experimenting with shop layout. Right now, I'm playing with clustering the key machines in a center island, all oriented such that any long boards being processed are aligned with the long axis of the shop. Or at least they will be, once I get the old Crapsman table-top saw out of the way, and turn the SS equipment island 90 degrees. It does appear possible to cluster a 520 with jointer, bandsaw on a PowerStation, and a Pro Planer into about a 6' by 5' print, with everything accessible and long workpieces clearing all the other machines. At the moment this is just a partially-tested theory. When and if the theory breaks down, everything is on casters.

Workbenches and storage are located around the periphery. Here's a shot from the other end.

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My favorite shop luxuries are, in no particular order:
- Lots of light. I put in 900W of fluorescents to illuminate a 14' by 20' space.
- The white pegboard. It reflect the light, and provides lots of hanging space.
- A utility sink, not shown. I was lucky to have already have a drain in the floor. I traded my wife a nice new laundry sink for her grubby old utility sink, and learned how to sweat solder just so I could run hot & cold water lines for this project.
- A walkout basement French door. I was just a pup when we built this place, but it seemed like a good idea even then. Now the doors are rusting out, but it will be good fun to make my own new shop doors in my own new shop! Here's a shot looking in through the rusty old doors at night, when you can't see the rust.

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Nice and Bright. I'd be curious to hear how the "island" of ShopSmith works out. I'm working with some space challenges also. I've just taken a few pics, so I'll post them and give the rundown.

OK, here goes. I'm working in a non shop dedicated space, I've got at best 1/2 a 2 car basement garage space. Everything has to be able to be pushed up close to the wall to allow room for the tractor and other sundries of rural life. It's one of the reasons the ShopSmith works so well for me. I'm pretty height limited in the space with only an 8' ceiling, less under the girder beam and mechanical chase, and the concrete walls present some challenges also. All excuses aside here's a look up my skirt

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This is an overall shot of the shop side from the opposite corner. You can see the home built bench and my SS. The space is about 10' x 20' with an alcove I'll show in a later picture. The miter saw bench is about 12' long to give some scale.

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Here's a shot of the wall of SS stuff, the red mechanics chest holds my arbors, lathe centers, and other SS related smalls.

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Looking towards the garage doors at the SS and the cart for the Larger SS stuff. Thats my new to me Jointer under the cover

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The corner of Shame. This is where I cram everything that rolls and some stuff that doesn't. This is the alcove I mentioned earlier it's about 6' across and 3' deep on one side with an angled back wall so maybe 5' or so deep on the other side. I grab the tool I'm working with drag it out to the main floor and proceed to butcher some innocent wood.

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This is my back to the garage doors looking at the shared wall with the rest of the basement. the Cheap Borg cabinets hide a multitude of sins, in other words if you open the doors you better be wearing a hard hat, no telling what will fall out.

Cont. on next post...