# It's about time I did a refit..



## lee celtic

Firstly Hello All.. Thanks for letting me in.  

I've had a good look around and it's nice to see a UK based forum full of like minded People. I came here last week from Garage Journal looking for something a little more for want of a better word British, I realise the tinterweb has made the world smaller and input from other places is common and welcomed but I don't have 50 square miles of farmland or room for a 100 foot square pole barn. What I do have is a small (ish) garage in the middle of a village in the middle of the Snownonia Mountains and I love it...

So a little about me before I begin the stuff your all interested in (The workshop) 

Born in Manchester in 67 I was told at school I was good at woodwork. Well I blame my Uncle who bought me a stack of wood and a small but real tool kit when I was young.. I made a very rough box and painted it white. The lid was wonky and one side was longer than the other but I made it and I was proud.. Jump forward 8 years and I left school with an 'O' level in woodwork, metal work and tech drawing..

One item I made for the exam was a coffee table with a flip over top, the underside had a Marquetry chess board and it was bought by a well known High street retailer a few weeks later. (Thanks to the examiner giving them the heads up)

I went on to attend the school of Furniture in Central Manchester where after training in Wood machining ,french polishing, cabinet making and traditional Upholstery the first year I chose Antique restoration for the second year and left Qualified.. 

I got my first job at an Upholstery company and soon discovered I didn't know a thing, ok I knew the basics but there is nothing better than on the job training with a Grumpy Old Fart who knows what he's doing (Hi Colin) after a couple of years I moved to Bangor North Wales and set up an Upholstery firm with a Mate and we ran it together until I had an accident and hurt my back.. a couple of years later he bought me out. 

By this time I was 34 years old and bored rigid with old furniture and wanted to try something different so I took a job making steel furniture for schools and hospitals (the glue dries much quicker) starting at the bottom and working my way up to first welder over 5 years. Bare in mind I'd never welded a thing before but gained Mig and Tig qualifications. I ended up as goods in/out manager and hated it so in an office, when the downturn hit I went for redundancy and left after 7 years. 

So here I was 42 years old with two almost grown up kids and a Mortgage.. What to do.. There was a local Furniture Factory so I stuck a CV in expecting the your too old brush off and ended up being given the QC job and I'm still there 7 years later.. 200 bedroom suites a day and a 4 day week.. works for me. 

Now when I moved to Wales I left behind a small shack behind my Mums house made of a few old doors and a bit of old bus stop maybe 5' by 6' and 8' high a tiny bench and no power, it was my escape pod.. A few years after meeting my wonderful Wife and having our first child I spotted a house maybe 50 yards from where our flat was and it had potential so we bought it. That was 23 years ago. 

We spent a few years upgrading the stone built 1848 house and then SHMBO said I could start the workshop... so I did...







This was two weeks of jack hammers and skid steer loaders driving truck loads to the dump before work every day. clearing it myself. 
Now one thing I can't do is brick laying so I had a mate who could but he was out of work, so I hired him to build while I was at work.. best thing I ever did as he had the shell up in a couple of weeks that was about 20 years ago and since it's been the dumping ground for everything we didn't want in the house.. so now it's time for a make over.

This is how it stood a couple of months ago.. 






Getting late now but I'll post more tomorrow night.. Hope I didn't bore anyone. I just want to keep a record for myself and ask for ideas to keep the ball rolling. as said more will follow. Thanks for reading. (if anyone does. lol)


----------



## MattRoberts

Great story! Looking forward to the next instalment  

Thanks for posting, and welcome aboard!


----------



## Fitzroy

Well hullo there!


----------



## Bm101

Croeso Lee. Enjoyed the read.
That's still tidier than my shed.  I registered for a waste permit (work van rules) for the local dump last night after finally having enough of climbing over stuff that we've been meaning to sell or give away.... Enough's enough! I'm looking forward to having some space too. Look forward to the updates.
Cheers 
Chris


----------



## lee celtic

Waste permit...lol.. you have a problem if you need one of those ..

To get the ball rolling I bought a small trailer to use ferrying rubbish to the tip and scrap to the local yard You can just make it out in the second photo above.. I'd been saving stuff up to weigh in and afterwards wished I hadn't bothered with half of it still it put £40 in the pot for the refit. The trailer only cost £30 off ebay but it had no boards left as they had all rotted away and the main T frame underneath had gone the same way. I had a couple of bits of 60mm thick wall tube left over from beefing up the sills in an old Discovery so a few nights and I had a usable trailer.. The boards I got from work for free so all good. I had to re wire the lights too but no biggy. I also managed to shorten the T a little and guard the lights so I can stand it up on end against the wall..

I spent a few weeks of evenings then loading the trailer and doing trips to the tip which is handy for me as it's across the road from where I work. I hate going there and seeing all the good stuff being dumped and not being allowed to take it.. I missed out on a small Beer fridge by Seconds Just as I spotted the guy with it he let go and it fell into the skip .  

Once I had all the junk I could see and get to out of the way I turned towards what I wanted to do.

I even set myself a mission list to try and keep on track.:-

1. A clear floor!!
2. A place for everything and everything in it's place.
3. matched containers. (I'll explain later)
4. Dust trap free (I'll explain later)
5. Bright, Light and professional looking. 
6. No wasted space.

Well the floor was semi clear so I moved on. I did a measure up and drew out a rough plan on a bit of scrap board then sat staring into space for a few hours running ideas through the grey matter.. When I built the workshop I actually knocked down a building that used to be behind my house, it at one time housed a bakery and the walls were 3 feet thick stone. I wanted to make the biggest Workshop I could with a plan to run a small business from there when I got old.. I recover Custom Motorcycle seats for a local shop.






There is a narrow alley behind the workshop so the people next door and can drag their bin out and a lane running along the front. These do not run square to the site so the building is sort of wedge shaped. I did a little picture using an online thingy-do-dah but can't get it to load so just think of a wedge shape 12 feet on the took board wall at the end and 16 feet where the doors are.. and 28 feet front to back. 


So to start I'll jump straight to Number 4. Dust trap free.. I hate parts bins, shelves, lips, handles, holes, crevices and anywhere sawdust grinding waste or overspray can settle. I had half a wall of parts bins you know the little blue and red plastic ones. 2 minutes with a skill saw and 2 hours with a hoover/brush. hate hate hate... Even exposed tool racks get covered in stuff so they had to go.. or rather go under cover.. 

old tool board above the bench. (you'll like the bench but thats later)











I came up with a design based on a dart board cabinet, pretty thin so it didn't hang out over the work top too much but it wassn't big enough. So I thought about two of them.. then about spacing them and using better hinges to get them to open out flat.. seems to work well but now my tools look a little tired and I need to clean them up. :shock:





















Where I work we have a lot of waste boards and when I say a lot I mean tons of the stuff.. every pack and pallet has a sheet of MDF or chip on top and bottom. these were made of white faced MDF with a high gloss finish.. side effect is they become really big white boards too.. and I get it all for free.. 8) 

So here's a shot of the next bit of the plan Lets call the far end wall the north wall , this next bit is the east wall plan. (hammer) 






I need to go do the washing up and make the Misses a brew.. so more tomorrow.. Thanks for reading.


----------



## Bm101

Thats the most surprised/excited TV Ive ever seen.


----------



## lee celtic

Bm101":1f6vrsm5 said:


> Thats the most surprised/excited TV Ive ever seen.




:lol: ... it has a nose made out of a clock now too..


----------



## Stanleymonkey

Like the tool cabinets. Good tidy look.

Is it your camera - or is it a bit gloomy in there?


----------



## lee celtic

Gloomy.. only one light working .


----------



## No skills

Good stuff, keep posting - everybody here loves a picture.

I browse garage journal a little, not a bike man (dad used to be, too old now  ) but I do like the garage/shop fit out threads.


----------



## n0legs

Another follower signing in here  
Keep at it, love a workshop WIP we do =D>


----------



## lee celtic

Evening all.. Took a night off from the workshop today.. had a mad day at work so wanted a rest..

Thought I'd slob on the sofa and share some more..

The roof is now used as a Garden and BBQ area so there is a wall around it. looks a bit like a sub station from the outside, the doors are OSB I fitted when I was building it and they are still very solid after all this time. Very good Locks (multiple) and an alarm keep me sleeping at night but I want to change the doors next summer. 

Anyway back to the inside.. I finished up the tool cabinets and worked towards the corner, now the thing with corners is they are rubbish for storing anything. Especially when you have to reach over a 3 foot deep bench. 






I had a think about what I need around the bench and what would fit, also what I'd be able to lift at full arms length and worked out nothing was going to be stored there I would be able to get out all the time. Then I had a light bulb moment, last year my compressor had packed up after nearly 25 years of use and I was left with a tank and fittings. I did a bit of googleing and ended up fitting a pump from a fridge and it worked really well.. so well I found another tank on ebay for 99p and bought it with a plan to build another silent compressor. 

Anyway the tank looked like it would fit and I put a call out for a broken fridge on facebook (got offered 4) The local tip has a guy who drains the coolant from them so I got it emptied and scrapped the fridge keeping the pump. 




Knocked up a little cabinet.




The pump and tank won't fit side by side..




Had some galv steel angle from a packing crate at work, it's 1.3mm thick but very rigid.




All riveted together using the tank as a main support to hold the pump, it's not sitting square yet as I need to drill a hole in the cabinet because I moved the drain to the bottom and it's sitting high.

The plan was to split the front of the cabinet so I have a fixed panel for gauges and a switch and a hinged door. I'll finish the compressor after the refit as I said no more projects or toys until it's done.. well I didn't actually say it I just sort of promised myself or I'll get side tracked.. :lol: 






Now in this corner of the shop I had to build a strange box out of blocks due to an outcrop of rock that ran from under the house.. It wouldn't break when we were working on it and I figured I'd rather have the blocks in the garage than the house fall.. but as it turned out it's a great height for my drill. so thats where it's going along with a small drill bit cabinet just to keep things tidy. the one in the photo is a mock up and I'll do a proper job later.

Now as mentioned earlier only one Light was working and I'd put off sorting this until I was building on the east wall.. The conduit I put in I stupidly put along the ceiling instead of running it along the wall inside the space created by the girder.. So one Saturday morning I killed the power and ripped the lot out. 

Three hours later I had three working strip lights and a clear ceiling (I need that for the paneling I'm putting up) and I could carry on building. I used a few bits of MDF to make an over head locker but it stuck out so far any work space below would be useless.. So I took 150mm off the depth and stuck it back up.










It worked really well seen here with axil stands in it for scale.. so well I made three new ones and banged them up. 






These will eventually have lights underneath to shine on the worktop. Because of this I made the end cabinet a little shorter than the others but left the door the same length to leave a small 35mm wiring channel between the overheads and the next full length cabinet. 






Had to move the light switch before building the last one, this is going to be a full length cabinet to cover the fusebox and give more covered storage. but that for tomorrow or the day after.. I'd like to say I'll be tinkering in there tomorrow but it depends on my workload tomorrow.. Night All. and thanks for reading.


----------



## lee celtic

Had a day off due to it being my birthday..

Back to it then.. The area behind the door is where the fuse box is mounted and has always been a mess. An old shelving unit that was given to me by a neighbor had been cut down and used for odds and ends but it looked terrible so out it went.

Before..





After..





I did the measuring up and took a few measurements of stuff that was going in this cabinet then went to work on cutting/drilling.. It's a basic cabinet put together with Dowels. I had intended to cut it all at work but ran out of time so out came the skill saw.

I slid a 10mm impact socket over the cutter I was using to act as a simple depth gauge and drilled everything Making sure the highest shelf cleared the mounting board for the fusebox. As said before the lightswitch was moved to make way for the gable and the twin socket thats in there will be left until the new power points go in under the lockers. 
















At the same time I drilled the holes for the tap in hinge plates and then glued it all together. I was lucky to get a couple of doors that had slight marks on the inside just before they went into the skip at work. Good enough for me but not good enough to sell to a customer so on they went. I left off fitting a top because I want to take some more wiring out through it. I'm also planning to bring in a heavier power cable. 











I added the Jack and stands to their final resting place then filled the rest with anything that would fit. I need to empty the old metal shelves before I can build the mobile units that are going to sit under the lockers. I'm making three that will all be on wheels with brakes.






The plan for these units is that they will be against the wall most of the time then they can be pulled out to form a large central island to use as a cutting table. Thats why they are being built last, I needed the exact measurement of the gap they will sit in so I know what depth to make them. I want them to make a neat rectangle when in the centre of the floor.






Also given my trusty Record No.25 and makeover.. 












Now I know this forum is mainly for woodworking and it has a small Metalwork section but I tend to have a go at anything in my workshop. I like to tinker with stuff even if it's just taking something apart to see how it works.. in the last two weeks I've swapped the screen on my laptop, soldered a 5mm micro switch inside my wifes car keyfob and upholstered a seat on a chair for the daughter in law to be. so I thought I'd share a few projects I made from scratch to add to my old Discovery. 

Raised Air intake made from 63mm exhaust tube and a bought in top. 






CB slide mount with drinks holders made from steel plate and a couple of rings I made from 8mm bar Sticker was off ebay.






Roofrack (copied a safety devices design) made of electrical conduit material cost £48 and when I scrapped the car I sold the rack for £165 on ebay.. The guy who bought it was made up with it. Unfortunately it wouldn't fit my TD5..  






And finally this is going to be one of the first things I am going to try and build when the workshop is finished for my eldest son.. He's been nagging me to make one so I'm going to try for next summer.. 8)


----------



## curtisrider

Loving what you re doing and the planned chopper bike for your son. I too am planning on some more bike builds, I've built a frame from Reynolds tubing and it was really good fun and lovely to ride!


----------



## lee celtic

Thanks for reading Curtisrider.. This chop thing will be 60x60mm box with 25mm box addons 
most of the parts will come from a couple of scrap BMX bikes he's found and the rest we'll make up as we go along. 
It's gonna be heavy as hell but it's the look he's after. he's actually 24 and covered in tattoos (he's a tattooist) and just wanted something to ride around on in summer to advertise the shop.

He's painting it..!


----------



## MattRoberts

Nice work with the vice - looks great!

I've just bought a 23 I'm about to restore to go with the 52 1/2


----------



## lee celtic

Thats Funny because I'm about to restore a 52 1/2.. got it off an old school woodwork bench about 20 years ago. 

Then I have to figure out where to mount it.


----------



## Chip shop

lee celtic":8wuitu9a said:


> Thats Funny because I'm about to restore a 52 1/2.. got it off an old school woodwork bench about 20 years ago.
> 
> Then I have to figure out where to mount it.




Good to see you here. I'm just down the road in St Asaph.


----------



## lee celtic

Well onwards and upwards and all that.

Not been doing much due to a mate needing a lift to work every day.. sounds strange eh .. But it means I didn't have room in the car for the stuff I needed. 

So I had to break the habit of a lifetime and go into work on a Friday to do...... OVERTIME.!!

This entails going in at 6am then working until 10. Then I clock out and go to work cutting and edging the stuff I need for the weekend. 

So how far did I get. well I sat with a beer and a tape measure for a few hours working out what I wanted and how big everything needed to be. then did this really accurate design drawing. 






Your impressed I can tell..  

After cutting and edging I packed everything up and headed for home and spent a bit of time putting one base unit together. I added a draw and toyed with the idea of a black draw to break up the white.. I didn't like it. 






I'm going for white draw fronts. but I left some scrap on there to stop stuff falling out before I get the proper ones done. 

Now while I was googling wall finishes I came across a guy who made a really complicated video of how he did a Pallet wall.. now I can hear the groans now but I really like distressed wood but didn't want it too dark. Enter the new ish Pallets I get at work for draw wraps.

These are soft wood but have some interesting grain and light/dark patches. I brought one home and broke it up then just stacked it on top of a base unit and added a wedge to hold it in place.. it looked ace. 






The next few days I broke up a pallet a day and filled the boot and also made up the bits for a second base unit. (my mate had a couple of days off so I had room in the car.)

After breaking down the shelving I had I gave the floor a brush. (still can't believe I have a floor) and threw the second unit together then set about cladding the pallet wall.. think it turned out pretty good. 







I'm away this weekend so I won't get anything done but I have the boards I need set aside for the final base unit but it's going to be a little more complicated. I plan to have a little record 52 woodwork vise fitted in the centre unit but I will need to allow for this in the unit construction. And I can't work out that construction until I have made the solid Butcher block (style) worktops. I'm also holding off on the inner shelves and doors until I've built this last unit.

I also cut the pallet wall short, I didn't want it behind the drill stand as I drill metals with coolant and it would stain it badly. I'll be adding a wipe-able board there. So far I'm really happy how this is turning out considering the only things I've bought are castors and draw runners. 8)


----------



## MattRoberts

I think that cladding looks great, nice one! 

By the way, there's nothing little about a record 52! You might want to consider that when you attach it, and ensure the unit is rock solid first


----------



## lee celtic

So I did something stupid....  

I let my youngest son put his car in my workshop to change a gearbox....

sounds simple enough.. until you need to find a cheap 85 prefix VW box... they fit just about every small VW and Seat.. hens teeth comes to mind.. 

14 months later it was still there and most of the work I'd done was wrecked...  

a few weeks ago I got him a new car and he let me scrap the wreak in the workshop so I'm back..  

I've Been cleaning the workshop out a little more.. the trailer I bought and restored has just sold on ebay so there is more space and some cash in the pot.. life is good.. and it's good to be back :wink:


----------



## lee celtic

So I guess after all that I should do an update.. well I had a look at some of the stuff I built.. weight and damp made some of it sag,, a re design is in order for some of the cabinets.. 

Think I overloaded some of them.. heheheh

I have decided to add a large ish cutting table slash workbench to the middle of the workshop.. this is for two reasons.. I'm an upholsterer by trade and a fabric bench is a must for me and it will stop ANY cars getting in there..lol

However I'm a tight wad so buying the stuff I need is a no no... I like the idea of re using old materials where I can so I had a look around .. 

Then a pallet turned up at work.. it was a little bigger than usual..lol







Think I have all the timber I need.. (hammer) that cut section is 8 feet long..!!

And in an awesome turn of events.. I won an ebay auction.. so my floor will be really really clean ready for new paint..  






Yes 99p for a floor scrubber.. and I collected it today.


----------



## whiskywill

Why can't I see the photographs in this thread?


----------



## lee celtic

whiskywill":139wj5lo said:


> Why can't I see the photographs in this thread?



Can you see any of them..?

I know some of the first ones have gone.. I'm trying to figure out which and get them back up.. (hammer)


----------



## lee celtic

ok just went back to the start and replaced what I could find.. hope it works


----------



## monkeybiter

Glad you came back.


----------



## lee celtic

monkeybiter":17bbpgf1 said:


> Glad you came back.



Thanks.. It's good to be back :wink: .. gets me off the sofa and back in the workshop.. (hammer) 

Tonight I made a start on the central bench.. My plans have changed as far as the movable cabinets, the weight of tools etc just makes them too heavy.. so I'm going to make them heavier and fixed in place and just have a big ish central multi use table made from the big pallet in the photo above.. Getting the timber off that beast saved a whole bunch of cash..

I have a plan to fit my industrial Pfaff sewing machine under one end and have a removable plug I can pull out to drop the machine head into.. So the machine height has dictated the bench height..

I also have an idea to use two scissor jacks and some hd castors to make it jackable so I can move it if needed.


----------



## whiskywill

I can see! I can see!
Photographs are back, thanks.


----------



## lee celtic

Had a couple of days to play in the workshop, I took the timber I got from the mahoosive pallet and actually cut joints in wood for the first time in years.. 

After doing so I had to conclude my tools need a refit more than the workshop.!!

My chop saw is at a mates house (he just moved in and is working on his games room) so I had to cut all the wood and joints with a panel saw.. The only square I could find was an old roofing square from a bargain bin.. a chisel with an edge as sharp as a soup spoon and a mallet with a loose head.. 

IT WAS ACE TO BE BACK ON THE TOOLS (hammer) 

The timber was interesting to use due to bends , twists and the odd change in dimensions.. A few bits I had to cut the joints to allow for the twists and one of the legs and top rails (the one in the photo) was a few mm bigger at the top than the bottom.. I'll leave the extra timber on the back of the rail but I'll plane the leg down to match the rest when my new plane arrives.. 






legs are bolted through the joint using threaded bar and home made barrel bolts nice and tight.. it meant I could put it all together dry to make sure everything fitted..






I added a second end rail over the top of the other to make the end more rigid and remove the last of the movement and then boarded the end from the inside.. zero movement and a handy spot for my clamps..











I stuck the 52e on just to show the position it will be in, obviously I'll be letting it into the rail so the back jaw sits flush with the rail and a little higher.. The vise itself has been seized since I got it so I'll need to give it a refresh but I got it moving a little today so it'll come apart fine..






spider eviction imminent :twisted: 






The boards on the top are just resting in place right now.. and the far end of the bench has no lower cross braising yet because I'm fitting my sewing machine in there and will add the cross rails afterwards when I know how much space I have.. 

I've been thinking about my original plan of a removable plug to add the sewing machine head and I've changed my mind.. I think I'm going to go with sliding the whole table top away from the far end to reveal the machine. that way I can still have a full size table to use at the same time as the sewing machine.. bit like a draw leaf table but bigger..


----------



## lee celtic

So things I've learned since starting.. 

The plan for the large rolling units has to change.. the idea of having 1100mm draws was nice but the trial ones I made sagged when filled with tools.. the bottom of the units also sagged under the weight of tool boxes and car batteries.. they looked ok but didn't work.. 

Also the idea of having the whole place sparse and un-cluttered looked dull and boring.. Yes I wanted it with as few dust traps as i could get but it was just none descript and sad looking.. 

These were the original units I started.. Too wide.






With the weight of a chop saw and transformer on top they began to bulge out in the middle too after a few weeks due to no stretcher to hold the gables together so a re design was needed.. 

I decided to do all draws as I now have storage for larger items under my new workbench/cutting table. Half the width and doubled up they will be the same size as the originals. I also decided to add one stretcher per draw just to make sure they stayed square..They framed the draw fronts nicely..






The draws are made from broken draw wraps from the skip at work cut down in height and then fixed to a 16mm base board, The draw fronts are Pallet wood to match the wall cladding ..Though the top draw front will be replaced at some point as I cut it a little small. 

The runners are some cheap ebay ball bearing runners that were only single action but I pop rivited two together to make them full depth runners for a quarter of the price of the real thing.






There will be enough draws (20) to only have one layer of tools in them so after testing with a 15k weight in each of the draws I'm happy they will be good to go. The bottom draw is deeper for face masks , ear defenders and other bulky but light stuff.. The draw front for the bottom draw is still clamped up drying.






I really like the draw fronts and I even left the branding stamps on them to add character.. 
A quick coat of clear varnish to fend of dirty hand prints and cheap Handles off ebay again (£3 for 20) and I think they look pretty cool..











79p a roll none slip mat from home bargains as draw liners..






And to make the place a bit more homely I've added a few bits and bobs to break up the wall space.. 
Starting to feel warm and fuzzy..lol


----------



## MattRoberts

Looking really smart! Nice handles - are they still sturdy?


----------



## lee celtic

The cabinets are solid and will be screwed to the wall when all done.. the handles are to be honest just pressed steel things coated in copper-look stuff but they will do the job.. 

Most of the tools I use all the time are above my main bench so the draws are more occasional use.

Thanks for stopping by..


----------



## MattRoberts

The two best things I did in my shop were to clad the walls, and to install a load of drawer cabinets.

Being able to screw holders for any tool anywhere on the wall you want, and to easily move them if you need to is invaluable


----------



## lee celtic

In My first post I listed a few things I wanted from my new workshop.. number 4 was dust trap free... 

Now it might not sound like it's important but I hate it.. I used to have rows of parts bins you know the red, blue and yellow ones that hang on metal strips. After a few months I had to get rid of them, fishing around in an inch of sawdust mixed with metal filings for a nut or bolt used to wind me up no end.. 

So when I fitted the last bottom stretcher to the new cutting bench and went about making the draw units I noticed the shavings building up where I store my clamps..






I swept it out a few times during the day then gave up.. 

Today I had a look around the shop for spare materials and found this lot.. Yes more pallet wood, 8mm water proof mdf from bathroom cladding the neighbors had done and a few bags of bargain bin T hinges..











I just needed simple quick doors that looked the part and kept out the dust so I can avoid cleaning up all the time.. I don't mind doing the floor and bench tops but everything else should be kept clear as much as possible. 

I cut some boards then set about cladding them .
















I think they came out pretty good.. and now the clamp store is going to stay shaving and dust free.. ish..


----------



## Obi Wan Kenobi

Enjoying the fit out of your workshop 8) 

OWK ccasion5:


----------



## lee celtic

Me Too Obi.. thanks for dropping by.. 

Tonight I stripped the Record 52E down to clean it up.. I don't think it's ever been used. Usually the hole for the tommy bar has dents either side where it's been left to drop into the hole.. the hole on this one is perfect.. overall it's very good but there are a few marks in the paint so it's getting a new coat.. then onto fitting. 

I bought two old Tin containers from a car boot sale for 50p each a year ago just because they were old and looked cool, I was surprised to find they were both full.. 






I've actually been using the EESINUT and have to say it's really good.. I gave the vice a few drops yesterday and today it came apart really easy after being seized for years.






Parts waiting for cleaning..






Before..






After (toothbrush and vanish spot remover.. kind of fizzes up and pulls the crud out of the corners)






I also spent some time gluing up a few strips to make the large bottom draw front for the new unit. 
Now I don't own any sash clamps right now as I've been out of the woodwork game for years so I had to go oldschool.. Flat frame and wedges and a flat brace on the top to stop bowing.











Then finally added the last of the saws to the wall.. The plan is to learn how to sharpen them and give them a good clean up. 






You'll see the new unit is about 50mm lower than the old ones it gave me a little more space between the worktop and top cabinets..


----------



## Iestynd

Nice work - any update? 

This is better than working!


----------



## lee celtic

You want an update... well here it is..lol and thanks for dropping by Lestynd..






So heres how I left the last update.. one unit almost finished.. I spent an hour going through the waste board at work and found enough to make another unit then set about it.. The internal design was changed after I watched a few youtube vids and it worked much better and went together easier too. (bonus) There are two strips per draw and 5 strips in the bottom draw fronts so a bit of glue time required.. all done with a frame and wedges.. 






New draw design works well and means I can slide the draws all the way out and put them on the bench when I want to use multiple tools without having to go back and forth.. 











Once the draw unit was finished I had a few pallet strips left over so I added two more doors to the side of the new bench done the same as the ones on the end.. 






After sooooo much work on the workshop I decided to do something in it.. I have a few old chisels I made handles for when I was at school.. I was young and stupid and made them out of Pine..lol

So last weekend I was at a local carboot sale and spotted an old Bridges of London drill powered lathe.. I asked how much and the guy let it go for £3... Yes £3... 

Now it didn't have a drill with it and old drills tend to be short stubby things and I only had a massive Bosch thing so I had to adapt it a little but all the original lathe is still there if I choose to sell it on later. 






And I had no lathe tools so again adaption.. I ground up a couple of old chisels to do the job.. worked pretty well and I loved turning again after nearly 30 years..lol











Not bad for a bit of old pallet.. 






Also snagged a steel stool from the returns pile at work.. a few scratches but very useful.. Starting to look the part..


----------



## Obi Wan Kenobi

It's looking good Lee. Like the cabinet doors 8) 

Obi Wan


----------



## delaney001

Absolutely brillient thread. The shed you started with to the place you are working in now is some transformation. Fair play.


----------



## lee celtic

Thanks for that Delaney.. People enjoying the updates keeps me going..lol

Not much to report this week.. 

I was planning to do a lot over the bank holiday but great weather and beer got in the way.. 

Did manage to put new blades on my hand held Bosch electric planer.. what a difference they made. I've never changed them as I only use it for getting wood roughly down to size but after fitting new blades I'll be using it a lot more.. 

I also knocked up another two draw units along with all the draws for them so I'm 2/3 of the way there.. All the board for the last two is cut but I'll leave it until Friday to put them together.. hopefully by then I'll have the boards for the last ten draws too.. 8) That will be 30... yes 30 tool draws on one wall.. I've already started sorting out a few boxes of tools to fill them. 







lick of varnish needed to bring out the colours like the first row.. then on to cleaning up my old tools.. (hammer)


----------



## lee celtic

Not too much to report this week.. It's been heavy going at work so I've been getting home late.. 

I have managed to get all the boards cut ready for the last two draw units along with the pigeon hole shelves to go inside my main bench where all my powertools will have their own hole to live in.. 

So while I was only able to go in the bunker for a short time I started sorting out tools into the finished draws.. I mentioned at the beginning I wanted a place for everything and everything in it's place, well most of the draws are done so I made a start.. 

I've gathered a fair mix of drifts and punches all a bit of a mishmash of brands and shapes over the years and after seeing them in one of the draws they were looking a little sad and neglected.. Well no more I said to myself.. 






The stupid plastic sleeves that make them slippy when oil gets on them was removed and they were hit with a wire wheel then reground before shooting them with the blue I use on my vises.. 






I found a few more while the paint was drying and the bolster was in use but has been finished since the photo.. they look much happier now..lol and I'm hoping this is the shape of things to come..

While I had the rattle can warm I shot the stool I got from work.






And I also shot Clock with his new coat..lol He's just waiting for the new center insert my son the Tattooist is drawing before he goes back together.. 











While going through one of the tool boxes I found my first pair of professional scissors bought almost 30 years ago. they cost me a weeks wages back then and I've only bought two pairs since.. I used them last 10 years ago cutting fiberglass for the roof of the bunker and they were covered in resin.. Soooo....






They got a makeover too.. good as new and twice as sharp..






And after noticing how dark the back end of the bunker was I went looking for a few strip lights to brighten it up.. spotted an auction on ebay and put in a cheeky bid.. and won.. :shocking: don't think I have room on the ceiling for them all..lol Picked them up today.. all as new for less than a pound..


----------



## Obi Wan Kenobi

Great work Lee, keep the updates coming.

Obi Wan ccasion5:


----------



## Stanleymonkey

You are a very lucky man to have that set up. 

Very talented as well - you seem to be able to turn your hand to everything. Seems like you are enjoying yourself - please keep the updates coming.


----------



## Bm101

Like your style Lee.
Ah, I think I'll just paint those punches quickly...
Hmmm, since the paint is out... I wonder...
Could do the stool, wont take long. This is nice and relaxing.
Ahhh, thats better. Tidy. I wonder...
The Clock! Bring me THE CLOCK! I am the God of the Blue Paint! 
*Frantically digging around in drawers like a strung out smackhead looking for gear...
_*Goddammit where are those F****ing scissors I last used 10 years ago! They Need Painting NOW!
*_
Keep it up mate I always enjoy these posts. :wink: 
regards
Chris


----------



## LancsRick

First use of pallets I've liked the look of, good work!


----------



## ColeyS1

Cracking job with the blue paint ! Looks really smart.

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk


----------



## lee celtic

There will be more blue paint.. I collect record tools so I use a lot of blue getting them to look right..lol

And I warm the cans before use to make them work better.. 

There is a guy on another forum (GL) who said that it does not matter how many jobs you have to do.. as long as you do one a day however small they will all add up to finishing the workshop..

I took this as no matter how small the job may be they all need doing.. I do have a load of big stuff to do but I have a shed load of small jobs too.. sometimes stepping away from the big stuff is like a rest..

I'm off work for a week now so the outside of the Bunker is getting a lick of paint.. we are planning the new roof terrace too.. and today I had a few things picked up after putting them on freecycle to get rid of them.. soon I will be able to show the other side of the workshop thats a mess right now as an empty space..lol

Thanks for the replies guys.. they really do help keep me motivated.. doesn't take much to get me on the sofa with a glass of red..lol so keeping the refit going is important. and the comments really 
help


----------



## lee celtic

Bm101":1ki9a9yh said:


> Like your style Lee.
> Ah, I think I'll just paint those punches quickly...
> Hmmm, since the paint is out... I wonder...
> Could do the stool, wont take long. This is nice and relaxing.
> Ahhh, thats better. Tidy. I wonder...
> The Clock! Bring me THE CLOCK! I am the God of the Blue Paint!
> *Frantically digging around in drawers like a strung out smackhead looking for gear...
> _*Goddammit where are those F****ing scissors I last used 10 years ago! They Need Painting NOW!
> *_
> Keep it up mate I always enjoy these posts. :wink:
> regards
> Chris




I was a bit like that Chris .. I was going to paint the large Woden 12" clamp too but ran out of paint..


----------



## Bm101

Well there's a shocker lmao.
8)


----------



## lee celtic

No more boring people with tales of draw making... They are all done.!!!

Well just one small post about them then they are all done.. :wink: 

So I was waiting until the next supply of handles arrived which they did this morning.. As soon as I got home from work I went in the Bunker to finish the Draw units.. I have to say I'm very happy with them though the floor has a dip in the middle so they will need to be leveled .. And they will need a quick sand down and a rub over with oil but thats all they are getting.. Total cost for the Draw units £6.16 for the handles (and £6 for runners I didn't use in the end..) everything else was free.











You can see the large pile of strip lights I got off Ebay sitting on top.. I've only replaced one of the four foot ones with the new six foot and the difference is amazing.. 

Can't wait to get the other five up on the ceiling then a couple under the wall cupboards over the worktop.. I'll have them on a separate circuit so they can be left off when not in use.. But that won't happen until the new power cable is fed through from the house.. 

I Also bought an old Record plane to restore so thats now soaking to get the rust off it though it's only lightly rusted. more on that later..

Gave the floor a coat of primer to seal it before the new paint..

And finally I picked up a scrap blade from work.. it's just dropped down below it's regrind limit so I fished it out of the metal bin... I'm thinking new Shop Clock as it won't fit my skill saw.  











Thanks for looking. 8)


----------



## lee celtic

Well it's been a while.. a death, two bouts of covid , and an old house that needed work soaked up a lot of my time.. used a shed load of pallets to build my new kitchen.. came out quite nice and very cheap.. I like cheap.. lol


----------



## lee celtic

Also did a small refit on my Living room.. new ceiling, floor, walls and furniture.. made a couple of sofas but I don't have pictures with the cushions on.. also made a new fire surround and collector box coffee table.. Mostly from pallet wood obviously..  

































Workshop had a big leak.. all the pallet wall is coming down for a new years eve bombfire..lol


----------



## Fred48

@ lee celtic
It's amazing what you are making from pallet wood. Very creative
Fred


----------

