# Mekkemikkel's new workshop WIP



## Mekkemikkel

Hello everybody! ccasion5: 

I'm a newbie on UKW, and after some months just surfing around – stealing others great ideas, I thought I would start posting a WIP about the design and building process of my new workshop.

I've been using the shop for about a year already for some projects for our new house, but now I'm really looking forward spending some of my time to get the shop organised!

I know I should not embarres myself showing you this, but here is a shot of the miserable state of my shop at the moment:  







I'm insulating and finishing the walls, and getting ready to start on the first real project for the shop; a solid workbench along the new white wall with the windows.

Inspired by my fellow English-Norwegian-English :ho2 woodworker, Mark, and his Multi-function workbench (https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?t=35067), my plan is to use the same principles for the construction, with 2x4 and plywood for the legs/cupboards, two layers of 19mm MDF for the top, and aprons in "real" wood, maybe birch.

I'm also planning to include some piping for dust collection under the bench.

Here is a drawing and a quick SketchUp, illustrating my bench-project.

















Any comments will be appreciated!!


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## ste_5150

Hi Mekkemikkel and welcome! That's a nice space you've got there - it should be a great shop once you've got that bench built (and maybe tidied up a little :shock: :wink: )

Will be looking forward to the WIP walkthrough of the build


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## Boz62

That looks like it will be a nice place to work . I envy you being able to have the extractor downstairs out of the way as well!

Boz


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## devonwoody

Best of luck with the project.
How do you intend to get equipment and large pieces up and down from the workshop?


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## Henning

That will convert to a very nice workshop i'm sure, Mekkemikkel! 

Your solution with the dustextraction is very nice. I will remember that one!


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## beech1948

Hi,

The runs of MDF worktop seem quite long and wide. The bench design is pretty standard but to prevent the MDF from sagging in the middle you might consider putting is a spine or two along the top to hold up the MDF....that is if you had'nt already thought of it.

regards
Alan


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## maltrout512

Hi and welcome. That's not a workshop it's a factory. :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: 
Only joking. Looks like it will be a nice set up. All the best.


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## Mekkemikkel

Thanks for all the response so far!

Ste_5150:
Tidied up? Don't understand... I'm a foreign! :roll: :wink: 

Boz62: 
The shop is over our two-car garage, so that's why I'm able to steal a small corner for the extractor down there. I'm really looking forward to getting it out of the way upstairs! Just have to get the piping in place.

Devonwoody:
The shop entrance is upstairs, so it's no problem to get stuff in and out. 

Here are some photos to show the surroundings:

The shop entrance.
The door is made of MR-MDF, and I'm wondering how long it can withstand the weather. It's ok so far, entering its second winter season.






Here is the pathway between the two floors.






And at last the driveway to the garage.







Beech1948:
The overall dimensions of the bench are 800x6500mm, and the cupboards: 600mm deep, so I will have some room for my long legs, while sitting down.
I have planned support in the back and front of the cupboards, and an additional behind the apron. Maybe I should add a spline centered over the cupboards too? :-k 



Here is how I'm planning the layout of the shop with all the tools - in my dreams! Have I forgotten something important, and does the layout look sensible?








And to end the story for today; some photos of our view:


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## TheTiddles

That is a stunningly beautiful place to live, does everyone in Norway live like that?

Aidan


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## Mekkemikkel

TheTiddles":3j5fv1f5 said:


> That is a stunningly beautiful place to live, does everyone in Norway live like that?
> 
> Aidan


 
You just have to come over and see for your self!


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## devonwoody

Mek, I can see you have no problems regarding entry, and it beats my humble abode.


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## Triggaaar

Mekkemikkel":1lhhz9dz said:


> Here are some photos to show the surroundings:


I'm getting more jealous by the minute.


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## woodbloke

No need to be pining for the fjords there :lol: :lol: - Rob


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## humanfish

Wow, what a view :shock:


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## Mekkemikkel

No pining for the fjords here, since we are actually almost living IN them... 
Even we Norwegians love the Python! :lol: 

I'm actually rather pinin' for a bench at the moment! 
Today I was hoping to start building the bench, but spent all day tidying the place! 







At least I now can see the wobbly thing that's been acting as my workbench for about a year! 
Just have to spend a bit more time shoveling the floor, and then maybe it will be possible to walk normally in there again!


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## Henning

I think you've managed to create a lot of potential into your workshop the way you've made it! 

Looking forward to the bench building WIP now 8) 


Fantastic view too!


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## Mekkemikkel

Henning":2vc0erzm said:


> I think you've managed to create a lot of potential into your workshop the way you've made it!


 
Yes I hope so! As everybody else I'm looking for the most efficient use of the space. 

Anybody got suggestions about my dream-tool-layout?


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## dedee

Nice looking working workshop with stunning views. I'd be tempted to spend all by time looking out of the windows.
The pictures of the fjords reminds me of my honeymoon spent at Hardangar 
many years ago.

The workshop layout will evolve as you start to use it but looks good to me.

Andy


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## Boz62

I agree with Andy, the layout will evolve, and we all have preferred ways of working and are all different. My only thought would be to not fit the long workbench between the side walls. I like to have the end of a bench "accessible" so I can hang things over it or work from the end. But you do have other working surfaces (oooh, luxury), so that may not be such an issue here?

I think I'd end up just staring at the view as well .

Boz


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## Henning

Is the planer and the thicknesser the same height, then? 

If not, maybe some way to move that would be nice as well?


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## BMac

Mekkemikkel,

I don't often call my wife over to look at a workshop but I thought she might like the views from yours. She did... and said she wants to go and live in it but I said 'No' because I would miss her and get lonely.

(Well, it's really because she tells me off for NOT buying machines so I think she's worth keeping)

Brendan


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## Jervisekken

A nice place you've got there, Mikkel.
If I read correctly you have a sink there, and I'm wondering why the sharpening station is not close to it. At least if you hone on waterstones that makes sense.
I posted a similar question some time ago and got two very useful pieces of advice: 1) place the machine producing most shavings closest to the dust collector, 2) think work-flow. I work almost exclusively with solid wood so my flow for stock preparation is SCMS-bandsaw-planer-thicknesser, so I want those three machines close together, and close to the wood storage. I see you have sheet goods storage in there, so probably your needs are different.

A grinder close to the lathe makes very good sense.


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## Krysstel

IMO the sharpening station is fine where it is right in front of the window so you can look at the view whilst you feed tools in and out of the Worksharp which is best kept as far away from water as possible anyway.    

If you put the router table on wheels and make it the same height as the assembly table it'll be useful if you need to route long items and could also act as an extra outfeed table for the TS when handling wide panels. Having the router in the corner will probably be a bit restrictive.
The same is probably also the case with the bandsaw (although I don't have one myself so I'm not really qualified to comment). More space on either side is probably a good idea if you're going to be doing any resawing.
How about permanently placing the router table on wheels at the end of the assembly table and then scrapping the MDF/ply cart and spreading the planer, thicknesser and bandsaw along that wall ? You'd then achieve the work-flow arrangement Geir was looking for and I'm sure there's space in the loft for ply and MDF :wink: 
And I think I'd swap the lathe and the Worksharp station so you get most natural light over the lathe.

Mark


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## devonwoody

I think you need a bandsaw table higher than normal working surfaces you need to eyeball the blade more with a bandsaw.


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## Alex

Wow thats a gorgeous work space!  

1st The downstair extractor idea is going to pull all your heat out the shop unless you exhaust it back into the workshop. And worse it'll pull cold air into the shop. The exhaust is going to have to be well filtered air. 
2nd What about a wood burner, otherwise heatings going to cost..  
3rd I would defiantly try fit a tiny toilet cube in there. Running back and forth to the house can be a real pain, when it's really cold. 
4th Your setup looks good for starters. Once you've done a few projects you'll probably find out what works for you.


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## Mekkemikkel

Andy, I agree Hardanger is a beautiful place! I'm actually living a bit further north, but the fjords are almost the same. 

Boz, I've been wondering if I'm ever going to miss an end vise on this bench, or if the front vise and a few Wonder Dogs will do? 

Henning, in my head the router table and the planer beds are level, and the thicknesser is actually so low that it's going under the tables. Not sure if that works in real life though... 

Brendan, I'm sure many of us envy you – for having such a wife, but I'm afraid the room is already booked! My dad wants it as his retirement home! At least he has his own key to the shop so he can play with my toys whenever he wants. I've learned a lot borrowing his tools in my childhood, and now it's his turn to borrow mine! 

Geir, I've planned a sink with the entrance, but I'm afraid the use for that will be mainly cleaning flower pots and corresponding items. Have to take account for some of my lovely wife's needs too! 
The dust collector will stand in the corner under the entrance, so the shortest runs will be to the PT and TS. 

Mark, I don't want to have the router table in conjunction with the tablesaw, because I don't want have to remove the router fence and lower the bit to use the tablesaw. However - I think it's a good idea to build the router table and assembly table at same height for use as an outfeed table. 
Doing something with the sheet-storage will save me a lot of wallspace, and I think I will turn it around and store the sheets standing on the short edge. Moving large and heavy MDFs to the loft will be a much too dangerous sport for me, and I think I'll only keep storing and drying real wood up there. 







Alex, I've been thinking about the extractor and plan to lead the exhaust through filters up to the shop. Maybe leading it all the way up to the loft and use it to circulate the air around the fresh wood to get rid of the moist. 
A wood burner would be nice, but the installation costs will be so high that it will take many years to defend it in relation to electricity. 

Thank you all for the feedbacks, and here is a new layout based on new ideas from you guys!


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## Boz62

Mekkemikkel":t23wz07b said:


> Boz, I've been wondering if I'm ever going to miss an end vise on this bench, or if the front vise and a few Wonder Dogs will do?


Mid-build, I'm getting on with a Wonder Dog really well and don't miss an end vice at all. 

It may be because I can, but I still find myself standing at the front vice end of the bench, looking along the bench, to do some work. Like drilling into the end of legs or long stringers? I suppose it comes down to a compromise between bench length and area against access. It depends what suits your style of work.

Like the loft space!

Boz


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## Henning

Looking very good now, Mekkemikkel! 

And i have to say... What fantastic woods in storage :shock:  

Anything special planned with it?


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## Krysstel

Looks like a better layout now - go for it !!

With the router table on wheels and built to the same height as the TS and assembly table then you can wheel it across to the TS and use it as an extra outfeed table if necessary with whole sheets.

Alex - why would he need a toilet when he's got 2 sinks ?


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## Mike.C

Mekkemikkel great workshop and I am sure you will get some fantastic inspiration with those brilliant views.

Your a very lucky man :wink: 

Cheers

Mike


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## Krysstel

TheTiddles":3n9ttob7 said:


> That is a stunningly beautiful place to live, does everyone in Norway live like that?
> 
> Aidan



No.
I don't !  

Mark


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## Mekkemikkel

Henning":2f2gpkut said:


> Looking very good now, Mekkemikkel!
> 
> And i have to say... What fantastic woods in storage :shock:
> 
> Anything special planned with it?


 
No plan for the wood yet, but I'm grabbing every nice tree that I can get may hands and chainsaw in.. 

Maybe birch aprons for the bench, though, but must invest in a good and cheap PT first.... :?


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## Mekkemikkel

Krysstel":2lb4526c said:


> Alex - why would he need a toilet when he's got 2 sinks ?


Mark!!! Did you_ have_ to tell the rest of the world about our cheap toilet habits? :shock: 



Krysstel":2lb4526c said:


> No.
> I don't !
> 
> Mark


Don't cry! You can always run from the big city and spend your summer holyday up her with the fjords you know! 

:lol:


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## Mekkemikkel

Just a quick update to night. 

Saturday I eventually could get started on my bench! :lol: 

Spent the day make all the 2x4" parts for the legs, so they are ready for assembly with the ply.


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## Henning

Somebody's been rather busy with the saw :-D 

Looking very good!


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## Krysstel

What are those I see lerking on the window sill ?
Hand planes :shock: 
Be careful now  

Mark


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## Jervisekken

Ohhh, yes, be very careful with hand planes. They are dangerously addictive. It's very easy to become used to no noise and no dust, and then go out and buy another, and another. You start with Stanleys, but once they're tuned and you're hooked, you want something stronger. Believe me, it won't end until you've got Lie-Nielsens #'s 1 to 8, +++.


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## Krysstel

Another solution he could use to avoid addiction is to just stop using the ones on the window sill  

Mark


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## Mekkemikkel

I'm really afraid that i'll be addicted when I can use my cheapie planes on a bench thats not jumping over the floor while I'm trying to beat them thru pine....


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## Mekkemikkel

After a coat of blue, it's finally beginning to look like something permanent in my shop! 

Started the assembly by cutting all the ply sides for the legs.






And then I made a «jig» on my old bench for getting all the legs exactly the same. Fitted the ply with Titebond and some screws. 












Then just started in a corner tonight, and this i so far i came:


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## Krysstel

Looking god 8) 
And nice to see "my" design in another colour :wink: 
How did you attach the front and back top rails, it's difficult to see in the pictures.
And how's the vise mounted ?
Are you planning drawers under the vise and cupboard doors on the rest (like mine  ) ?

Mark


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## Henning

Looking very good, Mekkemikkel! 

Nice blue as well :-D


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## Mekkemikkel

Henning":3jwwt77x said:


> Looking very good, Mekkemikkel!
> 
> Nice blue as well :-D



Somebody not knowing me might from the look of our house, cars and the bench belive that blue is one of my favorites..... :wink:


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## dedee

Bench is coming along nicely. How about some more gratuitous shots of the view from the workshop window, please?

Cheers

Andy


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## Mekkemikkel

Krysstel":2px0rxj5 said:


> Looking god 8)
> And nice to see "my" design in another colour :wink:
> How did you attach the front and back top rails, it's difficult to see in the pictures.
> And how's the vise mounted ?
> Are you planning drawers under the vise and cupboard doors on the rest (like mine  ) ?
> 
> Mark


 
I did the front top rail the easy way, and drilled some pocket holes in each end. 








The back rail is just screwed through the ply and into the legs with 6x120mm woodscrews. 






And the vise will be bolted in a 2*6 which I screwed on to the bench with 6*160mm screws. The front vise bolts will come through the front 2*2 rail.


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## Mekkemikkel

dedee":naovb6dr said:


> Bench is coming along nicely. How about some more gratuitous shots of the view from the workshop window, please?
> 
> Cheers
> 
> Andy


 
Oh... you know i don't like to brag about it!  








.... or.... yes.... I love to!!! :lol: 













And this is the view from our livingroom this summer: 8)


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## Mekkemikkel

And then an update on the bench;

I have to get the pipes for dust collection in place before the construction gets too rigid.

Spent some time building a simple floor sweeper and started the piping. Have to wait for some more pipes which I ordered, and the adjustable feets from Axminster.


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## Krysstel

Love that floor sweep ! Is the front hinged ?
What's the pipe sticking through the front rail for :? ?

And all right, the view from the living rom window's not bad either :shock: :evil: :lol:

Mark


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## Mekkemikkel

Mark, yes the front is "hinged" with a screw in each side:






And the pipe through the front rail is for connecting the hose from power tools.... :wink:


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## Henning

i better not show that view from the living room to the LOML... :shock: 
That would probably see me out moving before short.

Nice work, Mekkemikkel! Ingenious solution to dust on the floor. I like it very much! 

And all coming along very nicely. Not the least bit jealous. Not at all... :roll:


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## dedee

Yep, that floor sweep is a new one on me. Nice idea. We don't often see painted benches around here but I like the idea/

As for the view, I will have to console myself that the weather is not always like that.

Cheers

Andy


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## Mekkemikkel

dedee":gfirgmd7 said:


> ...
> 
> As for the view, I will have to console myself that the weather is not always like that.
> 
> Cheers
> Andy


 
I'm afraid you're right about that... this is the actual view from this Saturday: 







Well, back to the bench. Finished the assembly of all the legs to the left for the SCMS, and fitted the vise, adjustable levellers for Axminster, and some more drawer runners. 

Also added two electrical outlets on the front rail, to avoid having cords for power tools across the bench top.


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## Henning

Coming along very nicely! 
Nice touch on the electrical outlets as well. I'm taking notes here :-D


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## Boothie14

I would be careful about leaving your planes by the window-I did similar and then on a rainy day it leaked,and I had a nice coating of rust


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## Krysstel

Looking good E.
You may want to look closely at how you make the top drawer under the vise. I didn't and the vise handle is a real nuisance and gets in the way every time I want to open the drawer :x 
Good idea with the electrical sockets but with the danger of dust ingress I wonder if it would be better if you used the ones with flaps ?
Did you find the screws supplied with the Axminster feet to be ridiculously small ? I dumped them and used my own much bigger ones.

Mark


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## Mekkemikkel

And then it's time for an update of the last weeks effort in the shop: 

I'm done constructing the leg-assembly 







The internal "box" for the downdraft table is in place








with a homemade blastgate 













an outlet for compressed air








and power and hose connection for the sander:








And with the first sheet of MDF cut into shape, I can see the beginning of an new era in my shop!


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## Boz62

That's excellent. Fast work as well 

Boz


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## Henning

Very nice! I especially like all the extra's like airoutlet etc. 

Great work!


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## jlawrence

What are the levelling feet like ??
We spend ages (and reasonable amounts of money) ensuring that the frames we make are solid and with as little movement as possible, it seems wrong to them put small adjustable feet on the legs.

I think the view from the window is fantastic - regardless of the weather.

I like the idea of the downdraft table bit - how are you generating the actual downdraft ?


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## Mekkemikkel

I find the feets from Axminster very sturdy, and they are rated to hold 270kg each. I've got 22 of those.... 

http://www.axminster.co.uk/sessionID/QG ... 362777.htm 

I was wondering about how to screw them to the legs to stop any vertical movement, but when the levellers arrived I could see the little angle on the steel going under the leg. It shows on this photo: 






I don't see any other way being able to adjust the legs later, if the floor should sag when I load it up with cast iron.. :wink: 



Downdraft, I just have to get someone to suck at the other end of the pipe.... 

...or connect it to the dust extractor in the garage...


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## jlawrence

The only way I've ever adjusted legs is with wedges.


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## Mekkemikkel

Another update from Norway; 

The bench tops, made of two layers of 19mm MDF, are now glued and screwed together. 260 screws! 








Then I made the SCMS-table with dust extraction and blast gate, just like the one in the downdraft box. 







The top to the right of the SCMS, got 156 holes in the downdraft area. 156 10mm holes give about the same area as the 125mm pipe, so I thought that would be ideal to keep the airflow to a maximum. 







And then I applied the first coat of oil on both sides of the tops.


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## Henning

This is very quickly turning into a workbench of dreams, Mekkemikkel! 

Nicely executed this far, i'm following this thread very closely and taking notes :-D


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## Mekkemikkel

Thanks Henning! 

I'm going in to bit of a delay now... I'm planning birch aprons, and to make those I need my new PT. 
Axminster tells me now that it probably won't be delivered to me until late January!


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## Ironballs

Coming along well and it looks like you have a bit of snow there too


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## jlawrence

I'd be interested to know how well the dust extraction for the scms works.
I'm not that impressed with my extraction (on the DW707) but it's still better than nowt.


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## Henning

Mekkemikkel":25ef4uug said:


> Thanks Henning!
> 
> I'm going in to bit of a delay now... I'm planning birch aprons, and to make those I need my new PT.
> Axminster tells me now that it probably won't be delivered to me until late January!



ouch! Bad luck, mate! I have an Axminster order to pick up tomorrow :-D 
But that was probably not what you needed to hear maybe? 

Hope it arrives quickly!


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## Mekkemikkel

jlawrence":2uhio8hf said:


> I'd be interested to know how well the dust extraction for the scms works.
> I'm not that impressed with my extraction (on the DW707) but it's still better than nowt.



Me too!  

The black plastic thing on mine don't do anything impressing either, so I'm thinking about removing it, and just let the dust fly against the wall and in to the airflow.

Maybe I'll build some kind of box around the back of the scms... :? 


And to Henning: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :wink:


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## Henning

Mekkemikkel":1nua8azj said:


> And to Henning: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :wink:



What? Me? :duno: (Ah, where's the innocent angel smilie when you need it? ;-) ) 

I haven't come across a SCMS with good dust extraction yet. Seen some of the 'Muricans use a sort of large box with integrated extraction, though, which seems sensible. 
I have double extraction on my Makita flipsaw (Regular and below table), and it still throws dust around.


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## Mekkemikkel

I've been slow with the updates, time is flying before the big holiday! 

I decided to try tidying up a bit, waiting for my new PT, and REALLY tired working with all the mess in the shop. 

So, to get the mess away from the floor, I need shelves... and to have shelves I need a wall to put them on... 











With the wall in place, I finally got the permanent electrical installation finished. 






And then a simple storage solution replacing my wheeled sheet-rack, which saved me a lot of floor and wall space! 






I'm starting to see some of my floor now!! 






I have started building the wood-rack, but it will not be finished this year - I think.


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## Mekkemikkel

Happy new year!  

Just a quick update on the progress in my shop from 28.10.2009: 






to 02.01.2010: 











A couple more days tidying the place, and then I can actually begin to make something in there!


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## Henning

It's really starting to look excellent! 

WHAT a place it will be! 

Nice to see you've gotten the woodrack finished too. I have a feeling that might have helped clear a little floorspace


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## flying haggis

Hi Mekkemikkel
As we here in the UK are suffering ! with a couple of inches of snow in places I was wondering what your location looks like at this time of year.

The pics from your windows are stunning so can be cheeky and ask on behalf of the other members on here what it looks like at this time of year 

Thanks


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## Mekkemikkel

Well.. here is some shots of the shop entrance and my view about 5 minutes ago..


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## rileytoolworks

Wow. This country would be utterly cabbage with that snow. We (as a nation) don't seem to be able to cope with an inch of snow...


Adam.


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## jedmc571

How ironic that you should make that comment Adam......I'm snowed in this morning............In Chester :lol: 

We're doomed when we get anything more than in inch of snow.


Mekkemikkel, 

Your shop is fantastic, I'm watching this one with great interest :wink: I love the built in extraction on the bench.

Cheers

Jed


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## flying haggis

Mekkemikkel":wjwron6q said:


> Well.. here is some shots of the shop entrance and my view about 5 minutes ago..




Thanks for the pics, as Riley said in his post an inch of snow knackers britain


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## Mekkemikkel

Hello everybody! 

It is time to wake up from hibernation and show what I've done in the «den» since Christmas. 

The project with the bench halted due to delivery problems with my new toy. But after a few weeks wait it finally arrived: 

















First thing I put through the JET was som birch for the aprons around the MDF top. 







First attempt at hand made dovetails on the apron corners. 












And then I made some simple doors for the cupboards. Painted MDF frames with ply panels. 












Next up I fixed an Health and safety issue by making an crown guard for my table saw






















The latest thing I've been working on is the dust collection. This week I could finally move the dust collector down to the garage. I bulit a very temporary drop-box, and am thinking about building a cyclone at some time in the future...


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## Chems

Wow your workshop is really coming along! Looks great.


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## Henning

This seems to quickly become the workshop of dreams! 

Good work there, mate!


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## Ironballs

If those are your first attempts at hand cut dovetails then I may have to shoot you  

Great work mate, you're going to have a cracking shop there


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## Mike H

This is going to be a cracking good place in which to tackle wood!

However, I don't know what you have in your tea in Norway, but if these are first dovetails, then maybe I am the Bishop of Cork after all! 

I cut my fist dovetail in 1961, it took me quite a while to get large dovetails cut by hand to look this good! Maybe I should have taken up knitting instead!

All the best

Mike

8)


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## Mekkemikkel

To stop the shooting of me and the Bishop :shock: I have to confess! 

This is my first attempt on dovetails, and the aprons the second - or even fifth, it you count all the corners on the little box!


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## Oryxdesign

Mind you don't get any volcanic ash in your Jet.


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## Mike H

Thats more like it! Keep at it! Nice early honest attempts.

Mike

8) 

PS there is of course no Bishop of Cork that I know of!


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## Sheik Hans

Mike H http://www.corkandross.org/html/diocese ... uckley.jsp
Dunno if he does dovetails but he has a Mitre (i'll fetch my coat)
Not that i'm a pedant or anything or catholic for that matter 


Love the workshop Mekklemickle you have given me some great ideas for my first purpose made workshop in progress . Love the scenery as well but you can keep the snow .


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## Acanthus

What a stunning design and build Mekkemikkel, many congratulations; not that I am jealous about the space you have, nor the views, no not at all. 
Could you give us a list of the major bits of kit that you have got in your wonderland please? 
And what do you plan to do with your finishing room? anything special to control dust and humidity - that is over and above your built in dust extraction system.

Cheers 
David


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## Orcamesh

Fabulous workshop Mekkemikkel, it makes mine look like a rabbit hutch! Fantastic amount of space you have there and of course beautiful views. Is this your job or is it a hobby, I suspect it is your job as it seems pretty major investment for a hobbyist! But you never know... :shock:


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## Mekkemikkel

Hawk Moth":1zkuzkb4 said:


> Is this your job or is it a hobby, I suspect it is your job as it seems pretty major investment for a hobbyist! But you never know... :shock:


 
It's built as an hobby-project, but the last year a lot has changed in my life and at the moment, as a few others in here, I wonder if I'll try to turn my hobby into a job - or not. 


Project at the moment; firetruck-bed for my 5 year old son! Maybe I'll make a WIP, if there is any interest for a dusty MDF-project


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## Acanthus

Hi Mekkemikkel, yes there would indeed be considerable interest in watching you build the bus, Lots of pictures please, and could we have a pic of the view from your windows now and again please. 

David


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## Chems

Thats not a bus, thats a super fire engine!

I'd love to see it too!


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## Mekkemikkel

That's right Chems! Might look like an double london-bus, but my son would kill if I told him! Fireman Sam is his HERO!  

I'll start a new WIP under "Projects" for this. 


An then a few new pictures for Acantus: 8) 






I DO hate those power lines! :evil:


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## Mekkemikkel

Acanthus":18d0alzk said:


> Could you give us a list of the major bits of kit that you have got in your wonderland please?
> And what do you plan to do with your finishing room? anything special to control dust and humidity - that is over and above your built in dust extraction system.
> 
> Cheers
> David


 

I really don't have much more than shown i this WIP, the JET 260 PT, an old Luna L18 tablesaw made in 1984, a metabo SCMS and a homemade simple routertable. 

The Luna will however be replaced in about 3 weeks, with this; 





And I'm just about to place an order for this: 






Next job after my vacation is to make about 80meters of fence, with 500 stiles of 16mm stainless steel tube - thereby 1000 16mm holes... 


In the finishing room i have two fans, one blowing fresh air in from the ceiling, and one sucking out fumes at floor level. 
I do got a professional Paint Stop-filter in front of the fan, but to much paint goes trough, and clogs the exhaust fan! Need some more thinking an reading to get that sorted. :duno:


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## mike-reid

I have stumbled on to this thread and like so many others have said, im not jealous....
fantastic workspace that, i know a cabinet maker who has worse dust extrcation thatn that and he is in there everyday allday.

id be majorly proud of a place like that, especially since you have done it all on your own!


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## Solidmind

Amazing, great workshop and the view is nothing more than breathtaking!


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## Acanthus

I think that we should take a vote: either that is a double decker London bus or a Norwegian fire engine. 

My money is on the London Bus. How is the build going? 

David


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## Krysstel

I know for a fact that the bed is to have a Fireman Sam duvet cover on it so my vote's on the fire engine although I agree on the similarity to a London bus  

Mark


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## Mekkemikkel

I believe that no London bus has got blue flashing lights on the roof, so hopefully it will look less like a bus when it's done!  

Finally back from holyday, and there - waiting in the garage - I found this. I can't understand how I managed without one!


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## Noel

Engie Benjy, excellent thread so far and I must congratulate you on a fine workshop.
You and your compatriots use excellent English too, well done.


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## Krysstel

Krysstel's not Norwegian :wink: 

Mark


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## Noel

Krysstel":3snsfkrv said:


> Krysstel's not Norwegian :wink:
> 
> Mark




Oh dear, you're not English are you Mark?


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## Mekkemikkel

I would say that he used to be English, but he probably would not speek to me again if i did.... :lol:


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## Krysstel

Noel":32y7jesf said:


> Krysstel":32y7jesf said:
> 
> 
> 
> Krysstel's not Norwegian :wink:
> 
> Mark
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Oh dear, you're not English are you Mark?
Click to expand...


Pinner, Middx :wink:


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## Noel

Krysstel":x2ufnvw2 said:


> Noel":x2ufnvw2 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Krysstel":x2ufnvw2 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Krysstel's not Norwegian :wink:
> 
> Mark
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Oh dear, you're not English are you Mark?
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> Pinner, Middx :wink:
Click to expand...


We all have crosses to bear...

I've only ever met 2 Norwegians that I can recall, Henning and Petter Solberg, nice guys.


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## Mekkemikkel

Noel":k55ybbl3 said:


> I've only ever met 2 Norwegians that I can recall, Henning and Petter Solberg, nice guys.


No wonder you are impressed by our English... TopGear was in Norway and Henning Solberg attended the show as a driver. James May said something like "luckily he's better at driving than speaking English".... :lol:


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## Mekkemikkel

In my fire engine thread Dibs-h asked about my paint room, but I thought I should reply in this thread instead: 




Dibs-h":w74khikc said:


> Your paint room - what's the set up in terms of extraction\filters\etc.? There looks to be extraction at the top?
> 
> Cheers
> 
> Dibs


 
In the ceiling i got a fan that blows fresh air in to the room, through filters to remove any dust. The filters are actually bags for vacuum cleaners! 







Under the bench I got two fans that sucks the overspray out through paint-stop filters that i bought from a professional filter supplier: 






The filters stops most of the paint, but some goes through, enough that the fans gets clogged by paint, and the wall outside changes color every time I paint something new... 
















Does anybody got any tips about how I can stop the rest of that overspray to reach the fans?? :duno:


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## Acanthus

Interesting question. 
What do you think of the idea of re-thinking the operation, and rather than sucking air out through the pumps, you re-figure them so that they are blowing air in. Yes I know that they would have to be moved. You would have to ensure that the room is virtually air tight to maintain the positive pressure, and you could then use a simple cloth filter to trap the gunge from the paint laden air as it is pushed out through a vent. That way your air pumps would not have any contact with the paint at all. 

It is what they do in the operating theatres in our local hospital, maintain a positive pressure in the room, and the stale/contaminated air with the exhaled anaesthetic is pushed out. 

Hope that is some help 

David 
ps loved the bed, but I still have doubts: putting blue lights on a bus never fooled anyone ........


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## Mekkemikkel

Hello everybody!

It’s been a really long time since my last update, sorry!

The reason for this is that I’ve been working with turning my hobby in to a business! 
I did get the opportunity to make a living out of my workshop and skills, and just had to jump!

I’m already beginning to get some work from other than my relatives - whom has been my reliable “customers” until now - both real woodwork like a large diningtable in oak which I'm working on at the moment, and other work like fitting kitchens.

You are all welcome to visit my business website http://www.treogsant.no but I'm sorry to say the language is only in Norwegian. The company name “Tre&sånt” translates to “wood&stuff”, or something like that 

In the workshop, my old Luna tablesaw has been replaced by a used Metabo PFK 255 with sliding table, which I bought really cheap. The included fence was real rubbish, so I fitted a Delta-fence imported from US, and I’ve also built exstending tables to it. Now it works like a dream, and I just love the sliding table!

















Another update in the workshop is that I built a cyclone for my dust extraction. I used Bill Pentz' plans, and the fan from my old bag-extractor. The cyclone works, and have improved the dust collection, and it has also removed all the problems I had with clogging in the pipes. The only thing I have to do, is to upgrade my filters. I lead the exhaust air back in to the workshop to keep the warm air inside, so I need the air as clean as possible.
















I have not had the time to do any more with my problems with the venting of the paint-room, but Acanthus' suggestion seems like something I have to take a look at as soon as possible.


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## Solidmind

Looks FANTASTIC and the best of luck on your new fulltime job ;-)

What material did you use for the cyclone?


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## Mekkemikkel

Thank you, Solidmind 

I built the cyclone of a sheet of 1,5mm aluminium. It was an old sign i had lying around.

I might do a WIP of the build if there is any interest..?


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## goldeneyedmonkey

Workshop's looking good  And good luck with the new business, I'll be doing the same soon after I've set up my workshop.

Here's your site translated via Google Translate, in case anyone doesn't know how to do it.

Cheers _Dan.


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## Mekkemikkel

goldeneyedmonkey":2d71ll47 said:


> Here's your site translated via Google Translate, in case anyone doesn't know how to do it.
> Cheers _Dan.


Google's translation gets the meaning of most of it, but I'm not too impressed of the translation of my company name :shock: ! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## goldeneyedmonkey

Mekkemikkel":1az87jua said:


> goldeneyedmonkey":1az87jua said:
> 
> 
> 
> Here's your site translated via Google Translate, in case anyone doesn't know how to do it.
> Cheers _Dan.
> 
> 
> 
> Google's translation gets the meaning of most of it, but I'm not too impressed of the translation of my company name :shock: ! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
Click to expand...


I hadn't noticed that!   

_Dan.


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## Henning

Congrats on your new business mate! 

I so wish i could do the same! 

Best of luck to you and nice additions to the workshop!


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## Mekkemikkel

Thanks Henning! I just had to give it a go, as I got the opportunity! 

Today I've delivered the dining room table that I worked with, to a very satisfied customer


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## Solidmind

Is that oak? What are the dimensions (WxL). The top looks kinda thin or maybe it´s the angle of the photo that gives the illusion...

Very nice job M ( Meget slikt - heter det så? Nej, Kempe flot heter det väl?)


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## JanneKi

> Does anybody got any tips about how I can stop the rest of that overspray to reach the fans??

I think you need to have multiple stage separation for the paint spray. I recently built a (barely) mobile spray booth and managed to get 0 outflow (or at least I have not found any yet) of paint. 

Stage 1 - disposable spray booth filter made from cardboard, similar to this: 
http://www.itwifeuro.com/Products/index ... cordID=113

Stage 2 - now you can use this filter you're currently using, to further reduce spray leakage

That's the 2 official rounds I have. I was, hover using my chip collector (4kw) as the blower, so behind it is also then 2 cloth bags for the chips, so those further decreases the escape of paint. 

I imagine one could also make a "paint trap" for the last rounds of air outlet, i.e. make a like a box which would have walls covered for example with egg-shaped foam or cloth that would then catch the spray. The very simple "ASCII" graphic below should illustrate the idea...

________________
I I
_____I_____I_____


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## sometimewoodworker

Mekkemikkel":299t6a36 said:


> Thank you, Solidmind
> 
> I built the cyclone of a sheet of 1,5mm aluminium. It was an old sign i had lying around.
> 
> I might do a WIP of the build if there is any interest..?


I, for one, would be very interested.

I am using a small cyclone with a small bucket and it works a treat. But when I tried to build a bigger bin for the dust to drop into it went from 98% in the bin to 50% si I need to do something about that.

I will also soon build a bigger workshop and a big cyclone is something I need but it is difficult to get to Thailand


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## JanneKi

Count me in also for the Work In Progress pictures for the cyclone. I've been planning to make one as well..


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## kenny28

Hei Mekkemikkel, jeg får ikke opp alle bildene i tråden. Jeg skal bygge en liknende arbeidsbenk selv og ser fpr meg at jeg vil bygge en noenlunde lik din


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## whiskywill

kenny28":1y70fcqm said:


> Hei Mekkemikkel, jeg får ikke opp alle bildene i tråden. Jeg skal bygge en liknende arbeidsbenk selv og ser fpr meg at jeg vil bygge en noenlunde lik din



I'll second that.


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