It's about time I did a refit..

[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]

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]

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.