New member Introduction

[DIYTinkerer]

HI,

I’m Simon just taken voluntary redundancy/ early retirement after 35 years of happy employment in IT and now need to fill my days pursuing interests that I never had time for before.

I’ve always been ‘handy’, did a woodwork ‘O’ level at school and still have the teak coffee table I made when I was 15! Anyway, I’ve inherited a few tools and had a few laying around so am building up a workshop – mainly woodwork – but I also have a 3D printer, metal vice, Raspberry Pi’s and Arduinos all over the place so will probably end up with a mixed material workshop (if such a thing exists).

Woodwork as a hobby is new to me, and I’m not sure what direction it will go yet – or even what I want to make – but I know deep in my core that I need to make things - I’ve been reading posts for a while and thought I’d actually sign-up and contribute to the community. There is a lot of wisdom on this forum and I aspire to one day contribute to it.

I’ve made a few bad purchases of tools and found that actually sharpening tools make them work better, I renovated a few things including a 40 year old burgess BK3 bandsaw – which I love - I’ve also found that cupboards are a bad idea in a workshop – it’s where tools go to die – so am slowly removing them.

Anyway, that’s me.

Simon.

 

[RichardG]

Welcome Simon, I hope you enjoy your retirement. I retired nearly 3 years ago now and have never once regretted it.

Personally I think cupboards are useful, mainly because they keep things dust free, but tools that you use regularly are better off mounted on the wall. The only way I can stop my workshop becoming a tip is to have handy wall storage so when I've finished using a tool it goes back on the wall rather than left on the bench...

Don't forget to post anything you make on the "The Last Thing I Made" thread.

have fun!!

 

[MARK.B.]

Welcome,maybe it's just me but i had more free time when i was working

 

[Sachakins]

Welcome Simon.
Lots of wall storage, very little flat space for me, as it just gets cluttered.
Turning my preferred wood mangling, so only need small glue up space for blanks etc

Welcone to the mad house

 

[mikej460]

Welcome and thank goodness you've got sharpening sorted...do a search on 'recommended sharpening method' or 'chisel sharpening' etc. and after several hours of reading see if you are still sane at the end

 

[Kimbo]

Hi Simon,
Make sure you have sawdust covered, I make lots of sawdust and not much else. Unless you count shavings.
Materials storage is important, a good stove, kettle and chair are also essentials.
Your big advantage is that you will be at home with IT application to our craft. CNC routing systems and fiddly widget production on your 3D printer.
Remember you will only produce anything half decent by being relaxed, and mindful of utility/beauty.
Cupboards? I tend to use drawers made from mdf and cheap sliders. A cupboard is a shelf with a front. A drawer is a box that can be removed and taken to your bench/workstation.
Above all enjoy yourself.

 

[stuart little]

Welcome,maybe it's just me but i had more free time when i was working

Same with me!

 

[Just4Fun]

a good stove, kettle and chair are also essentials.

Do others think the same? I have none of those in my workshop. Perhaps that is where I am going wrong

 

[RichardG]

Do others think the same? I have none of those in my workshop. Perhaps that is where I am going wrong

I have a chair plus a direct line to the house kitchen where I can place my beverage order, service is a bit sloppy though, doesn't always arrive and I often have to collect myself

 

[pils]

Same with me!

Wha? hold on! you're a mouse!

 

[MARK.B.]

Kettle -Chair -TV - Stove- WiFi and Fridge ,all necessities at times when the atmosphere in the house is a little frosty

 

[Kimbo]

Do others think the same? I have none of those in my workshop. Perhaps that is where I am going wrong

I can assure you they are essential to the good order and work atmosphere in the workshop. Hell, we fought wars supported by copious amounts of tea, obtained an Empire to ensure tea supplies and need tea to lubricate our thinking muscles. If you drink tea you should be able to sit down to do it.

 

[TRITON]

did a woodwork ‘O’ level at school

Then you're probably more qualified than half the members on here ...

Only kidding guys

Welcome Simon

 

[DIYTinkerer]

Thanks for your replies, I hope to share my successes and frustrations over the coming weeks - and yes Tea is essential in my workshop - but as it is connected to the house I don't have far to go and on those really special days it just magically appears!

 

[hog&bodge]

Hi DIYTinkerer welcome, I have been on here for a bit & if I get stuck
I just do a search & most have made a post about it, if not folks around here are
always ready to step in and help.

I have a chair but never seem to get time to sit on it. Have a clock as time seems to fly
when your busy also a good radio.

 

[Stanleymonkey]

Welcome to the forum

 

[baldkev]

Hi, welcome.

Do others think the same? I have none of those in my workshop. Perhaps that is where I am going wrong

Ive got a kettle, george forman ( for steaks, bbq food, bacon and eggs etc ), a microwave, but no chairs! I also keep a few ciders in the cupboards just in case

 

[ian33a]

Welcome Simon.

I retired three years ago after most of my life being in the technology industry. A few years at the end were left of field owning a domestic repair company. So much learned in those years!

Retirement really works for us and I’ve no wish to go back to work. Time does fly. However, time stretches when you are doing stuff that you enjoy simply because you can take your time rather than trying to cram it into a weekend.

Dust extraction is massively important if you want a healthy retirement. Depending upon what tools you have and those you aspire to own, you may need low as well as high volume dust extraction and this requires space and careful planning. Plenty of reading and watching available though.

Also think very carefully about creating work space. I made my first big woodwork build an assembly MFT work bench. I learned so much and picked up some great new skills and ended up with a bench which will probably out last me.

Oh, and one thing, avoid the black and green tool brand. For many people, the moment you google Festool is the moment your bank account starts to seriously drain. I am a living example.

 

[accipiter]

Welcome Simon (@DIYTinkerer )... Not been here that long myself. Enjoy your *retirement*

 

[Allen Quay]

Hi, I recognise your username, do you have a YouTube channel? I've watched a few of your videos e.g. different workshop storage projects