Workshop Upgrades

I have added a set of cubby-holes to store my screws, nuts, bolts, earplugs, etc. And I added some dowels to hold small clamps and a strip along the bottom to hold spring clamps.

This, along with the shelves under the new assembly table, clears up vast amounts of space for storage. I've been cramped into this building for close to two years, but I always knew I could make more room by building the new table. Ironic, really, since the assembly table is the largest single item in my shop.

As shown before, the arm that holds the vacuum hose for my drill press has been moved. And I upgraded it with two new handles to make adjusting it easier. I thought about putting on the side of the press opposite the work light, but when I had it that way before I had obstacles on both sides of my work piece. This way I can simply place the flexible tube around the light so I can see clearly, and the right side of my work piece is open. Problem solved! And the arm can lift out of the way if needed.

Assembly Table: Mostly Finished

I still don't have the drawers built, and lots of tools still need to be reorganized, but here you can see the table with much of the clutter removed.

The chamfered edge has been sanded, and I'll apply a coat or two of polyurethane in the very near future. The poly will protect the surface and make everything just a bit slippery so it will be easy to move projects around as need. I could easily wax the surface if I wanted to make it slicker still, but I don't.

I have also moved the drill press arm from it's old, temporary location to this new spot, mounted high above the drill press itself. A higher mounting point means more stability as the arm will be used in a more vertical manner than before. This is how I designed it in the first place, knowing it would eventually live in this new location. the thing is mostly made of 1/2 inch plywood so it can flex a bit if needed. It works best when it doesn't have to support much of it's own weight at the same time.

Here you can see the arm from the side. It has a shoulder, elbow, wrist and hand to hold the vacuum hose in place. I used it about an hour after this photo was taken and it worked great with no adjustments during the operation. I always had to fiddle with it during use in the old location.

Now I must clean up a bit more, then start building the big star for Trevor's school group. After that I have a couple of things I need to do for my online marketing team, Design Style Guide. I'll be participating in the Easter Give-A-Way, and I think I'm going to build something specifically for that event.

When I'm done with those things I'll start building my router table. It will replace the right extension wing on my table saw. I've been itching to start this for the last few months.

Assembly Table Continues

I now have a top on the table. I used 3/4 birch plywood for the top.

The shelves are 11/64 inch plywood. The lower shelves are reenforced with 2x4 material spanning the space underneath, while the upper shelves are reenforced with 3/4 birch ply under the front and back, and from above on the sides, where the supports also serve as low sidewalls to keep things where they are intended to be kept.

I finally have a permanent home for my drill press. I'll move the support arm for the vacuum attachment in a day or two, and I'll be done with that. I'll also be routing a slight chamfer onto the edge of the table this week. The table sits at the same height as my table saw, so the chamfer will be of some benefit when I'm ripping long stock and need to use the table as outfeed support.

The first thing I'll be doing tomorrow is cleaning up and moving a few things out of my shop... like the display unit that looks like a ladder. Those weathered boards standing up on the table top are the shelves that bridge the rungs of the ladder. These pieces will have a very nice, comfortable home right next door in our cozy little storage building.

Next I'll build the drawers in the center section, but I'll have to wait a while to get started because I have a couple of other projects which must be completed first.