Shop Tour: Ben Strano’s dream shop

We’ve been in our home for a bit of over 4 years now. My shop has been in a workable state for a couple of yr and a half. In that transient time, I believe I’ve modified the structure of all of my instruments at the least 3 times, the newest of which was about six weeks in the past. Based on my present work and tooling, I believe I’ve stumbled upon what I contemplate my best working setup.

The constructing

My shop is a stand-alone constructing that at one level may need been capable of home three very small automobiles, or presumably farm gear. Given that the home dates again to the 18th century, something is feasible. I don’t have the proof to show my idea, however wanting on the framing, I’m fairly certain this constructing has been rebuilt a number of occasions–every time including peak or width. I didn’t need my garden tractor, snowblower, tenting gear, bicycles, and random junk storage encroaching on my shop, so I walled off one bay to dedicate as a storage space. Yes, I misplaced a 3rd of the doable working space, however these aforementioned objects aren’t in my shop, bothering me and ready to be tripped over.

Let’s flip this card over and take a look at the stats!

Ben Strano’s shop:

Dimensions: 270 sq. ft. of working house (18×15) plus 72 sq. ft. of storage space
Year constructed: ?
Year changed into a woodshop: Early 2019
Power: 100-amp service
Insulation: Yes, as a lot as I may afford
HVAC: Wall unit AC and house heaters. More warmth coming quickly… I hope.
Sound system: (2) JBL4328 powered studio screens… ’trigger I don’t fiddle.

Overview

I had two predominant targets when organising my shop.

1) I needed an environment friendly place to work. I don’t like transferring instruments round. I like to go away issues arrange and able to go as a lot as doable so I wanted a structure that allowed me to simply use the instruments I take advantage of essentially the most.

2) I needed to be impressed after I walked in into my shop, and I needed it to be a pleasing place to spend many hours. I additionally needed my shop to replicate my persona and aesthetic. While it’s always evolving and being added to, I’m happy with the bones. It took much more money and time to place up shiplap pine and painted plywood, but it surely was value it to me and my household.

Bench Area

I’ve two workbenches, neither of which is something to jot down residence about. I’ve a small and flimsy bench that pulls double responsibility as each a workbench and an outfeed desk for my tablesaw, and a bench constructed into the wall beneath my window. This second bench is way larger than most, making it a greater peak for carving—which I’m prone to spend hours doing versus planing, which is minutes.

I don’t have a instrument chest or cupboard. All of my hand instruments are out, prepared to make use of. I attempt to be minimalist about my instruments. Yes, I get pleasure from amassing and utilizing good instruments, but when I discover myself with a instrument I by no means use, will probably be offered or donated rapidly.

Machine “Cluster”

Like I stated earlier, I prefer to have my instruments out and able to use. Of all of my machines, the one one which will get put away is my planer. Some of my equipment is perhaps acquainted to readers. My Delta Unisaw and lathe used to reside in Mike Pekovich’s shop and the Powermatic PM60 is from the outdated FWW shop. Unfortunately I don’t have strong mud assortment but and it’s confirmed to be the true weak spot of my setup. Since my Grizzly 14-in. bandsaw is by far my most used machine, I’ve a small mud collector connected to it on an automated change. I want to determine some mud assortment for my tablesaw. While I don’t use it fairly often, after I do I’m instantly reminded how a lot tremendous mud it might throw into the air.

“High Tech” Area

Tucked away within the storage space of the shop–the place the ceiling is just too low to stroll– is my duo of robotic underlords, a small Shapeoko 2 CNC machine and a Creality Ender 3 Pro 3d printer. My lightbulb kiln is tucked away within the nook throughout from my normal instrument storage–screwdrivers, socket set and many pliers which I nonetheless haven’t discovered a passable approach of maintaining on the prepared.

Storage

This space could be acquainted to anybody who watched my video, Organize your {hardware}, set up your shop. This part of my shop nonetheless makes me smile each time I am going over to it. Having every part organized and so as is only a pleasure for me. Just final night time, I wanted to seek out my stash of glue syringes. I hadn’t used them in over a yr and didn’t bear in mind the place they have been. I ended for a second and stated to myself “where would you put them right now?” There they have been within the “Glue up stuff” drawer. The little issues like that make this shop a pleasure to work in, even now that each one of us at Fine Woodworking are working remotely and I’m in right here on a pc from 9-5.