What did you do today

[tony.latham]

Cool! Looks like a flint lock?

Yep. I've hunted a lot with caplocks, but this will be my first flinter.

Tony

[Tom&Shelly]

Cool! Looks like a flint lock?

Yep. I've hunted a lot with caplocks, but this will be my first flinter.

Tony

Nice!

[Tom&Shelly]

I spent the morning before the big meal replacing the foot rest on the Monkey Wards workbench with a shelf made of scrap 3/4" plywood left over from the teardrop build



We had a lot of wood left over, which is why we still have some, but the grain goes the wrong way. I reinforced it with some scrap two-by, and now you could sit on it (if you are short enough) and it won't bend!

Decided that's the new home for tools that came with their own luggage



You pay a few hundred for the Samsonite and they throw in the tool for free!

Tom

[Tom&Shelly]

Today I found a spot for the shop vac that'll take care of the miniature area of the shop



I call him Qbert, because, if you had a shop vac that looked like that, wouldn't you?

His trunk is sticking out!



Didn't have a spring clip the right size, until I did some convincing and made it fit! Should work fine until I forget and open the garage door.

Tom

[Tom&Shelly]

We have several of these blue Akron Mills parts drawers, and between them, there are about ten missing or cracked bins. So Shelly designed and printed some with her new 3D printer



A few minor differences: The pulls are easier to print and sturdier than the originals, there are no slides for dividers since we don't need them, and she used black plastic since she has a lot more of that than clear and we seldom look in the fronts of the drawers to see what's in them, especially since I have ugly masking tape all over the front.

Tom

[Tom&Shelly]

Shelly also made new throat plates for the band saw and scroll saw



Grizzly wants $9 a piece for the band saw plate. Shelly found it on Thingaverse. She had to design the one for the Ryobi scroll saw. Needs a little tweeking, but it works great! She plans to put the final version on Thingaverse if anyone needs it.

Tom

[TimC]

Shelly also made new throat plates for the band saw and scroll saw...

Tom

I'm really enjoying the shop upgrade posts Tom and Shelly. So much so that after years of working in my 13' x 20' basement woodshop I have committed to building my dream garage/workshop. The plan is, subject to many changes, a 24x28 building, 9' ceiling, insulated to home standards. I'll have 100 amp service. I'll heat with a small Masonry Rocket Mass Heater and an additional electric heat pump. I've heard that the newer heat pump tech is awesome and it shouldn't have too much trouble maintaining 40ish degrees full time in the winter (WI/MI border). The RMH will help get to comfortable temps as well.

There will be a 10' insulated garage door and one stall for Teardrop projects. The other side will have all my tools. I'm so excited. I will be able to walk around my saw and router table! And my drill press, miter saw station and planer will be able to be used without moving a half dozen things.

So far the site prep is done and the fill is settling over the winter. The contractor promised to pour the monolithic slab the first week of May. I'll believe that when I see him start forming. I've considered under floor heating and an insulated slab but for my purposes I won't be crawling around on the floor much and, my God, that concept is very pricey and from what I hear is slow to ramp up temperatures. I will insulate the perimeter and a couple feet out from there with rigid foam.

[halfdome, Danny]

You might consider using 5/8” Sheetrock as it has a good fire rating and will help keep machine noise from bothering your neighbors. I framed mine with 2 x 6 lumber and put steel reinforcement in the cement floor area by the garage door.
I built mine in 1993-1994 and have never regretted it.
Originally it was heated with a 220 volt heater but the ambient sawdust killed it.
I use a wood pellet stove for heat that works perfectly.
Have fun building your shop. Danny

[TimC]

[b][i][color=#0000FF]You might consider using 5/8” Sheetrock as it has a good fire rating and will help keep machine noise from bothering your neighbors...

The ceiling is planned with 5/8. Walls are going to be OSB. I saw a couple folks building shops that went with OSB so they weren't constantly searching for studs to hang light stuff on. Any heavy wall hanging will go to studs.

Been watching a lot of YouTube university garage/shop tutorials. Some really good ideas. The last garage I built was in 1985. It turned out well but lots of mistakes. Mistakes often led to wasted materials but many of them were not structural and could be hidden easily. I never did finish siding that one before we sold and moved to another house. For this one I'm taking my time; doing research into methods. I intend to make less mistakes!

I wasn't going to build it myself figuring my body might not handle it well. However, I've found ways to make wall lifting, truss installation and getting sheathing and shingles on the roof safer and easier. I'm pumped up! Never knew about Procter lifts and sheathing/shingles ladders. Making use of my winter down time to build those two tools to make my life easier.

My first tool build will be a nice plywood cutting table with lift assist features designed by Nick at Workshop Companion (YouTube). Then I'll tackle an off-feed table/workbench design by Matthew Peech that he calls his Transformer Bench.

[tony.latham]

I have committed to building my dream garage/workshop.

That's really cool. I spend a lotta time in my shop. The latest addition is a 47" TV, and I've always got a Netflix movie cranking or a YouTube video. Hootty hoo!!!

Tony

[Tom&Shelly]

Shelly also made new throat plates for the band saw and scroll saw...

Tom

I'm really enjoying the shop upgrade posts Tom and Shelly. So much so that after years of working in my 13' x 20' basement woodshop I have committed to building my dream garage/workshop.

Thank you Tim! Hope you post pictures/updates as your shop build comes along.

Our latest upgrade is to add some plexiglass to our garage door windows, which were single paned glass. Found a way to do it so one wouldn't even notice there are two pieces of glass under the frame, with a little gap in between so hopefully they act sort of like double glazed windows. (No pictures because it's not easy to take a good picture of a window!) A few years ago we stuck some foam in the garage doors, and I have a few other ideas that might make them a little more energy efficient. We really need it both ways: in Summer and Winter.

Tom

[TimC]

... A few years ago we stuck some foam in the garage doors, and I have a few other ideas that might make them a little more energy efficient. We really need it both ways: in Summer and Winter.

Tom

I'm contemplating some type of quilted curtain over my garage door to help with insulation. Maybe some altered moving blankets. The term "insulated garage door" isn't quite accurate in my neck of the woods. But they are certainly better than the old single layer of fiberglass.

[Tom&Shelly]

... A few years ago we stuck some foam in the garage doors, and I have a few other ideas that might make them a little more energy efficient. We really need it both ways: in Summer and Winter.

Tom

I'm contemplating some type of quilted curtain over my garage door to help with insulation. Maybe some altered moving blankets. The term "insulated garage door" isn't quite accurate in my neck of the woods. But they are certainly better than the old single layer of fiberglass.

Yes! Bruce Osborn posted some pictures of an insulated curtain they put in their van recently, and it got me thinking about something like that or moving blankets to cover the bare metal frame in the door. (Cold to the touch this time of year!)



Other ideas are to attach some scrap foam over the metal or at least add some sticky sided foam weather stripping.

Tom

[Tom&Shelly]

I decided I needed some more horizontal surfaces in the workshop to collect sawdust, so I took some scrap wood and added one under the layout table



Turns out, it's also a good place to store tools!



Tom

[MickinOz]

Me? I'm building a new grouse gun.





Tony

That is one thing I do envy about the US. If I were to be caught making a gun in my workshop, I'd be in the slammer.
I had a rush of blood the other day. I went for a ride with a mate to an out of town gun shop. Came home with a $2100 scope. 5-50 x 56 with illuminated reticule, 34mm tube, locking turrets, etc Put it on my 0.223 and shot the 500 yard Christmas competition the other day. First time at 500 yards, and sighted her in on the day, all in the bulls eye and the second ring.
On 6th January, the local bloke reopens after the holidays. He's got a 0.308 Winchester put away for me.
Special edition. Camo stock, fluted barrel, muzzle brake, all the fruit.
Was worried about the 1:12 twist rate being a little slow, but the top shooters in the club assure me that it will be fine for up to about 160 grain bullets.
I'm keeping the 0,223 for the 200 yard shoots and foxes, goats and small deer.
The 0.308 will be my camel cannon and 400 metres plus range cannon.