• Hi all and welcome to TheWoodHaven2 brought into the 21st Century, kicking and screaming! We all have Alasdair to thank for the vast bulk of the heavy lifting to get us here, no more so than me because he's taken away a huge burden of responsibility from my shoulders and brought us to this new shiny home, with all your previous content (hopefully) still intact! Please peruse and feed back. There is still plenty to do, like changing the colour scheme, adding the banner graphic, tweaking the odd setting here and there so I have added a new thread in the 'Technical Issues, Bugs and Feature Requests' forum for you to add any issues you find, any missing settings or just anything you'd like to see added/removed from the feature set that Xenforo offers. We will get to everything over the coming weeks so please be patient, but add anything at all to the thread I mention above and we promise to get to them over the next few days/weeks/months. In the meantime, please enjoy!

Small workshop

It does looks good, you wont regret taking the time to paint it now. It will be impossible when you have "moved" in.
is there any point in finessing those areas under and behind work benches etc?
 
Yes Andy I have been thinking that. At first I was not planning on painting under bench height at all but I am pleased that I did.
I am going to buy 2.5l of paint in a suitable colour and give the upper part another coat.
 
MY63":2jb9mczl said:
Thanks Malcolm you are right it feels different already I think I might add a final coat of paint with the roller. I mixed the paint by eye so it is three or four different shades so I am thinking of investing in a custom mix of grey paint from a local supplier.
I am going to start running wires today I need to work out how I am going to get the wires under the window.
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I brought my armoured cable in under then eaves to a consumer unit just inside the door, which means I can switch most circuits off as I leave the 'shop and lock it up. As the hole through the walls is underneath the eaves, it is fairly safe from weather getting in.
 
It's looking better and better, Michael. Can't wait to see your kit in there and some work happening at your bench.
 
Thanks Malcolm as far as I understand there will box a box on the outside with the cable passing through a gland which is tightened around the cable. It makes sense to tuck it under the eaves for extra protection I will do that.
My brother is a retired electrian and is telling me how to install the cables his son in law is still working as an electrician and he is going to do the connecting. I had not realised that I could save lots of cable by going all the way around in one go rather than having a cable returning to the board. So I have had to make trunking around the window. I did not want to go under the window as it would cause issues with the work bench.

2019-05-16_11-04-55 by my0771, on Flickr

I have followed the edge of the window edge trim of course it means more painting so I went to the big orange store where they had 17 different Dulux grey paints my wife helped me to choose polished pebble as the colour closest to that I had mixed.
 
I did the same and trunked over the doors in my shop.

My sparks used the box for the armoured cable where it left the house, but we routed it up the corner of the workshop to the eaves, along the eaves and the curvature of the cable just allowed us to get the cable through the wall downwards from the eaves and then it was peeled back etc inside the workshop and into the CU. Looks very neat and discrete.
 
Mike G":17yil6vu said:
It's looking better and better, Michael. Can't wait to see your kit in there and some work happening at your bench.
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Thanks Mike I have been thinking about work benches the MFT style top is going to have a torsion style box below it, mainly to catch things that fall through the holes.
The bench below will have 100mm legs with mortice and tennon supports. all other benches are going to be 100mm legs with more mortice and tenon joints.

Thanks again Malcolmyour advice has been spot on so far so I am going to ask my brother if we can end the armoured cable where it enters the house although I have lots of cable it is quite difficult to manage indoors swapping to 2.5mm twin and earth would be much easier to manage. Our house was built in the 1930s and the bricks have a black centre and are very hard a very large drill is required to drill through them. I was not looking forward to drilling a 20mm hole through them.
 
Thanks as ever Malcolm I have replied to your message.

Should I be thinking about dust extraction before I start fitting out it might be easier to add pipes now rather than later.
I should have mentioned I have two bench top sanders and a bandsaw oh and a plunge saw also used for wood and leather which is as bad as wood for breathing in.
 
I have two means of extraction. One is a huge one that gulps up the shavings from the planer and the dust from the table and band saws via a 100mm pipe.

The other is the Aldi wet/dry vac that I plug the smaller tools into when I'm using them. It automatically switches on when I switch the tool on. That one sits in and under the new bench, so it it mobile whenever I move the bench on its casters.

I would think you need to decide if you need heavy duty and medium duty extractors, and do you want to plumb the workshop or plug in when you need to.
 
I don’t think I need chip extraction mainly dust I have read enough to totally confuse myself.
I was thinking of having the bandsaw and sanding machines next to each other on castors but I am questioning this idea. The bandsaw came with a heavy metal base to keep it steady I was going to wrap it in plywood and add castors. Using french cleats to keep it in place.
 
Not a lot of progress recently after allowing the paint to dry for a few days I started putting the wiring in to the trunking.

2019-05-22_06-52-40 by my0771, on Flickr

I think I am getting pre occupied with the dust extraction malarkey I am going to make the bench for the MFT top next :D
 
Slight change of plan the wiring took a lot longer than I thought when I went out for lunch I bought a consumer unit and the bits and bobs to go with it.

2019-05-22_03-12-27 by my0771, on Flickr

Back boxes fitted cables cut and lighting cable also fitted.

I am still agonising over dust extraction it would be great to be able to use my sanders and bandsaw without making lots of dust.
 
Andyp":175i47kz said:
Malc2098":175i47kz said:
Won't be long now!
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Oh I dunno, it will take a month of Sunday's to wire up all those sockets. :)

Great stuff.
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The electrician my brother tells me 15 minutes per socket Andy I guess I might be able to help him.
When I drilled the entry hole for the armoured cable I decided to move the distribution panel to the other side of the trunking.
I bought some Wisk boxes to seal the cable entry points inside and out.

2019-05-22_07-09-03 by my0771, on Flickr
 
Electrics are done for now time to start benches.

For the MFT style top I wanted to try a torsion box type of support system the main reason being when stuff drops through the holes I wanted to be able to get to it easily.

I made a little cross cut jig to help me with the track saw.

2019-05-25_06-36-49 by my0771, on Flickr

2019-05-25_06-39-34 by my0771, on Flickr

I need to take a picture of the inside tomorrow.

My plan is to make a frame to support the box and MFT top remembering my error with the doors and mortising.

2019-03-08_01-44-54 by my0771, on Flickr

Not wanting to make a similar mistake I need to make a joint at the corner and also attach the leg which is a 100mm square post.
I was thinking of butting the two pieces together and removing material from the top of the leg to allow the rails to fit inside.
Or would it be better to mortise and tenon the rails into the sides of the leg.
Advice would be appreciated.
 
Thanks Andy total height is going to be 900mm when I have set up my temporary benches I have always defaulted to this height.
The top is only 1m long will two sets of legs be sufficient or should I add a third set of legs ?

2019-05-26_11-04-17 by my0771, on Flickr

Those of you with eagle eyes will notice one or two of the plywood pieces in the torsion box is not square I must admit I had not set up my replacement saw correctly in that I had not noticed it was set to 3 degrees rather than 0 I thought I had replaced all of them but missed one. Another lesson learned :)
 
MY63":3vwo9yke said:
I am still agonising over dust extraction it would be great to be able to use my sanders and bandsaw without making lots of dust.
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That is a whole, awkward and very important kettle of worms. Yes, you definitely need extraction but it depends on a lot of variables...budget, available space, type of dust (fine sanding dust, dust from a bandsasw etc) - Rob
 
Malc2098":ar1h2xnr said:
I brought my armoured cable in....
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Nah...I didn't bother with that. Stuffed ordinary 13A cable through a length of garden hose pipe and then buried it in the ground :D - Rob
 
Woodbloke":lapp4nvd said:
MY63":lapp4nvd said:
That is a whole, awkward and very important kettle of worms. Yes, you definitely need extraction but it depends on a lot of variables...budget, available space, type of dust (fine sanding dust, dust from a bandsasw etc) - Rob
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Thanks Rob

I used my track saw outside the other day and my neighbour had their door open so I attached my old vacuum and it worked great. I have a band saw and three sanders I usually use the sanders out side clamped to a workmate. I have a reasonable amount of space and I was going to say a reasonable amount of money but I that was spent a long time ago. I will find what ever money I need to do the job right.
I have been reading about a thein baffle which I could put under the band saw and put the vac under the sanders bench.
As for the armoured cable my brother may be retired but he knows the rules and his son in law is going to do the final connection and sign off and he supplied the cable free of charge. So I had to use it I only have to drill a hole from the garage into the house and it is ready at both ends. :)
 
I have started making my bench for under the MFT style top and am a little concerned over the size of my rails. My legs may be a little over size at 100mm but I am a little worried my rails may be a little on the small side at 35mm x 75mm is this heavy enough or should I stick two together and have 70mm x 75mm rails.
The other question is how deep should the mortices be.
 
MY63":tn5tmn4x said:
I have started making my bench for under the MFT style top and am a little concerned over the size of my rails. My legs may be a little over size at 100mm but I am a little worried my rails may be a little on the small side at 35mm x 75mm is this heavy enough or should I stick two together and have 70mm x 75mm rails.
The other question is how deep should the mortices be.
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Rigidity of a beam increases linearly with width and by the cube of the depth. So no great advantage to doubling up the width.
Mortise depth - at least 50% when you can but why not go all the way through and wedge them for this sort of job where strength is more important that looks. Even wedged tenons can look pretty too.

Bob
 
Great thread, and well done, Michael.
Can I ask what you think the total cost was?
I'm hoping to be moving to the country soon, and will need a workshop.
Also, how many man hours would you estimate?
 
Hi John
I would like to answer both of your questions in detail but I really cannot.
Cost is going to be an estimate although I do have most of the invoices I have not have the courage to total them up but so far my best guess would be £2200 which is more than I was planning but about right for what I have. I saved £300 on insulation by talking to a local company who allowed me into their scratch and dent area and I got all of my insulation for £10 of biscuits. I also saved £100 on my window by buying a new mis sized window from another local company for £50 I made the opening after I bought the window.
As I screwed everything together I saved a lot of money by buying the screws from my timber merchant they were £5 per box cheaper than the big box companies especially on the large screws for the same brand.
Time is a lot harder my disability means I have to work for 1 to 2 hours then a rest and I can do this a couple of times in a day. If I do too much then it is 3 or 4 days recovery.
I started in October had hand surgery in November, bad weather whenever that was and finished the outside at the end of April. So I would say on average 5 months 6 days per week 4 hours per day 120 hours equal to 3 working weeks. Someone who was fit and healthy could do it in 2 weeks and if they knew what they were doing probably 1 week.
One of the best things I have learned is to draw it out you have a better understanding and it helps when ordering materials. When materials arrive check them off and mark them all so you don’t mix stuff up when cutting. I used my invoices against delivery notes to make sure I had what I paid for then marked each piece for where it was going. Floor walls and roof all had different colour sharpies.
Hope this helps
 
I have done very little recently I have been trying to catch up on my leather work I made 4 cases in 10 days which is good for me.
Looking at the 100mm x 100mm rough cut posts I have for the legs of my workbench my first thoughts were I will clean them up and use them.
Rather than wasting time cleaning up the rough cut posts then buying more pressure treated posts later I am going to buy some un treated dressed timber for the legs and keep the posts for the decking in front of my workshop.

Are 100mm posts best for the legs or would 75mm be ok ?

My plunge saw cuts around 55 mm when cutting 100mm posts I started making two cuts and was left with a line down the centre. I then tried 4 cuts I had a diagonal line. Is there a trick I am missing to cut 100mm square posts ?
Is the easiest solution a mitre saw ?
 
Time to think about security bearing in mind what others have said in the past I have four hinge bolts. I have also spoken to a local lock smith who made up two ERA fortress dead locks keyed alike for £43 5 levers.
I just need to fit them now.
 
Alarm it! I’m paranoid and have wired mine to the house alarm but if you don’t have one of those then buy one of the Yale wireless alarms with window shocks, door sensor and PIR and also has a text module to SMS you when it goes off if you’re not around.
 
Time to check your insurance too with particular attention to outbuildings contents. If someone wants to get into a wooden shed they will no matter how good the locks or alarms.
 
Andyp":1dafgb63 said:
Time to check your insurance too with particular attention to outbuildings contents. If someone wants to get into a wooden shed they will no matter how good the locks or alarms.
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All (or most of) the 'shop gear is covered on my LV household contents policy and I've got it PIR alarmed, with a Chubb 5 lever mortice dead lock on the door as well as a big Chubb padlock and security hasp. One important feature of my 'shop is that I've got frosted glass in the windows, so it's impossible to see what's inside from outside - Rob
 
Woodbloke":2bs41aar said:
Andyp":2bs41aar said:
Time to check your insurance too with particular attention to outbuildings contents. If someone wants to get into a wooden shed they will no matter how good the locks or alarms.
Click to expand...
All (or most of) the 'shop gear is covered on my LV household contents policy and I've got it PIR alarmed, with a Chubb 5 lever mortice dead lock on the door as well as a big Chubb padlock and security hasp. One important feature of my 'shop is that I've got frosted glass in the windows, so it's impossible to see what's inside from outside - Rob
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The hells angels logo on the door helps deter burglars too eh Rob? :lol: :lol:

Bob
 
9fingers":3le8fcc9 said:
The hells angels logo on the door helps deter burglars too eh Rob? :lol: :lol:

Bob
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Lightweight, namby-pamby stuff Bob. This is the...

IMG_2992.jpg

...ultimate deterrent :lol: and if the fear of blowing your feet off isn't enough, I let loose a pair of...

IMG_2993.jpg

...avian dobermans inside just before I lock up :lol: :lol: - Rob
 
Thanks Andy and Mark.
My insurers require a lock of British standard 5 levers etc. They don't require an alarm system although I may fit one when the electricians come.
We used to have a college sports field behind our house and often had local youths in our garden. Since the houses were built on that field it is very difficult to access.

Not taking any chances though :)

The only landmines in our garden is the dog poo :D most intruders tend to be put off by our three spaniels two ex working dogs that dont bark much but the third failed as a working dog so will bark occasionally the main difference is when strangers approach like next doors window cleaners.
 
After setting up my new mitre saw this morning I decided it was time to set up my band saw too.
I had ordered a replacement bolt for the tensioning mechanism when I removed the original it was 5 mm longer than the new one. Going by the rust on the one that came out it was not stainless steel like the new one. Everything went together easily new blade installed and it cuts like a dream.

2019-06-22_11-04-56 by my0771, on Flickr

I used my late fathers drill and stand to drill out the mortices and the band saw to cut the tenons I cut 5 of the 8 tenons for the top joints this afternoon and plan to cut the rest tomorrow.

The band saw has what look like small brass bars as guides and I was wondering how close to the blade they need to be. They are about 5mm away presently.
The blade cuts straight it does not move left or right while it is moving.
 
I set mine up using a thin piece of paper to distance the blade from the block, just so you can see daylight between the two.
 
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