Table Of ContentW Best
Workshops
From the Editors of
Fine Woodworking
W Best
Workshops
From the Editors of Fine Woodworking
T
Text © 2013 by The Taunton Press, Inc
Photographs © 2013 by The Taunton Press, Inc
Illustrations © 2013 by The Taunton Press, Inc.
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edITor: christina Glennon
coPy edITor: Marc sichel
Indexer: Jay Kreider
cover & InTerIor desIGn: carol singer
LAyouT: cathy cassidy
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LIBrAry oF conGress cATALoGInG-In-PuBLIcATIon dATA
Fine woodworking best workshops / editors of Fine woodworking.
pages cm
Includes index.
e-Book IsBn 978-1-62710-722-8
1. Woodshops. 2. Woodwork--equipment and supplies. I. Fine woodworking. II. Title: Best workshops. III. Title: Best
work shops.
TT152.F56 2013
684’.08--dc23
2012042125
PrInTed In The unITed sTATes oF AMerIcA
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
This book is complied from articles that originally appeared in Fine Woodworking magazine. unless otherwise noted, costs
listed were current at the time the articles first appeared.
ABouT your sAFeTy: Working wood is inherently dangerous. using hand or power tools improperly or ignoring
safety practices can lead to permanent injury or even death. don’t try to perform operations you learn about here (or
elsewhere) unless you’re certain they are safe for you. If something about an operation doesn’t feel right, don’t do it. Look for
another way. We want you to enjoy the craft, so please keep safety foremost in your mind whenever you’re in the shop.
Acknowledgments
special thanks to the authors, editors,
art directors, copy editors, and other
staff members of Fine Woodworking who
contributed to the development of the
chapters in this book.
contents
Introduction 3
PART ONE
Locating Your Shop
• Best Tips for Basement Workshops 4
• Turn your Garage into a real Workshop 13
• smart Workshop, From the Ground up 25
• A shop for a small space 38
PART TWO
Setting Up A Comfortable Shop
• Wiring a Workshop 44
• Let Th ere Be Light 52
• Treat your Feet 62
• Low-cost shop Floor 68
• A revolution in dust collection 74
PART THREE
Accessorizing Your Shop
• A Workbench 30 years in the Making 86
• Th e Wired Workbench 98
• Making sense of vises 110
• your Miter saw needs a stand 116
• Best-ever outfeed Table 125
• Pivoting Plywood cart 137
PART FOUR
Smart Storage
• house your Tools in high style 146
• Keep Planes close at hand 158
• divide and conquer 164
• Lumber storage solutions 168
PART FIVE
Shop Safety
• Fire safety in the shop 174
• cutting-edge First Aid 182
• Protect yourself from Wood dust 194
• sound Advice 201
• A Look at eye Protection 207
Metric equivalents 213
contributors 214
credits 215
Index 216
2
Introduction
When it comes to woodworking, That’s why you need this special compila-
people get caught up in gearing tion from the pages of Fine Woodworking.
up. And that’s understandable, drawn mostly from the magazine’s most
since the right tools often spell the difference popular issue, the Tools & Shops annual,
between fun and frustration. But the space these articles cover every aspect of a comfort-
you work in is just as important. Are you able and hard-working space, whether you are
warm enough there? can you see well starting from scratch or upgrading the shop
enough to do your best work? Is it a jumble you have.
of loose lumber, tools, cords, and sawdust, or Leaving no stone unturned, Fine Wood-
is it clean and organized, with everything at working Best Workshops starts with the over-
your fingertips and nothing underfoot? do all structure and layout, and then covers your
you have a rock-solid workbench with good best options for climate control, lights, wir-
vises, ready for fine handwork? ing, dust collection, workbenches, cabinets,
If the answer to any of these questions lumber racks, and much more. And we don’t
is no, you are probably experiencing some forget the basement woodworker either, with
level of frustration every time you go out, or a special chapter on working down under.
down, to the shop. you might even hesitate start upgrading your shop today, and
to go in the first place. you’ll be surprised at how much fun wood-
working becomes.
—Asa christiana
editor, Fine Woodworking
3
Best Tips for The ideal
basement shop
Basement On www.FineWoodworking.com,
Thomas mcKenna we asked our enthusiastic
audience how they avoid the
Workshops common pitfalls of a basement
shop, such as too little space
and light and too much
moisture, dust, and noise.
With their input, we created
this virtual basement shop
that tackles every issue.
In medieval times, miscreants and
criminals were tossed into the bowels
of a dungeon for their offenses. Below
ground, these dungeons were dark, dank,
foreboding places, characterized for centuries
as hideous homes for torture or cramped
imprisonment.
It may be a stretch to compare a basement
shop to a dungeon, but they do have similari-
ties. Like a dungeon, a basement is a hole in
the ground and attracts all manner of mois-
ture, with issues such as mildew, rust, even
small floods. Basements aren’t flooded with
natural sunlight either; single incandescent
fixtures are the norm, usually scattered where
you don’t need them. On top of that, base-
ments are where household items go to die,
so space is tight.
Still, for lack of an alternative, many
woodworkers set up shop in the basement
Lock out
and have to deal with any or all of these
moisture
medieval horrors. To help them out, we Water is the enemy
asked our extensive and experienced online of all things wood
and metal, causing
audience for tips on making a basement
unsuitable moisture
workshop drier, brighter, and more space- levels and rusting
valuable equipment.
efficient. We also asked folks how they pre-
It also leads to
vent noise and dust from infiltrating the mildew and mold
growth. To reduce
living areas above.
moisture problems,
The response was overwhelming, and direct water away
from the foundation
we got plenty of nifty solutions to common
and seal the interior
problems. We used those ideas to create a with a moisture-
virtual basement shop that is as comfortable blocking paint. It
also helps to run a
to work in as it is unobtrusive to the rest of
dehumidifier.
the household.
4
Let there use nooks and crannies for storage do not disturb
be Light—and Basement shops often compete for space with family needs (laundry the househoLd
Lots of it areas and playrooms) and utilities (water heaters and furnaces). So Let’s face it, building
Add enough you must take advantage of every storage opportunity. You can hang furniture is a noisy hobby,
fluorescent fixtures to racks and cabinets on stud walls built along the perimeter. Though not and when you’re engaging
illuminate the space aesthetically pleasing, pegboard is a convenient place for tools, clamps, your passion below the
uniformly. Use task and jigs. Also, take advantage of oddly shaped areas, storing lumber rest of your family, the
lights in storage areas and offcuts under stairs or in other tight spaces. muffled roar can be
or on tall machines, annoying. We got some
such as a bandsaw, great tips from readers on
to supplement the how they manage sound
overall lighting transmission, ranging
scheme. from isolating framing
from drywall, to beefing
up the basement door, to
muffling shop vacuums and
compressors, to simply not
working after hours.
don’t choke on dust
There’s not a lot of airflow in a basement, so airborne dust will just hang in the air
or migrate to living areas above. To control and capture it, use a dust collector and
install an air cleaner. To prevent dust from tracking upstairs on the bottom of your
shoes, place a doormat at the bottom of the stairs or wear shop shoes.
besT Tips for basemenT worKshops 5
