SCWD Shop Tour

SCWD 2023 Shop Tour

By SCWD • August 4, 2023

So it’s been roughly seven years since I’ve started this adventure in woodworking and with the addition of metalworking I felt it was time to give a shop tour of my humble attempt at being a woodworker/metalworker. The title doesn’t necessarily mean I’m a professional. It just means that I work with those materials.

Shop organization has always been a priority, and while I’m not necessarily good at it, I certainly try my best. After all, that is all some of us can do, our best.

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Starting with my newly acquired Craftsman roll around tool chest. I bought it from Facebook Marketplace for only $80. I didn’t have many automotive tools to start with, but I’m slowly adding them so that I can do more automotive repairs and maintenance. I purchased the non-slip mats and put them on the surfaces and in the drawers and it’s working quite well. I ordered the Craftsman replacement keys just incase I go to sell the chest, or I have nosy friends. I’m sure the future owner will appreciate that. The following items reside in the tool chest.

Next up we have a corner of the shop that stores misc. things like:

WORX WX065 Clamping Sawhorses with Bar Clamps
Rockler Surefoot 3/4″ Pipe Clamps
Bessey 3/4″ Pipe Clamps
Harbor Freight Pneumatic Press
Roller Stands
Harbor Freight Bar Clamps

I also bought the press without the pneumatic jack off of Facebook Marketplace for $80. It seems the going price for things is $80. Go figure. It didn’t come with the plates so I had to order those from Harbor Freight. I still need to add more accessories to properly press things like bearings and car parts. One thing at a time though. Oh and there’s my welding shirt.

Further down the wall we have my ShopNotes Shopvac Cart found in the popular ShopNotes magazine on page 66. I did a YouTube episode about this cart. This thing has been really handy and I roll it around everywhere with the exception of it taking a large footprint in the shop. The Ridgid Shopvac is a beast of a vacuum. The Oneida Dust Deputy is incredible and does the job well. Any additional stage will save your shopvac filter from being cluttered and is more efficient and sanitary for the shop. I never did enough woodworking to justify a “full on” air system. That is what the shopnotes cart is for. But I do have a WEN Dust Filter System that does the job well. Behind you will see some large pieces of cardboard for glue-ups, staining, and painting. This is also where I keep my long stock of steel tubes.

Just pass the shopvac cart we have a beautiful vintage Atlas #73 Drill Press from 1945. Believe it or not this was given to me for helping a friend store his stuff at my house. He didn’t have space for the drill press when he came back and gave it to me. I have a Restoration Series on the transformation of this drill press. I have a new found appreciation for restoration. Especially of old tools. I’ve since added a new motor to get the correct RPM speeds for working with metal. The center pully assembly is made of ABS material from a 3D printer. This allows for RPMs as low as 200. Perfect for working with metal or larger bits. I do plan on eventually making a drill press table for repeated cuts, but am a little distracted for now with metalworking. All in all, the drill press is a beast and is a beautiful addition to the shop. I also found another 3D printed piece that covers the quill and makes it look a lot nicer too. As you see I have a home made chart for letting me know the correct belt configurations for the required speeds. Beside the drill press on the floor is the adjustable tape dispenser. Another episode I made.

The miter station has been wonderful as far as shop organization. I was watching several episodes on miter stations and decided to just go for it. However I didn’t have the money for all the plywood. There was some construction going on near my house and they were throwing out a lot of damaged plywood. Some of which I salvaged and used that to build my miter station. I would say that I only had to pay for 30% of the plywood for the miter station. Basically all the drawers, cabinets, and tops I bought. The drawers are handy for organizing different tool types. I haven’t got a perfect system but it’s getting better. Unfortunately I did not film an episode for this.

On the left side of the miter station we have the Harbor Freight hardware storage bins. These are nice for taking out and putting back in when finished. They also have a place for labels which actually comes in handy when finding the right hardware for your project. Behind the miter station you will see some ladders and different things that I store.

Top left of the miter station is:

FastCap PSSR-16 16 Foot Pro Carpenter Standard Reverse Measuring Tapes
Carpenter Pencils
Gorilla Glue
Rockler Glue Brush Kit
FastCap Glu-Bot
Kreg K5 Pocket Hole Jig w/Mount
Remotes (WEN Dust Filtration & LED Shop Lights)
Old School Mortise Mallet
Top of welding tank cap
Bandaids
Pencil Sharpener
iPhone Plug
Knurled Die for Hobart Welder

Next bin over we have my Monsoon Speakers which actually have pretty good bass. When I’m doing tedious tasks like sanding I will hook my cellphone up and enjoy music.

These two bins will probably change with more shop ideas and organization. The next bin over I used for all my nail guns with nail storage above, a stapler, and my Harbor Freight heat gun. That thing is old!

The last bin I use for my drills and batteries. If you notice there’s a green wrench drill that I purchased from Banggood. The battery went out fairly quickly. I noticed the battery type was a Makita and didn’t want to spend $50 dollars on a new one. So I found an adapter that allowed me to used my existing Ridgid batteries with it. It’s a great invention to say the least. Now I can do tire work again on my cars! On the right side of the miter station I mounted the battery chargers for convenient charging. I have the following nailers and heat gun:

Porter Cable FN250SB: 16 Ga. 2-1/2 in. Finish Nailer
Porter Cable BN200SB: 18 Ga. 2 in. Brad Nailer
Porter Cable PIN138: 23 Ga 1-3/8 in. Pin Nailer
Harbor Freight 18 Gauge 2 in 1 Brad Nailer
Harbor Freight Heat Gun

Inside the top left drawer on the hutch is some sanding equipment and tools from Dura-Grit. I used some storage bins from the .99 cent store with cardboard backing and rubber bands for sand paper organization. I’m utilizing .99 cent store drawer organizers and Kreg hardware containers for organization.

Inside the top left middle drawer of the hutch is all my:

Don’t ask me what the Kreg screws are doing in there. I need to put those somewhere else!

The bottom left drawer of the hutch has all my:

The bottom left cabinet is a bunch of boxes and storage. Nothing really to see here. The top drawer of the left bottom cabinet is:

The bottom cabinet middle drawer has some tool storage.

Ridgid Flat Sheet Sander
Ridgid Belt Sander
Bosch Orbital Sander
Ridgid 18v Circular Saw
Milwaukee Hole Saw Kit
Vacuum Hose Attachments for Bosch Sander

The bottom cabinet left bottom drawer has my:

Moving to the middle, I have my Ridgid R4222 Miter Saw. This thing is a beast of a saw with a 12″ blade and 15 AMPS. It’s been a great saw. Not the most accurate but then again I’m not doing fine woodworking. I recently made a zero clearance insert and noticed the difference right off the bat. Of course a new blade would help too. I still intend of making a dust shroud and an improved dust collection system. Someday……

The top right drawer of the hutch has:

Ridgid R4520 Table Saw Accessories
Ridgid R4222 Miter Saw Accessories
4″ Hardened Gear Puller
Irwin Straight Line Speedline Pro Chaulk Reel
Old Aluminum Pulley from Atlas Drill Press

Moving down to the middle drawer we have:

The bottom right drawer of the hutch has al my router bits and some sharpening tools:

Moving to the bottom right cabinet top drawer we have odds and ends like:

Bottom right middle drawer contents:

The right bottom cabinet is another storage space with boxes. Nothing to see here. Beside the hutch on the right is were I keep my Craftsman 6.5 Peak HP 20 Gallon Shopvac. This thing is a best! It’s far superior to the Ridgid. I use it mainly for heavy duty jobs and the miter station dust collection.

Next up we have the router table that I made using the Bosch RA1181 table top. I also have an Bosch 1617EVS Corded Router inside this table. Surprisingly I don’t use the cabinet that much for storage. It has been a great table and I’m glad I built it. There is a YouTube episode on this build. There are a couple of tools stored in this table worth mentioning though:

Right beside router table is the flip table I built for the Ridgid Oscillating Edge Belt / Spindle Sander EB4424 and Porter Cable 15AMP PC305TP 12″ Thickness Planner. This has been a space saver and very handy around the shop. I’m also glad I built it and have a YouTube Episode on this as well.

With new ambitions come new tools. I’ve decided to sell some of my tools to make space for my metalworking venture. So I sold my bandsaw and Dewalt 788 Scroll Saw. I hardly used those tools and figured I would use the money to buy a welder, plasma table, and all the trimmings that go along with it. Here you see the following:

Welding Table from Facebook Marketplace
GUTIMORE MIG Welding Torch Holder
Hobart IronMan 230 Mig Welder
PrimeWeld Cut60 Plasma Cutter
Harbor Freight Welding AutoDim Helmet
200CF 75% Argon 25% CO2 Welding Gas Cylinder Tank
Fire Extinguisher
Hobart Nozzle Gel
Magnetic Dish
Spring Loaded Puncher Set
Irwin 3/8-in Center Punch IRHT82538 (Not Shown)
Miller Electric 229895 Gage (Not Shown)
TILLMAN 1350XL Welding Gloves
SWANSON Tool Co S0101 7 Inch Speed Square
Markal 96006 – Markal Silver-Streak Holder w/Insert
Ridgid 18v Brushless Angle Grinder
Harbor Freight Hercules 13AMP 6″ Angle Grinder
Hobart Welding Plyers
Hobart Spool Runner 100 Direct Plug-In Aluminum Spool Gun
90° Magnetic Squares (Not Shown)

Moving along the side we have the Nanpu Air Filtration System that I made a YouTube Episode on recently and I’m very pleased with it’s performance. I also utilize the typical hooks you see in most garages to store electrical cords. Here you see the air hose and torch that I use for my PrimeWeld Cut60 Plasma Cutter.

Next we see the Ridgid JP0610 Jointer that I’ve used on a couple of occasions. It’s a quality tool and I highly recommend one for your shop. Especially if you want to get your furniture or table tops planer. I keep it covered to make sure the top doesn’t rust. I also coat it with paste wax to make sure. Would you believe I got this tool for free? After buying it I submitted a review on HomeDepot.com and won the review contest. They sent me a $1000 gift card for winning.

I use the following equipment to film the YouTube episodes.

This fan has been a very important tool in my shop. I purchased it from Harbor Freight and it hasn’t failed. It’s a good thing there are locking casters, because this thing will sail across the shop in no time! The Ironton 4 Tier Industrial storage rack has items that I sell on MarketPlace, OfferUp, and eBay. In the middle you have some wood and metal scrap storage. The bottom are computer parts and audio wiring from a past business venture. This corner stores my yard tools (Mostly Ryobi), long wood/metal stock, dolly, and Manfrotto 502AH Video Head & MT055XPRO3 Aluminum Tripod Kit.

The back inset wall has my WHALEN storage metal and wood workbench with the majority of my hand tools and things I use on a daily basis.

Harbor Freight Hercules Variable Speed Bench Grinder
Harbor Freight Doyle 4 1/2″ Bench Vise
Harbor Freight 50ft Pneumatic Hose Reel
Harbor Freight Aviation Snips, 3 Piece
Husky 200 PSI – 27 Gallon Oil Free Compressor
3M Resperator
Harbor Freight Face Shield
Harbor Freight Hearing Protection Earphones
Harbor Freight Knee Pads
SolidWork Safety Goggles (They work with eyeglasses)
Coping Saw
Magnetic LEDs
Tekton Rubber Mallet Set
8pc Plier set
Stanley Chisel Set
Flat Pry Bar
Gooseneck Wrecking Bar
Stanley 20oz Hammer
8oz Hammer
Harbor Freight 8″ MultiPurpose Scissors
Scotch 8″ MultiPurpose Scissors
Empire 4′ Bubble Level
9″ Magnetic Bubble Level
Hacksaw
Caulk Gun

Inside the drawers we have some more tools! Imagine that! I used Harbor Freight Floor Mats to mimic Kaizen foam organizers. It worked out well. Both drawers have the following items:

Standard Socket Set
Mini Socket Set
Harbor Freight Stubby Screw Driver set
Accessories for Porter Cable Planer
Generic Cushion Screw Driver
Vise Grip Set
Wireless Remote Outdoor Outlets
Work Gloves
Misc Skinny Wrenches
Extra 0.01 micron / 5 micron filters and beads for Nanpu System

I store cleaning supplies underneath.

To the right of the workbench we have my metal storage cabinets with chemicals and cleaning supplies.

My Husky Compressor is being cooled off by a fan because it tends to overheat. This compressor replaced another Husky that didn’t meet the SCFM requirements for plasma cutting. It barely meets the requirements and I plan to upgrade to a more robust compressor.

Below the metal cabinets I have a Harbor Freight 3 ton jack with a Craftsman stool.

Well we have come full circle and on the side of my metal cabinet are my gardening tools. I just got in to gardening and as a new home owner I want to keep the weeds out. And maybe take up some gardening. Who knows.

Looking up we have some storage for holiday decorations and family keep sakes. The ceiling storage racks are the FLEXIMOUNTS 3’x8′ Overhead Garage Storage Racks. The storage bins are the Homz Durabilt 27 Gallon Capacity Flip Lid Stackable Heavy Duty Tough Storage Containers. I also have some wood storage with different species.

Towards the middle of the shop we see my Ridgid R4520 Contractor Saw which is a decent saw. One day I would like to have a SawStop, but we got to stick with priorities. The MicroJig Grip-It Push Blocks are exceptional and very grippy. The MicroJig GR-100D is adjustable and versatile. While the MicroJig Block Smart Hook is perfect for router tables and jointers. Looking further down the way we have my huge 8’x4′ outfeed table. On the table you’re seeing all the metal that I’m going to use to make my plasma water table. I just got the Evolution S380 CPS Metal Chopping saw and it’s a beast! Be sure to check out my YouTube episode on that. The Rockler Quick Release Woodworking Vise has been very handy.

Underneath the outfeed table I store extra sheet goods and scrap metal that I find on the road. You would be surprised what people pass by. Hundreds of dollars of metal. I would say that 85% of the metal on the bench was free! I also have a paper roll for glue ups, painting, and staining. Below that you can see some more clamp storage. You can never have too many clamps! I also keep my Porter Cable Pancake Compressor that came with some nice Porter Cable Nailers. As you can see, I have this huge table on step down castors incase I need to move it around.

Well, we’ve come to the end of our journey. I tried to be as detailed as I could and give you all the information in case you wanted to add some of these awesome tools to your collection. Last but not least, I made an episode on this shop tour. Only it was more brief and less detailed. Be sure to check out the SCWD 2023 Shop Tour Episode. Have a great day!

YouTube Episode: