My new workshop

[Tobias Lochner]

I needed a new workshop. Simply put, over the past 40 odd years of working in wood, my tool compliment, hand and machinery, has grown along with my passion. The new shop will be my fourth incarnation of my passion for recreating 18th and 19th century furniture, and hopefully be my dream shop. My partner and I started looking in earnest for a new house. Two criteria were critically important. Firstly the house had to have character and history……lots of it, and secondly I needed to create a new workshop.

Months of searching ensued. House after house, we looked, we schemed and were repeatedly disappointed. After about six fruitless months, we came upon a small country town in South Africa called Swellendam in the Western Cape. What a gem. Oak trees lined the wide streets. Karoo architecture everywhere, a working museum, a berry farm, exquisite Langeberge mountains, the Breede River, and peace and quiet. A far cry from the noise and bustle of the southern suburbs of Cape Town where we currently live.

Swellendam is the third oldest town in South Africa, its beginnings were in the mid 1700’s. It is steeped in colonial history and we fell in love.

Our house was built around 1860, thick mud brick wall and sash windows. In the kitchen we have a firewood stove. A dream come true for both of us. And best of all, enough space to create my workshop.

Dismantling the old shop proved to be a monumental task, why do we collect 2” off cuts of wood that we know we shall never ever use? I realised that I would need to revise my layout and storage systems dramatically, if the move and installation was to go smoothly, and to enable me to get up and running in the shop in a short period of time.

Plenty of drawings, trawling through my FWW collection and the internet and copious amounts of tea later, I had a plan! I based my system on a standardised 600mm wide by 500mm deep by 800mm high cabinet on castors. Machines are all bolted on to the 32mm countertop material, and each cabinet has a different internal configuration, depending on the mounted machine.
List of basic 600mm wide cabinets for the Machine Room:
1. Router Table Workstation
2. Mortiser Workstation
3. Bobbin Sander Workstation
4. Scroll Saw Workstation
5. Leigh Jig Workstation
6. Drill Press Workstation

List of special cabinets for my Machine Room:
1. Lathe Workstation
2. Mitre Saw Workstation
3. Table Saw outfeed table
4. Metalwork bench
5. Grinding and polishing Workstation
List of special cabinets for my Bench Room:
1. hand tools (floor standing parallel to workbench) 2000mm wide by 600mm deep
2. assembly and finishing (two tables 1200mm wide by 1200mm deep roll around)
3. clamp racks (All wall mounted in finishing area)
4. Computer workstation (As far away from dust as possible)
5. Small woodburning stove to heat the bench room in winter and to burn my mistakes… maybe I should get a much bigger one!!
6. Wall mounted cabinets x four, with glass doors. These are mainly to hold my FWW collection for easy reference and my burgeoning collection of woodworking, period furniture history, and reference books.
7. A roll around cabinet 1400mm high fitted with numerous drawers for hardware, fittings, screws, dowels and the like.

My partner came up with a gem of an idea, put more windows in the bench room, so I will have four large sash windows for natural light. Bless her! From the Bench Room there will be double doors leading into the machine room. All lumber will be stored vertically in the Machine Room.

The Bench Room will have a wood floor over half of the area for the main bench. The rest of the room will have its concrete floor painted in grey epoxy. Much easier to clean spills that inevitably happen in the assembly finishing area.

All the lighting will be fluorescent with specific angle poise lamps at the drill press, lathe, Leigh Jig and router table.

The air compressor and the dust extraction system will be located in a separate outside cubicle, which I shall sound proof with Illsonic acoustic tiles. The dust extraction and compressed air will be piped overhead throughout both rooms. The electrical reticulation will be somewhat over the top, but I have learned rather to have too many electrical outlets than too few.


In a corner of the Bench Room will be a stainless steel basin and hot and cold running water.

All walls will be painted white, as will the open roof trusses.

So far, I have built all of the cabinets, dismantled my current shop except for the dust extraction and packed all of my power tools and hand tools.

I am rather loathe to let a removal company move my machinery, so I shall be doing it all myself.

I am new to the forum, so if anyone has clever ideas for my new shop, I am all ears!!

[David C. Roseman]

Tobias, welcome to SMC! Sounds like your plans are very well thought out, indeed.

David

[Jim Tobias]

Tobias,
Welcome to the "Creek". You will enoy your visits here.
Sounds like you have your shop planned out very well. Will look forward to pictures of the process/progress in the future.
Oh, You have a great first name! ;) It caught my eye as it is not real common.

Jim Tobias

[Von Bickley]

Tobias,
Welcome to SMC......
Now we need pictures of that house and shop.

[Art Mann]

Welcome! Of course, we would like to see pictures of your shop when it is finished.

[Tobias Lochner]

Thanks for the hearty welcome!

I shall dig out a few pics of the old shop and post them and then will update on new shop as I go. We take occupation at the end of November and then windows, painting etc has to happen first though.


Tobias,
Welcome to SMC......
Now we need pictures of that house and shop.

[Justin Coon]

Welcome to the Creek Tobias. I think we're all on the edge of our chairs to see the house and shop. In the meantime, Go Boks!

[Tobias Lochner]

Hi Justin thanks for the welcome. You guys are very lucky with the incredible range if tools and machines available in the USA. Although South Africa is a lot better in the range available nowadays, I imported stuff from Garret Wade, Lee Valley, Woodcraft and Incra because either we simply didn't have the product, or it was crazy overpriced. And now you have got a fantastic export from our continent in the form of Rory Harcourt-Wood. He started a company here about thirty years ago in his garage selling lumber. Now he is states based and is bringing in all our amazing African woods for you guys. His company is called Rare Woods. Support him and you will discover amazing woods.

[Brian Libby]

Tobias, I have meet Rory and have toured his facility in Mexico,Maine.
Great guy to talk to and has some fabulous wood

[Tobias Lochner]

Hi Brian, If you happen to see Rory again, please give him my regards. Hopefully you tried some of our great African hardwoods?

[Tobias Lochner]

274397Additions for new workshop. My third router table system. Upper left drawer has six rows of 1\2" bits and the right has four rows of 1/4" bits and a tray for table inserts, inlay bushings spanners etc. The cabinet is made from reclaimed packing crate plywood, maple edging and drawer fronts and the top is a laminate covered 32mm counter top offcut. The table will have lower dust extraction and fence extraction, mitre slot, angle poise lamp, a Router Raizer and will be fitted with my De Walt 625 plunge router. So, effectively I shall have one router (1/2") dedicated to my Leigh D4R, one router (1/4") in a milled cast iron table saw extension for the Incra Table Saw fence jointing system, one freehand Festo Router and the stand alone router table with the Dewalt 625.

[Tobias Lochner]

This is a pic of my old workbench standing in my very empty bench room yesterday. It has a shoulder vise and twin independent tail vises. the vise screws are hand tapped from hard maple with a Beall threader (1 1/2" diameter). The bench is made from Boekenhout (Cape Beech) Hard Maple, Mansonia, African Paduak and African Blackwood. The entire maple sections of the bench are all hand cut dovetail and the Boekenhout centre block is biscuited together. Bench dog system is Veritas with Wonderdogs. Methinks I am going to build a new bench as well.......Gotta have a new bench for the new shop??
274414Additions for new workshop. In the backgroung is the uncompleted new wall unit for next to the bench. Drawers, shelves and cupboard doors to come in the next few days. All my frequently used hand tools sit in or on this unit and having it close to miy main bench means that I don't clutter up the bench itself whilst working. Fitted above this unit (already built)will be 2 metres of leaded glass fronted maple dovetailed wall cabinets to house books and periodicals.

[Tobias Lochner]

Wow!!! I have just done a conversion...... My bench room is 270 squre feet and the machine room is 390 square feet! Sound so much bigger than in square metres!!

[Gordon Eyre]

If the enclosed images are any example you quill have a show place of a shop. Your place sounds lovely, congratulations and a warm welcome to SMC forum.

[Tobias Lochner]

Hi Gordon. Thank you so much for your very kind words and hearty welcome. I am going to attempt to convert an Autocad layout of the new shop to pdf so that I can post it. I am all thumbs when it come to computers though!

[Tobias Lochner]

Hi folk. How do I upload a pdf to a post?? I am getting confused

[Tobias Lochner]

Hi guys. It looks like I succeeded in getting the cad to pdf file up. I wish to ask everyone that is interested, to offer comments, ideas, suggestions etc as to my proposed layout. I would be eternally greatful to anyone who posts. As much input as possible would be truly appreciated as I am moving at the end of November and I want to eliminate problems as best possible. many thanks in advance.

Best regards
Tobias

[Tobias Lochner]

This is a Vienna Regulator that I made a couple of years ago. The casework is Cherry and the backboard is bookmatched myrtle veneer.
274555

[Michael W. Clark]

Tobias, wow, great looking bench and work too. You are well beyond my skill level.

On your layout, does all the equipment and supplies come in through the double doors on the bench room or did I miss another set of doors. It seems like a second set of doors behind the TS could be beneficial. I like the layout though, and the division between bench/assembly and machine room.

[Sam Layton]

Hi Tobias,

Welcome to the creek. I am looking forward to seeing photo's of your house and shop. I am excited for you.

Sam

[Tobias Lochner]

Hi Michael. Humble thanks for the compliment. You embarass me. Regarding the layout, I agree completely that a separate access to the machine room is severely lacking. Unfortunately the area near the Table Saw is restricted to an enclosed back yard that is not very big and has no road access. So...... everything will have to traverse via the double doors from the driveway into the bench room and then through double doors again. Please keep thinking of other ideas, I really appreciate your input

Best regards
Tobias

[Tobias Lochner]

Hello Sam Thank you for the welcome. It is great to be amongst likeminded folk. I will post pics as I go. I dismantled my dust extraction system today, went much easier than I anticipated. Tomorrow I move my entire lumber stock to Swellendam.....Solo and sweating! haha

best regards
Tobias

[Will Boulware]

Oooooh... He does clocks too. Now you've got my attention! :D As if that showpiece of a workbench wasn't enough...

Gorgeous work! Keep us updated on how things are progressing!

[Tobias Lochner]

Hi Will and thanks for the compliment. At present everything is boxed and waiting for the removal people around Dec 12. Then the real work starts!!
Cheers
Tobias

[Rick Ringer]

That bench is breathtakingly beautiful. You must be so proud of that.

[Ole Anderson]

I am having workbench envy, but no way would I have room for that sweet baby.

[Tobias Lochner]

Hi Rick. Thanks so much for the compliment. Truly appreciated. The bench was a mission to make, but has been my best business card of the past 14 or so years.

Cheers
Tobias

[Tobias Lochner]

Hi Ole. Thanks very much. Your compliment humbles me.
Have a great day
Cheers
Tobias

[Tobias Lochner]

Hi. Only a few days now until the removal truck arrives to transport all our stuff to our new home. Moving house in December is not clever at all, I discovered in retrospect!!!! Firstly its really expensive, and no alteration work for the new workshop can start as its the "Silly Season" so the whole workshop will be stored adjacent to the new bench room for the holidays. It looks like I can only start on the walls and doors about 10 January!! At least I will be able to make a basic start on the bench room as I have prebuilt all the cabinets. So......A fresh coat of white paint on the wall and rafters and cabinet placement and attachment in addition to the electrical reticulation will be about all I shall be able to acheive over the festive period. (Other than sorting out the house itself for LOML!!) This has got to be the last time I move house!!!

[Tobias Lochner]

Hi everyone. You must have thought that I had dropped off the edge of the planet! Well the big move is over.....Never again!!! Anyway, LOML has had me extremely busy sorting out the house itself, so my workshops have taken a bit of a back burner status. Sonja wanted two spare beds upstairs, then she wanted two in the guest room and two in the guest cottage...ok I said, no problem i said, other than some simple maths....we only have five single beds, not six!! She then decided that we should only have one bed upstairs for now. At this juncture, I need to inform you that I am performing solo on the musical bed parody.On getting one of the beds down the tricky narrow stairs, it slipped and hit my foot so now I am the proud owner of a broken toe resembling a fat chipolota sausage! All in a days fun I suppose. I have been moving all my machinery around over the past two days, first gap I managed. The bench room is starting to look a bit more functional and I started a five this morning and have just finished the 220Vac duel outlet reticulation down the inner side of the bench room. Also hung my sash clamps.

Now I need to go and clean the swimming pool!!:rolleyes:

Will post some pics as soon as I find my camera!
Tobias

[William C Rogers]

Tobias

What do you mean "never again"? I need you to move to Indiana so I can have you do some of your woodworking for my new house. You work is beautiful and do look forward to seeing photo's of your work as well as any tips you have. I also just moved and my workshop is a mess. I am building a house and have house stuff in the workshop along with my tools. I am still on "sawpost" electricity. Took more time to get barely functional than I imaged. I truly know what you mean by "never again"

Bill

[Tobias Lochner]

Hi William, thanks so much for the vote of confidence. I was in Indiana in 95 on business in Elkhardt. Its a beautiful state. You are really lucky to live there. I wish you the very best of luck with your house building. It looks like it will be a while before I get down to furniture again,,,my first job will be four full multi-pane sash windows for the bench room to go with the rest of the house. I figured out today that we have an artificial waterfall that falls into the swimming pool just outside the bench rooms new windows, waterfall and indigenous evergreen trees a few metres from my workbench! I can live with that!! Temperature today 35 degrees C, pool water 28 degrees C..... My its tough living in Africa;)
Best regards
Tobias

[marty shultz]

Tobias, I made a list of things I like and dislike about my workshop. The list is located here (http://lumberjocks.com/mbs/workshop).

Good luck.

[Tobias Lochner]

Hi Marty, Thanks for the list, its excellent. i opted for the windows at the bench area because I want as much natural light s possible at the bench itself.I believe that I have sufficient wall space because of the Bench and Assembly Room being separate from the entire machine room. The only machinery that will be in the above room will be the vacuum press and pump, scroll saw, Tormek sharpening systems, hotplate for sand shading veneers and for hide glue and battery drill charging stations. The bench room will be fully reticulated for air and 220VAC. I am also putting four dual plug floor mount 220vac receptacles in for the main bench and assembly tables
Cheers
Tobias

[glenn bradley]

Welcome Tobias. Congrats on the next evolutionary step in your work space. It will be a pleasure to "ride along" with you on this effort.

[Tobias Lochner]

Hi Glenn. Many thanks. Wishing everyone a happy and peaceful festive season.

[Tobias Lochner]

Here are a few pics of the birth of the fourth incantation of my Bench and Assembly Room. Still too much stored here pending the completion of the Machine Room. Slowly taking shape. Xmas day will be spent painting the walls.
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[Tobias Lochner]

Her are a few pics of the space that will become the Machine Room. At present used for storage and overflow. Yes, the trees have been removed!
278015278016278017

[Tobias Lochner]

278018278019278020278023278024278025278021278022
Here are a few pics of the beginnings of sorting out the garden, this is a real mission but with wonderful rewards. Hidden in the undergrowth are some truly beautiful plants.

[Tobias Lochner]

Hi. This morning, I took delivery of my xmas present to myself. Sonja got a new house and I got a Woodepecker SuperFence and a Woodpecker Coping Sled for my router table. These guys do make serious kit! They are definitely in the same class as Incra Tools. They were really easy to assemble and adjustment were a breeze. They also are beautifully finished. Although Woodpecker products are generally expensive in USD and frightening so in South African Rands, These two item compare extremely favourably with other products in more expensive price ranges. Now I am waiting on delivery of a matched set of CMT sash window router bits and I can start on the last process of making the muntins and mullions of the four windows for the bench room and the four windows for the kitchen. The workshop build is going slower than I anticipated due to delays in getting plans approved through the Heritage Building organisations and government departments.

[Tobias Lochner]

Hi, Been working myself nutty....here are some more pics of the restoration and the workshop build......285549285550285551285553285554285555285 556285552