Disabled Veteran dreaming of small wood shop in garage

[Deb Clarkson]

Kudos to you on making a priority of becoming debt free, but with some creative scrounging you can probably start aquiring some things now. One example; Old dishwashers of the portable type can make good rolling stands for benchtop type tools, plus you can store stuff on the rollout racks inside. People will be glad to give these to you just to get rid of them. Take a hard look at anything anyone wants to get rid of with an eye to repairing or repurposing, but be picky about what you drag home or you'll end up with a garage full of junk and no room to work.

[Stew Hagerty]

First of all, Thank you for your service!

I am a disabled woodworker, although I am not a veteran. I work from a wheelchair, and I have set up a fully accessible shop. It's all 110v, I have nothing at the moment that runs on 220v, and I get by just fine. Would a nice big 3hp Delta Unisaw be nice? Absolutely! But I do just fine with my 25 year old Craftsman.

In my shop I have that Craftsman tablesaw that I have upgraded with an extension table and better fence. I've got a nice big, heavy traditional workbench with both face & tail vises. I have a 14" bandsaw, with a riser to increase the resaw capacity. I've never needed that much capacity yet, but I've got it if & when I do. I splurged on a really awesome Incra router table (and I've never regretted it for one single second!). I've got a nice big Delta floor model drill press that I wouldn't trade for anything (well except maybe that Unisaw, LOL). I just recently sold my sliding compound miter saw and bought a big 12" DeWalt DW716XPS dual bevel compound miter saw (non-sliding). I almost never need to cut anything wider than its 10" capacity, and it is much easier to control the dust output with it. I also recently picked up a Jet JDS-12B 12" disc sander, and I absolutely love it. The table is nice & big, not to mention it's rock solid and adjusts easily. It even comes with a jig to help you accurately edge sand circles. 2-3 years ago I bought a Powermatic PM701 benchtop mortiser, along with a set of chisels for it that I bought from Lee Valley. This thing works really slick! I don't know if it still is, but at the time it was the best benchtop mortiser on the market. I also have one of the venerable DeWalt 735 lunchbox planers, and a Grizzly G0723 spindle sander.

Grizzly Tools... For the price, Grizzly makes very good tools. I have their G0555X bandsaw and could not be happier. It has a nice 1 1/2hp motor that comes wired 110v, but can be converted to 220v, and all of the power I've ever needed. I confess I have been taking a long hard look at the G0771 table saw. They may call it a "Hybrid", but it's basically built like a cabinet saw, complete with cabinet mounted trunions. I do happen to also be really happy with my Grizzly spindle sander. It has a long stroke compared to most competitors and the dust collection works fantastic. Oh... Speaking of dust collection. I have one of the quite popular Harbor Freight 2hp dust collectors. I popped a Winn filter on top in place of the cloth bag. It bumps the filtration up to something just shy of HEPA. One more very important power tool is my Tormek T-8. It's my newest tool and frankly, I don't know how I ever did without it! It's freakin amazing! It's super fast, and a quick run over the stropping wheel results in sharper, more consistent tools than I've ever been able to accomplish by hand.

In addition to the stationary & bench tools, I have a Porter Cable biscuit joiner; Makita track saw; a Shop Fox scroll saw;Porter cable 18v cordless tool set, 2-drills, impact driver, circular saw, & sawzall; and a DeWalt grinder/polisher. This is all not to mention, of course, hand tools. The longer I woodwork, the more I come to love hand tools. I have a full set (3-8) of vintage Stanly handplanes, plus a couple extras from Lee Valley (bevel up smoother, skew rabbet plane, small plow plane, and router plane), and Lie Nielsen (rabbeting block plane). I also have a variety of handsaws, which I taught myself how to sharpen.

Please, if you have any questions at all, feel free to send me an email. I'd be more than happy to talk to you about working in the shop with disabilities. By the way, I'm also on antidepressants. Hey, with all of my problems, you'd be on them too. Woodworking has been amazing therapy for me, both mentally & physically. Good luck, man.

Open Shop 10.jpg

Me.jpg

[Edward Henry]

First of all, Thank you for your service!

I am a disabled woodworker, although I am not a veteran. I work from a wheelchair, and I have set up a fully accessible shop. It's all 110v, I have nothing at the moment that runs on 220v, and I get by just fine. Would a nice big 3hp Delta Unisaw be nice? Absolutely! But I do just fine with my 25 year old Craftsman.

In my shop I have that Craftsman tablesaw that I have upgraded with an extension table and better fence. I've got a nice big, heavy traditional workbench with both face & tail vises. I have a 14" bandsaw, with a riser to increase the resaw capacity. I've never needed that much capacity yet, but I've got it if & when I do. I splurged on a really awesome Incra router table (and I've never regretted it for one single second!). I've got a nice big Delta floor model drill press that I wouldn't trade for anything (well except maybe that Unisaw, LOL). I just recently sold my sliding compound miter saw and bought a big 12" DeWalt DW716XPS dual bevel compound miter saw (non-sliding). I almost never need to cut anything wider than its 10" capacity, and it is much easier to control the dust output with it. I also recently picked up a Jet JDS-12B 12" disc sander, and I absolutely love it. The table is nice & big, not to mention it's rock solid and adjusts easily. It even comes with a jig to help you accurately edge sand circles. 2-3 years ago I bought a Powermatic PM701 benchtop mortiser, along with a set of chisels for it that I bought from Lee Valley. This thing works really slick! I don't know if it still is, but at the time it was the best benchtop mortiser on the market. I also have one of the venerable DeWalt 735 lunchbox planers, and a Grizzly G0723 spindle sander.

Grizzly Tools... For the price, Grizzly makes very good tools. I have their G0555X bandsaw and could not be happier. It has a nice 1 1/2hp motor that comes wired 110v, but can be converted to 220v, and all of the power I've ever needed. I confess I have been taking a long hard look at the G0771 table saw. They may call it a "Hybrid", but it's basically built like a cabinet saw, complete with cabinet mounted trunions. I do happen to also be really happy with my Grizzly spindle sander. It has a long stroke compared to most competitors and the dust collection works fantastic. Oh... Speaking of dust collection. I have one of the quite popular Harbor Freight 2hp dust collectors. I popped a Winn filter on top in place of the cloth bag. It bumps the filtration up to something just shy of HEPA. One more very important power tool is my Tormek T-8. It's my newest tool and frankly, I don't know how I ever did without it! It's freakin amazing! It's super fast, and a quick run over the stropping wheel results in sharper, more consistent tools than I've ever been able to accomplish by hand.

In addition to the stationary & bench tools, I have a Porter Cable biscuit joiner; Makita track saw; a Shop Fox scroll saw;Porter cable 18v cordless tool set, 2-drills, impact driver, circular saw, & sawzall; and a DeWalt grinder/polisher. This is all not to mention, of course, hand tools. The longer I woodwork, the more I come to love hand tools. I have a full set (3-8) of vintage Stanly handplanes, plus a couple extras from Lee Valley (bevel up smoother, skew rabbet plane, small plow plane, and router plane), and Lie Nielsen (rabbeting block plane). I also have a variety of handsaws, which I taught myself how to sharpen.

Please, if you have any questions at all, feel free to send me an email. I'd be more than happy to talk to you about working in the shop with disabilities. By the way, I'm also on antidepressants. Hey, with all of my problems, you'd be on them too. Woodworking has been amazing therapy for me, both mentally & physically. Good luck, man.

Open Shop 10.jpg

Me.jpg

Thanks for the reply, I understand the antidepressant issue, I am on Some from time to time (Thankfully my Service Dog keeps me from needing as many as I did) and actually had not considered them in the equation from a safety point of view. I am not wheelchair bound but often have stability issues use a cane and when real bad a walker but would not be in the wood shop at those times. I mostly have been drooling in the Grizzly catalog and hoping to get clearance or used products from them as I can afford them. Thanks for the Harbor freight dust collector suggestion I will look into it, I was looking at the Harbor freight wood workbench as a cheap starter but I am concerned with stability and not thrilled that the Dog holes are open into the top two draws for dust and debris to enter. You have quite a collection of equipment and a few I had not considered that I will look into.

[Edward Henry]

Have you considered just using some cheap handplanes and hand tools? No debt and good for the soul?

Not really I have leg pain and balance issues if I stand too long so figured a powered wood shop I could accomplish more in shorter time to work with my issues.

[Edward Henry]

Jim nice boxes, I am thinking my first projects will be custom shaped plaques for wood burning I THINK I can make them cheaper than buy at craft stores like Michaels or Hobby Lobby.

[Stew Hagerty]

Edward, my suggestion would be to steer clear of any workbench that isn't strong, sturdy, and heavy enough to not easily move around.

There is nothing wrong with starting out with a bench made from 2x4's and plywood. I have my tradional bench, but I also have one that has a 2x4 frame covered with plywood because it's full of drawers, and for the top I laminated a sheet of 3/4" plywood between 2 sheets of 3/4' OSB. I made really sure that I glued it up on a perfectly flat surface and it turned out great. In use, I added a 1/4" hardboard top that I can replace as needed.

That Grizzly G0771 table saw is on clearance r8ght now because they are bringing out a new model to replace it. What is does have, like I said, are cabinet mounted trunions like a regular cabinet saw, what it doesn't have, is not the world's best fence, but that is something that can always be upgraded for a couple hundred bucks.

It's counterpart is the G0715P. It's is a "true" hybrid, meaning that it has an enclosed base with improved dust collection, but it has top mounted trunions like a contractor saw. It does, however, have a nice fence.

The G0711 is $695 while the G0715P is $775 right now.

I spoke with a rep from Grizzly who told me that the replacement for the G0711 will basically just be an updated version with a few tweaks and improvements, including a nice new fence. He was under the impression that the new model will be out shortly after the first of the year. Naturally he had no idea of what the price point may be yet, but he said it will undoubtedly be priced higher than the G0711.

[Edward Henry]

Thanks, great information.

[Mark Lawrence]

I feel some instruction is very important for both your safety and also your efficiency. If you unable to get direct instruction, there are some very good videos you can get. Look at what fine woodworking has to offer. I have some older VCR tapes that are now on DVD.

Eg Kelly Mehler's Table saw video; Mark Dugniski's Bandsaw tape and Woodworking machine tape.

Take care of yourself. Be safe.

[Edward Henry]

Sound advice thank you.

[Justin Ludwig]

With a limited budget, find the tools you like new by searching Grizzly and whatnot, then go to classifieds and Craiglist. There should be plenty of woodworkers around you that you can visit and see stuff first hand. Since you haven't done any woodworking in a long time and are thinking about jumping in the deep end, just be advised you're about to "drink from a firehose" for information: not only wood working, but tooling and machining set up. It can make your head spin. Try searching your local craigslist for deals. Copy this into Google without the quotes: " tool site:springfield.craigslist.org/ " replace "tool" with what you're looking for to search for it.
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I've lost too many friends and fellow Sailors and Soldiers to PTSD. I know your pain. I've been in 17 years and deployed 3 times so far. The coolest thing about woodworking is it's a tangible endeavor. You start with scrap and have a final product. If you start out making simple gifts, you will find it most rewarding and the addiction sets in. It's very therapeutic. With some basic cheap tools you can make a lot of stuff. Don't spend too much too fast - let your shop grow with your abilities.

[George Courson]

Edward,
I'm a disabled VET as well, just getting into wood-turning myself. I live in Lima, Peru because I can't live up there on what I get in disability.
Anyway, as to the dilemma of what to do about the money you make, if your married or have family, they might be able to help you out with the tax's. Heck, most people might not even request a receipt, knowing your predicament.
But as I said, if your married or have family, start there.

[Bryan Rocker]

Good afternoon fellow disabled Vet. I can tell you from experience that many of the tools you many be looking for can be found IF you are patient. Before I went for a table saw I would get yourself a 14"+bandsaw with a riser block. Extremely useful and versatile. I picked an old Rockwell from the 1950's and it runs like a champ and there isn't a plastic part on it except for the tires.

Feel free to PM with questions on most anything.

Earning money should not hurt your VA unless your rated at 100%. SSDI I am not sure of although my wife tells me I should look into it.

One quick note about working on your concrete floor, go to Sam's and pick up those multicolored 2'x2' tiles in an 8 pack for 21 bucks and put them down where you are standing. It may not stop your pain but may slow it down......

Thanks for supporting and defending this great country of ours!!!!!