New Workshop - Need lots of good advice

[Alan Lightstone]

So lots to report, but I need to post some pictures later.

Felder send their tech to “commission” the machines. This took two days, and outside of the grouchy tech went well.

The bandsaw was the biggest pain to setup. The steel table took both of us dying from the weight, plus a lifting table, otherwise we never would have gotten it on. That FB710 really is a beast.

The jointer and planer work incredibly well, and are very quiet. Really glad I got those big 7.5HP 3-phase motors.

Next step is to order a sander (still trying to figure out how to stuff a wide belt sander in here). I’m debating a Grizzly 25” wide belt, vs a larger drum sander. Floor space is at a premium. Also, I’d love to get a panel saw. I can easily fit that if I don’t get the sander, but the sander is far more important.

Then the next step is to get a builder to frame out and enclose the finishing room, and workshop, and install 4 doors. Plus cutting into the cinder block wall to install the explosion proof fan for spray finishing.

So lots still to do, but now I have a working table saw, bandsaw, jointer, and planer. Just no working sander. So I can at least make wood straight and build stuff.

OK, so here’s some preliminary pictures:
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[William Young]

You know, of course, that the 1st or 2nd year after your shop is complete, you will have a storm with a 12' storm surge. Put your shop on the upper level and use the lower level for storage, finish room, etc. Put in a lift or trap door with hoist for heavy equipment and/or completed projects. You have the opportunity. Why not use it?

[Jim Becker]

William, Alan's shop is pretty much built...and it does have a raised floor.

[William Young]

William, Alan's shop is pretty much built...and it does have a raised floor.

I apologize. I didn't look closely enough and didn't realize that there was more than one page of comments and didn't note the date of the OP.

[Jim Becker]

Oh, not a problem...I just didn't want the state of the project to be misunderstood. The OP is doing all the "finesse" work now

[Kris Cook]

Alan - good for you, and congratulations on getting equipment moved into your new shop.

I am likely a year out on that phase due to current progress and imminent work schedule.

Enjoy!

[Alan Lightstone]

I was able to move the jointer against the wall, using some wasted space, and freeing up space for a wide belt sander. Woohoo!!!

Since I only bought the 10HP Phase Perfect (almost bought the 15HP, but thought it would be overkill), this limits me to I think the 24" Grizzly G0445. 10HP, 3-Phase, 24" with platen. Hopefully I won't need wider than that. It's rare that I have in the past.

I can also get the small SawTrax panel saw that I've been looking at. I hate cutting down big sheets on my table saw. Really not crazy about doing it with a track saw either. I think I'll really appreciate having that, though may not use it a great deal.

Have to get more boxes unpacked, and then choose a contractor to finish the walls of the workshop, install a few doors, and cut the hole in the cinder block for the explosion proof fan for the finishing room.

So still tons to do, but at least now I can actually start building something (although I really need a sander).

[Alan Lightstone]

OK. I just couldn’t justify keeping my SawStop contractor saw, as underpowered as it is, even though it was built into an awesome cabinet with improved dust collection, and router table.

So I bit the bullet and just got a 5HP, 3-Phase SawStop industrial cabinet saw.

It was interesting with just two of us lifting it onto its base (that ceiling hoist just paid for itself). The instructions literally say, get four people for this, preferably 5 people. With the hoist, we put it on its base in 5 minutes with 2 people.

Setup took the better part of a day, and I haven’t dialed it in yet, but now I have to get it wired and working so I can start taking apart my saw table with my old SawStop and put that on Craigslist.

The SCMS station is mostly done. I just need to build the drawer boxes and laminate the drawer fronts, and I’ll have a great miter station with my Kapex and FastCap Best Fence system.

Here’s the beast:
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I really need to post some photos here. Starting to make real progress. Still need walls and delivery / installation of the panel saw and wide belt sander, but its starting to feel like a shop here.

[John K Jordan]

Good fun!

I think their mobile base is the best available anywhere. (I got one for a milling machine)

JKJ

[Alan Lightstone]

So, making progress. I built a large table for the side of my table saw to add storage, places to put blades, wrenches, all assorted stuff.
Table Saw Cabinet.jpg
Boy, not high on my list to build a large cabinet with this many deep drawers again. Ouch.

Next I built an oversized version of a router table, loosely derived from Norm Abrams classic router table, but substantially larger and beefier to accomodate the 3-1/4HP router and Ready-2-Rout router system that I had. I had to make the depth substantially deeper to prevent from taking away usable width from the Table Saw (although it is on wheels and can roll). The finished version has a polycarbonate door, but I'm still drilling holes in it for makeup air for the cyclone.

The Grizzly wide belt sander has been great, although I do wish I had purchased the 37" version (didn't have enough 3-phase current for it with the Phase Perfect system I have, plus space would have been tight). I'll probably rarely need that extra capacity, but for the oversized shop furniture it would have been very helpful.
Gizzly Wide Belt Sander.jpg

Here's a few assorted photos of the layout:

The panel saw:
Panel Saw.jpg

The Felder Jointer:
Felder Jointer.jpg

The Felder Planer/Thicknesser with Digital Drive and Display (awesome to have this accuracy, and ease of use):
Felder Planer with Digital Drive and Display.jpg

The Voyager DVR Drill Press:
Voyager DVR Drill Press.jpg

The Overhead LED lighting with an overhead hoist to lift up my crosscut sled to get it out of the way when not being used. It's made of 3/4" MDF (won't do that again), and with the aluminum extrusion fences and stops, it weighs a ton, so this is a huge back saver:
Workshop LED Lighting with Overhead Hoist.jpg



The Felder Planer with the Digital Drive and Display (awesome to have this accuracy):
Router Table before Polyucarbonate door.jpg

[Alan Lightstone]

Continued (only can post 8 photos per post):

The two Jet overhead air cleaners. It's amazing how effective these are in scrubbing the air to way below ambient air particle counts, according to my Dylos meter. Even when that freaky dust storm from Lake Mali in Africa brought all that dust way across the Atlantic to the Gulf of Mexico, I could measure how bad the ambient air was, and how amazingly clean it became when using these. Sadly, they are pretty noisy:
Jet Air Cleaners.jpg

The next phase is finishing the front walls of the workshop, separating it from the garage with significant soundproofing. The same with the cyclone room (especially with regards to soundproofing).

Also, the finishing room will be walled off, and an explosion proof fan installed in the wall. Then I'll have to build a compartment to hold paint filters, and will again be able to spray finishes. Woohoo!!!!! Hopefully this will occur in the next month, and I'll be ready to roll.