Once you've selected and installed your major woodworking equipment, you can move on to planning your storage space and work stations. - When outfitting your workshop with individual storage workstations, you have option of custom building them or purchasing them ready-made. Modular systems (figure A) simplify the process of storing and organizing your tools and materials. They offer flexibility, convenience, and can be adapted and expanded to fit nearly any work area. Some incorporate advanced systems for housing, transporting and interchanging tools.
- Planning your shelving and storage areas can make the difference between a workshop that's merely functional and one that's exceptional. The system featured in our workshop begins with a sturdy work surface for the work station, and units underneath that can be easily pulled out on casters (figure B). Underneath the rubberized top surface of the unit is a system of drawers for storing smaller tools and materials. Rubber drawer liners prevent tools from sliding around and becoming disheveled when the drawers are opened and closed.
- Mobile cabinets -- also on locking casters so that they can be moved -- contain pull-out shelves (figure C), making it easy to see and access tools at both the front and rear of each shelf.
- Taller storage cabinets (figure D) are ideal for storing larger power hand-tools and similar items. The shelf heights are adjustable to accommodate various sizes of items.
- Some of the cabinets are designed to be hung on the wall. The cabinet elements are designed to work in conjunction with the specialized wall surfacing that is installed throughout the shop.
- This slat-wall system utilizes composite panels that are simply fastened to the walls. The composite panels are easy to install (figure E) and are designed to withstand heat, cold and humidity.
- Once the weight-bearing wall panels are in place, modular cabinets can easily be hung by placing the pre-attached hooks into the slats (figure F) and locking them into place.
- In addition to cabinets, the panels can accommodate other items such as baskets (figure G), shelves, and even some tools.
- Another way to make your workshop work for you is to plan to have mobile bases on any tool you can. The locking casters on these bases (figure H) allow you to move heavy pieces from place to place. The casters lock easily to make each equipment stationary whenever you get it positioned where you want it.
- Casters such as these make heavy equipment such as table saws, band saws and miter saws much easier to move and maneuver (figure I) if you are working alone.
- One of the handiest accessories for woodworking -- particularly when you're working alone -- is a roller stand (figure J). This allows you to feed long pieces of lumber over the blade of a table saw or miter saw, for example, and supports the moving piece without letting it drop.
- If you're limited for space, a mobile miter-saw stand is quite useful. The miter saw attaches to the stand, which is equipped with a roller and feeder table on each end. When not in use, the stand can be folded for storage (figure K).
- Every serious woodworker requires a large variety of clamps for undertaking major projects. Storing these large and awkward accessories can be a problem. One solution is a rolling clamp rack (figure L).
- This compact and innovative system is designed to store clamps on either side of the rack (figure M). The bars can be removed and repositioned in any configuration. The bars are held in place by cotter pins.
RESOURCES :
Fine Woodworking
A magazine devoted to high-quality craftsmanship in woodworking.
The Taunton Press Inc.
Website: www.taunton.com
The Small Wood Shop (The Best of Fine Woodworking)
Author: Helen Albert (Editor)
Publisher: Taunton Press
ISBN: 1561580619
The Workshop Book
Model: 1561582719
Author: Scott Landis
The Taunton Press Inc.
Website: www.taunton.com
How to Design and Build Your Ideal Woodshop
Model: 1558704817
Author: Bill Stankus
Popular Woodworking Books
Gladiator Garageworks by Whirlpool
Website: www.gladiatorgw.com
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