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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
    Location
    Caboolture QLD AU
    Posts
    781

    Default Our small workshop upgrades.

    I’ve finally got around to doing a lot of workshop upgrades and layout changes, as the number of workshop machines increased over the past few years, it finally got to the stage of not having enough to room to move in our small 6m x 3m workshop. I recently posted a number of pictures in the Dust extraction forum when I added another ducting run for the new machines and modified the existing run with extra blast gates, however I think this minor part of the workshop upgrade really should be here in the Shed forum.

    My wife is a keen wood turner and one of the last things I needed to do was to make a small wall unit to hold the wood turning chisels. I threw this together out of leftover timber scraps, it’s nothing fancy but it is strong, it’s bolted to the steel shed wall frame top and bottom, has a thick ply backing to protect the chisels from the abrasive Fibre cement walls, the tool holder racks are angled to keep sharp ends against the ply back and the timber holders are reinforced with metal brackets.



    The next job will be making two strong shallow draws and fit them side by side in the top of the steel frame right below the lathe, we will at last have a central location for the Lathe chucks, fittings and tools.

    BTW the roller door is going to be replaced with an insulated wall, I'll also fit a window and a BIG strong double door. The rest of the workshop is insulated and lined, ceiling is white and another update was the modification to LEDs for the 4 ceiling fluro light. LED lighting was also fitted below the new and existing overhead shelves that are above the Lathe, Band saw, Router table and sanding station - overall lighting is now brilliant. I was thinking of adding a few workshop pictures that I posted in the dust thread, but it feels like I'm doubling up.

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  3. #2
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
    Location
    Caboolture QLD AU
    Posts
    781

    Default

    A few photos to show how the Lathe area fits in with the rest of the WS. All cabinets are movable on locking castors.

    Down Draft, Spindle sander and general sanding table.



    Bell Mouth and DC fitting can move to any position or length. All machine's have a DC port and Blast gate - Including downdraft and Spindle sander.


    Dark oval on back wall is a cover over a huge in-wall fan, it can actually pressurise the room. Vents through roof and ensures clean air when DC is running.


    Below: The Lathe area before the cleanup and mod in Post #1 - Last Photo new Lathe area.



    FYI: A few links to equipment in the photos.

    Spindle sander modification (fitting it to the sanding table) Spindle sander dust collection.

    Router table build Yet another Router table build.

    Bandsaw Dust collection starts at post #66 Beginner attempt at DC - thanks to forum members

    Tight space Blast gate post #23 Blast gate gallery

    Bandsaw circle cutting jig A thick circle

    BobL thread on DE, ports, blast gates and Bell mouth construction Improving machine cabinet dust ports

  4. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    Montmorency Victoria
    Posts
    554

    Default

    Looks so well planned out ... and light

    Nice work ... love the bell mouths

    Rob

  5. #4
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
    Location
    Caboolture QLD AU
    Posts
    781

    Default

    Thanks Rob, it's taken a while but very happy to get to this stage.

    BTW Bell mouths were supplied by BobL.

    Cheers

    Mike.

  6. #5
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
    Location
    Caboolture QLD AU
    Posts
    781

    Default Lathe draw - at last!

    Recycled an old fish tank stand and used part of it to make a draw under the lathe. The draw sits recessed below the lathe platform and has not suffered dust ingress so far. Again, nothing fancy just functional and strong, the draw brings all the most used Lathe fittings into one handy place. My better half was extremely happy - and that's the only critique that really matters.



    Shallow depth and height make it easy to access a lathe fitting.

  7. #6
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    Thornton NSW
    Posts
    456

    Default

    Love seeing creative recycling like this.

  8. #7
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    Brisbane
    Age
    53
    Posts
    350

    Default

    Love it all! Wow, you've done so much work on dust collection, I don't think you need to worry about any dust getting in the drawer - It won't have a chance to even get close. I will be double jealous whenever I'm sweeping out my shed.
    Good things come to those who wait, and sail right past those who don't reach out and grab them.

  9. #8
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
    Location
    Caboolture QLD AU
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    781

    Default

    Hi surfdabbler, thanks for the comments.

    As you likely know, I still need to use the Vac (externally mounted) to clean up the bigger chips from below the lathe, but this setup certainly seems to get most of the bad stuff when running in conjunction with good cross flow ventilation and room venting extraction. I prefer using the Vac (with chip separator) for floor cleanup to avoid filling the DC filter bags with lots of floor chips and unnecessary waste, of course, and fortunately, it's only the lathe in our workshop that throws big chips around like that.

    Cheers.

    Mike.

  10. #9
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    Thornton NSW
    Posts
    456

    Default

    Mike, may I ask what you lined the ceiling with? My first thought was Whitecote Masonite, but I couldn't see any H strip.

  11. #10
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
    Location
    Caboolture QLD AU
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    Default

    I found these sheets about 14 years ago when I lined the ceiling in that part of the shed, they are glossy white 3mm MDF sheets, very flexible, which is a pain - read sag - but funds were in short supply by that time and I got them for a few dollars each at a closing down sale. Screwed some aluminium channel (same closing sale) around the wall perimeter to hold the edge and screwed sheets to the rafters, and a few timber cover strips - crude, but it's still there - but a gloss white ceiling is just brilliant for reflecting bright even lighting around the workshop.

  12. #11
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    Peoples Republic of Bryn
    Posts
    393

    Default

    it does looks like the 3mm cabinet backing sheets we use to stable on the back kitchen cabinets.

    most cabinetmakers will have this lying around and they are quite cheap.

    It has made a huge improvement for lighting your shed, i personally don't like a lot of white, as i feels that I'm getting snow blindness

    But if the lighting isn't up to standard or not bright enough for the task, white walls and ceilings really does make a difference.

  13. #12
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
    Location
    Caboolture QLD AU
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    781

    Default

    Agree that to much reflective white can be a problem, however the walls are the unpainted matt finish of the fiber cement sheeting, some gray but most came as a pale yellow finish, still keeps the workshop brighter and as it's not reflective like the ceiling it's perfect. The main bench top is matt light blue - gray, again clean to use and no reflected light to bother us. Router table in white is nice though, the various swappable plate inserts can be any colour and that is the area around the router bit, the spot you are looking at, it's also perfect. Both my wife and I would describe this workshop as an inviting warm place to be on a cold rainy day - if you get what I mean.

  14. #13
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Location
    Kimberley Western Australia
    Posts
    46

    Default

    Hi MandJ,

    Love your workshop! Well thought out.
    Does you dust extraction get ported outside ie next to the garage door. Is the DC in a enclosure?
    Do you have any photos?
    Do you find that your heating and cooling is affected when the DC is on?
    Curious, as I have just purchased a DC and trying to work out the best place for it.

    Regards
    Stephen

  15. #14
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
    Location
    Caboolture QLD AU
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    781

    Default

    Extraction port is on the other side of the enclosure - now a Big boxed extension pipe, not tiny grills as shown in these early photo.

    Huge through the wall fan pressurises the shed, NO air from the dust extractor exhaust port can enter the workshop.

    Heating and cooing are always affected when bringing outside air into a workshop - the more air the more the affect - so the bigger the DC the more airflow through the workshop.

    Some old photos, the upper bags have been replaced with two HUGE pleated filter canasters, lower bags are now plastic - 3HP DC with 14" impeller.






  16. #15
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Perth
    Posts
    27,756

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by MandJ View Post
    Some old photos, the upper bags have been replaced with two HUGE pleated filter canasters, lower bags are now plastic - 3HP DC with 14" impeller.
    After you installed the PFs did you think about using the filter bags as the collection bags?
    This would result in an even lower back pressure on the filters and give the DC is outside it doesn't matter if they leaked.

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