I posted this on owwm.org and figure you folks would be interested too so l'll repost it below.
Well, not really a tour, more like a few pictures to look at and me collecting my thoughts in writing as I look to the upcoming year. This is the time of year I don't do much at the shop. It's hunting season and I spend a fair amount of time with my son duck hunting. But hunting season ends on Jan 29th and Feb and March are the best months to make shop progress. No hunting, no yard, and too early for food plots and improvements at the hunting property mean weekends and some weeknights are prime time for workshop projects.
The big project for the upcoming year is to complete the upstairs at the shop which is being turned into living space, a tiny home if you will, of 360 square feet of bachelor pad to be built in the craftsman style. When I built my shop I had the area above the woodshop made with attic trusses. Looking back I should have done the whole shop with attic trusses. At the time I didn't realize how much could be done with that space and was pinching pennies. Like everyone says, "I should have gone bigger." But I digress. As of today the upstairs is framed, electrical and plumbing roughed in. The interior work is about to begin. First on tap is to machine that heart pine auction win for the bead board ceiling, install and insulate. That should keep me busy for a while.
Hard to believe my building was completed eight years ago. My middle son was a freshman in high school when the build started. He's an Auburn grad now. Plus my oldest graduated cc, and daughter is about to head off to Auburn. Damn time flies! The woodshop isn't completely finished, but it is close. I still have to run dust collection ducting and the Newman tenoner needs to be restored. But beyond that the workshop to-do list is empty and it will just be an evolutionary process.
The shop is 40x70 with 12' ceiling and the woodshop is 30x40. The remaining 40x40 is for parking boats, storage and a general work space. Construction style is pole barn on a 4" thick slab. This isn't a detached shop. I built it on a lot about 10 minutes from my house. The thought being we will move someday and I don't ever want to move my shop, plus HOA prevented me from going big. The biggest upside is the shop is essentially a commercial building and has appreciated much more than were it a detached shop. There are some things I would do differently today, but I do not regret one second building the shop. It is the gathering place for myself and friends and used multiple times a week with no end in sight. Upon retirement I plan to run a small business of making duck hunting related items such as classic gunning boxes, duck calls and displays, taxidermy shadow boxes etc..
I'll just post the woodshop pictures now and quit rambling, but I'm happy to answer any questions about the shop, machines, or anything else.
Eric
Well, not really a tour, more like a few pictures to look at and me collecting my thoughts in writing as I look to the upcoming year. This is the time of year I don't do much at the shop. It's hunting season and I spend a fair amount of time with my son duck hunting. But hunting season ends on Jan 29th and Feb and March are the best months to make shop progress. No hunting, no yard, and too early for food plots and improvements at the hunting property mean weekends and some weeknights are prime time for workshop projects.
The big project for the upcoming year is to complete the upstairs at the shop which is being turned into living space, a tiny home if you will, of 360 square feet of bachelor pad to be built in the craftsman style. When I built my shop I had the area above the woodshop made with attic trusses. Looking back I should have done the whole shop with attic trusses. At the time I didn't realize how much could be done with that space and was pinching pennies. Like everyone says, "I should have gone bigger." But I digress. As of today the upstairs is framed, electrical and plumbing roughed in. The interior work is about to begin. First on tap is to machine that heart pine auction win for the bead board ceiling, install and insulate. That should keep me busy for a while.
Hard to believe my building was completed eight years ago. My middle son was a freshman in high school when the build started. He's an Auburn grad now. Plus my oldest graduated cc, and daughter is about to head off to Auburn. Damn time flies! The woodshop isn't completely finished, but it is close. I still have to run dust collection ducting and the Newman tenoner needs to be restored. But beyond that the workshop to-do list is empty and it will just be an evolutionary process.
The shop is 40x70 with 12' ceiling and the woodshop is 30x40. The remaining 40x40 is for parking boats, storage and a general work space. Construction style is pole barn on a 4" thick slab. This isn't a detached shop. I built it on a lot about 10 minutes from my house. The thought being we will move someday and I don't ever want to move my shop, plus HOA prevented me from going big. The biggest upside is the shop is essentially a commercial building and has appreciated much more than were it a detached shop. There are some things I would do differently today, but I do not regret one second building the shop. It is the gathering place for myself and friends and used multiple times a week with no end in sight. Upon retirement I plan to run a small business of making duck hunting related items such as classic gunning boxes, duck calls and displays, taxidermy shadow boxes etc..
I'll just post the woodshop pictures now and quit rambling, but I'm happy to answer any questions about the shop, machines, or anything else.
Eric
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