Here's My Workshop in the Woods!
by Theodore Wheatridge
Three Lakes, WI
Many years ago I built a small shed for storing lawn and patio furniture, at our Wisconsin
summer home. I added a small workbench along one side for puttering, repairs, etc., not even
thinking about retiring. After retirement I still had my workshop in the city. I have enlarged the
shed three times over the past fifteen years to accommodate a full workshop.
Small as it is, approximately 350 square feet, it allows me to do almost anything. Machines on
wheels makes up for the small space. A lean-to wood shed on the back houses the exhaust system whose
sound drove me crazy. The "woody" golf cart conversion was made to get around the property.
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Looking into the doorway.
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The front of the shop has the band saw and drill
press areas.
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I built this workbench, copying a 100 year old
German
beech workbench a friend owned. With no source for beech, I used maple for the
top and ash for the rest. I eliminated the well that ran across the back of the German one.
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The lathe area is at the rear of the shop. Bench
tools, drum sander, planer, oscillating spindle sander and scroll saw are on stands or rolling
carts. Measuring tools and lathe accessories hang on the back wall.
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The original work area was this workbench I built
for
puttering. The top is made from maple flooring over a
couple of layers of 3/4 inch plywood,
patterned after a
neighbor's work bench he made from a section of bowling
alley he had salvaged. The
router table and air compressor
tools are stored below. The router table mounts on a
B&D Work mate
when needed.
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Hand tools go in these drawers under the workbench
and a lifetime supply of screws, nuts and
bolts in the cases up above.
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I believed the guy who said you can not have too
many clamps. There are more than 150 hanging
on the walls and in drawers.
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Hand power tools, extra
routers, sanders, drills, biscuit
joiners are on shelves. There is not a pegboard hook
in the
place. Everything hangs on custom wooden racks.
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The table saw area, along with the sanding and
sharpening bench is in the addition in the front of
the building. The backbone of the shop is my
1940's
Delta Unisaw. Still quite serviceable after 65 years of
use, even though the 220v side of the
motor is gone.
I acquired it used 25 years ago along with the Delta Milwaukee drill press, and a
matching 5 inch
joiner all for $500!
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I built a revolving three sided stand to hold drill
bits and
other drill press accessories near the drill press in addition
to the drill press table.
Drill presses were not made for woodworking in earlier times.
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Jigs hang on the side wall. I use jigs for almost
all cutting. Sometimes I have been know to spend more time making a jig than the project I am
working on.
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Where to store small things is always a problem. I
converted a steel rack that held folded cardboard boxes to something more substantial. Everything is
filled neatly.
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Although there is a lean-to storage shed at the back
of the
workshop to hold lumber and the exceedingly noisy exhaust
vacuum system, it is nice to have
the boards you need for
projects right beside you. I make many car models, whirligigs,
small boxes,
etc. and save almost all cut-offs from each
and every project.
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A selection of bench tools.
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