I had a long career in the print industry, but even after long days at the plant, I always had something going on in my small wood shop. It was divided between my basement and a friend's garage. I always invested in good, high-quality equipment, never regretting the expenditure. Someday, I hoped I would not be confined to a basement with low ceilings and steel posts that often added frustration to my projects.

As my career came to a close, my wife and I retired to the Ozark mountains in SW Missouri, building a home with a 1,500 sq. ft. attached shop. I installed all the T&G pine myself. Not knowing exactly where each piece of equipment would finally rest, the electric was piped on the surface of the walls. I have picked up a lot of local custom work in addition to my online business.


I really wanted a separate shop in the back woods with a driveway, but costs exceeded our budget. The shop looks hidden from the road but the walkway takes you to a back entrance door with a bell.


The walls and ceiling are 1x6 T&G pine that I installed myself. I coated it with a very pale yellow just to warm it up a bit.


Though I use the Sjobergs Workbench every day, the 4' x 8' bowling lane slab serves as the assembly table.



I bought a Powermatic PM2000 with a 5HP motor and no regrets on the expense. I push a lot of thick hardwoods thru it and it handles it all with ease. The table saw is positioned to handle 16 foot lumber. The 8" jointer with a helical head is a few steps away. The dust collector serves only these two machines. I heat the shop with a wood burning furnace. Although it has a blower, I've never needed to activate it. The warm air radiates well with the plenum on top and reaches 70 degrees on the coldest Missouri days.


The machine sanders are in one location and don't take up a lot of space. I tried to design the shop so I'm not walking around machines.


These three machines are in the center of the shop. A 20" planer with helical head, a 38" Woodmaster drum sander, and a 14" bandsaw. I put a 6" riser on the bandsaw which does okay, but would really like an 18".


This work area is where sharpening and repairs take place, along with my fly tying.


The lathes, a 3520 and 1221, are along a recessed wall. The Jet has a Vega duplicator on it.