Why I’m Trading the Perfect Workshop for a Functional One
Re-evaluating the direction of The Woodworking Shed and looking at what the future may hold!
A New Direction
Welcome back to The Woodworking Shed! As we grow, plans and priorities change, and that is exactly what this post is about!
I’ve been reflecting on the original plans for The Woodworking Shed and refocusing them based on new priorities. In this post, I’ll be covering workbenches, tool storage and beyond
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The original plan
The original plan for The Woodworking Shed was simple:
Insulate the shed
Add internal walls
Fit lighting
Build a workbench
Build tool storage
Start working on projects!
This plan was full of challenges. At the time, most of those challenges revolved around the limited available space. Thankfully, this is no longer such an issue with the addition of the storage shed. However, a lot of time has passed, and there's been a lot of thinking in that time. And the plans have been changed somewhat.
If you want to read more about the original plans, here's where you need to be:
In the rest of this post, I’m going to run through how these plans have changed and what’s coming up for The Woodworking Shed!
From Habitable to Functional: A Shift in Focus
Who doesn't dream of their perfect workshop?
A finished workshop has been one of the biggest drives for me so far, but I also want to focus more on woodworking! I want a workbench so I can play around and experiment with different projects and have a place to use all these great tools I've bought, without having to make weird and wonderful clamp arrangements to make things work!
So what does that mean?
Well, in the past, I used the word habitable to describe my goal, but I’m changing that to functional. I’m stripping back the luxury (and expense) for now and pushing that back to a later date.
I do still want the insulation and internal walls; I want that ultimate workshop. But this shed just isn’t up to the task. If I’m going to spend the money to add these features, it needs to be on a building that is going to last…
So I need a new shed, right? Not necessarily… More on that later.
The most important thing is to get a basic workshop arrangement set up ASAP!
And that means two things: Lights and a shelf. I’m sticking with the plug-in baton lights idea, an imminent purchase. And I’ll build a shelf out of spare wood from the storage shed. It might not be a permanent fixture, but it will solve the current problem where all of my tools have to live on the floor!
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Workbench(es)
The next big thing! It almost feels like I've been putting it off at this point. I haven't, I promise. A lot of what has happened has been workbench-centric. I want to build a workbench that will be suitable for hand tool woodworking, that won't be limited by space constraints.
I drew plans for a workbench a while back, way before the storage shed was built to create a bigger workshop. I now need to revisit those plans and redesign my workbench to fit my new, bigger workshop space!
But before that… A revelation.
The Portable Workbench
While building the storage shed, I found myself clamping spare pieces together to make a makeshift workbench to help with cutting the more complex parts and to help with planing.
I’ve decided to make use of the spare wood from the storage shed build to make a portable bench. I even have an idea to incorporate a makeshift vice to make things easier.
This will really help when it comes to building the actual workbench, where there will need to be a LOT of planing. A place to cut mortises that isn’t the floor will be a godsend, too. I think it’s going to be a really worthwhile project. As an added bonus, I’ll be able to work outside easily, something I really enjoyed whilst building the storage shed.
Most importantly, it’s free!
Main Workbench
I’m putting this one on the back burner for now… I don’t really think I need one at the moment with what I’m trying to achieve. And, if you keep reading, I’m sure you’ll agree, for the time being… It’s only going to be in the way!
When I do come back to the workbench project, it’ll be back to the drawing board, with all of the new space available to me, there is no need for the compromises that were made in the original design.
Tool wall
Tool storage was always planned, but back then I didn't know enough to even consider how much space would be needed, let alone how is pull it off. Drawers? Shelves? I had no idea.
On top of that, now that I have decided to defer insulating the shed to a later date, I need to ensure that my tools are protected from the elements!
But how?
There is a gap between the shed and my house. It’s completely dead space, so I’m going to make use of it! I plan to build a fully insulated tool cupboard that cantilevers out of the side of the shed. How cool is that? All my tools are stored away, and little to no space inside the shed is used.
It won’t come easily, I’ll have to redesign the shed frame and cut a hole for it to slot into, all without the shed falling down. That’s a challenge.
The end product will be a cupboard that, when closed, is completely flush with the internal wall.
If I can pull this off, and I will!
Dilapidation
I said I’d come back to it. It has become a real concern to me how long this shed is going to last. I’ve noticed that the roof is starting to bow in. The rest of it seems ok, but without a roof, it’s not much of a shed, is it?
In the short term, I think I need to add some extra rigidity there somehow. This should be simple enough and will buy some peace of mind until it comes time to do something more permanent.
This is where it all gets wild and exciting! I have an idea for a phased project where I slowly rebuild the whole shed from the inside out. Mad, right?
This idea came from the tool wall. If I can modify one wall, I can modify them all, right?
I’ve not ironed out all of the details for this project yet. For sure, there’ll be a lot of planning involved for each phase, and I haven’t even started yet. There’s a lot to consider.
The tool wall will be the trial, phase 1, you could say. It will test my method and the outcome, and the lessons learned from that project will drive the following stages.
I’ll be announcing this project series more formally once I’ve figured out a few more details. Exciting times ahead!
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Moving Forwards
It's great to have a plan. Personally, it keeps me motivated. It gives a sense of direction and something to get excited about!
But even the best laid plans have bumps and turns on the road. If the tool wall doesn’t pan out, I’m going to have some real issues on my hands, that project has a real point of no return! But that doesn’t phase me, it’s an exciting project that I can’t wait to get started with!
But first… The shelf and the portable workbench are the priorities, these will provide me with the tools to get things moving.
Thanks for reading!
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If you want a heavier bench that will work but allow you to move it if you need to - and work with hand planing to make boards flat (scrub plane, jack plane, trying plane, smoothing plane ) instead of power jointer and planers - you might want to look at the Moravian work bench, if you haven’t. If I knew I was probably going to need to move a bench around I would look at this design.
Plans:
https://store.woodandshop.com/products/moravian-workbench-plans
DVD on how to build:
https://store.woodandshop.com/products/digital-download-building-the-portable-moravian-workbench-with-will-myers
Interesting, yes. I’d hesitate to break out the wall to make tool cabinets because .. several reasons. You need some space between buildings - it’s where the rain falls, and the snow piles up. It provides ventilation so your house siding doesn’t mildew. At this point the wall is an intact weather barrier—if you break that you open up a can of worms with siding, trimming, roofing, sealing the little addition. You need space to work around behind and atop the extension, so there’s a limit to how much you can extend. And for Christmas sake, man, quit fucking around. It’s a small space with a questionable roof. It’s not worth making a palace out of, and it’s serviceable as it is. Use the space between the studs—insert shelves or cabinets as needed—and get your tools and supplies off the floor. Build a solid bench. Store more shit under it, but leave room for clamps under the top. Then make a chair or something useful for the house before your wife shoots you.