Hobbyist or Professional: Hobbyist

Project Name: Powermatic 66 Rebuild

I picked up this old timer from an old timer who was no longer able to make sawdust.The man was selling his whole shop, and under a pile of boxes was the green beast. I could see the base and the label. Powermatic Model 66. The serial number date code shows it’s a 1967 make. While I don’t know the exact history of this particular saw, it’s likely it once resided in a high school wood shop class. Given the shape of the cast iron top, I’d bet on it.

This was my first attempt at a rebuild. I’ve done a few hand planes and small things, but never anything of this capacity. The adventure started like you would think. I stripped it down. Ziploc bags and a Sharpie helped keep all the nuts and bolts organized. This was vital on the reassemble. I had it in my head it should only take a few weeks to complete; it took two months! However, the majority of the time was waiting for paint to dry.

Once everything was in pieces, I sanded and painted the cabinet with rattle can, which did not work well. It’s impossible to keep a “wet” edge with spray paint on such a large area. I did not find out how bad it was until I went to put the saw back together. Every time I would bump the cabinet, the paint would chip off. So I had to back up and punt. I tried to sand it back down to no avail. I ended up taking it to get sand blasted to raw metal. The best 60 bucks I could have spent. Once I had the saw properly prepped, I had to get the proper paint. I ended up using Sherwin Williams DTM oil base. It is a very good paint, but it takes a good two weeks to cure. The guts of the saw were painted with Rustoleum Hammered in the quart can. I used a dabbing technique with a brush to get the coverage needed. The 3hp Leeson motor got a quick coat of black spray paint just to help it match the rest of the saw.

Every piece of machined metal and the nuts and bolts where polished with a 3 step buffing compound. As an added step of rust protection, I applied a light coat of shellac to help seal the metal from moisture. I don’t know if this step really did anything, but it made me feel better! The top was sanded from 60 – 2000 grit. There are several hammer dents in the top, and a bad dip next to the throat plate (about 25thous). I thought about having the top re-ground, but decided to roll with it and see how it performs.

I’ve now got the saw in use. With a new Forrest blade, it cuts like a dream. The dip near the throat plate does not affect the cut whatsoever. I do have a few tips for anyone thinking about attempting such a rebuild.

1. Prep-Prep-Prep.
If you have to have it perfect (like me), sand blast everything with paint on it. The finished product is so much better when you start from scratch.

2. Be ready to spend some money.
I’ve got around 500.00 wrapped up in the saw rebuild (not counting the saw). Don’t go into it thinking you can do something like this for next to nothing. Bearings, belts, paint, sandpaper, nuts, bolts, etc… it all adds up.

3. Take your time and make it perfect.
Your work will be much better for it.

It was a very fun project. I am a “tool guy” as much as a woodworker. Some would say I’m more the tool guy. I now have a mid 60’s Powermatic 141 14” bandsaw waiting to be put back into action.

Website: Byrdwoodworking.com

Hobbyist or Pro: Pro

Shop Type: Standalone

Square Footage: 1040 sq. ft.

I have a 24 year background in construction and the last 13 years as a commercial construction superintendent. I have been building furniture and cabinets for the last 12 years and teaching myself new techniques to improve my skills with every project. I have been laid off since last Sept. and haven’t had much luck finding another superintendent position, so I’ve been trying to make a start at my own woodworking business.

The shop is a 26ft. x 40ft. pole building that I built in 2005. I framed in the walls to insulate and drywall. I also decided to frame and sheet the floor instead of concrete. It has a 200 amp independant service. It’s location is about 100′ from my back door. Equipment is as follows. 5hp Delta unisaw, 15″ Delta planer, 14″ Powermatic bandsaw, 18″ 3hp Jet bandsaw, 36″ vintage Crescent bandsaw, Powermatic 719T mortiser, Delta 8″ jointer, Performax 2244 drum sander, Jet 6″x108″ edge sander, Shopfox spindle sander, Delta 6×48 belt/disc sander, Delta/Rockwell 24″ scroll saw, Delta 12×36 wood lathe and too many hand tools to list.

A two-car garage is home to the Tom Buhl Workshop, an amateur endeavor. As you see in the first photo, that two-car garage also houses treasures, precious and otherwise, from combining two households five years ago into a 950 square foot home. When I married the lovely Ms. Gastil, she had a old, but serviceable contractor’s saw. So I made some shelves and storage devices from scraps and several raised garden beds. First furniture project, almost four years ago, was a set of bedside tables using plans purchased online. I was hooked. I play in the shop pretty much every day unless rain descends on our little corner of paradise.

Obviously, I work in a well-ventilated area with plenty of natural light. After opening the garage door, I roll out the carts. Even to use semi-stationary, I have to clear access space. As tight as things are, I’ve always managed to find a storage pattern to add another tool. I added the Jet 16-32 early this year and didn’t know how it could possibly fit, but somehow a formula was developed. When unexpected rain occurs it is a scramble to tuck everything safely away.

The PM2000 (a CraigsList find) has built-in wheels but stays put. Drill press and Grizzly 18-inch band saw are also used inside, but I will position to suit size of work. Wood cart on left wall was the first shop project—it has served me well. Holds scraps, cut offs and sheet goods. The Sjöbergs workbench has been good value with its vises and dog holes. It is not particularly suitable for serious planing and such. The added wheels further diminish its stability but I’ve gotten good use despite limitations.

To the right is a tall rolling cart (another CraigsList find) which is an awesome addition. Typically, the Sjöbergs bench is outside, opposed the table saw. The cart placed perpendicular to the workbench where it is handy for small bench tools. Recently, I added the small cart under the table saw extension to hold tools, blades, mitre gauge and ear protection. The large cross-cut sled is used frequently. It was especially appreciated when I had the contractor’s saw. Felt much safer and enhanced accuracy and control. Had to re-build it somewhat to fit the PM2000. I also have sleds for 45-degree miters and another for 45-degree bevel cuts.

Other power equipment include a 6-inch PM jointer, 13-inch DeWalt planer, dust collector, PM mortiser, PM spindle sander. The PM2000 came with router built into the extension but I found the Rockler table (Bosh 3-1/4 hp unit underneath) to be more flexible. Under the router table I keep tool boxes, one with bits in trays and the other with tools and attachments. I have a few other routers including trim and my favorite (thanks to Marc’s demo), a Veritas router plane.

The Rocker clamp cart is fabulous. I used to keep the clamps mounted on the wall, which kept them out of the way. But getting to the wall meant rolling gear away, then taking to the work area. When removing clamps I’d put them on any available surface. Which invariably would be the next surface I’d want to work on, so clamps would be moved again. Frustrating. The cart is great though I have it a bit overloaded (weight-wise) for its design. Also on that cart are pancake compressor and toolbox for scrapers. I have a separate small cart for my sharpening gear.

Last photo shows the workbench (beech and padauk) for my in-house office. Good for rainy days and late night hand-work. The cabinet below (cherry and beech) houses some of my precious hand tools. The cabinet rests on stretchers and can be lifted out. Bench can be broken down to move. Cherry stool in foreground was a recent project. I haven’t supplied pix of the river-salvaged, old-growth Belize Mahogany stickered in our living room. It is great having a spouse that appreciates my addiction. She’ll frequently pickup delicate shavings and small off-cuts to accessorize our lovely home.

This setup would not be appropriate for a production shop, but I work slowly and appreciate being outdoors. Early on, I built a garden shed/playhouse for my wife’s gardening gear so that she had ready access. Oh, yeah, and I guess a bit more room for my playthings as an added benefit.

Thanks for visiting. Hope to see many of Marc’s fans at WIA this October. For photos of projects and such check out TomBuhl.com

Finally, a thorough look at my new digs. Now my hope is that this shop is just temporary, until we sell the other house. But until then, I can make my 3-car garage a comfortable place to produce great projects! Enjoy the shop tour!

Although for me, IWF was about representing my sponsors and meeting up with readers/viewers, nearly everyone else has one thing on their mind: tools. So we did our best to get some footage of the most talked about tools of the show. I know we missed quite a few (specifically, Jet’s new oscillating drum sander). But with our tight schedule and impending exhaustion, we did the best we could. Nothing fancy, nothing funny, just tools!

Here are the companies we visited:

Leigh, Blum Tool Co., Ex-Factory, DeWalt, Powermatic, Delta, and Laguna.

For more IWF coverage, check out these great resources:
Fine Woodworking Editors Blog
Popular Woodworking Blog

In cooperation with Powermatic, we recently filmed 10 “shop tip” videos. The videos are a Powermatic website exclusive, but they are really like a bunch of short Wood Whisperer episodes. In fact, this is almost an updated shop tour, which a bunch of folks have been asking for. And as an added bonus, you get to see my best Zoolander impression! Enjoy!

Topics:
Kaleo Kala’s visit to Marc’s shop, “The Schwarz”, woodworking classes, Lie Nielsen’s backorder, new tools from Festool and Powermatic, Forstner bits without spurs, and milling lumber with only a planer and a router table.

If you want to leave us a voicemail: 623-242-2450

General:
* This season on New Yankee Workshop, Norm is building… kitchen cabinets!? Do you find watching Norm build cabinets interesting? Or is this season a bit boring to you? Let us know what you think!
* Check out Dave Noftz’s website and podcast at modernwoodshop.com.
* Matt signed up for a handsaw class with Chris Schwarz.
* There are lots of new blogs and podcasts about woodworking starting up.
– The Teenage Woodworker (http://lumberjocks.com/teenagewoodworker/blog/3383)
– Dave Noftz (http://www.modernwoodshop.com)
– Kaleo (http://www.kaleosworkshop.com) (Note, no longer active)
– Gord Graff (http://blip.tv/gord-graff) (http://www.gordgraff.com/)
* Matt is thinking of upgrading his table saw. But, should he upgrade or buy new? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
* Glen Huey: Article on Popular Woodworking’s blog about new plunge cut saws (similar to Festool’s) being made by DeWalt and Makita available in Europe. (http://www.popularwoodworking.com/article/plunge-cut-saws-available-in-europe)

Voicemails / Emails:
* Skee – Minnesota
I’m in Minnesota where it’s cold. My workshop is out in a detached garage. If I put a big portable heater out there and temporarily heat the space for a day at a time, am I going to harm my tools or hurt the wood by letting it cycle through hot and cold if I heat the garage up to 50 or 60 to stand being out there, then it drops down to 20 degrees at night? I know I can’t do glue-ups and finishing in this weather, but what about milling the wood and doing cuts? Then I can wait till the Spring to do the glue-ups and finishing. What do you think?

* Roberto – Voicemail
I have a question concerning a type of wood species. I am going to build an entire bedroom set. I’m looking for kiln-dried Manayo wood. I’ve been looking on the internet, and I can’t find it at all. Maybe it goes by another name?
We couldn’t find anything, but if you know of a source for Manayo wood, leave us a comment, send us an email, or leave us a voicemail so we can pass the information along.

* Dan – Florida
I have three quick questions for you:
1) what do you think of the Leigh Isoloc dovetail jig templates? Would you buy them? Do you like them? Would you use them?
2) I’m pretty new, and when I apply my polyurethane after I stain, I get bubbles on the surface. Is that from the kind of brush I’m using or the way I’m putting it on?
3) I’m in the market for a Powermatic Jointer. I can probably only fit a 6″ in the shop, but I’ve been looking at their 8″ jointers. Which one would you guys go with? I’ve been looking at the 8″ model 60B or the parallelogram one.

Leigh Isoloc templates

* Bob – California (It’s currently raining… and he’s in the car.)
Just wanted to check out your new technology and give you a shout out. I was at a furniture restoration store, and a guy was refinishing a piece using a wax that was already stained. The wax looked like it already had stain in it. (It looks like Bob got cut off here, but we’re going to answer the question he was probably going to ask about tinted wax!)

In this part of our AWFS series, we hear from numerous manufacturers about their new and exciting products. If you want to learn more about these companies and the products they offer, check out these links:
WMH Tool Group (Jet/Powermatic)
Leigh Industries Ltd.
SawStop
Tenryu America, Inc.
Steel City Tool Works
Festool

*note- I apologize ahead of time for the sound quality. We did the best we could under the conditions we were presented with. Nicole did a great job keeping my energy level up and encouraging me to get these interviews so we all have her to thank for it. Enjoy!

In this video, I give a full tour of my shop space and show you what I feel are the essential tools for small and large workshops. I also discuss topics like tool prices, shop setup, and tool selection. You will also get an inside look at how my days typically start. Enjoy!!!

Update (8/27/10): Seeing the old shop is really surreal. Its amazing how many changes took place in that space over the course of the next few years. Organization, tooling, lighting….these were all eventually overhauled. And now, of course, we are in a totally new space. The coolest thing about this video is that it really marks the start of what I consider to be the “Wood Whisperer-style”. That is, a woodworking show that sheds the stuffiness and isn’t afraid to make fun of itself. I imagine many folks who watched this video were either immediately attracted to, or completely appalled by what we were doing. Education and entertainment for the modern woodworker. That’s what its all about. And while TheWoodWhisperer.com has grown significantly since then, we are still the same goofy fun-loving people we always were. Grass roots to the core! Although this video was probably only seen by a couple hundred people when it was released, it has been viewed over 100,000 times since then. That’s just mind boggling. It was also pretty cool to see my poker chip trays in this video. That article did get published in Woodcraft Magazine and in fact, we made the cover.