George’s Basement Workshop

Shop Tour - Submitted by George Hardin from Granite Bay, CA
Added on March 17, 2016

I started building furniture when I was 12 years old. I took wood shop in school, and after HS I started buying whatever tools I could afford. In my early 20s I supported myself making furniture. I then had a long career in information technology. Building furniture is now my retirement gig and my passion. Some of my tools I purchased in 1969 and they refuse to die. Others such as the miter saw and planer were recently replaced. I have spent a considerable amount of time adapting dust collection into every stationary/portable power tool. My multi tool bench (planer, jointer, scroll saw, miter saw and drill press all have dust collection with independent blast gates. My rolling workbench has a built vacuum for attachment to various portable power tools. I also like to be very organized, can you tell?

Discussion

mdhills March 18, 2016 5:41 am

Nice.
What do you do at the chop saw vs. the bosch miter saw?
And how much space do you have on the right of the bosch?

I am a bit surprised that you have bare concrete floor — I know that I like having the rubber horse mats down, at a minimum.

Reply
- GHardin March 18, 2016 9:02 am
  
  Hi MDHills, thanks! I have about 7′ clearance to the right of the Bosch, and unlimited to the left, which suffices for most of my furniture projects. My old Ryobi chopsaw is handy for smaller pieces, especially since it is right next to the table saw. The Ryobi has a nice blade and is accurate enough for picture frames. I have thought about floor covering of some sorts, but too many projects, too little time. Since all tools and benches are on castors the cement floor does make it easy to move stuff around.
  
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Richard Arveaux March 18, 2016 10:08 am

Nicely done George, I’m a bit like you, though at 73, I tend on occasion to forget where I laid something down, so I have pencils and rulers everywhere! Very well arranged, like the above poster, I found 4 x 8 mats for my wood floor, you might want to consider something like that, concrete is tough on older legs and backs!

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Stan P March 18, 2016 11:23 am

George, great shop. You take being organized to a new level! I particularly like the planer, jointer, scroll saw, miter saw and drill press table, now that is an efficient use of space.

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Mark J March 18, 2016 1:07 pm

Very nice, George. And for the record organization is a good thing. I particularly like the multi tool bench. With all the intersecting and interleaved in flow and out flow paths it reminds of those wooden Chinese puzzles where when you finally fit all the odd shaped pieces of wood together you get a perfect ball.

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Beau P March 18, 2016 7:43 pm

After looking at your shop I feel the need to start organizing and cleaning mine immediately. How has your experience been with that Laguna table saw? I’m in the market right now and that saw is on my short list of 3. It seems like you get a lot of saw for the money.

Reply
- George Hardin March 27, 2016 12:08 pm
  
  Hi Beau, I have had the Laguna for one year and like it. My first saw was a Powermatic 33. Dust collection and vibration was an issue, otherwise it served me well. The Laguna has excellent dust collection, especially after sealing gaps. Vibration is non existent. The saw was accurate right out of the box. My two complaints, the Arbor is on the left side, so I can’t use the tape on the fence if I use any other type of blade. The aluminum that the fence rides on comes in two pieces. It doesn’t seem to affect accuracy, but really? I understand Laguna does that for shipping. I am happy with my purchase so far.
  
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- Stan Bidlack April 9, 2016 8:53 am
  
  Beau,
  Are SawStop’s professional cabinet saws on your short list? If not, I’d urge you to to check the numerous online reviews & demos. After months of thorough reading & hands-on research, I bought SawStop’s PCS 3HP 220v. 36-inch. (The only reason I didn’t go with the 52-inch: not quite enough space in my basement shop.) This saw is equal to any other high-end table saw — Delta UniSaw, PowerMatic, etc. SawStop’s build quality, precision, and finish are unsurpassed, and its safety technology is incredible (and will 100% insure a spouse’s blessing!).
  
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Bob Alderman March 24, 2016 4:04 pm

Love your shop, George. Very effective use of space. It looks like you have about twice the room I do, but I could probably have had a shop about as big if I’d left out the game room and the pool table. I’m still setting my shop up, BTW, just getting started at the youthful age of 71. It will be named Al’s Place, in tribute to my father, who made beautiful stuff in a tiny, tiny shop. Or it might be in penance for all the grief I caused him. Whatever. Just normal generational stuff. I hope you won’t mind if I ask you for advice now & then. I’m giving myself a year or so to build cabinets and find the best way to locate things.

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- George Hardin March 27, 2016 12:21 pm
  
  Hi Bob, thanks! The Internet is a great resource for beginning woodworkers. You will make mistakes, but part of the art of woodworking is hiding mistakes. If your cut is off my an inch, suddenly the whole project is an inch shorter. I messed up a lot of boards teaching myself woodworking. I have also found that design on paper decreases future headaches. You are more than welcome to ask me for advice. You should also check around your hometown for woodworking clubs. Have fun!
  
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Beau P March 30, 2016 8:06 am

Thanks for the feedback George. The arbor is something to think about and I really appreciate it.

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Martin Silver March 27, 2019 9:58 am

Because of space, I have a “worksite” table saw (Bosch 4100). So many sacrifices compared to a cabinet saw! Wondering if you have any advice about making the most of the worksite style saw (add ons, techniques, etc.)?

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George’s Basement Workshop

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