Lonnie’s Sun Room Workshop

I wasn’t sure what to put for “shop type” since my space is a 190 square feet sun room right off the kitchen. This means the Mrs.has an observation window from the kitchen sink. I used to have nearly the whole space taken up by a table saw but this year I switched to a more bandsaw centered process and bought a Festool track saw. I also convert a corner of the basement into a spray booth every now and then.

I didn’t bother to clean up before taking pictures so you can see my boys still working on ‘boats’. I even built an addition onto the workbench at their height. I would make a lot more furniture if not for their help but its not hard to get help vacuuming the floor.

One of the blessings of a sun room is the ability to keep the dust collector outside, saves space and keeps noise to a minimum. I keep the switch on and just plug it in when it’s time to use the stationary tools. However, that means I have to bring the bag in each night so it doesn’t get wet. I use the Festool vac for all the hand held tools. A box fan with a furnace filter in the window over the lathe is my ghetto air cleaner.

Another plus is the very high ceilings allow me to keep 12 foot boards stored vertically in the corner. I can keep about 150 board feet in a pretty tight space. Storage is accomplished by two quickie wall shelves, a converted IKEA kitchen cabinet base unit, and an old filing cabinet nestled under the bench.

The manifest includes
-lunchbox planer
-Rikon 14″ bandsaw
-Festool: TS55, OF1400 router, RO DX 90 sander, CT22 vac
-router table with RE-600 3hp Ryobi router
-Craftsman lathe
-cheap, embarrassing bench top jointer and similar drill press
-Dewalt 717 miter saw
-HF 1/2hp dust collector with cyclone lidded trash can
-a few planes and chisels along with assorted goodies strewn about

Someday I’ll take over the rest of the basement so that I’ll have enough room for a proper jointer and a miter saw station (maybe even a table saw). But for now I’ve got access to the outdoors, lots of natural light, high ceilings, and the ability to keep an eye on my boys while they play in the yard. So for now I’m good.