Robert’s Basement Workshop

Shop Tour - Submitted by Robert E Kollman from Kenosha, WI
Added on February 9, 2011

Dark…dank…sometimes refered to as the Mines of Moria (although no trolls are to be found). My shop is filled with all the essentials and few of the extras. All my bigger stuff including the table saw is on wheels. The ceiling in my shop is exactly 6′ high.

This shop has built a desk, cabinets, and one queen size mission style bed. I started the shop 6 years ago out of frustration, when my steuart sauder desk (200.00 and 2 yrs old), fell apart when we moved it to paint a wall. I figured I could build a better desk out of wood for less than that. I was wrong! It cost about $300 to build one out of pine, but it is 5 years old and is still as sturdy as the day it was built!!!!

Discussion

Russ February 9, 2011 10:04 pm

Very good job with your organization. Thank you for sharing Robert.

Reply
- Bob March 12, 2011 1:11 am
  
  I know all you miller fans have all your fingers, so I guess
  there is an argument for dish water…. But I have been
  out of wood work circulation since about Jan. 20th, when
  my landlords property management company told me I could no longer do woodworking in the mines of Moria!!!
  Since that time I have been working 60 hour weeks and
  searching-finding-and moving to a new home shop.
  
  Rodger & Steve, dust collection for me is simple, whatever falls on the floor I sweep up!!!! :) Anything left in the rafters the spiders can use…
  
  Chris, the router wing on the table saw is aluminum, weighs about 5 pounds, the router maybe 10 more, cast iron wings are rigid and more than capable of handling the extra weight- but on the rigid website (makers of your saw) they have a forum, there you will find dozens of guys who have done the same with there saws and
  they have beefed up the support with aluminum or steel cross members adding enough strength to support a Sherman tank.
  
  Rick, I have owned the dewalt planer for 2 years, works hard, has trimmed thousands of board feet (no exaggeration), and gives fine planed boards as long as you keep sharp knives in the machine.
  
  ^Thank you Marc for showing my shop, and thank you
  all for the kind comments… even the Miller and Busch guys!!! :)
  
  Reply
Larry Clinton February 10, 2011 12:41 am

Looks good, Robert. You make good use of the limited space. Nice shelves and a real nice desk there, too. Are they unfinished, or does it just look that way in the pictures?
Kenosha… when I was in the Navy and stationed at Great Lakes in North Chicago, Ill., we would go up to Kenosha to drink…usually shots of tequila. The drinking age was only 18 in Wisconsin but 21 in Illinois. Sometimes I’m surprised I survived those days.

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MikeM February 10, 2011 7:22 am

Nice Shop! True, it is hard to beat the prices with most RTA style furniture. However, if you factor in the cost to quality ratio, the desk you built is definitely the better choice!

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Dave February 10, 2011 8:59 am

Not sure what to think about the can of Bud next to the power tools. Doesn’t quite fit, should have been a Miller. :-)

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rick February 10, 2011 9:19 am

nice shop, do you like the Dewalt -thicknesseR??

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Roger Sullivan February 10, 2011 10:26 am

I’m a Bush light man myself.
I just got a DeWalt planer and LOVE it but, how do you control all the dust? They (and I suppose any planer) sure are messy!
Good job on the shelving and that is a beautiful desk. It may have cost more than buying one but, as was said it will last allot longer and you have the pride of knowing that YOU build it and the family is aware of that too and will take better care of it.

Rog

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David February 10, 2011 5:55 pm

I think your shop is great! It is fucntional and organized! You should be proud…

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Steve Paris February 16, 2011 11:28 am

Hey Robert. Just wondering if you have any form of dust collection ?. Everything seems to be covered in fine sawdust. Rember that most fine sawdust breathed in will create major health problems sooner or later. I just recently lost my dear old dad ( an avid woodworker ) due to lung cancer, and he was a non smoker.

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Dan Drabek February 17, 2011 10:43 pm

I like it. No distractions.

DD

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jasonR February 18, 2011 6:32 am

You got it right! Splurge on the tools, not on the beer.

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Michael February 26, 2011 8:01 pm

Very nice Robert

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Chris B March 11, 2011 7:36 am

I noticed you have an extra router wing on the right of your rigid, table saw and that it appears to be attached to the already existing cast iron wing.

I have the exact same table saw and was thinking about doing this to save space. My only reservation was that I was not sure if the weight of a second wing (mine would be cast iron ~80lbs) would be too much and end up cracking the joint of the first wing.

What is your experience? How did you secure it?

Anybody out there did the same thing or have comments?

Reply

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Robert’s Basement Workshop

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