Shop Build

[Eric Knapp]

This is a progress report on my shop, not an instrument. Winter is approaching here in WI and I am finally going to have a climate-controlled shop. It is in complete disarray at the moment as I build a wall. Once I'm done I will have a smaller, but warm shop that will let me build guitars, I hope. I'm sharing this here because this forum is keeping me going. Seeing all the things you all make is inspiring and I'm excited to be closer to having an actual instrument to share. Here's a pic of the progress.Ya gotta make a mess to have a clean shop, eh?

-Eric

[Jason Rodgers]

Nothing like the anticipation of setting up a new space. Here's my adventure from a few years back. http://www.mimf.com/library/Jason_Rodge ... -2011.html

[Eric Knapp]

Nothing like the anticipation of setting up a new space. Here's my adventure from a few years back. http://www.mimf.com/library/Jason_Rodge ... -2011.html

Thanks for sharing this, Jason. My shop is also in our garage with the same deal with my wife. However, it's a 2 1/2 car garage and I'm ending up with about 350 sq. ft. My pro shop was 1,000 sq. ft. so this feels a bit cramped to me. I have a lot more crap than you and bigger tools. Once the wall is done I will need to pare down the crap to the most useful crap and pitch the rest. Designing my shop for efficiency will be possible soon. OK, now I have to go out and install more insulation.

To the batcave, er, shop!

-Eric

[Peter Wilcox]

It is in complete disarray at the moment as I build a wall.
-Eric

At least you have a good excuse. Mine looks like this all the time.

[Eric Knapp]

It is in complete disarray at the moment as I build a wall.
-Eric

At least you have a good excuse. Mine looks like this all the time.

HA! A man after my own heart. I'm at the point where whenever I turn around something falls on the floor. An intervention is in order I believe. My wife and I have the same level of mess tolerance. We both like it tidy but neither of us want to actually do the work. Of course, that means we are a happy couple.

-Eric

[Mike Conner]

Eric,
Thanks for the update! This forum is encouraging as you say, and we can certainly qualify your posts as a "build log"
I usually describe my usually messy shop as "looks like Norm Abram threw up in it", though since I don't have as many toys it usually looks more like Roy Underwood just got done sweating and bleeding. Some young folks who visited recently said it looks more like something is actually being built compared to other shops they had seen, though I think they were being kind since I was showing them how to do a thorough setup on a hollow body.

[David King]

I have that bandsaw. Still trying to figure out what it's good for, if I had a boat it'd make a great anchor. 40 years and a bad fire didn't do it any favors.

[Eric Knapp]

I have that bandsaw. Still trying to figure out what it's good for, if I had a boat it'd make a great anchor. 40 years and a bad fire didn't do it any favors.

That bandsaw is like an expensive racecar. Tuned up and adjusted properly and it can do things as well, if not better, than almost all other bandsaws. It took me a long time to get all the variables dialed in right. Once I did it was wonderful. I used to do resawing for other woodworkers in my area. I could cut a 1/16" slice off the face of a 10" figured maple slab. The years of neglect have left it in a bad state. I'm working on finding that balance again. So far I've replaced the tires with urethane and am experimenting with blades. I can't find the blades I used to have so I'm on a hunt for something comparable. There is a tool store in Los Angeles that knows a ton about them and could help if you want to try to make it useful. I'd be happy to help in any way I can. Also, I've noticed that ones in good condition sell for a pretty big chunk of change on some sites. That's another option.

-Eric

[David King]

They are incredibly touchy in terms of setup and tuning. Eagle has been helpful but so many of the parts have been out of production for so long that it's impossible to find them. I've had to make a slew of parts so far but it's a time sink i can't afford. My old delta 14 covers the resawing pretty well in spite of it's drawbacks. I'd trade them both in in a minute to get a real 20" saw or better yet a 36" Crescent.

[Eric Knapp]

They are incredibly touchy in terms of setup and tuning. Eagle has been helpful but so many of the parts have been out of production for so long that it's impossible to find them. I've had to make a slew of parts so far but it's a time sink i can't afford. My old delta 14 covers the resawing pretty well in spite of it's drawbacks. I'd trade them both in in a minute to get a real 20" saw or better yet a 36" Crescent.

Yes, very touchy. I have the advantage that mine has been dormant for a very long time. It's still in very good shape. I know there will come a day when I will need to replace it. I'm already keeping my eyes open for a good one. I need to find out what the good old ones were and watch the want ads. If I can find a good blade for resawing that works for this beast I might be able to keep it going for a good long while, though.

-Eric

[Steve Sawyer]

Great progress there, Eric. I know what you mean about having everything in disarray during the process. I was just thinking yesterday that I know I have some nice Hock marking knives...somewhere.

I too am very picky about keeping the shop neat, but during big projects like this I get very "twitchy" with all the disorder. Sometimes I have to take a break and get all the tools put away and organized, as I find myself wasting too much time digging through the piles and standing with my hands on my hips casting my eyes about for the tape measure I was using five minutes ago...

I had a day off from work yesterday (tacked onto a road-trip to an out-of-town wedding and hurricane party in South Carolina), and spent the day on the ductwork for the new DC system, including making blast gates for the machinery. Once the duct work is installed, and the lighting wired up, I can put up the ceiling and the space will be all done and I can start re-organizing everything into it's proper place.