I am in the process of setting up my woodturning shop, and I would love to see pictures of other peoples shops and set-ups. I am especially interested in seeing photos of tool storage. I have built a rolling cabinet that I can move right beside the lathe that will have my grinder mounted to it. I want to customize some of its drawers for my woodturning tools and accessories. Any photos of your storage set-ups would be greatly appreciated.
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Woodturning Shop
- Thread starter Jason Ledbetter
- Start date
I bought the woodturners in my shop magnetic strips for their tools. When I closed the factory I found all of them still in their boxes and the tools in drawers which were immediatly behind where the turners stood at their lathes. I thought I was so smart to come up with the magnetic strips but it turns out that the tools are better off in a draw because the turners had one or two tools that they used constantly and others occasionaly.
Elizabeth
Elizabeth
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I'm a magnetic strip user, but only between projects. While a piece is in progress, I lay the tools down in the shavings in front of the lathe with the sharp end toward my searching hand. They go back to the strip when I clean the table.
Storage with nose down means you have to come up with some coding system for the bottom of the tool - too complicated. Storage nose up means you have to isolate them well enough so that you can't accidentally impale yourself if you trip. Strips on the wall near the tailstock are what I finally settled on, because everything else I built filled up with shavings eventually, or was clean, but over away from the lathe.
I do have drawers under the lathe, and they make a great place to store tapers, wrenches, sandpaper, and so forth, with two exceptions. You have to remember to close them or they fill up, and you have to give a quick sweep of the hand on the table over them or curse as the heap of shavings under the toolrest tumbles into the freshly opened drawer. That's why the turning tools aren't in there.
Storage with nose down means you have to come up with some coding system for the bottom of the tool - too complicated. Storage nose up means you have to isolate them well enough so that you can't accidentally impale yourself if you trip. Strips on the wall near the tailstock are what I finally settled on, because everything else I built filled up with shavings eventually, or was clean, but over away from the lathe.
I do have drawers under the lathe, and they make a great place to store tapers, wrenches, sandpaper, and so forth, with two exceptions. You have to remember to close them or they fill up, and you have to give a quick sweep of the hand on the table over them or curse as the heap of shavings under the toolrest tumbles into the freshly opened drawer. That's why the turning tools aren't in there.
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- www.hockenberywoodturning.com
I suggest avoiding the magnetic holding for turning tools.
One of my favorite little gouges was magnetized when I left it close to a magnet by accident for sevral days. It now has a disturbing resistance when I use it and doesn't move smoothly along the tool rest because of the magnetism.
For fine cuts I like the least resistance between the tool rest and the tools. both should be clean and polished. It is most difficult to achive a smooth flowing curve if you have to push against tool rest resistance and move the cutting tip at the same time.
happy turning,
Al
One of my favorite little gouges was magnetized when I left it close to a magnet by accident for sevral days. It now has a disturbing resistance when I use it and doesn't move smoothly along the tool rest because of the magnetism.
For fine cuts I like the least resistance between the tool rest and the tools. both should be clean and polished. It is most difficult to achive a smooth flowing curve if you have to push against tool rest resistance and move the cutting tip at the same time.
happy turning,
Al
Steve Worcester
Admin Emeritus
Here is a shot of my rolling tool storage. Since it is rather large, I wouldn't want to roll it far. That and there are matts all around the lathe on the floor.
The tool rack on the top, left is for the gouges. They poke through the bottom and the steel rests on a sheet of rubber. The far left on the side is for the long gouges and hollowing tools, ditto on the rubber. Underneath are the coring tools and misc crap. The grinder is attached to the drawer and that whole unit is removed when I want to take it for sharpening at demos and such.
The tool rack on the top, left is for the gouges. They poke through the bottom and the steel rests on a sheet of rubber. The far left on the side is for the long gouges and hollowing tools, ditto on the rubber. Underneath are the coring tools and misc crap. The grinder is attached to the drawer and that whole unit is removed when I want to take it for sharpening at demos and such.
Attachments
I have been thinking about changing my tool set up. I am thinking about getting PEG board and attaching it to the wall next to my lathe and then using hooks to attach my tools to the PEG board. I think most people will have there favorite tool they grab for first. Mine tend to be my 5/8 Crown bowl gouge followed by my 3/8 Sorby bowl gouge for detail work.
Angelo
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Magnetic Strips
Don't like magneric strips much. I use them for tools I don;t use often. Why? You may ask.
Well the tool steel will take on a bit of magnetisim from being stored this way. Then when you grind them the steel particles stick to the tip of the tools....pain in the neck.
I'll sen d you a pic off line of the rack I have behind me.
Angelo
Don't like magneric strips much. I use them for tools I don;t use often. Why? You may ask.
Well the tool steel will take on a bit of magnetisim from being stored this way. Then when you grind them the steel particles stick to the tip of the tools....pain in the neck.
I'll sen d you a pic off line of the rack I have behind me.
Angelo
I went to Steve Dunn's workshop in Los Angeles and he had a similar system to a pool cue storage rack. I thought it was a really good idea but noticed that when people worked they never put the tool back into the rack they just put them down somewhere handy.
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Not much space in my shop. I’ve often wondered if a submarine designer wouldn't be the ideal architect to layout tool storage, etc.
Cutting tools are arrayed on a magnetic rack. No matter how many times I remake this I run out of storage. Chucks, jaws, centers and whatnots go on the rack which is mounted at eye level. This keeps most of the shavings off the hardware.
BH
Cutting tools are arrayed on a magnetic rack. No matter how many times I remake this I run out of storage. Chucks, jaws, centers and whatnots go on the rack which is mounted at eye level. This keeps most of the shavings off the hardware.
BH
Attachments
M
mkart
Guest
magnetic strip
If your using a magnetic strip try keeping a de-magnitizer handy. They're cheap and work great so you don't feel that little bit of resistance. I found one at Rockler for $6.
mkart
If your using a magnetic strip try keeping a de-magnitizer handy. They're cheap and work great so you don't feel that little bit of resistance. I found one at Rockler for $6.
mkart
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mkart said:
Personally, I like to keep the tool snug to the rest. Magnetism might even help. It certainly isn't a variable resistance, though. A constant tug is easily forgotten. A ding in the rest from not keeping the tool firmly on it is much more significant.
I built a bench that sits at right angles near the tail end of the lathe. My primary tools are held standing on end in the long block across the back of the bench. The upper left hand drawer holds most of the other tools. These photos were taken shortly after I completed the bench. There is now much more clutter living on the surface. The only real problem I have with this setup is that the entire bench gets covered with chips during an aggressive rough - out. You'll find the photos in the shop sections of
www.bagendstudio.com
www.bagendstudio.com
Andy Hoyt
In Memoriam
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Pictures are worth a thousand words. So see accompanying photo. One thing it does not show is the smartest thing I ever did. I bought a 24" fan and mounted it on the ceiling just over my right shoulder as I face the lathe. It's on whenever I turn, and keeps the vast majority of stuff out of my nose.
Everything I need is just a step or two away. Except the coffee pot. That's a whopping four steps. Gotta do something about that. Gouges and such are stored in either an inverted piece of old wire shelving or a mongrelized drafting table.
Storage is critical, and I have a place for everything, but in the real world a good third of it stays on the "ready bench" just below the wrenches. So now I'm thinking of "overbooking" my drawers, just like airlines do with reservations. That will be especially important when I get a decent-sized machine. Any one want a 1018/1042?
Hope this helps.
Everything I need is just a step or two away. Except the coffee pot. That's a whopping four steps. Gotta do something about that. Gouges and such are stored in either an inverted piece of old wire shelving or a mongrelized drafting table.
Storage is critical, and I have a place for everything, but in the real world a good third of it stays on the "ready bench" just below the wrenches. So now I'm thinking of "overbooking" my drawers, just like airlines do with reservations. That will be especially important when I get a decent-sized machine. Any one want a 1018/1042?
Hope this helps.
Attachments
Last edited:
I like an organized shop
:cool2:
My shop is in the basement of our house. It's about 1200 sq. ft. and it has a 12 ft ceiling. My wife has an adjacent studio which is handy since we frequently collaborate on projects. I have a 2HP dust control system built into a closet in an adjacent storage room. I like things organized and clean. I value my time and hate wasting it looking for things. See photo's on my members gallery page.
:cool2:
My shop is in the basement of our house. It's about 1200 sq. ft. and it has a 12 ft ceiling. My wife has an adjacent studio which is handy since we frequently collaborate on projects. I have a 2HP dust control system built into a closet in an adjacent storage room. I like things organized and clean. I value my time and hate wasting it looking for things. See photo's on my members gallery page.
Last edited:
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I must say I do admire those of you who have such sanitary work shops. I try, I really do, but I have woodchips all over the place, I have a 125 yr. old breadbox (big square with handles, used when the bakery came to the houses) standing on end with my tools placed upright nice and neat, by size..............until I start turning. Then my tools are kept "handy"; under the Jet Mini, all along the ways on the General 26020 or on the shelve below the ways. Some day I'm going to be like Jim Bremer and not have to spend my time looking for the tool I just put down. I'd really love that!
On my website ( http://www.torne-lignum.com ) you can see my workshop the day after I painted it all and had just moved everything in place. You don't want to see it today!
Ruth
On my website ( http://www.torne-lignum.com ) you can see my workshop the day after I painted it all and had just moved everything in place. You don't want to see it today!
Ruth
Magnetism
I still have a turner working for me because my customers asked me to help them out. He needed some extra tools so I gave him a set that I had accidently magnetized that I thought I shouldn't sell in that condition. I warned him that they might stick to the tool rest and he was very happy and said that he often magnetizes his tools on purpose because he feels it takes less effort to turn with tools that are magnetized.MichaelMouse said:
magnitized tools can be easily de-magnitized with a simple demagnitizer!