The Workshop Renovation

I have been slowly chipping away at my shop renovation (See my first post on my shop renovation), though a lot of what I have done is hard to see.  I started by going through everything in my shop and putting what I didn't think I would need into a couple of big boxes.  I had my fellow woodworking enthusiast and good friend, Darren, over so he could pick out some stuff, which he did.  My other buddy, Dave, came over and took the rest.  That's a lot of stuff gone.

The current state of my shop.  Still a long way to go, but I am making progress.

In my sorting process, I also started putting like things together, and began emptying the old dresser I use for tool storage (and which will eventually makes its way out of the house) and consolidating in my father's old tool chest.  I have also started putting stuff up on my "tool wall", beginning with my carving and shaping tools and my chisels.  I particularly enjoyed making my little holders for my spokeshaves.  Next up, a rack for my not unsubstantial collection of handsaws and my egg beater-style hand drills.

Organizng stuff into my Dad's old tool chest.

My "Tool Wall" with carving and shaping tools up, as well as all my chisels.

Cute little racks for holding my pair of spokeshaves.

Though the overall focus of my efforts is thinning the amount of stuff in my shop and organizing what's left, I couldn't resist a little garbage-diving a couple of months ago when I came across a very nice table with cast iron legs sitting at the curb in front of a neighbour's house.  This will come in handy for a variety of shop tasks - assembly and finishing, tool sharpening, clamping portable power tools (scroll saw, planer, spindle sander) among others.

An incredible work table I scavenged from a neighbour's garbage.  The cast iron legs
retail new for about $240 at Lee Valley Tools.

So, while progress has been slower than I had originally thought I have nonetheless made some progress.  Once I get my hand drills and hand saws up on my wall, I will start some more significant (and fun) construction projects.  In particular I will build a rack to hold sheet goods and two or three tool chests to sit under my bench and another to sit under the tool table my drill press is attached to,  I think once these project are done, I'll be close to done the shop reno and I'll be able to move onto actually tackling real projects.

That's about it for now.  I'll try to post about more progress in three or four weeks.