Popular Woodworking 2002-06 № 128, страница 25
200-amp breaker panel. This gives me voltage flexibility and also saves me money when I run three-phase tools and utilities. The shop thermostat, which is zoned so the electric three-phase heat pump can be used efficiently, keeps things comfortable. The heat pump works both as a furnace and an air conditioner with central duct work in the attic and all registers in the ceiling. The main shop return air duct is equipped with an electrostatic prefilter that acts just like the world's biggest ambient air cleaner. And because I have learned that 80 percent of all heat and air conditioned energy is lost through the ceiling, I opted to blow r38 virgin fiberglass into the attic. Lighting is one of the most important aspects in any shop, and you just can't beat working with natural light. I installed lots of 48" x 62" double-hung windows. These let in daylight, make things easy on the eyes and save on the lighting bill. For when the sun isn't shining, I installed dual 8' florescent low-noise/high-output daylight florescent tubes. The tubes produce an 87 c.r.i. (color rated index), are a good buy and come very close to the daylight spectrum. This translates into less eye fatigue and better work. Where dust collection is concerned, most people make setting up a system too complicated. I opted to use three 1,100 cfm (cubic To keep the shop as dust-free as possible, I upgraded all the dust collectors with 1-micron efficiency bags that help keep airborne dust out of the air. I also use 4" and 5" hose, connectors and blast gates to maximize airflow efficiency and collection capacity. Keeping the collector close to the machines also improves performance. Oh, see the rescued barn door in the background? That's going to be a new tool storage cabinet for the shop. feet per minute) dust collectors and kept all hose and pipe runs short and sweet. A remote on/off switch for a dust collector is a real time saver. An ambient air cleaner by the workbench where I sand the most picks up dust that the other systems don't catch. My shop basically is divided up into complementary tool zones. This is called the workstation concept, where tools are arranged to work most effectively together. For instance, a compound miter saw, table saw, jointer and planer are perfect companions. When these four tools are positioned together, 90 percent The single most important tool in my shop is the 352-pound European-style Ulmia workbench.This heavy-duty bench can't be pushed around and is like an aircraft carrier with lots of room to do whatever I want. It also has a tilting drawer which (confession is good for the soul) is one great catch-all with a lock.The drawers never stay neatly arranged if much work is getting done in the shop. I prefer to keep the bench pulled away from the wall so I can work on all sides of it as necessary. of furniture project preparation can be completed in this one zone. Plus, this makes it easy to hook up all the tools to a dust collector and saves time when moving from tool to tool during construction. It also makes sense to put all the hand tools in cabinets by the best light so you can use your workbench most efficiently. Any time a woodworker has to walk across the shop to fetch a tool, you can bet the setup can be improved. Maybe this is why it's taken me 32 years to get my new shop just about right. I still believe in the versatility of casters and mobile bases because this allows me to easily reposition tools for large work pieces and store them when they're not needed. One huge luxury in the new shop is the 18' x 9' insulated garage door at the back of the shop. On good-weather days, the door goes up and the joy of working in great light and air is exhilarating. Often, I roll the planer or sanders outside and let the chips fall where they may. Plus, when it comes time to use my high-volume, low-pressure spray finishing system, you can't beat the ventilation. When the weather's not good enough to open the door and spray, environmentally friendly finishes such as water-based polyurethane, shellac, wiping gels and true oil finishes are easy and safe to use. A few extras (I didn't tell my wife, Suzy, about these things) are the in-floor concrete electrical plates that cost about $300 each installed, extra incandescent track lighting to add highlights, three monster fire extinguishers (required) and a security system that |
