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Eye Candy: 10 Drool-worthy Home Woodworking Shops

by on Jan 25, 2013

Our woodworking shop is our 2 stall garage. Because of Mr. Maven’s incredible organizational skills we can fit into it one full-size table saw, one portable table saw, one free-standing jointer, a portable planer, miter saw, several drills, three or four sanders, a router and stand, our scrap wood collection and two rolling tool chests plus just about every thing else we might need when dealing with wood, electricity and plumbing. Along with all that, we keep

two huge garbage cans in there and two cars. Actually, one car and one very large F150. Again, this wouldn’t work if not for some serious organization. It works for us, but Mr. Maven would LOVE a dedicated shop complete with a vacuum system and a finishing room. Kind of like Norm Abram’s New Yankee Workshop, which is the first on our eye-candy list. 

 

Finding a still picture of Norm’s shop is not easy, but I was able to find this shot taken a few years back. It really is the holy grail of woodworking workshops. 

A man sits cross-legged on a counter in a full, but neat garage workshop.

Giving Norm a run for his money is the extraordinary space pictured below. The photo and shop belong to flickr user mtneer_man. 

created at: 01/18/2013
Photo: flickr user mtneer_man 

Bob gives us a tour of his 3-stall garage that he uses as his shop. He added a dedicated spray-booth to the space. Nice. 

A workroom with several worktables, shelves with tools and a row of five orange extension cords on the wall.
Photo: http://teddiesbylauralynn.com/

 

 

 

Lest you think this list is for large shops only, take a look at these next three. 

Matthew turned a one-stall garage into the perfect workshop using space-saving solutions. Read the entire Fine Woodworking article here to see how he did it

created at: 01/18/2013
Photo: Matthew Teague

Vicki uses a 12′ x 18′ shed for her shop.

A wooden room with wooden tables having various stuff lying on top of them.

Smaller yet is this garden shed turned wood shop belonging to Matt Fuller.

america's best workshops

No yard? No problem. Here are two very nice shops set up in the owners’ basements.

Dave Knaw’s basement was unfinished and therefore a blank canvas, which he turned into a very workable workshop.

america's best workshops

John’s shop is in his basement too. It’s bright and light-filled and pretty amazing.

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And now, my sentimental favorite. Wayne Newman is the gentleman who owns this workshop located on Vancouver Island, BC. In it he makes walking and hiking sticks and canes, which he sells. The permanent structure is an 8′ x 10′ wood shed, but because Wayne likes to work outside, he attached an awning–which he refers to as his ‘addition’–to the front of the shed so he could do just that. 

A green tent outdoor next to a tree with a table under it and two bundles of sticks leaning on the table.

 

 

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3 Comments

  1. May I use this space to ask if you can miter a 1-1/2 inch radius on one ebge of a standarg 2×4  = 3-1/2 x 1-1/2 inch net size.

    I will buy 2 lengths of 2×4 studs (hopefully soft white pine)  by 41-1/2 inches long, and both lengths need to have 1 edge mitered to 1-1/2 inch by 41-1/2″ long. Can you do this for me?

    Thank You,

    Duane C. Balch