Electrical Plan: Draft 1

Click for enlarged image.

I'm in the process of deciding on Shop Layout before locking in the electrical wiring plans. FineWoodworking make a handy shop planner which was faster than my attempts in SketchUp. 

The shop is 4.8x5.4m. Main tools are a tablesaw/ router combo, jointer/ planner combo, 14" bandsaw, 3hp dusty, drill press, large workbench, large tool chest, and the shelving. All the tools are wheel mounted.

The bandsaw and jointer/ planner combo are used for initial milling/ machining and therefore have long pieces to deal with. Hence why the bandsaw is near the door (and probably jointer should be swapped with the drill press.) 

The tablesaw/ router combo is quite large and I'd like to keep it central. 

The dusty I may move to the other side of the wall.

Further shop set up...

The old green shed is starting to look more like a real woodwork shop. The shelving is installed and going to good use. The tools are unloaded and put in their place. Various machinery settling into place. The bench positioned, wheels removed and vices installed. General tidy up and rubbish removal. (The engine crane and scrap bin in the photo is planned to go to storage.)

The shed's second section will be dedicated to storage. Ultimately I'll place a large wood rack on the wall, and move the scrap bin in here. 

Next to the shed I've dedicated an areas 1.2m x 5.6m for a raised vegetable garden bed. Because of the slope of the hill this has meant shifting a lot of soil by hand. This should be installed in the next few weeks. 

Metal Shelving Installed

The metal shelving is finally up and operational. It is made from a collection of cheap Hand Storage kits that I've acquired over time. The shelves are shallow (1') and are only rated to about 20kg but they certainly do the job. For extra stability I've screwed them to the hardwood shed frame. The kits are designed to be 6' tall but in this configuration are closer to 11'6" and stretches most of the north wall. Time to get organised. 

New Supplier: Pilliga Natural Timbers

I'm testing out a new local timber supplier - Pilliga Natural Timbers. This time I'm not looking for 'cabinet grade' timber but rather timber for the shop and yard. After debating various materials I've decided to use Tallowwood (Eucalyptus microcorys). It is naturally termite resistant and has a high durability in wet or damp conditions. Perfect for garden uses.  I've ordered 15 - 2400x250x50mm sleepers and 80 l/m of 150x30mm timber and am expecting delivery soon.

Cleaning Shop: North Side

The new shop is divided 2:1. The smaller north side section is going to be dedicated to timber storage and gardening equipment. This is how it looked a month ago. Today it looks a lot better (but I don't have a photo). The timber cleared out. The rear shelving removed. The metal shelving in the main section. Everything gone. I high pressured water cleaned the ceiling and walls and it's all starting to look a little organised.

South Side Garden

With still no power to the shop my hobby time has been spent in the garden. The south side is coming together well. I've extended the fence with 2.4m star pickets and attached 2mm wire and 100mm square mesh. On that I'm growing passionfruit, kiwiberries, blueberries and I'm awaiting my order of grape vines. The beds will shortly be fitted out with strawberries (waiting on a order of 36 plants) in the middle and cranberries to the west. Still deciding on the east side.  All plants purchased through the Diggers Club.

I've been impressed with the rapid improvement in soil in only about 3 months. I've incorporated about 240L of various manure, a dusting of blood and bone, and then about 2-4 inches home made much. After being turned a few times the soil is starting to look rich and black.  

I plan to use tallow-wood hardwood for all the garden edging. 150x25mm for garden edging including this strip and 200x50mm for the vege beds.

In this most recent photo you can see my attempts to help with the frost by using old shear curtains as covers.

The Hansa C4 has done a fair amount of work and produced some fine mulch. I've had the blade sharpened once and it's due again. I've decided a mulcher is an essential gardening tool. However I have mixed feelings about this model. Still deciding... as always probably should have got the bigger model...

Shop Layout

Keeping my tools (new and old) safe during transport resulted in a lot of packaging. With things unloaded the shop floor was littered with cardboard, metal straps, plastic straps, hard foam, plastic wrap, and bubble wrap. With that cleared out and the majority of machines reassembled I can start to think about layout.

The shop space is 5.4x4.8. Major items include the workbench, table saw (50' rails still to arrive) with included router table, jointer / planer combo, 14" bandsaw, dust extractor, drill press, and wood scrap bin. I plan to keep the metal shelving on the left. The bench on the far wall. The tablesaw in the middle. But then the tetris game gets messy.

Slinging the Wingings and Mounting the Routings

Excuse the tragic title to this post but I want to share about the table-saw wings. The wings are cast iron and attach to main body via three bolts. It's precision work and they are heavy. Moreso I've elected to upgrade the right hand wing with the Laguna Router table. The router table upgrade weighs about 40kg. Good thing I have a crane handy which made the task easy. (Aligning the top will be a task for another day.) I'm still deciding what to do with the secondary MDF extension table and the spare iron wing.

Platinum Series Table-saw Router Table Specs 

• Table size: 19-3/4 in (502mm) x 26-7/8 in (683mm) 
• T slots: 3/4 in x 4 each (2 in each direction) 
• Dust port: 2-1/4 in (57mm) 
• Fence length: 23-1/2 in (597mm)
•  Router rings: 2 each 1 1/8 in (28.6mm) dia. & 2-3/8 in (60mm) 
• Fixing holes: 3 side one, 4 other side 
• Jointer spacers: 0.06 in (1.5mm) thick & 0.03 in (0.75mm) thick 
• Table pins: 2 locations 0.371 in (9.43mm) dia x 1.5 in (38mm) long 
• Universal router mounting clamps: 4 each fitting into t slots 
• Guard: Yes 
• Weight: 84 lb Shipping weight: 93 lb

Unboxing Platinum

Thanks to everyone who gave input on my table-saw search. Although many machines would have been adequate I decided the best value for money option available in the Australia the Laguna -  Platinum Series Tablesaw w/ Dovetail Mech Left-tilt. (Official Website.)

Our Platinum Series Tablesaw features a precision ground table top made of premium grade cast iron, heat treated and ground to mirror-like flat surface. It has a 20" x 27" main table with 2 T-slots, fitted with two 10" x 27" cast iron ground wings. Massive widely spaced cabinet mounted trunnions: perfectly machined to high accuracy to support the heavy-duty saw carriage. Minimizes vibration and ensures proper blade alignment. It comes with a robust spindle supported by two precision ball bearings. Triple belt drive system mounted between the two spindle bearings. This tablesaw comes with a powerful oversized 4HP TEFC motor with a standard magnetic safety switch. EZ-Glide T-Square system for accuracy, repeatability, and easy operation. Standard precisely machined miter gauge with adjustable miter bar. It also comes with a 4" dust port with a sloped dust chute inside cabinet for better dust collection. Standard regular insert and dado insert. CSA, UL, CE certified. What sets this machine apart is the saw carriage traveling via dovetail ways. This provides smoother control when raising and lowering the blade as well as minimal vibration and blade deflection.

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