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Member Shops and Stories

Show Us Your Shop - Jim Swoboda

Take a look at Jim's shop with all the trimmings

By: Handyman Life Member Jim Swoboda

Online Rating: (9.5/10)

I recently built my house and 40' X 60' shop on 10 acres in Valley, Neb., just west of Omaha. The shop is constructed with 2"x6"x12' and is fully insulated with pegboard interior walls all around.

There is an 18' wide x 10' high overhead door on each of the 40' sides with lumber storage racks above each. I also have an 8' wide x 7' high overhead door that opens to a 3' drop. This makes the truck bed level with the floor for loading equipment.

I have over 30' of work bench with a built in radial arm saw and many storage drawers built in below. The lighting is 11 high pressure sodium fixtures that were taken out of a factory, switched in 5 zones. Above the main bench is 3 - 8' cold weather fluorescents.

I have high/low occilating fans on the ceiling in three of the four corners with switch controls by my 200 amp, 240 volt power panel. In the center of the ceiling, I have a whole house fan for venting and a 20 amp GFCI electrical reel.

Running down the center of the shop ceiling is a 38' monorail hoist beam bolted through 17 of the trusses with two trolleys. In one corner I have all my metal working tools. Another corner is my plywood storage racks. I have 12' of warehouse racks sitting about 10' from the wall with built in storage shelves on the wall behind it.

I have many wooden cheese boxes, (from my Grandfather), that I store hardware in, and I have the full line of Shopsmith equipment with all the bits and accessories.

In the winter, I have a free standing wood burner that I burn waste oil and wood scraps for heat. Last, but not least, for when the work is done, (or occasional parties), I have a keggerator.

MEMBER COMMENTS

RMAJERUS

Location: great falls, MT
Registered Guest

Posted:6/18/2009

Member Rating: (9/10)

Well laid out. You can restore old trucks at one end and restore old furniture at the other.

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caborst

Location: fort worth, TX
Member

Posted:7/6/2009

Member Rating: (10/10)

Great looking shop Jim. Dwarfs mine which is a two and a half car garage converted to a shop well laid out but I sure could use more room. Would like to see some of the things you turn out in there.

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deputydawg

Location: elizabeth city, NC
Life Member

Posted:7/7/2009

Member Rating: (9/10)

Very Nice shop Jim. Clean and well organized as a shop should be when a project isn't going on.

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JESWOBODA

Location: valley, NE
Life Member

Posted:7/10/2009

Member Rating: (10/10)

Thanks caborst. I would attach a few pictures, but I can't find a button for attachments.

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JESWOBODA

Location: valley, NE
Life Member

Posted:7/10/2009

Member Rating: (10/10)

Thanks Deputy Dawg! I hate to admit it, but my shop isn't usually so neat and cleared. With the rental homes we own, I almost always have projects going on that take up most of the space. I do a lot of recycling and these pictures were taken as I prepared my shop for about 4 tons worth of machinery that I purchased from a local manufacturing plant. I stripped it all down, seperated the metals and sold it to the local scrap yard. I'm now in the middle of building a gymnastic's balance beam for my granddaughter. Other than being a bit shorter it has all the dimensions of a regulation beam, I would attach some pictures, but I can't locate a button for attachments.

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dpride1

Location: fairmont, WV
Member

Posted:8/10/2009

Member Rating: (8/10)

Jim, Great shop. You comment you have shopsmith items. I have a old shopsmith which I have cleaned the rail with steel wool and sprayed with anti-stick , but every time I go to slide the table saw on the rail it is stuck and I have a hard time getting it to slide. Any solutions?

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JESWOBODA

Location: valley, NE
Life Member

Posted:8/11/2009

Member Rating: (10/10)

dpride1, It's hard to tell from the information given what your exact problem is, but here are some things I do. When I loosen the wing nut to move the station, I turn it about two full turns, then give it a tap into the station. This will center the two wedge nuts and allow it to move. I will also periodically clean my rails and 'wax' them with a car wax. I have found that using a spray will work short term, but them become a "magnet" for the dust. I would also suggest not using a steel wool as it will remove any protective finish on your rail and make them suspectible to rust. If they are already rusty, steel wool would be good for removing the rust, but then make sure you keep on top of the car wax to prevent any future problems. Hope this helps. If I've missed the boat alltogether, give me a little more detail and I'll try again. Jim

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	Member Tip
All power tools (radial arm, table and band saws, drill press, sander and wood lath) as well as a wood-storage rack are on wheels so I can keep floor space plan flexible and the tools will wheel out when I need them.

Photos