Builders/luthiers: show your workbenches!

[bassteban]

I think many of us aspiring builders could benefit from seeing workbench, shop & tool(not even a hint of a pun here)shots. I just grabbed the Taunton press' workbench book, which has tons of great stuff, but nothing specifically for instrument making. Whatcha got? BTW, pardon me for likely not participating in this; my online access is severely limited for awhile. Thanks in advance!

[wilser]

Originally Posted by bassteban

I think many of us aspiring builders could benefit from seeing workbench, shop & tool(not even a hint of a pun here)shots. I just grabbed the Taunton press' workbench book, which has tons of great stuff, but nothing specifically for instrument making. Whatcha got? BTW, pardon me for likely not participating in this; my online access is severely limited for awhile. Thanks in advance!

I've got 'the workbench book' don't know if it's the taunton press one, but there is a whole chapter about a bench for guitarmakers.

In either case, I built a bunch of instruments with one of those craftsman bench/vise thingies. My current bench is nothing but 2 laminated sheets of 3/4" maple plywood 5' x 2' with a parrot vise at the end. It's quite adequate for my small shop and output.

[Greenman]

The horror!............the horror!.................



My workbenches are a dissgrace currently.

[T2W]

HAHAHHAHAHA Greenman, thats disastrous, no worries if I had a shop it would most likely be exactly the same, except for the Carling bottles, Im all Heineken Baby !!

[Phil Mailloux]

Here's my current workshop, the spare bedroom The workshop has to share itself with my computer desk and the bass practice room too. At least it's only until my new house is finished and we move in it in a couple of months. Then I'll have a dedicated workshop.

The workbench top is made of three layer 3/4" plywood, legs are Pine and the front of the bench where the vice is is Australian Oak hardwood. When I build a second workbench for my new workshop I'll probably use MDF as it's made totally flat. Plywood isn't and the top of that bench sux to work on.

[Luke Sheridan]

Lots of work surfaces here.
Gotta plug the Home Depot cutoff bin again. Total cost was for everything was $4.75.

[DougP]

i built my first three guitars on a black and decker work mate out on a 25 sq ft balcony at my apartment.

i am about to go to lowes and purchase several major tools to setup shop in my girlfriends garage. i'll post pics as soon as its set up.

Luke, how do you like that Delta dust collector? thats one of the items on my shopping list at the moment.

[LumpyGravy]

I love to see someone else's work environment. Carling's makes a real good substitute for tung oil
I like the dark finish like Guiness myself

[Luke Sheridan]

Originally Posted by DougP

Luke, how do you like that Delta dust collector? thats one of the items on my shopping list at the moment.

Pretty good unit. A bit noisy, but really helps keep the pollution in the shop to a minimum. Check Craigslist for a used one. Should be able to find a similar one for 125. Someone else recently posted that one of the small horizontal units is sufficient for a small shop.

[ProfGumby]

Color me green with envy.....my workshop/bench is the living room floor, a foot stool and either couch right now.

The master plan is to insulate and heat the garage and put my workshop/paint area in there as we use it only forgrills, patio equipment, bikes, wagons and stuff right now. We have a 2 1/2 car garage and have never put a car in there.....

[Aka Nameless]

This is where the magic is made.

It's my Stepfather's Workshop, he lives a few blocks away from me, so I am blessed with being able to use such an awesome and well stocked workshop everyday.

[bassteban]

I love looking at well-used workspaces. Definitely inspiring. Hey Wilser, I'd like to know which book you have- I'm pretty sure the Taunton one, though very complete, does not have anything speicific to luthiers.

[Rudeboy]

lol, try working in a dorm room!
.....my poor roommate

[bassteban]

Right on, guys. I'm waiting on a new house right now, due to be done in July. I'm psyched- 3 car garage(1 car's worth is shop space ) & the formal dining room will be the permanently-setup music room. Under the stairway is dad's secret bass noodling chamber, where I can leave all my pedals & crap lying about, safe from the destroyer(2-yr-old Sophia Elise).

[DougP]

on sunday i got a large portion of my tools: table saw, 14" bandsaw, jointer, compressor, and planer. i spent two days putting them together and still need to finish the table saw this weekend. once its all done, i'll get a pic up. i still need to acquire the heavy duty sanders that i want then it will be "go time" again.

[Son of Magni]

I've been doing some major renovations on my shop. Mostly involving sheetrock and insulation So not exactly in a neat and orderly condition...

[Phil Mailloux]

Nice shop! What do you use the metal cutting bandsaw for?

[Son of Magni]

Yeah, the shop is getting there. Need more bench and shelf space though.

I use the metal saw for cutting brass bridge parts. Overkill yes, but it beats cutting bar stock with an end mill

[bassteban]

There's just something so right about a messy shop. My big tools & wood are stored in my folks' garage, while hand tools & small parts are in our current house(a former rental we're camping out in until the palace is complete). Magni, I was about to make a quip about trimming strings w/your bandsaw.

[throbgod13]

this is great, it gives me some real hope about setting up shop in my garage..

tools listings would be a tremendous help.. hand tools, power tools.. jigs, etc..

what do you do about wood storage?? that is if you have enough wood to warrant storage..

and what about noise levels?? do you have complaints about noise from your neighbors??