The Things You Become Good At.
Up to this point I've considered myself an expert in exactly Zero things to do with woodworking. Dabble - sure. Explore - of course. Question, push boundaries, and find new things to get in trouble doing - what else is there to do on a Wednesday night?
The only thing I would admit is it's possible I have more information on Medieval Furniture crammed into my head than any other person walking the planet at this time. I can't wait to finish the book and forget half of it. No, there is one workshop activity I have performed more than anyone I've ever spoken to. I am about to undergo the process again and with all the paperwork signed I cannot live in denial any longer.
I am packing up my shop and moving again.
Not far. Fourteen miles across town. It's a nicer home, big enough to house both my family and my in-laws as we enter the ranks of the multi-generational home trend. We had first looked into building new,, an I was hopeful for a ground floor shop space connected to the home HVAC. As the better of our options shook out I find myself moving from one 2 car garage to another. Even trade.
Though the new shop space is already insulated with finished walls. That will be a welcome improvement come the wintertime!
This new space will become the ninth space I've made sawdust in since I began playing around 2000. Over time I've become exceedingly good at packing up and moving things, even if doing it is something I'm not fond of.
I thought I'd try and shift my thinking about this move and treat it more like a celebration instead of a hateful slog. This might (hopefully) be the last time I have to fully document the preparations and relocation in a way I have never taken a chance to do before. Maybe sharing these tricks and insights will help someone else as they face their own workshop relocation program.
I still have other posts and builds to catch up on here, but over the next month or so I will go through the steps of breaking down a well used space and opening up and setting around a functional new space. This will include some of my workbench relocation tips that will be put to the test. The newest challenge will be moving my new bench. twelve foot long, four inch thick top and frame beneath and probably weighing in somewhere around 500- 700 lbs.
Now, I'm off to packing again.
Ratione et Passionis
Oldwolf
The only thing I would admit is it's possible I have more information on Medieval Furniture crammed into my head than any other person walking the planet at this time. I can't wait to finish the book and forget half of it. No, there is one workshop activity I have performed more than anyone I've ever spoken to. I am about to undergo the process again and with all the paperwork signed I cannot live in denial any longer.
I am packing up my shop and moving again.
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| The first workshop I documented. (There were two before this) Circa 2008 - a basement shop in Maine. I had just completed this bench. |
Not far. Fourteen miles across town. It's a nicer home, big enough to house both my family and my in-laws as we enter the ranks of the multi-generational home trend. We had first looked into building new,, an I was hopeful for a ground floor shop space connected to the home HVAC. As the better of our options shook out I find myself moving from one 2 car garage to another. Even trade.
Though the new shop space is already insulated with finished walls. That will be a welcome improvement come the wintertime!
 |
| My next shop space (4th) located in a 5x9 space at the bottom of the steps leading to an upstairs duplex. No room for machines here. This was the launch of my hand tool odyssey. |
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| The 5th shop space. This time in a steel shed on my parents land. Hot in the summer cold in the winter. But a wonderful dedicated space I was grateful to have. |
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| I count this space as 5 and a half. We were living in an downtown apartment building and I turned half of our dining room space into a small shop. I maintained it alongside the shop on my parents land, moving back and forth with the seasons. |
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| My current shop space. Version 7.0. When I moved into this space I had promised I was done moving shop forever, or at least a long time. except. . . |
I still have other posts and builds to catch up on here, but over the next month or so I will go through the steps of breaking down a well used space and opening up and setting around a functional new space. This will include some of my workbench relocation tips that will be put to the test. The newest challenge will be moving my new bench. twelve foot long, four inch thick top and frame beneath and probably weighing in somewhere around 500- 700 lbs.
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| I also anually moved things into a space in our small four season porch. That makes this shop space number eight. |
Ratione et Passionis
Oldwolf
I packed up my first shop six months ago. The boxes are moved into the new shop that will need to be insulated and finished out. It's incredibly overwhelming. Glad to see you're documenting this move because like it or not, you're probably an expert at two things!
ReplyDeleteGood luck Derek! I feel your pain – I'm in the middle of a move that will take three years. It sucks.
ReplyDeleteGood luck. I've moved 9 times in the last 20 years. The current home I've told my wife is the last and that my next move will be either the local cemetery, back yard, or fire place mantel (her choice). Sadly, I would have started woodworking in 2004 but then I moved and wasn't in what I considered a permanent home. You blink and 12 years go by. I'm looking forward to future posts. Given I'm just working with hand tools, I could easily work against just about any wall like you did in your apartment. Wish I would have figured that out in 2004. Too much Norm, not enough Roy. My bad.
ReplyDeleteI feel your pain too! We have been in a year long transition from one house to another. We are starting to see the end of the journey, but know we are at least a month out before the old house is on the market finally. Good luck and I look forward to reading about your transition.
ReplyDeleteI feel your pain too! We have been in a year long transition from one house to another. We are starting to see the end of the journey, but know we are at least a month out before the old house is on the market finally. Good luck and I look forward to reading about your transition.
ReplyDeleteThat bench in the first workshop - are you another lefty? I'm ambi-clumsy myself, what ever hand I first learn to use for a task is the hand that I keep using by preference - it can be handy to be able to use both hands, for instance while blacksmithing you can just change striking hands when one gets tired.
ReplyDelete