Setting Up A Home Woodwork Or Model Shop - A
Step By Step Guide
Loreno Lepe
Planning is the secret to a successful home workshop. More and
more people are setting up a woodworking or model engineering
shop, either in their basement or garage.
The first step is to make sure your location is dry. You may
need to make repairs to your garage roof, windows or door. If
you are planning on using your basement then you will need to
waterproof it, so that damp and the corrosion and rot it causes
do not become issues.
Your next step is to provide water and electricity supplies.
You need to have hand washing facilities if you are going to
keep your job clean. An electricity supply suitable for running
your machine tools is essential. These tools will be permanently
wired in. You will also need lots of switched electric sockets
about three feet from the floor. These will be used for plug in
tools.
The number of lights will need to be increased. Three
fluorescent fittings will be enough for most home workshops.
The glare free ones are better, but you may need to fit four of
these. Be sure to fit them above your drill, saw and lathe.
You will need to consider the location for your machine tools.
These need to be away from the door and back onto a wall. This
reduces the possibility of someone walking round the back and
being hurt.
You need to install a dust extraction system, especially for
wood and plastic work. This will remove potentially harmful
sawdust from your machining areas and collect it for disposal.
Choosing your tools and workbench are the final issues.
A few solid wood traditional woodworking benches are the best
choice. These will last for years and are solidly built to last
for years.
A lathe is the absolutely essential tool for home model makers
and woodworking businesses.
It is essentially a device for reshaping square cross-section
timber, metal or plastic into a circular cross-section piece of
finished material. This is achieved by holding the material to
be worked between 2 plates and spinning it. As the material
spins someone holds a sharp tool against it, shaving off some
of the material. Round table and chair legs are produced using
lathes.
Lathes come in different specifications, designed for different
intensities of use. The home model maker will clearly need a
much lower spec lathe than the timber company making tables.
Specification differences include the output of the motor, the
distance between centers (the clamping plates), stands and
chuck size.
It is possible to buy second-hand lathes without too much
difficulty and someone starting out, either in home model
making or in a home-based business should probably consider
this option first.
The band saw has become the preferred power saw for most
woodworkers. It has a long band of steel as the blade that
travels around two or three wheels. The band comes in various
widths and it is possible to use a narrow width band saw blade
for scroll-work and irregular shapes.
Timber mills use very large band saws for ripping lumber; they
are preferred over circular saws for ripping because they
result in less waste.
Resaws are large band saws that are optimized for a narrow
kerf, and therefore low waste. The blade is wide usually
between 2 and 3 inches. They are primarily used for cutting
wood along its thickness, to produce a veneer.
Home woodworkers can purchase a range of band saws suitable for
use in the basement or garage workshop.
About The Author: Loreno Lepe is an engineer. He built his own
model shop in his basement 2 years ago. To read more articles
click http://www.more-articles.info. For more help visit
http://www.band-saws.info and
http://www.lathes-now.info\
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