Small Workshop Tour (Layout and Tool Buying Tips)

[@gretchitectrn5443]

Walter looks like a civil war general... love him

[@StrawbyteWorkshop]

Great tour. We'd all love more room but I think you've done a great job in maximising yours. Thanks - Karl.

[@nwbuilds]

Thank you!

[@loribrooks6736]

I just found your channel and after watching 2 of your videos you have a new subscriber with me! Love that Walter is right there making sure you're on task! Keep up the ideas and videos....Great Content!

[@Njao6q4vrv73]

Sound is good. Like your vibe and your shop

[@moldyzucchinis3251]

just started woodworking & im in the process of putting finishing touches on my garage shop. Keep going man its awesome

[@nwbuilds]

Thank you! I really appreciate that! If you want to connect on instagram (same name) I'd love to see how your shop is coming along

[@StumblingBearWoodcraft]

Nice shop and walk through!

[@fleetswoodshop3339]

Hey my friend how are you doing that's a great-looking shop tour you've got there buddy coming along very nicely my friend. Things are looking real good. And thank you for putting out the video from Doug

[@nwbuilds]

Thank you for the kind words Doug!

[@fleetswoodshop3339]

@@nwbuilds you are very welcome my friend no well-deserved thank you so much for replying

[@crossgrainwoodproductsltd9230]

You could build a cabinet under the sander utilizing the leg frame. Or screwing right into the metal frame to attach it. I would recommend an inset door though so dust doesn't fall between the door and cabinet frame. Also, utilize those rafters for long-term storage. You could lay pieces of plywood, or OSB across two for smaller items. I have a loft and that is where boxes or cases that tools came in go. I have a 6ft circular saw crosscut jig hanging from one side of the loft beam and the other end is on a pulley. I just lower the one end and it acts as a panel saw too. Between this jig and the radial arm saw, I rarely use my table saw anymore. I'm thinking of selling it.

[@Larry48336]

Great job young man!

[@danb531]

Nice shop Nick! Walter is such a good boy. Keep up the good work.

[@nwbuilds]

Thank you! (Walter says thank you too)

[@NebulaM57]

I have to say you've done a great job with your space! I really liked your miter saw station and the sliding hood. I've seen the design before but never seen one that was in a slot that you could raise. That was really cool and inspiring. And having your tool stored just above it was a nice use of space. I am in the process of trying to rearraigned my 12x16 shop with a Craftsman 113 model tablesaw. But struggling to decide how best to position it with my 48x45 workbench/outfeed table. Those two together take about half the space in the shop! Currently, I have to move things around like that little game we had as kids where you had to shift all the squares around to complete the puzzle... move this one down, move these two over and shift another left... then slide this one down and... on and on. Most everything is on castors but it's all in the way. I don't know if it's better to put everything against the wall and pull it out as needed, OR, place the tablesaw and workbench in the middle and everything else against the wall. Anyway, I'm rambling... You've done a great job with your shop layout! Thanks for sharing!

[@nwbuilds]

Thank you for such a thoughtful comment! The miter saw station has been working out really well! Based on KZbin analytics, miter saw stations seem to be a really hot topic so I was thinking about making a video about why I made the decisions I did and what I would do different with a few common scenarios. I definitely understand your dilemma. I ran into that too before I downsized some tools. If you’d like my 2 cents, shoot me your email address and I can reach out and we can talk about it. I’ve been thinking about making a video on the topic and maybe you could be my example!

[@ibitaRaptor]

Dude that DeWalt Planer is so freaking, I used to do that as well. I like this video I can relate with your shop space and needs.

[@nwbuilds]

Thank you! Happy to know I'm not alone haha

[@ibitaRaptor]

@@nwbuilds I was hoping to see a build video of your miter station. Since I am curious to build one like you have now.

[@nwbuilds]

@@ibitaRaptor I didn't film it because most of the project is part of the corner workbench which is a video on my channel. But one of my next videos is going to be talking about what's worth it and what's not for a miter saw station! In my opinion obviously haha

[@scruffysanta8442]

Nice video, and a great looking shop assistant too!

[@nwbuilds]

Thanks santa!

[@joevannucci1392]

I have the Grizzly G0580 3/4 hp band saw, which seems similar to yours, with even less power. For what it is, I love it. I did three things to make it useful in my shop. 1. I added the Griz riser kit, so it now has full 12" resaw capacity. 2. I replaced the tension knob with a hand crank (Highland Woodworking). 3. I googled Alex Snodgrass and followed his step-by-step bandsaw setup. After doing that, the bandsaw has always tracked beautifully, even with the crappy non-standard blade guide system.

[@nwbuilds]

I love this list and if I saw it sooner, I may have kept it lol. I ended up selling it with intentions of getting a better one. But I've come to really enjoy the additional space in my shop so we'll see. Thanks for sharing!

[@zenkenshokunin]

I can corroborate that a standard miter saw is better than a slider. The Bosch is probably the best but they ALL wiggle from side to side which means less accurate cuts which means more frustration. A good rule of thumb; simple is better, avoid bells and whistles. Side note: I like this channel because I am also a lefty woodworker in a small shop.

[@crossgrainwoodproductsltd9230]

Great shop layout. My shop is a 10x16ft shed I had delivered and insulated and hired an electrician to come in and install its breaker box and outlets. I do wish that I put in more 220 outlets, but those can always be added. At the 110 outlets, I have power strips with a surge protector so I do not have to worry about a surge in electricity burning everything up. The 220 outlets have a built-in surge protector, which was a bit more than a regular 220 outlet but well worth the price. Most everything is "hobby" size due to size restraints. About a year later, I regretted not getting a larger shed. You know, hindsight and all. One thing to consider before buying a new table saw. I noticed you have a track saw. Awesome! I do not and use a straight edge for full sheet breakdown, but the samething. I have the Dewalt DW745 table saw, but it does not take a dado stack. So instead of spending thousands on a new table saw, I purchased a 1950s 10" Dewalt radial arm saw. I wanted something to restore, but this was in such great shape, I just did an interior cleaning and new bearings. It came with a blade guard, extra blades, and a shaper attachment. When I have a lot of dados or rabbits to do, I put the dado stack on this and I love it. You can cut wider width than a sliding compound miter saw, it accepts a dado stack, does compound meters, and if need be, can do long rips on it. Once these saws are set up and aligned, you will get dead straight cuts every time. Plus, there's a bonus, it was only $75.00!. I have seen them listed from $25 to $225.00. That is a bit much if you ask me. Brand new a RAS costs at least $4000 and go up from there. But on the secondary market they are super cheap. I didn't want anything electronic like the Craftsmen that came out in the 1980s. I wanted nothing that could break that would effect the whole saw. I think it may be a good alternative for you as well do to the size of your shop. Just a thought. Thank you for the tour. You gave me a few ideas.

[@robertrobinson3597]

I got rid of my Craftsman RAS because I had to reset it for accuracy time & time again. Avoid this frustrating And costly experience. I have a wonderful Makita mitre saw that has worked well for 20 years, but dust collection is not its fine point. If someone can invent a mitre saw that captures sawdust they will be wealthy! Most, and some are NOT good enough here. Mine lives in a saw cage which limits most sawdust until I vac it out. BTW Leave some room & comfort for the woodworker, Cushioned floor, good lighting & fine dust collection. Avoid Drawers They are Just tool traps.

[@stuartandrews4344]

Just upgraded the lighting in my workshop to LED panels & battens from fluorescent light,amazing improvement.. And I put my dust collector in a small lean to shed I built attached to outside of workshop, cuts down the dust & mess in workshop when using & emptying bag.

[@nwbuilds]

Upgrading lights is something I wish I did a long time before! Jealous that you can get your dust collector outside!

[@stuartandrews4344]

@@nwbuilds Lean to is only about a metre square,been thinking about making a pull frame to fit dust collector on, for easier access.Also been working on designing a boom arm similar to these in the link, plenty of ideas on YT,a couple of them would make dust collection easier & cover a large area of my workshop.kzbin.info/www/bejne/hJ_Tap2wfZypd6s

[@charlesbiller3674]

Great video

[@nwbuilds]

Thank you!

[@bobbyhunt100]

Hi Nick, Thanks for your input. I think you're doing a great job with your videos, though I must admit that I clicked the link especially because I saw the photo of "Walter" and I am a total dog tragic. Your presentation is excellent and informative and there are many things which I'm sure I'll use in my shop. I liked the "Voiceover" on one of the other videos and find that hearing a description while watching a build is the most informative way to absorb information. With my new subscription I look forward to seeing the next informative offering from you and Walter. Keep up the good work mate and big hugs to "Walter." Best wishes from Australia!!

[@nwbuilds]

This is the single greatest comment I've ever received - thank you

[@norm5785]

Wonderful shop tour, thank you for sharing your awesome workshop layout with us. May shop is the same deminsions, many of the same tools, much karger miter saw statuon at 8' with the blade centered at 5'. I probably have way more workbench surfaces than i really need, but some double in their use. I need to find a permanent home for my CNC, as atbthe moment it is taking up soace on my main 25"*74*37 workbench. Like your shorter workbench. Love thebWen 3410 air cleaner, especially the timer. Everyone stay safe, happy and healthy. From Henrico County Virginia

[@nwbuilds]

Thank you! I've tried to figure out how to have enough space for a CNC and the only thing I could think of was mounting it vertically on the wall.

[@patrickleahy770]

Great garage. Just found your channel and was like, whoa, what happened to the dark basement.. 😂😂

[@nwbuilds]

Lol thank you! Moving on up!

[@smallshopproductions5334]

Nice blue bench vise with quick-release lever! I am glad I noted the quick-release option when I bought mine from Amazon (Yost brand).

[@nwbuilds]

I LOVE that thing. You'll often hear something about getting an okay saw and a great blade - I think you could say the same thing about building an okay bench with a great vise.

[@jdc5941]

Nick, sorry to see you aren't creating video for a year now? Hope you are in good health and are doing well. Your videos are absolutely spit on, your voice over is great. And Walter is a fun addition to see. Hope you can create some videos at some point, I'm sure it's not an easy task though. Take care and have a fantastic 2024.

[@nwbuilds]

This was so kind - thank you and I hope you’re doing well too! Starting a new video this week.

[@edwinpagan1290]

Beatiful vídeo

[@nphillips2012]

Nice shop, great tour. Some really well thought out ideas there, particularly the shared infeed/outfeed space by moving tools into the walkway. I do the same thing with my jointer and planer, to get 14 feet combined infeed and outfeed, with 3 feet of working room, next to the machine. im in a 16x16, so space is tight sometimes.

[@nwbuilds]

Thank you! Sometimes I wish I had those dimensions instead

[@bobs7975]

Hey great video! Thanks for all the tips. They’ll come in handy as I’m a Newbie looking to get into woodworking. I too need a shop. So I really appreciated this video as it will be a small one. My question is is yours insulated and or heated and what part of the country are you in? Thanks

[@scottgrossman9080]

Grizzly makes a kit reasonable lyrics priced to to increase the resaw capacity with a spacer and fen e upgrade there's videos on the kit

[@createmomentum]

Nice shop! I think the audio sounds great. Wondering what lights you have?

[@beardedgrandpagaming798]

where did you purchase your clamp to hold down your pocket hold?

[@jonathanrand7767]

Did you ever follow up on your ideas for the Microjig dovetail clamp system and accessories? I can't find it, but searching KZbin on a phone sucks

[@nwbuilds]

I haven't! I bought a 3d printer but haven't used it much yet. I'll be having shoulder surgery soon which will mean a lot of sitting around, so I'm planning on revisiting it then.

[@NWGR]

@@nwbuilds I hope the surgery goes well with no issues. I also hope you do some more videos in the future. You have a nice shop setup. Subscribed.

[@nwbuilds]

@@NWGR Thank you! I've got a delta table saw review to finish editing and a new workbench i'm trying to complete and film before I'm one armed. Hopefully both will be out in the next few weeks!

[@NWGR]

@@nwbuilds Looking forward to them. 👍

[@plush_dolphin746]

do you have any recommendations for bench vices? I'm having trouble finding one for a decent price that is well rated

[@nwbuilds]

I use this one: amzn.to/3Qsca3m It's not the most cost effective, but I figured I'll have it on every workbench for the rest of my life and I can confidently say that i LOVE it. I used to have this small irwin vise: amzn.to/3GsfsPH And honestly, it was a pretty good bang for the buck. The biggest limiting factor was how wide the jaws can open. I think you'd be topped out at a 4x4? You might also consider checking out Rex Krueger's channel. He's got a few different less expensive options, although you may put in a little more elbow grease.

[@crossgrainwoodproductsltd9230]

Check out Face Book Market Place for a second-hand one. They are usually older models, which were better made and the restoration of it if you chose could be your first video!

[@stuartandrews4344]

@@crossgrainwoodproductsltd9230 Definitely look out for the older models, better quailty, better made, have two vices dating from 1950 & 1930, both free, one from skip,other advertised free to collector on Freecycle site we have here in the UK.

[@smallshopproductions5334]

Nice blue bench vise with quick-release lever! I am glad I noted the quick-release option when I bought mine from Amazon (Yost brand).

[@cavaleru31]

Crowded but functional, a bit more organization and will result in a fine setup. Why no video for the past 7 months?

[@kuehnel16]

Just bought that saw and wanted to know how it's holding up. Heard it has motor issues

[@nwbuilds]

I'm assuming you're referring to the delta table saw? I actually just upgraded it for other reasons, but I've never had an issue with the motor. I'm actually going to be doing a quick review of it next, I think.

[@judyl.761]

I love my cordless Milwaukee jigsaw. Black and Decker is crap for all their tools.

[@kitofwhales4440]

How many square feet?

[@nwbuilds]

The external dimensions are 12'x20' so a little under 240 sq ft.

[@rexseven6907]

Audio wise, this is the worst video of yours that I've seen...it's also the best. Hope that helps. Nice shop. I have the same table saw and, for the money, have no complaints.