American Adventures & Putopis ...: My Woodworking Work Shop

By trade, I’d been trained as a machinist/toolmaker and while I was pursuing my further educational objectives, I was still working for years in the metal cutting industry. During that time as well as my teaching career (for the past 40 years) it never crossed my mind that one day I might have an interest to assemble a few pieces of woodworking machinery, tooling and accessories and make me a fully functional little hobby woodworking workshop.

Actually, probably it wouldn’t have happened beyond what I already had (Circular Saw and Table Saw) and a small workbench in a garage if it wasn’t for my father-in-law’s (we call him Gramps) offer to get any tools I wish to have from his own woodworking shop.

Gramps (86) was a long time carpenter by trade, and a fine craftsman-furniture maker by hobby. At his house he had a detached woodworking shop full of all kinds of necessary machinery and tools to build furniture for the house and then some for the family. However, it’s been quite some time since he last worked in his shop, while in the meantime his tools were collecting dust and cobwebs. Out of Gramps shop, I selected, dusted off and brought home four pieces of power tools I might use in the near future. (1) Miter Saw, (2) Planer, (3) Wood Lathe, and (4) Router w/stand. All tools (tooling and their accessories) are in good working order. All I need now is to learn how to use them properly and above all safely (particularly tools #2, 3 & 4), come up with some applicable project for those tools and I’ll be in good shape to work with WOOD. I never thought myself ever likely to become a - woodworker!

Since I brought those tools home, I rearranged my storage room (273 sq. ft. w/concrete floor) in an unfinished basement, built one 2’x10’ workbench and another 2’x4’ workbench on casters to move around power tools where I might need them.

As for what I might build as my very first project (?), well, perhaps I will redesign and build the prototype of “The 2-in-1 Stairway Gauge” along the concept I used in my more recent, quite successful (if I can say so myself :), replacement of the carpeted stairwell with oak wood treads. After that, I am sure something is going to come out of an ever present long “Honey Do” list from my better half ‘Sosa’. :)

Here are some shots for your perusal.
(Click on image to zoom out)

Serbian translation:

U sazetom prevodu, prilog je o mojoj 'novokomponovanoj' hobby radionici za preradu drveta sa dodatnim alatima od tasta koji je bio tesar/stolar po zanimanju, ali vec godinama mu je radionica prakticno napustena.

Od njega sam izabrao neke alatke sa kojima cu moci da nesto 'raduckam' vise za svoju dusu nego bilo sta drugo, tim pre, sto nikad se nisam ozbiljno bavio tim poslovima jer sam iz osnove - metalac.

Kako ce sve to da ide vreme ce vec pokazati, uglavnom sada imam alat, a za praksu/izkustvo to ce se vec dograditi; in due time, tj. u pravo vreme.

Toliko o obradjenom prevodu.
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