The problem with setting up a workshop is that it’s rare to have a completely clean sheet of paper on which to design your perfect solution. and you have to make do with what’s available. Usually you’re forced to convert an existing garage, shed or outhouse and this puts an immediate constraint on the layout you can adopt.
Continuing on from part 1 of 'Setting up shop', Alan Holtham sheds some more wisdom on designing your own workshop.
• If you’re still struggling to get to grips with your layout, I’ve formulated the following summary for setting up a workshop, based on about half a dozen previous arrangements of mine in a variety of different situations. They’re presented in no particular order, and the list…
It’s a bit obvious, but the fi rst thing a woodturner needs is a lathe. It’s actually the world’s oldest ‘power tool’ – see the panel (left) for a bit of history. As you begin to investigate what’s available, you’ll soon discover that there’s a bewildering choice of models, with very different specifi cations and prices, and it’s very easy to become confused about exactly what…
If you’re a confused newcomer to woodturning, the sheer variety and cost of the necessary tools may all seem a little off-putting, particularly if you’ve shelled out most of your budget on the lathe itself. However, don’t let this dishearten you. As with a lot of hobbies, woodturning can be as simple or complicated as you want to make it, and you can actually turn quite advanced work with no more than a basic toolkit
Five or…
Once you’ve bought your lathe and some basic tools, the next consideration is how you are going to grip the work securely enough to allow it to be turned safely. In fact, holding the work is more than half the battle in woodturning, and with experience you’ll soon develop a range of different strategies to suit the item being made and your particular way of working
Holding spindles is relatively easy, as these are just held…
