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Official Pit Home Improvement/DIY thread

Finally finished putting together a workshop in my basement.

I'm still working on dust collection. I've got a shop vac with a dust separator setup on a mobile cart that I just plug into things as I use them. I've got a bunch of extra 3 inch tubing to put something more permanent in when I have time.

The table saw is a simple benchtop model I've had for years that I mounted into a torsion box table to give a bigger, flatter surface. I'd put this table up against any of the bigger contractor saws in terms of accuracy and stability for cutting sheets. It bogs down on trying to rip anything over 3/4 inch because the saw is underpowered. I'm keeping my eyes on estate sales for a decent cabinet saw that I can pick up and restore.

The right side of the table is also a router table (the insert is visible). The big assembly/outfeed table is a 6' x 4' torsion box with leg levelers to ensure a perfectly flat work area.

Not pictured behind me is another 20 feet of open space that I'm going to section off with tarps and use for a finishing area.

12108143_10207889641057125_2498937059167400884_n.jpg


12065623_10207889641137127_5349140825383116049_n.jpg
 
Looks great. I may see it mounted to the middle leg on the left in the bottom pic, but I might mount a heavy duty power strip to one of the legs or the surface sides to give easy electrical access for smaller tools.
 
2&2 Slider To Leyritz said:
Looks great. I may see it mounted to the middle leg on the left in the bottom pic, but I might mount a heavy duty power strip to one of the legs or the surface sides to give easy electrical access for smaller tools.
Click to expand...

Good catch. I was planning to put power strips on each side of the assembly table as well as a couple more along the workbenches around the side. I've got a few extras laying around, but haven't gotten around to it yet.

On that thought, I'm in the process of planning out adding a sub panel to the breaker box just for the shop. Right now everything in that room is on 2 different 15 amp circuits, which means I have to run the saw and dust collection off different circuits (extension cords to different outlets in the basement), plus the table saw draws the full 15 amps and trips the breaker every now and then if it's under significant load.

I'm probably going to upgrade everything in the basement to 20 and 30 amp circuits and run more 240v outlets around the room. Just need time and money to finish it.
 
LK, that new shop layout is the bomb. I'm envious. and I'll second Tuffalo's thought that you got the house so you had room to do that.

Definitely sounds like you need more power in there. Just make sure you add heavy enough wiring when you add those 20 amp circuits (which you should have).
 
Liquid Karma said:
Finally finished putting together a workshop in my basement.

I'm still working on dust collection. I've got a shop vac with a dust separator setup on a mobile cart that I just plug into things as I use them. I've got a bunch of extra 3 inch tubing to put something more permanent in when I have time.

The table saw is a simple benchtop model I've had for years that I mounted into a torsion box table to give a bigger, flatter surface. I'd put this table up against any of the bigger contractor saws in terms of accuracy and stability for cutting sheets. It bogs down on trying to rip anything over 3/4 inch because the saw is underpowered. I'm keeping my eyes on estate sales for a decent cabinet saw that I can pick up and restore.

The right side of the table is also a router table (the insert is visible). The big assembly/outfeed table is a 6' x 4' torsion box with leg levelers to ensure a perfectly flat work area.

Not pictured behind me is another 20 feet of open space that I'm going to section off with tarps and use for a finishing area.

12108143_10207889641057125_2498937059167400884_n.jpg


12065623_10207889641137127_5349140825383116049_n.jpg
Click to expand...

That's badass.
 
Nice work, LK. My next house will have a shed or pole barn or something where I can set my wood shop up right. It's currently in my Ardmore basement, but everything is going in storage for a year or so while my career is in flux. I'll miss my tools more than anything.
 
Brand of mitre saw doesn't mean much. Buy a Kobalt sliding compound mitre instead and spend the difference on a finish blade and you'll get much better cuts.
 
Liquid Karma said:
Brand of mitre saw doesn't mean much. Buy a Kobalt sliding compound mitre instead and spend the difference on a finish blade and you'll get much better cuts.
Click to expand...
I bought at 10" Kobalt sliding compound last year around this time. Used it to make half a dozen cuts, and at the end of an 8" cut, it was already off by 1/8". I returned it a couple days later. I was less than impressed.
 
tsywake said:
I bought at 10" Kobalt sliding compound last year around this time. Used it to make half a dozen cuts, and at the end of an 8" cut, it was already off by 1/8". I returned it a couple days later. I was less than impressed.
Click to expand...

You should never assume a blade is aligned properly out of the box. I spend a good 15+ minutes checking mine for alignment(digital angle guage) before any project.
 
LK, or Deaconblue - question for you on VOCs and child-safe wood finishes.

I'm looking at the water-based Minwax Polycrylic for use on a diaper changing table. Max VOC is 275 g/L and curing time before use is 3 weeks. Is this ok? Is there something 'more child friendly' I should be using?
 
Max VOC (volatile organic compounds, those chemicals that are released into the air as a finish dries) is an EPA clean air requirement. Newer formulations of surface finishes are supposed to be lower in VOC's than older ones. That really has little to do with how "baby safe" the finished surface is. However, the long cure time means that the surface will be off-gassing for the time recommended for curing the finish. I certainly would not use it before the recommended cure time had passed.

I would look for a finish coating that is labeled as approved for food contact use under US Food and Drug Administration rules.

The two routes of exposure your baby would have are skin contact when on the surface and (minor) ingestion of any surface material that would rub off on the kid's hands and feet and be transferred to mouth when kid sucks on fingers/toes. If the material continues to off-gas (release those VOC's) then obviously the gases would be very close to where baby would be breathing. That too should be avoided.

VOC's are everywhere in our world. They make the wonderful aromas from good food. They are the "new car" smell. They are perfume, flowers, air fresheners, etc. So, not all of them are bad.

In many paint, varnish, shellac, urethane and other finishes and glues made in years past, the VOC's that were emitted as the product dried were pretty toxic.Thus the "use with adequate ventilation" warnings on many of them. Most of the really bad VOC's have been eliminated. That is also why you will hear people complain that newer formulations of products don't work as well as the older ones. But they are much safer to use.

Bottom line: I would look for a coating that is FDA approved for food contact surface and make sure to cure it for the recommended length of time before using it.
 
Deaconblue said:
Max VOC (volatile organic compounds, those chemicals that are released into the air as a finish dries) is an EPA clean air requirement. Newer formulations of surface finishes are supposed to be lower in VOC's than older ones. That really has little to do with how "baby safe" the finished surface is. However, the long cure time means that the surface will be off-gassing for the time recommended for curing the finish. I certainly would not use it before the recommended cure time had passed.

I would look for a finish coating that is labeled as approved for food contact use under US Food and Drug Administration rules.

The two routes of exposure your baby would have are skin contact when on the surface and (minor) ingestion of any surface material that would rub off on the kid's hands and feet and be transferred to mouth when kid sucks on fingers/toes. If the material continues to off-gas (release those VOC's) then obviously the gases would be very close to where baby would be breathing. That too should be avoided.

VOC's are everywhere in our world. They make the wonderful aromas from good food. They are the "new car" smell. They are perfume, flowers, air fresheners, etc. So, not all of them are bad.

In many paint, varnish, shellac, urethane and other finishes and glues made in years past, the VOC's that were emitted as the product dried were pretty toxic.Thus the "use with adequate ventilation" warnings on many of them. Most of the really bad VOC's have been eliminated. That is also why you will hear people complain that newer formulations of products don't work as well as the older ones. But they are much safer to use.

Bottom line: I would look for a coating that is FDA approved for food contact surface and make sure to cure it for the recommended length of time before using it.
Click to expand...

Great answer.
 
We fubared and didn't reseal the grout in our shower when we should have. As a result, the grout in the corners is constantly moldy. I spent a good part of this afternoon gouging out the grout with my oscillating tool to regrout and reseal. Lesson learned, reseal when they tell you to.
 
Just a random question for anyone here. We currently have an unfinished basement that I'd love to finish soon, maybe 30x25 or so but it doesn't have AC ducts or anything (we have baseboard heat). It's not completely underground, so there is some exterior wall to be used. I know it's hard to answer without knowing more details, but does anyone have any thoughts on adding an exterior wall AC unit instead of trying to run new duct from the attic down 2 levels? I feel like that would be easier. We also only have 1 AC unit for a 3300 sq ft house at the moment, so adding another 600ish sq ft of load on that might be tough, but I don't know the details of our unit offhand. Not sure what we'd do about heat, but I imagine having the boiler in the basement would be enough heat for the space, it never really gets too cold down there now.
 
Underground should stay in the low 60s. I agree, adding ducts to your existing unit probably isnt the best idea. I know a few people who have used them for bonus rooms with great success.
 
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