My long shopless nightmare is nearly over...

[teetomterrific]

4 years ago I had an opportunity with the company I work for to move back down south to a warmer climate after living almost 13 years in the Twin Cities MN suburbs, (brrrrrr). The only catch was my new home did not have a suitable space for a shop and I was forced to make some hard decisions about what to do with my stationary tools. There was not enough garage space to store them. Putting them in a storage building just didn't make sense to me because of the $$$, and the amount of time before I could build a shop was very uncertain. So, I decided the best course of action was to sell them and re-buy what I wanted when I could make having a new shop a reality. I figured I could continue to save some money for tool upgrades since I wouldn't be buying wood, and I have kept my hands from being idol by doing a lot of LOML approved home improvements. First her basement pottery studio, and next a garage kiln room, and then a giant deck expansion... and so on.

Suddenly almost 3 years had slipped away and my lovely bride agreed the time was right to quit dreaming, drawing plans and generally obsessing over not having a shop. Finding a suitable contractor was no easy feat, but after a few months I finally settled on a pretty good one and construction began. Long story short, my new shop is now complete. And just in time to celebrate my 60th birthday this Saturday, I'll be celebrating by putting the finishing touch on by epoxying the floors this weekend, but the best birthday present of all was being able to pull the trigger on a massive new stationary tool purchase last night. I'm thinking the waiting and the planning and saving up is now worth it because the shop building looks awesome and I'm getting bigger better tools than what I had before.

I'm so excited I just had to share! WOO HOO!!!

<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
  <col width="349" />
  <col width="326" />
  <tr>
    <td width="349">New Tools Purchased</td>
    <td width="326">Sold Tools they replaced</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Grizzly G1033X 20&quot; 5 HP Spiral    Cutterhead Planer</td>
    <td>Grizzly G0454 20&quot; 5 HP Straight Knife Planer</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Grizzly G0609X 12&quot; Jointer w/ Spiral    Cutterhead</td>
    <td>Grizzly G0543 8&quot; Jointer with Shelix Upgrade</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Grizzly G0514X2B 19&quot; Bandsaw</td>
    <td>Grizzly G0513 17&quot; Bandsaw</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Grizzly G0719 15&quot; Disc Sander</td>
    <td>Menards Tool Shop 6&quot;/9&quot; Belt/Disc Sander</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Grizzly G1071 Oscillating Spindle Sander</td>
    <td>Ryobi OSS500 Table Top Oscillating Spindle Sander</td>
  </tr>
</table>
<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
  <col width="349" />
  <tr>
    <td width="349">Tools Kept</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Delta X5 3HP LT UniSaw 36-L51 with Biesemeyer Fence</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Steel City 55220 Dual Drum Sander</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Grizzly G0548 2HP Dust Collector</td>
  </tr>
</table>

There a few more tools on my list that I have saved up for like a decent router table to replace my home made one and building a miter saw station and a new workbench but I'll have plenty to keep me busy for a while setting up these machines for a couple of weeks once they arrive... and that can't happen soon enough!

[atgcpaul]

Tom, that looks great. Congratulations to you!

I also sent you a PM since I'm about to be in the same boat as you were 4 years ago.

[barryvabeach]

Tom, great news,  I am sure you will be pretty pumped getting that stationary tool package all set up, it looks great.

[jteneyck]

Good on you Tom.  That is a truly gloat worthy shop you had built.  I'm more than a little jealous being the basement dweller that I am.  And your choices for new machines look like no regret purchases as well.  I forecast many happy years of woodworking to come.  Now get it paid for and retire so you can really enjoy them!

John

[teetomterrific]

Good on you Tom.  That is a truly gloat worthy shop you had built.  I'm more than a little jealous being the basement dweller that I am.  And your choices for new machines look like no regret purchases as well.  I forecast many happy years of woodworking to come.  Now get it paid for and retire so you can really enjoy them!

John

Fortunately for me the Shop and tools ARE paid for even if my house isn't. "Retirement" is probably 8 to 10 years away for me but this ole Boy Scout still believes in the motto "be prepared". LOML and I hypothetically plan to spend our "retirement vacation" making wood and clay art and participate in the craft show circuit. There is probably less than a 1% chance that either one of us will become a famous artisan in our waning years but we plan to sure have some fun trying!

[dg152]

I think I saw in one of your other posts that you moved to Tennessee.  If I might ask, where in TN?

[Steve N]

I just love a happy ending




Enjoy it all in good health

[teetomterrific]

I think I saw in one of your other posts that you moved to Tennessee.  If I might ask, where in TN?

Just outside of Clarksville, TN in Mongomery county about 4 miles southeast of I24 Exit 11.

[dg152]

I'm about 2 hours or so south of you in Christiana.  It would be fun to see your shop sometime.

[teetomterrific]

I'm about 2 hours or so south of you in Christiana.  It would be fun to see your shop sometime.

I'd be happy to have you visit. Feel free to PM me.

Some of my new Griz tools arrived at work today, (I'm giddy). The Jointer will be in next week and I have a friend/coworker with a large enclosed trailer that is going to help me move them to the shop Saturday next, (I'm traveling all next week). It's pretty empty still, but I plan to move my Unisaw and drum sander in tomorrow after I touch up the block walls next to the floor and put some self-leveling polyurethane in the floor compression joints.