Blood, Sweat, and Sawdust

I intended to publish this post a week ago.  Unfortunately, a nasty cold kicked my butt instead.  I planned to be finishing up new shop cabinets.  Instead, I’m just now starting to feel well enough to get back into the shop.  Such is life.

I planned my duct work for three main machine drops: one on either side, and one in the middle.  Each drop will service at least two tools.  The central drop will service my table saw and jointer/planer.  One side drop contains a floor sweep and flexible port.  The other side will service a miter saw and flexible port.

I was concerned about the stability of the central drop.  So, I secured strut channel to two joists and braced the drop to the strut channel.  This adds a lot of rigidity to the drop and supports some of the weight.   Plus, I think it looks a lot better than using dimensional lumber.

I replaced all of my sheet metal screws with rivets and sealed all the joints with silicone caulk.  I tested the cyclone with the ducting installed and I’m amazed by the suction.  The system is also much quieter with the duct work.  My wife was very happy about this.  I no longer have to worry about making a bed in the shop!

I still need to blow insulation into the attic area, build a router table, and miter saw cabinets.  Stay tuned.

For the rest of the workshop build, check out the garage workshop build index.