The Hazard Chronicles

Liberty Lake is a small town about 5 minutes away from Post Falls and it is a pretty upscale place. Because of its small-town nature, there are only two day out of the whole year that Liberty Lake gets bogged up in traffic. The first is on the 4th of July due to the large city park and excellent fireworks show. The second is a Saturday in the beginning of July known locally as The Annual Sale. The whole town gets involved. There is a big flea-market type set-up in the park with both private and commercial vendors, but the real fun lies in the neighborhoods. From what I saw, I would guess that about 1 out of every 10 houses had a garage sale going on. Now, if you think about it, that is a lot of garage sales!

The original plan was to take all the kids out of the car and walk from house to house, but unfortunately Mother Nature had different plans. All week it has been rainy, and yesterday was no exception. It was still a lot of fun to drive around in the car with the occasional stop, and although we didn't buy anything (a fact I am very proud and somewhat surprised about) I feel that we were able to truly enjoy the spirit of The Annual Sale. The best thing I saw? One kid had a lemonade stand- but with the word lemonade crossed out and the words Hot Chocolate put into its place due to the wet and cold weather. And he had a line of people a mile long waiting for their warm beverages. I'd bet that kid has a bright future in business to look forward to.

Well, since our Saturday Activity involved us sitting in the car for most of it, we didn't take any pictures. So instead, I thought I'd show some pictures of the shop I have set up. I've been spending a lot of time out there, and I thought that some people might be interested. Also, I wanted to put the pictures up here so I have them recorded somewhere for the printed version of THC. Anyway, here they are:

 We'll start with this picture from the outside. Usually we keep the big door shut, but I open it occasionally for ventilation when I work or for getting large things (tables, motorcycles, etc.) in and out. I'll sort of bring you on the tour from left to right, pointing out the different features I have built in.

 This is just an overview of the left side. Next we'll look at things in a little more detail. Actually, a lot more detail. Remember, I am putting these up here for me, not you- and most of you probably don't really care (although I can think of a few of my readers who probably do). That's okay.

 This is my "living room" area. This fouton is where I do my scripture study in the morning. It is where I read all my dental journals. It is where Rachel sits to talk to me or read to me while I am working. It is where I go to relax and play my guitar. One of the great features of the shop is that it is fully insulated, making it not only comfortable and weatherproof, but relatively soundproof as well. I am sure that our neighbors appreciate this fact when I am using power tools in the early morning or playing my guitar late at night. Also, there are some sentimental aspects of this set-up. The guitar is one that I got in Brazil. Although I'll have to bring it in the house during the winter to keep it tuned, it is nice having it out here in the summer months because it is convenient to take out during our nearly weekly BBQs/Campfires. The picture over the couch is one of the areas where I served my mission in Brazil, and was painted specifically for me by a local artist based on a photograph I had taken. The paddle is my first kayak paddle, and has served me well on many great trips. I have a nicer paddle now, but I couldn't just let this one sit tucked away in the rafters. We have too many memories together. Finally, the bookshelf is where I can keep all my climbing and river guides, as well as the few woodworking books that I own. The one addition I hope to have in this area in the near future is a small refrigerator that I can keep stocked with sodas and ice cream :)

 Garden tool storage. Nothing special here.

This is the "mechanics corner" of the shop. As of now, I only tinker with mechanics and don't need a lot of space. I did make the bench high enough that I can one day keep an air compressor and welding cart under it, should I ever get more into that kind of thing. There is also a good beam above this area which could support a ceiling mounted engine hoist/rail. For now, however, the tools I have serve me well and allow me to do as much as I want. The only near-future addition would be a bench vice mounted on the corner.

 Ah- the rock climbing gym I've always wanted. I have often said that a climber only needs to do a few good exercises to stay in top shape: Sit-ups, push-ups, dips, pull-ups, cardio, and a fingerboard routine. Also, you'll notice the weights on slings to attach to the harnesses for when body-weight just isn't enough.

The home climbing wall. The holds are set-up so that the kids can get to the top on top-rope, but so that it can also be a challenging boulder problem when a few "rules" are applied.

 Here's the "office" area. This is where I make plans. Building plans, business plans, trip plans, family plans, etc. I freely admit that I am a planner. Now I have a designated place to do it. You'll also notice a few other things, such as a stereo and some guns. Just a word on the guns- these ones are all air guns, although the one on the very top is pretty dang powerful (has shot all the way through a 2x4) and is of .22 caliber. The pistol (mounted on the wall near the door) is the weakest of them all, but probably the funnest because it is loud and it is semi-automatic. Shooting it makes you feel sort of like Chuck Norris...well, not really... especially when you realize that it is just a pellet gun... but it is fun. If you look in some of the other pictures I have posted, you will see several targets/pellet traps which I have mounted on the walls. I don't know what it is about shooting, but kids and adults alike have a lot of fun with this.

 And here is the heart of the shop. Now let me just say here that I love woodworking. I always have. I don't have all the experience or the skill of some people I know (Kelly and Matt), but I sure do have fun with it, and it feels good to create things.

Here's the same picture with some labels:

A: Target box for pellet guns; B:Holder for wood files/chisels; C:Grinder; D:Belt/disc sander; E:Hand-held electric sander and sandpaper storage; F:Drill bits; G: Drill press; H,I: Work areas; J: Sliding miter saw (it moves over to work area “I” during use); K: Assembly table/work area/runnout table for table saw; L:Table saw/tool storage; M: Commonly used hand tools/Drill-driver; N: jigs for table saw- on the other side there area shelves for storage; O: Router/Router table; P: Dremel; Q: Drawers for nails,screws,etc.; R:Band Saw; S:Bits for router and dremel/fire extinguisher; T: Clamps; U: Garbage/Clean up area.

Again, I have planned room for expansion. If/when I decide that I need them, I have places mapped out for a thickness planer, a jointer, and a wood lathe. For now, however, my current set-up suffices very well.

Also, I just realized the picture doesn't show "U." It is under "T"-- you know, where you can see the green garbage can. There's also a broom, dust brush, and dust pan there.

Just another picture. In the captions that follow I am going to highlight the assembly table that I made. It is my own design and I am proud of it. First, as seen in this picture, it works great as a runnout table for the saw. It was made to be this height specifically for this purpose.

Here' the table saw my dad gave me. I wanted to show the measuring guide (you can barely see the strip of wood along the bottom right corner of the picture) and the wood pusher thingy that I made for it. I also made a bunch of jigs for different applications, but I won't bore you with all those.

 Here's the working side of the table. As you can see, it is a just a desk with a built-on workbench top. The drawers of the desk have been removed, so now I have sliding shelves instead, which I like better. Next we'll look at the sliding wood panel I built on.

 ...It works great for clamping things to the table. This is good when hand-planing large panels or for gluing pieces together. Basically, it is an expanded-functions wood vice.

 Another way to clamp the wood to the workbench.

 Next, if you look carefully, you can see rectangular holes which have been chiseled all around the table. These holes go all the way through and are made to receive clamps.

 This is another way to hold the workpiece on the bench.

 It also works well to hold a piece down while using the jig-saw

...or for securing those large, awkward pieces while using the circular saw. I can't say how many times I have been thankful for the sliding wood fence and the chiseled holes. Every time I have needed a way to secure pieces together for gluing or for working, I have been able to find a way to do it using these features.

 Okay- enough of me patting myself on the back for my workbench design. And we're almost done with the tour. I promise. We're moving outside now so I can show off my wood storage area. I have plans for more lumber racks, and for a shingled covering to put over it to keep off the elements. I already have the building supplies to make this (left-over from when the shop was built), and it will probably be one of my near-future projects.

And, while not really related, this is our garden which grows behind the shop. The area in the very back is reserved for raspberries which some friends are giving to us. Yum!

 The most important feature of the entire shop- the lock. This is high enough that small children cannot reach it.

The second most important feature- the baby monitor. Because of this, Rachel and I are able to go out at night after the kids are in bed.

And that's it! Whew!

Have a good week!