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The Workshop The works "workshop" is in the basement that is nice and warm in the winter and cool in the summer. We moved to this house when it was new in 1978. The first year I did the landscaping and then finished the lowest level into three rooms: a storage room, the shop, and the model railroad room. The focus of the shop was the construction of 1/4" scale models. Several years later I purchased a Triumph TR6 roadster. One thing lead to another and before the year was out the TR6 was in the workshop (in pieces). After that first TR there was another, and another, and another and a couple more. The first one was the only one to be entirety in the shop; the others were there a few pieces at a time. The Triumphs are all gone now. I started building the shay in the fall of 2002. The shop machinery that was originally purchased to make 1/4" scale models has been replaced with larger equipment more appropriate for 1.5" scale models. The shop has expanded somewhat and now occupies part of that small storage room. She has been suggesting we relocate to get away from the high tax rates here and go from five levels to one or two levels. My initial reaction was very negative since I didn't went to move the shop. Then I got to thinking - ---- a detached single floor shop with office ----- more room! If we're going to move, I have to clean up the place ---- including the shop. Also, I wouldn't want to move those old work benches so decided I'd better get new benches that would fit in a new shop. So, I spend about a month cleaning up the shop; threw out some amazing stuff I forgot I had such as a beautiful pair of never used half height 5.25" DS DD floppy drives that cost at least $500 each. There was a bit of shock after I painted the shop --- it was so bright that I almost needed shades. The following photos show the state in the spring of 2007. 
The photo above shows the north wall, an outside wall. The cart between the blast cabinet and the sit-down bench contains soldering and wire welding equipment. Most the design work and development of the CAD drawings is done in my office in another part of the house. The area in front of the window is used for paper work associated with actual construction. The notebook computer has access to all drawing files and the Internet via a wireless network. Sometimes I move the notebook near the machinery and do the machining directly from a drawing displayed on the screen. That way I can quickly add dimensions via the CAD software to exactly match the area being machined rather than compute them from other dimensions. It's really nice to sit and work in front of the window where I can look over the back yard and observe the local deer herd stripping nearly all vegetation from the property. The small TV on the end of the bench will probably be replaced with an LCD model hanging on the wall.
The photo above shows the south wall, an inside wall. That is the main workbench over the long tool chest. There is a power strip that goes along the back of the bench that is on back-order. The cart to the left of the bench holds the main vise and the anvil. That cart will be bolted to the bench legs to stabilize it. The bench sure is nice and clean --- give it a day or two..... This hydraulic table was made during the construction of the shay. It now contains the partially complete Heisler.
Photo above shows the north east corner of the shop. The door just beyond the blast cabinet leads outside to a sidewalk that slopes slightly down hill (house is on a hill side). The door just to the left of the sink leads to the painting closet.
The biggest deficiency is equipment to cut and bend sheet metal. I can use the brake & shear at Mill Creek Central so that area is covered. Everything is now well organized and can be moved quickly should we actually move. In the meantime, I have a nice clean shop ---- at least for a few weeks.
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