My Tiny Ukulele Shop With Down Draft Table

This has been a cold winter my shop is a cement block building that takes a long time and a lot of power to heat it up. While There is a lot I have to do in the shop like milling lumber, sawing, sanding plates. The construction can be done inside where it's nice and warm. That is as long as I don't make too much of a mess says my wife.

Step 1:

Step 2: Closet to Work Shop

In my spare bedroom that I use for a junk room I cleaned out the closet and put in an old crafts cabinet my wife used for quilting that she doesn't use anymore. I added a under shelf light and a power strip. Good lighting is a must I also use plug in spot lights. With 1x4's and pegboard I made a 24x24" tool board

Step 3: Down Draft Table

My wife had one rule "NO DUST MADE IN THE HOUSE" !!!!

While most of the sanding is done in my main shop I have small jobs like sanding bracing during the tap tuning process and sanding the finish.

In the top of my cabinet I layed out an 18x18" section for the down draft and drilled 3/8" holes 1 1/4" apart for the dust to be pulled through. I then used 1x4's to make the Vac. box with a 1 1/2" "hole that is bushing to the shop vac hose. Inside the cabinet I put in a receptacle for a small shopvac and broke the power to it through a switch on the side of the cabinet. When not in use I use a green vinyl mat to cover the holes. This downdraft works very well.

Step 4: Tool Cabinet

My tool cabinet started as an attempt to make a jewelry box that I couldn't get right so I added a couple of shelves for my planes and such. Some day I might go back and fancy the inside a little.

Step 5: The Go Bar Set Up

I used the shelf in the closet for the top of my go bar deck. The go bars are made of 1/4' fiberglass rods with rubber tips that hold the them on the wood. These rods wedged against the overhead shelf hold a lot of downward pressure perfect for gluing braces and bridges

Step 6: Gluing Plates, Side Bending

All the steps putting the ukuleles together as well as joining plates. bending the sides neck to body. finish sanding and buffing whatever.

Step 7: Cureing the Finish

No way can I spray finish in the house but I can cure it out I made hanger from a coat hanger and 1 1/4' dowels

I use bolts on joints to put the neck on my ukuleles and use the lo connect the hanger rod and the strap pin hole for the body hanger. the coat hanger is looped to the closet rod for curing between coats.

Step 8: Sanding the Finish

the finish is mostly done with wet sand paper I don't have to use the down draft

Step 9: This Is Where I Do the Set Up Work

It's nice to do the set up work in a well lit warm place. My finishes have improved as well.

Step 10: Thanks for Looking

My little shop is my new favorite place in the house. The cabinet has 3 drawers to keep sandpaper, scrap wood and such. I just need time to get in there.

Thanks for looking Ricky