It has to get worse before it gets better

My slight shop cleanup has turned into rather more than that. I decided that, since I had everything put away while cleaning, I would go ahead and put some bead board and insulation up. I had originally planned to just do the area near my bench to help improve the lighting for photograph. This is where you last saw it.

Here is what it looks like as of yesterday....

I decided to make better use of the window at the far (East) end of the shop. With paneling and a cleanup at that end, which was always a junk heap just out of the frame of pictures, I'll be able to put a second, albeit shorter, bench there to take advantage of the beautiful light there. I will also pull my main bench out away from the wall about 8 inches or so to enable me to use the East end in my work.

Once I'm done with the paneling and insulation, I'll be able to cost-effectively heat the building throughout the winter. That means I can keep more of my tools on the walls and not fear for their safety. To that end I'm going to be putting up a few shelves and some lengths of 1x4 with dowel pegs every 6 or 8 inches near the ceiling level of the first floor. This will give me plenty of convenient places to hang saws, draw knifes, etc.

The ultimate inspiration for these changes is this picture I took in the Williamsburg Joiner's Shop back in 2010. I've always wanted a shop that looks like this; now I'm well on my way to achieving that goal.

In the mean time, I also picked up a new tool. As a dedicated contrarian, I have resisted these for years because they were just too popular. My resistance finally waned after using one, so here is it, along with the rod extension set. I guess I will give it a try and see how it works out.

All the best,
Zach