Workshop as a party room
When I was a kid in Germany, my family would from
time to time celebrate occasions with what we called a "schopffest".
Literally translated, "schopffest" means "shed fest". Basically,
a party in a shed. Living on a farm, there are plenty of large spaces
that can be repurposed as party rooms. And the informal surroundings give it the
informality of a barbecue with the coziness of a dinner party. The photos above
are from a party in my dad's workshop back in Germany. This being the mid 70s,
everybody smoked.
For a dinner party, I worked out that I'd need a table
about 3.5 meters (12 feet) long to comfortably seat everybody.
Other than the living room, the only space in my house big enough
was my basement workshop.
With most of my machines on wheels, I managed to push two bandsaws, a 6" and a 12" jointer, the horizontal boring machine, slot mortiser, thickness planer, pantorouter, and radial arm saw all into the space between the table saw and workbenches. I then pushed my other table saw as far into that corner as it would go as well. It was like one of those puzzle games where you have to shift some blocks through a small opening.
With the back of the shop mostly cleared out, I set up two long tables end to end.
Actually, a table, and an old desk top on two sawhorses.
Had I not torn out the old closet two years earlier, there would not have been enough room for the tables.
I bought two cheap bed sheets to use as table cloths - only $7 each! But once
unfolded, they had some creases from how they were packed.
So I stretched the creases a bit by pulling on the sheets and clamping
them to the edges of the tables.
See also:
basement workshop
My old garage workshop
Minor workshop
Showing the nephewsBack to my woodworking website
