Dream Shop on the Lake

Dennis Bosch credits WOOD® magazine for much of the design of his workshop and many of the projects he makes. The shop incorporates features from other readers' shops, including equipment layout and a floating wood floor that hides the dust-collection ductwork.

Dennis also put a lot of his own thought and effort into organizing the shop space for efficiency and storage. He built the cabinets, including a wall cabinet with sliding pegboard panels, and added multiple drawers under workbenches. Cleaning chores are handled by a wall-mounted Bissell central vac system with a 40' hose for picking up what's missed by the in-floor dust ports of his dust-collection system. An outdoor shed houses the dust collector and air compressor, which are operated by wireless remotes.

Both of his workbenches sit at the same height as the tablesaw. This helps with moving and supporting sheets of plywood. His benchtop planer rests on a third table, with infeed and outfeed support to minimize snipe. Each table rolls easily on casters.

Hand tools, such as planes and saws, that Dennis inherited store in wall-mounted tills he crafted.

The shop contains modern conveniences, too, such as satellite TV and a heat pump for heating and cooling. For security, Dennis installed motion-activated, high-definition cameras at each door. The building has a separate electric service with a 200-amp circuit panel.

When discussing his shop, Dennis says he only has two regrets: He wishes he had built 9'-high walls instead of the standard 8' walls. And he would have liked to have a bathroom. Dennis says, "That would eliminate both the dirt I track into the house and my wife's frequent reminders of the fact."