Bill M.

My shop occupies approximately 2/3 of a 1,000-sq. ft., daylight basement. The other 1/3 of the basement is composed of full size bathroom, small office and the stairwell. When I moved to this home in 2002, the basement was completely unfinished. I have spent most of the last 4 years finishing the basement and developing and organizing the shop to my liking. Installation of the Oneida Dust Gorilla was the last step in completing a 35-
year dream.

Prior to moving to this home, my shop always consisted of a portion of the garage. I never had a vacuum system and most of my clean up involved the use of a broom and the ubiquitous shop vacuum. After sweeping the floor and picking up the wood dust, shavings and chips, almost everything else located in the garage remained thickly coated with dust.

My shop is “L” shaped with both legs of approximate equal length. The Dust Gorilla is located at the top of the “L” in the left corner. The rest of the top leg consists of a workbench in the middle; then an 8 inch Delta jointer and 15 inch Delta planer to the sides of the leg; and finally a 10 inch Delta Unisaw at the bottom of the leg. The other leg of the “L” contains a Delta shaper, a 6 inch Geetech jointer, a Performax drum sander, a Craftsman band saw and a Shopsmith. All 8 tools and two dust sweeps, one in each leg of the “L”, are serviced by the Gorilla dust system. Having done a considerable amount of woodworking in the basement prior to installing the Dust Gorilla, I do not know how I coped with all the dust and chips. All I can say is that I am very glad that I now have it and it was none too soon.

My first experience in woodworking was in the 7th grade. Each student was required to make a “modern looking” lamp using 4 pine boards and hand tools. I earned a “A” on mine and was quite proud of it. The lamp occupied a nightstand in my room until I left for college. Apparently, my mother did not share the same fondness as it was no where to be found when I returned home for Christmas break. I think she conveniently trash canned it in my absence.

My next woodworking project, and actually my first power tool project, was a knickknack shelf, which I made on my scoutmaster’s Shopsmith in 1957. I gave it to my mother for Christmas that year. She liked it or at least found it useful as she had it for the rest of her life. It now occupies a wall my house and my wife faithfully decorates it for the various holidays. I have enclosed a picture of it herewith.

From 1957 to 1970, woodworking was non existent for me. College, war, marriage, children, and career all took precedence. But the passion was just beneath the surface. In 1970 I bought a used Craftsman table saw followed shortly thereafter by the purchase of a router. I still amaze myself with what I made with those tools plus a few hand tools—grandfather and grandmother clocks, china cabinets, desks, bookcases, etc.

My latest project is a black walnut gun cabinet, a picture of which is also included. The walnut came from a tree that had been killed in a field burn. I manufactured the boards with a mobile dimension sawmill in the late seventies on shares with the owner. I have had them stored for almost 30 years waiting for just the right project. I know that I am not unique, but I don’t think that there are many woodworkers that start their project at the tree.

In closing, I know that my next 50 years of woodworking will be considerably more dust free than my first 50. The Dust Gorilla will insure it.