WOOD Magazine and DEWALT Industrial Tool Company Announce the Great American Workshops Contest Winners.  After many months and over 400 entries in eight categories, the winners have been chosen.  Please pick up your March 2002 issue of WOOD Magazine for the full article and detailed layouts of the winning shops.  We've included the highlights here for you.

Best Overall Shop and winner of $3000 in DEWALT Tools
Jacques Jodoin of Cumberland, Ontario, owns a 1,750-sq-ft shop...in his basement.  Jacques has dedicated many years to finding the right way to organize his tools and after five or six men and two trucks moved him into this shop, we doubt Jacques will be moving again.  His shop is organized into efficient work centers with a "collection of tools that rivals many professional shops." Jacque has slide-in gluing tables included in his butcher-block worktable, drop leaf tables attached to his radial-arm saw storage unit, and he has hidden plywood carts in his wood storage rack.  No space is under utilized, and after helping others buy the right tools for their shops at the local Home Depot, Jacques has built the ultimate shop - HIS.

Best Shop Utilizing DEWALT Tools and winner of $1000 in DEWALT Tools
Tom Freyer, of Phoenix, Arizona has a two car garage without any cars.  As the "determining factor" in buying the house, the garage soon saw its overhead doors coming off to be replaced by "double 4'-wide, walk-in doors."  Tom claims "the DEWALT planer is second only to the [table] saw in importance," and thus customized a cabinet to hold his DW733 with outfeed-tables that fold down when not being used.  With Yellow walls, DEWALT machinery, routers, and cordless drills everywhere, the shop is surely a great home for his well-loved DEWALT tools.

Best Professional Woodworker (one-man) Shop and winner of $1000 in DEWALT Tools
Fred Collins of South Duxbury, Vermont has two entrances into his "One-Man Shop," and a scenic rural setting to inspire his customer furniture.  After 30 years as a high-school woodworking teacher, Fred brings his experience into his shop with the efficiency of an expert.  Fred saves space with the use of a "European combination machine that includes a table saw, jointer/planer, and shaper" in the center of his workshop, while surrounding the walls with the remainder of his tools and workbenches.  Fred embraces his tools "as [his] apprentices."  Self-proclaimed as a "work in progress", the shop will surely be expanding its "apprentices" in the future.  

Best Original Workbench Design and winner of $1000 in DEWALT Tools
David Manning of Flushing, Michigan has to share his tools...with the car in his garage. Thus, David has created a rolling, power-ready, bench to hold his DW733 Planer, the blades, router bits, and numerous other accessories.  The top of the bench includes a router table and shoulder vise, ready to fit under his Miter Saw Station.  

Best Storage Solution and winner of $1000 in DEWALT Tools
Ron Robinson of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan created a 6' mobile bench to house his tools.  Holding a "table saw, router table, compound miter saw" flush to the top surface of the bench, Ron reduced a lot of time moving tools.  His accessories, extensions, and support tables are all either removable or stored in the bench's numerous cubbies and drawers.  

Best Storage Solution or Organizer for Power Tool Accessories and winner of $1000 in DEWALT Tools
Jim Maw of Kleinburg, Ontario houses his accessories in a spinning octagonal organizer.  Seven of the sides of the unit actually rotate on it's individual column, providing two sides of storage.  The eighth side is left open for Jim to access accessories stored in the central column.  Look for the plans to this organizer in the upcoming issue of WOOD Magazine.

Best Storage Solution or Organizer for Hardware and winner of $1000 in DEWALT Tools
Kent Sibley of Keller, Texas has a 16 shelf unit to keep his hardware in the right spot.  Using birch plywood, Kent left the unit open, using plastic organizer trays to keep everything organized. 

Best Original Workshop Safety Idea and winner of $1000 in DEWALT Tools
Ed Bawell of Washington, Pennsylvania needed to support his cutting material, but had no room for large extensions.  Ed created extensions that attach to the saw, and tuck out of the way when needed. Mounting "J" shaped hangers to the sides of the saw, under the table, Ed could place runners to extend out from the machine.  He used PVC pipe to match the height of the table from the runners.  His runners are easily tucked in and away, or pulled out for support at any time.