You're not just lucky, you've put the work in and had amazing support along the way. Your story is as much of an inspiration and motivation as your teaching is. Not only do you explain things very well and take the time to correct yourself where needed, you show us that anyone with the right motivation can start from nothing and succeed. Thank you for your quality tutelage, fantastic specialty tools, and above all your story. One question... Are your leaning tool racks mounted in any way or are they just leaning and weighed down by the material and tools?
Hey Stephen, Thank you for this, there are always doubts and it is great hearing nice things from time to time. imo the most important thing I ever learnt, and it was quite late on tbf, was to be open to being wrong. No one is ever correct all the time and there is always another way to do something. VB, B
I’ve been watching since around then, minus a hiatus because twins, but it’s been a long journey since the shed and not with out a lot of hard work to get to this point.
this workshop is fantastic, there is never enough space, then we find or buy something else and we always find a little space for it, this was the most interesting, fun and relaxing thing to watch, 38 mins of smiles
You have every tool you need, you love what you do... but surely, the icing in the cake is being able to do all that you love and have that view doing it!! Yes it's cold, but LOOK AT IT!! its gorgeous!!
The rest of the luthiery community: "Tools are so expensive, there's still so much I need" Ben Crowe: "He's a hand drill thing for turning your boots into iceskates!" 😂😂😂
As a dutchman i highly doubt that anyone ever attached iceskates on the go with a drill, There are plenty of ways to attach ice skates to boots without drilling, besides who would ruin perfectly good shoes with a bit of free hand drilling using a pocket drill? If it is ice skating related i would say it's for measuring the thickness of the ice
I just realized watching this, you have a guitar makers walk in "Studley Tool box". You place, in your "Backyard " as we call it, is a dream. Yes, you are a very lucky man, and should be proud.
A sexy 2021 calendar on the wall is all that's missing. Miss January: Copper Rodded, Miss February: Bog Oak resin build etc I was a little worried at one point that one of those many drawers was going to expose a collection of Publications for the Descerning Gentleman 😥
Watching the channel since that first 24 hrs build about 8 years ago. It's insane how far you've come and how much has changed. Enjoy your new freedom, you've really earned it 👍🏼
I have not seen a frosty morning like that since I lived in New Zealand, Wellington and the Wairarapa. Wine growers used helicopters to stir up still air over their vineyards to stop crops from being frost damaged. It's been even longer since I saw and even experienced an English winter morning frost scene, reminds me of the winters of the 60's and 70's.
so grateful that you never gave up Ben, I've been a fan since very early days when you were in a shed and making guitars for mr fripp, I think your success is well earned.
Love your work! I have been watching for 7 years or so and buying and building my tool collection! I'm so close to gluing up my first neck blank and I couldn't have done any of it without your knowledge so keep it up! Don't let the stress of life put you down. I am and have gone thru the same sort of thing, as far as work overload and stress, so hearing that people as profound (in my eyes) as you, struggle too, seems to help me cope! Thanks!
I’ve been following Crimson since just before the start of the GGB 2020 which is how I in turn came across the likes of Texas Toast, BigD, Angove, and a personal favorite of mine, Guns and Guitars, we share the same home town, but my rambling point is this, What you do and how you go about it, your passion for guitars and guitar teaching, has inspired far greater numbers than you can possibly imagine. For me personally it has been a huge help in dealing with the day to day Covid life here in the US and because of you and all the rest, I’m well on my way to completing my own workshop for guitar building as my passion for it has been rekindled because of yours. Thank you just seems too simple of a word to say really. My Bucket list now has Crimson at the top of it for a 4 week building corse.
Nice to hear that the GGBO has broadened your horizons of guitar builders! Hopefully this years competition will be just as good. Thank you for you comment, it would be a pleasure to have you on any of our courses. Tim
I recently bought a Triton Workcentre. I had purchased one back in 1994 but ended up selling it. Worst thing I ever did back then. Thankfully I have now redeemed myself. Such a great multi purposed bench.
The "Masterkey" at 19:35min was made by "Vereinigte Geldschrankfabriken AG". The company built cashboxes and safes. AG means joint stock company. The company was transformed into a stock company in 1904. The headquarter of the company was in Stuttgart until 1907, sooooo the "Masterkey" was probably made between 1904 and 1907 and could be a safekey. (without guarantee of correctness ;) )
I love you, I love UA-cam and the fact that a few hours after the video goes live I know more about something I love than I could have hoped! Thank you. Now I am wondering if there is a locked box somewhere that I have the key to! B
I very much have workshop envy. You mentioned the heating and dehumidifier. As an air conditioning engineer. I would suggest you install a air con unit. This will keep your workshop at a constant temperature and reduce any humidity. Also in the summer it will keep you cool and in the winter nice and warm. All the newer ones are almost silent. Admittedly a expensive outlay. But cheaper running costs.
This is lovely to see, I just recently built my first guitar completely from scratch using information primarily from your videos, and after getting a small collection of tools to do that I just find myself wanting more. I hope that someday I can get my own workshop looking like this, and until then I'll keep building with what I've got while adding to my collection. Awesome video
That was brilliant, thank you for doing that although I do feel that my home workspace is now totally inadequate so thanks for that too :) you are an inspiration truly - thanks for posting and more please and indeed thank you. Take care
I think everyone needs to have a space where they can tinker/repair/build. Going down into my little "cave" at night is a great way to relax after a day of work, and it's much healthier (physically and mentally) than sitting on the couch watching TV every night. I'm just a little bit jealous of your setup!
This is a perfect video for me am just about to move from my top floor flat into a house with garden, and will be building my own workshop. I’ve been using my dads garage till now. I’ve made 1 acoustic parlour so far and wanted to say thx for all the UA-cam advice vids couldn’t have done it without you 👍 keep them coming.
Currently in the process of setting up my ideal workspace in my little single car garage and to help me do it I was literally pausing your videos to check out your racks and shelves and everything :p this video gives me so many ideas! Thank you :)
Really a dream of a workshop. Thanks for the insight. Wait for my order from you until it is finally delivered in Germany ..... You are very motivated to continue building my guitar. Thanks Ben. Keep it up 🎸💪🤘
Ben, I wanted to weep with happiness when I saw your planes and carving gouges. I have only just started carving, and the pieces I've been able to acquire so far are inexpensive (cheap) and not nearly as beautiful, but I've been bitten by the bug, so I hope to someday have at least a few that are of quality and beauty, such as those in your own collection. I think I've mentioned once in one of my earlier comments to you that my grandfather was a master carpenter, and collected- well, pretty much everything- but his favorite collection had to have been his hand plane collection- he had close to 500 of them, if I recall correctly. The pieces which weren't given away were auctioned off when he died, and because I was only 13 at the time and hadn't thought to say something about it, no one thought I would be interested and I didn't get a single one of them. It breaks my heart, to this day. He used to display his favorites- around 75 of them- at a local annual threshing show every summer, along with a few of his small engines, and a couple of his fully restored farm tractors. I still have a couple of old photos taken of one of his displays there, but can't share them here. Anyway, this is a long winded explanation of how seeing your whole shop, especially both your carving gouges and hand planes, takes me back to my earliest days and some of my best memories of hanging out with Grandpa in his own home workshop. I wish I could take a much closer look at those beautiful gouges, though. In a perfect world, I'd be there next to you as you tell me how they came to you as you would pick up your own favorites to show me the specific characteristics which make each one uniquely special and useful in your own work, because you know I completely understand and share that inexplicable joy found in each seemingly simple tool that holds such magic within it.
Ben, you mentioned about upgrading your dust collection system. I for one would love to see a video on your thought process of which one you decide on. You could take us through what manufacturer you go for, what specifications you need etc. Like yourself I have smaller vac type dust collection and I'm thinking of going to a more powerful / better filtration system. There's probably lots of small shop guys and gals that would be interested in your thoughts. Keep up the great work.
Congratulations for you brand new work shop!!! It seems you put a lot of thinking on floor layout and how all should be organized and equipped. Wishing you all the best and waiting to see more of your crazy amazing guitar building videos .
Thank you so much! A workshop is a never ending and constantly evolving thing and I love it.. so damn much! However, I am also looking forward to getting back to guitar building next week! B
isn't it just. It was my first real look at luthiery too.. my dad built a whole mould to completely rebuild the entire back.. it was all kinds of f'd up! B
Ben, the portable osciliating spindle sander from Triton is AMAZING. That's what I use in my workshop and I LOVE it. You should use it in a build sometime just to show some of us mere mortals that we can achieve great results without the big price tag tools...
I want to paint my first guitar build. Could you do a video on beginner painting/stainning. I have actually no plan what I should do. Greetings from Germany!
Come on Ben; give yourself credit where credit is due; You're not lucky or even privileged for that matter. YOU build this. This is the result of all your hard work - starting from scratch!
Like someone Said looong before me... We dont own these tools, we are just caretakers for the future for them. 😍😍 lovely workshop with all the nice and good stuff.
I don’t build or fix guitars ....have one but play sax. Love woodworking....but....you Sir are truly an interesting and talented soul. Thank You and Cheers. Jim
ooh I miss playing Sax so bad! That was one of my favourite periods of my life tbh.. and thanks for this.. I am going to log off youtube now and go and look at a few nice Alto's.. B
That is an insanely pretty view! You know, once this whole apocalypse finally slows down in 2025 or so I really need to travel England for a bit, maybe at that point we'll also know how that's going to work...
You know what, I am so scared that you may well be right.. about 2025.. however, you will be welcome to visit Crimson at any time that we can have you. B
I'm buying a new property this year and I think I'm going the direction you have here... I am seeing two spaces, one being a sawing/CNC/dust area and the other being a finishing area. Looks cozy! Nice work.
Vintage tool shop! I remember when that was the hardware/bike store. If I recall correctly owned the Andrews bros. They had a twin shop in Marnhull on New Street. This would have been 1980s to early 90s. Nice to see the shop is in use to day! Hope business is doing well.
I can't wait until you start the personal tours of your workshop. Though I imagine visitors hands will be placed into a strait jacket type of arrangement and drool helmets fitted. At least your neighbour has a large field he can convert into a car park so he gets some benefit too!
@@CrimsonCustomGuitars Totally, I was struggling to go out to my freezing garage to do a clean of the shop and re-organize all my tools etc. watched this, inspired! Turns out, the more you move the less you feel cold haha.
That is so awesome! I'm rather jealous of this. I had money saved up to build a large shed for shop space and wood storage.... and our furnace went out. Cost us $5k to get it replaced. So yeah, I would love to see more like this, and I'm definitely interested in more details about the unusual tools. I love and collect old tools too. Oh, I also bought a set of carving tools and barely use them. Fortunately I got them pretty cheap at a pawn shop, but some of them had literally never been used, several never even got sharpened.
You may know this from the factory. Only issue with the single unit and auto on. You either need auto open blast gates Or an extractor massive enough to suck dust from all tools at once. Trust me duct design is a royal pain... each elbow kills your overall suction. As does that flex hose... (as someone who has 6inch trunk lines for my major tools, and 4 inch branches everywhere else). I don’t have an auto on system and instead have manual gates. And it never fails I forget to close one....
Also. You might look into a quiet compressor. I think mines 60db or something. Great for nailers ect. Quiet enough I can talk over it. Sooooooo nice after having a loudmouth pancake.
Ben you are such a lovely, humble and so so talented guy! I love watching your videos and have helped me through a difficult time (apart from COVID) I hope to build a workshop this year and you have given me some great ideas! I am very interested in triton tools, I have shied away from them in the past veering more towards Bosch when I had a small construction business, now semi retired and looking to move more into woodwork. Keep up the great work! Happy new year
Hey yo Ben. You NEED to check out Tim Sway's recent videos on restoring some VERY interesting soviet era guitars. He's got a couple out now and there are more coming soon too. It's so interesting to see guitar hardware that has the same goal but was designed entirely independently from western guitars. Absolutely worth a watch and, if you ask me, a great inspiration rabbit hole.
Ben, looking at how many angles you have in this workshop and how you are essentially moving a camera on a tripod most of the time you are recording, wouldn't it be a good idea to make a rig so that this could be done by remote control? I am thinking of something like having a camera mounted on a rail attached to the ceiling that could be moved along the rail and rotated via remote control with something like a screen on said remote for checking the angle and focus. This wouldn't be a total replacement but it could make life a bit easier and could be quite good for top down angles without getting in your way. Also concerning your chemical storage cabinate, a lot of paints and other chemicals don't deal well with very low temperatures. So if you do go for an outside storage bin of some kind I would advise making sure it is water tight and has a heater controlled by a thermostat in the base to stop these chemicals from freezing and becoming useless.
Ben, you are correct you are very lucky. However you have worked hard for it and deserve it. I say this as a jealous man. What I would give just to have the tools to get started making guitars but I'm plugging away at collecting and sometime in the future I will be ready to start. I love your workshop and your collection of...everything. I still think you are missing something...oh yes...the lifesize cardboard cutout of yourself. It would be awesome in that workshop. Love your videos, keep making them and I'll keep watching!
Magnetic Chuck - suggest to place a piece of steel/ iron and magnetize, this will act as a “keeper” and prolong its life. Love the tour I wish you old tool shop was closer to Boston (US)
Ben, could this workshop be a laboratory/exhibition of fine joinery? This whole tumble-down look is truly comforting I assure you, but cabinets, benches, and clever little workarounds are somewhat in absence. Rather than go with boilerplate Ikea riffraff, how would the side project of a dovetailed cabinet suit you? Demonstrations of various Asian joinery would be right at home in this studio. Start off simple with a hanging cabinet for your vintage precision measurement stuff. Organize the space, demonstrate any number of exquisite woodworking philosophies, use up bits and bobs of wood that otherwise can't be used in guitars, and make more space to hoard more vintage tools. Guitars would remain the focus of the channel, but I'm wondering if additional inspiration might be found in other fine woodworking (a redesigned neck joint for example.)
This sounds exactly like I would want my workshop to be, it will take a LOT of time to get there though, this was built and commissioned in a huge rush.. the real fun is going to be fitting it out over the next few years! B
Fabulous video. I enjoyed every second of it. The only thing that could be better would be to be there in person poking around. Your workshop is superb - I love it. Thank you for that video, it gave a much needed boost to my spirit. 👍
Loved the tour. Hoping you make more videos of the same. Would really enjoy some of you restoring or making tools and going in depth on them. Electrician by trade but have always had a thing for old tools that do their job perfectly... also can't wait to see the upgrades and add ons to the shop.
I'm going to do much more of that sort of thing this year, gives me an excuse to get them all working and is a nice break from the major projects that take so long to complete.. and the workshop will be evolving forever, I am sure, but I will be sharing it all :) B
Timber store or office... At BTLX, our timber store and office are one and the same room. We have a two room unit and the larger front room is the workshop, while the smaller back room contains our office, storage area, a toilet and a sealed spray booth... Still better than the toilet cubicle sized workshop that we started out in.
@@CrimsonCustomGuitars And when I read that, I literally sprayed my coffee LOL. Thanks for the congrats, I'd say Crimson provided a good 95% of the inspiration for what we're trying to achieve. You guys rock.
Hi Ben, definitely like minded. I have tools which I bought 44 years ago as an apprentice. I am also a bin diver, the stuff people chuck out is amazing. Best find 2 pieces of 1/2" thick 361 aluminium roughy 2ft by 2ft which will become a part of a guitar. Are you a bin diver?
The only thing I use G clamps for now is changing break pads & I have modified one for taking valve springs off of Harleys. I think it’s strange when people don’t have tools. My wife gets mad at me when I ask one of her friends husbands how he fixes anything or say what do u do if something break
Gorgeous Shop man. I was expecting a guitar build. You kept talking on and I was like " Is he gonna start a build or not?" but whyou kept going...... I got more dug in than during one your builds. Yep. Good Show sir!
I always enjoy looking at your beautiful collection and seeing your Bill Carter every now and then I think I was with my number one for a bill Carter as well :-)
Youre not a hoarder, keep it *this** organised and you're good. Beautiful use of space. Truly. Would love to see more of what you make in there, is there a channel? metal? jewelry? fine woodworking? furniture? teaching?
Without organisation is a descent into anarchy.. I predominantly build guitars and ancillary bits and pieces involved in that trade... I post 2 or 3 videos a week here. B ua-cam.com/channels/dD1Cqxr8aINzWs1agg3tEQ.html
Well, that was most enjoyable. You're a man after my own heart as they say. It's remarkable how you utilized what seems like a small space, I'm inspired enough to give your ideas a try but my wife I'm sure will give me the " when will you ever use it" retort. Lucky man indeed you are and well earned. Go raibh mile maith agat. Thank you.
I know this is an older video now - but interested in any resources you might have on building the wall tool storage - for chisels, files and planes - really like the slanted wall storage - looking to implement something similar in my own workshop - this is inspiring me to get organised!
"Welcome to my workshop - burn it!" nice editing there again, lol
😂😂😂Beat me to it😂😂Great minds think alike I suppose 😂😂
Lol I thought the same as well
Thought the same!!!!!amazing!
Same 🤣
Those are getting better and better
Seeing Ben happy is one of the most heartwarming things in the world.
There is something about being in my workshop.. I just can't be unhappy while I'm in there! B
You're not just lucky, you've put the work in and had amazing support along the way. Your story is as much of an inspiration and motivation as your teaching is. Not only do you explain things very well and take the time to correct yourself where needed, you show us that anyone with the right motivation can start from nothing and succeed. Thank you for your quality tutelage, fantastic specialty tools, and above all your story.
One question... Are your leaning tool racks mounted in any way or are they just leaning and weighed down by the material and tools?
Hey Stephen, Thank you for this, there are always doubts and it is great hearing nice things from time to time. imo the most important thing I ever learnt, and it was quite late on tbf, was to be open to being wrong. No one is ever correct all the time and there is always another way to do something. VB, B
Its not selfish, if you've earned it. I've been watching since "Clarity" so you've definitely earned it
I’ve been watching since around then, minus a hiatus because twins, but it’s been a long journey since the shed and not with out a lot of hard work to get to this point.
Idk if your fans say this often enough. But we love you. Just thought you should know.
this workshop is fantastic, there is never enough space, then we find or buy something else and we always find a little space for it, this was the most interesting, fun and relaxing thing to watch, 38 mins of smiles
You have every tool you need, you love what you do... but surely, the icing in the cake is being able to do all that you love and have that view doing it!! Yes it's cold, but LOOK AT IT!! its gorgeous!!
"My life is half about guitar building, half about you guys."
**wife looks angrily**
Really like the sound of you making your own hand planes! I’d love to see a video on how you design them and why.
A hoarder? No, Ben, you're a careful lover of good things. Takes love and dedication. And artistic soul and imagination to put them to good use.
You have made me feel better about my problem :) Thank you. B
@@CrimsonCustomGuitars I wouldn't call it a problem, more an edge ;) And thank you for all you're doing. F
Ok, ok on with the fanned neck build please! Ben you’re amazing, I really enjoy this channel, both as a maker and as a player!
“And here’s my planers...” (*choir starts up*)
The rest of the luthiery community:
"Tools are so expensive, there's still so much I need"
Ben Crowe:
"He's a hand drill thing for turning your boots into iceskates!" 😂😂😂
I really thought this was a joke at first lol how foolish I was
@@javanmonroe6064 reads that way doesn't it 😅
🤣😂🤣
As a dutchman i highly doubt that anyone ever attached iceskates on the go with a drill,
There are plenty of ways to attach ice skates to boots without drilling, besides who would ruin perfectly good shoes with a bit of free hand drilling using a pocket drill?
If it is ice skating related i would say it's for measuring the thickness of the ice
I just realized watching this, you have a guitar makers walk in "Studley Tool box". You place, in your "Backyard " as we call it, is a dream. Yes, you are a very lucky man, and should be proud.
A sexy 2021 calendar on the wall is all that's missing. Miss January: Copper Rodded, Miss February: Bog Oak resin build etc
I was a little worried at one point that one of those many drawers was going to expose a collection of Publications for the Descerning Gentleman 😥
Watching the channel since that first 24 hrs build about 8 years ago. It's insane how far you've come and how much has changed. Enjoy your new freedom, you've really earned it 👍🏼
8:52 "I keep these things because one day I might just need them...." The refrain of ALL men all around the world!
Then you throw it away...and then the day after garbage day BOOM you need it.
@@IrisGalaxis this exactly. Needs to be a _____ Law to refer to this problem.
Not just men- there are a few of us female types who sing that tune quite well, also!
@@marcialavine1272 let's just say all handy people. I know men who can't fix anything or even have a clue.
@@prOkrEAt The 'Cruel Law of Store' ?
I have not seen a frosty morning like that since I lived in New Zealand, Wellington and the Wairarapa. Wine growers used helicopters to stir up still air over their vineyards to stop crops from being frost damaged. It's been even longer since I saw and even experienced an English winter morning frost scene, reminds me of the winters of the 60's and 70's.
The meadow looked like the ocean at first glance. Just a beautiful view.
I agree.. I really missed this while working at HQ. B
so grateful that you never gave up Ben, I've been a fan since very early days when you were in a shed and making guitars for mr fripp, I think your success is well earned.
I appreciate that, thank you, and thank you for sticking with me through all the craziness, and all the myriad sheds and workshops! B
Love your work! I have been watching for 7 years or so and buying and building my tool collection! I'm so close to gluing up my first neck blank and I couldn't have done any of it without your knowledge so keep it up! Don't let the stress of life put you down. I am and have gone thru the same sort of thing, as far as work overload and stress, so hearing that people as profound (in my eyes) as you, struggle too, seems to help me cope! Thanks!
I’ve been following Crimson since just before the start of the GGB 2020 which is how I in turn came across the likes of Texas Toast, BigD, Angove, and a personal favorite of mine, Guns and Guitars, we share the same home town, but my rambling point is this, What you do and how you go about it, your passion for guitars and guitar teaching, has inspired far greater numbers than you can possibly imagine. For me personally it has been a huge help in dealing with the day to day Covid life here in the US and because of you and all the rest, I’m well on my way to completing my own workshop for guitar building as my passion for it has been rekindled because of yours. Thank you just seems too simple of a word to say really. My Bucket list now has Crimson at the top of it for a 4 week building corse.
Nice to hear that the GGBO has broadened your horizons of guitar builders! Hopefully this years competition will be just as good. Thank you for you comment, it would be a pleasure to have you on any of our courses. Tim
I see a couple of ideas that I'm definitely going to steal. Thanks for the tour!
I recently bought a Triton Workcentre. I had purchased one back in 1994 but ended up selling it. Worst thing I ever did back then. Thankfully I have now redeemed myself. Such a great multi purposed bench.
I really appreciate seeing all the safety guards in place on the power tools. Thank you for your commitment to shop safety.
The "Masterkey" at 19:35min was made by "Vereinigte Geldschrankfabriken AG". The company built cashboxes and safes. AG means joint stock company. The company was transformed into a stock company in 1904. The headquarter of the company was in Stuttgart until 1907, sooooo the "Masterkey" was probably made between 1904 and 1907 and could be a safekey. (without guarantee of correctness ;) )
I love you, I love UA-cam and the fact that a few hours after the video goes live I know more about something I love than I could have hoped! Thank you. Now I am wondering if there is a locked box somewhere that I have the key to! B
I very much have workshop envy. You mentioned the heating and dehumidifier. As an air conditioning engineer. I would suggest you install a air con unit. This will keep your workshop at a constant temperature and reduce any humidity. Also in the summer it will keep you cool and in the winter nice and warm. All the newer ones are almost silent. Admittedly a expensive outlay. But cheaper running costs.
This is lovely to see, I just recently built my first guitar completely from scratch using information primarily from your videos, and after getting a small collection of tools to do that I just find myself wanting more. I hope that someday I can get my own workshop looking like this, and until then I'll keep building with what I've got while adding to my collection. Awesome video
That was brilliant, thank you for doing that although I do feel that my home workspace is now totally inadequate so thanks for that too :) you are an inspiration truly - thanks for posting and more please and indeed thank you. Take care
I think everyone needs to have a space where they can tinker/repair/build. Going down into my little "cave" at night is a great way to relax after a day of work, and it's much healthier (physically and mentally) than sitting on the couch watching TV every night. I'm just a little bit jealous of your setup!
Nebula 2.0 episode 07?
Cmon don't make us wait for so long!
next week.. I took a few weeks off over Christmas, back to regular programming on Saturday! B
@@CrimsonCustomGuitars You certainly deserved the break! That's great news, cya then and I wish you all the best in 2021 and all the rest to come.
This is most inspiring to me. What a nice workshop and way to make a living. I am a bass player and I love working with my hands.
"Welcome to my workshop-Burn it" is all I heard at the beginning and it was hilarious. Editors have some good timing right there.
That's my sister, she is just wonderful! B
You obviously love your work and all your hobbies are related so why not! Have fun, enjoy life!
This is a perfect video for me am just about to move from my top floor flat into a house with garden, and will be building my own workshop. I’ve been using my dads garage till now. I’ve made 1 acoustic parlour so far and wanted to say thx for all the UA-cam advice vids couldn’t have done it without you 👍 keep them coming.
Currently in the process of setting up my ideal workspace in my little single car garage and to help me do it I was literally pausing your videos to check out your racks and shelves and everything :p this video gives me so many ideas! Thank you :)
Really a dream of a workshop. Thanks for the insight. Wait for my order from you until it is finally delivered in Germany ..... You are very motivated to continue building my guitar. Thanks Ben. Keep it up
🎸💪🤘
Ben, I wanted to weep with happiness when I saw your planes and carving gouges. I have only just started carving, and the pieces I've been able to acquire so far are inexpensive (cheap) and not nearly as beautiful, but I've been bitten by the bug, so I hope to someday have at least a few that are of quality and beauty, such as those in your own collection. I think I've mentioned once in one of my earlier comments to you that my grandfather was a master carpenter, and collected- well, pretty much everything- but his favorite collection had to have been his hand plane collection- he had close to 500 of them, if I recall correctly. The pieces which weren't given away were auctioned off when he died, and because I was only 13 at the time and hadn't thought to say something about it, no one thought I would be interested and I didn't get a single one of them. It breaks my heart, to this day. He used to display his favorites- around 75 of them- at a local annual threshing show every summer, along with a few of his small engines, and a couple of his fully restored farm tractors. I still have a couple of old photos taken of one of his displays there, but can't share them here. Anyway, this is a long winded explanation of how seeing your whole shop, especially both your carving gouges and hand planes, takes me back to my earliest days and some of my best memories of hanging out with Grandpa in his own home workshop. I wish I could take a much closer look at those beautiful gouges, though. In a perfect world, I'd be there next to you as you tell me how they came to you as you would pick up your own favorites to show me the specific characteristics which make each one uniquely special and useful in your own work, because you know I completely understand and share that inexplicable joy found in each seemingly simple tool that holds such magic within it.
Ben, you mentioned about upgrading your dust collection system. I for one would love to see a video on your thought process of which one you decide on. You could take us through what manufacturer you go for, what specifications you need etc. Like yourself I have smaller vac type dust collection and I'm thinking of going to a more powerful / better filtration system. There's probably lots of small shop guys and gals that would be interested in your thoughts. Keep up the great work.
I absolutely will film this, it is a minefield and one I would love to cover. B
That soundeffect with the nr.7 plane is just perfect 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 I love it!
Congratulations for you brand new work shop!!!
It seems you put a lot of thinking on floor layout and how all should be organized and equipped.
Wishing you all the best and waiting to see more of your crazy amazing guitar building videos .
Thank you so much! A workshop is a never ending and constantly evolving thing and I love it.. so damn much! However, I am also looking forward to getting back to guitar building next week! B
Beautiful workshop Ben! All this awesome tools deserve to be appreciated and I think there is no better place on earth than your eorkshop for that!
16:15 that view could be mistaken for the sea. nice.
Bravo Ben! Wonderfully insightful, brave, glorious food for thought musing on awe-inspiring tools and instruments.
The back of that mandolin is absolutely beautiful
isn't it just. It was my first real look at luthiery too.. my dad built a whole mould to completely rebuild the entire back.. it was all kinds of f'd up! B
Ben, the portable osciliating spindle sander from Triton is AMAZING. That's what I use in my workshop and I LOVE it.
You should use it in a build sometime just to show some of us mere mortals that we can achieve great results without the big price tag tools...
I think it was Gary Player the golfer who said " the harder I work the luckier I get ". You have what you deserve Ben. Enjoy. Regards Jim.
I want to paint my first guitar build. Could you do a video on beginner painting/stainning.
I have actually no plan what I should do. Greetings from Germany!
Brad Angove has a good collection of how to paint guitars for beginners. Great for those that don’t have the money for all the fancy gear
Exactly my answer, Marc!
I will do this one day.. however as Matt said, go to Brad Angove.. he rocks! B
Come on Ben; give yourself credit where credit is due;
You're not lucky or even privileged for that matter. YOU build this.
This is the result of all your hard work - starting from scratch!
I have to switch on 8 different lights in my dream workshop too 😉
Like someone Said looong before me... We dont own these tools, we are just caretakers for the future for them. 😍😍 lovely workshop with all the nice and good stuff.
I don’t build or fix guitars ....have one but play sax. Love woodworking....but....you Sir are truly an interesting and talented soul. Thank You and Cheers.
Jim
ooh I miss playing Sax so bad! That was one of my favourite periods of my life tbh.. and thanks for this.. I am going to log off youtube now and go and look at a few nice Alto's.. B
Oh cool. Have a 1920s soprano. Bari and alto. Have a tenor but I need to work on it. Love your content.
Let me know how it goes.
That is an insanely pretty view! You know, once this whole apocalypse finally slows down in 2025 or so I really need to travel England for a bit, maybe at that point we'll also know how that's going to work...
You know what, I am so scared that you may well be right.. about 2025.. however, you will be welcome to visit Crimson at any time that we can have you. B
I'm buying a new property this year and I think I'm going the direction you have here... I am seeing two spaces, one being a sawing/CNC/dust area and the other being a finishing area. Looks cozy! Nice work.
Vintage tool shop! I remember when that was the hardware/bike store. If I recall correctly owned the Andrews bros. They had a twin shop in Marnhull on New Street. This would have been 1980s to early 90s. Nice to see the shop is in use to day! Hope business is doing well.
I can't wait until you start the personal tours of your workshop. Though I imagine visitors hands will be placed into a strait jacket type of arrangement and drool helmets fitted. At least your neighbour has a large field he can convert into a car park so he gets some benefit too!
This is THE video I've been waiting for!
I hope it was worth it? B
@@CrimsonCustomGuitars Totally, I was struggling to go out to my freezing garage to do a clean of the shop and re-organize all my tools etc. watched this, inspired! Turns out, the more you move the less you feel cold haha.
You showed everything except the most important tool in your shop! And that is your work bench! I really was interested to see that.
That is so awesome! I'm rather jealous of this. I had money saved up to build a large shed for shop space and wood storage.... and our furnace went out. Cost us $5k to get it replaced.
So yeah, I would love to see more like this, and I'm definitely interested in more details about the unusual tools. I love and collect old tools too. Oh, I also bought a set of carving tools and barely use them. Fortunately I got them pretty cheap at a pawn shop, but some of them had literally never been used, several never even got sharpened.
You may know this from the factory.
Only issue with the single unit and auto on.
You either need auto open blast gates
Or an extractor massive enough to suck dust from all tools at once. Trust me duct design is a royal pain... each elbow kills your overall suction. As does that flex hose...
(as someone who has 6inch trunk lines for my major tools, and 4 inch branches everywhere else). I don’t have an auto on system and instead have manual gates. And it never fails I forget to close one....
Also. You might look into a quiet compressor. I think mines 60db or something. Great for nailers ect. Quiet enough I can talk over it. Sooooooo nice after having a loudmouth pancake.
I am so very GREEN with ENVY!!! I can only Dream of having such nice tools & a place to build
That slab of Brazilian rosewood 😭😍
Great video, would love a video about your thoughts on running a guitar building business from that size of shop at home!!
Ben you are such a lovely, humble and so so talented guy! I love watching your videos and have helped me through a difficult time (apart from COVID) I hope to build a workshop this year and you have given me some great ideas! I am very interested in triton tools, I have shied away from them in the past veering more towards Bosch when I had a small construction business, now semi retired and looking to move more into woodwork. Keep up the great work! Happy new year
Wonderful workshop. Thanks for sharing. All the best for 2021.
Thank you.. Happy New Year! B
Alternative title: Things that make me happy. The Ben Crowe Story
I waited a whole week to see you build on that beautiful guitar.
Sorry.. I really needed to take a short break! We are back on track for next Saturday. B
I really miss the "what's on the bench". That's what got me into building my first guitar. Any chance that is coming back?
love watching tool renovation video, love the mini set squire. thanks for the tour
Hey yo Ben. You NEED to check out Tim Sway's recent videos on restoring some VERY interesting soviet era guitars. He's got a couple out now and there are more coming soon too. It's so interesting to see guitar hardware that has the same goal but was designed entirely independently from western guitars. Absolutely worth a watch and, if you ask me, a great inspiration rabbit hole.
Ben, looking at how many angles you have in this workshop and how you are essentially moving a camera on a tripod most of the time you are recording, wouldn't it be a good idea to make a rig so that this could be done by remote control? I am thinking of something like having a camera mounted on a rail attached to the ceiling that could be moved along the rail and rotated via remote control with something like a screen on said remote for checking the angle and focus. This wouldn't be a total replacement but it could make life a bit easier and could be quite good for top down angles without getting in your way.
Also concerning your chemical storage cabinate, a lot of paints and other chemicals don't deal well with very low temperatures. So if you do go for an outside storage bin of some kind I would advise making sure it is water tight and has a heater controlled by a thermostat in the base to stop these chemicals from freezing and becoming useless.
Ben, you are correct you are very lucky. However you have worked hard for it and deserve it. I say this as a jealous man. What I would give just to have the tools to get started making guitars but I'm plugging away at collecting and sometime in the future I will be ready to start. I love your workshop and your collection of...everything. I still think you are missing something...oh yes...the lifesize cardboard cutout of yourself. It would be awesome in that workshop. Love your videos, keep making them and I'll keep watching!
I love that small machinists square. Great shop!
Thank you for sharing your happiness !!! Your Dream workshop is really awesome, congratulations !!
Your tour was a perfect companion with my morning coffee! 🙂
Why thank you lion39 :) B
it was a fun game to try and name things before you did! Thank you for the awesome tour.
Nice workshop mate! Imagine what i could do with just a quarter of these gorgeous tools.. Can't wait for your next episode of the Nebula 2.0
I wish more than anything to have that set up and career
....... And with the view it has location, location, location and you and your kids. Nice one.
You got that right! It is so cool that they get to come in and make things in a properly equipped shop now.. so much fun! B
Magnetic Chuck - suggest to place a piece of steel/ iron and magnetize, this will act as a “keeper” and prolong its life. Love the tour I wish you old tool shop was closer to Boston (US)
Good call, I will do that. I'm hoping to pick up a small surface grinder next week to play with, a first job will be resurfacing the chuck! B
Great tour Ben. Maybe a tour of your Vintage tool shop would be a nice idea?
Ben, could this workshop be a laboratory/exhibition of fine joinery? This whole tumble-down look is truly comforting I assure you, but cabinets, benches, and clever little workarounds are somewhat in absence. Rather than go with boilerplate Ikea riffraff, how would the side project of a dovetailed cabinet suit you? Demonstrations of various Asian joinery would be right at home in this studio. Start off simple with a hanging cabinet for your vintage precision measurement stuff. Organize the space, demonstrate any number of exquisite woodworking philosophies, use up bits and bobs of wood that otherwise can't be used in guitars, and make more space to hoard more vintage tools. Guitars would remain the focus of the channel, but I'm wondering if additional inspiration might be found in other fine woodworking (a redesigned neck joint for example.)
This sounds exactly like I would want my workshop to be, it will take a LOT of time to get there though, this was built and commissioned in a huge rush.. the real fun is going to be fitting it out over the next few years! B
Fabulous video. I enjoyed every second of it. The only thing that could be better would be to be there in person poking around. Your workshop is superb - I love it. Thank you for that video, it gave a much needed boost to my spirit. 👍
I really like that idea, maybe post Covid I'll film something with someone asking me questions and rummaging in the drawers.. B
Loved the tour. Hoping you make more videos of the same. Would really enjoy some of you restoring or making tools and going in depth on them. Electrician by trade but have always had a thing for old tools that do their job perfectly... also can't wait to see the upgrades and add ons to the shop.
I'm going to do much more of that sort of thing this year, gives me an excuse to get them all working and is a nice break from the major projects that take so long to complete.. and the workshop will be evolving forever, I am sure, but I will be sharing it all :) B
Timber store or office...
At BTLX, our timber store and office are one and the same room. We have a two room unit and the larger front room is the workshop, while the smaller back room contains our office, storage area, a toilet and a sealed spray booth...
Still better than the toilet cubicle sized workshop that we started out in.
I now have a desire to put a sign on our toilet door at Crimson now.. 'spray booth'... I hope I get over it soon! :) Congrats on the expansion btw. B
@@CrimsonCustomGuitars And when I read that, I literally sprayed my coffee LOL.
Thanks for the congrats, I'd say Crimson provided a good 95% of the inspiration for what we're trying to achieve.
You guys rock.
I remember the first workshop of the cam clamps video, this video is touching
Hi Ben, definitely like minded. I have tools which I bought 44 years ago as an apprentice. I am also a bin diver, the stuff people chuck out is amazing. Best find 2 pieces of 1/2" thick 361 aluminium roughy 2ft by 2ft which will become a part of a guitar. Are you a bin diver?
My workshop tour would be a lot quicker 😅 "Here's a shelf, here's the bench. Now get out" ~S
And that is where I started.. a tiny garage filled with bikes and other peoples crap.. 20 years later here I am.. B
Bahahahahaha 🤣
The only thing I use G clamps for now is changing break pads & I have modified one for taking valve springs off of Harleys. I think it’s strange when people don’t have tools. My wife gets mad at me when I ask one of her friends husbands how he fixes anything or say what do u do if something break
Gorgeous Shop man. I was expecting a guitar build. You kept talking on and I was like " Is he gonna start a build or not?" but whyou kept going...... I got more dug in than during one your builds. Yep. Good Show sir!
Wow amazing dude! Well done you have earned this.
That submariner on the tudor style strap is 👌
I always enjoy looking at your beautiful collection and seeing your Bill Carter every now and then I think I was with my number one for a bill Carter as well :-)
Youre not a hoarder, keep it *this** organised and you're good. Beautiful use of space. Truly.
Would love to see more of what you make in there, is there a channel? metal? jewelry? fine woodworking? furniture? teaching?
Without organisation is a descent into anarchy.. I predominantly build guitars and ancillary bits and pieces involved in that trade... I post 2 or 3 videos a week here. B
ua-cam.com/channels/dD1Cqxr8aINzWs1agg3tEQ.html
@@CrimsonCustomGuitars awesome, thanks
Well, that was most enjoyable. You're a man after my own heart as they say. It's remarkable how you utilized what seems like a small space, I'm inspired enough to give your ideas a try but my wife I'm sure will give me the " when will you ever use it" retort. Lucky man indeed you are and well earned. Go raibh mile maith agat. Thank you.
Thanks!! So interesting video! You own just amazing shop! It looks like a museum.
What gets me is how much more Ben's Afrikaner accent seems to come out, the longer he works alone in the home workshop.
What a workshop! Congrats, Ben !!!
Thanks, I am very very happy! B
Like the shop ben. Like how it organized.
I know this is an older video now - but interested in any resources you might have on building the wall tool storage - for chisels, files and planes - really like the slanted wall storage - looking to implement something similar in my own workshop - this is inspiring me to get organised!