I have always been a fan of DeWalt products. The cordless drill is a staple that can always be found in my trunk. You never know when it will come in handy! When picking cordless tools, it is best to pick one brand and stick with it. After all, you don’t want to risk a fire by mixing and matching batteries and chargers. My installer is a Milwaukee kind of guy, and I don’t judge him for that. However, when it came to the cornerstone technology of my shop, I came across the Laguna F3 table saw. While many people will look at a Sawstop, I found the design of the F3 to be particularly charming. With that in mind, I chose Laguna as another brand for some more advanced equipment. I hope to show you below my journey from an empty warehouse to a fully functional sauna factory.
· The empty shop (Nov-Dec)
I got the keys to my new facility at 644 Colby drive just before Halloween, 2025. Sure enough, on the second day there, I walk into the overhead door and gave myself a cut on the nose. It’s not my first experience with bad luck. The day after I purchased my previous sauna company, I showed up to work to find several firetrucks putting out a blaze next door. Our shop was fine, as it was the electrical room in a different unit that caught fire after some water damage. The fire chief even said, due to the timing, they would have questions if it started near our unit. After walking into the door, I got it checked out just in case, but it didn’t need any stitches. However, it left me with a cool scar.
Over the next two months, I would bring in lots of equipment to furnish my new shop. Some of the equipment was large enough that it needed two people to open the crate and set on the ground. I thoroughly enjoyed unboxing all the equipment, reading the manuals, and setting it all up for production. The machinery would sit idle for another two months, as my electrician hooked them up over the holidays. It took some time for everything to arrive, as some equipment was custom ordered from Laguna in California.
For many years, especially as a student at Wilfrid Laurier University, I would have to get creative to celebrate Christmas on a budget. One year I drew a tree on a piece of paper, and put my presents under it! Later on, I lived with a friend who worked in the trades, and we joked about putting up a Christmas ladder instead of a tree. After all, space was limited and we didn’t want to store something we used once a year. We were also the types of folks who would leave our Halloween decorations up all year round. When I started unpacking all my tools, I decided I wanted to celebrate by setting up a Christmas ladder in my shop. I even found a DeWalt angle to put on the top! 
· Cleats & building a new shop (Jan-Feb)
I knew when designing my new wood shop, I would have to get creative with storage solutions. I didn’t want to spend large sums of money on fancy tool cabinets, when I could design something better myself. I opted to use French Cleats to mount my tools. With this system, I can build mounts that are mobile, and can be moved to a separate work area. I can also build and design custom mounts or holsters for each of my tools. I believe in having the right tool for the right job on hand, so I appreciate the ability to be flexible with my storage solutions!
This would be the fifth wood shop I have set up in my life, with previous shops around Kitchener and Waterloo. Colby Drive would be my latest venture. There is some history here, as my mentor once operated Great Saunas on Colby Drive. I came on board after he split up with his ex-wife, and operated out of the back of the Ontario Glove building for a year. Later we moved to Marsland Drive, and Great Saunas eventually closed their doors, with many of their staff moving to our shop. We succeeded where others failed due to our professionalism, our expertise and our dedication to building a better sauna.
· Workbenches
I knew that I would need at least two workbenches for my new shop. I would need a standard workbench, with a vice and a shelf for cutting edge mortises on doors. I wanted to build something durable, using something better than regular spruce 2x4s. So I called a local lumber yard, Kitchener Forest Products on Huron Road. They were able to supply me with some 8’ 4x4s of locally harvested Beech hardwood. While the wood was still damp from being stored outdoors, I was able to rack it and let it dry for two months before it was ready to work with. Fortunately, my equipment came online around the same time.
I wanted to do something creative with the 4x4 staves, so I decided to pour coloured epoxy resin in the wood cracks. One has black colouring, and the other is a red chestnut. I still hope to stain the wood to accent the colour even more. I used a half-lap to join the 4x4s, using a dado blade on the table saw to make the cutouts. For the 8’ long staves, I needed to build a sled so the whole board would move as one, staying square. I then used some ¼” threaded rod to bolt each joint together. I used the same serrated flanged locknuts that are used to hold our full window doors together. I was also able to recess the bolts on the top, so the bench surface would be as level as possible.
My workbench has a 4x4 that stick out by 1.5”, enough to hold a door on edge and have the edge above the surface just enough to cut the hinge mortises. I plan to install a T-track and clamps to hold a door in place, along with a vice. My door building table is on wheels. I built a clamp rack to hold a door in place as the glue dries. These can be mounted or tucked underneath when not in use. I seasoned the surface with raw linseed oil. I used this as it was known to be resistant to glues. However, this took a long time to cure, and for the next week would leach onto any paper or scrap wood it touched. Most other products, such as epoxy resin, would cure overnight. The two clamp vices at the end are helpful for prepping and sanding door staves.
· Laguna Tools
I found several sources of inspiration at my local hardware store, Millbank Hardware. They are a dealer for Laguna products, along with Busy Bee Tools in Concord. I found the Laguna F3-52 was the right tool for me, as it would let me rip larger items such as 4x8 plywood. I decided to stick with that brand for several other items, where I didn’t want to compromise on quality. For my shaper, I found a 7.5hp model that ran on 3-phase power. To this day I am impressed by the power and versatility behind this tool. I got the Laguna 6|89T Edge sander, as it was large enough to work door handles, and had a rounded surface the right diameter for interior sanding. The 14|BX Bandsaw was large enough to rip a 2x6 on edge if needed, a capability that I lacked in previous shops. Their thinnest bandsaw blades are perfect for fine details on door handles.
The biggest purchase was a Creator I-24 CNC machine, with the stand and tool bench options. This was a custom order, but would give me capabilities I did not have before. The Creator CNC uses Vectric software to operate on, by copying files on a USB drive. My only complaint is that it specified no larger than an 8gb USB drive, and no one stocks that size anymore. Right away I was able to pick up basic lettering but hope to experiment with more signs in the future. With high-quality vectored image files, I can engrave a logo in great detail.
I am also eligible to apply for a grant under the Advanced Wood Manufacturing Digital Integration Program. While funding is allocated for this year, I may be able to get a grant for up to 30% of the cost if other applicants do not use their allocated funds. These are managed through the Wood Manufacturing Cluster of Ontario, who support woodworking businesses across Ontario. They also provide a network to support local businesses, including tours of facilities provincewide.
The final touch was a 10x10 strut to carry all the wiring for my equipment. Standing at 8’ height, the top level can provide some extra storage for longer planks of wood, and magnetic tools, like a level and a tape measure often get left attached to the strut. It also provides structure to hang overhead 4’ Dust hose for my equipment. With all my equipment set up and calibrated, I look forward to getting started on future sauna projects!
