Timothy Harps, Makers of Handcrafted Celtic Harps HarpShop page

In May of 2004, we began construction of our new shop facility here at Timothy Harps. I was eager for more, and better designed space after years of working in cramped quarters. So we tackled a large building project. We decided on a two storey structure with a total of 900 square feet of floorspace. The second floor was designated as a recording studio, and the first floor would give me a much more substantial area for my workshop--one which I could design from the ground up for maximum efficency.

Much to our delight, my father Ron Habinski, a government policy writer from Ottawa, but also an amateur lumberjack, framer, and generally all-round proficient contractor, volunteered to spend two weeks with us and help us get the bulk of the building together. (thanks Dad!)

Once the building was standing, wired, insulated and sheathed on the inside with pine panelling, I was able to move in. I spent a lot of time arranging the floorplan for the new shop. Lots of woodworking shops are larger than mine, but I'd like to think that few are more efficiently laid out. Every tool has a dedicated outlet (no more tripping on extension cords!) and I no longer have to move one tool to have access to the next. Nine windows provide plenty of natural light, and give me a pleasant view of our forest from each workstation. In addition, good insulation and vapour barriers makes it much easier and less expensive to climate control the shop--a must for luthiers.

Here is my layout worstation where I do much of the actual joinery for my harps. Running a woodworking studio, whether you are a luthier or a cabinetmaker, is an exercise in controlled chaos, so having a workstation where most tools, adhesives and jigs are easy to reach for and just as easy to put away really helps to keep things tidy.

I spend many hours at this bench as I build each harp, so it is nice to have a window with a view in front of me, and essential to have shock absorbing mats below to cushion my knees and ankles.

Our shop is heated in winter with a small woodstove, but in the spring and summer we try to keep the windows closed most of the time. We have to rely on an air-conditioner rather than the breeze to cool the shop because it's so critical to control moisture levels when making harps. A dehumidifier is located near our woodracks and helps to keep the room well within the safety zone even when it is damp outside.

Here we have my wall of clamps. I've never yet met a luthier or cabinetmaker who had enough clamps, and like most of them I find it difficult to leave a woodworking store without one or two snuck in next to my other purchases. (If you have a carpenter in your life, you may find that the gift of a QuickGrip 12" clamp is a sure and certain way to his or her heart).

Despite how it looks here, my collection is not all that extreme -- it is not uncommon for me to have nearly every clamp in use at the same time.

This picture offers you a view of the stairs that lead to my recording studio. In the bottom right corner you can also see my "octopus" -- a central station of blast gates and hoses that permits me to pull the dust from any machine on the floor to my dust collection system. Dust collection is really critical for a woodshop, for the sake of both a woodworker's health and his sanity. This was the biggest shortcoming of my old shop; I'd often have several inches of dust and shavings on the floor and covering every flat surface by the time each harp was completed. Now, with a better designed system, my shop looks virtually the same when I am finished for the day as it looked before I started.

Most woodworkers are tool junkies, always looking for their next fix of equipment, jigs or machinery. Though I would like to pack every available inch of my shop with gadgets, I try to restrain myself and work with an array of simple, toughly made and dependable machines that can each do a variety of jobs. Here you see my drum sander, (which is heavy enough that I am glad I will never have to move it again!) and an edge sander that I use to smooth and shape curves.

Here is a final overhead shot from the landing of the stairs, in an attempt to give you a complete view of the shop's layout.

I hope you have enjoyed your tour of our new facilities. If you would like to come out and visit us in person and actually see the shop in operation, just give us a call at (519) 243-3443, and we'd be happy to set an appointment, give you directions and have a pot of coffee ready for your arrival.