The Secret Basement La-BOR-atory...

 Whenever the grandkids come over for a visit, one of the first things I ask them is, "Whaddya wanna do?"

Invariably, the reply is, "Go to the basement !!"

That's because the basement is, without a doubt, the coolest place to be in our home.

It's largely the domain of 'Papa', meaning me.

It's a place where all of the pertinent tools and toys reside, placed in easy access for immediate project building, game-playing, Nerf gun battles, or just plain nerding out.

It's the home of woodworking tools, mechanical tools, electronics, LEGO, model rockets, Mandalorian helmets, and tin foil hats.

Here is a series of photos that depicts just why the grandkiddos are always excited to descend into this subterranean vault where Moms and Grandmas fear to tread:

"Enter At Your Own Risk !"

The general shop area located in the farthest reaches of the lab.

'Electronics Central'

The model-building bench

A well-stocked hardware stash...

Paint and chemical cleaning supplies storage...

.. and the centerpiece of the entire area, the woodworking bench.  Most of the wood projects constructed here are done with hand tools.  This bench also doubles as space for group projects, small appliance repair, and mechanical assembly projects.  It is also used as an area for doing minor setup work and string changes on musical instruments. 

This scroll saw is one of the few power tools residing in the shop.  Since the lion's share of projects are done with hand tools, this sees minimal use, primarily only when there are time constraints on finishing a project.

.

A small drill press for occasions when more hole drilling accuracy is required than can be done by hand on wood projects.  This tool is usually relegated to handling the hole drilling in metal parts.

Finally a chop saw for when I'm too lazy to cut lots of stock pieces with a hand saw.  That doesn't happen very often.

Besides being a shop area, the basement is well-stocked with toys and games to keep the younger folk well occupied.

There is also a healthy presence of LEGO builds and Star Wars stuff.  Some of it is LEGO Star Wars stuff. 

And, of course, plenty of model rockets.  These live in the tall storage cabinets along with a lot of boxes full of project parts, more hardware, and a myriad of other stuff...

Still more mechanical gadgetry and Star Wars stuff.

Oh !!  Almost forgot.  The family NERF gun arsenal.  I keep these fully loaded and near-at-hand at all times.  More often than not, visits by the grandkids usually culminate in an epic NERF battle!

The mysterious basement is also equipped with a big screen TV.  Most often it is used to watch Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Marvel and Godzilla movies.  Other frequently watched fare is my collection of Looney Toons DVDs. Nerdy DIY YouTube videos also appear on a regular basis!

A future cool thing!  This is a 3D printer that one of my sons-in-law owns.  He doesn't have room to set it up in his apartment, so he will soon be making it part of the Secret La-BOR-atory. 

Anyway, there's the grand tour.  I suppose the Lab isn't quite so secret anymore..

Cheers!