Tidying The Workshop

[niall Y]

Today and part of yesterday, I've been tidying up the workshop. Have to admit that I've been a bit lax this year about keeping on top of things. Because of building work, earlier in the year, it had become a bit of a dumping ground.

I think, the main problem is, I'm accumulating lots of 'useful stuff' - mainly off-cuts of timber. Today I've been quite brutal and chopped up and bagged much of it for burning. This is where the bandsaw really come into its own. Also been through my jigs and templates and thinned them out. Earlier I got rid of a load of manky dust sheets. These have the habit of proliferating, especially when the wife passes on the old bedsheets and duvet covers. It has all been quite a useful exercise, as I've discovered lots of things I didn't know I had.

One thing I've noticed this year is that the cobwebs are really bad. There are whole clusters of these, in the workshop, arranged like little hammocks holding dust and shavings. Not sure that this isn't the spiders response to a lack of flying insects, in general, as I'm also getting a face full when I enter the greenhouse every morning.

 

[Richard_C]

Good for you, I keep putting it off. Keeping stuff can be useful but it gets to be far too much far too quickly. Trouble is, the day after you throw it out you find a need for it. Back in 1980 I owned a VW type 2 camper for a while. To get the rear drums off I needed a particular sized 3/4 drive socket which is of no other use. There it is, on the shelf above the bench along with some touch up paint for the Scorpio I ran in 1990. And so on... and on.... and...

Then there is the roof space, been on the must clear list for 15 years, best do it before I'm 60..65..70...oh well, should still be fit enough at 75. I think I have some 5 1 /4 inch DOS 1.0 disks and a copy of Psion Xchange, might be handy. Then there's the door I took off the pantry when we opened the kitchen up. Lego, lots and lots of lego. And on.. and on...

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I think the best advice I read is when leaving the workshop put five things away. It's surprising how over a time it keeps everything clear of clutter.

 

[Lons]

I do at very least a mini clear up at the end of every working day and often a 2 minute brush the mess away while working. It can be just a sweep up of shavings or a lot more and a more thorough session when I finish a major project. It's a habit that takes maybe 10 minutes max and suits my personality as I hate tripping over stuff or searching for tools among shavings. the smaller the space the more important it is IMHO.

 

[Bingy man]

As my workshop is a converted bedroom my work often spills out into the lounge especially when it’s raining, also some of my tools travel with me to jobs and back , it’s a good job I live alone. Because of the recent wet weather I’ve been slowly putting things back where they belong. It’s amazing how quickly things get messed up . In the words of my teachers ( must try harder next time )

 

[niall Y]

Interesting insights here into other folks experiences. I have that last little bit to finish off, but will have to wait till tomorrow as we have had family visiting.
There are just some odd bits and pieces, which require me pulling other things out so that I can tuck them away. Decks will then be clear so I can continue with some of my projects - of which there is no shortage.
I too must try harder in the future -"to keep my room tidy" But, sometimes it gets overwhelming and you "just need your mummy to help you tidy up"

 

[clogs]

my dad always said.....wish somebody would invent sky hooks.....

my idea of heavan is to live in the garage and move the workshop into the house.....


how many out there rebuilt old m/cycles in the front room......?.......guilty as charged.....
on occ my wife lets me park mine behind the sofa......hahaha.....
dont want to live alone anymore.....just getting old I guess......

 

[Ozi]

I think the best advice I read is when leaving the workshop put five things away. It's surprising how over a time it keeps everything clear of clutter.

My Dad always said put away two more tools than you used. I told him that would soon become impossible, he laughed, and now 45 years later I have to admit he had a point

 

[treeturner123]

Today and part of yesterday, I've been tidying up the workshop. Have to admit that I've been a bit lax this year about keeping on top of things. Because of building work, earlier in the year, it had become a bit of a dumping ground.

I think, the main problem is, I'm accumulating lots of 'useful stuff' - mainly off-cuts of timber. Today I've been quite brutal and chopped up and bagged much of it for burning. This is where the bandsaw really come into its own. Also been through my jigs and templates and thinned them out. Earlier I got rid of a load of manky dust sheets. These have the habit of proliferating, especially when the wife passes on the old bedsheets and duvet covers. It has all been quite a useful exercise, as I've discovered lots of things I didn't know I had.

One thing I've noticed this year is that the cobwebs are really bad. There are whole clusters of these, in the workshop, arranged like little hammocks holding dust and shavings. Not sure that this isn't the spiders response to a lack of flying insects, in general, as I'm also getting a face full when I enter the greenhouse every morning.

Yes, I admit I have an untidy workshop. Have to clear it out in the next week or so so I can do some training.

BUT, yes, I've noticed there seem to be more spiders webs this year, not just in the workshop, but in the house as well!

Phil

 

[Jameshow]

I need to thin out my workshop I have two bandsaw tables and PT from when my son attempted woodworking and I have since got cast iron stuff!

 

[yetloh]

I think it's a matter of temperament, some of us are tidy some not - including me. My bench gets messier and messier until I can stand it no longer, then I have a putting away session and the process starts again.

Not a fan of sweeping - it puts a load of dust in the air and we all know how bad that is for the lungs. I'm lucky enough to have a fully ducted extraction system with a couple of floor level ducts ( or floor sweeps) so I switch on the extraction open the floor sweep duct's blastgate and start sweeping towards it. the extraction creates an air flow which catches the dust and prevents a cloud of it forming. This process works on the same principle as clearing up - wait until the mess is intolerable!

Offcuts are another matter. I have a product I make batches of for my daughter to sell which uses anything at least 20x30x280mm and anything smaller goes into a bag for my 98 yrear old neighbour's fire, unless it is really special, of course! surprising how common specialness is!

Jim

 

[Sachakins]

Recently give my 8 x 24 shed/shop a total layout revamp.split 8' of the the rear with stud wall and door, now solely for cnc, laser and worktop for pc etc, with bin dust extraction under desk and fan extraction for laser built into drawer under cnc enclosure, both necessity to control dust and fumes.
And 2 4' x 18" x 5 shelf adjustable metal shelf units, one for timber, one for tools and occasionally used stuff opposite.

Leaves main area for 2 4'x30" mobile benches/outfield table, 1 for work, 1 for grinding, sanding, drill Station and belt sander. The rest for main machinery, all on castors.

Thought I'd found my ideal layout, but turns out to much flat surface space, which tends to get clutterd with hand tools, as I'm a bu66er for not putting things away. So end up having to blitz it every other week.

So going to cut down on bench space and make individual units for the grinding, sanding, drill Station and belt sander with minimal flat space around each machine, and settle on just the one the 4' bench.

I don't do flatwork or carcasses, only turned and small craft stuff. The bench i normal used for glue ups of blanks, mostly under 500mm max and any assembly work.

So hoping this will make me more organised, as I'll have hardly any other flat space to dump stuff on.

Sorry its been a bit off a long winded waffle, but basically I think you spread out into space if your disorganised like myself, so reducing spare flat space is the only solution for me. I HOPE!

 

[Grandad455]

my dad always said.....wish somebody would invent sky hooks.....

my idea of heavan is to live in the garage and move the workshop into the house.....


how many out there rebuilt old m/cycles in the front room......?.......guilty as charged.....
on occ my wife lets me park mine behind the sofa......hahaha.....
dont want to live alone anymore.....just getting old I guess......

I always wanted a barn with a pigsty attached, The barn for a workshop!

 

[Bingy man]

A small shop will keep you on your toes as every inch counts , by nature I’m quite messy but if I’m on a job I can go for so long before I have to stop and tidy up - for 1 it’s safer , less likely to lose tools but not impossible and from a customer pov they can see that you care for their home and respect it - trust me it goes a long way-especially the older less able ones.

 

[yetloh]

A small shop will keep you on your toes as every inch counts , by nature I’m quite messy but if I’m on a job I can go for so long before I have to stop and tidy up - for 1 it’s safer , less likely to lose tools but not impossible and from a customer pov they can see that you care for their home and respect it - trust me it goes a long way-especially the older less able ones.

Many years ago, when ordering my Emir Supercabinetmaker bench (sadly no longer available) it seemed like a good idea to order it with a tool well; it proved to be a seriously bad idea. In practice it quickly filled up with tools and shavings to the extent that it was hard to see what was in it, so exploring fingers could unwittingly find sharp edge-tools. Eventually, I found a well seasoned piece of quarter sawn beech and filled it in. I also took the opportunity to add a couple of inches to the front edge incorporating another row of dog holes. The result is a far more satisfactory bench and the combination of a tail vice and the double row of dog holes makes for much mor versatile work holding for awkward shapes and I haven't missed the lost two inches of face vice capacity. I also have a much larger bench area for visible clutter before I feel compelled to clear it away!

Jim

 

[TRITON]

Tiding the workshop ?

Which bit ?

 

[yetloh]

Tiding the workshop ?

Which bit ?

I live quite close to the sea but that does seem a bit extreme!

The only time I clean it thoroughly is for a visit from a fellow woodworker - not sure why - shame, wanting to appear more virtuous than I really am? Whatever, it is a useful motivation because it gets rid of the layer of dust, dead flies, cobwebs and clutter and I do enjoy the sight of a clean and tidy workshop, if only for its rarity.

Jim

 

[Sachakins]

There's nothing like the feeling a clean workshop, dust free, cob Web free everything in its place and a place for everything gives you.

Never had that feeling
I do ascribe to a place for everything, unfortunately that place is the nearest uncluttered space to hand.

 

[niall Y]

Well, that tidy -up lasted all of eight days Been finishing some sets of whistles and its amazing how many bits-and-pieces, I need when working on them. From sets of reamers ( to enlarge the holes for tuning). hacksaw, abrasive paper. cloths , tung oil, various adapted dowels ( to access the inside for sanding and wiping away oil residues ) Also sharp knives, small carving chisels, needle files, calipers , metric rule, etc, etc, etc, And its all spread out over my workbench and the adjacent radial-arm saw-bench.

To cap it all the petrol, lawn mower, broke. So, out came the spanners, the spark-plug spanner, the screwdriver with the Torks bits, a box of assorted bolts, washers nuts, mower oil, petrol can. No joy with the mower, but I did manage to get an older one back into commission.

So, today, I am tidying-up again.

Edit,
All sorted, didn't really take that long - even picking up the mixed nuts and bolts off the floor where I had laid them out to find a matching pair of the right size. Would have been even quicker, if I hadn't stopped to have a toot on the newly made whistles.

 

[yetloh]

So, today, I am tidying-up again.

Steady on, that sounds a bit above and beyond to me, although I must admit to an aversion the oil and grime associated with anywith an interal combustion engine. Must be something to do with a youth spent messing around with push bikes and old cars - I still have memories of lying on my back in a wet driveway unbolting and lifting out the differential to remove the remains of a broken half shaft with, of course, oil dripping on to me, not to mention the barked knuckles. Stopped doing that sort of nonsense when the first company car arrived and someone else would be paid to do it. I sympathise with the mower troubles. We have recently acquired a battery electric mower, it's brilliant.

Jim