Shop time, things you would like to see invented?

[reible]

In my younger days it didn't seem to make much of a difference but now I really hate to put on a cold dust mask.

I was planning on some shop time yesterday after a busy day of other stuff, a little sanding project was in line. I went to turn the heat on and forgot to take my dust mask inside to warm up. I just could bring myself to put on that cold mask so no progress on that project.

Now I wish they had invented a heated face mask, you know maybe battery powered?? I'd love it!

So this got me thinking, we haven't have and discussions about things you think you would like for your shop time. As an example sometimes I like to listen to music while I doing this or that. Since I have a smart phone I can tap into a radio app or other music apps and listen while I say do some sanding. Notice how the music sounds scratchy or is that just me? Solution one was to put some ear phones on. Dang cords......... OK bluetooth headphones, fine but with my hat on they are not comfortable. Then I came upon this bluetooth hat:

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Now I have warm ears and music.

So what would you like to see invented to make your shop time nicer? OR, what have you found that already does that? Got the idea?

Ed

[Skizzity]

I agree with the music. I like my Bluetooth headphones.

Here are some things that I'm glad were invented to make my shop time more enjoyable.

[BuckeyeDennis]

An automatic fastener sorter/organizer. You just dump your miscellaneous fasteners into the hopper, and it ID's them individually by type, length, pitch, etc. Adds each one to an inventory database, and squirrels them away into internal storage.

Then, when you need fasteners, you can check your inventory electronically (from your mobile device or whatever), and tell it to regurgitate exactly what you need.

That would save me a huge amount of time. And it's doable -- at a (high) price. On second thought, internal threads (in nuts) might be a challenge.

[roy_okc]

An automatic fixer of cuts, holes, etc. would be nice. It would stretch boards cut too short, straighten crooked cuts, shrinks and/or repositions holes. Sounds simple enough.

[robinson46176]

All of those keeping warm things wouldn't do me much good. My basement woodshop is too warm most of the winter yet. What makes it even worse is that since I work outside some everyday I am usually wearing those waffle weave long-john sets much of the winter. Of course the warm woodshop is countered by the farm shop which I have often said you couldn't get warm in the winter if you sat it on fire. It's very common for me to walk out there to work and to raise at least one overhead door for a while to let the cold air out in the morning. It's fairly comfortable in hot weather without AC.

The invention I need is self clearing work bench tops and the same for anything with a flat spot like the tablesaws, the double drillpress table etc. etc.


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[Gene Howe]

Here's my nomination.

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[dusty]

I would like to see Genes' choice with adjustable legs; that is, the height of the Way Tubes above floor level could be raised and lowered (mostly lower).

I am 5'7" tall and about the same around.

[Gene Howe]

Dusty, I built a 4" high by 4' X 4' platform to use at the Bandsaw. It's great. It's heavy. I quit using it after one fall.
It's yours, if you want it. But, be forewarned, I don't have product liability insurance.

[Ed in Tampa]

Automatic adjustment stop blocks on the miter saw tied by blue tooth to my tape measure. Then when I measured the length of wood I need the stop block would automatically move to the exact measurement.

Built in inclinometer built into the table top of the Shopsmith. This inclinometer.must be able to reset to the true relationship of the saw blade.

A screw adjustment to allow aligning the parallelism of the main table to the blade. Something so precise that the table to blade alignment could be failed in to .001" easily.

A outfeed table that is built that can be easily attached to the shopsmith that will rise and lower with the main table and can accurately tilt to any main table angle. Built is keyword here.

A SPT which is a total dust contained table saw attachment that allows the total dust collection, blade tilt and blade movement for height. This could be powered by belt or flex cable. Something that would set on way tubes so it would be lower to floor.

A filter cartridge that mounts on the DC 3300 with a built in scraper.

Jointer table that.both the infeed and outfeed tables can be adjusted. With helical cutter blades.

Bandsaw with easy release blade tension and bearing blade guides.

Pro planner and jointer mounted on their own stand that can be rolled up to the shopsmith and can be connected the power Head with no lifting required.

Automatic drive mechanism that will raise or lower Shopshop to vertical or horizontal or any where in between with the push of a button.

Shopsmith main table raised and lowered by motor drive with the aux table to have a same drive . Table adjust could be by a push of a button and all mounted aux tables would automatically stay in planar with in ( go up and down).

A SPT router that is powered by the Power Pro that can be a overhead, underneath or horizontal router.

Hey you said dream big!

[twistsol]

What I really need is the equivalent of "find my iPhone" for my tape measure, pencils, marking knife, and every other tool smaller than my Shopsmith which is the one tool I rarely misplace. Basically every tool that isn't in it's assigned spot would show up on a screen and tapping its image would cause it to beep or flash a light or set off a flare.

I spend the majority of my time in the shop looking for the tool I had in my hand 5 minutes ago.