It Appears to be Time to Downsize

[dusty]

There has been an awakening. It is not just time to down size. The time has long gone past.

I just delivered 850 pounds worth of stuff to be refurbished and or recycled to World Care. Everything that was in that pile came from somewhere in my shop.

My next load will be books - both hard back and softback. The books that I am parting with will be mostly technical (computers, mechanical drawing, electrical). There will be NO wood working materials.

I did pull from the pile all of my math tables, algebra, geometry, analytic algebra and calculus books.

[dusty]

It has been a long time in coming and the end is not yet in sight but today is "Pack the Pod Day". I have a 16' Pod sitting in the driveway that is about half full of "stuff" from the shop. Today I hope to have everything moved from the shop other than the Shopsmith equipment and my work bench.

That may not happen but it is my goal. I should be able to make it because I have nearly all the loose stuff already packed in boxes along with most of the Shopsmith accessories. The tables and fences still have me a bit worried. I do not want to unpack a bunch of damaged goods.

Wish the "Old Man" some luck today.

[JPG]

You could use some 'heavy duty bubble wrap' like they shipped a CI planer table etc. in last month.

Nothing else, just contents, bubble wrap and sealing/packing tape and shipping label.

I think regular bubble wrap(1/2" bubbles) would help.

[Hobbyman2]

Good luck ,,its 9 deg fht here wouldn't want to do much of any thing out side

[JPG]

Good luck ,,its 9 deg fht here wouldn't want to do much of any thing out side

A simple "F" will do for fahrenheit.

[Hobbyman2]

lol not according to my old school teacher ,,,old habits die hard

[JPG]

lol not according to my old school teacher ,,,old habits die hard

Fortunately "C" still works even though it's meaning has changed.(Centigrade/Celsius)

[ARCretired]

I think you'll be OK also. I have all of my tools + refrigerator, laundry tub sink, snow blower & lawn tractor in a single garage stall. EVERYTHING is on lockable rollers so I can rearrange as the project demands. I arranged some of my specific tools (plumbing, grinder, sander, electrical, hand planer, drill accessories) into small carry toolboxes (plastic with one lift out shelf) and stored them on shelves over the SS. also most of the SS accessories are all on a cart (band saw, jointer, belt sander, sanding discs, saw blades. dado set, band saw blades, forstner bit set). Without that cart, things would be an impossible mess. I have a 2 ft x 4 ft router table, which I usually have a large mechanics vise on & storage underneath.

A second work bench w' drawers & storage & Moxon vise is stored next to the accessory cart. I also use it as a platform for a miter saw occasionally. The drawers hold a lot of smaller items. Next to that is a small air compressor on a little shelf for tires, nail guns, etc. I also have a large 3 piece tool cabinet which has lathe accessories (universal rest, etc) as well as msc items (mechanics tools, sandpaper, etc. One day I plan to get rid of the refrigerator & assemble my SS dust collector. Currently I'm using a small Craftsman shop vac for cleanup. Sawing large plywood sheets is a little awkward, but doable when I set up the SS tables. I have the 5 ft tubes which are VERY handy. However if you have other stationary equipment like a table saw, then things will be very tight. I built shelves on 3 walls to hold other items, plus the wall in back of the router table has clamps, and other equipment. Here's a layout of my space.

Because of the space limitation, I have to move equipment around frequently when working on a larger project, but that's the price I pay for the space limitation.

I am fortunate to have a 3 car garage, but I rarely pull out cars to use the extra space. For most of my projects, the single stall is enough. In warmer weather (central Illinois), I sometimes pull the SS outside on the driveway (blacktop). In cold weather, I have 2 furnace ducts blowing a little hot air into the garage so most of the time it's bearable (except last couple of weeks when outside temp was down to -16 F at night. Garage didn't get below 48 deg, but too cold to work comfortably. I'd rather sit inside and have something nice & warm to drink. Good time to plan projects for warmer weather.

I've posted this stuff earlier, but not in one place.

[dusty]

Yes, I'll be okay.

What this whole effort has taught me is that my demand for space is not the Shopsmith and associated equipment. It is the collection of stuff that I have in the shop along with that.

We brought in a 16' Pod which I have been loading with all of the "stuff" that I have in the shop. What is NOT being put in the Pod is all of the Shopsmith equipment and accessories. All of that is going to get special handling.

The Pod is about half full; half full of "stuff" that was in the shop. Much of it I don't remember the last time I used it. I am a hoarder of shop "stuff". I think this move is going to correct all of that. When I go to unpack, I'll be a bit more selective about what goes into the shop.

This effort has also taught me that I need at least two more sets of 3" wheels. Moving the Mark V around the "now open"space in my garage has allowed me to see just how well those casters work. The Shorty and the Crafters Station are still on the original wheels. A project, however, for after the move.

[ARCretired]

It's always tempting to collect and keep all the "good deals" we come across. I have to fight my temptation to keep things. As I've looked back over the years, the smaller workshop space I've had, plus several house moves, have kept my equipment lean, and better organized. Also I find having things well organized makes working in the shop more enjoyable. I currently have a friend with a welding shop that is an absolute mess. I don't know how he does anything. I had another friend years ago that also had a welding shop. He did part-time fixture welding for automotive suppliers and his shop was immaculate. I know which shop I would rather work in.

My next rearrangement is to get rid of the refrigerator, set up the dust collector, and redo my workbench to take advantage of the extra space. Then another round of throwing out, organizing some painting supplies, and improving the lighting. This will be prep for a couple of projects when the weather improves.

Good luck with your move.