Shopsmith Forums

One item just came to mind but I'll bet many of us use things for other than their original intended use because they are handy or even the safest way of doing something.
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One thing I have in my shop that I find very useful is an old skate board. No, not to zip around the shop. Big people don't bounce well. I use one to move all sorts of heavy stuff around and for a lot of things it works much better than something like a two wheel hand truck.
If you cut a "V" notch in the little up-turn at each end you can slip it under a piece of sheet goods by just lifting one end of the sheet and sitting the edge of sheet down in the notches.
I have moved some pretty heavy pieces of machinery by using two skate boards.
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Another item that can be useful for moving heavy machinery is a hydraulic floor jack. I can slip one under the center of my metal lathe (heavy) and raise it just barely off of the floor and I can then half slide/ half roll it about anywhere. I used to move my old over-sized tablesaw setup the same way.
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What useful odd things do you have in your shop?

My wife sometimes works in nursing homes. Several years ago she brought home a couple I.V. stands that the home had thrown out. They are on casters and roll easily on the cement floor of my garage shop. They each have four large hooks on the swiveling top. The post telescopes to adjust the height. They are incredibly useful for hanging shop aprons, face masks, hearing protectors, etc. I also use them to hold a work light sometimes.

I have an IV bag and tubing that I use to drip water when I do glass engraving.
I use 12" key way material for measuring instead of those short, wimpy brass ones.
A use for my retractable tape measure is to drive the cats crazy.

I have a friend who has extended the legs on an old screw type piano stool. He uses it as an out feed table/ support/ what ever. The advantage is infinite and easy adjustability.

I have a 36" wide roll down window shade attached to the wall of my shop. Works great to attach my plans to while working on a project. I just roll it up with the plan attached to get it out of my way. Keeps my plans clean, but assessible.

baysidebob wrote:I have a 36" wide roll down window shade attached to the wall of my shop. Works great to attach my plans to while working on a project. I just roll it up with the plan attached to get it out of my way. Keeps my plans clean, but assessible.

Bob I am truly impressed. what a neat idea. I am equally impressed that you are able to raise and lower the shade at will. I have never once in my life had that type of window shade that I could raise and lower easily. Then again I am the original clutz. Thanks for a neat idea. fjimp

fjimp wrote:Bob I am truly impressed. what a neat idea. I am equally impressed that you are able to raise and lower the shade at will. I have never once in my life had that type of window shade that I could raise and lower easily. Then again I am the original clutz. Thanks for a neat idea. fjimp

fjimp, know what you mean about the workability of a roll up shade. But really mine had been in my shop for probably at least 8 years and still works great. I would be lost without it. Don't usually have a flat unused surface to lay a plan out on.

baysidebob wrote:I have a 36" wide roll down window shade attached to the wall of my shop. Works great to attach my plans to while working on a project. I just roll it up with the plan attached to get it out of my way. Keeps my plans clean, but assessible.

Bob! That is a fantastic idea! Since I can never make those shades roll up, I will just have to ask TLOML to do it for me (she never has trouble with those shades:mad: ).