How do you guys do it??

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BigSky
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Post by BigSky »

dlbristol wrote:I was raised by a mom who was very neat and a dad who, well, was not!:p
I took after dad, until I got to 9th grade Algebra and Mrs. Shank! I turned in some work, a test probably, and it was a mess. She politely, returned it with the statement, " When I can read this , I will grade it". I decided to challenge this and returned a equally messy retest. She wrote "F" and then wrote the same message about the next test. I was in trouble at that point, and when dad saw it my battle with Mrs. Shank was over. I got a lot neater! One thing I have learned, I think, is that it is important to know when clutter gets in the way of the task at hand. I once worked with a guy who surveyed for the USGS. He had the biggest mess in the truck and office you ever saw, but he could put his hands on what ever he needed at any time! I still don't know how he did it! I tend to clean up between projects, and I follow an ' evolutionary" system for putting things up. They seem to have a spot where they want to be and eventually I figure out where that is and leave them there. Another thing I have learned is not to post pictures of the SHOP!!!!
Would you please expound upon that statement. Why is it not wise to post pictures of the SHOP?
MarkFive510
charlese
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Post by charlese »

I must say it was a relief to read this thread. I'm like everyone else! Wishing it was neater, trying to get it organized, small successes and many losses. Maybe Jim (jimsjinx) will also find he is in the same boat.

Over time I have made more drawers that hang on peg board that hold specific tools/tool parts. These have helped a lot!, especially since I put name tags on the drawers. Although all things have a special place, these places change from time to time as needed.

There is a designated "open" working area on my main bench. This is where the most clutter builds up. It is easy to feel when the clean-up is needed.

The Floor - - There is an open floor space that holds the Mark V, the SPT tables, and some household stuff/junk that is almost ready to be thrown out. This open space has enough room to rotate the Mark V 360º. That way I can work from the rubber 6'X6' fatigue mat that borders on my main bench. The Mark V is parallel to the mat for sawing, rotated 90º to use an SPT. The dust collector sits on the far side of the open floor next to the sink. I often have to use two lengths of hose to connect to the Mark V and/or to vacuum the floor.

Lumber is stored on shelves on the long wall. There is a plywood/sheet good storage container below the lumber shelves. Cuttoff/scrap storage always presents a problem.
Octogenarian's have an earned right to be a curmudgeon.
Chuck in Lancaster, CA
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robinson46176
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Post by robinson46176 »

I wish I was neater but know going that direction will be limited by a lifetime of habit. :rolleyes:
I suppose that some of my problem is that I have always been extremely busy in life and I am busier in retirement than an awfully lot of people that are supposedly working full time.
I also think that farming is by nature less tidy than a lot of occupations. I have always kept tools in tractors and a big well stocked tool box in the combine cab during harvest. Between that and the big truck box I usually had enough tools for about any repairs needed. I had to do it that way because I was sometimes as far as 10 miles from home and the shop. My tool boxes were seldom very tidy for very long. :)
I always feel a little sorry for folks that can not work well under less than ideal circumstances. You have not lived until you have crawled under a self propelled combine on your belly in a 6" deep mix of mud, snow and freezing rain then laid on your back using your feet on big wrenches to get enough torque on a big nut and bolt seized with rust in some weird location... :eek:
For some reason I have absolutely no desire to ever go back to that. :rolleyes:
I'm really enjoying the light work involved with the horses. Sometimes I enjoy it so much it makes me feel guilty almost like I am loafing...
Rambling here... I still recall when I got my first full time off farm job in a local factory. I felt funny getting paid for doing so little... My father had been a hard task-master and the factory work seemed so easy most of the time. The hard part was adapting to working on concrete floors. My feet and legs hurt for the first month. I still much prefer walking on sod.


.
--
farmer
Francis Robinson
I did not equip with Shopsmiths in spite of the setups but because of them.
1 1988 - Mark V 510 (bought new), 4 Poly vee 1 1/8th HP Mark V's, Mark VII, 1 Mark V Mini, 1 Frankensmith, 1 10-ER, 1 Mark V Push-me-Pull-me Drillpress, SS bandsaw, belt sander, jointer, jigsaw, shaper attach, mortising attach, TS-3650 Rigid tablesaw, RAS, 6" long bed jointer, Foley/Belsaw Planer/molder/ripsaw, 1" sander, oscillating spindle/belt sander, Scroll saw, Woodmizer sawmill
2bits
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Post by 2bits »

My wife calls the garage/shop the "disaster containment zone":eek: . I seem to have several projects going at a time and when I finish one there will be a clean area (spot) for an hour or two. I am working on getting things organized. It is just not as high on the priority list as it should be. I am taking notes from the forum when I am not suffering information overload syndrome.
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jimsjinx
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Further expanding on the "Hexagon of Hell!"

Post by jimsjinx »

Well, I did try hanging all the tools on the walls for bout a year.....no workie for me. I found myself running to the walls all the time to remove something I needed. So, I bought a cheap mechanics tool chest on casters, and this seems to be the answer for me. I can roll the whole kit and kabootle to wherever I'm working, and everything is right there. The ultimate would be one or two of those super nice tool chests from Sears or Lowes. Big ones! Then I would have everything off the walls, and right next to me. Presently, I have alot of stuff still hanging on the walls, but I think this may be the answer fo me. Just gotta come up with the $$ to invest in nice roll around chests. This cheapie I have now would suffice to roll all the layout tools and measuring tools. They are light and don't take up alot of space. I pondered building something outa wood, but time and $$ are at a premium right now. A buddy of mine who is a proffessional mechanic, told me he'd keep an eye out for used or repossessed tool boxes on the Matco and Snap On trucks that come to his shop. I could get a better deal that way, and the boxes he has were used, but looked like brand new. The coolest thing about roll awway boxes, is I could roll em all up to the front of the shop out of the way when I wanted, and get rid of the cluttered look I have now, with stuff hanging out in the dust on pegboard and shelves! This thread got better every day for me! Keep the ideas coming! I now want to finally install my dust collector permanently with 4" PVC pipe overhead. Thinking about building a little shed on the side of the shop outside, to house the collector, and maybe even the upright compressor.(?) That would free up some floorspace. Thanks everyone for not being judgmental, and instead giving good input! I love neat! I just have a hard time with it! Jim
If you are a part time band leader, does that make you a semi-conductor? Where do all the "unguided" bombs go?
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Ed in Tampa
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Post by Ed in Tampa »

I guess the real question I have to the guys with messy shops is how do you find your tools? or How much time do you waste hunting for a tool?

I had a Son in law that was slob in the shop and I did a very informal time study watching him work. He spent about 1/4 of his time actually working, about 1/2 to 3/4 of his time hunting tools and if there was some time left he spent it explaining how he justified a messy shop.

I also know he threw out a sizable number of tools with the junk when he finally did get around to cleaning it up.

His most exciting times were when he was standing ankle deep in saw dust grinding cast iron or metal down showering sparks into the dust. I kind of stood near the fire extinguisher just in case. A few wisps of smoke but never a fire. :eek:
Ed in Tampa
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wh500special
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Post by wh500special »

jimsjinx wrote:...The ultimate would be one or two of those super nice tool chests from Sears or Lowes. Big ones!...
Jim,

I'm a roller cabinet kind of guy as well. Problem is, I can invest my entire income in them and not have much to show for it. However, despite the normal quality level of most things at Harbor Freight, their rolling cabinets are amazingly nice, heavy, and durable. Check out item numbers 90320 and 95272. I have one of each in my workshop at work at am amazed at how nice they are...especially when they put them on sale.

Just a suggestion.

Steve
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jimsjinx
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Post by jimsjinx »

Just to be clear, I don't stand in sawdust to work. I am retired from the fire dept.,so don't do stupid stunts like grinding sparks into a pile of sawdust! My issue here was organization of 30+ years of tools and equipment I use every week. I have never fell down due to clutter, or anything like that. My workspace isn't THAT bad! I'm getting a little older, and MUCH slower, so I was looking for ideas, like the roll around cabinets. I used to have a warehouse sized shop, and storage was never a problem. Now I'm in a garage. Big difference for sure. I couldn't survive a 1/3 productivity due to confusion. I'm barely holding on with 1/2 the work as last year. The slowdown is, I'm sure, to the economy. jimsjinx
If you are a part time band leader, does that make you a semi-conductor? Where do all the "unguided" bombs go?
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dlbristol
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posting shop pics

Post by dlbristol »

BigSky wrote:Would you please expound upon that statement. Why is it not wise to post pictures of the SHOP?

Nothing sinister, I was trying to be funny. If I don't post pictures of my shop, then some how I don't feel as bad about how it looks. :o Ironically, I just finish a couple of small projects and then cleaned up the shop. This thread did cause me to think a bit about some rearranging and I made a chisel holder fit in my shop in a box.
Saw dust heals many wounds. RLTW
Dave
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dlbristol
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Post by dlbristol »

robinson46176 wrote:I wish I was neater but know going that direction will be limited by a lifetime of habit. :rolleyes:
I suppose that some of my problem is that I have always been extremely busy in life and I am busier in retirement than an awfully lot of people that are supposedly working full time.
I also think that farming is by nature less tidy than a lot of occupations. I have always kept tools in tractors and a big well stocked tool box in the combine cab during harvest. Between that and the big truck box I usually had enough tools for about any repairs needed. I had to do it that way because I was sometimes as far as 10 miles from home and the shop. My tool boxes were seldom very tidy for very long. :)
I always feel a little sorry for folks that can not work well under less than ideal circumstances. You have not lived until you have crawled under a self propelled combine on your belly in a 6" deep mix of mud, snow and freezing rain then laid on your back using your feet on big wrenches to get enough torque on a big nut and bolt seized with rust in some weird location... :eek:
For some reason I have absolutely no desire to ever go back to that. :rolleyes:

I'm really enjoying the light work involved with the horses. Sometimes I enjoy it so much it makes me feel guilty almost like I am loafing...
Rambling here... I still recall when I got my first full time off farm job in a local factory. I felt funny getting paid for doing so little... My father had been a hard task-master and the factory work seemed so easy most of the time. The hard part was adapting to working on concrete floors. My feet and legs hurt for the first month. I still much prefer walking on sod.


.
Francis, you just described my youth and why I chose another way to make a living, to a T! And you hit the nail on the head with the other as well. I would often feel a little guilty as I taught math in a nice warm room, knowing that I could have been out in the cold pulling a calf or feeding. I can't think of a better way to grow up, I still enjoy doing some of that( once in a while) and I have no desire to go back to it either. My family still farms!
Saw dust heals many wounds. RLTW
Dave
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