True Confessions: an untidy shop.

[Dan Forman]

Just thought I'd give Dick and John a run for their money, with all of this talk about cleaning and such going on around here over the past few days. This is probably the worst mine has gotten in quite a while. I tend to let things slide until even I get too disgusted with the chaos, then do a little straightening up - but I'm afraid my shop will never look like our esteemed Mr Keeton's. Anyway, here is where it stands now, hopefully I will have some "after" pics before too long. I must admit it's been fun getting to this point though. Pics precede the descriptions.

http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l279/T-Caster/P1030567.jpg

This is coming down the stairs into my basement shop, which my sister has labeled "The Kingdom". On the far side of the tablesaw is my workbench, both of which serve as broad flat surfaces on which to put things. In front of the saw, covered by plastic bags, are a few bowl blanks standing on end, upon which other things reside. The baby Rikon bandsaw has been redundantized :), but is still taking up valuable real estate on my bench - have to do something about that.
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l279/T-Caster/P1030572.jpg

This is peering into latheland from in front of the workbench, you can see why the baby bandsaw is no longer needed. The full basket of cutoffs simply must go! The bandsaws have more of those nice flat surfaces which seem to collect things. I got the 14" Rikon to cut up bowl blanks and curved flatwork so that I could keep a 1" carbide resaw blade on the larger MiniMax, as changing out the carbide blade is a real pain, and fraught with peril - don't want to chip those brittle carbide teeth on the steel saw enclosure.

http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l279/T-Caster/P1030574.jpg

So here is the lathe seen from between the bandsaws. Under the drill press is a bunch of blanks that have been reshuffled more than once, but at this point are pretty much out of the way. In the corner is my sharpening area. I just got some 5/8" by 1" drill bushings from Mcmaster-Carr for the grinding wheels, will report on them when they are installed.

http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l279/T-Caster/P1030578.jpg

We are now at the lathe and looking back toward the stairs. Some of the wood stacked here is waiting to be turned, and some is cutoffs waiting to be carried off to the pile out back. A few cast off white plastic bags are no longer needed, the blocks they were protecting having been turned into shavings and objects. The black bag on the floor still covers some spindle blanks which need to be anchor sealed, the black bag plastic adorned white object lurking behind the woodpile is a 14" jointer-planer, which is a very convenient to place to put gouges, tool rests, face shields and such while working on a lathe project. The plastic protects it from the wet shavings which seem to have an affinity for it and all other surfaces that are subject to rust.

http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l279/T-Caster/P1030570.jpg

And finally, looking back to the lathe from behind the jointer. To the left of the lathe is the newly completed vacuum pump/chuck cart and the lathe tool racks. with the 12 additional slots on the cart, I finally have a home for each of the tools, though they still congregate on any flat area not already covered by other objects, but at least now I CAN put them all away if I have a mind to. Leaning against the cart are not one, but TWO brooms and a dustpan, evidence that occasionally the floor does get swept up. Or, more accurately, that it CAN be swept up. Truthfully, it has been swept recently, I just like to let the shavings dry for a few days so that they are lighter to carry back up the stairs. Somewhere in there is a nearly full bag of shavings waiting to be carried out, that lot on the floor should be enough to top it off, and out it will go.

Well that's about all for this page.

Dan

[Gary Max]

Heck that looks comfortable to me. The only way my shop could get cleaner than yours is if I didn't use it. Thanks for the pics.

[Mark Hubl]

I would have to say, that is about as organized as my shop would ever look. I too did a clean up after the recent posts, but it is already falling into disarray. My shop tends to either be in Oscar or Felix mode. I suspect many suffer the same ying and yang tug of war.

[Dan Forman]

Just a few more pics.

http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l279/T-Caster/P1030584.jpg

Offered as proof that I occasionally actually turn something...the drying rack. Roughouts have been accumulating here because I had been waiting until the vac chuck system was finished, a project I put off for a loooong time. Once that was done, I got a bunch of fresh elm that I've been dealing with. So much to do, so little time.

http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l279/T-Caster/P1030586.jpg

The workbench, with a few current projects in the finishing stage, and the ever present clutter.

http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l279/T-Caster/P1030588.jpg

Table saw outfeed table, additional proof that no flat surface is safe from the creeping menace!

Well, I had intended to get going tonight on the cleanup, but I managed to spend enough time on this that I think I'll wait until tomorrow. See how it is?

Dan

[Fred Perreault]

I'd say that it looks cluttered, but seems to be rather organized chaos. Maybe a 9.5 outta 10

[John Keeton]

Dan, before I "reformed" I can recall days my shop looked much the same! I will say this, you have a nice accumulation of "stuff", and it appears to be located in convenient proximity to its ultimate position of use!

If I had to store all my wood in my shop, I would be in trouble. I am blessed to have some additional storage in the metal building in which my shop is located, and that is where my dry blanks are kept. I also have a barn in which I store all fresh cut and sealed wood, green rounds, etc. The problem with that system is that they are easily forgotten about. Out of sight, out of mind.

I have faith that you will conquer this task - someday!

[Bernie May]

Thanks, Dan, for sharing. That's some very inviting space. I wish my shop was that large to house my clutter; there are times I can't walk through some areas. Everything a woodworker (turning or flatwork) could want is in there. I looked at the pics several times to enjoy them.
-bernie

[Roger Chandler]

Thanks for the look at your shop Dan............wow you do have some nice toys to play with! I could not stand it that way very long...........I have mind you cluttered up my machines and all, and do every time I do a project, but I like to see my tablesaw top, and my other tools as well, and clean all the shavings up after every single project on the lathe.

I am not anal about it, but it is just the way I like to do it with a clean slate each time.

[Fred Belknap]

Dan I can confirm the fact that all flat areas attract stuff. Nice shop and I bet you know where just about everything is suppose to be. When I clean shop I sometimes find things I had forgotten I had. Nice post.

[Larry Edgerton]

I Like It!

Theer is a reason that I never posted pictures of my shop, it looked worse than yours.

I sold my commercial shop this year and moved to a much smaller space, so I had to burn 25 years worth of jigs and fixtures that were hanging from the rafters. Many of them I could not recall what they were for. I'll miss them...

My new shop I hope will be as organized as yours!

[Dick Wilson]

It looks like I have created a monster - clean vs. hell holes.:D Dan and I have been brave enough to risk the scorn of many for our out of control environment I think it is time for others to step up and take their lumps:) Dan, looking over your pictures I realize now that my shop wasn't nearly the disaster that I thought it was. ROFL. You have mastered the art of packing 20lbs. of do-do into a 5lb. bag.:D:D

Seriously. In my former life as a headhunter I worked with a lady who had thousands of resumes stacked all over her office. If she needed a particular resume she could go to a stack, stick her hand into it and pull out the resume she wanted:confused::confused: You probably have the same ability. Organized chaos while being very productive. Thank you for sharing pics of your shop.

[Sean Hughto]

Looks familiar to me. Mine vacillates between this and mildly cleaned up on several week cycles.

What's the plan for that burl? I just came into possession of a similar sized one and am thinking about how to use it. I may leave as much as possible of the outside unturned/natural or just mount it and see what happens. Interested to know how others approach them.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Dan,

Looks like mine gets occasionally. Then between projects I clean it.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Looks good to me. Looks like everything has a place.

[Tony De Masi]

I see nothing wrong with your shop at all. At least you provided proof that work is actually being done. So your (our ) flat surfaces collect stuff, big deal. Isn't that what they are for anyway?

[Jim Underwood]

Phooey. If only mine looked that "dirty".

[Tim Thiebaut]

I clean up after every single session in my shop....the problem comes in that it is so small whether I clean or not I still have stuff in piles on my table saw, shelving...etc...because there is just no where else for it to go. And I really need to get to my table saw as I need to cut some wood down for a project...dont worry still a spiny project no flatwork...but as I dont have a bandsaw it and my miter are the only way to cut anything, well that isnt entirely true, I have recently trimed a bowl blank up with my reciprocating saw...just had to knock the corners off ya know. Maybe some pics are in order...I enjoy seeing other peoples shops and would love to see more of them...so looks like I need to take some of mine to share.

[Jerry Rhoads]

Looks like a working mans shop Dan.
I see how to make mine a litle nicer in your pictures, I need a bigger table saw for bowl blanks etc.

I get very messy before cleaning. Heck of it is I teach for Parkland College at CU Woodshop in Champaign IL, and I teach everyone to clean up at the end of each session, hopefully it will be a habit for them.

Jerry

[Dan Forman]

Thanks to all of you "enablers". :D

While there are places where most things are supposed to go, there are still a few things which go from flat to flat, permanent migrants so to speak. The difficult thing is that my memory is highly suspect, so when areas like the workbench got too out of hand, things I set down tend to disappear. It gets kind of frustrating to set something down, can't find it two minutes later, yet know that I haven't left the area, so it has to be in there somewhere. That's usually the point that at least a few things get put away.

Dick's friend, the resume lady, reminds me of the old WC Fields movie about the efficiency expert, who's desk is literally piled high with randomly distributed papers, yet he can pull whatever he needs from the pile with unerring accuracy. Wish I could do that!

Dan

[Jon Nuckles]

Dan, your shop looks very comfortable. If you get tired while turning, there seem to be some soft places to take a nap.

[Edward Bartimmo]

Dan....that is one clean shop. I don't see nearly enough wood stacked or prized logs laying around. I can even see your floor.

[charlie knighton]

if I have a mind to


thanks for sharing

[Thomas Canfield]

Thanks Dan. I wish my shop looked that neat today, but hopefully tomorrow (or next month) it will look better. Turning really added to the storage requirement with all the rough wood, green turned pieces drying, and then the dust and chip factor. As they say, "If I knew then what I know now, ................." then there would be less and different equipment and material that what I have accumulated over the last 10 years, but the journey has been fun.

[Mike Cruz]

Dan, I'm going to have to show these pics to my wife so she won't give me such a hard time anymore. Not that your's is worse than mine, but at least I'm not alone...:)

[Roger Bullock]

Seeing your shop photos and hearing from others with the same experiences makes me not feel so bad about the way my shop usually looks. I like to call the way my shop looks...the working man's shop. I really want to do better but have found that all the flat surfaces are actually wood and stuff magnets that attract piles of wood and any other stuff taking a vacation from their homes.

[Mike Cruz]

OK, showed the pics to my wife. Words out of her mouth were, "OMG, how does he ever get anything done? It looks like a view out of that show Hoarders..." :D :D :D

[Dahl Troy Perry]

Man it is good we all started out as flat workers so when we switched over to the dark side we have lots of machines to set all of our turning tools and round stock on.:D If not for that we would stran our backs picking are lathe tools off the floor.:eek:

[Dan Forman]

I'm glad to have lifted the terrible burden of guilt from so many of you, and amused your wife Mike. :D

Dahl and Roger---It would indeed be difficult to pursue this craft without the saw tables to hold our stuff. Without them, we would possibly be forced to actually put our tools and other supplies away on a regular basis.

Dan

[Larry Edgerton]

I clean up after every single session in my shop....the problem.......... .

I thought: Me too!

Then I saw you didn't say "season".

[Harry Robinette]

Everyone has the right to keep there shop how they want,I keep mine "by some of your standards" overly clean. My health is my main concern,clutter is one thing dust and dirt is another. I couldn't see breathing all that dust when I spend good money for a dust collector.My shop has clutter everywhere my cleaning is to keep the dust and dirt out of my lungs, and like I said before almost burning one shop taught me that sparks and shavings,dust don't mix. JMHO

[Dan Forman]

Harry---I'm pretty careful about not breathing dust, wear a respirator when I'm turning and dust is being created, and when sweeping up, have a cyclone to take care of dust at the tools that create it, and at the lathe when sanding. My grinding area is far enough from the lathe that it's relatively clean. I remember reading about your near miss. The clutter is inconvenient, but it's not in my nature to take the time to put things away after each session. I applaud those who have that kind of discipline, but it's just not me. Just to be clear, it wasn't my intention to poke fun at anyone other than myself. :)

[Roger Chandler]

I'm glad to have lifted the terrible burden of guilt from so many of you, and amused your wife Mike. :D

Dahl and Roger---It would indeed be difficult to pursue this craft without the saw tables to hold our stuff. Without them, we would possibly be forced to actually put our tools and other supplies away on a regular basis.

Dan

Dan...........I understand more than you know! My table saw has been covered over many a time, it has a few things on it at the present that I need to put away...........I did go out to the shop this morning and take my dust collector hose and vacuum up all the shavings from last nights turning session which ended about 11:30 pm. but I digress ...... :D

Hummmmm..........I think I will go clean off my table saw! :D