Shop Frustration

[Jim Grill]

We just moved into our house in February. Moving my shop was not something I was looking forward to since it took me so long to get it setup at our old house.

Since we've been here I've managed to build a few small things and acquire a few more tools. Most of my time has been used up by unpacking, rearranging, yard work, etc. I still have not hung many of our pictures on the walls and they are in stacks leaning up against walls all over the house.

I'm finally getting to the point where I can focus a little more on the shop and I'm just feeling hopeless.

I have a half finished project; machinery in odd places; disconnected DC with lots of ducting that has not been done yet; some minor electrical work; lots of lumber and rough planks all over the place; disorganized tools. All that and the sinking feeling that my two car garage is smaller than the one at my last house.

I spent some time last night cleaning and organizing and I feel like I move things from one side of the shop to the other and back again with little progress. I'm tripping over things and can't figure out how to arrange the shop and the DC. I'm just feeling overwhelmed.

I need a boost. Any of you fellow Creeker's ever feel this way? What did you do get through it?

[Michael McCoy]

Any of you fellow Creeker's ever feel this way? What did you do get through it?

Yessiree - just did a cross country moved out of a 3 car over sized garage into an undersized single awaiting my new home completion. I literally didn't do any wood working for the first 3 months due to the same frustration. I finally put machinery there wasn't room for (upgraded/new and clean) into the spare bedroom and just kept the essentials in the garage. I still have to move the jointer and planer to the drive for use but I've managed to make all the cabinets for my new shop as well as a couple of bedroom pieces. Point being, I found it better just to get back into it than sit back and be frustrated trying to over think solutions.

[Dick Bringhurst]

I feel your pain. I went from a 555 sq.ft. shop (garage) to a 425 sq. ft. one. I initially used Grizzley's layout program (free) to get a general lay out idea. I then put in the electrical and lights. Had to down size my Drill press and sell my Spindle sander. Made some special cabinets to utilize space more eficiently and put in elec. recepticals on the ceiling to diminish the need for extension cords and now have to move the DC connection around from machine to machine. Its surely not as comfortable as the old site , but I'm getting used to it. Dick B.

[Brian Weick]

Jim,
I empathies with you on your dilemma. I have moved my shop around 3 times since I moved into my new house 2005. It's all about space to me. If you’re looking for some advice- move everything to one side first of all or completely out of the garage. I like to put ideas down on paper first layout of the shop, start there and then make some adjustments. I can understand your frustration - I hate a cluttered and disorganized environment to begin with , you try to put things in order and in doing so trip over things along the way , falling objects and coffee all over the floor - the domino affect., - just hang in there and start with a plan. I hope you get that new shop the way you want it- just be patient :) :)
Brian

[Brian Weick]

Jim,
I use the ms-uv stand that ridged makes- it is the best stand out there as far as I am concerned. I have my small planner , dbl compound miter saw and my radial arm saw on these and from those machines alone taking up 200sq feet of space to utilize to under 12sq feet to store is incredible.
Home depot is currently clearing these out for the new models which I really don't care for. They are on sale from $199.00 to $99.00 now -
Brian

[Jim Becker]

Jim, been there...done that... ;) ...In fact, all the landscaping work I've had to be doing for the past few weeks has totally kept me out of the shop

Sometimes you just need to step back and decide what's most important to do first. From your description, it sounds like dealing with a little bit of storage/organization may be helpful, such as getting the lumber rack up, etc. That makes space so you can better visualize where you might want things to be during normal shop operation. From there, you can get the duct work hung and out of the way, too.

[Loren Hedahl]

Jim,
I use the ms-uv stand that ridged makes- it is the best stand out there as far as I am concerned. I have my small planner , dbl compound miter saw and my radial arm saw on these and from those machines alone taking up 200sq feet of space to utilize to under 12sq feet to store is incredible.
Home depot is currently clearing these out for the new models which I really don't care for. They are on sale from $199.00 to $99.00 now -
Brian


Jim,

I bought one of those 99 buck specials too. I just made bases for my planer, router/shaper, compound miter saw and small 9 inch radial arm saw and mount whichever one I am using on the bench.

On the rare occasion that I want two available at once, I have a DeWalt stand that is set up about the same.

I reserve my small shop for doing hand-tool stuff. When I have a project needing a powered dust-maker, I set up temporarily outside or in a car port, do my thing, then move back inside. The wheeled stand really assists in this mode of operation.

Loren

[Jim Grill]

Thanks, everyone.

It's nice to know that others know my pain! :D

I think I need to take a step back and clear my head. Addressing storage makes the most sense to me, too. I think I'll move everything to one side and start by removing things that don't belong. Then I'll move it all to the other side and do the same thing. I'm lucky to have a loft above the garage. It's a mess as well, but will make good storage.

I think my biggest problem is all the lumber I have in stock right now. I have a lot of shorts, too.

How do some of you deal with storing shorts? I hate to throw them out.

[Jim Grill]

I have to go to the borg this week for unrelated items. I'll check on that stand while I'm there. I have two seldom used power tools that could benefit from that treatment.

I wonder if they make one for a 15" planer? :D

[Brent Dowell]

Jim,

I'm in a very similar situation. We've recently moved and I went from being able to hog 2 bays of a 3 car garage for my shop, to sharing a single bay of a 2 car garage with a 1946 chevy. Needless to say, I have NO room to do anything. I push the car out when i want to do things and run an extension cord to the dryer outlet when i want to use my saw.

We are still in the process of fixing up the old house, so weekend are spent driving 180 miles to the old house and working on tiling, painting, etc...

Everything is in a box. I spend more time looking for things, than actually doing things.

But there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Once we get the old place on the market and sold, I'll be working on putting up a new shop, so I just have to tough it out for a year or so.

What I do to get past the frustation is to every now and then just tackle some sort of small project. Screen doors, etc...

[Greg Cole]

Jim,
Make a quick sketch of the area you are using for you shop & try a few different versions to maximize work flow & tool locations & storage possibilities. Pick one & go with it (you'll change it before you're done or shortly there after). My preference is to empty the garage and ponder a minute and start using good old masking tape to lay out tool locations... can't make myself make sketches on paper or computer for this.
Take a full day and pull everything out in the driveway. Install the DC ducting & tackle the storage of all that is driving you nuts. Move the toyls to their new resting spot and use'em!
That came easy, 'cause I just convinced myself last night I need to "pimp that shop" ...after my deck building and brick patio from the last month plus the shop has become unused except for tossing stuff into at the end of the day. I too much prefer working in my shop not on it, but one does make the other much more enjoyable & productive!

Greg

[Jim Grill]

But there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Once we get the old place on the market and sold, I'll be working on putting up a new shop, so I just have to tough it out for a year or so.



Thank you for sharing, Brent. I'm feeling more motivated with each response. :)

Good luck on your shop, Brent.

[Don Bullock]

Jim,
Hang in there. It will all come together. Unfortunately it all takes time. I remember my dad moving from a large basement shop in Virginia that filled up the entire, full sized basement to a garage in California. What a shock it was. As Jim Becker suggested, organization was the thing that finally solved the problems. It sounds like setting up your plan, perhaps using one of the layout programs like the one that Grizzly or Delta have on their websites. Then you can start moving things to their future locations and setting up the DC system.

[Jim Grill]

Jim,
That came easy, 'cause I just convinced myself last night I need to "pimp that shop" ...after my deck building and brick patio from the last month plus the shop has become unused except for tossing stuff into at the end of the day. I too much prefer working in my shop not on it, but one does make the other much more enjoyable & productive!

Greg

Hi Greg. Is that a new hit TV show? "Pimp My Shop" I sure wish those guys would come over and help me out! :)

Good advice. I took some measurements on my lunch break and plugged them into some graph paper and Grizzly's shop designer tool.

[Andy Fox]

I'd get stuff put away just enough to have space to work. Stack lumber vertically in a corner. Work off of a few extension cords and a shop vac or single DC hose moved machine to machine for now. (This is how I've done woodworking since I got into it 6 years ago. :eek: ) That'll get you doing woodworking instead of just dreaming about it. :cool: And, that will generate layout improvements and a welcome break from the planning and organizing.

[Greg Narozniak]

I am right there with you. We moved May of last year and my shop is still unusable, granted the birth of our second child helped with the delays :). Our old house the shop had nothing above it so working at night was doable. This house has my 4 year olds room right above it so any night time shop work is out of the question.

When we first moved in I was able to add the sub panel and get 3 of the 4 eight foot lights hung as well as 3 runs of 110v outlets and the 4 220v outlets. I still have one more eight footer to hang as well as 4 four foot lights. I hung my Oneida but have yet to run any duct work. I mounted 3 of the 4 sections of the Triton Lumber racks I bought when they were on sale and that helped get the stock off the floor and out of the way. It could not be more true that I move things from one place to another and then I need to get into the area I just moved stuff too. There are times I am ready to set fire to my plywwod cart as that seems to be the biggest PITA that is always in my way. My main issue is to get my Chop saw station built as that will have the storage underneath for a lot of the things that are "In the Way"

I finally have some projects coming up so I can start making the shop a priority again once the landscaping work is done (I feel your pain Jim) So there is some light at the end of the tunnel. It is truly a labor of love thing hang in there we will get through it.

[Rick Gooden]

Jim,
I was tripping over wood stored all over my shop and finally decided to do something about it. I built a vertical storage rack that has given me back all kinds of room. The rack only takes up 6' x 2' of floor space but it is incredible how much wood can fit in it. Also it appears to be easier to access single pieces by just "flipping" through them. Just a thought.
Good luck.
Rick

[Alfred Clem]

You are overwhelmed by a complex task that shows no easy solution. Here is how you tackle that task. It is a three-step process.

1. Inventory. Yes, you think you know what you have. But do you have a complete list? Something on paper?

2. From this list, choose the machines, equipment, supplies that are most important and rank them in order of that importance.

3. Action comes last. Tempting as it is to just pitch in, that's the way to failure. I know because that's the way I used to tackle complex problems. Instead, from your list of important tasks, start from the top, tackling and completing each in order. Notice the word: completing. Don't start six tasks and finish only a few. Complete those step by step.

We used to call this way of solving problems "baloney slicing" -- you can't do it all at once, but, bit by bit and getting organized first, you can.

[glenn bradley]

I see you have an opportunity to shine. Demonstrate your analytical skills and apply your vast experience from your previous shop build . . . .OK, OK, too thick. Let's try this:

Don't get caught up in trying to make your old shop fit into your new digs. Look at this as an opportunity to correct the things that bugged you before.

As to that sinking 'I'm not getting anywhere' feeling; I think we all get that from time to time. My cure is "the short list". When I have an endless list of stuff that needs to be done, I make a list of what I will do 'today'. Then I usually cut that in half because I guess I think I'm 'the Flash' or something.

The trick for me is to keep track of the things that DID get done on some master list somewhere. That way when I move a pile-o-stuff for the ump-teenth time and feel like nothing is getting done, I can look back and see what I HAVE done.

Makes me feel better anyway . . .

[Mike Seals]

Ever feel that way?

We moved into our house about six years ago and from the move I got a four car brick garage that became my shop. So finally after years and years of working out of half a two car garage, I was able to set up shop and start aquiring the tools I always wanted. I was just getting to the point of settled in when hurricane Rita came through. Didn't destroy the shop but wiped out several things around the house. So my shop became temporary storage/shop and what ever else it needed to be.

It's almost two years since Rita and I'm almost through with the rebuilds, pump house for the Koi pond is the last thing and I'm soooo close, so that means I'm two years behind on all my pre Rita projects. Last night I spent most of my time cutting scrap lumber for the burn pile, since all the rebuild projects are rolling, I'm clearing the shop of all those pieces we save just in case. I call it a fresh start, I can almost see my shop floor again.

[Larry Fox]

Jim, I was in the same predicament a couple of years ago. That hopeless feeling is tough to shake for sure. What worked for me was to just go out into the garage and start doing something, anything to move forward. If you are pretty sure that your table saw will work best in place X, put it there and don't move it. Put jointer where you think it will work best, etc. After a bit I got to a point where I had the big items where I thought they needed to be and would be workable. This left me with a pile of just random stuff without a home. Leave it!! At this point I decided that it was time to work IN my shop instead of ON my shop so I picked a small project (nightstand if I recall) and just....started. Things just sorta found a natural home as I used them and subsequently needed to put them away. Two years in, my shop is still not setup perfectly and I make it a point to note things that I discover could use improvement as I work on a project and resign myself to address some of them after the project is complete. After I get sick of that (ususally a couple of days) ... on to the next project. Rinse, repeat.

I find frustration to be a great motivator.

Hang in there and don't let it eat you up - you will get there, you just gotta start.

[Randy Denby]

You are overwhelmed by a complex task that shows no easy solution. Here is how you tackle that task. It is a three-step process.

1. Inventory. Yes, you think you know what you have. But do you have a complete list? Something on paper?

2. From this list, choose the machines, equipment, supplies that are most important and rank them in order of that importance.

3. Action comes last. Tempting as it is to just pitch in, that's the way to failure. I know because that's the way I used to tackle complex problems. Instead, from your list of important tasks, start from the top, tackling and completing each in order. Notice the word: completing. Don't start six tasks and finish only a few. Complete those step by step.

We used to call this way of solving problems "baloney slicing" -- you can't do it all at once, but, bit by bit and getting organized first, you can.

Al....your reply has helped me ! I have been overwhelmed at work, with more coming in and its just me. I am almost to the point of just being paralyzed cuz I dont know where to start. Thanks!!1
Randy

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[Larry Rasmussen]

Wood in the hall, plywood stacked in the bedroom, unfinished kitchen remodel........ I am in half of a two car garage and have been trying to get a more serious shop organized for the last year or more. The straw that broke the camels back was the delivery of the 15" grizzly planer 6-7 weeks ago. I had so much stuff piled up I would spend half my time clearing each work station for a task. I have been thinking of layout for the last year and never got off the ground with a design. Finally decided on a 2 1/2' X 8' work station for the festool saw and general sanding and glue up. It is also the left support for the 10" sliding miter with a shorter length table to the right. Things are finally starting to gel after working every single day after work and on weekends. Two large pick up trucks full of junk cleared, I couldn't believe it. Found a Craig's list Jet Dust Collector, DC650 this Sat for $95 and it will serve the table saw and planer perfectly. The planer is covered in the shipping gunk still and a shelix head has been sitting waiting to be put in but I'm getting there.

It helped to:
1. Throw away the short wood and plywood scraps. It helped to have a few people on another thread say they finally quit saving everything and I was finally able to let myself toss a bunch of wood out. I'm free!!
2. Store high. Lined the walls with 16" wide shelves most of the way around the shop 6 1/2 feet high or so. Perfect for plastic bins with drop clothes, seldom used tools, electical and plumbing basics, Christmas stuff, and so on. Bought a pile of folding doors for a buck each for these shelves as well as some full doors for a buck too. Seems like the local door store was cleaning house too.
3. Bust out some money to buy a couple of free standing plastic storage units with doors top and bottom. At ouch $80 ea they were a little pricey but what a luxury, should have done it a long time ago. Great for paint and finish, house hold storage.
4. Sell and give away the seldom used/extra tools. I sold the canoe hanging above the workbench right away and after tripping over it the extra miter saw today on Craig's list. Makita 12" planer went today too.
5. Hung some 12" round cardboard concrete tube forms sideways in an odd corner, three pieces, 5', 4', 3'. Hold a suprisingly large amount of my keeper sticks and boards.

Keep at it and thanks for posting. Seems like I have been in this big cluttered nightmare these last weeks, at least I'm not alone.

Larry