Does anyone enjoy cleaning up the shop?

[Mark Singer]

I always end up with a big mess after each project. The workbench and finishing table are full of stuff...sandpaper in every grit imaginable...little scraps of this and that...at least 3 different glues,routers sanders several saws an old piece of pizza I forgot to finish...my sharpening stones...a couple of squares and several thousand clamps and torture devices.
Then as you may have guessed someone has to put it all away....you guessed it ..."ME". Why don't I put things away as I use them? What is the matter with me? Am I just to excited to see the results? or just lazy and have to get in the mood....any help? I need it!

[Lynn Sonier]

I'm the same way. Everytime I start a session in the shop, I try to pick up as much stuff as I can but 10 minutes later, it looks the same. I do enjoy my time in the shop and even enjoy the cleaning up.

[Bruce Page]

I generally put things away as I finish with them, I guess I look at it as that part of the building process being completed.
A friend of mines shop is always so messy that if you threw a hand grenade in it, it would end up in better shape. I would kill myself working in those conditions, it doesn't faze him one bit.

Different strokes for different folks.

[Jim Becker]

I'm generally like Bruce, although I've been "slipping" lately...

[Mike Cutler]

Mark. As much as I try, my shop seems to end up much like yours does during a project. I don't think I've left any uneaten pizza out yet, but you can probably find one or two half full cups of coffee and saw dust. I always try to rationalize it by convincing myself that I'll be saving time next time I return to the project, but I'm not fooling anyone, including myself. I do like to clean up the shop afterward though. It's nice to have everything bright and shiny for the next project, or "hand grenade" toss.

[John Miliunas]

Mark, you've had Tyler coming over here to spy on MY shop, haven't you? :rolleyes: Man, you just described my environment to a "T", sans the pizza! I too try and rationalize why I leave it that way and sometimes, it's even justifiable, but on this last go-around with the bathroom cabinets, it got a bit ridiculous. When I finally cleaned up, it was much as you say, including no less than three sanders, two routers, three cordless drills and the usual miscellaneous crapola, which gets left behind! :rolleyes: Strangely, though, I don't mind shop cleanup. It's kinda' nice to see it progress into that clean and organized workspace again. :cool:

[Frank Pellow]

I really do atempt to clean up as I go but only manage to do so about half the time. When things are not tidy, I waste a great deal of time looking for stuff. I know that it takes my much less time to keep things tidy but, even knowing that, I still fail about half the time.

I am happy to report that I have always managed to clean up the site of my workshop contruction project each evening. Maybe that means that I am getting better about "working tidy and smart".

[John Miliunas]

I am happy to report that I have always managed to clean up the site of my workshop contruction project each evening. Maybe that means that I am getting better about "working tidy and smart".

Yeah, I hope so! Given some of the pics you've shared with us, you might risk losing something under a foot of snow! :D :cool:

[Chris Padilla]

Who has time/energy/effort to clean up after a good day's/night's working in the shop? Besides, making the mess is half the fun but it is no fun when you constantly need to sweep clear spots to work!

I think the key to a clean shop is a well-organized shop! If everything has its place, it is easy to put it back upon use! :)

[Lars Thomas]

I strive to be like Bruce, but do have 'John-like' tendencies!!

[Brian Hale]

Mine usually has that "worked in" appearance untill i find myself looking for that tape measure, rule, square or there's no place to put my coffee cup. I try to keep the trash can within easy tossing distance and that helps some and rolling my tool cart to where i'm working helps also, but, i'm just not a neat person.... :o


Brian :)

[Dominic Greco]

I guess it was my 7th Grade shop teacher Mr. Nepp who instilled the "Full Shop Clean-Up" concept into me. He used to schedule one of these events every 3 weeks. Nothing was done in the shop but cleaning. This meant tool and wood stock inventory as well. It kept us in order.

My shop is usually in disarray since I tend to half several projects going on at once. But last week I took several hours on Saturday to clean up the entire shop. I ended up filling up (3) trashcans just with assorted scraps and really freed up some floor space in the process. Not to mention actually being able to use my workbench once again. And I found the block plane I thought I lost.

Good old Mr. Nepp would have been proud! :D

[Rob Bourgeois]

I have to try to keep it clean, because other wise I wont have any room. My shop is small and the space is not that efficent since I haven't yet changed anything from the previous owner of the house. To set up the router table something has to move either the tablesaw, scroll saw or or belt/disk sander. Only 2 machines can be setup at a time.

So I do projects in phases then I clean up and switch out the machine. Not to quick in the turn over but its all I can do until I gut the shop innards and set it up right for wood working. ( Hopefully soon as I finihs installing the base board/ 1/4 round moldings in the living room wiht the new floor)

[Jim Becker]

Who has time/energy/effort to clean up after a good day's/night's working in the shop? Besides, making the mess is half the fun but it is no fun when you constantly need to sweep clear spots to work!
Of course, this brings up the point that you clean at the end of the day or at the beginning. Which is worse? Straightening up when you are a little tired or straightening up when you are itching to get into a project after a hellacious week at work? :eek:


I think the key to a clean shop is a well-organized shop! If everything has its place, it is easy to put it back upon use!
Amen. Therein lies the rub...many of us don't have the best solutions in place to carry this out!

[Dean Bielanowski]

If you haven't made a mess you have wasted too much time cleaning and not enough time woodworking :)
At least thats my excuse for SWMBO!

[John Weber]

I'm sure anyone that has visited would accuse me of being a neat freak, so I guess I tend to tidy often. The shop is small with lots of machines, so that kind of forces much of the putting away, and for the most part everything does have a "home". I really only get into trouble when I have multiple projects going on. So try to keep it to one at a time. I might do a couple smaller projects while working on a larger one, but try to stay focused. This also can help to motivate me on, because I often want to start the next project. Lastly much of my "cleaning" is at night. Maybe I only have about an hour of shop time. It's nice to head out, turn on the radio, and just clean up a bit. Maybe sharpen a chisel or two, empty the DC bag, or just general farting around. It's funny though, I don't mind cleaning up the shop, sweeping, blowing the dust with the air compressor, etc... but still hate cleaning house. Maybe if I got a air compressor, dust collector, air filter, and concrete floor in the house it would be easier... :)

John

[Tyler Howell]

Thanks to the good folks at SMC I am learning the value of organization, methods of work, and time/space management.
I read some where about the #10 rule. Everytime I arrive, leave, take a break, or pass through the shop I put 10 things away. Now I only have to put away 2 or 3 items back because the shop is in pretty good shape.
It has improved the quantity and quality of my work.;)

[John Miliunas]

I read some where about the #10 rule. Everytime I arrive, leave, take a break, or pass through the shop I put 10 things away. Now I only have to put away 2 or 3 items back because the shop is in pretty good shape.[/b]
It has improved the quantity and quality of my work.;)

Hah! I tried that just the other week. Went through, put away 4 clamps, one of the drills, one of the routers, a tape measure, two pencils and even put the circular saw back in the cabinet. A half hour later, I had no less than a half a dozen clamps out, all three of the cordless drills, two tape measures, PLUS a straightedge ruler, the corded AND cordless circular saws and I'll be dipped if I could remember where I put the pencils! :rolleyes: :cool:

[Scott Coffelt]

I am very organized and try to keep things cleaned, but during most projects I have all the tools and stuff everywhere. Unless I know for sure that I am not going to use something again, or its just plain in my way, I ususally just leave it out. Actually, I like the cleaning up piece, strangly enough. I guess it's that little cycle time that gets me int he mood to start something new and make a new mess. :rolleyes:

[Chris Padilla]

hehehe...Tonight I've deemed "shop clean-up" night. I'll put everything away, sweep up obvious piles off stuff (sawdust), and then put the car out in the street, get out the leaf blower, don hearing/breathing protection, and GO TO TOWN, BRUDDA!

[Dan Mages]

But that nice fine red sawdust from the bloodwood looks so pretty on the floor!! :D

Seriously tho... It was pretty bad last year when I bought my handyman special. I did not have a centralized workshop, so one bedroom became a depository for tools. You would also find a drill on the dining room table, a tape measure in the kitchen, a screwdriver in the bathroom....

Dan

[Steve Beadle]

I think the key to a clean shop is a well-organized shop! If everything has its place, it is easy to put it back upon use! :)

I quite agree, Chris. When you know right where a tool is supposed to go, it makes clean-up faster and easier. It's the uncollected sawdust and handplane shavings that take me the most time.

[Steven Wilson]

I like to spend 10 minutes at the end of the day putting back what I can. I may not get it all but atleast it's a start. As for dust and chips on the floor I like to sweep up a few times a day, gives me a break and keeps the dust under control. The end of the day is also a good time to do a little sharpening, especially if you have a bunch of blades to tune up and don't feel like having a marathon sharpening session.

[Alan Turner]

I am a neatness freak in my shop, since my limited space requires it. I cannot work well or efficiently in a cluttered shop. That is not to say that it is clean, just tidy. With such limited space, I have no choice but to have a home for every tool, clamp, fastener, etc. A clean workbench, to me, inspires careful work, without wasted effort. Since a tool has to be put away anyway, better to do it now than after the chisel hits the floor, edge first, or course. I have never seen one land in any other way.
Had I more space, I am sure I would be less compulsive.
Alan

[Chris Padilla]

I knocked a nice pair of calipers off my bench once. Dinged up the inside measuring points pretty good. I ended buying a new one as I couldn't trust this one any longer. Now I am careful to TRY and put it back in its case when I'm setting it down...or keep it in the middle of the bench.

[David Wilson]

Clean up the shop? I might have to try that some day.

[Bert Johansen]

Mark,

I think there is a more significant issue here than anyone has touched on so far. We all have the same issues when it comes to sawdust, wood scraps and the like. Tools and pizza are something else. Here are some thoughts:

I keep a giant trash can with a disposable liner close at hand. I am always amazed how quickly it fills up with stuff! I think you could stuff a cow in this thing.

If you find your tools and clamps strewn about, it's time to consider a different shop layout. Get your tools and clamps where you need them, not halfway across the room. Norm's portable clamp stand is really quite useful. I built a cabinet for small tools and measuring stuff that hangs immediately above my workbench. I can reach my chisels without a stretch, along with pencils, rulers, try squares, etc. It is just as easy to put them back in place as it is to lay them down.

Finally, I upgraded my small shopvac to a ubervac that cleans the bulk of the sawdust in short order. I follow that with a quick blast of compressed air and voila, the shop is good to go.

BJ

[Greg Heppeard]

:eek: You mean my shop isn't supposed to look an organized mess?????

[Joe Scarfo]

During a project, I always seem to take a little "shop maintenance" time. The ratio seems to be 4 hours work (or putzing around) to 15 minutes of shop mainteance.

It let's me clean up and set aside drops, clamps, etc. If things get to cluttered, one trip can become the last trip.

Joe in Tampa....

[Mike Stanton]

I need a hand-grenade , sometimes I get in the mood to clean but not enought.When I can,t find something then when I clean. I find things that I have been looking for. Mike :rolleyes:

[Mark Singer]

Thanks guys,
I think I am about average....I just ate the pizza...it wasn't bad a little sawdust sprinkled on instead of cheese...nice! Seriously I am much more inspired by a clean shop and I will start doing weekly thorough clean up sessions. I will feel better...I will enjoy it I have a great shop and I should keep it clean. I do have very good storage and everything ends up going back in its place...I will just do it more often now! Now where did I leave yesterdays burrito?

[Byron Trantham]

Mark,

I think there is a more significant issue here than anyone has touched on so far. We all have the same issues when it comes to sawdust, wood scraps and the like. Tools and pizza are something else. Here are some thoughts:

I keep a giant trash can with a disposable liner close at hand. I am always amazed how quickly it fills up with stuff! I think you could stuff a cow in this thing.

If you find your tools and clamps strewn about, it's time to consider a different shop layout. Get your tools and clamps where you need them, not halfway across the room. Norm's portable clamp stand is really quite useful. I built a cabinet for small tools and measuring stuff that hangs immediately above my workbench. I can reach my chisels without a stretch, along with pencils, rulers, try squares, etc. It is just as easy to put them back in place as it is to lay them down.

Finally, I upgraded my small shopvac to a ubervac that cleans the bulk of the sawdust in short order. I follow that with a quick blast of compressed air and voila, the shop is good to go.

BJ

I agree with Burt 100%! :p I work in a small shop with very little horizontal space. I just can't afford to leave too many things laying around. On a personal note; if I have to spend more than 3 microseconds looking for something - pencil, tape measure, what ever, I go ballistic! I have a space for everything and since it is a small shop, it's not too much effort "to put it back!" Now all that said, you want to see my shop and how clean it is? "I don't think so Tim" :D

On the lighter side, every once in a while, I get a hair UMA to really clean the shop. This procedures goes hand-in-hand with asking SWMBO if she willing to "Pattiize" after I'm done. She always says yes. When she's done I hate going in the shop for fear of messing something up! :D

[Mark Singer]

Byron,
Ed Zacary....you are 100% correct....sometimes..strike that, often...LOML goes in and sweeps! Cleans! won't put tools away cause she knows....everything has its place. She will find that half eaten piece of pizza and toss it out (she doesn't appreciate aged pizza) Even if I didn't complete a project for the home...she does it ! Amazing! I chose well! I think I'll go make something for the Princess....amd if she cleans the shop ....well ...I won't start an other project...I will just look at the shop ...and a tear will roll down my cheek! We are lucky! Yes indeed!

[Dale Thompson]

Hi Laguna,
How could you even ASK such a question? Every evening when I close my shop it is the envy of Johns Hopkin's Medical Center's most sterile operating room. There is NEVER a speck of dust on anything. The tools are all in their proper place. Jigs, fixtures, and all other supporting equipment are neatly placed on their intended shelves or supports. Even the inside of my dust collector piping is cleaned with a disinfectant spray to assure the anesthetic purity of my shop. I always thought that this was the standard of the hobby except for folks from places like Lower Mongolia, San Josey or Laguna. ;)

With that said, would someone please send me a SCUBA outfit and a fog piercing light to get me to the shop door? I've got a pipe clamp sticking out of one eye and my legs are trapped by two others. The strap clamp that I misused is wrapped around my neck and the free end is getting VERY close to the PM 3520 which is running at 3000 RPM!! :eek: :eek: I NEVER thought that three feet chips would be such an obstacle to movement!! ;)

Dale T.

[Mark Singer]

Dale,
I just ordered a pizza finder from Lee Valley....it detects the peperoni through 3 feet of dense chips and salsa and will give you the moisture content of the maranara sauce and if you flip it over there is a suggested wine pairing...

[Kelly C. Hanna]

You bet I do....gives me a great sense of well being to get the shop back in shape for the next job or project. It's clean right now and just begging to be used...:D

BTW, when working in the shop I rarely keep everything in it's place as I go along. I do stop down for mini clean ups here and there, but the end result is still the same....a huge mess!!

[Carl Eyman]

His name is Henry. He rides a bicycle, guess he hasn't had a job in 25 years, and isn't likely to get one soon. But if you want your car washed, your attic cleared out, or your shop cleaned, he's your man. He'll do a thorough job, but keep an eye open. His judgement may not always be flawless. Oh, I'm his agent, I get 10 % but not when he's working for me.