The 1st Annual Great Messy Shop Smack Down!!!!!

[Greg Just]

My entry - John will never be invited to my house! (He won't want to come after seeing these pictures)

[David DeCristoforo]

"My entry..."

Ho hum. Lightweight. There's still acres of horizontal area that is unoccupied. Only one tool laying on the lathe bed. Sawdust barely a foot deep. Why you could walk across that shop and not even trip once, let alone the five times needed just for qualification. Ferget it...

[Dick Wilson]

John, John, John, I can't tell you how disappointed I am in you for giving up at the first sign of a turning curl. Throwing in the towel......well, that is just not the Creeker way. Right guys??????

[Rick Markham]

I know I don't stand a chance, and I am ashamed that before I had taken this picture I had swept up the giant pile of shavings and cleaned the lathe. If you look down in this panorama... that's the top of my tablesaw , What the photo doesn't capture, is that it has also invaded my living room... and a spare bedroom too. Before long you will see me on "Hoarders" only it's all going to be tools and blocks of wood.

http://photosynth.net/view.aspx?cid=...4-0b52f388fd72

[David DeCristoforo]

"Throwing in the towel......well, that is just not the Creeker way. Right guys??????"

Well you might be right about that. But I have always had respect for those who can recognize their limitations, reign in their egos and step aside for the real pros. John's "resignation" is honorable in the same way that one would resign an obviously lost game of chess, sparing their superior opponent the need to waste time finishing them off and allowing the next player to step up. When it comes to "messy shops" John is completely outclassed and hopelessly out of his element and we should respect his ability to realize this.

[Richard Bell CA]

My shop ranges from clean to this:

[Rick Markham]

My shop ranges from clean to this:

Psh! Your dust collection system ain't even buried yet!

Good show sir!

[Dick Wilson]

My shop ranges from clean to this:

Dang Richard, I think I would have to turn for a month to get my shavings pile ABOVE the lathe bed You not only have piles around one lathe BUT two lathes at the same time. I heard that Nichols might be stopping by. This will scare even the bravest turner off.

Richard has come out of nowhere to surge into the lead!!!!!!!!!

[John Keeton]

When it comes to "messy shops" John is completely outclassed and hopelessly out of his element and we should respect his ability to realize this.

I know when I am "whupped" and ain't afraid to admit it!! I am taking my bloody nose and going home....well, back out to my nice, clean shop!

[Nate Davey]

Wow, talk about coming off the top rope with an elbow........well done sir. The finance minister would not let that fly at the Davey "studio/laundry room".

[Bob Bergstrom]

I know it is not up for a take over of first place but it is sometimes worse when I am roughing out bowls. This rough out is 24" with two cores taken out. Coring has really helped in less shavings

[David DeCristoforo]

Nice try Bob. But you can still clearly see the lathe... next......

[Ed Morgano]

I'm not even going to submit and entry here....after looking at the pro's shops, I'm ashamed to say that my shop more closely resembles Johns. With a 6" dust pickup right above the tool rest, I get most of the chips and all the dust as it comes off the lathe. The rest, I usually vacuum up within a day. I'm truly ashamed.

[David DeCristoforo]

FWIW, I have appointed my self the unofficial arbiter of this contest. My "creds" are well documented. As a recently reformed "shop slob" who has just recovered from a mess of galactic proportions, I cannot imagine anyone more qualified than myself to identify the messiest shop. Unless anyone has any better ideas of course. I think we should all chip in and buy the winner a broom and dustpan. Maybe if we get enough pledges, we could throw in a can of rustbegone...

[Roger Chandler]

FWIW, I have appointed my self the unofficial arbiter of this contest. My "creds" are well documented. As a recently reformed "shop slob" who has just recovered from a mess of galactic proportions, I cannot imagine anyone more qualified than myself to identify the messiest shop. Unless anyone has any better ideas of course. I think we should all chip in and buy the winner a broom and dustpan. Maybe if we get enough pledges, we could throw in a can of rustbegone...

David...........your "creds" are indeed well established, and super idea for the prize........hey, I'm in for the broom and dustpan award.......of course, there has to be some pics and some of them have to be of the clean shop when they have finished using them..........how's that for some rules of the contest?