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Tour of my shop...
- Thread starter TerryH
- Start date
- Joined
- Apr 12, 2011
- Messages
- 3,472
Order and neatness do not imply inactivity. One does not need to be in a continual state of mess to be productive.
I too get the same judgment thrust up on me. It really is a state of mind and anyone can do it, they just have to decide to make it so.
No need to be ashamed of natural disasters that you cannot control. I really hope you are past it all now and on to better things.
- Joined
- May 8, 2018
- Messages
- 336
Oh man. So sorry about the flood. I can't imagine what that would be like.
- Joined
- May 8, 2018
- Messages
- 336
Thanks!
- Joined
- May 8, 2018
- Messages
- 336
This is very accurate. My entire Saturday was supposed to be all about the new lathe and getting it mounted and leveled. However, I could not stand the state the shop was in so I spent the entire day moving, organizing and cleaning. Didn't even have lunch and that's saying something! There is almost always a project or projects going on. Most of the time I straighten up at the end of the day but not always. Once the cycle gets interrupted it leads to a giant mess that I ignore until I can't ignore it any more. That was Saturday.
- Joined
- Apr 12, 2011
- Messages
- 3,472
Terry,
My standard operating practice is to clean up after every project, unless the project is a large one. And then, I will do a pick up in the middle of it. I hate nothing more than to spend (waste) time looking for things. I also like workbenches I can work on without having things in the way. Keeping a clean work surface just makes playtime some much more enjoyable.
You are also correct, that if you let things go to far the task of cleaning up is huge. Another key to this issue is resist being a hoarder of things, something I think that we all can identify with. And if you are going to keep that item, find a proper home for it. I just have to realize I just can't keep everything.
The next trick particularly in organizing is attacking a huge organization of a shop. The trick is to attack it a little at a time, piece by piece, and to stay at it until completed. I love being in my shop and even the act of organizing is very enjoyable when you know that the finished outcome will be fantastic. Organizing is a thinking mans game. Sometimes certain areas can get reorganize a couple of times until I get it right.
Terry, you have a great shop that you can always be proud of.
- Joined
- May 8, 2018
- Messages
- 336
Terry,
My standard operating practice is to clean up after every project, unless the project is a large one. And then, I will do a pick up in the middle of it. I hate nothing more than to spend (waste) time looking for things. I also like workbenches I can work on without having things in the way. Keeping a clean work surface just makes playtime some much more enjoyable.
You are also correct, that if you let things go to far the task of cleaning up is huge. Another key to this issue is resist being a hoarder of things, something I think that we all can identify with. And if you are going to keep that item, find a proper home for it. I just have to realize I just can't keep everything.
The next trick particularly in organizing is attacking a huge organization of a shop. The trick is to attack it a little at a time, piece by piece, and to stay at it until completed. I love being in my shop and even the act of organizing is very enjoyable when you know that the finished outcome will be fantastic. Organizing is a thinking mans game. Sometimes certain areas can get reorganize a couple of times until I get it right.
Terry, you have a great shop that you can always be proud of.
I agree Randy. Some days..ok most days...the only one to blame when it's a mess is me. Hoarding is an issue. Especially with the dumbest of things. I literally threw away boxes from tools I bought years ago. My thought was save the box just in case there is a warranty issue. Of course the result was me storing 10 year old boxes for tools that have one year warranties.
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- Joined
- Feb 17, 2013
- Messages
- 4,406
Yes, I'm a hoarder, too. But with the new shop (and two shops' worth of tools and materials moved into it), I've come to realize that purging is a vital part of organization. I've lost track of the number of boxes full of various "stuff" that I've taken to Goodwill and/or the dump. I have no regrets about getting rid of it. But I just can't get past the thought that many of the items (though often specialized) would be very useful for "somebody." The trouble is finding that somebody. I've tried a garage sale, but it was very disappointing. And the Craigslist ads I've posted haven't had any responses. Ah, well. I'll keep purging ... and hoping that some Goodwill customer will be delighted with what they find.
As for cleanup during and after a project, I've got got to give kudos to Randy. Though my shop is large, the actual work space I currently have for projects is pretty limited. So if I don't put things away and clean up promptly, I'll lose what little I have. And as I unpack and use tools and materials, I've been careful about how to store them in a logical way. I absolutely hate it when I know I have something somewhere, but can't remember where that somewhere is!
Randy also made several good points in his last paragraph. As the old saying goes,
Q: How do you eat an elephant?
A: One bite at a time.
As for cleanup during and after a project, I've got got to give kudos to Randy. Though my shop is large, the actual work space I currently have for projects is pretty limited. So if I don't put things away and clean up promptly, I'll lose what little I have. And as I unpack and use tools and materials, I've been careful about how to store them in a logical way. I absolutely hate it when I know I have something somewhere, but can't remember where that somewhere is!
Randy also made several good points in his last paragraph. As the old saying goes,
Q: How do you eat an elephant?
A: One bite at a time.
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