Messy work bench....

[woodchucker]

I didn't find them as judgmental, just how he feels about his environment.

I used to have a shop in a 10 x 8 room. I worked on my 10-14 foot gliders in that room. Drill press, saws, and a bench that held the wings.
It was packed, but it was neat. it had to be. I couldn't work on things if I didn't keep it organized. I had shelf units to keep stuff organized, and out of the way, and the bench had drawers (old dresser , with layers of inserts into the drawer so I could have more in each drawer they were deep). I had winches, batteries (marine 12v) ...

I now have more shop, but am caught between woodworking and metal. I have run out of space, I moved my shelves from the wall. where 2 shelf units were, there are now 3, I could do 4, but I have something in the way. I may add it on the other side. The point is, that in the same space of 2, I got 3, and could do a 4th. I only have 80" of headroom, due to the plumbing and duct work. But If I had an outdoor shop, it would have shelves from top to bottom arranged the same, with a shelf unit at each end cap.. so I could keep control of all the Stuff.

My weakness is spending hours trying to find that thing I just put down, or looking for that part I got and can't find. It ruins progress. So anything I can do to reel that in is a big plus. Still guilty of big messes, but I get them cleaned up .. sometimes it takes a while, but I can't work if I can't find what I need. I get too lost in trying to find it... maybe OCD... I can't move on until I find it.

 

[RandyM]

No Buck, you are correct. I am very blessed with a 50 x 104 shop. So I do have the space, but I think you are missing my point. The real point isn't the size of the space, it is how you use it. And let's be honest, it is more a life style than anything else. You can hoard as much or as little as you want and organize it as much or as little as you want.

I find it interesting that you are calling me judgmental. Please now re-read what you just posted. Apparently, I am not beyond your judgment as you are the one bring size and worthiness into this discussion. It also has nothing to do with kids, marriage, wealth, or any other status. I find it interesting that you are the one bring these issues into the discussion, because from my stand point the only comment I made about it was priorities, which can mean any or all of said. As I said, you can justify your style any way you like.

I have seen shops and sheds twice the size I have and I would no way feel the least bit interested in doing work or projects in them. I have also seen many shops smaller than mine and would very much enjoy working and being in them. If it did matter to this discussion, I have worked out of small shops and garages and as I mentioned it was when my stepfather was alive and I was growing up. I learnt a lot from him in how I did not want to live my life and this is one of them.

Buck, you strike me as one of those fellas that everyone else is better off than you, since we are being judgmental with each other.

Thank you Jeff, you actually read what wrote and meant. Well said.

 

[stioc]

Personally I'm a neat freak, I just can't function when my surrounding is messy, including the garage. When I'm in the middle of a project, just about every last of the 2000+ tools ends up on every flat surface, floor covered in swarf, saw-dust, welding/grinding dust but before the project is called complete everything is cleaned up and put away.

Over the years I've learned it's best for me to have fewer flat top surfaces. Currently I only have one permanent workbench, but lots of drawers (tool boxes etc) and it's been a great thing for me. It allows me to do everything with reasonable convenience in my 2 car garage and still be able to park one vehicle inside. I also have several types of folding work benches for specific things (welding, saw horses, workmate etc that stay put away). Of course, if I had a large shop things might be different.

During:




After:

 

[Dave Smith]

Shawn dared all of us with shameful workbenches to give him and others pictures in his thread request---he did not ask if we enjoyed them in the bad condition they are at the moment or reasons they got that way---we all are hobby machinists (some well schooled and experts and some of us self learned) (some rich some poor) (some with new machines and some with old machines) (some with small shops and some with larger shops) (some young and some of us older) (some healthy and some with many problems) (some with few projects and some of us with many projects) (some who just buy the materials as they need them and some of us who have already collected all and more than we will ever need) ---I think you all can know the very different members we are joined with and the fun we have in all getting the most out of everyone's input---I posted my pictures so others can know we all get behind (hopefully later I can show pictures when someone posts a thread of neat work areas)---Looking at the pictures also show neat items that members have in their shops----we all can get along good and we can all be happy that we have shops to work in---Dave

 

[chips&more]

In all the pictures there is definitely a common denominator! Is there a “pile making” gene in our DNA? Do we all have the same mother? Are we just sooooo busy we put off cleaning until tomorrow? Do we leave it on the bench top so we can find it easier than if it was in a draw? Do we have an excess of funds? A fetish for buying the same thing over and over again? Want to make the piles so high the spouse can’t see over/get into the shop to see what you are doing? To stop a thief dead in his tracks? Is there a magic cure pill out there?

 

[woodchucker]

I have learned to laugh at myself. My wife and I often entertain each other with our follies...

A fetish for buying the same thing over and over again?

Can't tell you how many times I have done that because I forgot I bought it. Or I couldn't find it. Bring it home, and it finds the missing one...

 

[jim18655]

Sometimes I think it's easier to build a new bench than clean the existing bench.

 

[Hukshawn]

This got out of hand. In more ways than one. I actually wasn't expecting the benches I've seen here. I can say now "I've seen some things, and some stuff!"

The thing that often strikes me about the piles, again, after going through the barns at the farmhouse, etc. the value of the things and stuff when it all once had value. I've struggled to get where I am now in life. I certainly don't have a 50x104' shop, I have a one car garage. But, it's full of machines and tools, and a basement full of woodworking machines. I'd say I'm fortunate to have what I've wanted and gained in life as far as material items are concerned. But there is always someone with more. What pains me is going through the barns and seeing what had value back when, just sitting there, rotting. All rusted, no good anymore. Destroyed because it had hundreds of pounds piled on it, etc. Things that I would have been elated to have. Not to mention the space the crap actually occupies. Prime shop space. Just left to rot away. The gentleman that now owns all of these things couldn't care less. Hes one of those folks who coasted through life. Always had what he wanted. So now, the value of this realestate and the items it contains are just taken for granted. While I work out of basement and one car garage. Yet, i still feel fortunate. So, after everyone's gone to bed tonight, I think I may go clean my shop. And then when I'm done, I usually stand on the steps, in the doorway looking in, just looking. At nothing in particular, just looking. Then I close the door, go upstairs, check on my son, then crawl into bed a contented man.

 

[Crank]

Hukshawn,
You nailed it. So many don't appreciate what they have and those that don't often can't imagine what it's like to have more than they currently possess. Be content with what is here and now. I think of when I had three jobs, a house and a new baby. I thought it sucked, but I was blessed to have that much. Losing my daughter made me realize that what we have at any given moment can disappear in the blink of an eye. I apologize for the somber commentary in a thread that I truly got a laugh out of. Keep this sucker going and lets see who goes to a level of depravity that makes the rest of us not take life so seriously! Let the mayhem continue!

Mark

 

[Lordbeezer]

I'm going to have to clean up some before I post pictures.inside and out..hope to build a addition to my shop this coming summer..I have way too much stuff stacked up..