# My Mess



## Foozer (Jul 31, 2009)

In a mood today 

Good as place as any to show my disorganized habits with some aspect of safety.

The lathe sits on a bench . Try to keep the area free of extra stuff. All the common tools, accessories for the lathe I mount on boards to the right side. Force of habit keeps my body parts away from the chuck. Need a tool its a reach to the right, away from the chuck. An experience of body parts and rotating objects I do not wish to test.

The shop is a Barn, literally. When I bought the place in 87 the barn was full of hay, old hay at that. Lots of critters had set up little condos and such. They were not happy with the eviction notice. The attempts to reclaim their old stomping grounds are now handle by a few of the cats I have. Cats happy, barn critters not so happy.

From the top shot you can see the general disarray. I keep hauling stuff out but new stuff always seems to find its way to occupy the vacant places left.

One of the handiest features is the extension cord hanging down from the ceiling over the main workbench. Nothing worse than always stepping on that silly cord. I swear it has a mind of its own to always be underfoot. Fire extinguisher by main door and another at the other end of shop. Its a wooden barn so it will go up quick if given a chance.

But there are rules to working with machinery. I too am guilty of testing those rules, but that will not stop me from pointing out what I see as dangerous situations to others. As it is written "It takes one to know one" Seeing my own bad habits gives me room to see others.

Be safe.

Robert


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## gbritnell (Jul 31, 2009)

It doesn't look that bad to me. At least you have ample room to walk around your work area. As far as work benches, I don't know how you can keep them cleared off while you're working on something. It looks like an engine overhaul for the bike?
gbritnell


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## CrewCab (Jul 31, 2009)

Typical of our UK members, who like me are mostly stuffed into a shed about 8'-0" x 6'-0" (2.4m x 1.8m) ??? we are all now having severe "Space Envy" ;D

Oh ................. to have room to move around without being assaulted by the milling machine handle 

Nice shop Robert, thanks for sharing and ............... enjoy .............  8)

CC


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## Foozer (Jul 31, 2009)

gbritnell  said:
			
		

> It doesn't look that bad to me. At least you have ample room to walk around your work area. As far as work benches, I don't know how you can keep them cleared off while you're working on something. It looks like an engine overhaul for the bike?
> gbritnell



Thats my 1966 Honda 305 scrambler that I managed to keep from age 15, thru 3 sets of brides and other normal life disasters. Spent 10 years restoring it, rather garage busy work while the kids were younger. In the past 10 years since the resto was completed i've put on 750 miles, ah what 1200 km or so. Blew a crank bearing on my last little old man riding putt putt way to fast adventure. If I can tear myself away from making scraps of metal I'll get it back together and putt around the island while the sun is shinning.

Funny thing is At age 15 that bike seemed a lot bigger than it does now  Had lots of fun on it back then. They took my license away from me before I even had one, something about doing a hundred thru town with open pipes they just didnt find acceptable. The whole first girlfriend on ridding on the back, so proud and all to the bad boy defying the fuzz, to the chucker head pulling in front of me so i slam into the side and go airborne (the one time I actually wore a helmet) . Oh ya lots of fun in those days.

Now its old man doing 40 praying he dont fall down 

Robert


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## deere_x475guy (Jul 31, 2009)

Doesn't look bad at all to me...Mine is about to get real messy this weekend...got another receiver to build. I get ton's of aluminum swarf everywhere...


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## rake60 (Jul 31, 2009)

If that is a "mess" I need to find a new word to
define my own shop.
 Rof}

Rick


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## deere_x475guy (Jul 31, 2009)

HAHA...that's funny..


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## Tin Falcon (Aug 1, 2009)

Nice shop fooz lots of elbow room and floor space and very organized lathe bench. 
Tin


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## Foozer (Aug 1, 2009)

Tin Falcon  said:
			
		

> Nice shop fooz lots of elbow room and floor space and very organized lathe bench.
> Tin



Its a mess, Think I build workbenches just to hold crap. Have to cut out a corner and build a smaller room so able to heat in the winter. Going British That barn holds no heat at all


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## arnoldb (Aug 1, 2009)

Foozer  said:
			
		

> Think I build workbenches just to hold crap.


What ??? ??? Are workbenches supposed to have any other function? ??? Rof}


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## shred (Aug 1, 2009)

I'm actually considering removing a bench or two and replacing it with shelves and bins for just that reason.. my benches collect piles of junk.. which are there because there's no 'better' place for them.


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## Foozer (Aug 1, 2009)

shred  said:
			
		

> I'm actually considering removing a bench or two and replacing it with shelves and bins for just that reason.. my benches collect piles of junk.. which are there because there's no 'better' place for them.



That too is a loosing battle. Put the sliding doors under the workbench to hide the treasures of junk. Only solution is to round file it all and take to dumps, problem is all the other peoples junk then becomes my treasures and around we go 

Maybe if I took up Knitting . . . 

Robert


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## Foozer (Aug 2, 2009)

Diymania  said:
			
		

> Fooz, your shop is one of the cleanest shops i´ve seen.
> Mine is prolly the messiest, i hate cleaning so bad that i just cant be bothered w it.



I hate cleaning, I hate stepping on bits and pieces more, sorta like the Princes and the Pea gig, and I really hate looking for my glasses when I set them down. Need glasses to find the glasses and ARRG!

I go in circles with it. Ill yard it all out, straighten it up, have empty work surfaces and start the mess all over again. Main point is to keep the areas around the rotating objects as clear as possible. Even some of the general discussion about being startled by a ringing phone point to that. Get startled, bump something and, well, ever play with Domino's?

Robert


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## Tin Falcon (Aug 2, 2009)

Do not feel bad fooz. I have seen very few working shops that are neat. USAF shops are usually very neat a place for every tool every tool in its place at the end of the shift.The material parts away Floor swept etc. school shops the same. I have seen pictures of Danial Boons Blacksmith shop well lit floor painted swept twice a day and every item in its place. It is possible 
Now "reality". I struggle with many of the same bad habits as others here. benches stools tables etc all tend to collect clutter. Any attempt to organize is very temporary. I tend to be in the bad habit of going in the shop and having to clean up some before I start working then leave it a mess when done, although I do try to clean up some when done for the day. Seem like a paradox the more organized we WANT the shop the more cluttered it becomes. Drawers and toolboxes help but that is only when we take time to put stuff in its place. I do feel you pain. 
My main shop is 11 x 13 Attached to the house then I have a couple machines in the basement and my bandsaw in the garage un heated no electric etc. 

A small shop forces clean up to a degree. 

Tin


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## shred (Aug 2, 2009)

Diymania  said:
			
		

> Well my only issue so far was a big ball of aluminum swarf getting caught in the chuck, wound up on the spindle, broken up and thrown all over me(thx alot lathe ).
> 
> And since a few months ago i have a small chip of brass, steel or aluminum stuck in my right eye. :-\


That's one thing that is scattered all over my shop-- safety glasses. I bought about 6 pairs when they went on sale a while back and leave them everywhere. Nobody gets to be around without wearing them and there's always a pair in reach.


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## CrewCab (Aug 2, 2009)

No need to feel silly DM, your much better keeping your eyesight, try the ones that are pretty much like spectacles, I like those as they don't steam up.

CC


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## Tin Falcon (Aug 2, 2009)

DM do not feel silly and wear them whenever in the shop.Even hand tools can produce flying objects. I own one pair of glasses they are prescription safety glasses with removable side shields I put them I when I wake up in the AM and take them off for shower and bed. the side shields stay on most of the time the only time I take them off is for special occasions like weddings funerals class reunions and the like otherwise they are on the glasses. My spares are my old pair. I am about due for new ones and the ones I have now will be the spares. I allways wear safety glasses everywhere. When I am grinding or running the bad saw I put a face shield on. No one is allowed in the shop without safety glasses and or a face shield if any chips are flying. If you have not read my SAFETY Stick Thread in the safty are please read it and you may want to post a copy in your shop. Please work safe.


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## Foozer (Aug 2, 2009)

Diymania  said:
			
		

> Aight enuf hijacking fooz´s thread.



Not to worry, thread is fine. I point out my bad habit and before long others do to. A little guilt sets in and shop clean up occurs. Part I like the best is the "There you are, I been looking for where that went off too" as the long lost object is suddenly found  Clean shop is a safety issue after all. As you have pointed out, the swarf ball spinning and popping you in the eye, it is but one step away from that same ball grabbing some clutter near the lathe and throwing it.



> Posted by: Tin Falcon Seem like a paradox the more organized we WANT the shop the more cluttered it becomes. Drawers and toolboxes help but that is only when we take time to put stuff in its place. I do feel you pain.



How well I know it. Got a truck load ready for the dumps now to relieve some of that "Pain" Just have to fight the urge to sort through the junk others have tossed least I cause myself more injury 

Robert


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