HELP, my shop is a MESS

[Lloyd-ss]

Green Twin,
My 9 yo grand daughter likes working in my shop; not necessarily making a project, but more like independent learning. She is as hard headed as me, which is a challenge for both of us so I have to be careful not to push too hard and make her not want to come back. She was messing with a piece of soap stone paver on a little drill press and old drill bit and some deburring pads. Probably 2 hours straight. At one point I showed her a piece of angle iron and told her how she could clamp it to the table and make a "fence" to slide the soap stone along to make a straight line of holes or buff marks. She kind of grunted at me like " I am busy and know what I am doing." But, about a minute later she said to me, " you are right grandpa, thanks for the tip." I almost fainted! Major milestone!
After she left, I noticed that the angle iron was indeed clamped to the drill press table. OMG.

But Green Twin, I threw you under the bus. She had mentioned that she was going to clean up and I should put the stuff away that she wasn't sure where it was supposed to go. I said fine, I'll see what I can do, but here, take a look at this picture of a guy's shop (your picture from the beginning of the thread). She looked at it and said, "That really IS a mess."

 

[GreenTwin]

Here is a trick that I learned a few months ago.

I was getting reading glasses last year from an eye doctor, and got two pair, but it was about $500.00, and I felt like I was getting taken advantage of.

I read up online about reading glasses, and discovered that you can make your own to some extent.

I went to Home Depot and bought a range of reading glasses, across several different powers, such as 1.5, 1.75, 2, 2.5, 2.75, etc.

Then I looked through one eye/lens, and found the clearest view at the distance I wanted (for the computer screen), and then the other eye.
The powers were different.

Then I combined the left lens/right lens into a single frame (two different powers), and bingo, a perfect set of reading glasses, for about $10.00.

.

 

[SteamChEng]

Here is a trick that I learned a few months ago.
I went to Home Depot and bought a range of reading glasses, across several different powers, such as 1.5, 1.75, 2, 2.5, 2.75, etc.

Then I looked through one eye/lens, and found the clearest view at the distance I wanted (for the computer screen), and then the other eye.
The powers were different.

Then I combined the left lens/right lens into a single frame (two different powers), and bingo, a perfect set of reading glasses, for about $10.00.

That's a nice trick. I started buying prescription safety glasses and regular glasses online at Zenni optical. I can get single vision glasses in a very nice frame for about $40, and progressives for everyday wear for about $130. Safety glasses about the same, and I love them. This includes some nice anti glare, anti scratch and anti fogging coatings. If you just go plain vanilla, you can get prescription safety squints for under $100.

Beats the heck out of the $500 - $700 rope-a-dope you get at the eye doctor's office.

 

[Bentwings]

I generally wear bi focal safety glasses all the time my vision is bad enough I have a powerful magnifying glsss that is my friend on the kitchen table ( secondary work bench )

My weekly diet includes light pastries these come in clear plastic boxes or packages I’ve begun saving these and transferring boxed things to them it easy to shuffle them around and they stack easily I can sort through the stack in minutes to find small or unusual stuff I have a small plastic tool box that for ever gets mystery tools stuffed into it My hobby stuff has completely taken over my spare bed room . The kitchen table is a temporary assembly work area but must be cleaned off daily or I don’t have a place to eat other than my chair . What a way to live . Actually my boat had more room as I had a larger table but again the forward bunk was my extra bed room . My dog had pretty well taken it over . Working on boat things was like being on a submarine boats have notoriously bad wiring systems and any engine work was down in the engine room below decks. I had a special creeper and bridges across the main stringers Everything in a big boat is made to get you injured and or wet . Bilge water is really messy Considering there were no leaks in the boat the bilge pumps still pumped water mostly from the AC rain seemed to be attracted to the bilges or heating system . And of course getting the head pumped out created it’s own kind of mess . Don’t get into big boats . My neighbor had a 60 foot boat with twin cat diesels oil change was about 50 gallons of oil . Took a special disposal truck . I can’t imagine buying 500 gallons of diesel today at nearly $6 a gallon plus’s he had to have an oil co deliver it

 

[tgeist]

I'm inspired...but I won't show pics . I just sat down in excel in a location emotionally separated from my treasures and created a list (you can use open office calc).

View attachment 143916

I like that I can start with a couple of columns and expand if I need to.

Last I checked excel was not large enough for my shop?? TG

 

[TonySteamHobby]

About 10 years ago I had a fire in my garage shop and lost almost all of my tools. The tools that were replaced were not the exact same, even the tool boxes were different, so they all went in similar, but new places. I still have trouble finding something that is now in the post fire location. I sometimes search for an item and then remember is was lost to my carelessness.
Now, everything is on a power strip that I turn off when I leave the garage or it gets unplugged!!

 

[Richard Hed]

I'll bet you just ate it - - - - lol

Actually there were TWO jars about 1/3 full each. ONe was in the cupboard, the other my wife was looking at on the freezer top. They both were my favorite Black Current from Denmark. After the one disappeared, I used the other one. And Yes there WERE two.

 

[Richard Hed]

That's a nice trick. I started buying prescription safety glasses and regular glasses online at Zenni optical. I can get single vision glasses in a very nice frame for about $40, and progressives for everyday wear for about $130. Safety glasses about the same, and I love them. This includes some nice anti glare, anti scratch and anti fogging coatings. If you just go plain vanilla, you can get prescription safety squints for under $100.

Beats the heck out of the $500 - $700 rope-a-dope you get at the eye doctor's office.

Thing is that lai-yers (lawyers), butchers (doctors), dentists, opthomalogists and the like, and many other so called professionals charge prices that really are abut 100 times the cost of the product. I get reading glasses for 1.25$ each at the Dollar Store, and the frames that y9u get at the glasses place are not a bit better than the dollar store frames. Not a BIT! To grind the lenses, howevr, too is not so difficult. Most lenses are pre-ground and just waiting in a box for someone to order them. If you need something special, for astigmatism, bi or trifocal or whatever, yest this will cost more, but believe me, not 500$ . i saw in Olympia, years ago, a glasses grinding operation. It was impressive but the machines just sit and polish day and nite. Someone is present to change the glass. That was 50 years ago. Now they are 0probably fed by machine.

My point is that a few sets of glass and the machines are paid for. Today, the actual cost for all costs added in per pair of lenses is proabably under 10$ (I don't know, just my guess), so when the makers sell to the vendors, they must up it 5 to 10 times, then the vendor ups it again. Well, that's capitalism but really they got you by the short hairs,and it's in a monopoly like situation.

 

[SmithDoor]

22 feet x 22 feet of nice heated and air conditioned space with good lighting and epoxy painted floor, machines, decent attic storage, cabinets, roll-arounds, and a big sink. Seems pretty decent, right? So why do I continue to disrespect it by keeping it in such a mess. A friend once politely called it a "busy place." Thank you for the kindness. And honestly, it IS a busy place.
But, every surface is covered with clutter. When I clean up (very seldom), all the tools have somewhere to go and that is the easy part. It is the collection of parts and pieces of past and current projects, and various pieces of raw material (and electronics parts) that is the problem. ... No, let me rephrase that. The problem is me, not the stuff.

Here is a picture of one of the walls. Up top, nice storage bins with materials and projects neat and visible, but on the benchtop below, utter chaos and nowhere to work. Shame on me. The other walls and work surfaces suffer the same ugly fate. I can usually find what I am looking for, but there isn't a clean surface to work on.

I have been in self-help programs before, so I know I am not alone. Has anyone completed the "neat shop" program and not relapsed?
I know I will get plenty of sympathy, but, got any motivational ideas? Maybe a boot in the butt?
Thanks, Lloyd


NICE ON THE TOP, A MESS ON THE BOTTOM, ALL 4 WALLS.

View attachment 143912

Your shop looks great.

You also your wife to help.
I have downward size and it hard to do.

Dave

 

[Lloyd-ss]

Your shop looks great.

You also your wife to help.
I have downward size and it hard to do.

Dave

Dave, thanks for the encouragement. I agree that downsizing is difficult. I used to do a lot of woodworking and that needed a lot of space and made so much dust. Our last (and final) move was 9 years ago and I switched from mostly woodworking to mostly machining, and some electronics. The wood working is now relegated to pretty days when I can roll the table saw outside.

My wife did suggest that I set aside just 15 or 20 minutes every few days to straighten up. I am trying that and it seems to be helping.
Lloyd

 

[ajoeiam]

Dave, thanks for the encouragement. I agree that downsizing is difficult. I used to do a lot of woodworking and that needed a lot of space and made so much dust. Our last (and final) move was 9 years ago and I switched from mostly woodworking to mostly machining, and some electronics. The wood working is now relegated to pretty days when I can roll the table saw outside.

My wife did suggest that I set aside just 15 or 20 minutes every few days to straighten up. I am trying that and it seems to be helping.
Lloyd

Hmmmmmmmm - - - - when I had opportunity to work in a shop that did better quality work the expectation was to take 15 minutes or so at the end of shift to organize and clean one's working area. End of week a general clean up taking a whole hour was done.
Its work staying organized!!! (Not necessarily fun - - - - the statistic I ran into was that the average machinist spent some 18% of their day looking for stuff - - - - that's expensive - - - - I learnt to hate that time waste!)

 

[Gordon]

Hmmmmmmmm - - - - when I had opportunity to work in a shop that did better quality work the expectation was to take 15 minutes or so at the end of shift to organize and clean one's working area. End of week a general clean up taking a whole hour was done.
Its work staying organized!!! (Not necessarily fun - - - - the statistic I ran into was that the average machinist spent some 18% of their day looking for stuff - - - - that's expensive - - - - I learnt to hate that time waste!)

A welding/fabricating shop where I worked for a while quit a half hour early on Friday and the boss went out for beer while the rest of the crew cleaned the shop and put everything back in place. Worked well in the six person shop and meant that everyone started with a clean area on Monday morning. Maybe I should start something like that in my one person shop.

 

[Lloyd-ss]

A welding/fabricating shop where I worked for a while quit a half hour early on Friday and the boss went out for beer while the rest of the crew cleaned the shop and put everything back in place. Worked well in the six person shop and meant that everyone started with a clean area on Monday morning. Maybe I should start something like that in my one person shop.

Joe and Gordon, this is starting to make sense but I see that a paradigm shift is needed. My "emotional" self sees cleaning and organizing as non-productive time when I could have been doing something fun and worthwhile. Cleaning and organizing is for someone else to do. Several years ago I built a shed on my property and hired a 16 year old kid from nearby as a helper. He didn't have too many skills but he was smart and could follow instructions. For my emotional self, the best parts of his help was at the end of the day when I asked him to clean up, he gladly did that while I drove a few more nails. Gordon, your stat about time spent looking for stuff is prbly up at 35% for me. If I could really BELIEVE in the value of cleaning and organizing my life would be a lot easier. Why is that so difficult?
Lloyd

 

[Gordon]

Joe and Gordon, this is starting to make sense but I see that a paradigm shift is needed. My "emotional" self sees cleaning and organizing as non-productive time when I could have been doing something fun and worthwhile. Cleaning and organizing is for someone else to do. Several years ago I built a shed on my property and hired a 16 year old kid from nearby as a helper. He didn't have too many skills but he was smart and could follow instructions. For my emotional self, the best parts of his help was at the end of the day when I asked him to clean up, he gladly did that while I drove a few more nails. Gordon, your stat about time spent looking for stuff is prbly up at 35% for me. If I could really BELIEVE in the value of cleaning and organizing my life would be a lot easier. Why is that so difficult?
Lloyd

I did not say that I did that. I said that I probably should do that. Great intentions and poor implementation.

 

[SmithDoor]

Dave, thanks for the encouragement. I agree that downsizing is difficult. I used to do a lot of woodworking and that needed a lot of space and made so much dust. Our last (and final) move was 9 years ago and I switched from mostly woodworking to mostly machining, and some electronics. The wood working is now relegated to pretty days when I can roll the table saw outside.

My wife did suggest that I set aside just 15 or 20 minutes every few days to straighten up. I am trying that and it seems to be helping.
Lloyd

Soon or later your wife can park her car in garage. Happy days new backyard hobby shop.

Dave

 

[Propforward]

Joe and Gordon, this is starting to make sense but I see that a paradigm shift is needed. My "emotional" self sees cleaning and organizing as non-productive time when I could have been doing something fun and worthwhile. Cleaning and organizing is for someone else to do. Several years ago I built a shed on my property and hired a 16 year old kid from nearby as a helper. He didn't have too many skills but he was smart and could follow instructions. For my emotional self, the best parts of his help was at the end of the day when I asked him to clean up, he gladly did that while I drove a few more nails. Gordon, your stat about time spent looking for stuff is prbly up at 35% for me. If I could really BELIEVE in the value of cleaning and organizing my life would be a lot easier. Why is that so difficult?
Lloyd

Cleaning and tidying the HOUSE is for someone else to do, but organizing the shoppe is (for me) as much a part of the joy of having a shoppe as it is working in it. Last weekend I spent the whole time putting up new shelves, throwing out some crap and reorganizing one area, and now a big section of workbench is clear and available for use. But - no parts made - although I feel very good about what I did. Maybe that's all that matters whether tidy or not?

However - that's all personal preference of course. I may be lucky that I feel that way, or possibly cursed, depending on your point of view.

 

[stanstocker]

This is following on to several posts regarding glasses for sorting out small bits and pieces.

I have the interesting condition where one eye gets positive correction and one gets negative correction for close up or reading uses. Means no off the shelf reading glasses solutions for me. When last getting my eyes checked and an updated prescription, I asked for a specific prescription to work at 13 inches. This is about three inches less than the distance from the bridge of my nose to the top of my watchmakers bench when sitting upright. Correcting to this distance lets me work on many things without additional magnification. These are also great for painting small objects for model making. Ever painted an HO scale figure? Really hard to do when you can't get good binocular focus.

The mixed prescriptions for normal and my 13 inch lenses weirded out the folks at EyeBuy Direct, but once we swapped a couple confirming emails all was well and being single focus glasses the pair was quite inexpensive.

When more magnification is needed, Optivisors with the add on loupes work very nicely. I have two, in 2.5X and 3.5X strengths. Each has the add on loupe for doing really close detail work. The loupe adds an additional 2.5X to the existing magnification. Very nice when setting pallet jewels in a watch or putting that tiny drop of oil in the center of a small cap or pallet jewel. Trying this while wearing normal or no glasses with the Optivisors caused lots of eyestrain, as each eye was pulling in a different direction near my aging eyes maximum ability to focus.

 

[Mike Ginn]

Stanstocker You have a good solution which works for you and would work for others. There are many on-line providers. I would however encourage you to purchase safety glasses/frames from the suppliers
Mike

 

[Mike Ginn]

Hi TonySteamHobb I think it would be useful to know what caused the fire in your shop. I think it is something we all fear so any insight could be helpful.
Thanks Mike

 

[TonySteamHobby]

I plugged in a (plastic welding kit) heat iron to do a plastic bumper repair. A few minutes later, after being distracted, I pushed it back on my bench TO MAKE ROOM TO WORK. I then left, forgetting the iron was warming up. It eventually overheated, set the bench on fire, and the rest is history.