3 Replies

I am really ashamed to reveal all my bad habits when it comes to my shop and tools. To start with I am lucky to have a space that is 30’ by 44’. I have a duplication of most all my power hand tools which means I do no maintenance until they all need it. Probably the worst thing I do is while I am building something I use it and drop it where I finish with it. That in itself is very unsafe but I can’t stop. For example you can’t imagine what this place looked like after I finished with the king size bed which took me over a month to complete. As for brands, 80% is Dewalt, rest a mixture of Laguna, Porter Cable, etc. One example is the table saw. I don’t clean it until the crank is just about seized up. The shop is the only part of my life that is this way. Everything else is maintained to the hilt. How many of you wax your lawn mower? I’m sure there are psychological reasons but I love woodworking, am very happy, so I guess that all that matters.

Jack:

Enjoying it IS all that matters. I’m sure there are some of us who lead extremely ordered lives, and then enjoy the clutter and confusion (if there is confusion…) of their personal space.
My initial intent was to simply state my Post-Project process – resetting the shop; as I was typing, the post morphed into my approach to tools & equipment within a 400 sq’ space. The only clear horizontal space I have is my workbench – it ain’t much, but it’s mine.

You Take Care.

Your discipline is something from which we could probably all benefit. My habits are kind of between yours and Jack’s. My biggest hang-up (as I see it) is that I have too many cheap tools. I should have purchased better quality tools at the outset, but didn’t know enough about what I was doing to be able to determine which would be best for me. I feel like I’ve made them work for me all this time, why change now?!

L/W