Shop cleanup

Nicky:

A friend of mine – your average pack rat by genetics – got religion a few years ago, regarding his shop: some of his rules -
Stationery Tools – if I haven’t used it it two years, sell it!
Hand Power Tools – if I haven’t used it this past year, sell it!
Scrap: if I can immediately think of what I’d use it for, get rid of it.
Things on horizontal surfaces: If it predates my last project, put it away (really, away; as in “in or under” something) – if I don’t have room in or under something; something has to be thrown out).
Dirt – vacuum at the end of each day; blow-down the shop with a leaf blower at least once per week – whether it needs it or not.

I’m sure there are exceptions and other rules, the ones above make sense to me; but you have to be ever-vigilant and execute.
MJCD

LOML suggested I inventory the shop for insurance purposes. That was a real eye popping experience for me. Once I (almost) completed the inventory, it was easy to review the items that were used and those that weren’t. Stuff that wasn’t used with any degree of regularity got recycled one way or another.

I also need to re-organize and inventory my shop. There are thing I bought twice because I could not find the first one.
I am sure there are things I need to dispose off. I badly want to buy a lathe and learn tuning but I have no space for it; Maybe after a good cleanup…

Scraps and cutoffs are my big issue. And buckets too. I clean empty compound and paint buckets when they’re empty. They’re just too darned useful. But I finally tossed a dozen empty 5 gallon pails a few weeks ago. Nearly cried when I did it. LOL. But it had to be done.

As for scraps, they were collecting in a corner. I couldn’t clean there and it was getting hard to walk around them. So I built a scrap bin on casters and tossed about 80% of what was there. Now I can vacuum there and the bin kind of forces me to pick and choose what to keep because it fills up easily.

Up early today, taking a little break now. Yesterday I did manage to fill the bed of the truck with junk. Sent four boxes of tools to the thrift store; screwdrivers, wrenches, socket sets, even some power tools etc… Going to fire up the compressor with a blow gun and cleanup corners, cabinets and shelves.

I was so happy to get a radial arm saw a while back. Its a Delta/Rockwell 105. Needed some TLC and works like a champ. The reality is I’ve only used it a couple of times. The table for the saw just collects junk so when I want to use it it takes time to put away or throw away the junk. I’m tossing some cabinets that I have cleared out.

I’ve gotten better at organizing the shop. I built a proper tool cabinet that helps a lot. I need to buy finishing products in smaller quantities. I’ve thrown away a lot of spray cans, stain, poly and varnish.

Just about every project I do I’ll use some scraps, so they will stay. The extra room I’ll have will be for a new, larger router table and a cart for better organizing scraps.

My hardest job today will be moving the table saw, workbench and assembly table. These are the only items that don’t have wheels.

Thanks for your thoughts and suggestions. I have a ways to go, but so far I’m happy with the progress.

I’m sore today from moving things around. I did get everything done. Contractors arrived 7:00am this morning. My wife tells me our place looks like a war zone. Won’t see till after work.

I have two opposite walls, cleared half way through the garage. Will be picking up some spackle, tape and at least a primer. I did not even think about this when I started my planning. I’m in no hurry.

I’m really excited about refreshing the space.

Nicky:

Revel in small successes – and large ones, and interim ones. My recommendation is to periodically ‘get angry’ with your garage space or your shop space, and with a vengeance re-order things, get rid of somethings, and buy somethings – ceiling & wall ranks, pegboard, …
MJCD

.. and then there is the “Murphy’s Law” that as soon as you get rid of something, you will be needing it.

Don’t say that MsDebbieP. It rings so true over here…

and so I try to find that balance between hoarder and packrat ;)
ok, definitely not a hoarder … but would like to be an organized packrat!

MsDebbieP – glad to see you here helping the site develop.

Not a hoarder, did not consider myself a packrat until this past weekend. I wonder if a 12 step program exists. It was suggested that I’ve never met a garage sale that I didn’t like, maybe I could start there.

MJCD, I’m happy with the progress. Multiple heart attacks, bypass surgery fixed any anger problems I had, or will have. I’m constantly reveling in life. I have gotten rid of things, now getting a few things I’ve always wanted.

Murphy’s law is alive and well. I was going to put my planer in a more stationary location; no 220 on that wall. If I don’t do this now, it’ll never get done. It seems that I do a lot of planning in real time.

I have taped some of the ceiling and walls, and can say very confidently, I suck at finishing drywall. My wife has suggested that I paint stripes over the joints and call it art. I think Norm would say it’s really celebrating the joint.

This is a hobby. Lots of projects planned, no deadlines to worry about.

Haha…stripes….perfect