Got the Bug

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

I am talking about cleaning bug. For some strange reason 2 days ago I decided to clean the clutter in my basement. My shop over the years has taken over the game room and I could not even see the pool table or any other thing in there. The bar is non existing. Now I have plans on building cabinets to house all my pen making equipment and supplies and that is still a go but for now this stuff sits in plastic containers. Thousands and thousands of $$ in inventory. So I decided to buy a bunch more of these containers and consolidate alot of the woodworking projects and supplies too. This will at least allow me to see the floor again. Boy you never know what you accumulate over the years. I have tools in there I forgot I ever bought. These I am sure were impulse buys at a woodworking show. Amazing how they suck you in there. Probably never use half of them. I found projects that I started many many years ago and just never completed because I probably got bored. Something that happens alot to me. Can not repeat projects. Just too much to do and too many ideas. I am a creator and artisan and not a robot. No amount of money can get me to sit and scroll hundreds of ornaments or make the same clock over and over. Life is way too short. The pool table is full of piles of patterns. I could never in 10 life times complete half of these. Found a stack of prototype projects and sample pieces of projects I did some 25 years ago. Hated to throw them out then and still do so I will restack neater. Probably looking at about another 2 or 3 days of this. The thing it has now spilled over into the shop so that time frame may increase. I wish I had a bigger shop. 

After all this I will shifting my focus to pen turning for a few months through the winter. Shows did well so I was happy. Have many new ideas for next year shows and will return to scrolling some time in the summer. 

I guess this is something we all need to do at some time. Now where did I put my saw??

[oldhudson]

I think it's great that you 'got the bug'. I'm borderline obsessive about organization/cleanliness. I vacuum at least once if I spend time in the shop and some days 3-4 times. I've had projects where the shop spilled out into living areas of the house. When I made the kitchen cabinets I had a 4 x 8 finishing/assembly table in the family room for two years!!! And who doesn't want a larger shop. But for most of us "it is what it is". Organizing your supplies and equipment - getting a handle on inventory will only make you more efficient. Good luck with your project. Before and after pics would be cool.

[teachnlearn]

Did you look at slat walls? I looked at a lot of organization ideas and like the idea of a french cleat, then putting it on anything to hang and take off, either take a container off to use or just move it and put something else there. Picture is a commercial system, many diy build systems. RJF

Edited December 19, 2019 by teachnlearn

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

3 hours ago, teachnlearn said:

Did you look at slat walls? I looked at a lot of organization ideas and like the idea of a french cleat, then putting it on anything to hang and take off, either take a container off to use or just move it and put something else there. Picture is a commercial system, many diy build systems. RJF

My shop is complete sir. Just need to put things back where they belong. I have peg board in my shop. I have a habit of not stopping to clean and it does accumulate quickly. When I switch from scrolling to turning is when I usually go through things. The game room is just overrun with stuff and will never be the same as long as I am alive. Having put things in containers will make it look better. Too many cardboard boxes for things. Just something I got the bug to do. 

[teachnlearn]

Thats great. Thought you were reworking your shop. I grew up with my dad using peg board at the bench and on the garage wall for garden tools, snow shovel. I will be creating a shop and considering creating a diy slate wall. RJF

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

15 minutes ago, teachnlearn said:

Thats great. Thought you were reworking your shop. I grew up with my dad using peg board at the bench and on the garage wall for garden tools, snow shovel. I will be creating a shop and considering creating a diy slate wall. RJF

No shop is the first thing I built when I moved in this house 35 years ago. Made my own cabinets and work bench and the whole nine yards. Filled it with all Delta tools. Back then Delta was the king. Either slat wall or peg board works fine. 

[JimErn]

13 hours ago, JTTHECLOCKMAN said:

 I found projects that I started many many years ago and just never completed because I probably got bored. Something that happens alot to me. Can not repeat projects. Just too much to do and too many ideas.

I do know that feeling, I get interested in something, doing something, get good enough for me at it, and then get bored doing it again.  Recently that was inlay and boxes.

I took the time back in Aug to clean, and straighten up my shop -= looked great, was a good feeling, today you would never know I took the time.  Hope you have better luck than me in that respect.

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

4 hours ago, JimErn said:

I do know that feeling, I get interested in something, doing something, get good enough for me at it, and then get bored doing it again.  Recently that was inlay and boxes.

I took the time back in Aug to clean, and straighten up my shop -= looked great, was a good feeling, today you would never know I took the time.  Hope you have better luck than me in that respect.

No Jim I will be the same way. I just get the bug sometimes and that is when it gets cleaned. No rhyme or reason to it.  If I ever can get enough drive to make the cabinets for my pen making stuff would help tremendously. Between that and some large projects that I need to complete would clear out alot of space. Plus stop buying lumber, that is another problem because that is where the overflow wound up. I am a sucker for that pretty looking board of wood.  

[teachnlearn]

Put everything on retracting rulers and press the buttons. Everything retracts back to its place.

Could resist. Part of my actual design process. I think of everything, crazy or not and work it to a real working item. When I did work, people in my office design group thought I was a bit off when I started. After a few projects, I had a few throwing in crazy ideas and we worked from there.

Some of the outlandish, started making sense when we broke it down. Go back so years and a guy was writing about putting people in a cannon and shooting them to the moon. RJF

[Chiloquinruss]

John T, my question is, do you make shop calls!    I'll buy the beer (or whatever)!  Russ

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

18 minutes ago, Chiloquinruss said:

John T, my question is, do you make shop calls!    I'll buy the beer (or whatever)!  Russ

Have a hard time keeping mine up and safe to run. The cleaning is going along better than I thought. I really thought I would have gotten bored and moved on but a little each day and I can see daylight down there. I may just get this done. 

[Chiloquinruss]

  Russ