Art & Inspiration did some cleaning in the shop today

Damn!.... now I don't feel so bad...

 

The Press BUT no putting things on the bench...​

 

My wife does the same. There's only a ledge there, but she'll almost always put something there, don't know why?

 

Somebody mentioned beer? sounds good, Im done. I'll clean the shithole later..gotta move hell and half of Cali just to work anyway..

 

If you have read my posts. Shine on peach moon.

 

Peach likker?..now yer talkin.. out here in the peoples republic its chelada and tequila..cazadores..ayiyiyi

 

That's a great idea! So now I have workbench concepts to plaigerize...

I'm never going to get anything finished with all of the ideas that I see on the HAMB

 

Press - tackle it and build or buy another table, problem solved. You're welcome.

 

I know it's time for a clean up when my wife brings me coffee and scones (jam and cream of course) and the only flat surface to put it on is a bar stool. Another thing that causes me to tidy is I can't stand leaning forward to access a bench or the press because there's too much shit on the floor. Hard on the back.

 

What’s hard on the back and knees for me is picking the shit on the floor

 

Get a memory foam knee pad at Harbor freight or Home Depot...it will make that a lot more manageable...we ain't no spring chickens anymore..

 

But what to do to clear a space for the pad?

 

Make a space in the middle and do the Tazmanian Devil routine...



Seriously those pads save your valuable knees...
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@rusty valley one other thing that could make this process more palletable is some tunes...yes music, whatever your style, even dance a little to your own beat...don't trip......and stand back before you go in the house and have a look each day at what you've done and feel good about the accomplishments...

One thing I'm not is deadline oriented...just do it at your own speed...

 

If the work bench is against the wall, the pile can be a lot higher before stuff starts falling off. I've tried over the years to maintain at least a 6" x 6" area on the corner of the workbench that I could actually work on, but if I had to pound on anything with a hammer, stuff often started falling off the bench.

That work bench is the last challenge I have to face! It is a steel topped bench 36" x 42" (yea, its against the wall) the pile in the middle is about 2' high. There is still that 6" x 6" work space on the corner though (might even be a little bigger now that I've been retired for 3 years)!

It was one of the collet all places in the shop. When I took that part off that was a bit worn that I had replaced, but the part could still be repaired, I put it on that bench because I didn't know where else to put it. And then the next part I just knew I will need some day got laid on top of the 1st part, then something else that was still good covered it all and then some other thing I really needed to keep ended up on top of it. That all worked out OK, until I had to dig through the pile find something I knew was on that bench and I needed it. Then things got shuffled, rearranged, restacked, and more stuff joined the pile, then that digging for another needed part thing again, well you know.....

Like many other places I've been cleaning the last year or two, I'm pretty sure there is going to be some pretty cool stuff on the bench, but most of it will end up being a "Why did I save this?" part. At this point I've hauled in around 2,000lbs of "why have I kept this piece of junk all these years?" that I thought was still "good stuff" as scrap. Good thing scrap prices are a little up right now. Gene

 

Stogy, no need to worry, the tunes are always on here. A little local station of classic country all day, then at night they do high school sports...and I'm outa there! On to chicago blues from the 50's mostly. Gene K, all truth there. The bench can be like an archeological dig. As you get into it, things can be dated in the different layers. That part you saved but it never got moved to storage...2 years ago, The tail light you were looking for a lens for, and now forgot you owned it. Lots of small unfinished nik naks, and then on the bottom when you get there is all the special bolts that never got put away. I am a nut for correct high head ford bolts for my cars, they never get thrown out. I used to be the guy who saved everything, make a special trip across the room to put away one cotter pin. This time, much of it is going in the garbage like a normal person does. Gonna go after the press a little tonight yet, got the scrap trailer outside the door.

 

Wait... you have an empty bar stool? I'll be right over!

 

I'm a big fan of having a work bench that is free standing and not shoved into a corner or against a wall. It makes it much harder for the pile to get too high. Shove drill presses, grinders, saws, etc against the walls and don't allow yourself to store stuff on them. Shelves up above your head for storing stuff (bonus points if it's organized). Then keep the scrap bin / trailer close by for when you realize that some of the stuff you have been storing is just junk after all. I am continuously in the process of making my small shop work for me rather than be a pit that swallows me and my stuff up.

 

As long as the garage fridge is full!

 

You pick stuff up from the floor?

 

Well, I have a confession to make. Its a wonderful warm clear night, and I had a pile of branches piled on a stump I have been trying to burn down for a year or more, so, you guessed it, I avoided reality again and chose to drink beer around the fire instead of cleaning. The mess can be another day, but fall days like this are rare, soon i will be dressed like an Eskimo... Not that there's anything wrong with that.

 

But, you got the stump job done. And relaxed at the same time!

 

Beware of certain advice it may promote reverse engineering...

Look at me giving advise when my Workbench is messy but I had cleared floor and the Roof sure comes in handy...word to self remove stuff on roof before driving...

I cleared the top of my Rolling Toolbox which is an old modded Aviation Cart...nice heavy duty with Record Vise so I was already making waves...I've cleared the Other recently and it's still busy but workable...

Is there a Hotrod hiding in your Shop @rusty valley? The Art of Hotrod Custom reside in such intriguing settings...

My garage can be given a period and practical vibe...I do mechanical things as a passion...and sometimes its driving the Hotrod, Hello 1963...



...Note Flat Surface Urban Sprawl...

Clutter is beyond Traditional...

But annoying...possibly interesting...

And for the most part something that needs organization...

File accordingly...and recycle according especially oils, paints, acids...when you dispose of them...I store old oil in jugs for recycle down the road...I fix stuff so I save many cutoffs...and sometimes I fix or add or modify Hotrod details...my lower rad supports need a fix...its lasted this long doesn't mean it's right...I like those challenges...the pad has 40% surface contact x2...its fwd to the crossmember by 3/4"+

When the Hotrod becomes storage it's time...one good thing about the Riveted Aluminum Roof is it is strong like a Bomber...

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It doesn’t take long for a bench to. Gather multiple items and become cluttered. My wife has a saying “touch it once” meaning when you use your tool ,you put it back in its right place when done. Lol I try to to that but ends up on the work bench..

@Stogy I like to use old boat flotation cushions and they have handles . I recovered them in metal flake vinyl to know the dirty side ..

 

That car is great.

 

@rusty valley does your shop double as a garage? Mine does...One thing I have always done is always have room to get the Hotrod in...and when colder weather arrives which will be very soon is to get both it and the daily in...When I'm working on projects the Daily can sit outside...till I'm done for the night then in it comes...

One thing that is a big bonus with parking inside for rust belters is not having to scrape or clean snow off and being a heated garage you get in and drive out already warmed up...

 

Don’t judge me

 

Thanks RootHawg, Jerry has a way with Hotrods...I remember following the Thread when he built it...never imagined I'd own it down the road...It grows on you...

 

The big problem I have with cleaning is, you are forced to make an on the spot decision, toss it, sell it, save it, etc. this can be very stressful to a hoarder like myself. toss it! well, its good-I might need that- some one else may want it. Sell it, nobody is as dumb as me, it'll never sell. save it, ah, where? There's 10 buildings here, the biggest is 60x82, and you cant walk thru it anymore. So, item in question is a very accurate scale, I believe made for mixing paint. I got it when a friend passed and widow was smart enough to know i would remove a bunch of the stuff nobody bought at the auction. My friend used it for balancing pistons. I have tripped over it for 3 years now, it got set down there by the press "just temporarily", and now I plugged it in, and thank god its broke from living in my mess and it can go to the scrap pile. Had it still worked...well, i would have to ponder that a bit. Now, i will get on to the rest of the pressing issue...pun intended

 

Living with my garage, I would judge you as OCDC!! Damned clean freaks!