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Minimizing, De-Cluttering, and Simplifying The Workshop

17K views 42 replies 18 participants last post by  retired_guru 
#1 ·
handsawgeek's abrasive attitude....

Wood Font Rectangle Material property Flooring


This weekend, as part of the monumental task of trying to get the woodshop organized, I decided to tackle the ol' drawer fulla sandpaper.
What a horrendous mess!
Why have I saved all of these little scraps of used sandpaper and emery cloth?
Some of this stuff dates back to 1974!
After taking this cel phone 'glamour' shot, it all got swept up and relegated to the dust bin.
The remaining sandpaper stock, consisting of full, unused sheets sorted by grit, takes up only a small corner of the same drawer.
Phew!
Next stop: the cutoff and scrap wood pile….
 

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#2 ·
handsawgeek's abrasive attitude....

Wood Font Rectangle Material property Flooring


This weekend, as part of the monumental task of trying to get the woodshop organized, I decided to tackle the ol' drawer fulla sandpaper.
What a horrendous mess!
Why have I saved all of these little scraps of used sandpaper and emery cloth?
Some of this stuff dates back to 1974!
After taking this cel phone 'glamour' shot, it all got swept up and relegated to the dust bin.
The remaining sandpaper stock, consisting of full, unused sheets sorted by grit, takes up only a small corner of the same drawer.
Phew!
Next stop: the cutoff and scrap wood pile….
I can relate!
 

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#3 ·
handsawgeek's abrasive attitude....

Wood Font Rectangle Material property Flooring


This weekend, as part of the monumental task of trying to get the woodshop organized, I decided to tackle the ol' drawer fulla sandpaper.
What a horrendous mess!
Why have I saved all of these little scraps of used sandpaper and emery cloth?
Some of this stuff dates back to 1974!
After taking this cel phone 'glamour' shot, it all got swept up and relegated to the dust bin.
The remaining sandpaper stock, consisting of full, unused sheets sorted by grit, takes up only a small corner of the same drawer.
Phew!
Next stop: the cutoff and scrap wood pile….
Yay Ed!
 

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#4 ·
handsawgeek's abrasive attitude....

Wood Font Rectangle Material property Flooring


This weekend, as part of the monumental task of trying to get the woodshop organized, I decided to tackle the ol' drawer fulla sandpaper.
What a horrendous mess!
Why have I saved all of these little scraps of used sandpaper and emery cloth?
Some of this stuff dates back to 1974!
After taking this cel phone 'glamour' shot, it all got swept up and relegated to the dust bin.
The remaining sandpaper stock, consisting of full, unused sheets sorted by grit, takes up only a small corner of the same drawer.
Phew!
Next stop: the cutoff and scrap wood pile….
1974? Wow, that is some old sandpaper.

I went through my sandpaper bucket and pitched almost all of the sandpaper in it.
It was a great feeling, and now I can reach in there and get a good piece of sandpaper. It is so much better than sorting through the bucket in hopes of finding something that will work.

Thanks for the inspiration!

Mike
 

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#5 ·
handsawgeek's abrasive attitude....

Wood Font Rectangle Material property Flooring


This weekend, as part of the monumental task of trying to get the woodshop organized, I decided to tackle the ol' drawer fulla sandpaper.
What a horrendous mess!
Why have I saved all of these little scraps of used sandpaper and emery cloth?
Some of this stuff dates back to 1974!
After taking this cel phone 'glamour' shot, it all got swept up and relegated to the dust bin.
The remaining sandpaper stock, consisting of full, unused sheets sorted by grit, takes up only a small corner of the same drawer.
Phew!
Next stop: the cutoff and scrap wood pile….
Congrats
 

Attachments

#6 ·
handsawgeek's abrasive attitude....

Wood Font Rectangle Material property Flooring


This weekend, as part of the monumental task of trying to get the woodshop organized, I decided to tackle the ol' drawer fulla sandpaper.
What a horrendous mess!
Why have I saved all of these little scraps of used sandpaper and emery cloth?
Some of this stuff dates back to 1974!
After taking this cel phone 'glamour' shot, it all got swept up and relegated to the dust bin.
The remaining sandpaper stock, consisting of full, unused sheets sorted by grit, takes up only a small corner of the same drawer.
Phew!
Next stop: the cutoff and scrap wood pile….
Yeah can relate too. Little itsy, bitsy pieces of almost spent sandpaper stashed away somewhere in the shop because …........... I'm still trying to figure it out lol I'm going to follow your lead Ed.
 

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#7 ·
The Oft-Used-Tool Holder

Wood Gas Hardwood Hand tool Metal


Before heading to the wood storage area to do some cleanup and organization, I made a quick stop at the workbench.
What are the tools that I always reach for first and most often when working on any given project?
The list includes those which I like to have ready at hand without wasting valuable shop time searching or rummaging for them:

Try square
Marking knife
Pencil
Scratch awl
12" steel rule
Phillips screwdriver
Flat blade screwdriver
Shorty Phillips screwdriver
Shorty flat blade screwdriver
Scissors

Product Tool Material property Office supplies Wood


To hold this small assortment of tools, I turned to an old maple box that I've had banging around the shop since time began. I've never found a good use for this until now. It's just the perfect size for the project at hand.
The wood scrap box yielded up a piece of half-inch thick pine that was part of a drawer in its previous life. It will serve fine as the base for the tool holder, complete with a ready-made groove to hold the ruler.
Some glue and a few screws later, I had a nifty little bench-top storage unit. For now, the tools are stuck into a piece of hard foam which was carved to fit inside the box.

Rectangle Wood Gas Composite material Hardwood


This, of, course, does not conform to the official handsawgeek 'Rules of the HTOZ ',
(see the post on the subject: http://lumberjocks.com/handsawgeek/blog/42228 ),
so I will be soon fabricating a wood top for the holder that features proper holes laid out to custom fit the small tool collection.
I might even slap on a finish of some sort to the whole affair, just to make it purty.
For now it does the job in its present form….

Bottle Gas Wood Metal Cylinder
 

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#8 ·
The Oft-Used-Tool Holder

Wood Gas Hardwood Hand tool Metal


Before heading to the wood storage area to do some cleanup and organization, I made a quick stop at the workbench.
What are the tools that I always reach for first and most often when working on any given project?
The list includes those which I like to have ready at hand without wasting valuable shop time searching or rummaging for them:

Try square
Marking knife
Pencil
Scratch awl
12" steel rule
Phillips screwdriver
Flat blade screwdriver
Shorty Phillips screwdriver
Shorty flat blade screwdriver
Scissors

Product Tool Material property Office supplies Wood


To hold this small assortment of tools, I turned to an old maple box that I've had banging around the shop since time began. I've never found a good use for this until now. It's just the perfect size for the project at hand.
The wood scrap box yielded up a piece of half-inch thick pine that was part of a drawer in its previous life. It will serve fine as the base for the tool holder, complete with a ready-made groove to hold the ruler.
Some glue and a few screws later, I had a nifty little bench-top storage unit. For now, the tools are stuck into a piece of hard foam which was carved to fit inside the box.

Rectangle Wood Gas Composite material Hardwood


This, of, course, does not conform to the official handsawgeek 'Rules of the HTOZ ',
(see the post on the subject: http://lumberjocks.com/handsawgeek/blog/42228 ),
so I will be soon fabricating a wood top for the holder that features proper holes laid out to custom fit the small tool collection.
I might even slap on a finish of some sort to the whole affair, just to make it purty.
For now it does the job in its present form….

Bottle Gas Wood Metal Cylinder
Ed - good post. I have also found it helpful to review which tools are most often used and make them easy to access. Another consideration is have a place for everything and every thing in its place. That why adding a top to the box is useful IMHO. Both are a big help as we mature and seem to forget why we walked upstairs :) My shop has lots of storage and it really helps with labels on the drawers with the general name of what is in them.
 

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#13 ·
And Now…The Rest Of The Tools…..

A few days ago, I set out to take care of the handsawgeek stock, cutoff, and scrap wood storage area, but as is my wont, I never made it there, even though it is mere steps from the workbench.

Instead, I remained at the workbench to do a tool inventory and assessment.

Last night, I had a good block of shop time available, so I began pulling out every woodworking hand tool I own and laying the entire collection out in plain view on a table away from the main workbench.

Then, one by one, I selected each tool and transferred it to one of five piles:

Essential Workbench Tools. These are the ones that I am 100% sure will get used regularly for most or all woodworking projects. It includes all of the basic measuring/marking tools, saws, drills/bits, hand planes, chisels, mallets/hammers, files, clamps, screwdrivers, sharpening supplies. Components of this tool assortment get placed in a prominent, easily accessible bench storage area - one where I can quickly grab the tool and get immediately to work. These are the keepers.

Secondary Workbench Tools. These are the tools that do not belong on the 'essentials' list, but are good to have on hand for certain projects. Things like the scrub plane, drawknife, specialty files and rasps, etc. These won't be used for every project, but are still important to have on hand. Their storage place will be in less prominent areas - the back of shelves or in drawers, but still easily accessible. Also keepers.

Tools For Restoration/Repair/Refurbish. This pile is for the tools that I have acquired over the years and that are in need of cleaning, de-rusting, fettling, handle-making, sharpening, etc. Some of these tools will be added to or replace tools in the above two categories once they are completed. Some of them may be fixed up for sale to other woodworker hobbyists. As project pieces, they don't have to occupy places of prominence in the shop. They can be placed in out-of-the-way drawers or storage bins.

Antique / Sentimental Tools. This is perhaps the category of tools that will likely carry the greatest level of decision whether I should keep them or not, if I am to stay true to this whole Minimalize/De-Clutter/Organize business. They are the ones which will definitely not be used in everyday woodworking, but are attractive as display items. A good number of these tools are ones that belonged to my grandfather.
Tools in this category are 'curio cabinet fodder'.

Tools To Go. This is the pile of tools that is destined for the yards sales and donation trucks. It includes tools that are un-needed duplicates of ones I already have, tools that I foresee having no regular use on the workbench, and tools that are on the bottom of the 'restoration' list, tools that hold no sentimental attachment, i.e, ones I will probably never get around to dealing with in my lifetime.
In short: clutter!

This handsawgeek re-organization project is kinda' fun…so far, at least!
 
#16 ·
A Place For Everything, And Everything In Its Place.

This phrase pretty much sums up the de-clutterer/organizer's mantra.

Last night, I spent time in the shop finding the best storage spots for all of the woodworking tools that were placed in the 'essential' and 'secondary' tool piles the night before. All of these items readily fit around and under the workbench.

An 11" shelf was installed under the bench top to hold the hand planes, chisel sets, and various wooden cigar boxes holding all of the smaller tools and auger bits.

Larger tools and often used jigs and fixtures go on the bench bottom shelf. Everything is visible and within easy reach.

Wood Hardwood Gas Machine Plywood


Finally, the recessed spaces at either end of the workbench made a great place to hang braces, hand drills, and various saws.

Wood Art Flooring Gas Hardwood


Wood Rectangle Gas Automotive exterior Hardwood


If any of you handsawgeek blog followers are contemplating a similar exercise, I'm sure your method of tool storage will be vastly different from mine. You may prefer racks, cabinets, drawers, a tool chest, or any other number of different tool arrangement schemes. Go with what's best for you, the way you work, and the size of your tool collection.

As for me, the goal here is to eventually have my entire woodworking operation reduced down to a minimum amount of space and shop furniture required for comfortable, efficient work: A workbench, saw bench, hardware/supply storage, wood storage, and a place to keep handsaws and clamps.

Oh, and I might reserve some space for that treadle lathe I've been dreaming about building for some time…..
 

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#17 ·
A Place For Everything, And Everything In Its Place.

This phrase pretty much sums up the de-clutterer/organizer's mantra.

Last night, I spent time in the shop finding the best storage spots for all of the woodworking tools that were placed in the 'essential' and 'secondary' tool piles the night before. All of these items readily fit around and under the workbench.

An 11" shelf was installed under the bench top to hold the hand planes, chisel sets, and various wooden cigar boxes holding all of the smaller tools and auger bits.

Larger tools and often used jigs and fixtures go on the bench bottom shelf. Everything is visible and within easy reach.

Wood Hardwood Gas Machine Plywood


Finally, the recessed spaces at either end of the workbench made a great place to hang braces, hand drills, and various saws.

Wood Art Flooring Gas Hardwood


Wood Rectangle Gas Automotive exterior Hardwood


If any of you handsawgeek blog followers are contemplating a similar exercise, I'm sure your method of tool storage will be vastly different from mine. You may prefer racks, cabinets, drawers, a tool chest, or any other number of different tool arrangement schemes. Go with what's best for you, the way you work, and the size of your tool collection.

As for me, the goal here is to eventually have my entire woodworking operation reduced down to a minimum amount of space and shop furniture required for comfortable, efficient work: A workbench, saw bench, hardware/supply storage, wood storage, and a place to keep handsaws and clamps.

Oh, and I might reserve some space for that treadle lathe I've been dreaming about building for some time…..
You're stuff's gonna get super dusty out in the open like that. And dust attracts rust.
 

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#21 ·
The 'Fixer-Upper' Box

With the main workbench all organized and 'project -ready', it's now time to turn attention to the remaining collection of tools gracing the handsawgeek shop. These are the ones that found themselves in the Refurbish, Sentimental-Attachment, or Destined-For Yard-Sale piles.

Hand tool Wood Metalworking hand tool Tool Stonemason's hammer


In reality, this pile of tools isn't as big as I originally thought. It is large enough to spread out across the entire workbench, though.

The first group to organize is the 'Refurbish' tools.
Before the sorting begins, I need to have an adequate place to store the items.

Project time!

A quick look through the wood cutoff stack yielded a 20Ă—22 piece of 1/2" plywood, and a couple of 1Ă—4 pine planks. With a little bit of cobbling, I came up with this simple shallow box.

Table Wood Rectangle Indoor games and sports Hardwood


Just so happens, I had a set of 2" castors on hand, so it became a simple shallow ROLLING box. The fixture is only screwed together as it is temporary and will likely be dismantled in the future.

Hand tool Wood Hardwood Wood stain Gas


I now have an adequate place to keep all of the pending tool restoration projects within quick access.

Wood Bottle Tool Natural material Office supplies


And the whole she-bang rolls neatly out of the way 'neath the model rocket / utility bench.

Table Wood Desk Gas Hardwood


"SHA-ZA-YAM !!"

Clothing Face Smile Outerwear Helmet
 

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#22 ·
The 'Fixer-Upper' Box

With the main workbench all organized and 'project -ready', it's now time to turn attention to the remaining collection of tools gracing the handsawgeek shop. These are the ones that found themselves in the Refurbish, Sentimental-Attachment, or Destined-For Yard-Sale piles.

Hand tool Wood Metalworking hand tool Tool Stonemason's hammer


In reality, this pile of tools isn't as big as I originally thought. It is large enough to spread out across the entire workbench, though.

The first group to organize is the 'Refurbish' tools.
Before the sorting begins, I need to have an adequate place to store the items.

Project time!

A quick look through the wood cutoff stack yielded a 20Ă—22 piece of 1/2" plywood, and a couple of 1Ă—4 pine planks. With a little bit of cobbling, I came up with this simple shallow box.

Table Wood Rectangle Indoor games and sports Hardwood


Just so happens, I had a set of 2" castors on hand, so it became a simple shallow ROLLING box. The fixture is only screwed together as it is temporary and will likely be dismantled in the future.

Hand tool Wood Hardwood Wood stain Gas


I now have an adequate place to keep all of the pending tool restoration projects within quick access.

Wood Bottle Tool Natural material Office supplies


And the whole she-bang rolls neatly out of the way 'neath the model rocket / utility bench.

Table Wood Desk Gas Hardwood


"SHA-ZA-YAM !!"

Clothing Face Smile Outerwear Helmet
Ed, what is the thing with the bench clamp on the far right lower corner of the first pic?
 

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#26 ·
How Much Wood Can A Wood-Chucker Chuck.....

About half.

This week in the handsawgeek shop, it was time for thinning out the ol' wood pile.
And what a mess 'twas.
Donning my old leather work gloves, and cranking up some Joe Satriani on the stereo, I pulled out every single piece of stock I own, examined it, and placed it in either a 'save' or 'pitch' pile.
It's amazing how many old, twisted, nasty boards have found their way into the shop over the years. Most of it was dumpster-dove dimensional boards, and various pieces of pallet wood. These all got carried outside to be cut up and disposed of later. Sadly, I don't have a woodburning fireplace, and neither do any of my neighbors.
The 'save' pile included a number of large planks that have now been earmarked for some good shop furniture projects on the drawing board. I also kept all of the left-over pieces of plywood that are useful for turning into drawer bottoms, etc.

Building Wood Wood stain Flooring Hardwood


A whole lot of the smaller off-cuts didn't get tossed out, because, with a new grand-kiddo on the way, I have plans for building a number of toy projects. These small chunks of stock are ideal for that.

Wood Floor Chair Flooring Hardwood


Now that the hoard is culled out, all of the remaining planks and off-cuts can be neatly stored in their designated areas.

But, neat and tidy organization is only half the battle.

How do I keep from re-creating the mess that just got cleaned up, and keeping things under control in the future?

Four things, really:

1. USE UP WHAT I HAVE. I mean, really use it. Don't let this pile of wood just sit languishing in the corner forever and ever, Amen. Turn this pile of wood into something useful for the house, shop, or gifting to Mrs. handsawgeek, the kids, and the grand-kids. I have the tools. I have the technology. I can make the time.

2. STOP DUMPSTER DIVING. This is the biggie for me. This propensity for stopping to pick up about any scrap of wood I see curbside and saving it has got to stop! All it does is fill up the shop space with wood that will probably never get used.

3. BUY ONLY PROJECT-SPECIFIC WOOD. It's that simple. Trips to the lumber suppliers or the BORG should be to obtain only the stock necessary for the project at hand. Again, one of my biggest banes is the 70% off cart at the BORG. Seems there's always a board or piece of plywood that 'I've just got to have', even though there is no immediate use for it. It gets hauled home, integrated into the pile along with all the found and scrounged wood that already clutters the shop, and never again sees the light of day.

4. THROW USELESS CUTOFFS IN THE RUBBISH BIN. This is where good old handsawgeek self-control must come into play. If it ain't worth saving, don't. If it is worth saving, swap it with a less useful piece in the stock box that can be thrown out in its place.

Now that the workbench, tool collection, and wood mess is taken care of, it's time to turn attention to the next phase of this Great De-cluttering Adventure….the hardware collection.
Cheers!
 

Attachments

#27 ·
How Much Wood Can A Wood-Chucker Chuck.....

About half.

This week in the handsawgeek shop, it was time for thinning out the ol' wood pile.
And what a mess 'twas.
Donning my old leather work gloves, and cranking up some Joe Satriani on the stereo, I pulled out every single piece of stock I own, examined it, and placed it in either a 'save' or 'pitch' pile.
It's amazing how many old, twisted, nasty boards have found their way into the shop over the years. Most of it was dumpster-dove dimensional boards, and various pieces of pallet wood. These all got carried outside to be cut up and disposed of later. Sadly, I don't have a woodburning fireplace, and neither do any of my neighbors.
The 'save' pile included a number of large planks that have now been earmarked for some good shop furniture projects on the drawing board. I also kept all of the left-over pieces of plywood that are useful for turning into drawer bottoms, etc.

Building Wood Wood stain Flooring Hardwood


A whole lot of the smaller off-cuts didn't get tossed out, because, with a new grand-kiddo on the way, I have plans for building a number of toy projects. These small chunks of stock are ideal for that.

Wood Floor Chair Flooring Hardwood


Now that the hoard is culled out, all of the remaining planks and off-cuts can be neatly stored in their designated areas.

But, neat and tidy organization is only half the battle.

How do I keep from re-creating the mess that just got cleaned up, and keeping things under control in the future?

Four things, really:

1. USE UP WHAT I HAVE. I mean, really use it. Don't let this pile of wood just sit languishing in the corner forever and ever, Amen. Turn this pile of wood into something useful for the house, shop, or gifting to Mrs. handsawgeek, the kids, and the grand-kids. I have the tools. I have the technology. I can make the time.

2. STOP DUMPSTER DIVING. This is the biggie for me. This propensity for stopping to pick up about any scrap of wood I see curbside and saving it has got to stop! All it does is fill up the shop space with wood that will probably never get used.

3. BUY ONLY PROJECT-SPECIFIC WOOD. It's that simple. Trips to the lumber suppliers or the BORG should be to obtain only the stock necessary for the project at hand. Again, one of my biggest banes is the 70% off cart at the BORG. Seems there's always a board or piece of plywood that 'I've just got to have', even though there is no immediate use for it. It gets hauled home, integrated into the pile along with all the found and scrounged wood that already clutters the shop, and never again sees the light of day.

4. THROW USELESS CUTOFFS IN THE RUBBISH BIN. This is where good old handsawgeek self-control must come into play. If it ain't worth saving, don't. If it is worth saving, swap it with a less useful piece in the stock box that can be thrown out in its place.

Now that the workbench, tool collection, and wood mess is taken care of, it's time to turn attention to the next phase of this Great De-cluttering Adventure….the hardware collection.
Cheers!
Great Ideas Ed. But how is a die-hard dumpster diver going to give up diving? Is there a 12 step process for curing the addiction… Hi, I'm Mike, and I'm a Dumpster Diver.
 

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#30 ·
Out With The Old - In With The New...

Hi, LJrs!

The latter part of January has seen a substantial amount of time spent in the handsawgeek shop.
There have been no woodworking projects going on.
There has been no tool refurbishing or sharpening happening.
There have not even been any woodworking project plans drawn up.

Instead, that time has been spent in doing a major - and I mean MAJOR - re-model and renovation of the shop.

Mrs. handsawgeek and I have decided that the present shop - filled with mis-matched benches, desks, cabinets, tool racks, boxes, bins, and cobbled together shelves is just not aesthetically pleasing.
Nor particularly efficient, for that matter.

Wood Hardwood Machine Art Wood stain


So, a couple of weeks ago, I was wandering around the local WalMart store, when I spied some interesting items in the hardware/tool department - some heavy duty all-steel tall storage cabinets and workbenches.
A close examination revealed that this shop furniture was definitely not the typical plastic/particle board junk that one would be accustomed to seeing at this particular retail establishment. This stuff looked well-constructed and high-quality.
And the price point was very reasonable.
The manufacturer is Seville and the brand is UltraHD. Made in USA. Can't go wrong there.

Back home, I made a quick online check for product reviews. Consistent 4 and a half stars with a lot of positive comments. I was sold.

I took Mrs. handsawgeek back to the store to float the idea of purchasing a couple of the items.
She was impressed enough, and I exuded enough enthusiasm, that we ended up purchasing three of the cabinets and two workbenches !!

It was quite an exercise for me to haul the five heavy boxes home, off-load them, and wrestle them down the stairs and into the deep recesses of the basement shop.

Publication Flooring Electronic device Machine Automotive design


Before assembling the items, of course, I had to clear out the shop space where they were destined to go.
Out went the old waterbed headboard that I was using for hand tool shelves, the Amish glass-front entertainment center, the Sauder particle-board desk, and a few other random cheap shelf units and cabinets.

Down came the scrap-wood shelves and fixtures that I had knocked together over the years.

The only previous pieces of shop furniture that would remain in the new order of things would be the woodworking bench, and the saw bench.

Mrs. handsawgeek was reluctant to let me retain the latter, because it contrasts starkly with the new shop furnishings, but I convinced her that it was an extremely essential shop tool - which it is, and gets used extensively for every wood project -which it does. Plus, I would be able to store it neatly out of sight under one of the new workbenches.

This pic shows the cleared-out area and a table set-up to temporarily hold a large amount of displaced woodworking tools and hardware…

Table Furniture Wood Flooring Floor


Next post: Getting busy with a screwdriver and a few wrenches….
 

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#31 ·
Out With The Old - In With The New...

Hi, LJrs!

The latter part of January has seen a substantial amount of time spent in the handsawgeek shop.
There have been no woodworking projects going on.
There has been no tool refurbishing or sharpening happening.
There have not even been any woodworking project plans drawn up.

Instead, that time has been spent in doing a major - and I mean MAJOR - re-model and renovation of the shop.

Mrs. handsawgeek and I have decided that the present shop - filled with mis-matched benches, desks, cabinets, tool racks, boxes, bins, and cobbled together shelves is just not aesthetically pleasing.
Nor particularly efficient, for that matter.

Wood Hardwood Machine Art Wood stain


So, a couple of weeks ago, I was wandering around the local WalMart store, when I spied some interesting items in the hardware/tool department - some heavy duty all-steel tall storage cabinets and workbenches.
A close examination revealed that this shop furniture was definitely not the typical plastic/particle board junk that one would be accustomed to seeing at this particular retail establishment. This stuff looked well-constructed and high-quality.
And the price point was very reasonable.
The manufacturer is Seville and the brand is UltraHD. Made in USA. Can't go wrong there.

Back home, I made a quick online check for product reviews. Consistent 4 and a half stars with a lot of positive comments. I was sold.

I took Mrs. handsawgeek back to the store to float the idea of purchasing a couple of the items.
She was impressed enough, and I exuded enough enthusiasm, that we ended up purchasing three of the cabinets and two workbenches !!

It was quite an exercise for me to haul the five heavy boxes home, off-load them, and wrestle them down the stairs and into the deep recesses of the basement shop.

Publication Flooring Electronic device Machine Automotive design


Before assembling the items, of course, I had to clear out the shop space where they were destined to go.
Out went the old waterbed headboard that I was using for hand tool shelves, the Amish glass-front entertainment center, the Sauder particle-board desk, and a few other random cheap shelf units and cabinets.

Down came the scrap-wood shelves and fixtures that I had knocked together over the years.

The only previous pieces of shop furniture that would remain in the new order of things would be the woodworking bench, and the saw bench.

Mrs. handsawgeek was reluctant to let me retain the latter, because it contrasts starkly with the new shop furnishings, but I convinced her that it was an extremely essential shop tool - which it is, and gets used extensively for every wood project -which it does. Plus, I would be able to store it neatly out of sight under one of the new workbenches.

This pic shows the cleared-out area and a table set-up to temporarily hold a large amount of displaced woodworking tools and hardware…

Table Furniture Wood Flooring Floor


Next post: Getting busy with a screwdriver and a few wrenches….
Wonderful! This is an excellent time of year for remodeling your workshop. Thanks for sharing your progess. Looking forward to seeing more.
 

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#33 ·
Shop Buildin' Progress

Now that the shop space is cleared and cleaned out, it's time to grab some tools and start building all that new shop furniture.
Here is the first of the three storage cabinets, completed and moved to its spot in the corner.

Wood Floor Flooring Wood stain Hardwood


As I suspected, the unit is extremely well designed and sturdy, even though it took over an hour and about a million screws to assemble it. I particularly like the adjustable feet at the bottom to facilitate with leveling.
The cabinet is 5'5" tall, 24" wide and 18" deep, and features a center fixed shelf and two adjustable shelves. The only thing I am not totally thrilled about is that the sides of the cabinet are steel pegboard. I can foresee a lot of dust getting inside, but that can be compensated for by affixing some poster board or cardboard inside to cover the perforations.
Another nice feature of the cabinet is a locking handle with a key. Nice touch if one has little tykes running around.
Next up is construction of the two workbenches to be placed side by side. These feature a 2' x 4' breadboard wood top. Quite attractive.

Table Cabinetry Furniture Desk Writing desk


Again the bench construction is solid, and like the cabinets, features leveling feet. The back wall is again steel perf-board panels. The bench kit included a couple of nice surprises - a rubber mat for the tool drawer bottom, and an assortment of pegboard hooks and holders. Two steel dividers were also provided for the drawer. To top it all off, some electrical cord access holes are included in the backboard, complete with rubber grommets. These benches are quality all the way!
Finally, after much wrenching and screw-drivering (by the way, all the furniture kits included these tools), I had the remaining two cabinets built and moved into place.

Fixture Wood Floor Gas Composite material


Phew! Time to rest.

More to come….
 

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#34 ·
Shop Buildin' Progress

Now that the shop space is cleared and cleaned out, it's time to grab some tools and start building all that new shop furniture.
Here is the first of the three storage cabinets, completed and moved to its spot in the corner.

Wood Floor Flooring Wood stain Hardwood


As I suspected, the unit is extremely well designed and sturdy, even though it took over an hour and about a million screws to assemble it. I particularly like the adjustable feet at the bottom to facilitate with leveling.
The cabinet is 5'5" tall, 24" wide and 18" deep, and features a center fixed shelf and two adjustable shelves. The only thing I am not totally thrilled about is that the sides of the cabinet are steel pegboard. I can foresee a lot of dust getting inside, but that can be compensated for by affixing some poster board or cardboard inside to cover the perforations.
Another nice feature of the cabinet is a locking handle with a key. Nice touch if one has little tykes running around.
Next up is construction of the two workbenches to be placed side by side. These feature a 2' x 4' breadboard wood top. Quite attractive.

Table Cabinetry Furniture Desk Writing desk


Again the bench construction is solid, and like the cabinets, features leveling feet. The back wall is again steel perf-board panels. The bench kit included a couple of nice surprises - a rubber mat for the tool drawer bottom, and an assortment of pegboard hooks and holders. Two steel dividers were also provided for the drawer. To top it all off, some electrical cord access holes are included in the backboard, complete with rubber grommets. These benches are quality all the way!
Finally, after much wrenching and screw-drivering (by the way, all the furniture kits included these tools), I had the remaining two cabinets built and moved into place.

Fixture Wood Floor Gas Composite material


Phew! Time to rest.

More to come….
Looking good, that is the fun part setting up shop. My last shop kept getting re-organized for work flow. Building a new shop at present. Looking forward to setting it up.
 

Attachments

#35 ·
Final Touches

Work on the new handsawgeek shop is progressing nicely, now that the 'heavy construction' portion is completed.
The next step is to add all the little features that will make the space ready for use - installing electrical power to the benches, a surface mat, proper task lighting, and of course, an operational small stereo system.

Table Office chair Furniture Computer desk Computer monitor


A calendar and a few family pictures hang on the pegboard along with a project clip board.
I also mounted the small drill press on one end of the bench.

Table Property Furniture Building Wood


In the interest of trying to keep the benches somewhat neat and tidy, I have opted to not have too many tools hanging on the peg board or sitting around on the bench top. These will get relegated to the tool drawers. I will have to discipline myself to put things away after every work session.
These new benches will be used as a multi-purpose work station for my other hobbies: model rocketry and LEGO building, as well as for electronics, pyrography, and general small repair projects.

I'm not going to present any pictures of the cabinets with doors open, yet. They are virtually crammed to full capacity with all of the shop supplies and other stuff that I hastily had get to put away and out of sight.. There is no organization there whatsoever. Over the next few weeks, this mess will get dealt with shelf by shelf until I have everything just right.
With this new shop downsizing, I have definitely lost a huge amount of the storage space that I had with the old shop, so I will be forced to organize and arrange to the utmost of efficiency, get rid of a lot of stuff I don't use or need, and refrain from hoarding more stuff.

Here's a pic of the overall shop space….

Table Furniture Wood Computer desk Writing desk


As for the main woodworking bench, very little has changed there.
It is still designated as the HTOZ (Hand Tool Only Zone), albeit on a more compact scale.

I spent a couple of hours re-arranging the space below the bench top to adequately accommodate my collection of hand tools, clamps, jigs, and a small box of hardwood stock. Surprisingly, it all fit in that small space, while still being easily accessible.

Wood Hardwood Machine Plywood Wood stain


Sometime in the near future, I plan to equip the bench storage space with a front panel which will hide all this stuff from view. Perhaps I will get further motivated to build a nice under-bench tool cabinet.

In the meantime, though, I need to get busy building that rocking horse for the grand-kiddo. He's gonna be walking in the very near future.
So much to do……

Cheers!
 

Attachments

#36 ·
Final Touches

Work on the new handsawgeek shop is progressing nicely, now that the 'heavy construction' portion is completed.
The next step is to add all the little features that will make the space ready for use - installing electrical power to the benches, a surface mat, proper task lighting, and of course, an operational small stereo system.

Table Office chair Furniture Computer desk Computer monitor


A calendar and a few family pictures hang on the pegboard along with a project clip board.
I also mounted the small drill press on one end of the bench.

Table Property Furniture Building Wood


In the interest of trying to keep the benches somewhat neat and tidy, I have opted to not have too many tools hanging on the peg board or sitting around on the bench top. These will get relegated to the tool drawers. I will have to discipline myself to put things away after every work session.
These new benches will be used as a multi-purpose work station for my other hobbies: model rocketry and LEGO building, as well as for electronics, pyrography, and general small repair projects.

I'm not going to present any pictures of the cabinets with doors open, yet. They are virtually crammed to full capacity with all of the shop supplies and other stuff that I hastily had get to put away and out of sight.. There is no organization there whatsoever. Over the next few weeks, this mess will get dealt with shelf by shelf until I have everything just right.
With this new shop downsizing, I have definitely lost a huge amount of the storage space that I had with the old shop, so I will be forced to organize and arrange to the utmost of efficiency, get rid of a lot of stuff I don't use or need, and refrain from hoarding more stuff.

Here's a pic of the overall shop space….

Table Furniture Wood Computer desk Writing desk


As for the main woodworking bench, very little has changed there.
It is still designated as the HTOZ (Hand Tool Only Zone), albeit on a more compact scale.

I spent a couple of hours re-arranging the space below the bench top to adequately accommodate my collection of hand tools, clamps, jigs, and a small box of hardwood stock. Surprisingly, it all fit in that small space, while still being easily accessible.

Wood Hardwood Machine Plywood Wood stain


Sometime in the near future, I plan to equip the bench storage space with a front panel which will hide all this stuff from view. Perhaps I will get further motivated to build a nice under-bench tool cabinet.

In the meantime, though, I need to get busy building that rocking horse for the grand-kiddo. He's gonna be walking in the very near future.
So much to do……

Cheers!
Looks fantastic
 

Attachments

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