Ruminations, Philosophy, and Workshop Antics.......... #15: I Cannot do Quick and Dirty AnyMore........................got a melody?

Every task must have a clear objective. If that objective is to produce a useful item to perform a given function for a short term. That is not a cheep and dirty or guick and dirty undertaking, but rather a worthy task. When you let your effort get off track and start introducing things not truley related to the objective you risk failure. Those great projects that are listed here have a very diferent set of objectives such as creating beautifl and long lasting items. Who than should be the judge of weather an objective has been met?

-- Nils, So. Central MI. Wood is honest.Take the effort to understand what it has to tell you before you try to change it.

Ya know, I’d really love to re-handle all of my tools and retrofit pretty much every knob, wheel and pull in my shop with fanciful hand carved mythological and real beasties done in various woods and semiprecious stone. Also cover every lintel in the house with bas relief. Tromploei on ceilings and walls.

But I’m lazy.

Guess you just have to pick your battles?

-- Ooo, er.

You must dedicate a corner of your shop that will never see the camera flash and never speak of these projects again. Start with something simple like a nailed up box for the sandpaper. You can do it.

-- Jim

Not to be controversial, but Q&D is a thing of the past for you Jim. Your carefree youth is gone, so just accept it. You are now a Lumberjock and there is no way back. That is a good thing!

-- Mike, American in Norway - Do it the fun way

Sounds like a heavy burden to bare Jim.

I think the curvy plywood up there in AK should carry some of the blame, oh and sketchup too.

-- I'm a woodworker, and I think woodworker's a very good word, and I like the word, it's an honest word, and that is what I am, a woodworker. Sam Maloof

Oluf
I have to admit, two of those items are passing into the anciennt past history phase, and still function. One is the bolt box rack, which is chock full of bolts, washers, nuts from 5/16 to 1/2 inch diameters. And there are another bunch of things like lag screws a nail selection etc. Some of those racks really have a lot of weight on them.

Much of the contents of the rack is over 30 years old, part of a large assortment I bought mail order that has been a money saver, and time saver. The only problem with that rack is that it was underdesigned, but I admit, it hasn’t failed, and probably would last my lifetime. But I will replace it as a update the shop. It was only designed as a temp deal to get all those boxes out where I could find stuff easily, I think I really got tired of trying to find stuff one day and built it in less than an hour out of scrap. It is dado construction, which I used on the Q&D tool rack as well, that I can do rapidly on the radial arm saw using the regular blade with a number of passes, although I might have used a wobbler here.

The tool rack was another 20 minute project that I just blasted through, building it out of scrap, dashing through the holes not carrying if the wood splintered. Its main structural integrity comes from the dado construction technique. It will probably be the first of these items to be replaced, although yup, it functions.

The key rack had been installed on the wall, the space now occupied by the freezer. So I made a very Q&D shelf, and just tacked that key rack (that was something my wife purchased) to a board, and bolted both to that rack. Those things will last forever, because they are actually overbuilt. Even though they are Q&D, I knew they would be hit with objects as we unload the cars, bring in lumber, etc. I think I will just sand that shelf a bit, and throw some Watco on it. That will take it out of the Q&D arena. Then perhaps make a new key rack…................I’ll get to those things sometime in the next 15 years, should I live so long…...........(-:

Skarp
Fortunately, I don’t have to do anything much in the house, it is just the shop now. But this shop has enough stuff in it that revamping things is quite a project. So I am picking my battles. You are right. I needed to have a well functioning router table for a lot of the shop stuff I am doing, such as completing the sled miter arms and stop blocks.

Outputter
I am way ahead of you…......you ought to see my 30 minute wonder that is my sandpaper box…......Q&D personified. I forgot to include it…..........(-:

And it never appears in the pictures….........(-:
You are right Q&D may be OK if I can keep it out of the pictures…....................(-:

Mike
I think you hit the nail on the head again Mike. Partly because I have functioning solutions for most things. Now it is just a matter of upgrading everything to function at a new plane (not intended). I really can’t do Q&D anymore, because those easy to do things, that need to be done immediately, so to speak, have already been done. I have a bunch of tools and other doodads sitting on my workbench in a corner, waiting for a new rack. But there is no wall space, so they will have to await a total revamp of the workshop.

Timbo
Yup, the curvy plywood has something to do with it, and definitely Sketchup. I hadn’t thought of the latter, but I did design the router table mod very carefully in Sketchup with the metal table beside me in front of the computer for measurement. But I also ended with a precisely fitting cabinet for the table, it is exactly press fit, and you can lift up the whole thing by the table top even before you put in the screws. Sketchup may be a major culprit.

All
Fortunately, I am doing better at increasing my shop time during an average week, so some things will get done faster than I thought. My last hobby involved mostly computer stuff, and I had gotten pretty used to sitting in front of those screens. Now I am getting used to working in the shop, and my efforts at upgrading my old machines, and getting new ones are already making the shop stuff more enjoyable. I find myself starting in the shop at 0830 on a weekend day, and not even breaking for lunch till 1430hrs, 6 hours later. That happened twice this weekend. Friday and Sunday. Saturday is usually broken up due to errands and stuff.

Thanks everyone for helping me work through this issue, actually, it is an issue for me, if nothing else, trying to understand it…..........(-:

-- Jim, Anchorage Alaska - LJ Book List, http://home.gci.net/~jbertelson/Book_List.htm

thank´s for sharing this now I know that they still some hope for me :-))

Dennis

Shelves aren’t supposed to droop?!?

A tool caddy is supposed to look like a piece of furniture?!?

Key holders are not to be functional and convenient?!?

I must be doing it all wrong, then.

Lew
Thanks for the support, meaning my psyche…....not the shelves…......(-:. I suspect the shelves will droop for quite some time. I am remaking the tool caddy this week end, because it is an annoyance. The shelves will last for another 25 years if I let them. The key holder…......I’ll probably let it be. I figured…............you would be in my camp….........(-:

-- Jim, Anchorage Alaska - LJ Book List, http://home.gci.net/~jbertelson/Book_List.htm