So, I brought my new lathe home – my belated birthday present!... but being a week before Christmas it was foolish of me to think I’d get any “quality time” with it, let alone down any time in the shop. (Disaster is putting it mildly). Fortunately, I have this week off, so I built a bench for it (and by built, I mean chop down and repurpose the last remaining bits of my original workbench) and set about making a space for it.
BUT, (yes, that’s a big but), to do so is basically to move everything around in the shop, and to do that requires some major housekeeping – or an act of God.
A few days in (not counting LOTS of time standing and staring in disbelief) I find the basement down 6 bags of “kindling”, loads of recycling (glass and plastic) and nearly 45 gallons of sawdust and assorted non-recyclables trash.
In doing so, I’ve found a bunch of gardening supplies some I knew I had, and one I didn’t (and have been wanting) a Japanese Hori-Knife (Knife/trowel)... something I’m sure the folks a GT will be excited to hear.
I’ve built more lumber racks to get odd and end 1x, 2x and ply off the floor, (less place for the mice to hide) Now I find my workshop has grown from a 2×6 foot bench with a few handtools (once upon a time) to now, finally filling up the entire basement! (I’d still trade some square footage for headroom – it’s dangerous for anyone 6’ or over (which I am).
Despite this being the largest footprint the shop has ever had, it’s also the cleanest It’s ever been. A few years back, I had it about 60%-75% clear workable space, and the rest was piles and piles of lumber – which spread and took over the whole place like a virus of pine offcuts.
I’m going to head back down while I’m on a roll… (and before I mess up the whole place again). I’ve got some more sawdust to shovel, (later I’ll have 6-8” of snow to shovel). After I get everything all bright and shiny, the last intimidating project, which I hope I don’t ignore, will be clearing off the work table and finding homes for all those odd and end things – jars of mixed fasteners and random doo-dads that never had a home. And then I’m building a new (FLAT) work table.
With any luck, I’ll have new pictures to post of a shop that just invites lots of new projects, and is easy to keep clean. (which would be a first)
-- I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it. - Pablo Picasso -- http://blanchardcreative.etsy.com -- http://snbcreative.wordpress.com/
10 comments so far
rikkor
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11335 posts in 771 days
posted 696 days ago
Isn’t it just too easy to neglect the clean-up. I sure am guilty.
MsDebbieP
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14162 posts in 1057 days
posted 696 days ago
well that sure sounds exciting… and like a lot of work!!
but it will all pay off in the end and we’ll soon be “ooh-ing” and “ahhh-ing” over your projects done on the new lathe.
-- ~ Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)
RobS
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1243 posts in 1203 days
posted 696 days ago
Cool! Have you ever considered raising the house or digging out the floor? ha, I supose it’s easier to just slouch around down there…
-- Rob (A) Waxahachie,TX
Karson
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25803 posts in 1297 days
posted 696 days ago
Go – Go – Go
Rah – Rah – Rah.
Did that help Scott.
When You get good at it, I might want to hire you for a week.
-- What happens in the workshop stays in the workshop. No wait that doesn't sound right. Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †
Douglas Bordner
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3426 posts in 960 days
posted 696 days ago
Can’t wait for new pictures!
-- "Bordnerizing" perfectly good lumber for over a decade.
scottb
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3402 posts in 1224 days
posted 696 days ago
sure Rob, grab a shovel… let me know how it goes. Can you pour new walls too?
actually, I’d prefer a garage if I could fit it in, without shading my yard further.
but for now, I’ve got more and more floor space!
-- I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it. - Pablo Picasso -- http://blanchardcreative.etsy.com -- http://snbcreative.wordpress.com/
gizmodyne
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1678 posts in 987 days
posted 696 days ago
I love the potential of a clean shop.
-- -John "Do I have to keep typing a smiley? Just assume it's a joke." www.flickr.com/photos/gizmodyne
IowaWoodcrafter
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256 posts in 973 days
posted 696 days ago
Scott,
I know the feeling of planning to work in the shop and having it all be eaten up by other activities. I took the entire week of Christmas off expecting to spend at least 30 hours working on projects. I think I managed maybe 5. It seemed like there was always something going on where I had to go somewhere and do something else. I didn’t even get a clean shop out of the deal.
Congrats on the new lathe and the “new” shop. Can’t wait to see pictures of the shop and the items you turn on the lathe. By the way, what lathe did you buy?
-- Owen Johnson - aka IowaWoodcrafter
scottb
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3402 posts in 1224 days
posted 696 days ago
I think I managed an hour or two, getting the bench ready for the lathe (Jet VS) to move out of the dining room. I’m pretty sure it was downstairs before santa came… I’ve chucked an existing practice piece to show my little one how it works. It’s so quiet and doesn’t vibrate at all. I may not have to attach it to the bench! – I do intend to use it outside in the summer. Fortunately I didn’t get the bigger one – This is one awkward bugger to get down the stairs.
-- I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it. - Pablo Picasso -- http://blanchardcreative.etsy.com -- http://snbcreative.wordpress.com/
cajunpen
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5968 posts in 962 days
posted 695 days ago
Scott we are both in the same time warp. I’m in the process of trying to figure out how I want to lay my new (to be built) cabinets and work surfaces out so I can manage to fit everything in the shop, I had to laugh at your comment about standing and staring – I find myself doing that all the time :-)). I have plenty of head room – just not floor space. Word to the wise – NEVER build a shop 10 foot wide, that is a bad width – but it’s all I could fit in at the time. Good luck Scott, I’ll be looking for the pictures to be posted.
-- Bill - "Suit yourself and let the rest be pleased." http://www.cajunpen.com/